Dragon's keep

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The sun was setting on yet another peaceful day in Rosplayn, shop keepers were preparing their shops for close. A few people strolled lazily about, enjoying the last hour or so of sunlight.
Among the townsfolk was a small girl, with a pair of fox ears prominent on her head.
"Good evening, Raina! How are you today, deary?" asked an elderly woman as Raina passed her shop.
Smiling widely, Raina walked to her. "I feel wonderful Miss Maggie! And how are you? Did your son have a nice wedding?" She glanced through the shop window and noticed one of Maggie's delicious homemade pies. Her stomach rumbled quietly, and she felt her hand instinctively place itself over it.
Maggie noticed this and laughed. "Yes, he did, thank you. And I am doing very well. Tell me, dear, are you interested in tasting one of my latest creations? I find it simply wonderful, but I would like a second opinion." Before Raina could answer, the woman disappeared into to her shop, only to reappear moments later with a nicely wrapped pie in her hands. "Here you go. The only payment I ask is that you advertise it. It's called Lemon Meringue. Alright now, off with you, it's getting dark out, which means it's about to get very dangerous. Hurry home!"
Eyes bright, and heart warm, Raina nodded and turned down an alley towards the direction of her home. She held the pie in both hands, afraid to drop it. She couldn't wait to taste it, it smelled amazing. She began to wonder if her mother would have liked it, and hadn't noticed that she turned one street too early. She passed a bar, where a few men were standing outside, and heard one of them call out to her.
Ignoring them, she closed her eyes and started running without paying any mind to where she was going. When she finally stopped and looked around, she realized she had definitely gone the wrong way; she was now in one of the most dangerous parts of town.

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Xander was finally starting to feel the alcohol hitting him. Not terribly, but enough. It took a very large amount to actually get him to a level of intoxication, so he never went that far. Just enough to take the edge off what had been a very long day. While draining the last few drops from his glass, he noticed a small child running around the street alone; a little girl. Xander wasn't from around these parts, but he knew the town well enough to understand just how stupidly dangerous it was for her to be out at night, alone, in the slums.
Still, he simply ordered another drink. Although he did keep his eye on the girl, just in case. He may not like people, but a child is still a child. Something about her held his attention, though he couldn't say what it was.

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Raina did her best to remain calm and keep her composure; though she wanted to scream and cry. She glanced around, hoping to see someone familiar who could point her in the right direction, or walk with her home. She knew she could always -ask- if someone knew how to get to the shelter from here, but no one really seemed the kind to be nice to kids. Still gripping her pie, she looked down at the ground. Tears began to roll down her cheeks as she finally accepted that she was lost.
From behind her, she heard a throaty gurgling noise, which she assumed was supposed to be a chuckle. She turned to see a big man, dirty and smelling of pee and beer, standing behind her. "Whacha got there?"he grinned lazily, reaching for her pie. She tried to hold on to it, but her was much stronger and managed to pry it from her with ease. "Mmm a pie! Thanks brat." He placed a hand on her head and shoved her back.
Raina fell to the ground with a thud, and almost instantly began to cry. "Give me back my pie!" she cried, getting up and charging at him, her fist closed. The man simply back handed her, and she once again fell to the ground. Stubborn, she brought herself back up to her feet, and continued to attack, only to be sent to the ground over and over.

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Xander dropped his head at the sight of the would-be pie thief and rolled his eyes. Of course... He thought, getting up from his seat. The guy wasn't smacking her around too badly, just enough to keep himself amused. Either way, it was ending. Xander walked out of the bar and into the alley, grabbing the man's arm as he reached back for another swing.
"That's not very nice." Xander said simply, taking advantage of the drunk's dumbstruck state and grabbing the girl's pie, handing it back to the girl. "Go home." Xander instructed her before turning his back to her and facing the drunk. "Same goes for you, dick." He said to the drunk. Xander turned to head back into the bar when he felt something connect with the back of his head. Whipping around, Xander saw the drunk pulling his arm back for a second punch. Unfurling his wings, Xander smacked the drunk's punch aside and grabbed his head, squeezing it hard with one hand. The drunk cried out in pain, dropping to his knees as Xander squeezed harder.

"Just so you know," Xander growled, his voice dripping with malice, "It would take absolutely nothing for me to crush your skull like a grape. But there's a child present." Xander grabbed the drunk's shirt and threw him down the alley. "Leave. Now!" Xander commanded, a small burst of flame shooting from his mouth. The drunk whimpered and scrambled down the alley as fast as he could, leaving Xander and the girl alone. Xander turned and looked down at her, curling his wings around his shoulders again. "Like I said, go home." With that, he headed back to the bar. His buzz was gone, and this needed to be rectified.

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Her pride wounded, Raina made to complain, but her voice caught in her throat as she saw him spread his wings. Not many creatures had wings like those. It took her a moment to realize that her jaw had dropped, and she immediately regained her composure. She watched him fight and nearly cried out for Xander not to hurt the drunk when she noticed his hand gripping the man's head tightly. To her relief, he simply tossed him away and allowed the drunk to escape.
Raina still stared wide-eyed at him as he turned around to face her. Though his voice made her wince at its harshness. She nodded and scurried down a random alley, only to hide behind a can and watch him re-enter the bar. She waited a little bit, then ran to the entrance and sat down, just out of sight.
Could he really be a dragon? she wondered. She leaned over and peered inside, but was unable to spot him since it was fairly dark inside. So she sat there, waiting for him to come out, and when he did, she would follow him. She felt excitement swell inside of her as she wondered what it'd be like to befriend a real dragon. Unfortunately, all the excitement wore her out, and eventually drifted off to sleep.

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After another couple hours, Xander was feeling fine again and decided to leave. He ventured outside but didn't make it two feet before the sound of little breaths caught his ears. He looked down and grinned slightly at the sight. It was the girl from before, curled up against the wall. Xander sighed, annoyed at her foolishness but still somehow softened towards her, and gently gathered her up in his arms. He took a few running steps, spread his wings, and raised smoothly into the air being sure to keep the girl tight in his arms. After a few minutes, he landed outside a cave that had been dug into a hill just outside of town. He carried her inside and set her down on his own bed, a collection of large leaves and stolen bedding. It wasn't pretty, but it was quite comfortable. Once he made sure she was covered and comfortable, he piled some dry wood and ignited a fire with a burst from his hand. Afterwards, he leaned against the wall, wrapped his wings tightly around himself, and drifted into a light but restful sleep. He'd deal with the girl in the morning. Until then, he was tired.

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As the sun began it's ritual climb over the horizon, Raina stirred in the bed. A few light groans escaped her and she suddenly bolted upright with a yelp. She clutched at her chest, and sighed in relief upon realizing she'd just been dreaming. As she stretched, she glanced around and finally noticed that she wasn't at home, then she noticed Xander. With another yelp, she pulled the covers over her head and layed back down. With her eyes tightly closed, she muttered repeatedly under her breath. "Wake up, wake up, wake up."

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Xander jumped to his feet when he heard the yelp, but relaxed when he realized it was only the little girl. "Calm yourself, you're safe." He said, doing his best to soften his voice. It didn't work very well. "Did you sleep well?" He asked, reigniting the fire. Mornings were always slow for him and today would be even slower now that she was here. "I'm Xander." He added, tending the fire carefully.

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Still hiding under the blanket, Raina nodded. "Yes." After a few moments, she shifted and peered at him above the covers. "Where am I? Why aren't I at the shelter?" she asked, her voice a little shaky.
As she glanced around, she slowly remembered the night before, and her ears perked up. "Oh, wait!! You're that nice Dragon-man that helped me!! You saved my pie!!" Then her face darkened as she frowned. "Did you eat my pie?"

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"Your pie is over there." Xander said curtly, pointing towards the wrapped bundle in the corner. "You passed out outside the bar. Real smart, by the way. So I brought you here for the night." He explained. The fire was crackling happily now, the smoke billowing out the channel Xander had smashed into the roof, so he turned his full attention to the girl. "I don't know what shelter you're speaking of, but you really need to be more careful. This town in general is a bad place for children, let alone the slums I found you in last night." Xander took a breath, calming his frustration. He didn't want to scare the child, after all. "What's your name, anyway?" He asked, keeping his voice as gentle as he could.

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She glanced over and was excited to see the pie, but she stayed put; she was still wary of this stranger. Even if he saved her and her pie. She was about to thank him for saving her, but then got defensive.
"I've live here my whole life, I know what kind of place it is, and it's not even that bad! Just the one part I was in last night that I got lost in because I wasn't paying attention because of how yummy my pie looks. I was in an alley with creepy people so I ran and then I went the wrong way and now I'm here with a big meanie!"
She threw herself out of the bed, stormed over to her pie, picking it up, then stormed off for the door.