All is Fair in War and Dragon Scales (UNREVISED)

A Nest of Vipers

The screams can be heard for miles. There's glass shattering, children wailing and fast hard footsteps falling against old and rusted wood. Blood is scattered along the walls, and the screams go for minutes on end until there's nothing but silence.

All is still and calm, the souls have left and the killer stands alone. The bar was reaped and destroyed, wine mixing on the floors with piles of bodies stacked on top of each other and ready to be stashed away.

"You left quite a mess."

"Doesn't matter. I'm satisfied."

A sword drags along the broken floors, their boots crushing the glass underneath them, a man sighing.

"Fine. I'll stash these people away too. Gillian doesn't have many folks left. People are starting to notice the disappearances."

"I'll move then. I've grown bored anyways."

"Yes sir..."

The two silently leave the bar with the door wide open and the waft of death strong in the air.

A child goes unnoticed, standing in the bathroom with the door opened a crack, eyes bloodshot and breathing heavy.

He saw everything.
                               ***
The god inside Finley's head stares at him through invisible eyes, two inches away from his face in the black abyss of his thoughts, teeth barred and breath hot.

"Wake up."

Finley doesn't move, terrified even though he's seen the chaotic god many many times, but this is the first time in a while.

"Wake up!"

"Finley! Wake up!"

The blonde gasps, shooting up in his bed with Cailin staring down at him in worry. "Wake up... It's time for breakfast."

Finley stares before taking a deep breath and nodding his head, pushing his hair back as Cailin slowly exits the room, not saying a word.

He's learned not to ask Finley any more questions. The blonde will tell him what's going on when he's ready simply because he'll have too.

The two boys sit at the table, eating a bowl of Corn Flakes as Penelope bustles around the kitchen franticly looking for her jacket.

"You two will be good by yourselves for a little while right? The meeting shouldn't go for too long, but with all the sudden danger in Gillian... and all the extra rules... it may be a while."

"Okay Lady Penelope. We'll be here," Cailin begins with a smile and the nanny grins back shakily before finding her jacket and exiting the room.

"Danger in Gillian... what kind of danger?" Cailin asks as he slowly drinks the extra milk from his bowl.

Finley hesitates, hand clenching before sighing. "You haven't heard? People are being murdered."

Cailin's eyes widen in shock, milk spitting out of his mouth and Finley flinches, the dragons giggling over by the couch that they chew on.

"Murdered?! By what?! Who!?"

Finley shrugs, slowly chewing on his cereal and the older boy hesitates before squinting his eyes. "Are you alright?"

"I just have a headache... the god won't shut up."

"It's started talking to you again?"

Finley nods, setting his spoon down to rub his temples. "For a straight month... it hasn't shut up since we came back from St. Ives..."