Akira watched as Ryuji ducked his head further under his hood, shadowed brown eyes snapping from building to building. The bright light and sounds of the Casino Kingdom seemed to irritate the blond as Akira led Arsene through the streets. Once the capital city had come into view, Akira had immediately thrown Ryuji's hood up and told him to keep it up until they left the city. Morgana eyes's gleamed as he took in the city, bright blue eyes flickering to and fro. Ryuji watched the werecat with a small hint of annoyance in his chocolate gaze.
"Why is he so excited?"
"We don't come here often." explained Akira as he worked on getting the Containment Bracelet off. "Today's special because I need to deliver something to Queen Sae."
"You know the queen?"
"Yeah, I met her through her sister." The hunter handed the bracelet and Arsene's reins to Morgana. "You two explore around. I don't want to stay here longer than I have to."
Akira turned to leave, only managing to catch the tail end of the pair's conversation.
"...go shopping?"
"...is a little hot."
Akira made fast tracks to the Casino Palace and walked into the lobby of the bright palace. The black-haired looked around the castle, taking in the various tables filled with every sort of creature imaginable. The high deep blue and silver ceiling practically glowed under the warm light of the lightning orbs. Akira looked down at the multicolored carpeted floor as he navigated the lobby, making sure not to step on any wayward tails. The sounds of slot machines, cheering, and chips filled the hunter's ears as he pushed his way past the crowd. He ducked his head as a pair of griffons flew up to one of the skyward tables. Akira pulled a crest from his bag and held it up to the pair of basilisk guards by the warp in the back.
The both lowered their heads to get at the insignia before moving their bodies out of the warpway, allowing Akira to access the pad with no issue. The hunter nodded his thanks to the large reptiles stepping into the warpway and teleporting up into the Throne room. Sae sat in her chair, back turned to Akira, as she talked to someone. The hunter cleared his throat, making his presence know to the two in the room.
"Kurusu." Sae said, turning her chair around and getting up to greet the hunter. "It's nice to see you again."
The mystery person got up and shook themselves, causing their large dark gray wings to open slightly. Akira watched as the figure turned to face him and took in the person's look. The humanoid dragon wore a long gray coat with a peace symbol on it, blue jeans, and dark boots. Gray scales decorate parts of the dragon's chest and face, a gecko tattoo sits in the far left side of their neck. Pulled back off white horns peck out from underneath short gray hair.
"Hey, kid, been a while, hasn't it?"
Akira blinks before it dawns on him. "Iwai?"
"Already forgotten me?" Iwai smirks.
"No. I just haven't seen you in your humanoid form before."
Iwai lets out a chuckle as Sae speaks. "What brings you to my kingdom, Kurusu?"
"I'm delivering a bounty to Castle Kingdom." Akira answers as he digs around in his bag.
Sae seems surprised. "You found Sakamoto?"
"Yeah, he was hiding out in a port village near the edge of Cruiser Kingdom. None of the villagers knew his actual name." Akira handed the gift over to the queen.
"I'd imagine not." The shapeshifter said and opened the gift. "Chilled Chocolates from Makoto..." Sae smiled softly, "She remembers."
"You going back to Pyramid after this, kid?" Iwai's voice grabs Akira's attention.
"Yeah, after I get back to Morgana and Ryuji."
Iwai opens his wings. "I'll give you ride."
"Don't you have to be getting back to Dragonfire Falls and Kaoru?" The hunter asks.
The dragon waves him off with his wing. "He'll be fine for a few more hours. What do you say?"
"Well-" Akira jumped as his communicator crystal went off. "I told him that this is for emergencies only." He pulled out the shining red crystal. "What's wrong, Mona?"
"Bounty hunters!" Came the werecat's frantic voice. "Those thieves we beat up earlier are here and they called Ryuji out in the middle of a Hunter's Tavern!" A crash could be heard on the other line. "Shit. We need help, Joker, Ryuji and I are out maned here and-" The sound of a body hitting the ground. "Ryuji! Damnit! I need to go! Hey assholes let go of him!"
"Mona!" The glowing comes to an abrupt stop the line cuts off. "Dammit!" Akira pockets the crystal and bolts for the warp pad. "I'm sorry I had to cut my visit short, Sae, but I'm needed."
The hunter runs through the crowd as he tries to find Morgana and Ryuji. People run pass in an effort to get away from the fighting bounty hunters. Akira reaches the square just in time to see Morgana get thrown into the silver marble fountain in the center. The werecat emerges from the water with a growl and sweeps the wet bangs out of his face.
"We have you been?!" Morgana asks, upon spotting Akira.
"The crowd was hard to get through." The black-haired hunter helps his companion out of the water. "Where's Ryuji?"
"Right here, Joker." A deep voice sounds behind the pair.
Both of them turn to see Ryuji being suspended off the ground, both arms held up in a bone crushing grip, by an ogre. The creature stood taller than the pair combined, its pale green skin almost looked yellow in the light. The ogre wore a fur vest, worn brown shorts with a belt covered in bones, and a set down dark brown laced up boots. He held Ryuji's hammer in his other hand, the head of the weapon was caved in tremendously and in need of desperate repair. Next to the ogre stood the minotaur from the other day, the wound Ryuji had left on Tentarafoo had blossomed into a scar. Freila and Kouga stood off to the side, the chimera was glaring daggers at Morgana while the human made a slicing motion across their throat as they stared at Akira. Ryuji wiggled around in the ogre's grip, the beast tighten his hold and the blond let out a sound of discomfort.
"Let him go." Akira demanded.
"Not a chance, Joker. He's our bounty now, right Megidolaon?" Tentarafoo directed his eyes at the ogre.
"Right. You can have him back after we're done." Megidolaon increased the pressure of his hold and Ryuji bit back a sound of pain. "Kamoshida would pay any price to get Sakamoto back."
"We don't have to bring him to Kamoshida." The minotaur walked over and stood next to the dangling blond. "The beast still owes me a scar or two."
Ryuji lets out an inhuman growl and leans away as Tentarafoo reaches a hand out. Akira acts quickly and throws his dagger hard enough for the blade to go through the minotaur's hand. Tentarafoo yells out in pain and Morgana looks at Akira in surprise.
"Why did you do that?"
"I don't know." Akira looks down at his hand. "It was instinctive..."
"What?"
"I... I..." The hunter pulls out his other dagger just as Tentarafoo throws the bladed weapon to the ground. '...Wanted to protect him.'
"You fuck!" The minotaur yells out and charged at the bounty hunters.
Morgana swiftly moved as Akira braced himself for impact, only for Tentarafoo to get pinned to the ground under the weight of Iwai's sudden descend. Morgana quietly approached Megidolaon and picked up Akira's discarded dagger. The rest of the group were too focused on Iwai to notice Morgana sneaking up. Megidolaon let you pained noise as the dagger sank into his shoulder. He dropped Ryuji, who kicked him in the face and grabbed his hammer. Morgana pulled out the blade and flipped over the ogre, landing besides Ryuji, who held his now bruised arm and his ruined hammer. Iwai held Tentarafoo by the neck, claws digging in to the minotaur's neck, causing blood to trail down from the injuries.
"Unless you want me to snap his neck, you better leave." Iwai growled out, pupils turning into slits as he glared at the creatures.
Akira watched as they scrambled away, not wanting to deal with the angry dragon. He walked over to Ryuji as Iwai threw Tentarafoo on the ground, who also scrambled away in fright. Akira gently grabbed Ryuji's wrists and inspected the bruising on them, they were moderate but still needed to be dealt with. The hunter felt a growl rise up in his throat and he fought to keep it from being audible.
"Uh..." Ryuji's voice brought Akira's attention back to the present.
"Sorry." The black-haired hunter let go of the blond's wrists.
"..." Ryuji lifted up his hammer to inspect the damage. "Shit... they did a number on this... It's gonna take forever to fix this..."
Morgana handed the bracelet over to Akira, who slipped it back on after some hesitation.
"Iwai." The hunter spoke, gaining the attention of the dragon. "I'm taking you up on your offer."
"Good. Was hoping that you would." Iwai's body erupted into flames, they dissipated quickly revealing his true form.
Iwai's dragon form towered over the trio's forms and Ryuji leaps back in fright. Akira could make out the scars that the reptile had received from various fights. His black claws dug into the golden etched ground of the city, almost tearing the tiles. Iwai's long gray scaled tail curled around him in an attempt to keep it from destroying any buildings nearby. The dragon lowered his head and gestured to his back. Akira and Morgana climbed on with no hesitation, but Ryuji stalled as he took in the body of the dragon.
"What's the matter?" Morgana asked.
"Uh... What about Arsene?" Ryuji rubbed the back of his neck. "We can't leave him behind."
"He's a hell horse, he can teleport practically anywhere." The werecat answered.
"...I've been riding of a hell horse...?"
"He's well behaved." Akira responded with a smile. "He won't take you to the underworld."
"Dude, don't say shit like that!" Ryuji looked over at Iwai before climbing up and settling next to Akira. "...hate heights..."
The hunter turned to him. "What?"
"I said-" Iwai took off with a mighty leap and a heavy beat of his wings. "I hate heights!"
Morgana laughed as Ryuji clung to Akira like he was a life preserver. The black-haired hunter flinched as he felt the blond's sharpened nails dig into his chest and fought down the mild blush that threaten to appear.
'Am... Am I falling for Ryuji?'