It was a fairly clear day. Hopping from branch to branch, the small bird examined the clearing with a critical eye, then paused as it sensed a change in the very air. Startled, it took off as the air in the clearing took on a slight sheen. As it vanished in the distance, a circle of bluish-green energies seemmed to unfold from nothing.

All was still for a moment, then an orange-furred hand pushed its way through the portal. Its owner followed, the tiger-looking humanoid pausing just on the other side to sample the air. Apparently satisfied, he waved back to the portal, and stepped out of the way as several other rakshasa, male and female, stepped through, leading a couple pack horses with them.

Making a few gestures with his hands, Marakuma resealed the gate, then turned to regard those he had brought with on this trip. "Remember, Kozakura isn't as xenophobic as Wa, but it is run by soldiers. We can only get away with so much as 'traders', so when you take prey, be careful of who and when."

Most of them responded with nods, but a yawn from a tigress dressed in green drew a harsh look from him. "I mean it, Aiko. This isn't like teasing the slaves into your bed and stomach."

She dismissed his comment with an airy wave of her hand, checking the pack horse next to her. "They're cattle."

Ears folding back slightly, Marakuma strode over and grabbed the back of her neck, whispering harshly into her ear. "If I had my way you wouldn't even be on this trip. You will do what I say, or be punished when we return." Releasing her to catch herself against the horse, he turned to the others, his features shifting and flowing into those of a middle-aged man. "Assume your disguises, and lets see what this town ahead has for us."

********

Mandrathas looked down upon the town before him with a little trepidation as the morning sun glinted off his brass-colored scales. He had been paying his respects to an old friend when they'd heard word of people mysteriously vanishing without trace in some nearby human villages. From what his friend had said it had been happening at regular intervals for decades, and of course stupid himself suggested looking into it. Now he stood among the trees outside the village, wings folded against his side as he glared down at where he was likely going to be stuck for a while.

Letting off a quiet sigh, he gave the draconic equivalent of a shrug, then made a series of gestures with his claws, his body changing and shrinking. Within moments, he merely looked like another human, clothed in a brass-colored outfit. Whistling quietly, he started heading down the trail to the town before him.

********

Aiko smiled to herself as she looked over the dumb human animals around her in the inn. Despite her father's earlier words, they still fell to her charms as easily as the servants back home. Catching sight of her reflection in the mirror behind the bar, she admired her chosen human form a minute. Soft, smooth skin, long dark hair cascading down over her shoulders and back, her curves hidden yet at the same time brought out by her outfit... yes, no male could resist her charms. The jealous looks more than a few women had given her just amused her even more.

Hearing the door open then close behind her, she raised her drink for a sip and glanced unobtrusively behind her. Hmm... haven't seen him before. Must be a traveller, and not a bad looking one either, for a human. Might be worth playing with, and no one would miss him if he disappeared. As he moved past her table she looked him over, from red-bronze-auburn hair to the body shrouded in his brass-colored clothes. Yes, this could be a worthwhile conquest. Well-built enough to have fun with, and make a good meal afterwards.

Of course, the target of her musings wasn't quite what he appeared. Seating himself at the counter, Mandrathas nodded to the innkeeper. "Plum wine, please. I'd also like a room for the next week."

"Right away, sir." The slightly portly man turned around a moment, rummaging in the cabinet for a bottle and glass. After a moment he turned around, placing the glass down in front of his customer, and a key next to it. "5 silver for the wine, and 10 gold for the room."

"I'll pay for his wine," a feminine voice said behind him. As he turned to look, a young women slid onto the seat next to him, producing a gold coin from the folds of her obi and dropping it on the counter with a clink. "And I'll take one too."

As the inkeep returned to rummaging through his cabinets, she turned to give the disguised brass dragon a sparkling smile. "Pleased to meet you. My name is Nanbara Aiko. And you...?"

Taking a sip from his glass to buy time, the disguised brass dragon looked at her over the rim. Rather charming for a human. Even if she doesn't know anything personally, she looks the type that people might have confided in. "Yumeryuu Rekka. The pleasure's all mine."

Over the next few hours their conversation drifted from subject to subject as the polymorphed brass slowly worked the discussion towards the missing people. While they talked Aiko's frustration and desire to bring this human down grew. Frustration because he didn't seem to be paying much attention to her charms, and desire to prove that no mere human could resist her.

"...so I'm a little nervous. I don't suppose that anything like that has happenned here, though?"

"Well, I don't know..." Aiko forced herself to look a little pensive, while inwardly she grinned. Here was her chance! "Perhaps you should come talk to my father. He might know something."

Mandrathas took a quick glance around the room, noting how empty it was becoming as people retired for the night. Probably not going to find much more here tonight, so mgiht as well give it a shot. Besides, he thought, giving her a quick look-over again, she might make a good target for whatever was taking people, so she should probably have some sort of escort anyways. "Sure. Why don't you take me to him."

All smiles, Aiko hooked herself around his arm, pressing herself slightly up against him as they walked out the door and then down the street. "We're on the outskirts, so its a bit of a walk," she mentioned softly as they walked, heading towards the house the rakshasa'd taken over for the duration of their stay.

Eyes watching the shadows carefully, Mandrathas muttered a quiet "I don't mind." Hearing that , Aiko pressed herself a bit closer, happy that she finally seemmed to be having an effect on him.

Finally they stood before a house practically on the very edge of the forest surrounding the town. "Here we are." Relunctantly pulling away, she opened the door and ushered him in, the two of them removing their shoes at the door as they stepped onto the tatami floor. Closing the door behind them, she led him into a side room, lighting the lamps as she went. "Looks like we'll have to wait for him to get home. He's always SO busy..."

Mandrathas just nodded, seating himself as she finished lighting up the room. "Waiting is fine with me. While we wait maybe you can tell me about what your father is like."

As she shook out the lighting stick, she glanced over her shoulder, pouting a little. "You don't want to hear about me?"

Shaking his head slightly, he looked up at her. "I wouldn't mind learning more about you either.. what would you like to talk about?"

Her pout turning into a smile, she turned back around, her voice becoming a throaty purr as she raised a hand to her kimono, slowly baring one shoulder. "Who said anything about talking...?"

********

A short while later, the two of them lay cuddled together, garments in a messy pile off to the side. The lamps had since sputtered and gone out, leaving them hidden by darkness. "That was worth it," Aiko murmured to herself. "Too bad I can't keep you around."

"Hmm?" The lethargic shapechanged dragon raised his head slightly. "What-"

He cut himself off as he felt fur suddenly sprout under his hand on her back. "You see," she said as her body rearranged itself to her natural rakshasa form, her claws starting to dig slightly into his flesh, "You're breakfast!"

Thankfully, he had always had a quick mind, even for his kind, and as she revealed her true shape he'd put two and two together. Now, putting his improvised plan into action, he started changing too, rolling over on top of her as red, not brass, scales sprouted all over his body. "I.. don't... THINK... SO!" She gasped in surprise as he grew in size, red wings ripping out from his back to smash down the wall next to them, his now-horned head pressing into then busting through the ceiling. As the house collapsed around them, she found herself pinned under the forepaw of an annoyed red dragon.

Lowering his head, the faux red dragon snorted softly near her ear. "Now who is who's breakfast?" he rumbled quietly.

In a near panic for maybe the third time in her entire life, Aiko looked around, eyes wide. Unfortunately for her, it was still dark, and the house she'd taken over was far enough out that no one would be passing by or even come to see what happened for another few hours at least. Looking back up at the draconic snout so near, she shook her head rapidly. "I'm sorry, I didn't know! Father never said there were any dragons around here!"

Pulling his head back slightly, he turned his head to the side, regarding her with one slitted eye. He'd gone for a red at the spur of the moment, but now he had both an explanation for the strange vanishings and a way to possibly stop them, or at least protect a part of the area. "Lately I've been expanding my territory, and this area seems a perfect addition. I do not take kindly to others feeding upon my subjects."

Aiko swallowed heavily, knowing just how many she'd taken recently. "P-p-perhaps you could discuss it with Father and we can work s-something out?"

"Very well." She let out a sigh of relief as he removed his forepaw from her, shfiting back down to the human form he had taken before. "Take me to him."

********

"So to reiterate then, you claimed this area as part of your territory last year?" The older Rakshasa stood with his arms crossed, looking up at the scaled snout of the red dragon before him. "And you wish us to make reparations and cease hunting here?"

"Exactly." Mandrathas, once more in the red dragon form he had shown Aiko, idly scratched in the dirt with a foreclaw. "I've merely been keeping a low profile in case some of those cursed adventurers show up. But lost subjects means less tribute the next year when I send someone to collect, and someone needs to pay for that."

Marakuma's eyes narrowed a bit. He'd brought them out here into the wilderness so he could see how powerful this dragon was personally, but something here seemmed off. He couldn't quite place it, but after several centuries he'd learned to trust his instincts. "I have two propositions for you then. First, as my daughter was by far the most profiligate in feeding..." he paused a moment to give her a glare. "You may have her as repayment for the damages."

"WHAT?" She almost shouted, her muzzle a-gape in surprise.

Turning his head to look at her, Mandrathas cursed inwardly. He couldn't refuse, as a rakshasa slave would be certainly more valuable to a red dragon in hiding, but he also wouldn't be able to return home with a rakshasa trailing behind. For now though... "Agreed. And what's the second proposition of yours?"

At his answer, Aiko seemmed to shrink within herself a bit. Marakuma however fought to not let the predatory grin he so wanted to give show as he answered the question. "That we return to my estates on my home plane to work out the borders of your territory and our hunting grounds. Your servants can watch over your lands equally well without your for a short while, can't they?"

The big dragon's head turned back to fully regard the confident rakshasa. Marakuma just shrugged. "Even we need someplace to hunt our food. Besides, my better maps of this area are back at home, and surely you'd want your new slave to retrieve her things? I'm sure it won't take too long to lay out the boundaries." He paused to let that sink in before adding, "You wouldn't refuse my hospitality after I gave you my daughter, would you?"

Almost against his will, Mandrathas nodded his aquiesence.

*********

Taking over what had been an auditorium on Marakuma's estates, Mandrathas settled in for what he thought would be a few days of negotiations. Then days became weeks, and weeks became months. Every time they got close to what looked like a settlement, Marakuma would remember some little point that needed to be clarified, or get called away on other business in Lanka, or something else would happen to stretch things out even farther.

Things weren't all bad, however. The rakshasa had collected many books in his library, and the color-changed brass dragon took advantage of it when he could without arousing suspicion. He also found that his "slave" made a good masseur, though her massages oftentimes became something other than that, especially if he was in a smaller form at the time from paying a visit to the library. Slowly, he started to trust and like his little(relatively) rakshasa, though he still forced himself to keep her nature in mind. They may have honor, but they're also manipulative and selfish.

On Aiko's part, at first she was humiliated to return as this dragon's property. When they arrived her stuff had been moved into a room adjoining the auditorium , and she found herself forced to mostly act as the dragon's carekeeper. Unlike what she had expected though, he didn't seem to take her for granted or punish her when she messed up. Despite herself, she started to respect, or perhaps even like this mountain of scales. Not to mention that if she could catch him at the right size, he was fun in bed. Strangely though, whenever she fixed a meal he never wanted any of it.

Unfortunately, even dragons slip up once in a while.

*********

It had been several months since Mandrathas's arrival, and this false form he had assummed was beginning to grate on him. He couldn't do much about it here, in the stronghold of the enemy, but perhaps...

His thoughts were interrupted as a tigress head poked itself through a side door. "We're out of a few things. Would you mind if-"

He cut Aiko off, waving her off. "By all means. And you may pick yourself up a new outfit while you're out." She grinned at that, bowing a little, then dashing off before he could change his mind, the door slamming shut behind her.

"She's adjusted well," he mused quietly. "I wonder if... nah." He shook his head a little, then suddenly froze as it struck him. Usually she was the only other one around here this time of day, and with her gone there'd be no one to notice if he changed to his natural form!

"And she'll probably be gone a while trying on different clothes," he said to himself as small changes took place allong along his scaled body. "Especially with how much she prides herself on her appearance."

Within moments he was again a brass dragon from nose to tail. Smiling contentedly, he looked at himself in a nearby mirror, then curled up, yawning. "Too bad I can't go out like this," he murmured quietly to himself. "But until I can finally get those blasted borders settled I have to stay a red in all appearances. Red... such an ugly shade..." His eyes dipped closed, and within moments he was snoozing away, the stress from having to stay disguised the many months past draining away.

As he slept, a door opened down below. "I almost forgot-" Cutting herself off, Aiko just stared, standing in the doorway. Quietly closing the door behind her, she padded around the curled-up brass dragon, looking him over. Finally stopping at the snout, she gazed up at him. "It can't be anyone else," she muttered quietly, "but why would he take the form of another dragon, especially a good one?" She stood there a moment, one arm crossed across her chest as she thought. "That must be it... I should tell Father." Yet still she stood there, watching the sleeping brass.

After a few minutes she turned away, and tiptoed back out. Without even a glance in the direction of the main manor house, she walked off through the gates and towards the marketplace.

Later that evening, she returned with her arms full of goods to find him in his miniature red dragon form, idly flipping through the pages of a book. At the sound of her entering, he looked up. "Finished your shopping?"

She nodded, making her way to the door to her suite with her purchases. "There were a couple I couldn't decide between, so I got them both."

"You'll have to show them to me later. Right now I want to finish this book. Good to hear you had a good time today at least."

She paused in the doorway to her rooms, her back turned to him, hiding her expression. "It was... interesting." Composing her face again, she glanced back over her shoulder. "Why do you read so much anyways? The tales I've heard of most reds don't exactly stress their interest in learning."

Mandrathas raised a forepaw, palm up, while he thought furiously. "The first treasure I gained were some spellbooks and journals left by a dead wizard. The only way to tell which were which were by reading them, and from that I developed a taste for books. You'd also be surprised at how much some will pay in exchange for knowledge, so it makes a good investment in building my hoard."

Seeming to accept his answer, she turned back and headed the rest of the way into her suite, closing the door behind her. He relaxed a bit, and returned to reading the text on magical theory before him, flipping to then next page with one claw.

On the other side, Aiko leaned back against the closed door, staring off into space, her expression unreadable.

*********

That first mistake started the ball rolling, but by itself would not have caused events to turn out as they did. That happened a few weeks later.

You see, dragons, even as large as they are, do not normally eat regular meals as humans and other races do. Instead, they will eat a lot at one time, then go weeks, months, or if mostly sleeping, perhaps years before feeding again. Brass dragons especially can go long times without eating, but between the primary food available here being various forms of cooked human or elf, and the fact he couldn't transform to his natural form outside to sup on any of the morning dew, he was nearing the edge of his endurance.

*********

A rumble echoed through the chamber, disturbing a bird who had been sitting in the windows watching the two odd creatures before it. As it took to flight, Marakuma tilted his head slightly at the red-scaled dragon before him. "Perhaps we should break for a meal."

The disguised Mandrathas raised a talon in negation, shaking his horned head slightly. "My kind does not need food often, but sometimes our stomachs think otherwise."

"Yes, my daughter tells me you haven't been interested in any of the meals she's fixed for you. I believe she heard something from you about it not being sporting?"

"Well... I didn't mean to cast aspersion on your own hunting techniques, but.. well..." Lifting a paw palm up in the equivalent of a shrug, his mind ran through several ways to answer. "Food freshly caught, especially by oneself, always tastes better." Lowering the paw again to the floor of the dragon-sized chamber they were in, he inwardly winced. He knew well of the rakshasa mind-reading ability, and had been keeping his shields up, but evidently they'd been starting to slip around Aiko. Dammit, she's just like the rest of them! So why had he been beginning to feel so comfortable around her?

"... would that suit you?" Bringing his attention back to the present, he turned his gaze onto Marakuma, and quickly reviewed what the russet-furred rakshasa noble had been saying while he was blaming himself. A live hunt? Hmmm... this had potential.

"I believe so, but I would prefer an area of solitude for this. I know your race's honor would not allow interference, but who's to say that their slaves might not accidently cause trouble? Or a visitor perhaps..."

The only outward reaction at first was a single earflick, making the earrings on it jingle together softly. Schooling his features, Mandrathas settled himself to wait while his counter-proposal was mulled over. Suprisingly, Marakuma nodded to himself after only a few minutes. "I see no reason why not. My family has a preserve nearby for hunting purposes when the urge strikes, so we'll just use that and give the servents a day of vacation. Would sunrise tomorrow be acceptable?"

"Emminently." And meanwhile, the dragon had plans to prepare.

********

Flying over the treetops, Mandrathas had to struggle to keep himself from drooling over the dew he was seeing on the leaves. He couldn't get at it effectively in this form, and he had to keep it at least until he found the unlucky sod his hosts had chosen. Once he- aha!

As he descended towards the trees, the birds that had been scared into flight by the human's passing all turned as one and took off in the opposite direction. Said person just came to a stop, frozen in fear as what looked like a red dragon thudded heavily into the ground directly before him.

"Quickly, there's no time," he whispered, as much as any dragon could whisper. "I'm getting you out of here."

The dark-skinned man took a step back, reaching instinctively for a sword that wasn't there. "Why should I believe a Red? The only place you want to see me is in your stomach!"

Shaking his massive head, he gave a sigh, and concentrated a moment. his scales seemmed to turn liquid for a moment, reshaping themselves as their color lightened and turned metallic. "I'm trying to save your pathetic life! They think I'm going to be eating you, but I'm going to Gate you back to Toril ash shoo ash..." he trailed off a moment, fishing with his tongue in his mouth. "Oh-ha!" The human, still scared but now throughly confused, just stood there staring as the new brass dragon spit out a medallion before him. "I'd love for you to stay and talk but I intend to get some food before-- relax, I don't like meat." he added as he saw the human's expression change and his legs tense. "Take up the amulet, and chant the words 'muri intervallia penetrare, Toril instantatum venite'. You will then be returned to Toril. I do not know where, but it'll be safer than here." Gesturing with a claw in the direction of

the main city at the last word, the human nodded numbly. "I don't know how long they expect me to take, so its best not to dawdle." Turning, he raised hsi head and started licking up the drops of water clinging to the branches of a nearby tree. "Delicious!"

He almost didn't hear the human repeating the words he had given him. A glow started to form around the human's form, then just as he started to fade from sight a loud whining sound filled the air, and Mandrathas's attention snapped back to his rescuee. The magic field was warping around him, just as it should, but something was trying to prevent the planar shift. Twisting his foreclaws through several gestures, he mutted a soft incantation, feeding some of his extra power into the planar warp. The resistance seemmed to ramp up more and more, then like a soap bubble it popped and the human was... elsewhere.

Mandrathas let out a soft sigh in the silence that followed. "Safe, but with the amount of power to punch through.. whatever that was... who knows where he'll end up." He raised his head to sip from the dew again, only to freeze when he heard a familiar voice from the trees.

"'That' was a barrier set to prevent Gating to protect our fair city... though it seems it doesn't prevent all trouble from entering." Stepping out of the shadows, Marakuma gazed up at the brass. "And I must say, this explains a few things I had been wondering about."

Slowly pulling his tongue back into his muzzle, Mandrathas regarded the new arrival. "How so? That man was too stringy to eat, and killing him would have been a waste. I sent him back to my cave so he could be trained there, and the only way I could get him to listen was to assume the shape of a goodly dragon."

The elder rakshasa shook his head and crossed his arms. "Even if I believed that, a shapechanged red dragon wouldn't lower himself to feed on dew like you were about to. Only a true brass dragon would bother." As Marakuma uncrossed his arms, the brass dragon thought furiously for a way to get out of this, but kept drawing a blank. "I must say though that I admire your acting skills, to manage to fool us for so long. Howwever, I think it's time that our red dragon guest return to guard his domain. Yes, and I don't think he'll come back for a long, /long/ time." On his last words, the rakshasa raised his hand, darts of magical force flying from it and burying themselves into Mandrathas's hide.

"That hurt!" Smoke rising from his nostrils, he glared at the rak, whose fingers were quickly weaving through another spell. "You do not want to fight me, little cat. Besides, isn't my claim just as valid, whatever kind of dragon I may be?"

Marakuma just smirked, summoning forth an acid arrow to splash against the dragon's shoulder. "Oh, your boundries will be respected. We honor our word, but no one ever said you'd return alive to guard them." Stepping to the side to avoid the stream of fire in response, he segued smoothly into another spell, this one to activate his seldom-used contigency spell and bring up his protections.

"Then won't your allies wonder why I didn't take your daughter back with me?" Flapping his wings, Mandrathas leaped into the air, just barely dodging a ray he didn't recognize. "That maybe something was wrong with her?"

"I'll tell them-" *Polar Ray* "-that you had-" *dodge claw swipe* "-no need of her." *Lightning Bolt*

Mandrathas grunted as the lightning struck home, charring a pony-sized section of his ribs, and surprising the brass at its strength. This rak certainly studied his magic, he thought as he looped back around, taking another swipe at the rakshasa and spitting another long stream of flame at him. The tiger-demon dodged the swipe, but not the flame. While most of it splashed against his shields, enough still made it through to singe his fur and make his robes smoke.

The two continued to duel for several minutes, dragon claws and breath leaving burns and gashes in the raksahsa's hide while his spells took scales and flesh off the brass on each pass. Finally a lucky disintegrate ray punched a hole in his wing as he was coming around again, sending him tumbling end over end to crash into some trees closer to the forest edge. Picking himself up, he winced, and started limping towards that edge, his left foreleg shattered from the impact. He was in no condition to fight now, but on the other hand perhaps he'd wounded Marakuma enough that he wouldn't pursue. Either way, if he could just get far enough out and muster enough energy...

"Stop!"

He'd been concentrating so hard on just keeping moving he hadn't noticed that someone had stepped in front of him to bar his path. A certain someone at that.

Standing before him, legs spread in a ready stance and sword lifted, was Aiko. A soft breeze blew through, ruffling her fur slightly. The leather armor she wore was in disarray, obviously something she'd just thrown on quickly. "Don't take another step. I'll fight you if I have to."

Mandrathas turned his head slightly to glance back the way he'd came, but saw no sign anyone had followed him. A sad half-smile formed on her muzzle. "No, I didn't see any of it, but I can guess well enough what happened. You tried to help the human escape, and the Gating alarm brought Father." She sighed softly as he started to turn to try and run, casting a lightning bolt to bring down a tree in his path. "I guess I always knew it would come to this. I really did enjoy our time together, but I can't excuse attacking Father."

His head snapped back around, causing him to wince momentarily. "You knew? How?"

She nodded her head just a little, never taking her eyes off his bloodied, brass-scaled form. "I came back early one day, and you looked like you do now." The sword held in her hands seemmed to tremble a moment, then was steady once again. "I didn't say anything back then, but... I... I can't let you escape. Not now."

Mandrathas looked into those unflinching green eyes, deep into her soul, or what passes for it for her kind. He sensed her inner turmoil, and in an instant understood why she hadn't given him up before, but also why only one of them would be able to leave now. Closing his eyes, he laid himself down on the ground. "Do what you must."

Aiko took one step, then two, part of her expecting it to be a trick, even as another part of her knew it wasn't. Raising the blade high above her head in both hands, she summoned forth eldritch energy along its length. Turning her gaze aside, she brought it stabbing down, burying it right through the middle of his head with a sickening *crunch*. As she felt warm blood pool around her feet, a single tear formed at the edge of her eye, trickling down her cheek. The first, last, and only tear she would ever have or give.

Word was passed around that the negotiations had finished, and the dragon had returned to his own realm. No one thought to question why he had left his "gift" behind, or if they did they kept it to themselves. It wasn't until a month later that they discovered that Mandrathas had left his own gift before his "departure"...