Fidelan squeeked, for although he typically seemed rather steady-minded, such noises were enough to frighten most toughened souls! As for Denique, when he caught the first thing that crossed Dracothrope's mind (that is, a big, wet, claw-filled tongue about to punch a hole between her eyes) his eyes grew as wide as saucers and he ducked under the humanoid's legs, utterly terrified. That, of course, upset Dracothrope's balance and she went sprawling--and it was at that moment that the claw-tongued xenomorph pried away the vent and peered through, its eyeless muzzle and curled ram-horns dipping into the wide open space, head turning from side to side as it scanned the area.

It was truly the most horrifying thing that Dracothrope had ever experienced, seeing that thing up there and watching as its head locked on her location. She held perfectly still as Denique shivered beneath her, afraid to move for fear of the creature leaping and attacking. Fidelan held likewise still, taking his cue from the others, his firey red eyes never leaving the hairy creature.

Despite their statue-like appearance--or perhaps because of it, the xenomorphic creature slowly pulled itself into the elevator, its feet and gold-clawed fingers somehow sticking to the smooth ceiling, its feathered wings tucked tightly to its back. Dracothrope watched with increasing terror as it creeped along the ceiling towards them, like an inevitable insect, alien and utterly predatorial. When it was nearly above them, Denique whimpered, and the creature chose that moment to drop! All three of them gave some cry or other of fear as the claw-tongue, its wings spread wide to muffle its quick descent, landed feet-down before them, only about a meter away from the trio. It rushed them, and the first thing that Dracothrope did was to cover her bond the rest of the way, while Denique automatically curled into a little ball for added protection. In a moment that certainly seemed lightning fast, the claw-tongue lunged at Dracothrope, claws raised, and slashed a rent in the shoulder of her shirt--the closest available part of her. The humanoid tried to fend it off with her arm, but obviously soft skin is no match for exoskeletal, chitinous hide, and while a brief scuffle ensued (all of which time a cacophony of noises--cries from the humanoid and shrill screeches from the monster, along with high-pitched shrieks from both dragonets), ultimately it was the claw-tongue that won out. It latched its claws around Dracothrope's arm and roughly propelled her upwards, while the human screamed bloody murder and tried to her her footing against the much larger beast.

Hissing back, the creature pulled her arm to its muzzle, its jaws parting to reveal that reviled claw-tipped tongue. Dracothrope renewed her efforts to escape, the two kits alternately frozen with fear or screeching and trying to help and really not doing much in the first place. The xenomorphic beast ignored them, its tongue snaking out and tensing for a moment, arms clamped around Dracothrope's own to keep her from escaping. For a moment, all seemed lost... but when the striking blow came, it wasn't through the humanoid's skull, and it certainly wasn't a mortal blow! The tongue shot forward and latched on to Dray's arm, about half-way between arm and elbow, the half-inch-long mandibles that framed the smaller mouth piercing her skin, and that said smaller mouth sinking needle-sharp teeth into her flesh.

Dracothrope screamed, then crumpled into a pile as the creature released her. Immediately Denique was on her, panicked and terrified and furious and doing his best to protect her, snarling up in his small voice at the claw-tongue as she settled backwards into a patient squat. Fidelan likewise ran to the humanoid's side, joining with Denique in their supposed advantage.

All of this happened in what had to be less then half a minute, and now the relative silence was deafening. Dracothrope clutched her arm, from which several puncture-wounds were bleeding freely, and tried to stop panicking. The creature was done with her, she was minimally harmed, she had to keep the kits safe, oh god it hurt so much what the hell just happened?

:: You are all pitifully unprepared to meet the demands of the world, :: the claw-tongue xeno psied, arms crossing over her obsidian-black chest, as she sat, monolith-like, facing the panicked group.

It took a moment for that to sink in. Dracothrope's mind stopped running around in little circles long enough to say, "Wait a minute.... what?"

:: I said, :: the xenomorph said, :: That you are all pitifully unprepared to meet the demands of the world. You are not a human, nor are you a dragon, and yet the sum of your parts is certainly less then the whole. :: She remained perfectly still, which made her telepathic voice seem all the more detached and intangible.

"What's that supposed to mean?!" Dracothrope retorted, releasing her grip on her arm to try to soothe the two crossbreed kits. (Her bloody hand wasn't helping.)

:: It means that you obviously need protection, and possibly training, and I can give it to you... for a price. ::

"What the heck!?" Dray exclaimed, more furious now then frightened. What kind of proposal was that, to attack someone and then suggest they were able to protect them?

"You just go away!" Denique exclaimed quickly after Dracothrope's cry, followed by a "Yeah!" from Fidelan. "Leave my bond alone!"

The creatures head turned imperceptibly, and she directed her voice to the kit, :: I will not go away and I will not leave 'your' bond alone. I will exchange my protection and extend my understanding of combat to all three of you in exchange for temporary shelter with you. ::

Dracothrope huffed, sitting up now that the kits had moved off of her, but keeping her uninjured arm around Fidelan while Denique crawled into her lap. "I've never needed protection before, and why should I give a homicidal maniac like you shelter?"

The creature remained silent for a moment. :: Because, :: she finally replied, :: your life can not be blessed by safety in ignorance for much longer. ::

And then the elevator came to a stop.

DING!

The doors scrolled open, and the mutt on the other side blinked at the sight before him. "My goodness! What's going on here?" He exclaimed, but Dracothrope waved him down.

"It's nothing," she replied. The xenomorph gave a little hiss, though what emotion it indicated no one was sure. Dracothrope continued, "come on, you two... let's get me cleaned up." She glared at the creature as well. "You, whatever your name is... you can come to, but if you try to pull any more of that bull crap you'll be in deep trouble."

The creature nodded slightly and returned to her feet--bringing her to twice Dracothrope's height. :: Of course. :: she affirmed. :: And my name is Mortyrss ::

With that, the three (badly cowed and/or confused and upset) original users disembarked from the elevator, with a newcomer following behind them in a more stately manner. Far different from when they'd first stepped into the lift, they none the less had the half-Avengaean sponsor to meet, and a trip down to Driolo to take!