A woman stood in the middle of a large clearing, smiling calmly and completely at ease. Around her, five Lycans snarled and hissed at her.

'You know where the dragon is?! WHERE IS HE?!' The Alpha Lycan snarls, moving forward and the woman laughs gently.

"You do not scare me, Lycan. You should be afraid of the dark... It is his realm." She purrs, crossing her arms calmly, and the Lycan snaps.

'Kill this insolent brat!' He howls, then another howl met his, and the Night turned to Day as crimson flames bathe the star-coated sky, a massive scaled beast appearing overhead. The other Lycans scream in shock and some in fear, and within seconds, the Woman and Dragon slaughter them, giving no mercy and expecting none in return.

"Well done, my love~" The Dragon purrs sweetly once the dust had settled, and he gently nuzzles the woman. She softly smiles and strokes his jaw.

"Not too bad yourself, Verona~ Not too bad yourself~" She whispers back, and Verona softly hums, feeling at peace, and enjoying the woman's touch...

Oh, how he missed that loving touch...

----------------

The sky was all the same as it was within the fleeting memory that washed over Verona as he let himself become the Beast within him. It comforted him in the harsh pain that usually accompanied the Shift. His eyes squeeze shut as cracks and snaps sound from his body as his bones break and change, the shift taking mere moments, twenty seven mere moments in fact.

Tranquil, gentle purple eyes sit deep within the creature's slender, sleek skull, which gives the creature a kind, maybe even wise looking appearance. Several small horns sit atop its head, just above its short, curved ears. What looks like small blades run down the sides of each of its jaw lines.

Its nose is wide and has two thin, curved nostrils and there's a small that curls in towards it's neck on its chin. Two small teeth poke out from the side of its mouth and reveal only a fraction of the terror hiding inside. A thin neck runs down from its head and into a muscular body. The top is covered in scale-like skin and there is a divot in its scales at the base of it's neck, like something was meant to go there... One would feel like there was meant to be... a Saddle, maybe?

Its bottom is covered in a soft looking skin-like membrane, and is colored much lighter than the rest of its body, the black scales glowing faintly in the night. Four slim, yet toned limbs carry its body and allow the creature to stand sturdy and proud. Each limb has 4 digits, each of which end in long claws seemingly made of obsidian.

Large, eagle-like wings grow starting from its shoulders and end all the way down at its pelvis. The wings are feathered, the feathers seeming to be made of paper-thin crystals.

Its long tail ends in a spearhead-like blade and is covered in the same scale-like skin as its body.

The young looking, two story tall dragon lifts his head, eyes opening and he lets out a low, gentle breath. 'It is good to be within my pure form again...' he thinks 'I was starting to get annoyed with myself...' He gets up from lying on the ground, spreading his large wings and crouches, muscles bunching and coiling almost like springs, ready to release. He grins slightly, before launching into the sky, thrusting his wings downward with smooth, almost mechanical precision, swiftly gaining altitude and clearing the motel within a mere second. Once he was certain he was high enough to not be seen, he dives forward slightly, and quickly makes his way towards the Airfield.

The feeling of flying. Something so many dream about. The wind under ones wings, caressing their sides and face like gentle fingers trailing over their features. He lived for flight, as it was one of the few things he remembered liking. It felt good to be back in the air, and he wished he didn't have to land. His eyes focus on a somewhat distant area, and he could tell it was his destination. 'Go time...' He purrs to himself, and angles downward, before pulling his wings into his sides in a "M" Shape, eyes narrowed as the gentle wind becomes a harsh, screaming torrent, the dragon streaking downward through the cool early morning air.

The male sweeps his wings outward, angling his body easily and flaring his wings swiftly after maneuvering, and he lands with a soft 'Thump!'. He takes another breath, not really needing to breath, but more to prepare himself for what was likely to be a very unpleasant confrontation. Kayden was waiting for him, likely with lots of men, and lots of guns.

"Well, well, I was expecting you to be late... you're three minutes early... HOLY HELL!" A man yells, Kayden stumbling back slightly in surprise at the sight of the large, scaled beast walking into the hanger.

"Were you expecting someone else?... Oh, my my, I apologize, let me get to be a little more familiar for you." Verona hums, before changing back into his human body, blinking slightly before purring. "Better?"

"What in the devil are you?!" Kayden exclaims. "A dragon?!"

"You can call me the Devil... But yes, I'm a Dragon. Now... Can you find someone for me? She is rather... important... to me." Verona purrs, before holdning out his picture of the female and him. Kayden takes it carefully, stepping a few feet back and looking long and hard. And Verona's eyes light up as Kayden speaks some rather pleasant words.

"Yes. Yes, I know this girl, in fact... Photographer for my Wife and her friends... Supermodels... American, for certain..." He says and Verona steps forward.

"Where is she? What is her name? Who is she?!" Verona growls excitedly, and Kayden holds up his hand.

"Now now, you need to pay me, or I won't say a word..." He says calmly as a male comes forward to block Verona from coming closer. "And I'll have to ask you to leave... nicely."

Verona growls a bit less excitedly, and a lot more dangerously. "Kayden.... I will kill you... your pet boy here... and everyone in this hanger... if you do not... tell.. me.. where... she.. is... and... who... she... is." He says in a slow, deadly tone that made the male facing hin in front of Kayden shudder like a leaf in the wind.

"Hmm... You know what? How about we do this the fun way... If you beat Garret, I'll tell you everything... Hell, I'll even fly you in my private jet." Kayden says calmly. "Give you the name of her employer, her name, and her current mailing address. We'll see if you're game though... Because we're doing things my way... Garret?"

The male smirks and calmly draws a small double barrel handgun, going to take aim when he lets out a scream of pain, grabbing his hand as it blistered suddenly, the gun a pile of molten metal off to the side. Verona lowers his hand and smiles.

"No. Lets do this the old fashioned way... Trial by the Blade." He purrs, and Kayden smiles a bit more cruelly. He was very much pleased by the new development.

"Ah, very well.. Live by the old ways, Dragon, and you will die by them. Garret, grab a sword, would you?"

"Sir?... Would it be best to use the experimental Energy sword you made? That dragon would be a wonderful test subject to use it on..." Garret grins, and Kayden nods, checking a nearby box, before tossing him what looked to be a normal sword, but when Garret caught it, the blade ignites in a deep golden glow, humming and hissing loudly.

"Well, Dragon? Where is your sword?"

Verona smiles a bit cruelly at that, his lips twisting slightly upwards and his fangs flash, his right hand going into the shadows nearby, and from them, he draws an elegant, beautifully crafted Katana-like sword. And as he grips it with both hands, the blade ignites into a deep purple beam, shimmering and sizzling.

"Oh... my my, he has power, master Kayden..." Garret says, a hint of nervousness to his voice.

"Yes... but does his power come with Skill? I think not." Kayden says, then nods. "Begin. I would like some entertainment~" He calls, and Garret groans under his breath.

"I'm so gonna die..." He mutters.