<div class="floatleft">(https://img.nickpic.host/AUO88Q.jpg)</div><strong>Name:</strong>Dekado (https://elliquiy.com/forums/index.php?topic=341089.msg16147591#msg16147591)<br/><strong>Dragon Type:</strong>Light<br/><strong>Wearing:</strong>As pictured<br/><strong>Date/Time:</strong>Chapter One start date, 2 April 2050<br/><strong>Location:</strong>Oriental District<br/><strong>Tagging:</strong>Jericho della Cruz (https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/tadena-attends-the-los-angeles-premiere-of-ambulance-at-academy-of-picture-id1389596154?s=2048x2048) [NPC]<br/><strong>Content:</strong>Stranger in a strange land<br/><strong>Words:</strong>2406<br/><hr/><br/>It was late locking up, he was tired, but it was a good tired. Jericho had been doing a lot more of the business end of running this dojo these last few months that it felt like a long time that he got more than a workout in. Tonight felt better, even if he did hate closing up. There was some honest sweat from multiple sparring sessions with his top pupils.<br/><br/>They were improving and he had been feeling stagnant. When he helped found this school, he was the youngest of the masters. They mainly wanted to preserve their traditions and keep their art alive. There was honestly some of that in it for Jericho too—no serious martial artist wanted their style to die, they wanted it to flourish. For him though there was a very practical side to this—Raven City was a dangerous place to live.<br/><br/>For good or bad, this is where he and his family lived. He was tired of gangs and bikers preying elderly and he couldn’t be everywhere at once. He didn’t exactly write off the cops, they showed up after the fact, wrote their reports and did a lot of apologetic shrugging. He recognized gangs for what they were, predators. To understand the nature of a predator was part of how to work around it. Like any thief or low life, a predator will pick the easiest prey. They want to succeed at the end of the day. Jericho’s plan was simple, get enough people who knew how to actively defend themselves, be more aware of their environment and maybe a little community…and the gangs would find prey in other places.<br/><br/>Yeah, it wasn’t perfect. It didn’t solve the problem, but you had to take care of your back yard first. He didn’t care that the Shotokan and Muay Thai classes were about twice as big as his, he was just happy that people found their way here and were learning. Although Sifu Lutang could eat his ass most days, he would even give him a spoon. ‘Pakua is a more sustainable style even unto old age’ Jerk. He was the rich jerk that had put up more than half the money to set this place up.<br/><br/>The second warehouse still needed a lot of work though. They had patched it up, did the reno and it had water and electricity. They needed more students or even more teachers from other schools to come in and bring their students here. That would justify the expense to get a crew in and fix the place up. That was why he had been doing all the legwork, bookkeeping acrobatics and the flyers, to get said money. Heading to his Indian Chief Bobber Dark Horse he heard it. It was a sound that should not happen outside of a Godzilla movie never mind coming towards his bike like it was some sagebrush sheep…what? sue him, it was his one major self indulgence, and everyone went black or grey.<br/><br/><div class="floatright">(https://i.pinimg.com/564x/0a/d3/ef/0ad3ef3e49b2a73eb84ba04bdde50a4e.jpg)</div>“Of fuck..no…you fucking don’t.” he yelled out at the flapping form that was becoming more visible by the second. He reached into his backpack and pulled out his rattan fighting sticks. He should have been afraid, more rational and a hundred other things he was always suggesting to his students. The thing was when he saw the…dragon…giant winged reptile…maybe it was a wyrm, he was not up on his Dungeons and Dragons monsters, but when he saw it he feared for his life like no other time before. Instead of freezing he got angry.<br/><br/>Dekado was out looking for the portal and the other Dragon Slayers he had yet to come across. He felt the drake and was instantly running. There was never a good time to meet any of the branches of dragon kind, it was always bad news for the environment and the beings who lived there. He came upon the scene where he saw Jericho facing the oncoming drake. He seemed to be defending his mechanical mount. Maybe he needed one of those too. Walking was wonderful and all, but he really did prefer a horse if he could get one.<br/><br/>There was no warning he could give Jericho that would do anything except for distract him. No one who saw a dragon was ever mistaken that it wasn’t a threat. It had a head the size of a house with nigh indestructible razor-sharp talons and teeth. They were never cute and fuzzy like the squirrels. Pouring on the speed he hoped to get to Jericho before the Drake. He wasn’t in the same league of Shashiko though, he only had the regular amount of superspeed a Dragon Slayer possesses.<br/><br/>He watched it happen in slow motion—his brain tended to do that for him, break down a fight so he could examine the details and learn from it. It was a curious scene for Dekado. The warrior was using his fighting batons to draw the attention to himself and away from his mount, which was a nice green colour. As the leaps and bounds Dekado took to get to them faster brought him almost in range in time he saw that the warrior went from looking like he was just going to stand in front of the drake and try to strike it in the chest to wheeling to the side so he would be out of the way. That wasn’t all though, his ticks were a blur of motion as one followed the other and wrapped the drake’s finger just before the talon.<br/><br/>There must have been some sting to that based on the noise that the drake let loose as it flew by. He didn’t ask to help, this wasn’t another Dragon Slayer. It was a mortal facing a terror that shouldn’t exist here. “That was impressive.” Dekado said to the mortal as he landed beside him with barely a noise.<br/><br/>Jericho was proud of himself for not shitting his pants. Not once but twice this evening. Obviously the kaiju monstrosity that came flapping in from nowhere but then again also with this blonde guy in armour that just quietly spoke to him like this was any given Tuesday. Yeah he had Spock ears …the urge to call him Spocko was there but he resisted. “Uhm..thanks. I practice a lot.” he lamely responded. Did Point Break just say he was going to be right back?<br/><br/>Jericho watched as the dragon wheeled around and was met by the blond stranger suddenly pulling a sword out of his ass all Highlander style…ok it was on his back, but his mind was beginning to cope with the incredibly stupid thing he had just done and managed to survive. Was it strange that his first thoughts were not to run but to watch and be impressed by the swordsmanship? He fended off both taloned hands, the wing that tried to slice him in half and then he even swatted the dragon’s snout hard when it came to bite him.<br/><br/>Then things started to get weird. Yeah, his mind had to accept this in stages. The guy fighting in front of him was basically doing the impossible and Jericho was pretty sure breaking a few major laws of physics…which was ok, because it seemed that they were both on the same side. The nerd police could charge him tomorrow for any universe threatening violations. No, what was weird…er, was that the little red Adam’s apple scales on the dragon were glowing with heat and the sand and dirt around the parking lot seemed very much to be under the dragon’s control.<br/><br/>Are you fucking kidding me? Is it not enough that it was like the size of a plane and had the maneuverability of a hummingbird it needed to be able to control the very earth around it too? Who made these rules up anyways? Its ok Point Break decided to make his sword glow with a sheath of sunlight …sure that seemed totally fair and then holy fuck he blocked the first, second and third blast of sand that came at him like a fire hose, deflecting them off to the side as he charged at the dragon. Jericho was almost tired watching him move.<br/><br/>One huge blast of sand, and nope…no blocking that, Point Break just avoided that. Then the dragon got all tricksy. He swallowed up all the sand? This just could not be good. Like he read once that birds swallow small rocks to help them digest. Was this what was going on? Mr. Dragon was preparing himself for some fusion Asian/Western cuisine?<br/>Once again, his older and wiser angels told him that it was time to leave but c’mon, who could leave this? And then it happened, the dragon breathed fire…no…aha, that’s why it swallowed the sand, it breathed freaking lava? Who the fuck thought of that? Well, the dragon’s mommy probably, but still. Yup he was loosing it, just as Point Break was about to die.<br/><br/>Yeah…no, not what was on the menu for tonight. He watched as Dekado stood still for the first time facing the dragon’s breath as if had all the time in the world to consider his next action. Pointing that big ass sword at the dragon’s head, it glowed brighter and like this laser came out of it, slicing the lava in half, making it fall on either side of him as the laser continued until it met the dragon’s face.<br/><br/>It was not good for the dragon’s face. Or the dragon’s brain for that matter. It just teetered for an impossibly long time and then just fell. Right there in the parking lot. Blondie blonde guy came over …yup, still had the Spock ears. “Hello, I’m Dekado. Thank you for your aid with that drake.” “How do you know it wasn’t a dragon or a hydra?” Dekado didn’t smile. Jericho felt it would take a lot to make the man smile. He had the same look that veterans have after seeing too much. There was a sense of amusement to him though as he answered the questions.<br/><br/>“Well, hydras have more heads and are not winged. As for the drake and dragon…he was about dragon size, but the dorsal fin was a big give-away.” It was like listening to a Barry White song as this guy spoke. “I take it you have some experience with this sort of thing?” he shakes his head. “My apologies. Where are my manners? I’m Jericho, Jericho della Cruz.” “It’s good to meet you Jericho. And yes, I’m a Dragon Slayer in service to the king. It’s my sworn duty to fight them and their kin.”<br/><br/>There weren’t that many places that had monarchies. Like Spain…Monaco or was that Morocco? Any place with dragons would have freaking travel advisory warnings. He felt himself drifting for a second and then his eyes opened and Dekado was leaning over him with his hands glowing while they were touching his chest. “What happened?” “You fell. I caught you and then felt it would be prudent to heal you.” He seemed more tired from that then fighting the dragon.<br/><br/>“I’m ok…so, “ he decided laying on the ground and talking like this was barbaric. “Hey, you hungry because I’m like starving.” The nod was sincere. “There is a Lebanese place a block up. I’m buying…mainly because it’s a buffet and you pay one price to eat as much as you can.” Dekado wasn’t sure what a ‘Lebanese’ was but he would soon discover it. “Lead on Jericho.”  They walked to the Fat Pasha and even though the hostess gave him an up and down look she smiled and brought them to a table.<br/><br/>Dekado was on his sixth plate and Jericho was just finishing his second when his stomach was settled enough for his brain to unscramble itself. “You aren’t from around here…like on this planet around here…are you?” It was impressive to see a man down that much food and still maintain table manners. They were getting people watching them eat since Dekado was taking two plates at a time. “No. I’m not. I was pulled though a portal or gateway and found myself in a wooded area. I’ve been trying to get my bearings and make plans for a day now.”<br/><br/>Please don’t be the first wave of some conquering force. I’m really starting to like you. “And what kind of plans are you making…maybe I can help?” Dekado staked his fifth plate and pulled his sixth in front of him. “That is kind of you Jericho. Well the overall plan is to try and make it back home. I swore an oath to the King.” he said and leaves it there. It was weird he was expecting some long exposition about what honour was and why an oath is important but nope, its an oath. Of course, it was important.<br/><br/>“I haven’t figured out where the portal is. I don’t know how to create one on my own so I’m down to more practical plans. I need to find the rest of my brothers and sisters..’ “Excuse me are they all like you...with the..” he was pointing at Dekado’s ears. “No, I’m the only elf. Pharon is a human/goliath hybrid, Shashiko has felinoid features, Poppy is closest to my kind being a fae, Olena is human…like you are, only with powers. Same with Detrian. There may be others, that came through but those are the ones that I remember being fairly close to me.”<br/><br/>“…anyways, I need to find them and discuss getting home. We will likely need a lodgings and employment whilst we are here. It may take a few days or a few years to figure out how to get back.” “What did you do before you were a Dragon Slayer…maybe I can help you get a job?” “For almost thirteen hundred years I fought back the waves of the goblins, trolls and ogres, protecting my city.” “By yourself?” That almost made Dekado smile. “No. I had help. Then the dragon came and left us no choice. So I killed her.”<br/><br/>Jericho smiles. “I have an idea. Maybe you can teach your fighting style at my school. The second building is empty, if you set up a class room you can have one of the apartments to live at. And you would be paid depending on how many students you attracted.”