Montserrat Mtn. Range - Rondón Territory

A fire crackled in a clearing, a few large boulders capturing most of the light from escaping into the nearby woods. A few rays of weak light casting their glow on the surrounding trees and brush. It was night after all, so it was impossible to say if he would be entirely hidden. Barka was enjoying a rusty metal cup of stew. The broth inside was brown with little to no meat. He was used to eating worse, at least he didn't have to go scraping through the forest floor for worms tonight. His bushy brows furrowing as his eyes flickered across the many dusty pages of his numerous tomes. He knew that there had to be something about this dragon somewhere in these books. He was cursing to himself, mumbling as the flames flickered beautifully atop the scarce wood. 

"Where are you... You big blue cunt" he hissed as he turned a page. His fingers were dirty and thick from a lifetime of hard labor. Suddenly a word caught his eye "Vintra" he hummed... "Winter?" He asked himself loudly. His finger slid across the brown parchment, producing a lovely sound.He found a Chapter regarding the dragon in question, mostly about its lesser cousin the Draco Vintra. 

"Elder Dragon eh?" He read it all quickly, swallowing the knowledge up like a sponge. "Doesn't say how to kill the fuck" He tossed the tome to the side with a grunt, reaching for a skin of wine he had resting against a log. Numerous ideas of how to murder such a creature started springing into his mind, most of them ending with him being burned alive before even getting halfway to the finish line. 

Night was gathering, but the sound of the dragon working on the mountain had not ceased. He sighed, looking at the smoke and dust rising into the blue night sky, the moon casting its light beautifully across the woods. He laid on his side, wine still on his lips... Thinking. 

"Who the fuck do you think you are wandering into people's campsites like that? Could get your wrinkled self killed" Barka hissed. "I'm here to murder the thing, and I don't know how" He rose from his position. "You could be blasting the thing with a hundred ballista and it wouldn't even dent the scales... How thick do you reckon those scales are?" He was upset, that much was clear.

"Magic won't help much unless you collapse the entire mountain on its skull, AND STILL" He finished, red in the face yelling "Still it would probably come crawling out from under the rocks to roast all these pretty little trees and the people that live among them" He gestured at the land stretching far behind him.

It took several long hours for the traveling group of Lady Mireia, the Sorceress, and the guard to come to the base of the mountain.

By then, night was falling. There was a slight delay, where-in Lady Mireia refreshed her horse and waited as the Sorceress spoke to the guard. They made a camp fire, and up on the hills as they were, they were able to catch in the distance another fire that began to flicker (Edric Everlong Barka The Dragon Hunter). Even farther away was the city of Selanca, all lit up at night, especially with the threat of the dragon looming in the mountains.

When the sorceress was ready again, Lady Mireia took upon her horse, and the two women began to climb the mountain slowly, so as not to harm the horses... and reach Askar again.

Of the dozen or so guards that had accompanied Soraya into the Selancan forests, three of them -- scouts and outriders -- stole into the thick darkness of the woods. Their mission at the moment was only to see who the other campfire belonged to, and as natives of the Rondi land and quite skilled at their positions, they came only as far as they needed in order to hear the conversations heard between Barka The Dragon Hunter and Edric Everlong...

"T-Tame?..." Barka muttered, his tone of voice flustered, confused even. He couldn't believe the madness that was pouring from this elderly mans wrinkled mouth. "You think you can outsmart, let alone control that dragon?" Barka laughed so violently, so hard that the guards spying on them might've even gotten a startled. He coughed, wine spraying from his mouth as he laughed hysterically into the night.

"Tame the dragon he says, control it and blackmail a queen with it" He rolled alongside the campfire - almost in tears. It took a few minutes for him to come to his senses, but when he did he had a serious question. "Alright so let's assume it's possible... Do you even have the capability? Have you ever tried it? You're willing to risk your life like that?" He perked an eye, red in the face from laughter.

"Laugh all you want... I have read stories of warlocks and sorcerers utilizing dragons and other monsters for their personal gain. To level entire civilizations. The Kraken of the south-sea, destroyed the worlds largest known fleet under control of Elder Eomandis three centuries past" He muttered.

"I have studied this magic. I know this can be done... I'll do it with or without you" A sudden hostility seeping into the voice of the man. His hand clenched his staff "What say you?"

The Rondi scouts moved ever close through the night, quickly decreasing the distance between themselves and the blaze where Barka The Dragon Hunter and Edric Everlong conversed. It would take a little bit yet before they could get there, their footsteps enchanted by the mage that had been left behind with the group while the Sorceress and the young Lady had ascended the mountain. It made the scouts swifter, but also quieter. Their gazes and ears were also enchanted, with the mage back at the campsite concentrating to keep the enchantments on so what they saw and what they heard could be transfered back into the mage's own mind and gaze.

Alarm jolted through Mireia's body. She drew her sword half-way out, not with a feeling of wanting to attack, but a feeling of wanting to defend.

"Soraya--" Lady Mireia began, but stopped. The sorceress drew closer to Askar, and the dragon seemed to... enjoy the worship. Mireia's face settled into a stony sort of expression, however. She wasn't sure that she liked the new tone of this meeting...

When the dragon moved closer to her touch, when her palms laid down on the hot heat of his scales, a quiet laugh bubbled from her lush mouth, lighting up her Rondi eyes. Never, ever in her years...

His nostil was close, but her touch avoided that. One silken palm joined the other and traced the scales, stepping closer, a honey rock to her hips as the sorceress -- the enchantress, it seemed -- let her touch slide over the warmth of him. This close, the power of the dragon seemed to tremble in the air, and it put goosebumps over her skin, a shiver down her lovely spine.

Soraya continued to step, shaping her hands to the contours of his scales, caressing him as she explored him until she came close to his large glassy eye. And then -- a beautiful smile traced her lips. "Benvenido e Rondon," she said to him, her voice sultry and low, speaking in the native language of the two women present.