City of the gods

[niko]

Zarza had hopped of Kiras back and went into the air duct to do his own thing. Kira spoke to him by mind before he left compleley. "I will be out here little one. But do hurry. I take no pleasure in slaughtering these insects" That of course was a lie. She rather did enjoy it. But Kira would not let her rider know so.

She did not notice Kits appearance at first. But amazingly. Even though kit used magic that supposedly would conceal her from all beings. Kira slowly begane to hear her chant and slowly saw a aroura eminating around Kit, betraying her position.

Kira let out a rumbling laugh."are you serious? I am a child of one of the ones you pray to. To not meddle mortal daughter of the mud bloods.

She was itching for a fight and curled her body up and wrapped her wings around her like a blanket. With a flash of light and the crackling of the red energy that always surrounded her. She was gone just like kit had.

Kira reapeared above kit and using her tail very much like a baseball bat she nailed a homer of a swing into the side of Kits head sending her to the city below and into a house.

Kira flew down through the roof of the home Kit just crashed into. there was baby chime music playing next to a crib. A crying mother ran up to the crib but kira flicked our a foreclaw sending the mother into a intact section of the wall that was once her home.

"Disgusting creatures....." Kira mumbled. It was funny she said that since Kira had a rider. She looked at Kit recovering from under some rumble of the home and leaned her head over the baby in the crib. She let out a hiss and thin strands of saliva dripped down in strands. As some drool landed on the baby it started to cry. Kira spoke to kit taugntingly now.

"It has been such a long time since I've fed on the flesh of little ones. The young ones always taste the best. Tell me daughter of the mud bloods. Why do you fight to protect them?" Kira turned her attention away from the child to look at Kit. At least she had her attention. Perhaps she could talk and distract Kira enough so she can land a blow in. That would not be to difficult.

Kira let her jaw hang open in cocky amusment. "You do know I am the child of a god. Coupled with the fact I am bonded to a mortal man. My power is limitless" She looked down at the ground thinking of Zarza. "The boys spirit is strong and will not break easily to my will." She turned to look back at Kit. "But when he does break. Oh, it will be sweet. You will see....."

Now that must have been news to kit. A full blood manipulating and currupting its young rider. "I am growing weary of talking to you. Leave me be to my meal" She leaned back over the baby crib and effectivly turned her attenion away from Kit.

[Mai]

The first time in my life and now it's so great
Slowing down I look around and I am so amazed

Before Kira could see it coming, Kit tackled her away from the baby, pinning her for mere seconds to bare her teeth.

I protect them because it is what I was born to do. Even if I die doing so.

Her scales shimmered slightly as a skin-tight shield came into place, though she didn't even notice, she hadn't put it there.

You call them disgusting, but they are truly amazing if you cared enough to take a closer look. They look awkward, many look ugly, but its all the little things. If you weren't so self centered, perhaps you'd realize it yourself.

Those little things... pure innocence. And you may be too blind to see it, or cowering to far in the shadows and afraid of the good things, but it's beautiful. And as long as its still there, I wouldn't change a thing about these creatures.

That was one thing Kira could never compete with--The purity that Kit saw in even the most tainted of souls gave her a power one like the black dragon could never imagine. Mercy, and forgiveness beyond compare.

She got off her opponent and stood proud, despite the blood that trickle down her scales in more than one spot, her whole body glowing with magic.

And I forgive you, for not being able to see it. May we meet again.

Kit blinked slowly, and disappeared, using Mai's old technique of teleport. She was not surrendering. Far from it. Simply backing off for a bit, to let Kira think about what she had said. Or not think about it. Nonetheless, Kit had made sure Zarza had heard her as well. Riders impacted their dragons as much as dragons impacted their riders. Perhaps helping him would help Kira.

She appeared just outside Atakai's apartment, changing and making herself some clothes again quickly. She'd just begun to clean her wounds with water and a cloth when he came back out. A pretty bad time to do so, considering some of the scrapes were fairly deep.

I think about the little things that make life great
I wouldn't change a thing about it, this is the best feeling

[niko]

Kira stood back up and snarled as Kit disapeared. She looked to the baby still in the cradle and said. "Maybe next time. I've suddenly lost my appatite" Zarza had succeeded in recieving the images from Kit. He was not happy of course. But the verbal and mental battle he would have with his dragon later would be in vain. Zarza would lose and bend to Kiras will as he always has. And for the images kit showed him? They were erased as if they never existed.

Atakai left for his old firehouse when the govenor of the city announced that he would restart the fireman program again with new methods of paying and supplying the firefighters without straining taxpayers.

Atakai was more then happy to get his old job back and start working with Rico again. They were best friends. Coming home in his newly issued firefighter equipment with Rico he entered his apartment and Rico saw kit. He did not recognize her at first. But perhaps Kit would. It was not easy to forget the face of someone who saved your life from a fire.

Rico turned to his friend Atakai. "I did not know you had a wife?" Atakai laughed. "No. She is just a friend visiting. I'm letting her stay here for awhile." Atakai set his oxygen tank and firefighters helmet and gasmask down on a table. Rico looked around at his home.

"Well I see the man whoring did not get you far Atakai. Now that you got a real job you can move out of this dump" Atakai punched Rico in the kidney and gave a nervous laugh at Kit. So he was not a bank accountant after all.

Rico grunted at the punch but got Atakais meaning. Atakai walked over to a fridge and asked. "Rico, Kit, Want a beer?" Kit must have done a good job and concealing her scraches and wounds because neither Atakai or his friend Rico noticed.

[Mai]

Before they noticed, Kit slipped a sweater on, hoping they weren't going to bleed through before she could excuse herself to go to the bathroom and bandage up her wounds. As for knowing Atakai was not a bank accountant...Well, let's just say she'd already had suspicions, and had just not said anything. She wasn't exactly clueless.

Kit hesitated before answering his question. She wasn't much for drinking, but today... Today she would. Not because Atakai was here, but because she figured it might take her mind away from Kira. And right now, that was really all she wanted.

Yeah, sure.

She replied, getting up to wander over, stuffing the cloth under the couch for now. If they hadn't seen, they didn't have to know. If they knew, Atakai, at least, would probably worry, and she really didn't want him to. She thought she'd be fine. Later that night, she'd realize thinking that was a mistake. The deepest cut, on her upper left arm, had gotten infected, and quite quickly. By nightfall, she'd have a pretty high fever.

For now, though, she took a closer look at Rico and she suddenly recognized him.

Hey, you're the one who pulled my from the hotel that was burning, couple years back, when we were just passing through.

[niko]

Atakai went to the kitchen to fetchthe beers and Rico upon hearing Kit exclaimed. "Oh yeah. When the dragons attacked. heh, Almost died that night. The doctors said I went into cardiac arrest three times before I became stable. Its nice to know that you turned out okey"

Atakai returned and handed kit and rico the beers and sat down. Rico smiled and said to Atakai as if to explain to kit why they did dangerous things. "Yeah I tell you kit. Most people wonder why when everyone is running out of a burning building were the crazy assholes running in. But saving a life is the best drug in the world aint that right Atakai?" Atakai drank from his beer and chirped. "Damn straight. Everything seems brighter. You feel great. Almost imortal. When you save someone you really wonder. Who did you really save in the end. Them? Or yourself"

Rico nodded his head in perfect agreement. They all chatted the night away. It quickly became clear to Kit that hanging around civil servants. Be they soldiers, police, or firefighters. They had a strange unexplainable bond. The best way to describe the atmosphere was 'family'. It was easy to grow addicted to.

Atakai and Rico told Kit storys of there time together in the fire dapartment before the govoner disbanded them. With the drink in his system Atakai grew brave with the liquid courage and came clean with what she probably already knew.

How he hit rock bottom and was forced to sell his own body just to feed himself. Kit would probably be surprised. Perhaps not because of her upbringing. but most of the general public despised protitutes be they men or women. Often they were described as moraless, diseas ridden creatures. Atakai was far from morale less. Disease ridden? Well that was very much possible. Though he never spoke of it in the conversations.

It was late and Rico answered primitive radio that was his phone. "Dammit lauran. I already gave you money. What the hell did you do with it all? I cant keep giving you more! I can barely feed myself? Oh and now you go playing that jail card. Fine, Ill drop by and give you the money tommorow but can I at least see my kids?" He sighed to put the phone away.

"She hung up on me" He told kit and Atakai. Atakai sighed and responded. "Ex wife still wont let you see the kids? I swear why do the courts always side with the mothers? Men are losing there rights everywhere" Rico stood up. "I'm going home. It was nice meeting you kit. Ill see you tommorow at the station Atakai. Try not to go risking your life like last time to save a damn cat"

Atakai laughed responded. "No promises" Atakai turned to kit and shrugged as if to play off the look he got. "What?" He laughed to himself before giving in. "Okey I did risk my life to save a cat. But what can I say? I love cats. And a little girl was begging me. Oh please mister fireman. Please save my kitty"

He stood up and bid Kit goodnight before stumbling off to shower. Not even a minute in he could be heard yelling out. "AH! F*&K ME SIDEWAYS! THAT IS COLD!" After he went to bed.

[Mai]

Kit shook her head, oddly used to his outbursts already. She, too, went to bed, though she was only asleep for a little over an hour before she woke up shivering. She bundled herself under a blanket, thinking maybe her room just had a draft blowing through. It didn't help at all, nor could she manage going back to sleep, so, with the blanket still draped around her shoulders, she got up to wander to the kitchen, feeling parched, for a glass of water. She didn't make it halfway before she began to feel light headed. She collapsed only moments later, unfortunately causing a few of her wounds to begin bleeding again. Today's really not the best day... She thought vaguely, as her vision began to blur and she passed out on the floor--And not from alcohol.

[niko]

Atakai was a heavy sleeper. Unfortunatly. It was not until many hours later when he awoke to get something to drink. It was then that he noticed Kit on the ground. He rushed over to shake Kit and asked her to wake up. Not getting a response he put a hand on her forehead. "Damn!" He grunted and lifted her up.

He was no doctor. But Atakai recalled what the overseers did for him as a hatchling after they took him from his mother. He had to cool her body down before her brain started to get damaged. But Atakai could not just dump cold water on her. No he would have ease Kits body temp down or risk causing her to go into shock.

Atakai carried her into his bathroom and kicked all the bottles and soaps from the bathtub edge. Gently putting her down in the tub he started the water from the faucet. It was slightly warm at first but slowly crept to cool and then cold. Atakai left the room to call for a doctor. Atakai told him he got the temperature down. The doctor told Atakai he would be right over and to get Kit in warm cloths.

He went to his spare room that kit was using and looked for spare cloths. Finding none confused Atakai as he always saw her wearing something different. Not dwelling on it he just grabbed some of his cloths and went back to the bathroom. He shook Kit and said. "Hey Kit wake up. I need you to get in some warm cloths okey? Damn"

Looked like he would have to do it for her. He took of her cloths with expert procision but had a rough time putting his pants on her. "For a girl your pretty heavy" He grunted as he finally fasened the pants.

Upsy daisy" Atakai said as he lifted kit up and took her to lie down on her bed. After setting her down he pulled up a chair to sit it it backwards with the backrest to his front. Resting his arms on the backrest and then leaning his chin down Atakai waited for the doctor to come.

[Mai]

Bringing down her temperature had definitely helped--Perhaps not fast enough for her to be of any help getting the clothes on, but a few minutes her eyes did open slightly. She was awake, but certainly not fully there. It took her a moment of staring over at Atakai to remember who he was, not that it really would have made a difference when she was this sick anyway if she hadn't recognized him. She groaned slightly at the throbbing in her arm, not that it really hurt. The cold water which had brought her temperature down to a more reasonable level had temporarily numbed it a bit.

[niko]

Finally seeing Kit stir Atakai rubbed his eyes to get the sleep out of them. After all. It was around 3 in the morning. He gave a smile. " Back to the world of the living? Almost lost you there. The doctor came and gave you a quick shot. You will be fine.... though you may ache over the next couple of days"

He put out a hand and gently pulled his shirt that she was wearing away from her shoulder. "When I was changing you I could not help but notice the bruises and lacerations. Who hurt you?" He asked that question with a hint of anger.

"Tell me who it was so I can go bury my firemans axe in there skull!" He leaned back in his chair and started to drink a beer he got earlier from the kitchen. "You found that rider dident you? I guess its safe to assume he defeated you. I was watching the news earlier. He bombed the citadel and another reactor"

"Next time you decide to go off to fight someone make sure you have backup. Back when I was a federal agent in Sector 6 of the NSA..." He stopped what he said there deciding it was not important. He stood up and patted the inside of her right leg to say before he left. "Just dont do anything rash okey? Get some rest. I will be gone in the morning to work. I will be back later around 5 in the evening.

True to his words atakai was gone in the morning. It was quiet inside the apartment and the phone kept wringing with female clients that wished his services. Atakai had neglected to put the information out that he had quite. The news on Atakais TV was of no intrest at first. But the reporter quickly came on with national news. "General Aidid and his 'peoples army' continue there military coup in the capital today to overthrow imperial rule of Alelea. Fighting in the streets between milita fighters loyal to the emperor and Aidids revolutionists intensifies to a biblical scale." She paused to listen to someone wispering in her ear. "We.... We just got word that the entire royal family has been assasinated....."

Getting the word and getting the facts were two different things. The local news was not any better in the alchemist city. Another reporter was standing in front of a city reactor in flames. "Three power reactors have been destroyed by "neo Terra rebels in the past two days. I stand here at Reactor four where a bomb of epic proportions and power has been set off. Firefighters work desperatly to put out the flames and save the people inside but time is running short as the reactor reaches dangerously close to a meltdown. Information is sketchy but in 20 minutes the reactor is said to reach critical mass. Hundreds of firefighters and medical crews are still present inside and" The reporter ducked As building attached to the reactor behind her exploded probably from a gas leak and firefighters went flying out the windows in flames.

"Things are getting worse here as the fire continues to spread More fighfighters ran by the reporter and one stopped to yell in a muffled voice at her because of his oxygen mask. "Get out of here. The reactor is almost critical! She is going to blow!" Another man smacked the firefighter in the head and said. "Atakai! C'mon! There are still workers in there! We got to get them out!"

Atakai and the other masked firefighter presumably Rico rejoined the flood of there comrades who ran into the reactor. Things got heated but All the firefighters exited the reactor and managed to calm down the fires and saved the reactor. That is when Kira and Zarza appeared. The reporter dropped her camera and it went to static.

Kira was quickly getting to work of restarting the reactor fires and killing and firfighters who tryed to stop her. Atakai hellbent on stopping them started to climb a service ladder near where she and her rider hovered. Grabbing the Firefighters axe from his back strap Atakai let out a yell and jumped. Falling towards Kira intent on splitting her head with the axe Kira shot her head out and snatched him up in her jaws.

Atakai did not seem to be moving at first. But he was quite alive. The oxygen tank on his back saved his life by taking Kiras lower teeth complely. And it hissed loudly at being puntured. With the axe still in one hand Atakai swung it and the edge buried deep in Kiras kneck. She let go of Atakai to roar in pain and he fell to the ground with a loud smack. Standing up Atakai struggled to get his firefighters mask off as the air from the hissing tank on his back was not reaching him.

Kira being pissed from the injury she recieved breathed in deeply ready to incinerate Atakai who was still struggling to get his mask off. Rico came in time to save his best friend and inbeded his axe into her kneck causing Kira to take back to the air.

"I will burn the flesh from your bones!" She spoke to them by there minds. Zarza finally spoke up. "We have done enough killing. Let us leave" Kira was hearing nothing of it and Zarza smacked her in the kneck with the flat of his blade. "I am the rider, you are the dragon. Do as I say! You do not tell me what to do!" With a grumble she complied and they left.

Rico went over to Atakai and helped him to pull the mask and hissing tank off his back. "Breath deep atakai" Rico told him. "Cmon, we have to put out the rest of these fires."

With there jobs done for today Atakai went back to his apartment and threw the mask and ruptured tank with teeth marks onto the floor. His face was black with soot from fighting the fires and the first thing he did was not to get changed out of his uniform. But to get a cold beer.

Sitting down on on his dirty old couch Atakai let out a satisfied sigh as he drank the cold beer. "Its the simple things in life" He muttered. Setting the beer down he started to take off his boots and noticed Kit up and about.

"Oh hey. I see your feeling better. Have a nice rest?" With the boots off Atakai put them on a stool and leaned back on the couch. "Boy what a day. I ran into your friends today. They set fire to another reactor but we managed to stop them." Atakai pointed to the oxygen tank on the floor with teeth marks in it. "But not before that she devil dragon used me for a chew toy. Its all good. I buryed my axe in her kneck pretty good

"What have you been up to today?"

[Mai]

She smiled ruefully at the mention of Kira, though not because she was pleased to hear mention of her. Her hand instinctively went up to check the bandage that was over the only cut still unhealed. It was there, obviously, and doing its job at keeping the cut clean.

Just watching TV. Said the royal family's been assassinated, all of them. I doubt it, though. There's too much protection, hidden rooms, and such for them to get all of them. Can't have gotten Niko. He's like a brother. I would have felt it.

Of course, she said this mostly to reassure herself. But, still recuperating, she knew that even if she did go, there wasn't anything she could do that was worth going for. Not yet.

She knelt down near the oxygen tank for a moment though, surprised all Kira had used were her teeth. It seemed strange. Last time the other dragon had had no qualms about killing with raw magic. She sighed and shrugged it off, counting Atakai as lucky and leaving it at that.

I'll have to do something about Kira one of these days. When I actually can, of course. Last time didn't work out so well. But she's got her rider wrapped around her little finger, in a manner of speaking.

She rose from her crouched position, joining him on the couch. The cat was on her lap in moments, and she held the white furball close. It was a simple comfort. Not to mention, unless this cat was a werecat in disguise, there was no chance of it being good or evil. It would simply live, as all normal cats did. A small mercy in the world, to have so many creatures entirely neutral.

[niko]

Atakai grumbled somethin incoherant about the news of the royal family. It must have not been important as he did not speak further on it.

At the mention of Kira having control of Zarza Atakai had to agree. "Yeah I noticed somethign strange between the two. She wanted to keep on killing but the one on her back was argueing. Heh, she probably could have killed us all had that ancient not held her back'

[niko]

Atakai just sat there enjoying the silance until the building shook. 'What the hell?" He yelled just as the wall broke away from the apartment building. Being as Atakai was on the 21 floor, well, it was a long way down.

Atakai grabbed ahold of a light fixture on the wall as the building leaned a bit. He did not want to go sliding out the hole to the streets below. Kira flew in place riderless in front of the hole.

"So this is where you live little bug" Atakai furrowed his eyes. "Back for more eh? We will see who is the little bug" Atakai changed forms breaking his already ruined apartment more. Jumping through the hole and tackling the surprised Kira the two faught it out. Kira more then Atakai as he was clinging to her in fear of falling. It was kind of funny to see a dragon that could not fly.

Atakai lost his grip on kira and he fell. Unfortunatly he was right over a building that had a giant spiked weather vein on top of it so Atakai was impaled instantly.

He cryed in pain for a moment but stopped moving as if he was dead. Atakai just stopped because moving around hurt him hell of a lot more.

Kire went around the leaned aparment building and bashed into it for one final insult to Kit saying before she flew off in the maze of buildings.

"I've taken your friend, and now all the people in the building will die as it collapses. Wake up mud blood, Wake up and smell the ashes"

[Mai]

Kit growled and changed. She knew she couldn't worry about Atakai yet. Risk one for the lives of many, no matter how much it bothered her to do so.

Jump out the windows, I'll break your fall.

The message passed through the brain of every resident in the building. Those who were smart did jumped, to land on an invisible barrier, one at each floor, made by Kit. She waited a few minutes, flying around the building to check. There was no one else, or there was no one else coming out. She lowered them to the ground.

Run, before it collapses on you.

Not all of them would die today. That would have to be good enough. Next came Atakai. She changed just as she landed, just in case the building couldn't hold the weight of two dragons. She held a hand near his nose, felt the breathing, and sighed with relief. Knowing she was be excessively tired later, but hardly caring, she snapped off the top of the weather vane and lifted him up, via magic of course. She laid him back down to the now broken and bloodied weather vane and went over to his head.

If you can I need you to change back. The wound will shrink, I can heal it faster.

She told him, hoping he was conscious to hear her.

[niko]

Atakai breathed heavily with his tounge hanging out. His voice echoed in Kits head. "i cant. To weak. My heart. Feels like someone is squeezing it" He pushed himself up a bit but collapsed.

"I will be fine. I, I just need rest. So sleepy His eyes started to slowly close as Atakai gave in to sleep.

Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing, that we see too late the one that is open. What the hell that ment was anyones guess and open to interpretation. Atakai was asleep now. His fate lieing in the balance.

Kira came back around to toy with Kit again and landed on top of the uncousious atakai. She knocked Kit to the ground with a mighty swing of her kneck and let out a cackling laughter as she patted the top of Atakai's snout gently with a claw.

"Ah poor thing. Did that hurt being impaled. Dont you worry. I will make it all better" She forced his jaws open and breathed gently over it. With a start Atakai shot his bloodshot eyes open and stood up while all the while still bleeding.

Kira backed away to let Atakai up and looked to kit. "What was yours is now mine.....Lets play a game. You have thus far proven to a worthy opponent, if not a nuisance." Atakai seemed to be under Kiras control somehow.

Atakai swayed on his feet as if he were asleep and sat down on his haunches to close his eyes. Kira went back over and breathed gently near his mouth. Atakais scales fell away with crimson red ones now visible.

Kira lied down to watch the show that would unfold. "Kill her." Kira ordered. "But make it entertaining" Kira looked to Kit now. "The destroyer of gods. The evil manifestation that exists in all beings deep in there pyschy. It wont last long. But long enough to end your existance

"I wonder just how long it will" She stopped as Zarza came flipping from the top of a building. "Enough!" He ordered. Zarza held at his head as Kira and him got in a unseen battle of wills. Atakai was back to normal again on the ground with Kira distracted with her rider.

Zarza himself seemed to fair well as Kira bowed her head a little in submission. But in a flash Zarza was elevated barely off the ground. His wrists and ankles held in place with a band of white light forming his body in the shape of an X.

Kira stood before him now trying to break Zarzas will again.

[Mai]

She didn't help Zarza first, no, she helped Atakai. As soon as he was free of Kira's control she healed him to the point where he wouldn't die because of the injury. No point fully healing him yet, it would leave her weaker and him stronger, should Kira take control of him again.

Now to help the rider, who clearly would have made a good rider, if he hadn't been with a murderous dragon such as Kira. But she did manage to notice they were both distracted. She could run... Or she could help the poor rider. It didn't take much thinking on her part. She knew there was very little she could do, though. Only if Zarza was willing to follow out what she knew could be done. Blocking Kira to the very best of her abilities, she went to speaking to Zarza's mind.

If you don't want to be under her control any longer, killing all those innocent people, the only way to do that is to break your bond. It's hard becoming a rider and giving it up, but sometimes it is worth it. Without you bonded to her, her power will be weakened as well, or it should be. And, even if it isn't, then if we must kill her, we won't kill you as well.

She informed him of the words that would break the bond of a dragon and it's rider and hoped he would do it. If not....The easier way to kill a dragon was to kill it's rider. And she didn't want to kill him, not if she didn't have to.