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Xevious was sitting atop the pillar of stone, his legs crossed and his back straight, he looked almost elegant, like a King sitting on his throne. He sensed as Alexander moved past him, and then he let his back curve, his body swinging down so that his chin was mere inches from his knee. A delicate hand ran over Xevious' chin and along his neck, running down along to his chest where it finally rested over his heart.

He allowed the boy and the wyrmling to move past him, therefore bringing them closer to the destroyed pillar than Xevious was. As soon as they had passed him he gently let himself off the pillar, allowing himself to fall before suddenly coming to a slowed landing just before he hit the ground. The ancient now began to follow the boy.

As Xevious followed he made no sound, he was quiet as quiet could be, trying to keep himself obscured in the mists. It was only until Alexander would reach the full extent of the rubble Xevious had caused that he would make his presence known.

"Boy..."

If Alexander were to turn around he would find himself confronted with the body of a man who appeared to be in his mid-twenties. The figure was wearing only cloth pants, a rough belt, and a set of curious beads all along his right arm and wrist. The figure's hair was platinum gray, parting at the middle, but rising up high before along the side of the parting, making it appear like the figure had two mountain peaks for hair. At the back the hair was tied into a pony tail, which flowed down to the figure's mid back. The most curious part of Xevious was his eyes. They were completely covered by a white bandage, which wrapped around his head. No light could penetrate the covering.

"...didn't anyone tell you that ghosts haunt this place?"

Alexander's response illicited a chuckle from Xevious. The ancient ran a hand through his hair as he listened to Alexander's voice. He could sense the fear coming from the small wyrmling, perhaps the dragon was the only sensible one between the two of them, which was saying a lot considering that immature dragons tended to be less than intelligent, driven by a more animal nature. The nature Xevious approved of.

"You're right to not be afraid of the ghosts, I wouldn't be afraid of the dead either if I were you, it would be the living I fear. You can predict what the dead want to do, their nature is simple, but the living? Truly they are unpredictable."

Xevious took a step towards Alexander, he seemed to have no trouble moving around despite having no apparent eyesight. However, Xevious did extend a hand every so often and feel a stone pillar or block, but this seemed to be more for the sensation of touch rather than for navigation.

The moonlight struck the mist and immediatly spread out, the mist acting like an amplifier of the pale light. It made Xevious' skin look otherworldly, the being seemed rather pale. As he made his way closer to Alexander he began to slowly c**k his head at the young man.

"So tell me, boy, what brings you here? Adventure? Fame? Fortune? Do you wish to prove yourself brave? Please, let me know what foolishness it was that brought you to such a dangerous place."

Xevious' spoke with a calm and fluid voice. It was almost melodious, it was the kind of voice you could listen to all day. It had certainly charmed many men and women and led them to their deaths.

"Me? I suppose there's no harm in letting you know a bit about myself. You see boy, I'm older than you can possibly imagine, my age has long become lost to the annals of history, and when you live as long as I have, you have to consider the path your walking. So that's what I'm doing, I'm considering, and thinking."

Xevious was circling Alexander, right up until the point where he had come to Alexander's side, perpendicular to the boy in terms of which direction they were both facing. That's when Xevious made his move, a smooth and gentle, but quick sidle up behind Alexander.

The ancient was behind Alexander in an instant, his body pressed against Alexander's. His right hand moved along to Alexander's hip, while his other hand moved to Alexander's cheek, his finger's lightly brushing Alexander's temple. The cheek in question was on the same side that the dragon was perched on. On Alexander's free shoulder Xevious brought his head level with the boy's. It was quite the awkward pose for Alexander, however Xevious thought nothing of it. For a being as old as himself Alexander was nothing more than a child, there was nothing sexual in the position, although that wasn't for Alexander to know.

"How could you possibly know of horrors boy, I could show you things that would make your skin crawl and make you weep uncontrollably, so it intrigues me that you'd make such a bold claim about horrors."

Although Xevious' voice was delightful to hear, he said this last word with a sneer, which made it sound almost offense, to hear such a pure voice use such a common and lowly tone inflection.

Providing Alexander hadn't moved by this point Xevious would begin trying to pry into the boy's mind, taking a glimpse at whatever horrors he meant. Of course, the figure didn't have to be touching Alexander to work his magic, so to speak, but it helped. Depending on how much Alexander resisted with his mind would depend on how much Xevious saw within his own mind.

Xevious smiled slightly at Alexander's reaction. That was to be expected, mortals were so silly. Xevious frankly didn't see what the commotion over touch was about. These mortals were so uptight about a lot of things though. Slowly Xevious craned his neck from one shoulder to the other, causing his neck to give a slight click as it reached its maximum bending point over each side.

"You would consider this land to be an old land, however I consider it nothing more than fleeting. I was around long before this realm existed, and I will be around long after it exists. Do you begin to understand just how old I am now? For me to even begin to recall my memories would take you into old age and death.

And let me tell you boy, in that life time I've seen and done terrible things in the name of petty beings, with their petty squabbles. You know, I quite tire of you beings, your quarrels with others who live on the same earth as you, your constant depression with the states of your lives, it's like rock grinding on rock in my ears every time I hear about it."

Xevious was now being louder with his body language, his arms were spread, and still he continued towards Alexander. Energy was beginning to build within him as he stepped towards the Human. He had stopped his prying now, now his mental tendrils had been withdrawn from Alexander's mind, and were firmly planted in his own mind, strengthening it as he gained power.

"I know more than you could ever hope to know, do you wish to test me boy? Because I promise you I'll grant you no quarter if that's what you want to do, I can make your remaining days a living hell, each second an agony to live, is that what you want? If not you had better put away or throw down your childish blades, or I'll take care of your little friend for you."

Xevious sounded serious as he talked. He was offering Alexander a choice now, if the boy wanted to fight then Xevious would, he wouldn't take such insults from such a petulant and young mortal, the dragon would be lucky if he lived either way in Xevious' mind.

"This plane's existence is nothing trivial to me, trust me boy, I enjoy every moment I spend on it, it is a delighful change from what I am accustomed to, I like to think of it as a holiday every time I get the chance to stay here longer than I am called for."

Xevious ran a hand through his hair as he said this, his arms dropping to his side as soon as his hair was how he wanted it. He seemed less threatening now, much less of a danger to Alexander perhaps, or perhaps it was all a ruse, for Xevious was still moving towards Alexander.

"My intention was never to kill you boy, no, I'm seeing more and more that killing would be the wrong path to take, killing would achieve nothing, it would make me more like you beings than anything else. No, I think what's needed is some remodeling, I'm not quite satisfied with the way your mortals are conducting yourselves"

As soon as he said that he raised a hand towards the dragon on Alexander's shoulder, and began channeling some energy into the small being. The little dragon slowly lifted off Alexander's shoulder, and then began to hover just out of the boy's reach. The dragon would presumably be upset by this turn of events, as it would feel itself being hauled up by invisible hands on the scruff of its neck.

"Your attachment to this beast is curious, do you love it boy?"

"I see, companionship, I understand that emotion isn't too strong, simply a temporary bond between two travelers."

Xevious took a few steps back, and as he did so Tylas hovered back with the entity. He was still out of Alexander's reach, but now the boy would be able to see the dragon and what was happening to him, without having to crane his head up to the skies in order to see.

A small smile crossed Xevious' features, truly his mouth was the only way to tell what emotions he was conveying, his eyes covered by cloth and thus giving nothing away. A slender tongue ran itself over the being's lips, perhaps sating it as one might do before a meal, or when about to enjoy something.

"So I suppose this wouldn't bother you too much then"

Xevious suddenly separated his thumb and forefinger to about half distance, and with that Tylas' left wing straightened out, and seemed to strain awkwardly as though some invisible force was pulling it out. That was very much what was happening actually, Xevious was putting just enough strain on the wing to stop it from coming out its socket, but enough that a sickening crunch could be heard as some muscle fibers tore.

Xevious' attention was mostly directed at Alexander, trying to sense any emotions the boy might give off. He was still maintaining concentration on Tylas however.

"Mmm"

Xevious opened his mouth, tilted his head back and laughed as the human moved towards him. He took an opposing step backwards, bringing the small dragon with him as he moved. The being was clearly in pain, one move of Xevious' hand and the dragon would be maimed for life, most likely he would never grow up to become an adult.

"I can taste your pain boy, I can feel it, I can see it given off from you. I think you're lying, I think you love this being, perhaps I should test your love fully, I find a little bit of maiming always brings out the stronger emotions."

Xevious pointed a finger on his free hand at the chest cavity of Tylas, and formed his fingers together into the formation one might want to make if making a duck with a shadow puppet, all the fingers aligned with each other forming a point. The meaning was clear, in the same way moving his thumb and forefinger had caused the wing of Tylas to move, moving all of Xevious' fingers at once would cause Tylas to move in the five different corresponding directions. He halted though, and his face seemed to stare directly at Alexanders'.

"However, perhaps there is a way we can test your love for this creature without sending him home in pieces, what do you say boy, what will you give for this creature?"