As they went lower and lower in the tower and came to be closer and closer to the entrance Wiflor could hear that the whispering was beginning to die down.  The voices were slowly becoming replaced with Atticus' complaints and whining which for Wiflor was not a bad thing.  Just as well were her eyes starting to return, opening a little more to take notice of Cyrus there holding her as her tail flicked, wrapping around one of his arms as they remained under her.  They were leaving?  Were they leaving to protect her?  Once more Wiflor would turn slightly to tears, smiling with a fanged grin.  However she wasn't completely unshaken, her body still quivering a bit from the endeavor that she could not understand.<br/><br/>Crossing the steps and passing the bandits, leaving the fields of death and ashes.  But even as she slowly regained a fair deal of blue to her eyes she didn't want to lose on this situation.  Carried around by someone like so.  It was a pleasant change from the same old walking and running, though the pleasant time wouldn't last.  She would show a twinge of agitation when a roar sounded from atop the tower.  With it her tail would unwrap from Cyrus' arm as she quickly moved to the ground to be ready for whatever was going on.<br/><br/>In truth it was probably one of the better changes to have left.  Had they continued to the top her mind wouldn't be all hers to have the sense for anything.  A simple torrent of flame may well of left her as naught but ash once her senses were robbed of her.  But having left the tower she was able to retain some sense of herself and her surroundings as the massive entity swooped before her and Cyrus.  But then came the flame.<br/><br/>Cyrus was quick to dodge, she had noticed the man was always light on his feet yet Atticus?  The same Atticus who had been behind them complaining time and time again was not so.  As the dragon readied it's flame Wiflor would crouch.  With it's maw opening she would grab to the ground.  As the flame reached it's scaled lips Wiflor would lift a thick slab of earth out.  Then as the flame reached towards the air Wiflor would be stepping back with the thick slab  raised to shield herself and Atticus.<br/><br/>The fires would bask the two of them thick with the harsh flame that were enough to melt iron and stone.  To leave the flesh of man rending just by the temperatures.  Under that slab of earth the air became harsh and wicked, too heated to breath.  To bright to see.  Yet as the flames died off she would be left standing with the half melted slab hoisted well above them.  She wasn't sure what to do about Atticus but she realized what this creature was probably attracted to.  The blood of it's children.  The blood she was all but bathed in.<br/><br/>In a quick flip of the half molten slab of earth and lava it would be flung to the dragon with a greater extent of speed, the large slab smashing into it's shoulder and causing it to stagger slightly as it shattered to litter the grounds behind it in fiery rocks and split stones.  During the flight of the stone Wiflor would be rushing across the fields to get away from both Atticus and Cyrus.  At her speed it wouldn't take more then a few seconds, which was enough time for the dragon to recover and turn it's attention on the tigress.<br/><br/>She was ready, or so she believed herself to be.  Watching as it raised it's arm to the air she'd be set to match it, even as it came down upon her.  The dragon's claws would be stopped with both hands, holding the weight of the creature up with a little struggle.  However the dragon's head arching down as Wiflor worried to carry it became a new problem.  She couldn't hold up the beast and dodge or shield herself from it's horrid flame.  As it readied it's flame she'd rush, kicking herself out from under it's paw and thinking to cross underneath it, hurrying to get between it's legs and far out.<br/><br/>Yet she would not make it.  The dragon would simply fall on her, applying it's full force upon her as it's great weight buried itself partially into the ground with Wiflor underneath.  After that was simply silence.  Wiflor had been fed but there was limits to how much she could do with so little.  So little food...The silence would be broken by the sounds of rubble as the dragon rose again only to drop it's full weight back down to where Wiflor had been, attempting to crush again for good measure.  Then a third time to be certain with it's own cruelty...<br/><br/>__________<br/><br/>So much hunger.  Had she really exhausted all of her body after so little time?  She had just ate. In bitter darkness she felt the harsh heat of the dragon's body upon her, and then light.  Wiflor's eyes would flicker to see the body rising above her, and then smashing down again.  How it hurt.  She could barely breath, barely think, barely move.  How her stomach hurt so...Then light again.  How it was so harsh to tempt her senses.  Light and then darkness.  Light and then a darkness to come...But came a thought.<br/><br/>Wasn't there meat behind the dragon's scales?<br/><br/>___________<br/><br/>As the dragon smashed down a third time it would let out a great roar across the lands, rising quickly to it's greater heights as if claiming it's victory.  But Wiflor had raised her arms at the last moment and with the dragon smashing it's weight down she had torn right through the scales.  Then as it rose was she able to take a sizely chunk right from it that she would be quick to tear into.  The flesh of the dragon were hot, like eating the flame itself but so too did it have it's own flavor.  A unique flavor.<br/><br/>Few creatures could eat the flesh of a dragon raw for the sensation of fire, but it wouldn't stop Wiflor in this situation.  As the dragon rose and backed off to see it's foe somehow still alive Wiflor would stand with the chunk of dragon flesh at hand, ripping into it with her tail bristled like an extremity.  Fighting Wiflor wasn't the best of choice for even when she felt hunger most creatures suffered the same weakness.  They were made out of meat.  Tearing another large bite out of the chunk only to meet with the dragon's anger once more.<br/><br/>It thought to raise it's claws again and strike, which caused Wiflor to shift the chunk of meat into one hand and strike back with the other.  Before the claws could meet her face her fist would meet the side of one of it's claws, cracking directly through it and sending the claw flying into a nearby stone, it's arm jerking in the direction she had punched and unbalancing the dragon leaving it falling to it's side.  Rushing back before it could fall Wiflor would hop to the top of the boulder, finishing the chunk of meat.  Draconic flesh jerky was a fair way of treating the meat.  A hot gumbo, a tasty steak purposefully cooked with thick creams to lessen it's heat in it's intensity.<br/><br/>But to Wiflor she just saw a meal now.  Raw or not.  But there were so many valuable things to the dragon.  It's scales were consider a fine material for armor.  It's bones were often carved to make the strongest structures.  It's eyes, claws, and fangs were all considered alchemic regents.  Even it's heart was found to retain it's flame after death, able to work fine as a heat source for the finest forges.  The skin of it's wings was also considered the lightest but most efficient winter wear to be found.  Of course, this was also why dragons were such a rarity.<br/><br/>They were hunted for their material and now another would join the ranks as it finally regained it's balance and struck at Wiflor with it's open maw.  Before it could reach though Wiflor would jump, flipping over onto it's snout and grabbing to it's face, raising a fist to smash into it's skull.  The dragon's roar could be heard as it flung it's head back, shaking and attempting to knock the tiger off only to be struck a second time in the same spot.  In desperation it would smash it's head through trees, the bulk of them breaking over it and Wiflor only for Wiflor to strike one last time.<br/><br/>The third time cracked through the thick protective skull, her hand tearing into it's cranium as it bucked it's head back in a harsh cry.  With her arm deep in it's head her claws would tear apart it's brain from the inside, and within seconds the dragon would fall lifelessly.  With it's heart intact it's flame wouldn't envelop it as it had one of it's kin.  Slowly pulling her arm out of the dragon's skull she'd rise to her feet and walk off, hopping off of the dragon and looking to Atticus and Cyrus with a quirked ear, wondering if they were fine...What she didn't know was she wasn't.  With three cracked ribs from the dragon smashing down on her she wouldn't know either until the adrenaline died down...