"<b>Better than I expected, worse than I hoped.</b>"<br/><br/>Yaro would be sitting on a tree stump, some distance away from the revelry, sharpening a blade as he spoke to Eliona. "<b>Training isn't the problem- Most of them have useful skills, such as strength, finesse, etc- all things I can work with. Teaching them how to hold a weapon and how to kill is the easy part. It's getting them to work together that is the bitch- most were not brought her by their choice, they are either conscripts or criminals wishing to avoid a hanging. Getting such myriad of people to work together is always a hassle. It ain't like it is with my band. Don't know how the hell you all manage to do this, but in order for this to work, I need them all to study mix unit tactics, how to operate in cohesive units, and to stop using racial slurs every five minutes- I had to break up at least sixteen brawls because a human called an elf '<i>Knife Ears</i>'." </b>Yaro said. He had his hands full, but instead of showing frustration or agitation, he seemed to be taking this a lot more calmly.<br/><br/>(Note, I cannot remember the original deity they worshiped, so I am retconning them and changing them)<br/><br/>Matter of fact, HE himself was acting more calmly. He was acting more-so like when Eliona first met him- Methodical, precise, and straightforward. Much like the Queen's cousins description of him. He seemed....different though. His eyes held an unusual clarity, his breathing was quiet, and his movements were cautious, as if he was worried he would break something. When asked, he would look towards her, before looking down, as he closed his eyes and planted his sword in the ground. "<b>Figure it's time I show you the secret to how we became the best at our job....You know it's commonly said we fight like demons, yes? Well, there's a method to our madness. It comes the religious practice of our God Etherus, God of Excess. We craved greater strength in battle, the desire to tower over our enemies, and he supplied the means to so." </b><br/><br/>He would reach into his cloak and hold out in front of her a<a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Flh6.googleusercontent.com%2FXiAeQTGPVFJx4oJgnxJr77o-t8nv0Lb4mWhyt0UkMuEfdyI8zVRiCUKMiDugzy4upyxEOyRwoyGSV04r8l3HyMVFAe_YIvyBOaIxe1q3Z_ZPrr2pynBobVi4QoIYei87FfNzW9If&amp;hash=c76d5161503f0aa20440a59b837d6033" href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/XiAeQTGPVFJx4oJgnxJr77o-t8nv0Lb4mWhyt0UkMuEfdyI8zVRiCUKMiDugzy4upyxEOyRwoyGSV04r8l3HyMVFAe_YIvyBOaIxe1q3Z_ZPrr2pynBobVi4QoIYei87FfNzW9If" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">shimmering potion bottle</a>. "<b>This is it, our secret- Refined Dragon Heart's Blood."</b><br/><br/>Dragon's Heart Blood?! The Blood was perhaps the most powerful part of a dragon and they drank 'refined' Heart Blood?!<br/><br/>Centuries of wizards, sorcerers, and alchemists have long desired to harness the powerful magic of the Dragon's for their own purposes, the Queen's Court Mage being one of them. Many parts of a dragon are known to possess magical properties, but there is much that remains shrouded in mystery. Great care is exercised in dealing with the body parts of dragons, or dragons in general, for although their magic may be put to good use, so too can it cause terrible harm in the wrong hands. Perhaps the most powerful IS the blood- Any Wizard worth their salt will go to great lengths to secure this potent substance for the spells, though many fail to appreciate its full force. Spells that use dragon blood in the wrong combinations or amounts can bring about catastrophic consequences. The Heart? It was said that those who consumed gained the gift of prophecy.<br/><br/>Slaying a Dragon was not easy, however- Many lost their lives in doing so, and even if one did gain the gift of prophecy, it often lead to madness.<br/><br/>Yaro would place it back in his pocket as he shifted slightly. "<b>Our former Grand Master, Tegrin, was a former dragon slayer- A Reaver. He found a way to access a portion of the dragon's power and refine it for use among our own. It gives us power, clarity, focus- We fight better, move longer, think better, and operate better. It made us the best warriors this kingdom has to offer and THAT is a fact. It also gives a sense of unity- those who drink the blood often find ourselves in closer company to one another. "</b>He said, which made sense- Dragon's were known to be hostile to anyone except their own race or kin. "<b>How much blood you intake is ultimately up to you, but it's best never to drink a whole bottle- You don't want to have your insides as your body tries adjust to the foreign substance. I normally keep myself to a drop or two a day, unless I'm in a serious fight." </b>He said. Well, it was said that Dragon's Blood was powerful, so at least they were showing care when dealing with it.<br/><br/>"<b>The Downsides are more apparent- If you haven't noticed, most of my men don't like people that are not one of us. That's not a superiority complex, have you ever had your senses assaulted by thousands of unfamiliar smells and loud people? It is highly disorienting and it REALLY pisses one off. "</b>He said, which was another thing likely gained from the Blood- Dragon's were very solitary creatures, and highly territorial, people just generally annoyed Dragon's. It's often why they destroyed villages or cities- They either disturbed a dragon who was close by or the Dragon felt they were stepping onto THEIR ground. "<b>We also get very aggressive and there's always a fight about leadership- We prefer to keep as free as possible, having a leash on us makes us vulnerable, and thus, makes us weak."</b><br/><br/>Yaro would shake his head as he took a gulp of his wine, his cheeks dusting pink. "<b>There's more, but those can be observed. Depending on how much or how long you've taken it, you stand a higher risk of succumbing to Blood Madness.</b>"He said. Blood Madness was a common affliction among Reavers- They gained power and strength from the blood and pain of their enemies. However, you eventually want more and more power, until ultimately, you become locked in a permanent bestial fury, constantly seeking battle to curb your insatiable bloodlust. A shell, a monster, a beast that needed killing. There was a reason that Dragon's Blood was considered highly dangerous. Now that Eliona would know what to look for, she would see that most members had a flask similar to his, only it didn't glow.<br/><br/>"<b>My batch is....special. I do not seek to become a blood-raving lunatic in the future, constantly seeking battle, however I cannot deny the useful effects of the Blood. So I begun experimenting with what I had available. I've managed to increase the effects of the blood for positive use and mitigate the negative effects. I lucked out- I just get bad headaches and my mind goes at a mile a second." </b>He said. THAT explained his rapid movements and constant excitability- From what he said though, those were the most minor side effects, they likely only got worse. "<b>The process is kept secret, even your own Kingdom does not know it- we jealously guard it's knowledge from those that would use it wantonly, even I don't know how it is made, that knowledge is reserved for Master Alchemist <a class="link link--external" data-proxy-href="/proxy.php?link=https%3A%2F%2Fimg00.deviantart.net%2F380b%2Fi%2F2015%2F223%2F3%2Fa%2Fblood_shaman_by_mac_tire-d9576j5.jpg&amp;hash=c6225758700e0cdb83df5cb72913b84d" href="https://img00.deviantart.net/380b/i/2015/223/3/a/blood_shaman_by_mac_tire-d9576j5.jpg" rel="nofollow ugc noopener" target="_blank">Avernus Ephyrion</a>, and he's miles away. We take it's knowledge very seriously."</b><br/><br/>By now, Yaro was feeling two things- One? He was feeling incredibly hot, as if his body was submersed in a hot spring, and two, he was feeling INCREDIBLY horny. Crude, but what didn't help was Eliona's close proximity to him and his consumption of Alcohol. He would hold onto his face as he shook his head, trying to keep himself in control, before speaking up. "<b>It doesn't help when we find someone like you- strong, smart, attractive, and a faint hint of blood around you. You do realize that you look and smell divine right now? If I didn't think you'd sooner cut them off, I wouldn't mind trying to bed you. True, Your Superiority Complex-like nature and your general one-track mindedness to follow orders make dealing with you INCREDIBLY taxing." <br/>
</b><br/>He would sigh as he rubbed the back of his head. This was probably the closest he'd get to flirting.<b>" but that doesn't mean I don't respect the hell out of your will to fight, your capabilities as a warrior, and general demeanor to see through things to the end. That is something to admire, since not many hold that true." </b>He would set his cup down, and finally address the elephant in the room, as he picked up the sword. "<b>Get it through your skull- I am not going to treat you any different than I treat anyone in my group. Among us? You're not the Queen's Right Hand here, and you are not a woman- You're a warrior among us, and to me? You're one of the best damn ones I've ever met- I get the feeling if you and me fought, I'd be in for the fight of my life." </b>He said.<br/><br/>Then, in his slightly drunken and drugged up state, he would stab his sword into the ground. "<b>Say.....Would you like to Spar?"<br/>
</b><br/><a class="username" data-user-id="680" data-username="@Archduchess" data-xf-init="member-tooltip" href="https://blackdahliaroleplaying.com/members/680/">@Archduchess</a>