He leaps across a gap between two buildings then continues running after his quarry, a young boy who thought he could trespass on anyone's territory.
The sunlight filters through the dense covering of smog, turning a murky color that nonetheless glints off his metallic tattoos, a ruff of red gold feathers around his neck and a collar of feathers around his wrists. The smog wasn't as bad as it usually was, and by afternoon would probably clear off mostly.
He leaps forward then skids to a stop, he was on the boundary of his territory and didn't dare go any farther. The kid, though, obviously didn't know the layout of the territories yet and ran through the neutral zone and into the next territory, where a very vicious man ruled. That kid would be lucky to survive if he was caught, but Griffon didn't care, that wasn't his territory anymore so he had no say over anything that happened.
Griffon stretches, his muscles rippling under his dark brown skin, then turns and races back off across the housetops back to his lookout spot. Scars accent his sharp features and one pulls his mouth into a permanent half smile.
Settling down on his lookout spot, a building taller than the rest and in about the center of his territory, he fingers the dark tan clothing idly as his golden brown eyes survey the territory he can see.
Many said that Griffon was a proper name for him, since he resembled the creature in more than a few ways. People were always comparing his eyes to the eyes of an eagle and his movements to the majestic panther. He didn't believe them much, but what had originally started out as a nickname stuck, and so everyone now knew him as Griffon.
"Griffon they call me, so Griffon I'll be," he remarks softly, his voice deep and sharp, carrying slightly even though he spoke softly.
Near the outskirts of all of the territories was a university where he visited once in a while. It was a large area of neutral territory, and sometimes he and the other so called street toughs went there and met. Those meetings were never truly neutral, since the occasional fight was expected when they all met, but there were no serious injuries, and almost never any blood spilled.
That was where he had met the strange girl, Tearis. He had arrived early for one of the meetings just to see how campus life was when he noticed a tall man trying to grab a small girl who looked almost twelve. Calmly, he had walked over there and dealt with the man, and when he had turned around to look at the girl again, she was smiling slightly.
Things had progressed from there, he had taught her how to fight dirty so that no man would be able to lay a hand on her if she was unwilling, and both had become friends. He listened to her and she listened to him, it was an easy friendship unlike most of her others.
Griffon rises and strolls to one of the neutral areas and walks out of the maze of territories towards the neutral territory of the university.
He watches Tearis leave the group of girls then turns to follow her. His sharp ears catch a muttered comment and he smiles, she was obviously a bit put out by the others, which was usual, it seemed like she could never get them.
"The problem with them," he remarks, "is that they never grew up from high school."
She turns and looks at him and he steps towards her, his step easy and light despite his size. A person of his type lived and died by how swift and agile they were, and he was one of the top men in the whole area.
"Hey 'Rif," Tearis says as she falls in step beside him. As was usual, she had to take several steps for his one because of his long legs.
He throws an arm around her shoulder like a father, "Hey Te, how's it going?"
"Right now I'm happy that you gave me that training in fighting dirty," she answered.
"Another one of those stupid men?"
Tearis smiles up at him, "Of course, what else? I don't think he'll be able to have fun for a while though."
He throws his head back and laughs, "You, Te, are mean."
"He was asking for it, though."
"Gerrout you little liar, you probably taunted him just so that you could do that," he remarks, his eyes dancing with laughter.
He notices her innocent look, and his smile grew slightly wider, she had taunted the man, but to anyone else, the man had started it and she was entirely justified in protecting herself.
"I never."
"Uh hu, riiiiiight."
He perched on top of his lookout spot, surveying his land. He was growing bored with all of this territory stuff, but he knew that if he relaxed even just one tiny bit, the others would be at his throat like wolves to an old deer. And he was getting old for this, twenty-five years old, twenty years defending and expanding his territory. Not many lived that long in this deadly game, but he intended to survive one way or the other, whether by tooth and nail like now or some other way.
What that other way could be, he had no clue, but he knew he could find it if he needed too.
Griffon looks up and catches sight of Tearis flying low over his territory. She was definitely a strange thing, almost seeming to prefer the air to the ground.
He stood and waved at her, it wasn't always that she took a flight to his territory.
She was closer now, and almost ready to land, when his eyes widened at the sight of something that just couldn't exist, not in this world. Dragons couldn't, they absolutely could not. But...
The blue dragon grabbed Tearis out of the air and a green one tried to land on the top of the building, but the building was too small for it, so it seemed to settle for just grabbing him.
He growls to himself, whatever this thing was, he wasn't going to go through the indignity of being carried in its front claws like a package. Griffon swings himself free of the creature's claws and reaches up, hauling himself up onto the beast's back where... a human rode?
Griffon's eyes narrow and he grabs the human's proffered hand and finally pulls himself up onto the beast's back, just in time for everything to go black.
When the world returned, he was flying over the cone of what looked like an extinct volcano. The blue dragon that had Tearis dived into the cone first, then the green one he was on followed.
When they reached the bottom he slid off the dragon and walks over to where Tearis was examining her made wings. He could see that there wasn't much damage to them, but it was her he was more worried about. Those dragon claws were nasty things if they got you in the wrong spot.
He walks up to her softly, but quickly, when he noticed her glaring at the man on the blue's back. When she gave that icy glare of hers to anyone, they were in for some deep trouble.
"I don't think we're on our planet anymore, so don't try to murder anyone until we know what we're in for, deal?" he mutters softly to her.
Griffon starts mentally cursing himself as Tearis turns around, glares at him, and then elbows him in the stomach. As the breath rushes out of his lungs, he thinks Yep, definitely time to change occupations if she can catch me unawares.
"I'm sorry about that harsh pick up, but the ground didn't seem safe enough to land and get you properly mounted," the blue's rider remarks as he slides down off of his dragon.
He notices her glaring at the rider again and starts wondering how good the man is at protecting himself, because Tearis definitely wasn't taking her 'harsh pickup' very well.
"Where is this place?" she asks.
"Cathair Fionabhainn, on the planet Danach."
He looks at the man in puzzlement, "Danach? Are you trying to fool us into something?"
"No, I'm not. Look, there's a clutch of eggs on the sands and when we," he indicates himself, his dragon, and the green dragon and her rider, "entered your world, we first felt you," he motions towards Tearis, "and followed you. The next thing we knew, there were two possible candidates for the clutch."
He exchanges a glance with Tearis, then shrugs.
"If you want us to be candidates I guess we have to be. If this truly is another world, there isn't much of any way to get back, now is there?" he asks.
"Not really," the rider responds.
"Fine, we'll be candidates. My name's Tearis and his is Griffon, sometimes just called 'Rif."
He watched as slowly the eggs hatched, and smiled when Tearis impressed a small green just as frail looking as she herself. After an ice had hatched two other eggs started to rock.
It was a medium sized blue that hatched next, followed by a lavender dragon. Both were very similar in colour, the blue having a slight purple undertone to his hide, and the lavender being more towards the blue end of the scale, and both were also of a similar size. That was where the similarities ended however.
The blue was a heavily built dragon, and he strode across the Sands with a touch of arrogance. He was sure of himself, and seemed to have a natural charisma, despite not being one of the 'greater' colours. He was blue, and proud of it. ::'Rif, my friend,:: the blue greeted simply, ::Lets go and keep an eye on my sister Anastoyeth and her rider. This is a new and strange world for all of us.::
"I agree, Senostrith," Griffon replied with a smile, before leading his new blue away, in search of a meal and his friend Tearis.
Griffon held on tightly as Senostrith banked suddenly, turned around, and then did a series of acrobatics of a sort.
::It's not that bad, 'Rif!:: The blue commented.
"Maybe not for you..."
::Spoil sport.::
"Oh be quiet."
Besides! If I'm to catch any females, I need to practice.
"Who says you're going to be chasing anyone?"
::I did.:: Senostrith sent smugly.
Griffon rolled his eyes, then continued to cling for dear life to his dragon.
Sen settled down and watched his bond for a time, waiting for something.
'Rif paced up and down the room, occasionally sending glances over at his dragon.
"Ok," he finally said, "What do you want this time?"
::I have found a female that I want to fly.::
"WHAT?!"
::I have talked it over with Anas, Senostrith went on, and she says that it's ok, and that Tearis won't mind if we leave for a bit.::
'Rif just stood stock still, staring up at his dragon.
::It's at Sanrix Azon, and I want to chase Sea Depth.:: He continued as if unaware that his bond was staring at him.
"You've... really worked everything out, haven't you."
::Of course!::
"Fine, we'll go."
Griffon approached the flight board, and added his dragon's name to the list of participants.
Senostrith, on the other hand, felt like evening their chances by impressing his chosen dragoness.
::Hello, beautiful.:: He sent as he strode up to Sea Depth.
::Who are you?::
::Senostrith, of course.::
Sea Depth walked over to him on her hind legs, Senostrith watching her every movement.
::And what makes you think you could ever catch me?::
He grinned, then leaped into the air to show off his skills, ::Come then, and I'll show you.::
Sea Depth followed him into the air, watching, as he performed aerial stunts. Twisting and weaving through the air, turning around almost perfectly without losing much in the way of speed, spins and dives which he pulled out of at the last minute.
"Show off," Griffon muttered under his breath as he watched.
::Of course,:: Senostrith sent privately.