She sat at the bar on the wooden stool, dusting the counter pathetically. Her brown hair contrasted her golden-brown eyes in a startling way; she looked overhead to see her elder brother lifting up empty mugs and plates onto a tray. "Put some back into it, Serenity." The girl gave a rueful smile and picked up the pace. "Better." He walked behind the counter and spilled plates and mugs into the sink and faced his younger. "Where's papa, Joseph?" she asked. "Sleeping and drunk his room." He turned and faced her, sweeping his blonde hair back from russet eyes. "Don't worry about him, just keep up your own."

"Why are you always telling me that? I have a right to be worried about my father!"

"Not when he's an abusive drunk."

"Only to you. Papa loves me!"

"So ya think you're better than me!" he demanded, tossing the rag out of her hand. "Maybe I am! That's why he doesn't—" she caught his gaze and whipped around. "A Millennium Knight." His voice was a mere whisper. Serenity stood quickly and went over to them. "Let me take that." She said to the boy, holding the duffle in bleeding hands. She bodily pried the straps from his hands and the onyx hair boy hissed and looked at his palms. Noticing the blood on the straps the Millennium Knight knelt on one knee and took the hands of the younger and gaped at the slashes and blood oozing from the cuts. "Do you have a medicine box?" he asked, staring navy blue eyes up at the girl. The girl nodded and set the bag on the wooden-cracked tabletop. Joseph walked handed the box to his sister and walked with her to the kid. "I told you, you should have let me carried that bag."

"You said no such thing! You told me I was your squire and to—"

Mokuba growled as he realized he was being joked at. The boys watched as Serenity splashed white power in his palms and then wrapped them up. "They should heal in a week."

"Want to stay a week?" Seto asked, brushing a single finger across his brow. Mokuba nodded and told him simply, "After what you put me through." Mokuba grinned and Seto looked up at the younger. "Is there a room available?" Joseph nodded and ran over to get a key. "Last one." He said, trying to keep the shake out of his voice. Seto looked over his younger and realized that he didn't like him in the least, that he was off-putting. He took the key in his palm slowly and turned back to Mokuba. "Thank you, for both uses." The siblings nodded. "I'm Serenity and this is Joey, if you need anything." The Millennium Knight nodded and he and the younger boy made their way up the stairwell. Joey sighed and looked at Serenity. "What?"

"Nothing." She said and went in the back door that led to the kitchen.

Seto removed his armor till he was left in shirt and pants. Seto had placed his boots neatly near the fire to dry wet mud to harden dirt. Mokuba glanced at the red-stained wraps. "Do the cuts still hurt?"

"A little." Mokuba walked over to the window. Rain spilled down from the heavens and it was midnight blue outside. "Look Seto, a royal carriage." Seto walked over to the window and saw the white and red tinged carriage. The door opened and a man stepped out, onyx hair like Mokuba's. Seto grabbed his wrist in his left hand and twisted lightly. "But!" Mokuba glanced sidelong at his elder. "What is it? You know that man?"

"No... I—it's nothing, Mokuba, lets go eat." Mokuba followed his elder to the door and Seto pulled it open just in time to see Serenity standing at the door with a tray of food in her arms. "I brought the meal to you." She said, meek and shy. Seto blinked dark eyes at her and she walked past him and set the tray down. "I'm sorry if this isn't what his Lord wanted." Seto made a face. "I'm no Lord and I'm no knight."

"But—"

"I renounced days ago. I'm a hired hero." A stifling giggle escaped Mokuba's lips; the boy drew in a breath and stiffened when his brother shot him a dark look. "Just looking for somebody to save. Tell me, who's the man who just arrived?"

"A certain Lord. Lord Devlin." Seto stared at her for a moment then to the burning flame surrounding with orange tinge a wick of a white candle. The flame danced from side to side as he noted this moment he stared back out the window to what had surprised him earlier. Seto forced himself to look back at the girl. "Anything else?"

"Do you have an enemy in these part, with a--- winged beast." Two gasps escaped different mouths. Serenity stared hard at the renounced Knight. "No." she insisted firmly. Then a guest. He thought grimly. "Leave us." Serenity nodded and left, closing the door behind her. "You were joking about that right? I mean," he brought his voice down to a whisper. "A Dragon?" Seto went over to his brother and grasped his arm. "Listen, I saw it. I want you to get out of here; this is going to be a real fight and I don't want you hurt."

"Where should I go?" Seto thought for a moment. "The grove near the headstones." Mokuba nodded, Jet-black hair gleaming in the candlelight. Seto messed his hair and stood. "I'll come for you if not...."

"No!" Mokuba nearly shouted, something neither of them wanted to realize. Seto gave his brother a lighter bag with the food and a water-skin. "Go now." Mokuba nodded and embraced his brother's hips, never as tall as Seto. He went to the window as the door opened and slammed closed, departing footsteps on hardwood floor. He watched the black creature circle as small as a bird from the distance, but it was no mistaking it.

Dragons were feral, rarely if ever trained. They were so feared that the word Dragon was never used, winged beast as said earlier was far more spoken if they ever came to conversation about these dreaded creatures. Seto saw a blur of the boy running and smiled bleakly. That was his brother, he lost his mother when she birthed him but she made him swear that under no circumstance was harm to befall her littlest. Seto promised as she slipped away, silently as well as vocally. Then before Knighthood they had lost their father to a feral Dragon. But Seto could never bring himself to hate Dragons, especially after he saw the most amazing Dragon. Shimmering, beautiful. It was a Dragon he's father had killed, when Seto was ten. Shimmering white scales like armor plates, glowing blue eyes. No woman could ever compare to its beauty, not in a thousand years. He couldn't ever image it. He pulled the sheath slash to his waist and knotted it, sheathing his father's sword, the jade hilt, the special feature of the sword altogether.

It spiraled in slow movements around the mountain and when Seto could no longer see his younger he left the room, positive Mokuba was far from the upcoming encounter. Seto saw the innkeeper's daughter run into the kitchen as her brother served more drinks. The Lord that had arrived was seated with five other men. Seto bared his teeth when he recognized one of the men. A Millennium Knight. The man's dark eyes wondered and then grew wider. Seto pulled back as he excused himself and made his way over to Seto. "Kaiba?"

"That's right."

"What are you doing—why aren't you back at the Castle?"

"Because in front of the King I renounced myself. I am no longer part of you."

"Where's your younger?"

"Safe. Listen a battle's coming, I saw it, make sure your Lord isn't damaged."

"What are you talking about," came the shrewd demand. "A Dragon!" Seto hissed back. "No, you lie!"

"Believe what you want, but I'll be the one to kill this feral Dragon." If it was feral, a rider could very well be of control, though completely rare. But before anything else could happen a man in a dark robe removed his hood. "Lord Pegasus!" Both men hissed and a thin blade came out. "Lord Devlin!" The Millennium Knight cried out and the other men were not quick enough. Lord Devlin was pulled into the hook of Lord Pegasus's elbow and he tightened the hold on the young Lord's neck. "One move—"

Before he could finish his line a bombard of fire broke the side of the inn. A young woman screamed and everyone was thrown back by the after blast. One of the guards, not a Knight screamed when he caught fire, one scream and then no more, silenced by Death that stalked the very room in this terrifying moment. Lord Pegasus got to his feet forgetting the young Lord. But as he did a thin figure of a woman, wearing a hood to conceal her face somersaulted into the air, landing in a crouched position. As she did she snatched free a long dagger and stood in fighting stance.

"Lord Pegasus! Murderer!" She screamed and raced toward him. They fought when he freed his own long blade and the woman, nicely shaped drew a whip, coiled at her hip. "Tonight! You die!" she lunged at him with the dagger and the black Dragon swiped back its head and breathed fire from the small tubes on either side of its mouth. Seto jumped back, and the Millennium Knight lunged at his Lord, throwing him to the floor. The two men looked up at the retreating Dragon and Seto ran at Pegasus. He would assist this brave girl.

Seto swung his father's sword and the girl was forced to see her aide, she glared bitterly and as she did the sword swung out and sliced her stomach. She went flying into Seto, knocking him back and Lord Pegasus flung out his arm, dropping black powered as he did smoke erupted in a loud blast and when it cleared Pegasus was gone. The fire flickered around them and the girl stood up. "Damn you!" she cried, holding to her stomach. "You let him get away! For that, you'll die!"

She lunged at him with her dagger and he countered. She flipped back and cracked the long whip at him and Seto fell to the floor, fire licking at his back and arm and warming his face. He jumped back up and lunged at her, her Dragon swooped down and knocked him over, only to breath fire at him in the process. The girl lunged at him and Seto lifted his blade and strike. She tumbled over and rolled onto her side as he brought a blade down. "I am no enemy!" he told her and she kicked her foot at him, slamming him in the chin. "Doesn't seem that way to me!" came an angry feminine reply. She flung her whip and the coil wrapped around his leg and she tugged hard as she got to her feet. She brought her dagger down to his ear, missing by a hair. He rolled over and before either could strike a wave of water, from the oceans depths spilled over them, drowning them.

The water drained until all that was left was a soaked floor. They warriors turned their gazes to the other side to see the Lord Devlin lowering his hand, weak as the Knight held him under his arm. The Dragon was writhing and thrashing its tail outside. "Red-Eyes!" she cried and ran towards the magnificent beast. Seto wiped his brow and face with both hands, soaked. "If my armor rests anymore, Tristan...!" The Knight grinned. "Say thanks to his Lord for calling Water."

"Thank you, young Lord." Seto bowed stiffly. "What have you done!" came a furious cry. Seto and the other men turned to see an unmasked beauty glaring at them. "It's all right!" came the young Lord's voice. "He'll be all right." She ran at him and Tristan grabbed her arm. "I have no weapons on me, let me go!" he pushed her back and she kept her balance. "When will he fly?"

"In a day, by then you could get to knows us a little better and not attack that Knight."

"Kaiba, please! I am no Knight." He got the look and he explained about his renouncement one more time. "The Inn!"

"Father! Oh, Papa, wake up!" they all turned to see the young boy and his sister. "He's dead! About time!" Joey said standing over his sister and the body. "How can you! How can you say that? Be so cruel, tell me!" she slammed her fists repeatedly into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her and rocked her as she fought against her elder, sobbing devastatingly. "Mokuba!" he cried and ran towards the grove. "Kaiba!" Tristan yelled.