One Bullet

Kussi

"You're an assassin. I can tell by the way you hold yourself. Your name doesn't help either." Annabelle tells me as she stitches the dragon's arm. I shrug and lean back.

"You are too I guess? The fire in your eyes doesn't help." I joke. Annabelle glares at me for a second before cutting the string. "I don't suppose you'd like a lap dance now, huh? Well I am so sorry to disappoint, but I don't take money, or my clothes off." Annabelle shoots at me.

I cringe, "Ouch," and rest my head back to look at the sand-colour ceiling. The flooring is wood, there is a lot to be said about her home, her personality.

"All the towns folk warned Claire about 'visitors' like you. Let's just hope you're not like ol' Malley hanging in the 'Den' over by the edge of town." A heavy voice came through. Annabelle only grins wolfishly. "So they should hope. How nice of you to drop by, uncle." Annabelle gets up to meet the man at the edge of her room. He has the same wolfish grin as her, only his bares fangs.

"Hello fresh meat! Here for the annual festival?" The uncle asks. A dragon hangs on his arm like an accessory. Reth doesn't take kind to it, but her arm might split wide open if she tries to get him off.

"Fresh Meat has a brand name, sir." I tell him. He reeks of death as well, but stronger, more fresh. It doesn't match his words of wisdom.

He clears his throat and holds out a cold hand. "The town calls me uncle, but you, stranger, have no honour besides calling me Mike. What brings you two here?" The guy asks. I take his hand and it's colder than ice. It's dead completely by what I can tell. "I'm Blade, I'm just passing through. But since there's an event that Claire invited us to, we should stay for the night. Besides," I gesture to Reth's arm, "the dragon could use a rest after she got jabbed."

"You are welcomed at my house. I'm not too far from here, and I'm sure Annabelle has those plans for tonight as well." Mike winks at Annabelle and she merely blushes.

"Thanks, Mike. You're kinder than Annabelle over here." I shoot a look over at Annabelle. She gives me the finger and I laugh. "I love feisty ones." I taunt as Mike laughs. Reth does nothing. I can tell she's in a bad mood from the dragon.

I nod towards the dragon. "Does it have a name, too?" I ask. Mike lets the dragon go over to me and it climbs on me. "His name is Fang. There's a story behind the origin, but it's too far fetched for an outsider." Mike explains. I roll my eyes and get up. "Try me, Mike."

He gestures for me to follow and I do, leaving my lizard friend behind me.

"The dragons, royals mostly, have the power to do things not even we know. So as Claire and I were out one night, play fighting as old friends should do, I found this little guy. He was alone and beaten. Claire wanted to take him home, but she was expecting a baby in, well, in eight months. Her husband would never approve such an act. Wild dragons can become the savage killers and destroy all of us and pass through the mountain's border. So being old as I am, I took the dragon off the ground. Poor guy had no fang;"

"He's going to hurt you, Mike. Don't try it." Claire yells. Mike shrugs and lifts up the baby dragon carefully. The baby is only a few months old and could barely live out here alone. Without a mother, or siblings, Mike knew it would die. The poor thing barely moved at all.

"I'm keeping him, Clear. He's small and will last me a long while." Mike told off his friend. Claire, not bothering to be annoyed by the childhood nickname, grunted and crossed her arms. Her instincts were ready to change her body into a wolf if the draggy was to give any sign to become a killer inside an innocent body. Or more simpler; a wolf in sheep's clothing. Though offensive to an ancient blooded werewolf like Claire, it's offensive to say that phrase out loud. She hates sheep clothing.

"Why not make this day it's birthday?" Claire retorts. Mike sticks his tongue out at her and pets the draggy on it's belly. "I'll go to Rust and ask him. Oh wait, he said I could keep a dragon as long as it's harmless and alone. This guy is harmless and alone, Claire. I found you the same way at that school. What if I just went on with Brooke and ignored you?" Mike almost yells.

The draggy growls in fear and Mike gently holds it in reassurance.

"Well, what if he's not alone, Mike? What if there are actual things trying to kill it? Or what if this baby is a distraction? A trap? Ever think of someone else-"

Mike shushes her as he sees something move in the bush. A shadow of some sort. Maybe a demon. Or, dragons forbid, an outsider. He's never had to deal with one before. A person from the borderlands. The place beyond the mountain. How could he now with such a precious gem in his arms?

Hissing comes from the bushes. "Hello, dearest children. You have something that belongs to me." A woman says. A small light comes from two pairs of eyes, reflecting the moonlight. Behind it comes a body, covered in a thin silk dress. Wings are pure as snow.

"Please, Mikel the vampire. I really need that draggy. I must return it to it's mother." She tells the two adults. Claire is already a werewolf, and Mike is now  red in the eyes. "Where is it's mother, m 'lady?" The charming Mike asks. She giggled before blowing him a small kiss. Her lips were full and blue. Her eyes are as blue and beautiful as her lips.

Mike debates whether or not to let his new find go and decides the ominous lady is telling the truth only.

So slowly, Mike lets the little creature go. "Please take care of him, miss. He's not even a few years." He begs her. The woman smiles before holding the baby.

As soon as she cradles him, a piercing cry cuts through the air and they all fall to their knees. Mike is forced to revert to full vampire and Claire howls as she turns full werewolf.

The woman, however, turns into a fox slowly. She grows tails first then ears. Fur sprouts from her skin's surface and then her arms break into forelegs in an eerie snap that's sickening. Six tailed kitsune.

"Quiet the dragon!" The kitsune orders before the draggy bites her neck with one retractable fang. It cuts deep into he and comes out the other side. It never went so smoothly or more bloody.

The cry stop as the kitsune falls dead. Silence fills the cool night air once more.

The heat is seen in Claire's breath as she huffs. She looks like an ancient werewolf. He ancestor's blood only awakens if needed. But it was forced by this dragon.

"Mike. You can keep him. Mother him to death if you desire that. Just... don't let that happen again.

"So I named him Fang after his species. It's a One-Fanged. He'll grow for a few centuries then die of old age if he doesn't die from something else." Mike tells me as the party noise draws closer. I nod, interested.

But I am way more interested in the party than anything else.