The dragon kneeled to bow before Arkain and Wendy. (And Gold as well, though it wasn't really noticeable while he was in a stomach and being reformed...) He didn't really ignore her outstretched hand... He merely thought that bowing was the most polite way of rpresenting himself.<br/>"My name is Axel... I am one of Lady Crystal's servants, her bodyguard, sworn to protect her life and that of her parents' by any means necessary."<br/>He stood back up and looked in each other's eyes.<br/>"I... Have obviously failed in my duties... To regain my honor, and save her and her family, I will do whatever is necessary to free my lady from her imprisonement... We must be hasty, before Lord Xeron and his wretched servant break through her defences... I am afraid that even her cannot resist them for very long."<br/>He shook his head as Arkain tried to get the rat to speak.<br/>"It is useless... Lord Xeron has completely twisted the guards' minds to make them think he was working for the country's best interests. He will not speak a word..."<br/><br/>Crystal wasn't certain of what was happening... First, the white flash, the feeling of helplessness that came with that strange feeling of her falling... Even when she flapped her wings to try to keep herself from doing so, she still kept falling...<br/>Was this is for her? Had the succubus really broken her mind so easily? Had she... Had she lost..?<br/>The answers came when the sense of falling stopped. She looked around, listened to the succubus speak... And merely felt confused... Why was she doing this? Why was the succubus acting as if...<br/>As if she wasn't on Lord Xeron's side..? Finally, the dragoness spoke.<br/>"Who are you..? What are you..? Why are you doing this? I... I want to know... Who's side are you really on..?"