It had been only a few days since the events that had transpired. Even now she was not certain what to think of this 'unholy' gift she had received. A hand trailed toward her chest, right where her heart was, but there was no sign of a scar, when there should have been one. She had been impaled by a lance, one that even was designed to kill beings like her. And yet here she was, standing among the wilds of Albion with not even a telltale of the fact she had died. Or rather, she should have.

Instead, she had found herself remaining within the wilderness, preferring to refrain from needless contact with the outside world unless truly necessary, and she still had the company she desired in the form of Maple. However, it was during Maple's trip to Hargeon that this story took place.

In the aftermath of the conflict between her party and the cult that resurrected the aspect of that vile ancient dragon, Ryuko had decided to retreat into the underground caverns that were once the domain of her former enemy. Why, one might wonder: Because right now Ryuko was not exactly... hospitable.

Every now and then the cavern became filled with tremors, monstrous apparations visibly chasing the last remnants of the cult's survivors while at the center of the cavern, on a platform overlooking the place she was towering above all else:


Her eyes gazed coldly at the sight unfolding before her, of how the cultists were being hunted down like cattle for the slaughter by the Ajin that were crawling from their portals. However, at the bottom of her claws, dissolving amidst small puddles of lava were the corpses of several cultists foolish enough to try to attack her directly.

"If only I had this power before they unleashed that terror upon Caelum..." the dragon grumbled, yet sensing the presence of a stranger she turned her gaze further toward the entrance where several of the Ajin were starting to crowd around an unfamiliar traveler, a samurai she might have thought them to be.

"Halt Ajin, He is not your prey." Ryuko's cold command made the Ajin take several steps away from Ghost, returning to the darkness as Ryuko in her dragon form gazed down upon the young wanderer. "What brings you to this fallen city stranger?"

If his travels taught him one thing. It was that anything could happen at anytime.
Every since he left his guild he been wondering. From place to place from time to time and even from mood to mood. Ghost was a bit lost in all sense as if he did not know what he wanted to do. He truly felt worthless at the moment. Despite all the hard work he put in. He could not come close to the organization of people he was once allied with.
Leaving was the best thing to as he respected Fairy Tail to greatly to bother them with his weakness.

However he is was curious as ever. As he did not know how to mind his own business. Some how someway he have found a underground cave like place.
Rayne was sleeping on his back so her not seeing him enter it was a good thing. If anything. She might have fainted from the scary way it looked. But for the moment he wanted to see what was in store for him. Looking for a place to rest and not be bother. Not long after traveling though the cave he would come across what seems to be a forest like place.

Ghost was not great with directions but he did know when danger was around the way. As the wind blew so hard he would have to have held down his hat. So that it wouldn't fly away. This little moment of holding his hat was something that he had to get use too. But as the large trees blocked the sun light and more importantly the heat. He could not help but feel more and more heat as he went deeper into the wilderness. On that note he would stop as he started to smell the air and in the air it smelled just like burning flesh.

As he continued to walk this put a little concern in his heart. As something was off. But he could not tell what it was. Soon he would grab on to his blade as he saw something. As he was surprisingly surrounded for a brief moment. But what was these things that out numbered him. Soon he heard a voice telling them to leave him be. Only to look up and saw that the thing the person the being that was talking was a dragon.

Clearly she was in charge as the other things went away by darkness. As Ghost would then say in response to her.
"City?.. I was just passing through I've no idea where I am at anyhow." As he looked up at her she was clearly mighty. But he had to keep up his brave front as he could end up like the rest of these people. "Well...if you could point me to how to get out of her. That would be very helpful to me." As he said that he would look up and give a smile of his own. To sure the dragon he was no threat.

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Peculiar... to think this stranger was able to smile genuinely in the sight of a dragon. She wasn't certain whether this person was insanely brave, powerful or merely a fool who didn't know what type of danger he found himself in. However, when he mentioned the fact that he was merely passing through she couldn't help but scoff in amusement. "Just passing through? Your sense of direction must be among the worst for any mortal I met before. You are currently in the Wilds of Albion, one of the islands that make up Caelum. This underground settlement used to belong to an order of necromancers but was later taken over by a cult worshipping an evil elder dragon."

She gestured with one of her claws toward the corpses melting slowly in the pools of lava underneath her as she continued speaking. "You would do well to pay caution when traveling through the Wilds of Albion, there are many dangerous beings that others might call myth, yet are quite real nonetheless. And not all of them might be as hospitable as I am."

As she spoke the dragon spread her wings and ascended, a single beat of her wings producing quite a powerful gust of air as her body started to shift back to its humanoid form mid-flight. Finally, she landed on the ground in front of Ghost, her mismatched eyes observing him with a hint of curiosity in them.

"What was it that you were searching for? This place is quite far from any civilized lands, unless you count the hidden settlements of the Fae-folk, but I doubt you were searching for them. They are the kind of beings who will find you, rather than you find them."

She smiled briefly, after which she introduced herself. "I am Ryuko, and you are?"

Ghost looked on but he said not a word at first. As he still was taking in the moment. He was by all not surprised to see a Dragon. But in a way as it was happening he still could not believe it was happening.
In his days on earth all the years he spent all 100 years of them. He never even met a dragon well maybe he lost the memories of meeting one. But he still kept his cool. As he truly did not know what was going to happen next. But as the dragon spoke he began to become more and more chilled with everything. As Ghost would then hear the dragon say.
That this was a underground home of evil beings who praises a evil elder dragon.

Then it hit him back in the realm of light. A dragon attacked and was cast out and must have made their way to.earth realm. How odd how history seems to repeat itself. The wilds of Albion. It is said that many that come here do not make it out. But that part did not scare him it was really scary to him. Soon he would hold his hat. As he watched the dragon take to the sky. As the wind picked up he held down his hand again.
Soon he would watch something happened and that was transformation happened. As a humanly being came down and she looked at him. Now he knew about Dragon slayers and what not and how they learn magic from dragons. But he had no clue they could turn into dragons as well.

As he looked on he would say to her in response to her question. "What I am looking for is a way to increase my might. You see I have no magic of my own. You see I am looking to increase my prowess in this world. I left my guild in a sense to go look for this very thing." As he looked on he would take a deep breath and look on. "The far if they find me they will see that I am more then what I look like." The moment he said that he raised his head up and if she looked at his eyes. She would see them glow bright gold for a mere moment. This would let her know that he was not just a human if anything.

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Ryuko went silent for a while as the man told her about his search for power, yet after a moment she merely smiled and shook her head. "I believe it is proper etiquette among mortal behavior to introduce yourself when you make someone's acquaintance, especially when delving into their lair. Therefore I shall repeat my earlier statement: I am Ryuko, and you are?"

After the words left her lips and the man had hopefully introduced himself Ryuko continued with a soft hum. "Power comes in many shapes and forms, and is one of the most classic desires of mortals. Yet many forget the responsibilities that come with such power. Then again, as of late that seems a trait not exclusive to mortals." Indeed, based on the recent events she would admit that even gods and her own kindred were often prone to forget the responsibility that came with the powers at their disposal.

It was not every day that you have a conversation with a dragon. This was one that he did not even have on his bucket list. But as he made a mental note of it. He would take it off of his list. Ghost would be wise not to anger this dragon. He did not come to fight instead he came for other things.
Looking on he would then say to her, "I do apologize I mean where are my manners? I am Ghost a simple angelic being looking for a place to call power."

As he looked around he would hear what she had to say about mortals and gaining power. Then it struck him and it hit him hard. Maybe this is a real dragon and she can not turn into a human. Ghost looked on and would be taken back. Not knowing what to say. But one thing for sure and that was he just might be in the right place.

As he looked on up at her he would then say to her. "I am mortal but not that kind of mortal. I seek power so that I may be able to protect what I cherish the most. What I seek is a rare form of Sword magic. This shall help me out more in more ways than none my Fair Lady Dragon." As he said that Rayne was starting to come too.

Ryuko merely smiled at Ghost his introduction: "An angelic being?" She paused, a hand reaching to her chin as she ponder for a moment. "Curious, I heard stories about the Seraphim of the Lucent, but you don't seem to be of their kin. No, you seem to call Earthland your home, would it be that you are what the mortals call a 'Nephilim'?" She heard of the term, of the mortals who were granted a boon by the Seraphim, but it often came at some sort of price didn't it?

Based on what he said, it seemed that Ghost was searching for some form of magic that was associated to swords? A peculiar thought, one that made her wonder all the more about whether he was in the right place. "Although this underground city might be steeped in magic, the arts the cultists practiced are considered cursed: Necromancy, it has nothing to do with martial arts. Although your words remind me of a tale I once heard. Of a Caelish prince who could conjure magical weapons out of thin air and overwhelm entire legions with them..."

That sounded more like the type of magic that Ghost was looking for. After all, there was nothing worth learning from the cult and their hideous crimes.