"A fighter - I see." He laughed as he did a backflip, coming to his feet, "But... An elf? You'll be an interesting snack." Blaze said as he dug his claws into both her arms before scrambling away from her, looking up at an untouched branch which he hauled himself in to. He usually stayed in the trees when hunting, so he was used to climbing - however, the elves were more used to climbing than him and their skills in the trees were unpredictable.

Ashen rubbed her arms where he dug his claws in before jumping into the tree with him, staff in hand. As she jumped, she flung the staff out, hitting him in the head while landing lightly on a branch. "You want to eat us?" She asked surprised and appalled. She did not eat meat, the idea bothered her, to eat things with feelings.
She jumped to his branch, using her staff to kick one of his legs out to make him off balance then shook the branch. Ashen then shoved him off the branch, making him fall to the ground. She jumped after him, landing on his chest. She put her feet on his wrist and sat on his chest, intending to keep him pinned. Ashen then put her staff to his throat, pushing down but not enough to suffocate him.

Piper ran forward, following Ashen. She wasn't as fast as Ashen, but she made good time. She stopped, hearing the words, Eat us. She wasn't sure she liked that idea. She saw Ashen sitting on a male with red tattoo, scales, and wings. Her hand tightened around the hilt of her katana. It seemed like Ashen was holding her own, but things could change.
"Ashen are you alight?" she asked. She scanned the trees quickly. Toxis flew to her quickly and she noticed that his wings were singed. He nuzzled her cheek. Fury rammed through her, and she stormed over to Ashen and the male. She pointed her sword at him, careful to keep the blade away from Ashen so as not to threaten her. "You tried to set Toxis on fire!" she snapped, not quite yelling but she was close.

"You don't want to make me angry." Blaze said, a grim smile betraying the true emotions which swirled inside him - he was used to winning battles... not losing. He groaned, the smile leaving his face as it was replaced by a guttural smile and the scales began replacing every inch of skin he possessed. "We can make this easy for the both of us..."

(I'm sorry, I'd like to put a small pause on the roleplay for a day or two. Sorry guys!)

(Okay! Unpause. However I may not be able to get on as much as I'd like for a while. so bare with me )

The fury she'd felt before magnified more, twisting her stomach into knots. She gripped the hilt of her katana tighter. Like any other object or person she touched, she remembered every time she had drawn this blade, and what she had done with it. Her hands weren't exactly clean, but she was sure there wasn't a person alive who didn't have blood on their hands. Seeing Ashen now, she could tell the girl was a fighter, and if not a fighter, she could at least defend herself. She felt the heat of the blazing tree on her face. The shadows flickered across her and her company like an exotic dance. There was an eerie feeling to it. The smoke swirled them. Still, it did nothing to calm her rage. And that wasn't always a good thing. She looked down at Ashen and the guy she had pinned. She watched as his skin seemed to change.
"You're right, we can make this easier for all of us," she said to them. She looked down at the guy. "For one, all this talk about eating and killing.... it stops now. You're not going to harm either of us, so the faster you get that through your head, the faster we can settle this. I for one, want to settle this quickly." She meant to sound firm and uncaring, but there was a tremble in her voice. She was afraid, but it wasn't because of the two people with her, it was for reasons she hated to think about. And what was worse, her ears were starting to ring.
Toxis sensed her inner turmoil, he nuzzled her cheek again, and cawed softly. Piper stroked his singed feathers but it didn't help to calm her down. She usually didn't have a temper, but when it came to Toxis, her control, and temper seemed to snap. She looked from the guy to Ashen. She felt the raw need to fight, to release some of her anger, but she wouldn't fight without a strong reason to.

Ashen felt his skin change beneath her and she flipped off of him, not liking the sensation. Ashen listened to Piper's words. From the rage on Piper's face and the dragon man's intensity, Ashen could tell that this was not going to end quickly. She held her staff, watching the dragon man. Piper had her katana to him, but she assumed that he was still going to strike. Ashen got on her toes, waiting. She was a patient person, ready for anything at any moment but not rushing into it. That made her a formidable foe, most people rushed, not thinking things all the way through, but Ashen waited for the best time to strike even if she had to take a few hits to get there.

"As you wish." Blaze said calmly, the same mischievous smile on his lips as his skin stopped crawling and he turned fully human, every scale sinking into normal skin. His body was now replaced with a red tunic and tight pants which stopped at his ankles. He slowly began to stand before grabbing the blade of the katana, the smile dropping. "I'll see you guys around." Blaze said as he turned in to a ball of flame and dissipated into the eerie night.

Ashen watched, a little confused. He must have realized that he was going to loose, Ashen thought. She was a little jealous of him turning into a fire ball and flying away, though the sudden brightness made her head hurt and for her to see spots. She wished for the kind of freedom and ability. She never stayed in one place long but being able to fly would allow her to move much quicker.
Ashen turned to Piper. "That was odd." But she shrugged, moving her staff to her shoulders. In the night she could hear the cicadas and frogs along with a panther stalking for pray nearby. It was peaceful if you looked past the darkness of the night. Ashen was able to because she was able to see with little amounts of light.

Relief flooded through Piper. She took a deep breath and waited a moment before she sheathed her katana. She turned to Ashen, digging through a pouch on her hip for a piece of dried meat which she fed to Toxis. She ran her fingers through his wings. Toxis was her best and only friend. They had a bond that went far deeper than just master and pet.
"Yeah, that was pretty strange. He might be back though," she said the Ashen. She looked around, scanning the forest for any sign of the dragon man and then she looked back at Ashen. Her ears were still ringing and now her vision was starting to blur. "So you know this forest pretty well?" she asked. Toxis cawed softly at her, cleaning his feathers. Piper moved carefully so that she was leaning against a tree.

Ashen watched the direction the man went off to, just in case he did come back like Piper suggested. "I haven't been to these woods before, so I don't know them that well." It has never been her priority to know areas she travels to, she don't plan on staying long enough to really get to know it that well. "Do you come from around here?" Ashen found a rock and picked it up, throwing it up and watching as it sored through the night. She could hear the thump as it landed a few yards away. It was a shiny rock and it glittered in the light and she resisted the urge to go and pick it up. Ashen didn't like carrying much with her and that rock has no true sentiment to her, it was just a pretty rock.

Piper closed her eyes taking a deep breath, and shook her head. She opened her eyes again and looked at Ashen.
"Not exactly around here but close. I've been staying in this forest for a few days now. Trying to keep a low profile. You and the guy with the scales are the only people I've seen," she said. She studied Ashen a little. "Do you travel a lot?" She wasn't the usual person Piper ran into, but she was thankful for that. The guy with the scales however, well she just hoped he didn't come back. Toxis stretched his wings, leaning toward Ashen to study her himself. He cawed softly at her.

Ashen stuck her hand out for Toxis to sniff if he wished, but keep her eyes on Piper. "I do travel a lot. I enjoying seeing many places. But it does get lonely on occasion, that's why I stopped to talk to you. It's been a while since I had a proper conversation." Ashen looked up at the sky, deciding that she needed to move on. She never felt safe being in one place too long.

The air around Blaze shimmered once more - and, out of thin air, the dragon demon dropped to the seemingly desolate streets of a town. The houses around him had been burnt badly and most still had fire crackling on wood, destroying everything. Another demon had been here - considerable powerful.

Wings popped from Blaze's back as he shifted into his half-human form in the matter of seconds, his talons staying hidden in his scaled hands.

Toxis pecked at Ashen's fingers lightly, nuzzling her hand. Piper smiled at them. She enjoyed seeing Toxis out in the open like this. The time he spent in the cage had done a real number on him, and she had hated every minute of it.
"Toxis likes you. He doesn't nuzzle someone if he doesn't like them," she told Ashen with a smile. She stroked her Toxis' back affectionately. "I'm probably going to explore a little bit and then set up camp. I'd set up camp here, but that guy might come back and it wouldn't be smart to stick around this area. You're welcome to join me if you'd like." She shifted around to scan the area again before looking back at Ashen.

Ashen let her hand drop to her side, a little happy that Toxis liked her. "No, I think I'll find my own spot. I plan on moving on early in the morning anyway. But thanks." Ashen gave her a small smile before going into the woods. She went in the direction the man from earlier went, not wanting to find him, but wondering what he went this way. Her staff crunched on the leaves and the stars shone down light. The moon was small in the sky, not giving much light, but more than enough for Ashen. She could see clouds forming in the distance, rain was coming. There was thunder coming with it and it was heading in her direction. Ashen could feel the temperature getting warmer as it got humid, and tiny beads of sweat began to form on her face. She could smell the salt on her skin, but ignored it for more important things, like the smell of smoke on the harsh breeze.

"Blazeth." A muffled voice sad from behind, emanating from a cluster of flames which seemed to never disappear, "Nice to make your acquaintance once again." Through the flames, a man stepped out, dressed elegantly with a clad black suit, shining shoes and a bow tie. On his head was a top hat which looked a bit too elegant for his unshaven face and his fully red eyes.

Blaze didn't bother turning around, he just stopped moving and moaned. "What do you want, Draco?" He said in a glum voice, sounding extremely bored from this game he had been participating in all his life.

Within a flash, Draco moved forward, walking at a lightning speed as he appeared right at Blaze's side, his hot breath spilling on his companion's neck. "You know what I want." He said, a grin flickering upon his blood red lips, "You didn't kill those little girls in the forest."

Blaze flinched at the sudden movement, trying to keep his eyes away from the monstrosity which was behind him, "I tried b--"

"But you were too weak for them." Draco finished the sentence off in a mocking tone before grabbing Blaze by the neck and throwing him into a wall - the impact crumbling the surface. "I have big plans for the forest, brother, and I don't have time to kill females."

"Brother!" Blaze began saying before being interrupted by Draco placing gloved finger to his lips.

He continued, moving his hands behind his back once he received silence, "You kill them. Or I kill you." Draco's smile widened and his eyes flashed a dark red before he turned into a ball of flame and sifted into the air.

Ashen decided to just climb a tree, she was too curious about the burnt smell to wait till she got there. She picked a tall oak and she had to climb up its rough bark until she reached the lowest limb. She pulled herself up, staff strapped to her back, until she was on the top branches. The tree blew with the coming wind along with her weight. Ashen stood completely still, leaving the tree to only move as the wind saw fit.
Squinting to see that far at night, Ashen could just make out what appeared to be a town. Based on the look of it and the smell of smoke in the air, it is burnt down. Ashen wondered how that happen. Was it just coincidence that a fire creature had come that way?
Ashen could hear the rain, too late to put out the flames that ravaged the town, as it fell in the distance. It made its way quickly to her, bringing a strong breeze before the first drops fell. She held onto the tree, not wanting to fall for such a silly reason.
Ashen's hair was soaked in seconds and the rough bark was now softer in her hands as she descended. She hit the ground with a muffled thump, no longer getting wet from the leaves of the oak, sheltering her. Ashen decided to just stay here, at least for a while, because she was always told that bad things happen if you travel during a storm.

Blaze turned, the smell of a human reaching his senses. He sniffled before turning toward the smell, hearing a slight thump. He smiled, proceeding forward as the scent became awfully distinct and distinguishable. "Little girl." He said, the smoke slowly starting to fade, revealing the limp body of the girl, "Not with your puny companion, I see."

Blaze flicked his palms forward and two flames were conjured, hovering above his hands, flickering as the rain hit it but regenerating. He threw one of the flames at the ground near Ashen, relentlessly moving forward as the fire which hit the ground extinguished itself.

Piper made her way around the trees in the rain. She really would need to make camp soon, though she was enjoying the rain for once. She stopped to rest for a moment, looking up at the sky with her eyes closed so that she could feel the rain beat against her face. Suddenly Toxis cawed loudly, and launched himself into the sky. Piper snapped to attention, and ran after the phoenix, to figure out what had caused him such distress. She ran through the trees, low hanging branches slapping her in the face. She followed Toxis until he circled back and cawed a warning at her. The guy must have returned. She stopped, leaning against a tree. Toxis took off again, and Piper continued forward again. Maybe Ashen was in trouble, or someone else. She should have taken the guy out when she had a chance. She ran, hoping that she wasn't going to be too late.

Ashen saw the guy coming, but was unafraid. As he stood before her, flames blinding her, she watched waiting. He threw one, just as expected and she dodged, though it did brush her arm. Ashen just stood there, watching him, not attacking. She knew he couldn't beat her and she wasn't going to waste her energy until he attacked properly.

Blaze flicked his wrist, a red dagger being summoned into his tough grasp. "Sorry... If I don't do this, I will die." He muttered, his eyes moving downcast as he conjured another dagger for his other hand, "But please - give me a fight before I kill you." He moved into a fighting stand as the are around him went up in flames, a slight bubble of fire protecting him.

Ashen readied into a fighting position. But it felt moot after what he just said. "If one of us is going to die, then why fight to get there." Ashen said but she shrugged. She wasn't going to die today and I don't think this man wants to either. He looked to be an intimidating force with his fire dancing around him. But Ashen knew better than letting a small splay of power win a battle. Long ago she was ashamed that all she had was enhanced senses, that she couldn't use big magic, but she learned from her instructor that not having magic could be just as good as magic. Without magic, Ashen has sharpened her mind and trained her body for battle, especially against magic users. The gift she didn't like when she was little, was now her biggest asset.
Ashen waited, standing with her staff pulled at an angle, ready to strike, but she waited for the man to strike first.

Toxis flew threw the clearing first, circling around Ashen and the guy. He cawed out another warning for Piper. Piper followed her phoenix, skidding to a stop when she saw them. She drew out her katana, and her pistol. She wasn't sure if they could see her. Ashen looked like she was ready for a fight, and Piper had no doubt Ashen could handle this but that didn't mean she was going to just abandon this. She wasn't the kind of person to just walk away. She watched and waited for a moment, but grew too restless. Toxis landed on a nearby tree. Piper raised her pistol and aimed. The rubber bullets in her gun wouldn't kill anyone but it would hurt like crazy. She took a deep breath and whistled loudly to get their attention. Maybe she'd distract him enough for Ashen to attack.

Blaze's head turned to the left, to see Ashen's accomplice - gun in hand and katana in other. With a slight scowl, he moved his hands around his body before cracking his neck to the side. The flames around him intensified and started growing larger, like a sea of red expanding profusely. "Two on one. No fair." He shouted over the roaring of the flames as they took over his whole body before dissipating to reveal his full demon form - the scales replacing every inch of his skin. He twirled his daggers and laughed.