Of Monsters and Men (Private / Raven Only)

The moment he appeared in the middle of a cobblestone street to the shocked eyes of many bystanders, Shinkuro knew he wasn't in Crescentia, where he was supposed to be transported by the Waypoint. It was an ordinary day in the job, what with all of his plans completely ruined and out of whack. If it weren't for his accursed mother and her whims, he would've been well on his way to reuniting two worlds and bringing a millennium of peace to billions of people. But instead, he was stuck in some planet in some random plane in the multiverse. Well, at least he still had his clothes, and his trusty katana in his hand. Funny as it might be to land in a street full of people weaponless and in a birthday suit, he was grateful for this slight bit of beneficial randomness.

He began to walk around, strutting as if he just didn't suddenly out of thin air. The bangs and clanging of hammers and other work tools told him that a major construction was underway. He briefly wondered what sort of big monument was in the works, thinking back on the Great Tower back in Illumina. But with smell of smoke and dust prevalent in the air, and the scattered clangs of metal against wood, it quickly became apparent to him that the construction was more of a widespread thing. Now that he looked closer, the black marks on the ground and the pretty obvious craters told him that this town was once the site of a great battle. Suddenly interested, he tried to find a bar, ask around for interesting stories and perhaps get a lead on what to do next.

He found what he was looking for right at the end of the street, a bar named Red Dragon, with a dragon hanging above its sign. When he entered through the wooden doors, the smell of stale beer and tobacco smoke welcomed him. The scents were familiar, as were the wooden tables and bar top, with the mustachioed man behind it, wiping a shot glass clean. He found himself a seat at the bar, right next to a man with fiery-red hair. He set his katana next to him, and ordered a cup of warm sake for himself.

"Hey there," he greeted the red-haired man. "I'm... kind of new around here. Mind telling me what's going on with all the construction in the place?"

It'd been a few days since anything exciting happened. Namely Abigail showing up and being lost. He was now wandering aimlessly again, bored and itching for something fun to happen. He wandered around Era all morning, but was greeted with either wary glances or ignored completely. And no one tried to steal or start trouble either, which made Raven even more sad and bored. But he wasn't one to just randomly start trouble cause he was bored either.

So a trip to the bar was in order. Some would think him crazy for going at noon, but one drink and a bite to eat wouldn't kill anyone. At least he didn't think so... Bars could be rather rowdy and such, and part of him hoped someone would start something while he was there. He readjusted his black leather dragon with the dragon wings glistening brightly in the light. He stepped into the red dragon kicking the snow off his boots. It was like being kicked with memories, what with his foster father being gone and all.

Suddenly, his mood soured he sat at the bar and ordered himself some food and a stiffer drink than he had originally stepped in for. He ate in silence despite the people coming and going. How long had it been since Draco left him? How far had he come since then? It didn't feel like he'd gotten very far at all, either in his search or his mission.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone who wanted to talk to him. He set his food down and turned to look at him. This man had a vaguely similar scent to Abigail. It was completely different... which was the same as Abigail. However, unlike her, this man still reeked of strange otherworldly magic. It was as if he'd just got here a few minutes beforehand. The question he asked solidified that thought in Raven's head, which caused him to sigh and take a sip from his drink.

“There was fighting here some time ago,” Raven answered as he eyed the sword strapped to the strange man's side. A fighter? He wondered what kind of strange abilities the man had, or if he meant to cause trouble. He hoped so... after all, a bored dragon slayer is a dragon slayer that looks for trouble. “People here are finally recovering from it and fixing up the town.”

"Fighting, eh? Not much different from where I came from, then." Shinkuro gestured for the bartender and ordered a shot of whiskey. It was comforting to know that between different planes in the universe, some things remain constant. While he waited for the drink, he regarded the red-haired man with a critical eye. He reminded him of the normal, high-class citizen back in Crescentia, with his white polo unbuttoned at the top, sharp eyes, and a power that radiated from him like a heat wave. This was a man he should be wary of, and if ever a bar fight broke out, he wouldn't want to be on his bad side.

"But where are my manners?" He held out his hand by way of greeting. "My name is Shinkuro Inazuma, and as you've probably already noticed, I'm not from around here. And you are?"

Where he came from? That was a confirmation to the fire Dragon Slayer sitting at the table. The man before him wasn't from Fiore. Serious fighting had only taken place in a couple key places, and Raven could tell by his scent that the man had been to none of those places. He didn't even have Era's scent on him yet. This put Raven on guard, but enough so to be standoffish.

“Raven,” He took the extended hand rather care freely and shook it with a firm grip. Three things could be taken from the handshake if one was looking for subtle things. First, Raven was confident in how he shook Shin's hand. Second was how smooth his hands were, however, they felt rough around the edges a bit, especially around the palm. And finally the grip. There was an almost inhuman strength to it. Less subtle however, was that his hand was nearly burning hot to the touch. “Raven Flametongue.”

“What brings you to my part of the world?” The question was asked precisely how Raven wanted it to be worded. Also worth noting was that he hadn't let go of Shinkuro's hand, though the grip had lightened slightly. He had a drink in his other hand, but there was no way of knowing what it was, save for the glass was short, and the golden brown liquid had obviously been served over the ice floating in it.

Something felt strange the moment their hands got into contact. Smooth hands should tell of an easy life, but the roughness told him otherwise. And then there was that unearthly heat. The man could easily pass for a Flame Meister, if not for the utter lack of Aether everywhere. If his instincts were perfectly accurate, then this man was either a dragonborn or a dragon disguised as a human.

The name was already a dead giveaway - Raven Flametongue. He became more wary, grabbing the shot of whiskey, gulping it down before setting it on the counter. His katana was in his hand again, ready for anything that might happen. Shin's experience with dragons was less gallant swordfighting and more running away from blasts of incineration and gigantic claws. He didn't want to be caught with his weapon down.

Raven's question raised alarm bells in his mind. For one, it sounded innocent enough, but the way it was worded made Shin think that he was suspicious about his origins. Well, Shin wasn't actually making much effort to hide it in the first place, so might as well roll with it. "Trust me. You wouldn't believe me if I told you," he said to Raven with a smirk.

Nervousness. That was the very first thing Raven noticed when the hand shake happened. Did this man know something about him already? That would be rather intriguing, and the thought made him grin, showing one of his fangs. Then the man downed his shot and rested his hand on his sword. Raven made a show of lowering his eyes to the hand that rested on the hilt of the sword to show that move hadn't gone unnoticed.

Now this game was beginning to interest the fire dragon slayer. Was his name that infamous even from other worlds? That was most interesting to him... So he stood up and formed a small fireball in his hand that he began tossing up and down idly. The grin revealed both fangs as red eyes danced in delight and amusment.

There was whispers among the crowds in the bar starting to spread now that his name was in the open. Even the bartender looked wary when the fireball was formed, but Raven didn't care. He could deal with trouble and not get innocents involved. Some patrons were beginning to leave already, and money could be seen being placed on tables as presumably bets already.

“I think you could try me,” Raven replied, his confidence ever present. So was the fireball, and by their proximity Kris could no doubt tell that it was no illusion. Then he squeezed his hand shut, and the amusement shifted to something more serious. “Seeing as how you're not the first person I've met that hasn't been from Fiore. Or anywhere I can recognize."

The fireball all but confirmed his suspicions; this man was related to dragons. The fact that the entire bar was suddenly abuzz with fearful whispers of this man's name was a testament to his infamy. Shin could feel the heat of the flames on his face, reminding him of near-death encounters with those fire-breathing monstrosities. He kept a tighter grip on his katana, waiting to see what the man - Raven - would do next.

When it became apparent that the man was simply putting on a show for his own amusement, Shin smirked. Two can play at that game; he allowed sparks of purple lightning to run up and down the length of his sword. Some of them jumped towards the nearest table, shocking a terrified patron out of his wits. Shin made a mental apology to the man, but maintained eye contact with the fiery man.

That there was another stranger like him in this parts was a pleasant surprise. Once he was done with this bar, he might go out and look for this person. For now, he was to entertain Raven with a story about how he came to be in this world called Fiore. "Okay, but first let me ask you something," Shin said, letting the sparks subside into mild bursts of energy. "Would you believe me if I told you that I came from another world through a portal that my infuriating mother messed up for me?"

"Maybe," His response was curt as he folded his arms over his chest. His eyes showed that he wasn't in the mood for games, and seeing as how Shinkuro didn't seem to be taking his position seriously, Raven's mind was beginning to work in ways that might not be fun for the other man.

"Or I could think you're here to cause trouble," the dragon slayer's tone held a slight edge to it. He wanted to reinforce the idea that the man was walking the razor's edge. He was safeguarding Fiore from further wars and trouble makers.

So he grabbed his glass of alcohol and took a sip of it, not lowering his gaze from Shinkuro. There was a slight grin tugging on his face as he waited for the response. Part of him wanted the swordsman before him a reason to cut loose. But then another part didn't. So he wasn't going to provoke a fight. But he was going to be damn sure Shinkuro was going to behave himself during his stay.

Something about Raven told him he wasn't playing. That fireball would soon be flying towards his face and all over the bar if he was pushed to it. Shinkuro didn't want that. There were better ways to make a debut in a brand new world, and starting a bar fight wasn't one of them. So he dispelled the energy altogether, and set the katana down next to him, letting it lean on the counter. He refrained from ordering another shot of hard liquor. He didn't know if this world accepted gold coins, and he wasn't going to take his chances.

"Believe me, or not, it's up to you. But I ensure you, I'm not here to cause any sort of trouble," Shin said with a reassuring smile. "It's my first time here, and I want to make a good impression. Although, I want to ask you a question."

Shin's eyes steeled as he regarded the man with the red hair and the fiery hand. "Are you related to dragons?"