Mink's disapproving stare saw the numerous thieves. Numbers she once controlled... But what astounded her more was Algorath's defense of Nix. The demon became a physical wall between the leftover scavengers and the unusual Ki'Na. What sort of trick was this? Could he actually be on the level? The remnant group charged forward with their weaponry and she decided to interject herself into this.

Algorath's anger slowly rose, but his Claymore sword fiercely swung in the air. Normal logic depending on which side one stood on was tested right now. Those of the thieves knew not of magic, such as the demon's summoning of that tinted blade, and figured their technologically advanced electric swords could easily topple that of archaic steel.
The demon's uncertainty of the other side of that equation was the more direct confrontation. When one clashed its high voltage current shot up against the metal of his Claymore and came to a dead stop at the hilt. The thief holding its other end stood shocked on a different level, before his footing gave way, Algorath the cause, as from the edge of his vision one tried to sneak up from a supposed blind spot. Deftly, he jumped back letting the two collide. The weapons they held impacted the exposed shoulders of the other.

Nix muffled a squeak when she heard their blood curdling cries. She pressed herself against a inoperable hover car. The heavy jolt stopped them cold. But there were many others in their way. And instead of coming at them one at a time. They tried in force. Mal feared these thieves, so she sat her hat down on its hood, then interjected herself into the fray. Nix's black body markings lengthened and extended itself around her, many of them invisibly because of the dress. She ultimately unarmed had to maneuver about until she closed the distance to use strength, unable to use her fire without risking anyone innocent. Her nails extended just a bit, sharp as daggers yet could not compare to the tech-blades of the thieves.

The demon paused after disarming another pair, seeing Nix rush by him. "Wait!" But his words went ignored. The Starborne had brilliant reflexes, dodging heavy swings. Zon's thieves acted as they forgotten their task to only subdue the azure woman. Their attacks fierce as Nix beaten many of their own. Those with the guns lurked still. A mote of honor residing among them, as they did not desire to hit their own like several errant swords have done so far. Nix took it easier on the kids among the group. A few smacks to the back of their heads instead of the full-blown fists to the older members. So focus on those closer to her, the Ki'Na did not notice the guns trained on her defenseless back.

The thieves unfortunately didn't see the growing shadow over them until it was too late. Both fighters paused when they saw a Dragis crash on the lurking thieves. Mink had to realize the same thing Nix did. They were far stronger than that of the group and had to reel in their strength a bit, unlike Nix though Mink played no favorites beyond that. Bodies flew from the metamorph with frightening ease, only sheer luck kept the smallest thieves spared a painful landing that others got. Many eyes not in this skirmish watched the three easily overpower the brigands handily.

Mink stood with an aura of dominance over the last one. They fidgeted with their small gun before a unfocused, blind shot echoed. The bullet found a home right in a building's second floor, going through Mink's eye. Yet she still stood there, the computer in her mind already telling her the extent of the damage, billions of nanomachines residing in her body went into overdrive to repair a normally fatal wound. But the thief saw it visibly in the Dragis scales, showing false strength to the rough surface, a lump shift behind the solid skull behind before a second eye sat on top of the ruined first.

A huge shift in the air chilled Nix's body. Her eyes darted up to the Dragis that decided to join in. When the gap between them closed the Starborne saw those telltale manacles. "Stop!" Nix cried, rushing forth as fast she could. Her smaller hand stopped the concealed weapon inside the archaic steel.
"That's twice today you done that." Growled the Dragis, her glare shifted from the thief to Nix.

"It's not worth it."
The thief scuttled back on his heels only to find Nix's cold stare greeting his flight attempt. "IF you bother me again I won't hold her back. Nor will I be easy on you. Take them and go away."

Their supposed attacker stared directly into that face and reeled as if staring into a monster's bared jaws. In the case of that cold Dragis beside the Ki'Na, it could be total truth. However, the Starborne narrowed gaze made it far worse.
Algorath watched him take off and start a chain reaction. The thieves scattered; those who couldn't do so under their own accord were helped off. His claymore vanished only when the last one left back to where ever they came. Nix came and went by him, calmly reattaching the hat and its secret inhabitant to her flowing hair. "I'm sorry about that." She sighed to her demonic companion.

He however, kept his gaze on the Dragis shooting daggers at him. "You aren't hurt that's all that matters."

Mink blinked first then strolled over to them. The metamorph now stood taller than either of them without the odd shoes she wore. "What do you want?"

Nix shook her head; her one time foe was actually being civil. Not totally comfortable to mingle with a demon yet, but could not overlook how he protected the Ki'Na. "Nothing Mink. Shouldn't we head back? It is why I came out here to begin with."

The GIC told her how many people still looked at them, and begrudgingly agreed with her foil. Mink's smirk didn't help Algorath's demeanor, "...Should of expected nothing less. Lead on."

Outside of the Clover, the high-end hotel. Three people waited in front of the entrance.

"I swear if Nix did not need her, I would leave that crazy divini here." One dragon humanoid spoke up to his friend.
"Now Scribe. Without her help you would not have your nephew here safe and sound." The human with them peered up at the taller individuals. Those scarlet eyes showed a deeper edge to them.

Scribe, as the second one previously mentioned, sported a sling on his right arm. His tail was bladed unlike the other dragon. At first glance if not for that tail and the small tuft of silver hair on covering his scaled skull, the two could be mistaken for twins. "I suppose so." He ruffled the boy's wild hair with his free arm. "Prince. I'm sorry I did not help you sooner..."

"Stop it uncle, you didn't know I was here... I didn't know where here was." The boy shrugged off his elder. None of them outside of that sling showed how traumatic their last few days were.

"So Sil, will you remain here or travel with us back to Fortuna?" That disrupting left hand settled on the Prince's shoulder. Scribe's light eyes glanced back to his counterpart.

"I'm here waiting aren't..." A voice in his mind directed his attention to the end of the street. "...I" His trailed off voice and diverted gaze brought the other two along to watch Nix and Mink walking up with a demonic third.

Algorath's eyes jumped just as theirs did when he saw the two dragons. He was certain of the slightly taller one next to the boy. A couple of scale colors were off but, the demon was quite certain, so much so he called out. "Therony?" Instantly, he assumed that this world was the one Drake spoke of. Cyrasis.

Scribe's eyes narrowed. The aura a dead giveaway to him. "How do you know my name demon?" Natural instincts forced that left arm to move the child prince behind his wings. Several runes on the dragon's arm started to shimmer in mystical light.

Algorath did not know this part about the bard's being in his story worlds. It was a Therony that stood across from him, just not the Unseen Bard. The very unique paradox in place was firmly in control.

The mixed up Therony's temper rose and even with a busted arm, he would fight any demons on the spot. It was his duty as a Virtou Warrior and the highest Lord of Fortuna not to mention that of a relative.

The blue woman rushed forward and latched onto Scribe's good arm. Mink blew a disgruntled breath and stood between the defensive Sil and a confused Algorath.
"Stop." Nix spoke softly. "He is not evil."

Mink's hand calmly pushed Sil to the wall next to the entrance, and held him there with an apropos use of strength pressed against his shoulder to keep him there. The two remained silent but neither woman lessened their grip. "He helped keep a few thieves away from our Ki'Na here..."

"A trick then!" Grumbled the Virtou Warrior; not breaking his cold gaze at all.

"I let him live lizard boy, that should be something worthwhile." Mink countered with a playful tone. The metamorph flashed a perfect smile staring into Sil's near blank eyes as she saw Scribe fume even more.

"Stop." The voice came from behind the Virtou's wings. The boy came forward, although his eyes were clearly draconian. "There is no deception in him."

"If you say so..." The warrior glanced downward at his nephew, then slowly calmed his tense nerves. Therony's uninjured arm rested itself against the boy's head. "It still does not explain how he knows my name."

Every set of eyes not Mal's focused on Algorath but the bandaged one maintained a calm air to him. "It appears I know a Therony, and he looks a lot like you."
Nix nodded, feeling nothing out of the ordinary about the response. The cerulean entity did not have a good edge on the demon still. "It happens. What is it? Mistaken identity?"

The white being held by Mink agreed, and as she let him go stood straight up while rubbing his shoulder. "That is it. I'll take his word then." It did help that he got two other positive reviews to go along with Nix's and the Prince. "But it does not change the fact we must head for the port right now and still have two others missing?"

Nix's eyes widened, "Fio and Sana didn't come back yet!?"
Mink growled, "Isn't your kind a bit strict when it comes to being on time?"

The Virtou Lord almost jumped when the shapeshifter suddenly pointed to him. "They are and seeing that our leader is here... we have to go now." Therony did not wish to think how far the escort fleet would overreact if Xion did not stand on that platform when they docked.

"Well I'm not leaving them!" The Starborne hissed, her eyes narrowing by the second.

Algorath lifted up one of his hands; "You can do both." When they targeted him with suspicious eyes, he continued calmly. "Take him to the port. While the rest of us go find those she spoke of. If anyone complains then I'm certain you can hold them at bay with a command." The demon's expression remained even-heeled when this Therony's heavy gaze settled on him.

Nix sped past the group, stopping at the absolute edge of the Clover's extended sign. "I'm going to look for them. All of you can stay here or go to the dock if you want." She nearly drifted out of normal sight before the other female rushed after her. Algorath following suit seconds later.

It was the short human boy that spoke up when their paths crossed. "He feels different..."

Outside of the creature on her head, Nix felt alone right now. Those two were her best friends. And neither, outside of Fio's moments of forgetfulness, remained perfectly punctual. They wanted to see Zon from a cruiser. The mere fact they would stay on one made the siblings overjoyed. She would turn over mountains to find them.

"Hold on a second, blue girl."
Nix froze and turned around finding Mink and their visitor rushing up to meet her.
"You really care for them..." The demon spoke when close to her, peering over his shoulder back the way they came briefly. "Rushing off like that."

For once a specific shapeshifter remained silent, but saw why the demon carefully chose his words. Nix's flames turned darker by the second. The softer fire turned hardened and intense. The flame that bounded both the Starborne and herself started to manifest, with or without knowing Algorath realized they had to remain civil. The ebon lines in her flesh grew.

"...But you should calm down. If your remain angry it won't help your friends."
"How would you know!? Standing here listening to you is wasting time!"  

Algorath didn't flinch at the hissed comment. He saw this enough times. "I won't hold you any longer. But ask yourself this. Would they like what they see when you find them?"

"Sweet words..." Mink hefted her altered head over, and whispered into where she thought his ears were.

Nix's cold stare lessened the more she watched them. Her markings receding back into the depths of her being. "You're right... but they are like family to me."

"Right, so we have only one quick way to find them now that you're sane again." Mink suddenly morphed, matching Nix as a fraternal twin, unable to match the fire tipped wings or the distinct lines on her body.

"Huh?" A confused Ki'Na stared at herself before gasping. "Oh!"
Nix watched herself nod, although it was the shapeshifter. Quickly, she took the bandaged hand of Algorath then the now slender azure hand of Mink. They completely forgot about the local populace and the ensuing commotion they caused when three people suddenly vanish in a flash and without a trace left behind.

The group reappeared in a forest. Mink recognized it as the wood surrounding the roads leading to the Kingdom. For a while, this was the base for the thieves. However, she wondered why they came here.
"Sana! Fio!"
Her head jerked around violent at the Starborne's yelling.

Algorath did the same for he looked at the environs in a different direction. He saw Nix hurry to a prone creature, smoking and breathing heavily. The three headed beast barely moved.
"Someone did a number on them." He turned a bit astonished as to how calmly and saddened the metamorph acted.

"That is Fio and Sana?"
They joined the Starborne trying to help out the prone animal.

"Sana? What happened?" Nix brushed the spike sharp mane of the lion head, left most in the trio of different skulls, her hands digging through unyielding hair.

The lion's eyes fluttered, Sana recognized her friend but didn't speak. She hefted her heavy weight but staggered. The head painfully turned to the other two. The cobra head in the center didn't move, slumped down into the burnt ground it laid on. It's crests an oddly colored purple.

"Fio? No time to be snoozing." Nix cried softly. Her hands jumped to the right most head, this strange mix of goat and bull. Where Sana's face remained smooth, Fio's rough and uncut like stone facade did not move. The goat's horns merged at the tips instead of running parallel to one another. Three varied tails, lined with spikes unmoving as him, Sana laid back down unable to move without her brother.

Algorath found Mink's changed hand pointing directly in his line of vision at them. "See what your kind did to us?" The voice no louder than a taunting haughty murmur, she moved by him. He still held his tongue but drew warily close to his limit. She hurried over to Nix. "You feel it don't you? You know what happened..." There was none of the cynicism or tormenting. Mink understood how close Ki'Na stood with one another.

For once that upbeat nature could not show. Nix was reeling, knowing what Mink implied. She did feel it the instant she felt the light of the manticore before bring them here and it made her stomach sick, twisting into excruciating knots. But her hands remained brushing against Fio's head. She wanted to cry but no tears would come.

"We'll have to find something to carry them. " Nix felt the Divini woman's hand settled on her shoulder. "Your trick doesn't work on those...hurt."

Algorath drew his blade and when his foot settled into the grass next to the gathered group. It drew their attention. "I presume that is the reason why your friends lie immobile?"

Mink followed his extended sword and loudly gasped. Her heart instantly growing cold as quick as a flick of a switch. "That's impossible!"