[Citanul]

"Rock."

"Rock."

"Rock with glass!"

Morana growled deeply as she pulled a peice of glass from her scaled paw and began onwards again. She was far away from the lean-to metal shacks that some chose to live in - more towards where they dumped their trash. One particular treasure may be lurking here... Or so she could hope.

In this form she was much less delicate - one wouldn't suspect the big female Tundragoon to have any issues defending herself, but human skin was so hard to take care of! The slightest prick, and there was blood. Even the glass here hadn't penetrated her scales, barely deep enough to stick.

Pausing to sit for a moment, she surveyed the trash heap. It smelt horrible with the rotting... Whatever it was. Food, packaging, flesh... Wrinkling her muzzle, she shivered from the warmth and hoped that this would not last long. She wanted to find the little snail and get out of here. Citanul would be pleased with just one, she hoped. He had expressed some interest in them but currently had no time to spend on a search, with a rowdy Mekkyena to figure out.

A soft growl at the mention of the beast - it took his attention away from her. She would show the creature. He would look fondly on her for bringing something of some use, not just a rusting pile of flesh and wires.
[Morana lv1][1]

[Kallile]

Proxy

Shanties littered the sides of the dusty paths through the Slums. The mere sight reminded one something of a medieval village in a sense. Children were running about covered in filth, most wore tattered shreds of shoes or none at all. Older people had what appeared to be dread knotted afros. Fitting that this small medieval village to have a dragon roaming through it. Even more ironic was that the huge creature was here seeking treasure—a treasure to win a fair maidens heart. How sickeningly fairy tale-esque.

Proxy took little notice of the lean-tos, only enough to insure that his bludgeon ended tail did not go crashing through one of the walls. This was proving unlikely, as currently his tail was heavily weighed down by small children.

"Don't you know it's not polite to ride on big, scary, spike covered creatures?"The black and soft green beast asked them. The girls squealed with excited glee which made Proxy wince. He stopped, turning around to regard the hitchhikers with luminescent green eyes. Two little girls of about 4 or 5. What he assumed were older brothers of about 8 and 10. He could: rear back, heavy his rear end and tail into the air and sent the kids flying into the next city. He could eat them (or at least chew on them like crunchy bubble gum). Just as he thought these, her figure popped into his head. No, she would want him to be kind to the children. Play with them.

"So," The monster mock-growled towards the hitchhikers, "you think you can defend your castle from a dragon?"Four little pairs of eyes followed a huge clawed finger over to the mound of garbage near the street Proxy stood on. In the bright sun, it glistened just like they imagined a castle might have. Four cheers went up and the children began running over to the trash heap where Morana was—readying themselves for the greatest battle in their young lives. The Tundragoon had yet to be noticed, even by Proxy. The awful stench (one the children seemed immune to) kept her scent from fully reaching his powerful nostrils.

Taking heavy steps forward so he looked a little more like a broken battle tank than a proud BattleHeart, Proxy stalked towards his 'unsuspecting villagers' as they began to clamber about the trash heap to find 'weapons'. "Fee, Fie, Foe...."Proxy rumbled menacingly as he neared; grinning every step of the way. Amazing how they giggled at what most people may have a heartattack upon seeing. Oh how trusting were innocent young hearts? And how pathetic could he possibly be? If news of this got back to Kallile...maybe she would love him instantly.

[Citanul]

Having not been interested in the human inhabitants of these slums Morana had paid them no attention. It was odd to see a Tundragoon stalking about someplace that was so warm like this, she could easily suffer from a heatstroke or worse.

But this wouldn't take long. Or so Morana hoped. How hard could it be to find such a little creature? They had to be crawling all over this grime-infested place. She hardly thought that the locals would even consider eating the slimy things. There were much better things to eat.

Immediately alert as the screaming children raced over and began to screech about some 'dragon', Morana slunk sideways for a moment, just out of sight of the big Battleheart. She growled low in her throat - what was this brute doing here? ...He seemed too well-kept to be a part of this place. No scales missing, no scale-rot. No, he didn't fit in with this village.

Too early to feel the need to shift to her human form, she just waited. Maybe this distraction would have the snickys coming out of hiding.

[Kallile]

Morana's sidestep went unnoticed. This place had to be crawling with rodents and other scavengers--ones which held little intimidating qualities to a fully grown Battleheart. That is--Morana went unnoticed by Proxy. The youngest of the the girls, however, whirled around at the large shadow and thrust her weapon at her. The broken wooden stirring spoon head hung sadly in the air, two little hands grasping the handle.

"Tome out!" The little one ordered bravely, sure it was one of her new 'dragon-friends' minions. She took a few steps bravely forward when there was a hesitation in response.

Proxy watched the youngest begin wandering away. He held no loyalty to these children--but he would not want news of one of them getting injured on his watch getting back to his trainer. He took a few side steps of his own until a Tundragoon foot was in view.

He narrowed his glowing green eyes. A Tundragoon? Wouldn't it melt? These thoughts fled quickly--one of his young wards was headed straight for it. Raising his powerful neck to a more offensive stance, he let out a few short low rumbling roars. The children all cheered and fumbled around with their broomsticks, mangled whisks, and shards of cardboard 'swords. The youngest turned to face her dragon-friend, grinning madly and letting out a shrill giggle as she waved her broken spoon towards him.

Her back was to the Tundragoon--Proxy held his breathe as he quickened his pace. He couldn't charge the children and spook them. They'd try to run and get cut on something for sure. He changed his direction a little to try and have the children defend a different portion of their trash-heap castle.

[Citanul]

Morana merely watched this with disgust. She hated children - correction - she hated children that were not her own. Those around the Expanse were fine, but they knew not to mess with her.

As the young girl came to her she hissed menacingly, big claws ready to whip out at her. There had been no reason to come towards her... 'Tome out'? What the hell was that? ...Deciding that this form was not fit for speech or intimidation, she made the shift to human.

It was much more graceful than any other's - definantly taught by a Battleheart. A slim frame was covered in slightly-baggy clothes - today an earthen brown shirt and green pants. The wings had dissapeared into an angular but feminine face, bright frost-blue eyes the same color as her hair. She was surprisingly pale, expecially more-so with her choice in clothes.

"A little low-class for you, Battleheart?" She asked, watching the children with obvious disdain. "Would have never expected a Warrior to have a soft spot for impovrished children."

[Kallile]

The little one watched the Tundragoon change with wide and frightened eyes. Her arm slumped, knocking the spoon from her hand as it hit the ground. She stood there frozen, tears welling up in her eyes at this strange and mean-sounding lady.

The oldest boy was the first to notice her strange voice, and seeing the youngest child beginning to tremble with oncoming tears, he lead the charge towards the strange lady. The other three children moved with amazing grace over the broken glass and mounds of filth until they were at the side of the little one. Instantly, she broke down into tears with a newfound security blanket surrounding her.

Proxy could see the situation about to take an ill turn. Wonderful. Just wonderful. His eyes held the shifted Tundragoon in his gaze as his body began to change. His scales seemed to drop off of his form as they were replaced with articles of cloth. Black cloth, to be exact. A partially unbuttoned black dress shirt covered his chest. Slack blue jeans hung snuggly on his waist. A still claw-tipped hand pushed back some of the black and Halloween slime green hair as his massive horns disappeared into his head. His eyes, however, remained in their Battleheart state of smaller size. His human eyes were blind--something he did not need to be dealing with in this trash heap. No amount of heightened hearing, smell and touch would help him here.

"I could say the same for you. Didn't except a Tundragoon to belittle herself by dumpster diving." He retorted as he took quick strides towards her. He was a little over six feet tall in this form, rippling with muscles from his Battleheart form that his new body simply could not absorb.

The children had turned their attention to Proxy as he came closer. The readied their weapons, but proxy had had enough. There would be significantly less of a riot if the children were threatened by a person rather than a hulking dragon-like beast.

"Get out," he told them shortly. The oldest boy too a step towards Proxy and rose his broken broom handle to an attack ready position. Proxy's eyes narrowed, his human throat glowed soft orange internally. As the broom swiped by his face, Proxy let a whisp of fire escape from his lips. The boy dropped his now blazing broomstick and all four children fled.

Stepping on the fire to extinguish it, Proxy took the Tundragoon into more serious account. "I have soft spots when I feel I must for the love of my Lady." He explained cooly. "So, why exactly is a Tundragoon milling about a trash heap like a commoner?"

((heh, guess my muse is liking Proxy today))

[Citanul]

Morana had found no reason for the young one to be so frightened. This form would seem much familiar to the human anyway... She couldn't help the meaness in her voice. In this stinking trash heap, being attacked by little ones with broken shards of things... For the love of Xai're. Why did Snickys have to hide in the Slums?

Great... All of them were focused on her. "Get out of here... Go play with the Battleheart." She tried to shoo the children, not wanting to move from her spot. She felt cornered - and particularly didn't want to hurt the children. Citanul adored what he called the Future, so she didn't want to harm them, just make them leave her presence.

"How do you know, Battleheart?" She growled lowly. "I am searching for something important, not in this forsaken place for my own pleasure."

The display was impressive... She had to wonder why they listened to him and not her. She had to only guess that at 5'7 she wasn't such an imposing figure, and her voice, while commanding, was not deep like his.

Watching the Battleheart's new form, she found nothing to critisize. He certainly looked much like her own Battleheart companion in stature, though their personalities were much different. "This is the only place I know of to find a Snicky. My Citanul wants one... I find it best to look for one for him. Maybe it will take his attention-"

Pausing, she regaurded the Battleheart. Why the hell was she talking to him anyway? "What do you care?"

[Kallile]

Proxy watched the Tundragoon carefully. He knew well that even in human form she could prove to be dangerous. He raised a carefully groomed eyebrow when she told him that her purpose here was the hunt Snicky. More so on the statement she had left him hanging on.  

Holding up his hand in the air, he closed his reptilian eyes and turned his head slightly to the side. "I don't, particularly." He said calmly. "But you so chose to criticize first, and for that you should expect the same in return." He finished this with a small, cocky grin.

"Now then, Snicky? Your 'Citanul' can't manage to find the little sheltered slug on his own?" He turned his head back and opened his eyes again. He knew he was going to get a reaction from that. "Or is his attention just that unattainable?"

He was on a roll now--be that good or bad for his imminent health. He narrowed his softly glowing green eyes to her. Before she could get too upset, he'd better lighten things a little.

"Seems then, that we're here for a like reason. My Kallile, while not in need of anything, is deserving of a gift as well." There--maybe that would even the playing field a little. He doubted it, but he could always hope that female hearts would be easily quelled.

((edited because I have a trigger finger and forget to color speaking text x_x ...and again for missing a few capitals.))

[Citanul]

She had said too much already. Watching the Battleheart's human form still, her light eyes calculating every move. She was not much of a fighter, but she could prove dangerous when she was cornered like this.

"Those who are smart do not stick their noses in others' bussiness." She growled out at his cocky grin. "Citanul does not have the time to spend searching down here for such a creature! He has much more meaningful tasks to spend his time upon!" That rumble of hers was quickly becoming a roar as held back the urge to freeze him solid. Just one swipe of her fingertips, and he would feel the frost on his skin.

This female was not so easily quelled. "Then take her back one of your impovrished children, Battleheart. There is no need to criticize me for doing the same you are." Her entire posture screamed 'attack!' but she was obvously holding back. Battlehearts breathed fire. That might just be a problem.

[Kallile]

Proxy watched the Tundragoon carefully, though the smirk still played on his face. As dangerous as this little game may be--the creature before him was rather cute when she was mad. He nodded his head to her, running a slightly forked tongue over the corners of his mouth.

"Well, she would probably enjoy such a gift." He replied, taking a few brave steps forward. He knew very well their elemental gifts. He knew that if worse came to worse they may be evenly matched--they'd land equally devastating blows. The winner--he wasn't sure he wanted to let the match reach that point.

"However," he continued, "I desire something much more valuable for my Lady. I desire to find her a gift worthy of a queen. A stolen child would hardly cover that tall order." He stopped, now about fifteen feet away from Morana. The smirk still danced on his face; now he was close enough that small fang tips could be made out from behind his lips.

"If we are going to continue in this angered babble, we might as well know the name of our current enemy. You can call me Proxy, should you choose to use it." Battleheart eyes stared at Morana cooly. There--he had extended his version of a proper greeting.

[Citanul]

The Tundragoon was cornered, and she knew that. A soft growl continued from her throat as she watched him approach, her body visibly tensing at his bravery. A fight between them could very well end in death for both parties.

"Hah. A gift for a Queen in a place like this? I hardly think anything here will cover that order." She mocked the Battleheart and his smirk. He was cocky and that would make him sloppy in judgement. "If she does not want a filthy child why not offer to give her one to bear?"

His 'greeting' was hardly proper in her book but continuing to watch him wearily she did notice he had not approached. It didn't make her any less nervous, since fire was truly one of the few ways to break her icy armor. "Morana is what Citanul calls me." Her true Tundragoon name was much harder to pronounce, and many took on their Trainer's more human names once accepting that they did have to live with said trainer.

[Kallile]

Proxy watched her with sheer amusement. This was turning out to be a much more eventful trip than he had first imagined. For the time being, he was choosing to ignore her growling. So what? She was cornered and poised for attack. He had to imagine that she did not want to get burned about as much as he did not want to become a living ice cube.

"I don't intend to bring her the items from this place," Proxy added onto her statement. "The people of this land throw valuable things they see as useless junk out here. I intend to resell it to pawn shops and purchase my Lady a rare and priceless gift."

At the child comment Proxy's eyes narrowed considerably. If she was going down this path, as unwise as it was to follow, Proxy would walk it with her. "Do not transpose a wish of your Citanul to give you his child onto my Lady and I, Tundragoon." He said coolly. He kept his pose calm and as unthreatening as a Battleheart could possibly look. He'd rather keep this to a battle of words than elements.

He stayed where he was, even going so far as to lean a little onto a decrepit, abandoned couch near him. Nodding to her name and softening his gaze a little, Proxy gave a small sigh. How tasking female conversation was...

"Well, Morana," He said carefully. She was to a breaking point and he realized such. His last comment, had it not warranted her ice magic already, would surely end badly for him. "I doubt the Snicky will come out of hiding if it comes to blows with us. Then you will be in this trash heap even longer, and dare I say possibly wounded at that."

He added a small shrug in an attempt to show it was not highly ranked on his list of things to do today that he return fire on her. However, he would not let an attack go unrepaid. "Shall we start over, in a friendlier manner?"

He doubted it would be enough to tame her rage, but surely she was not so seeped in her anger that logic could not reach her.

[Citanul]

Morana certainly didn't want to be burned alive. She was just ready to defend herself, which was an obvious reaction.

Pawn shops? She scoffed. "Surely you could find a better way to make yourself money, Battleheart." She didn't need to use his name - he didn't deserve that sort of honor.

...The Battleheart was treading on thin ice now (so to speak). Morana truly snarled, not a pretty sight in her human form... And certainly not looking as dangerous. "I have no wish to bear cubs for any man!" Though she certainly would have never denied the Planeswalker, she wasn't throwing herself at him.

Trying to control herself was difficult, but the fight-or-flight instinct here was hard. The Battleheart and she were about evenly matched in Magic, though in strength he was much more likely to win. She was a petite girl in human form.

"You look for your precious things and I will look for mine." She replied to his offer as she moved away from his direct gaze. Today was not turning out to be a good day... She just wanted to find the Snicky and get out of here. It was hot... And her human form did little to help keep her cool.

[Kallile]

Proxy grinned at her remark, nodding deeply. He liked this one--quite the firecracker. if he had never met his Lady Kallile, he would be more pressed to make this female his own. No matter.

"I have no doubt I could," he replied to her in amused tones. "However I have a pretty image to maintain for my Lady. Most other enterprises that come to mind for a Battleheart such as myself might prove fatal to my devilish good looks."

At her rage he did nothing, only stood there and regarded her calmly. If he just hung back and let her vent he had hopes that eventually she'd run out of steam. So it seemed to work as she agreed to his terms. Go their separate ways. Not exactly what he had meant by 'friendlier', but it could always be improved upon.

His strides quickened to match her own and he allowed his massive wings to manifest out of his human back. Holding them at an awkward angle high in the air, he made for a type of umbrella.

"I have a different idea," He suggested. He was, of course, within striking distance of her now. Knowing this he had both arms held out so that she could easily see them in her peripheral vision. He had to make certain this did not look like a sneak attack.

"I know your kind does not do well in the heat. I have a proposition for you. I follow you where ever your heart desires to go in search of your Snicky. All I ask is that you turn over the occasional article or open the occasional box lid so I may see what's inside. No more snide comments, no more rude accusations. Simply two hunters aiding each other."

He had high doubts that she would accept the terms. After all, he was hardly a friendly speaking fellow. But he could be civil. if that meant no more talk of her Citanul or why she was looking for a snail-like creature, he would bite his tongue. Granted, in order to do this successfully he may consider biting his tongue off, but he'd cross that bridge when he got to it.

[Citanul]

There was a scoff on Morana's part. The Battleheart... He was so vain. Pythios hadn't been as such - he proudly wore scars. Morana ducked slightly at the shadow, whirling around to watch him. His stance obviously was non-threatening, expecially as he held his hands out.

She listened to the proposition, just watching him for a few moments as he spoke. She was willing to calm her surprising temper if he would just drop the subject of pleasing their respective Owners. That was what had started this in the first place.

"If all it is, is hunting." Four eyes were better than two of course... She could imagine that the Battleheart's help would make this go faster. "Do you have something to carry these trinkets in?"