Hiding in Plain Sight

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Ugh, dragons. Goddamn prideful sons of bitches. She really had no room to talk, given her draconian nature, and she'd been the one to state the coolness factor of the dragon's claws, but that didn't matter. What did matter was that Ash was standing in front of and conversing with a black dragon. Just that alone was enough to make her seethe. There wasn't anything that could make the situation worse.

That was until the dragon shifted and shrank. In just a few seconds, the creature was replaced with a familiar figure. "...Fuck," was all she could say. Of course it had to be Xena, a girl that she didn't immediately hate within seconds of meeting. They weren't friends, but they were friendly enough with one another. And now the other young woman was being ousted as a black dragon.

"How the hell was I supposed to know it was you of all the people?" Ash didn't apologize for her words, because they weren't false. Even if Xena had told her she was a black dragon, Ash wouldn't have shown up. "It's not like you go around telling people you're a dragon. A black one to boot." She watched as Xena transformed back into a dragon, though her form didn't seem as intimidating as before. Perhaps it was because she knew the person under those ebony scales. Or maybe her anger was overtaking her uneasiness. She gnawed on her lip ring, watching Xena with an icy glare.

"Like I said, I'm not here to kill you. I would have already tried if that was the case." She left the 'tried' in her statement. She knew Xena could tear her to shreds if she was any normal human being. Well, lucky for her, she wasn't any normal human being.
 
Xena offered a low growl at Ash's words, focused upon the stream ahead of her instead of the woman she had found interesting and kind earlier. Now, a different light had been cast upon the young woman she had previously shared coffee and time with. "Oh? Well of course it's wise to hide my identity so I don't end up as a stuffed corpse with half of my scales used as jewelry for some rich house wife. But I think you'd like that seeing your distaste for those of my scale color."she spat right back, clearly fired up over this whole situation.

Xena then proceeded to raise a taloned paw, staring at her dark claws as if suddenly disinterested. "Of course you'd try if you wished. While a human wouldn't have the gull to try to take me on, you would if you felt like it. I know you're a dragon and you can quite your little act. You smell of dragon and seemed to share some of my beliefs on mythics earlier. Also your absolute arrogance in the face of me can just be interpreted as refusal to submit, which would only be natural in someone that wouldn't cower in the face of a dragon like myself. That means you are definitely not human."she explained, voice still portraying her anger.

Continuing, she added, "Don't fret though. Although this encounter and revelation of opinions has made me yearn to harm you, I will not. I won't even so much as whisper this information to a hunter, as we would both be killed and skinned. And unlike you, I don't discriminate when it comes to the color of ones scales." She made sure to turn her head and make eye contact when mentioning the part about being open to different dragon scale types.

"Now, either fight me and get your anger out or turn tail and run. Best not show yourself around The Hideout. At least not while I'm working."she dismissed Ash, sharp teeth gritted. Although she seemed totally fine with shooing Ash and didn't falter at all, she felt a twinge of disappointment. This young woman had proved to be a very interesting persona and one she had previously wished to befriend. Just when she thought she was finally making an interesting friend in this lonely city, she had the rug yanked out from under her. Sure it was great to know that there were fellow dragons in the area, but she almost wished they had never had this encounter so she could have had more fun work shifts before their potential friendship came to an end over a spat.
 
"Pah, you really think that? I'm not that fuckin' mad at you," Ash snapped, crossing her arms over her chest. "Any human who wears a dead dragon deserves to be just as dead." It was rare that her past experiences with black dragons were undermined by her anger, but there had been too many days where she'd seen dragon scales being sold as commodities at a market or jewelry store. Most mythics shared the same ideal, but Ash didn't press the idea. Let Xena thinks what she wants, the rational part of her mind said, and it only barely won over her rage. Of all the people in the god-forsaken Trester, Xena had to be the one type of dragon she despised above all. Liking other dragons wasn't Ash's idea of fun, but at least she could tolerate them. Maybe it was wrong to discriminate, seeing as she knew the person under the scales, but years of hating black dragons were hard times to simply erase.

"I prefer to keep my skin on me, so I guess we're both in agreement on not telling those damned hunters anything." It was probable that she would skin them alive if they found her, but they had guns, bows, and all kinds of other ranged weapons designed to take down any mythic. She caught Xena's glare and returned it in kind, though an eyes of a dragon were far more intimidating than those of a human.

The glare crinkled into mirthless laughter as Ash shook her head. "You wanna fight me? Because trust me, you don't." Her words weren't one of surrender, but as she stood there, she was loathe to fight another dragon. It had been years since she'd engaged anyone in combat involving fangs and claws, but she still had might. Best of her family, one of the greatest. First to be exiled, but damn it all if she wasn't strong.
 
Xena allowed herself to feel a scrap of relief in result of Ash admitting she didn't want dragons to be used as jewelry. Xena had assumed that Ash would be angry enough to wish her corpse was divided up among the rich for commercial purposes, but it seemed that Ash wasn't a complete asshole and didn't wish for dragons to be decorations. Xena herself was against the use of any mythic for decor or even slavery depending on the species. Both unfortunately and fortunately, dragons were usually deemed too dangerous and difficult to maintain to be used as slaves. It was unfortunate, since she would be killed if she were caught, but it was fortunate since she would rather die than work for any master.

Xena usually saw hunters as pretty harmless considering they were so weak when compared to dragons and mythics in general. However, she knew that many had developed tools and weapons that were able to do plenty of damage. Despite their weapons, Xena would try to slaughter them all the same if they decided to cross her. No matter the enemy she faced, she was never one to back down. Xena wasn't the type to brawl, but she had learned to hold her own when she was younger and needed to fend off the occasional rogue dragon or one of the many that hated her and her family for being black scaled.

The laugh from Ash was enough to make Xena bristle and crack a toothy grin. "Really? Well I think that you're all bark and no bite."she shot right back. Sure Ash could potentially be an amazing fighter and she'd never know, but Xena didn't care. She'd fight and threaten anyone regardless of her opponent's abilities or skill. Xena rose to her feet again and crouched down like a cat, muscles bunched up. Her smile transitioned into a smile as she squared off with Ash, ears pinned against her head. Xena's violet eyes were narrowed and focused intently upon Ash. One could tell from her build that she was quick on her feet and fast in general, her build lean and narrow. One could also interpret her lack of bulk as a lack of strength, but a look at her sharp black claws was usually enough to convince opponents to beware. Xena's tail lashed out behind her, ice like spade cutting in the dirt.

A trickle of icy blue liquid slowly dripped from her maw onto the dirt below. It made a small pool and froze almost immediately. It became evident that she possessed ice abilities, as if the icicle like spikes running down her neck, back, and tail didn't already give that detail away. Xena awaited a reaction from Ash, wondering if she would really shift and try to fight. The musings only served to further excite and rile Xena up.
 
What a challenge from Xena! It was enough to get her blood racing. She looked up at the black dragon shooting an arrogant smile, one that was filled to the brim with sharp fangs. She certainly wasn't all bark and no bite, but she let Xena have her fantasies. She cracked her knuckles, giving the dragon a smug smirk of her own. "Fine. You really wanna fight? I'll indulge you, but don't cry when you lose." She shrugged off her jacket, hanging it on a branch. She rather liked the jacket, and her transformations sometimes ripped her clothes if she wasn't careful.

Looking Xena right in those violet eyes of hers, Ash snarled, though her teeth were no longer human. Fangs had replaced straight teeth, and her nose and mouth elongated, skin turning a deep shade of blue. Her hair receded, the black and teal strands being replaced with two ivory horns that curled and curved into the air. Scales formed along her body as it grew in size, and a pair of lighter blue wings sprung from her back. Spikes erupted from her spine and trailed down to the tail that was steadily growing in length. Her growth didn't stop until she was taller and larger than Xena, which seemed impressive in itself. Where Xena had a slippery, dodgy body, Ash had bulk and muscles. Dark blue scales flexed as she crouched, growling at the other dragon. Her jaw opened, sparks flying forth as she breathed out. She was a lightning dragon, and she was a fierce one. The point was only made more so by the fact that her forearm scales were chipped, torn off, or scarred. It looked as though she'd been in one too many fights in her past, but that wasn't stopping her now.

Ash roared, and the sound was loud and primal. She preferred not to use her words as a dragon, letting her navy-colored claws do the talking. Her muscles bunched in preparation to leap onto Xena, but an unwanted noise sounded through the trees. It was the shout of a human, male... and quiet, as if he was stalking something. Turning her attention from the black dragon to the sound, Ash's ears - little webbed things that seemed more like fins - twitched before her eyes narrowed. Inhaling, she recognized the scent on the wind. Hunters. The word burned through her mind and riled her anger to new heights. She wouldn't have smelled them as a human, but as a dragon, their stink poisoned the air.

Ash looked over at Xena, bright blue eyes holding a question. She was going to take them head on, though their feud was not yet over. Would Xena fight with her to defend their lives and take their revenge on those who would slay their fellow dragon?

The blue dragon didn't wait for a response, leaping forward and flying above the trees. The shouts of the human hunters meant they'd seen her, but she didn't care. Pinning her wings to her back, Ash dive bombed the group, snatching up one hunter in her mouth and shaking him around like a dog would a bone. He didn't fit in her jaw completely, but his meaty shoulder was enough for her to clamp onto, tearing chunks of his skin and muscle as she threw him. It didn't matter that she was surrounded by a group of ten or so hunters. In fact, that knowledge excited her. It had been quite some time since she'd made anyone bleed.
 
Xena rolled her eyes when Ash mentioned crying. Due to her nature and species, Xena was far from submissive or cowardly. She'd attempt to brawl with anyone that threatened her, no matter their abilities. Even if Ash did manage to flay her, she wouldn't shed a single tear and would snarl in the face of death. Never would there be a moment where she'd give in easily or balk when confronted with a foe. The knuckle cracking and shedding of clothing was almost too cliche and almost elicited another eye roll from Xena. Watching Ash's movements carefully, she crouched down further in a cat like manner. It was clear she was well prepared to spring, muscles quivering from anticipation. Still, she awaited her attack and bided her time by watching Ash's transformation.

Xena showed no sign of fear, even when Ash proved to be larger, bulkier, and more scarred up. The missing scales suggested that there had been prior fights that Ash had participated in. This clue allowed Xena to know that this other dragon may have some experience and so she should be careful. Then again, Xena was never quite rational and even wondered if Ash only had scars from her inability to fight. The primal roar only further geared Xena up for a fight and not willing to be outdone, she reared her head back and opened her maw to reveal a loud roar of her own. Before Xena could lunge forth, a peculiar scent and sound stopped her dead in her tracks. Her long ears shot right up, tail lashing out and shoulders lifting slightly. Easily, she recognized humans and knew that hunters had reached them. Xena made a sound that suggested her disapproval, having yearned for a fight with another dragon. Now she had to face a group of hunters who could potentially be well armed and equipped to kill them.

The dark scaled dragon was far from frightened, but she wasn't stupid. She knew that a fight with well armed hunters could end poorly if she wasn't somewhat careful with her attacks. She returned Ash's questioning look with one of her own, clearly unsure of what to do. While Xena was set to attack Ash for having poor views on those of her scale color, hunters were more hated in her book. They tried to kill all dragons, no matter their scale color, which made them way worse that Ash in comparison. This led Xena to be more than willing to attack the hunters instead, even if this meant briefly allying with Ash.

Before Xena could say much, Ash was off over the trees and into the clearing where an unknown amount of hunters resided. Their shouts allowed Xena to know that there were at least ten or twelve, their smells confirming this. Flapping her wings down roughly, Xena rose into the air and over the trees, stirring the grass and dirt now a few meters below her. Casting her gaze downwards, she spotted Ash violently shaking one of the hunters. The other hunters were reaching for their weapons, scrambling towards the area where they had left a few packs full of ammunition and traps. They looked up and spotted Xena, startled and excited by the arrival of two dragons and two potential hides to sell. However, Xena could almost smell their fear and they were definitely right to be afraid.

In a flash, Xena had swooped down and landed lightly in front of the packs before a group of four could reach them. She released a low growl and pulled her lips back to reveal her teeth, violet eyes blazing. A set of claws collided with the nearest hunter, easily throwing him to the ground and leaving ragged gashes across his chest. One hunter lashed out with a whip, the end catching Xena's face and sliding off her scales easily, not so much as leaving a gash. Thoroughly pissed off, Xena reared up onto her hind legs and flapped her wings forwards to throw a few hunters off balance to disorient them. A gunshot sounded as Xena dropped to her stomach, a bullet whizzing passed and burrowing into a tree. In a swift motion, Xena's tail lashed out and tripped three of the hunters that had been attempting to free ropes from their belts. They fell with thuds and shouts as Xena crawled over one, her teeth latching onto the throat of a young man trying to reach a knife. IN a matter of seconds, his life was sapped from him and gore coated Xena's snout. In the heat of the moment, she hardly realized she had just killed someone since she didn't acknowledge mythic hunters as people worthy of life.
 
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In only the span of a few seconds, Xena had joined the fray. Despite the flash of black scales Ash caught from the corner of her eye, she welcomed the other dragon. Fighting hunters alone meant serious injury or death, and while Ash prided herself on strength, she couldn't last forever. She wasn't as big as older dragons, and her breath was weak. Still, she had a fighting spirit and a nasty bite, and in that moment, it was enough.

As Xena tore the throat out of a young man, Ash leaped over her and snatched another hunter who was scrambling away. "Not so fast," she growled, voice gravelly with her transformation. Pinning him down, she dragged her other set of claws down his back, splitting his skin and muscles. His cry of pain fell on her ears, but it only served to excite her further. Picking up the man's dead body, she threw it to the side as several shots rang out. Bullets pierced her wing membrane and drove into her scales, and she turned to the source. Four hunters held their guns steady, continuing to fire at both Ash and Xena. Ash roared and a zap of lightning erupted from her maw. The blast wasn't very strong, but it was enough of a shock for two of the hunters to drop their guns. The other two kept up their spray of bullets, but Ash charged forward, ignoring the fiery pain in her scales. She was aware of blood dripping from her wings and metal stuck in her skin. It was unfortunate for the hunters that pain was quite the motivator.

Ash pounced, chomping on one hunter. Blood spattered her snout and fangs, and the smell drove her forward. She tossed the hunter into a tree and swiped her claws in the direction of the others. She'd killed at least three and was honed in on three more, and some part of her hoped Xena was doing just as well. To see another dragon die would push her over the edge.

Ash snarled as the pain intensified and her tail lashed in defiance. The spiked edge came around and stabbed one of the hunters as the other two drew knives. A strange liquid dripped from the blades, and Ash's icy eyes narrowed at the sight. It had to be poison, for no sane hunter would come after a dragon with a close range weapon without something else on it. Poison was something new to her, something she hadn't encountered. That meant keep it away from her at all costs. Snapping her jaws, she lunged, watching as the hunters jumped from her grasp and darted to her side. Her tail came around again, catching one hunter off guard. The scaly appendage swung the hunter into the ground, but Ash still had the second one to deal with. She smacked her paw down, unsettling the ground and wobbling the hunter into a stagger. Taking her chance, Ash jumped forward, biting the hunter in his knife-holding arm and driving him into the ground. "Poison," she spat, "how petty of you." With those last words, Ash slashed open his chest and let the knife clatter from his limp hand.

Satisfied that he wouldn't come back from the dead, she wheeled back around to face the female hunter, who was stumbling to her feet. Noting that she was one of few hunters left alive, she picked up her feet and ran. Ash, in her bloodied and pained state, had the heart and not the strength to chase after the hunter. Being shot at took a lot out of a person, even a mighty dragon like Ash.
 
The bullets were an unwelcome sensation. The small, metal cylinders fired out with loud cracks with discomfort to follow. Xena took a few to her flanks and shoulder, her scales making the injuries only minor despite the searing pain. Bright blue blood oozed from the wounds and Xena released a loud noise alike to a hiss, gathering glowing, bright blue saliva in her mouth. Ash managed to take out two of the armed hunters with her electric shock and pouncing, leaving two left for Xena to deal with.

Xena sprung forth, covering a great distance with surprising speed. She landed lightly on long clawed paws and spat in the face of one of the hunters. A blue liquid splattered across the face of the hunter and soon screaming followed as the liquid froze and ice burned skin. When the hunter doubled over in agony, she was quick to land the last killing bite on the back of their neck. Teeth sunk down to bone and the acute taste of human blood filled her mouth, the hot, coppery substance enough to boost her already mounting adrenaline. A few more bullets found her hide, the stinging pain mostly masked by her adrenaline and will to fight. More blood colored blood dribbled down her black scales, offering stark contrast between the two. With a swift swipe, a series of slash wounds now adorned the hunter with the gun. His face was nearly torn off, skin flayed in a gruesome manner that exposed muscles and plenty of gore. Xena let the body drop to the ground and blood to clump in the cool dirt, fueled by her sudden blood lust.

Like Ash, Xena was doing quite well. Another pair of hunters rushed her, one brandishing a spear and another a nasty looking machete. Xena was careful to avoid the long spear, as its head was made of obsidian. Obsidian was very sharp, jagged, and could potentially burn Xena due to the dragon's ice nature and weakness towards all things relating to flame. She was quick to flare her wings up again and use the sudden force to knock the two off balance since unlike Ash, her stomp alone couldn't do much thanks to her lack of bulk. The hunter with the spear lunged forth suddenly, being tripped by Xena's oncoming tail. The hunter with the machete took the place of the disoriented partner and stabbed forth, the blade sliding off of Xena's chest, which was covered in smooth plates stronger than the scales covering most of her body. There was still a bleeding gash, but it was more of a shallow glancing blow instead of a nasty one.

The spear man was up on his feet soon enough and Xena was ready this time. The furious black scaled dragon threw her narrow head forwards and clamped her jaws on the wooden shaft of the spear, snapping it in half with a crack. The wood splintered and each half fell to her paws and out of the reach of her assailants. Soon her teeth found the spear man's arm instead, teeth inking into flesh and icy saliva filling the wound to inflict terrible pain and damage on the open wound. The spear man nearly shrieked, pain causing his eyes to water. The hunter with the machete looked terrified and fled, Xena being too preoccupied to pursue them. The spear man punched Xena's nose, but it did nothing to make her yield. Soon he got his wish and Xena's teeth were drawn away. Unfortunately for the hunter, Xena's teeth latched upon his throat instead and soon the life left his fearful eyes. Xena let his body fall limply, blood soon pooling in the grass.

Xena turned her head to see the last hunter run off and roared triumphantly. She stood with her paws planted into the dirtied soil, red droplets falling from her clenched teeth and nearly glowing blue blood dripping from her own wounds. Xena snorted, recovering from her bout of fury. Her sides heaved as she caught her breath and she kept her head high in a gesture of victory, her mouth now parted slightly to admit more air. She cast a look at Ash, nearly forgetting their little feud since they had both just saved one another from capture or a quick demise. Xena didn't have the will to thank Ash though, still quite bitter about the whole thing. So she sat down lightly and began to run her tongue across her wounds, paying little heed to Ash. Xena's adrenaline began to decrease to be replaced with a sharp pain. Cringing, she pulled some of the bullets out with her sharp teeth and spat them out onto the forest floor.
 
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After Xena had polished off the rest of the hunters, Ash noted that two of them had gotten away. Those hunters didn't know who they were as humans, but the rest of the hunters would know that there were two mighty dragons living in Trester. She'd done her best to keep her identity hidden from the hunters, but that luxury was going to end soon. It meant she had to get cleaned up and transform back into a human before any other unwanted people showed up.

There was still the issue with Xena, however. They hadn't settled their little dispute, but she was too tired to fight again. She could either let it go or postpone their fight. If she had to admit anything, it was that Xena fought admirably, and in truth, part of her had been doing her best to protect Xena. Maybe it was just her nature or some shit like that, but she hadn't wanted to see another dragon die beside her. Those hunters didn't deserve those scales, black or not.

Following Xena's motions, Ash's forked tongue slid from between her fangs, licking along some of the cracked scales. Bullets had either bounced off and left a mark or wedged themselves in between her scales. For the wedged ones, Ash was forced to pry them out with her claws or teeth, which hurt more than she cared to admit. Her holey wings were another story entirely. Her left wing had been shot through three times and her right wing twice. Blood still oozed from the wounds, but she could do little to fix them. The membranes would have to heal on their own.

"...Thanks for the help," she said, though there was a slightly begrudging tone. "I probably could have taken them all on my own, but I'd have more to show for that if I had." She was strong, but there was a definite possibility that she would have been beaten up more for that. She managed to flick another bullet from the scales on her forearm, growling at the pain. It felt like someone had shot her with fire and ice all at once with the way the pain fluctuated.

Healing from these wounds was going to be a bitch.
 
Xena stifled her urge to roll her eyes yet again when Ash claimed she could have taken out all of the hunters on her own. While the arrogant sense of pride the other had was native to her species and akin to that of Xena's, she still felt off put since they weren't exactly on great terms. Xena figured that a large dragon like Ash could have picked off the weak hunters, but she certainly would have taken quite a bit more damage. "Well of course I would have fared fine as well, but I suppose it's nice to have less wounds to deal with."Xena replied, managing her own sense of thanks despite their little feud.

One by one, Xena had to pry bullets free from her scales. Her scales were thick and durable, but quite a few bullets had still managed to hit their mark. So she lapped up blood and spat out any bullets, wincing as she did so. She was not looking forwards to how long these would take to heal, that was for sure. Luckily no bullets had pierced her wings since her body had taken the brunt of the assault, allowing her flight to be unhindered if it was needed. Xena also took to licking her snout and thin lips free of human blood, spitting the tainted saliva onto the ground. She didn't have much of a taste for human blood or flesh, though in the spur of the moment it had fueled her destructive desires. Now that her adrenaline had come down, the taste was foul upon her thin, forked tongue.

Once all of the bullets had been discarded, Xena stretched out her muscles as she grit her teeth from the pain that ensued. Straightening up again, Xena's bones began to crack and re-situate. Her body shrunk, hair grew, and scales disappeared under soft, pale skin. Soon she stood as a lean muscled human female, her clothing torn and bloody in quite a few places. Xena's blue blood was replaced with red blood and she was thankful for her now dulled sense so she didn't have to smell more human blood. Every move she made shot waves of pain into her system and she knew well that walking back would be difficult. While she wanted to flee the scene, she knew it would take some time for more hunters to set up a patrol, giving her a short recovery time. Xena limped over towards a tree and rested her back against the truck, sliding down into a sitting position. The grating bark and fabric of her tank top irritated the few wounds on her back, causing her to swear a few times.

The slash upon her chest from the machete bled through her clothing, but she hardly seemed to care. She cast cautious glances at Ash to make sure the dragon wasn't ready to finish their duel when she was in a more vulnerable state, but sh figured that Ash's own wounds had postponed a potential brawl. For the time being, Xena was willing to pause her brooding over Ash's toxic beliefs so that she could try to recover.
 
Ash, despite being bigger than Xena, still dealt with the same amount of pain. Size didn't matter; bullets didn't care what they shot. It took her several minutes to spit out the shredded metal, and her own blood stained the ground alongside Xena's. Unlike the black dragon's blood, Ash's blood was a darker red, almost black, giving it a similar appearance to oil. The blood ran down her scales in rivulets, dripping onto the ground and swirling into the dirt.

The lack of a bigger presence made her glance at Xena. The other girl had reverted back to her human form, but the bloody wounds from their battle remained. They would have to heal naturally, whether they wanted to or not.

Ash followed Xena's idea, licking up what blood was still oozing before she closed her eyes. The transformation back was slow and painful as the scales shrank but the injuries stayed. Horns receded into her head and her skin reverted to the tan it was before. The sharp spikes slid into her skin and the clothes she'd been wearing showed forth. Her tank top was shredded in several places and her jeans were bloodied, but she was alive.

She felt dead on her feet, but she remained standing. Xena had taken a spot against the tree, but Ash refused to fall. No hunter was going to take her down, especially not after she'd been attacked.

And it was high time she took revenge.

Limping over to Xena, she stood in front of the other girl. "...Look," she started, "I know you hate these bastards just as much as me. And... You're a good fighter. I know power when I see it." She paused, crossing her arms, trying to ignore the growing pain in the slashes and holes along the rest of her body. "And I'm tired of them thinking they can roll us over like dogs. We are stronger than they are. Can I trust you to use that strength to kill every last one of them? You chose not to kill me even when I stood against you, and any black dragon I know would have taken the chance... Maybe you aren't as fucking stupid as the rest of them."
 
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Leaning up against the tree, Xena wearily watched as Ash licked her own wounds. The bigger dragon had suffered just as much as Xena, the fight having been a riveting one. Although they had won the battle, they hadn't won the war. Since two had escaped, they had only taken down about eight hunters. There were dozens and dozens of hunters in Trester, the city's economy being based upon the practice.

Out of all of the places to settle in the human territory, Xena had unfortunately landed herself here. She would have relocated, but it had taken a a while to lower the suspicion of these citizens and she didn't know if she could do it again. After all, Xena had to lie to get herself where she was. It was suspicious for someone to enter the city and not have information of a home location, family members, previous education, a job, and so on. Xena was forced to make all of those details up and still felt a bit vulnerable to any people that may look into her case.

So Xena was practically stuck in Trester, a city filled to the brim with mythic hunters and those that sold and distributed their parts. She allowed herself to release a sigh, the action making her wince in pain. It was sure to be along walk back home and she knew being bloody and ragged was not inconspicuous. She may have to walk deeper into the forest and find a hiding spot to rest in if she couldn't reach her vehicle as easily. Xena watched idly as Ash reverted to her human form. Xena remembered their feud and felt bitter, though the recent fight had left her conflicted as to whether Ash was an ally or not.

The young woman walked over to Xena, but didn't sit down. She looked up at Ash, eyes narrowed in suspicion. A stony expression replaced any happiness she may have felt in reaction to the obvious compliment, but she kept her pride internal for once. Of course Xena was willing to try to pick off the rest of the hunters to avenge what they had done, but it was risky business. The insult Ash mixed in there didn't help her cause though. Xena spat out some blood onto the ground before clearing her throat and replying with, "I'll ignore the comment about dragons of my scale color being stupid for now....But, of course I'll kill those assholes."

Then she added, "Sure they're weak, but there's a lot of them and they have some pretty gnarly weapons. I think we'll need to find some other dragons or at least mythics to help us out, don't you think?
 
Ash rolled her eyes at Xena's fiery comeback. "Yeah, I'm sure you'll try to get me back for that some time," she said with a grin. Still, despite their feud, the black dragon was willing to help. It was at least something. Better than she was hoping, if she'd had any hope to begin with. As Xena spoke, Ash rubbed her arm, watching the thick blood drip along her elbow. Her wounds were rough, but she'd have to be back to work the next day, so she'd have to hide them somehow.

"Fair point... It's gonna be hard as hell trying to get people to admit they're mythics, much less dragons. Before this, I thought I was the only one." Despite Xena's scales, Ash was almost relieved to have another dragon in Trester. The place was boring except for the few hunters that paraded around parts, and that was only not boring due to her anger levels rising to deadly points. One day she was going to kill every last one of them, but she had to bide her time. And now, she had an ally. Not a friend, but someone she could almost trust.

"We'll have to think of something later," she said with a wince as her fingers twitched on her wounded arm. They were going to sting for a while, but she had to soldier on. "We should leave. I dunno how long it's gonna take those idiots to regroup, but sticking around doesn't seem like a plan."
 
Conflicted, Xena didn't know whether to feel relieved or upset right now. She was glad to have discovered a fellow mythic, even one of her own species. However, this dragon wasn't fond of black scaled dragons, which made things complicated. At least they seemed neutral towards each other now, not willing to break out into a fight over scale color. Xena was also glad that she had managed to pick off a few hunters, but that experience offered consequences as well. The first was all of the wounds she'd have to deal with, while the second problem was that now hunters would be seeking two dragons and taking more caution when hunting. Still, there was even a benefit to this predicament since this experience yielded a new goal to take down the hunters of Trester for what they have done.

Listening idly to Ash, it seemed that the other dragon also was aware of the challenge they would face. It would not be easy to locate other mythics since the only ones bad at hiding had already been enslaved or killed off by hunters. That left the craftier ones to try to scout out. They would most likely have to work together to hunt down mythics in a way that hunters somehow couldn't. While Xena didn't have a plan yet, she was bound to come up with one eventually.

"Yeah...We can't stick around any longer."Xena agreed, waking from her reverie. With a grunt, Xena pulled herself to her feet. The pain made her grit her teeth, but she managed not to whimper in front of the other dragon. Although Xena would cooperate with the other dragon, it didn't mean they were friends. this meant she'd always try to prove her worth to prevent being looked down upon, like a rivalry of sorts. Without waiting for Ash, Xena began to limp towards the direction of her car, taking deep breaths to tolerate the pain. Adrenaline having worn off, she could feel the full effect of her various wounds.
 
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