Just a Harmless Little Heist....

She finishes after a few minutes and gets to her feet, keeping one hand against it as she does. The others look at both her and the dragon skeptically, not particularly liking the idea of having the creature around.

It very much likes the mental shield Alistair is giving him. He gently nuzzles against her hand.

Alistair smiles and pets it.

Siegfried frowned and slowly stepped toward it. "Is it friendly to everyone?"

Alistair shrugged. "It is in its own mind now, and it is not naturally a violent creature."

He rumbles softly. Of course, softly for him vibrates the ground slightly for ten feet in every direction.

Siegfried hesitates. "I don't..."

Alistair rolled her eyes. "That wasn't aggressive."

"Can you figure out who did this to it?" Brandice demanded, impatient. "Who knows how long we have until something else like this shows up."

Alistair turned back to the dragon, relaying the question.

"Who is The Red One?"

He is The Red One. The dragon says this in the same way someone might say 'He is Jehovah', as though the statement is self-explanatory.

"I see..." Alistair frowned. "Where is he?"

It shrugged its huge shoulders helplessly.

She nodded and patted it. "How did he do this to you? Did he meet you? Talk to you?"

"One more question, do you remember what he looked like?"

An image of a red, scaled, winged man with solid black eyes appears in her mind.

Alistair nodded. "Thank you." She sighed and turned to face the others, leaning against the dragon as she projected the image he'd given her into their minds. "Close as I can tell, that is the.... creature we're dealing with. Suppose we should ask that scholar if he knows anything about him?"

Siegfried gave a "Hm" of confirmation and started for the man's house, Brandice and Clyde close behind. Kajaise and Sydney remained with Alistair, who stayed where she was since the dragon probably isn't going to be welcome in the city.

The dragon wanted to go out of the city entirely, and wanted Alistair to come with him.

The scholar was in his home, going over his scrolls.

Alistair hesitated, not fully comfortable either with staying in the city or going further outside it with the dragon. "How far?"

Siegfried gave a hearty, "Greetings" as he entered, quickly followed by, "Do you know anything about this person?" He motioned to Clyde, who held out his hands, an image of the winged person hovering above his palms.

It just wants to go to the fringe of the forest.

The scholar frowned and went through some more old books. "Nothing specific... It's seems to be a fiend or half-fiend of some sort."

"All right." She turns to the others. "You can go back with Siegfried and the others. I won't be far."

Kajaise frowned. "Are you sure that is a good idea? What if it turns again?"

"I have a shield around its mind." Alistair stroked the dragon's side. "If something happens, I'll know, and will act accordingly."

Kajaise hesitated a moment longer before shrugging and striding for the scholar's house. Sydney on the other hand, wasn't so easily convinced. "It isn't safe," she stated. "There are strength in numbers, and you shouldn't be alone. Even if you have a 'shield' around it's mind."

Alistair sighed. "If you wish to come, come. I care not."

--

"Mm." Siegfried nodded, flipping through a few papers himself. "It is quite apparent he is not human, that much is certain."

The dragon flew out to the edge of the forest.

-

The scholar opened up a book, coughing as dust flew up off it. "Yes, half-fiend." He showed a picture, showing a typical half-fiend. It looked very similar to the Red One.

Alistair followed, cautious, but not overly so. Sydney however was much more cautious, all senses on alert.

-

Siegfried studied it. "What can you tell us about them? What are their weaknesses, strengths, general information?"

The dragon landed in a clearing.

--

"They're superior to humans in every way. Strength, speed, intelligence, magical power." He pored through the book. "They're vulnerable to holy magic."

Alistair checked the clearing for safety before relaxing.

-

"Holy magic..." Siegfried rubbed his chin. "Meaning what? Light? Holy water?"

The dragon gently nuzzled her.

---

"Yes, yes, all of that."

She smiled and rubbed his snout before plopping down in the grass and enjoying being in a forest again.

Sydney watched from several paces away, fidgety and keeping close tabs on everything.

-

"What other examples are there of Holy Magic?" Siegfried asked.

Brandice pulled herself up onto a table and set her chin on her knees. "Light, holy water... Precious stones and metals?"

"Silver bullets and wooden stakes." Clyde gave a joking smile.

Sigfried gave him a look. "Focus, lad."