Cultures.

[hrothgar]

Thick clouds rolled like the fog of war over the riverfront. The Stairs had been blocked off in places, a warning by the humans that the walkways down to the piers were unsafe at any time of day. The ones that weren't blocked off lay open and foreboding. These were the gates of hell, such was the human opinion of this place, and it was likewise reflected in the graffiti scrawled across the flagstones.

"Lasciate ogne speranza, voi ch'intrate"

In Hrothgar the weekly journey here was something of a pilgrimage. He fully acknowledged the dangers that lay in wait for him down there but he had more important things to consider than his own saftey. With his hunting rifle in hand and his ventilator mask firmly affixed he walked the approach to the walkway like some ancient soldier marching across no-man's land in the horrific calm following the last artillery barrage. At this time of day the sun was just beginning to heat up the waters which caused that thick layer of fog. During the day the vapors provided a thick acrid toxic environment for most humans that remained static over the riverbed until sundown when it began to cool off and the gases began to sink down to the ground. Tthe pollution had reached such a level that it began to pervade the very air around the junction. There were even rumors that the water in the Junction was so polluted that if someone drowned there, then you could actually go back the next day and chalk the outline. Hrotghar wasn't sure about this but he was sure that at least once or twice the river must have caught fire.

For a long moment he stood at the 'gateway' staring through the fog. He was unsure why he hesitated, perhaps in memory to a time long forgotten. He had been a veteran of the first World War, he had seen the horrors at Flanders and Verdun. This was nothing new to him, and yet it gave him pause. He felt there was a moment of recognition he had to pay for all those who'd been lost in the fog. It had been over a hundred years ago but it had been the first time that Hrotghar had seen atrocity and death on that kind of level, and for him the memories were still fresh. Machine guns, fire and the yellow brown death smoke, all burned fresh in the back of his mind.

He took a deep breath clutching his rifle tightly in his hands. After taking another look around for any signs of life he descended the staircase.

[Xenophon]

Xenophon made use of the fog over Three Rivers. It covered his near silent approach, a gift that came with Feathered Wings, and further covered his landing. He turned back into a man, and unpacked the parcel he carried with him. He slipped into his clothes, and settled the leather trenchcoat about his shoulders. He took the time to build his telescoping staff, leaving off the spearhead blade, which doubled as a longknife sheathed at his hip. Xen hadn’t packed any firearms, which he would have preferred to do, but he had thick iron spikes, two to either wrist, that would help him at a moderate range. Each spike was about as thick as his pinky finger, and balanced for throwing. He tied a moistened cloth over his nose and mouth, and didn’t bother with goggles as he proceeded.

He paused at the graffiti, and shook his head. Xenophon recognized the quotation; it made for a very literate Graffito. The area was a mess. He could scarcely believe that any one place could become so bad, in so little time, relatively speaking. He sighed. He and Ana entertained hopes of recovering the area, and cleansing the rivers, but even with their life spans, he doubted that they could do it. What took only a handful of time for pollution to complete, would now take many more times that amount to clean out. Xen cheated a bit, he made sure fresh air came to him, and parted the haze before him with his Power. Xenophon paused a moment, and closed his eyes. He had sensed someone on his territory before, another dragon, and he had waited for them to come to him. He then resolved to find them, but he had better things to do than engage in another territorial dispute. Xen would allow them to feel safe, before he revealed himself. It turned out, he may not have to wait that long.

Xenophon took a moment to carefully don his psychic armor. He had spent a long time amongst humans, and hiding himself was amongst his earliest lessons. He adjusted the flow of air around his body, so that nothing of his scent would escape him for the moment. Then he plunged into the bleak cityscape, smiling slightly as he searched for some natural hope of recover, and a visiting – or newly arrived resident – Dragon.

[hrothgar]

Step by step the descent unfolded before him, into the smog he made his way as the world turned white and smoky around him. Oddly enough it wasn't so bad today, there were times when the smog was downright caustic but today there was enough of a cross breeze to keep things at least tolerable. Funny, there hadn't been any great deal of wind in this part of town for a while, at least not since the smog formed. He could remember back before the falling times, there was usually a brisk wind off of the river's surface but that had been at least a decade ago, maybe more, it was hard to remember. Still he was curious now, where was that wind coming from? It had an almost eerie living quality to it that begged to be examined. Hrothgar, however, was still bound by the limits of a human form. To whatever strengths and powers that most dragons possessed in their many states of being, when it came to Hrothgar all supernatural effects of his being were rendered null by a body too used to hiding in plain sight. Perhaps in his full or hybrid forms Hrothgar would have been able to loose the gas mask and take a better look, but he knew that the human doctor Luther Christophsen would have issues dealing with the acrid smoke, not fatal ones, but issues enough to make the thought of ripping away that protective mask a repulsive one.

He stood for a moment, waiting in the obscuring smoke for signs of movement. Unaware of the fact that he was being watched by a higher power. Perhaps if he still had any confidence vouched in Theist sentiments he would have been a bit more wary, but for now there was work to be done and no time to be wasting thoughts and words on outside concerns. Sensing no immediate danger he shouldered up the sling strap on his bolt action rifle and began his little march down to the riverbank and pushing through the smoke that rose off of the rocks that made up it's bed. It was here that his little laboratory was set up, hidden away from prying eyes and minds by a carefully placed assortment of rocks and ancient debris that had been washed down river back when the river was still capable of carrying anything at speeds faster than a dead crawl.

The laboratory, it turned out were a series of small plastic Tupperware containers each sitting half submerged in the inky water. In front of these Hrothgar took a seat examining the contents of each one. Sealed away in each container was a sample of the water and sloshing around it were carefully metered out samples of various things.. tapeworms in one, mushrooms in another, bread mold in a third.. on and on totaling about twenty containers each with a sample of river water being acted on by small entities in little controlled environments. With his little biospheres lined up by numbers etched into the lids Hrothgar began making observations on each one, pullling out a pad of of paper and a pen wrapped up in a clear trash bag and began making notes.

[Xenophon]

Xen wound up putt on the goggles about a mile into the miasma. He could squint, but the effort was better spent concealing his presence, and pulling in a very subtle breeze of fresh air. The air was too humid for the cloth over his nose to really dry it, so both the cloth and the agents it was soaked with were doing their job. His goggles were technology at its finest; he had fine dark and night vision, and he still had his sense of smell, not that the latter did too much good here, but the goggles could pick out movement at a distance, identify fingerprints, turn the dark into kind of a pale greenish day. It was hooked into facial recognition databases, as well as the King’s own information store, which wasn’t inconsiderable considering his age and his resources.

Since achieving his age, and his Power, Xenophon was more truly a Great Wyrm. He had been King twice, and since assuming such, he had developed a curious sense of his territory. Even now, he knew where his Queen was, as well as the Dragons in their Court. Even now, he knew where the stranger Dragon was, and could make fair guess as to his age, even though he was very well shielded indeed. Xen just knew there was a Dragon about, and that it wasn’t one he had met before. He often hoped to run into his old friend and Mentor, Socrates. This was not that old man, that ancient Dragon, if that Dragon even still lived. He sighed a bit, and sensed movement before the goggles picked them out and identified them as mutates; feral animals that had been changed by their environment. Well, Xenophon would consider it training. He stepped clear of the alley, and brandished his staff, before attaching the spearhead.

Yelps and wails soon followed, and angry growls were immediately and sharply cut off. The sounds of a pack of beasts were not too far away to be completely unaware of, but the silence after the cacophony was deafening. Not long afterward, Xenophon approached the other Draconic presence, cleaning his blade before detaching it from his spear and sheathing it at his hip once again. He’d just enjoyed a brisk bit of exercise, and his blood was up, there would be no better time than now to introduce himself. He slipped into the space ahead of him, moving quietly from shadow to shadow and came upon a – laboratory. His eyebrows rose, this fellow hadn’t been in town too long, and already he’d gotten this up and running. Xenophon moved further into the room, and tapped the haft of his staff, formerly a spear, against the uneven concrete floor.

“Nice day for a walk, don’t you think?”

[hrothgar]

Hrothgar's mind was alerted by the sound of painful wails somewhere off in the smog. He stood stock still for a long moment awaiting the next scream or painful cry as they died out as swiftly as they had started. He set down the little plastic Tupperware container he was dealing with and cocked back the bolt on his rifle. He waited.... and waited... An odd sense of peace fell over him as he began to put away suspicions of an attack, he knew that the ferals and the ghouls only went after easier targets.

He was diligently working again by the time he heard the voice from nearby. What the visitor saw was no proper laboratory. An open air site on the river's edge was more of a description fitting the place, and the 'lab equipment' consisted of 20 plastic containers and nothing more. There were no test tubes or diodes or examination tables, just a fellow in a gas mask with a notepad and a healthy interest in the sludge river. The fellow was now alert, looking up and trying to find the source of the intrusion. He had no reason to rush now, if it had been a vampire or a werewolf he was certain he'd probably be dead by now. As it so happened his visitor seemed a nicely dressed sort with a very expensive pair of night vision goggles.

Hrothgar took a moment to regard him then turned his attentions back to his work. "A nicer day was never seen, but I'm afraid I've no desire for walking today. Back when the River was clean there was a nice place to go walking across the river junction at the edge of the corporate district... there was a park that overlooked the rivers. I haven't been there since the world fell apart though." He replied in a polite but well learned tone. It was a tone that seemed bereft of any delusions of grandeur or any thoughts of greatness. Many voices could emulate modesty but few seemed to radiate it the way Hrothgar's did. "I can remember I enjoyed it though, Mr Dominici ran a hot dog cart on the main terrace, he sold Egg Rolls, Polish Kielbasa, Italian Sausage and Coney Island dogs. The man braved blizzards, Thunderstorms and gale force winds with his cart and I would not be surprised one bit if he was still there selling Footlong zombie-dogs to the passing werewolves or vampires or... well.. whoever controlls that side of the river these days."

Putting a few last touches on his notes he set the pad aside and stretched. "Now, I don't mind if you watch me at work, but I will ask that I know your name if you've come to visit me here."

[Xenophon]

Xenophon tilted his head slightly as the other Dragon went on and on for bit. He remembered the place as it was, which was to the good, considering the work he appeared to be doing. The Dragon King wondered if he wasn’t a little mad. Genius often lead to solitude and then solitude sometimes led to a kind of madness; he’d seen it before, though not in a Dragon. For all his vast intellect and opinions, even Socrates liked to have his rhetoric heard. Xenophon sighed slightly, so much of language was lost these days. “Zombie-dogs would have to be caught, though they would not be moving too quickly, and neither a vampire nor a lycanthrope would eat on such rotten flesh.”

He smirked, and let the man continue to work, waiting for the pencil to rise from the paper before he spoke. “I am Xenophon.” The Ancient Attican figured he would get to the point. “I am the Dragon King, and you, Sir, failed to come for introductions in a timely manner.” Despite the words, he smiled. “I’d be happy to have your name now, though I fear I have no refreshment to offer as I would at my home.”

[hrothgar]

The pencil stopped, partially because he had suddenly forgotten what he was going to write next but more likely because he had just heard the words Dragon King leave the man's lips. Immediately a cold shock washed through him, he knew kings. Granted he didn't know this one, but he understood the various demands that people in his position were capable of making. For a moment he showed a bit of hesitation, unsure what this fellow was about to ask him. It took him a moment before he realized he was acting irrationally... it was something he knew he did all the time but he'd tried his best to repress in important situations.

He took a deep breath, rubbing his forehead and setting his ventilator mask to the side, showing his human face to the king. He smiled, setting the pad and paper to the side, doing his best to hide the strange anxiety not for being caught off guard by the visitor but rather for being caught off guard by his own psyche. Perhaps it was a sign that he had been playing the part of human for too long.

"Xenophon was it? Now if I'm correct you're the same Xeonophon who wrote the Anabasis, adapted as a novel by Sol Yurik and as a movie by Walter Hill... if you've seen or read either I'm certain you must have been as surprised as I was to see the sort of liberties they took. I don't rightly remember what Green painted baseball players translated to in your writings but it was at the very least entertaining."

He smiled, relaxing now as he took a moment to give his attentions to the Dragon King. "My most recent name is Luther Christophsen, at one point in time I was Lothar Caesarea, before that Clothair Varngoi and before that I was known simply as Hrothgar the Jute. I do not know who my parents were but evidence I've collected over the years suggest they may have been Tiamat and Niddhoggr of Babylon and Jomsborg respectively. I have no evidence to support claims to either but they seemed to be the only two dragons capable of siring me at the time and place i was born and I've found no evidence of others of my race being present in the area during the time of my birth." He bowed his head recalling for a moment the images of his past, doing his best to remember them, they were always so faint and every day that passed he was fearful that he might loose more of his history. He closed his eyes taking another deep breath in spite of the acrid fumes that swarmed about them.

"I'm sorry mein He-... my Lord, for not having made my presence known to your sooner. I'm a doctor you see, a man of science and medicine, and during the falling times I was busy with more corpses and deaths than I could handle, dealing with a lot of grief. Time just seemed to slip away from me and before long... well, I'm sure you understand the rest. If it would please you better I'd gladly make formal introductions at your lair at a time of your choosing."

[Xenophon]

Xenophon enjoyed these small moments when he was able to surprise another of his kind. It was a subtle hint regarding both his Power and ability, that he could sense them while not being sensed himself. Pennsylvania was his, and he was very in tune with it. Some evening, he dreamt that he was Pennsylvania, and that he could feel and discern the steps of all the species that walked upon his surface. That wasn’t true, of course, but to Xen, it told him he had put down roots, he and his Queen, both. It was even better to be remembered. He chuckled with genuine warmth at Hrothgar’s introduction.

“Personally, I was always more fond of my Cavalry and Horsemanship manuals. They remain useful, and very nearly unchanged.” Xenophon tilted his head, “The Warriors was a modern day use of classical literature. I rather enjoyed it. They sprinkle in enough hints with regards to the source material, that I was smiling throughout.” He chuckled, “They also made it into a video game, early Twenty-First Century; quite good as well, considering how long after the film it was made.”

“Hrothgar.” Xenophon repeated, “Will you be building a great beer hall?” He smirked, “I will keep to Luther, if ever we meet in public. I am Xenophon everywhere.” He saw no reason to expose this Dragon, and so he would not, if it could be helped. “Quite a lineage. I remain uncertain as to mine, and after so long, it hardly matters.” He didn’t make a gesture, but fresh air reached Hrothgar as he took a breath from the weight of his own memories. His eyebrows rose slightly when he was almost called ‘Mein Herr’. He hadn’t heard that since a very old war. “I can see that. I make a visit to this place once a month, looking for signs of natural recovery; I see that you are doing the same, in your own way.”

Xenophon shook his head, “That won’t be necessary. Pennsylvania is my protectorate, and my Court is where ever I am. Though I would like you to come by the house, perhaps for tea, and meet my Queen. It is best to put a face and a scent to the name.” He smiled, “Nothing formal, just a visit. We can settle anything else right here.” Xen glanced around, “You’re a scientist and a Doctor.” He tapped his goggles, “High Tech, ran a search on your assumed name.” Xen lifted the goggles from his eyes, settling them on his forehead. “Hrothgar of Jutland, I am Xenophon of Attica, King of Pennsylvania and you will be a welcome addition to my Lands and my Court, if you are willing to swear to be my liegeman. I will take you at your word, and in exchange, as your King, I will do my best to see to your safety as together we see to the safety and betterment of others. I cannot control the world, but I can and will control my piece of it, and I would like it to be peaceful, green, growing and whole again. What say you?”

[hrothgar]

Hrothgar chuckled at the insinuation towards his namesake in the old Anglo Saxon texts. Personally he'd always wondered if he'd been the Inspiration for the character, but he knew full well the idea was implausible. "No no... I'm not THAT Hrothgar, during the time when those events took place I was living day to day on a longship somewhere between Dublin and Kiev. Although if you've a mind to be building a Beer Hall any time soon I'd be honored if you chose to put my name on it. I'd at least find the double reference amusing." He said with a grin. "Although I don't know if that would be tempting the hand of fate by invitng another grendel to attack"

He sat back now looking over the few containers he had yet to make his survey of. The grin now subsided to a warm smile, his fingers quietly flipping his pen around between his knuckles. What was it about this sort of proposal that made his heart thrum with excitement so? While the thought of kings made part of him uneasy the thought of oaths of loyalty brought glorious memories to mind. He looked at his hands now, how long had it been since they were clad in gauntlets of steel and leather? Too Long, he thought, Far too long .

"Welll if its an Oath o Fealty you're looking for I'm no stranger here." He said standing up with a touch of bravado now ringing in his voice. "In my time I've laid my hands before the King of Constantinople, The Knights of Malta, and the Kaiser of Germany. While those Kings and Orders have all fallen away my oaths to them have never died, and if you will it so, I'll swear my loyalty to you as well."

The doctor bowed deeply, after centuries of being out of practice the principles of chivalry had not left him. He held himself like a proper knight, posture straight and proud as though it had been forever etched into his person. "My arms and weapons are old, but they will still protect should you call upon them. Should you seek, however, a vassal who has well learned the arts of medicine, healing, surgery and mercy then I am your man." With that he dropped to one knee, bowing his forehead with both hands on his forward leg. "But be warned King, my first oath is to Humanity, especially those close to me, and I'd be an oathbreaker if I did not call to muster every strength at my command to defeat and denounce any lord, baron, king or emperor who would have me violate my oath. Whether Directly , or by aiding and abetting those who would be enemies of humanity, I would sooner break my sword and fall on it than increase the human suffering in this world. Such is my oath and so I shall keep it until the day of judgement, amen."

[Xenophon]

“Perhaps not.” Xenophon smiled, “But we could still use a Beer Hall.” He chuckled, “I think I can handle Grendel and his cursed Mother besides.” He shook his head, “The latter would not be a movie starlet painted gold, either.” Xen watched the way he moved, and how he looked at his hands. He had seen that look, he’d even had that expression a time or two, but Xenophon was a soldier out of Legend; he had served since he was old enough to do so, and still did, even now. A King that didn’t serve his people was no King at all; only a few bloodsucking Princes ever caught on to that. “Do not fret so. I do not expect to be sending you into battle, and should I have to, I expect you’ll be willing to fight. Even a Priest will protect his flock.”

The Dragon King stepped forward, and with all due formality, laid his hand on the top of Hrothgar’s head. The Earth Dragon could sense the Power in his grip, indeed, in the Dragon, as he lowered his psychic shields and allowed the Hrothgar to sense the weight of his presence. “Welcome to Pennsylvania. I am your King, and you my Vassal, as I have a responsibility to you, so do you have a responsibility to the Court. Your skills are welcome, as is your heart.” He then moved his hands and raised Hrothgar up by the shoulders, clapping him on both. “Rise now, Brother, and tell me what you’ve done here, and what more you intend to do.”

[hrothgar]

His eyes flashed with a knowing look as the king mentioned battle. "Well do not hesitate, I've had extensive training and experience as a battlefield medic in the Reichswehr... err.. The German Army. I served as Sanitätsoldat in every standing army Germany maintained between 1871 and 1945. Should you or your other vassals fall or take wound in the line of duty, you will find no one better prepared or equipped to receive and mend them." With hand over his heart he stood. "Beim Skalpell oder biem Gewehr."

His eyes turned now to the containers. "Yes... right!" he said quickly facing them and stooping to pick one up out of the murky river water. "I've been studying the water these last few months. The level of toxins in the water has reached unprecedented levels which, may provide an interesting opporotunity. With such alien conditions new possibilities arise in the realm of natural .. or unnatural life sprawling in this rather hellish mire. Currently I have several observations going." His hand gestured vaguely to his other containers for a moment. "Fungus, plankton, algae, meal worms... anything I could find that could survive the murk has been placed in these special containers for study. With such high concentrations of mutagens in the water I'm hoping to find something worthwhile. At this point in time its hit or miss, but well... with the right combination who knows? Maybe we could discover a way to use this pollution to manufacture medicine and antibiotics, or maybe enough mutations of a certain lifeform could provide us with a way to clean the river.... Chemo synthetic microbes are not unheard of afterall..."

He paused... taking a deep breath now... looking at himself bedecked in his outlandish gear, a gas mask hanging from his neck, holding little Rubbermade containers filled with caustic sludge, and talking a mile a minute about god only knows what. He had to admit, he seemed like something of a mad scientist right now. Nevertheless he swallowed. "Although... I'm sure that all must be hard to follow my Liege."

[Xenophon]

Xenophon shook his head, “Don’t worry. I won’t.” He tilted his head, “Nazis seems a bit out of step for you, doesn’t it, Doctor? How did you justify remaining in the Service, considering the experiments and the camps?” He sighed, and shook his head. “I fought with the Allies, began with the Belgians, helped the French Resistance, and joined the American Armed Forces.” Xen smiled, “I’ve been a Devil Dog for a long, long time.” He nodded and clapped Hrothgar’s shoulder, “If I have need of either, I will certainly let you know.”

He listened to Hrothgar’s description of his scientific operation and walked around the makeshift laboratory. “It is my understanding that mutation, even under these circumstances, would take a very long time.” He tapped is lips for a moment, and twirled his staff as he thought. The butt hit the ground with a sharp tap when he brought the spinning to a stop. “What could you do with the proper resources? What would you need to say – create an honest facility here, and perhaps to carve out a piece of it?” Xenophon’s expression was exceedingly serious. “The fact is, there are more people then there are homes. I am going what I can, but the people need something of their own, something they can hold onto. Something reclaimed might do the trick, especially if they have a hand in it.”

“Xenophon, please, it is just you and I here. Xen, if you want to be friends.” He smiled and shook his head. “That was easy enough to grasp. I don’t have the scientific background that you do. I was always on the front lines, but I’ve educated myself over the years, and I understand what you’re saying, my practical applied experience is a bit narrow, however.” Xen eyed the tables and the specimens, “I keep coming out here to find some sign of recovery; a dandelion, a flower, a blade of grass, any kind of weed…anything.”

[hrothgar]

He paused, the word Nazi grated across his nerves like nails on a chalkboard. His hand trembled and somewhere in the distance he could hear train whistles and rain. He closed his eyes turning away for a moment, reaching towards his left hand with his right. He was trying to calm himself. It was in the past but it had managed to follow him through the decades. The images imprinted in his mind would never leave him. His face turned to one of guilt and remorse as he swallowed.
"Yes, I'm sure it does. Even we make mistakes sir..." He said his voice a little strained. "True, like so many others I took the Siegfried Oath. I was in the army of Deutschland, it was that or be killed, shot dead in the streets and piled onto the bonfire. By this time I had been in the army since Bismark had been Kaiser... my oaths were made to Germany and, looking back,I should have seen the warning signs earlier." His knees buckled just a bit... "I... I didn't think they were serious, I thought it was all rhetoric, I had made my promise to look after the brave soldiers of Germany... not the Reich, not the Nazi Party, but Germany. I was stationed on the Eastern front, too busy in my work to realize what was happening underneath my nose. Blinded by duty you would call it... it wasn't until 1943 that I actually saw the camps."

There was a long quiet now. Evident that words flashed behind Hrothgar's eyes but his mouth couldn't speak. Still clutching his trembling wrist... trying to keep his breathing steady. He swallowed a few times, his eyes glued to the floor. "Men, Gods,Dragons... we all have our limits. I had never considered myself a Nazi before until the day I visited Chelmno. If you can believe it I... I actually offered to lend medical aid to the prisoners there. I marched right to the commander's tent and offered to treat the prisoners myself. He told me that if I wanted to help I could... I could go through the ranks and find the ones unfit to work, then take down their numbers so that they could save time the next morning when they were sorting prisoners to be sent to the chambers."

The silence returned, thick and heavy over Hrothgar's head.

[Xenophon]

Xenophon was pleased to see that it bothered Hrothgar, being called a Nazi should bother a person, Dragon or Human. He read the change in the other Dragon’s scent, as well as the change in his heartbeat. His remorse was honest, and that spoke volumes. Xen couldn’t work with a real Nazi. He’d have burned him down to his beats, and eaten the remains. It was the only way to be sure. Xenophon shook his head, “It was a question that needed asking, Hrothgar. It seemed wildly out of step with the Dragon I see before me, and the Man whose history has been uploaded to these fancy spectacles of mine.” He clapped the Doctor on the shoulder, “There were Jews that would have joined the German Army, if allowed. No, it did not start with evil, it just ended there.”

He sighed, “That you kept to your oaths is honorable, and speaks well of you, and I can see the regret in your eyes, but I could not have remained. You made an oath in good faith, and that faith was abused.” Xen caught the Earth Dragon by the arm, his strength keeping him on his feet, but the gesture was so brief, and the King had moved on so smoothly, he spared Hrothgar any embarrassment about his failing knees. “I’ve fought in many wars, for many people, for many reasons. The Attican was a mercenary Hrothgar, though I tried to choose my employers well, one doesn’t often see the downside until one is in the mud and blood up to one’s knees. My Queen softened my more – capitalistic leanings – but I have always cared for Man. How can I not? We are Dragons, but we are human too.” The Dragon King frowned slightly, his eyes going distant. “I was there at Normandy. There when hundreds died to make that final push…” Xen shook his head, “I trust you have learned the dangers of blind obedience, even to yourself. Remember it well.”

The Fire Dragon nodded, “I believe it, Hrothgar. You remain an idealistic Dragon, I am far more pragmatic. Idealism can get in one’s way, but without it, there’s a little less hope in the world as well. Like anything, too much of it can be detrimental.” Xenophon nudged Hrothgar, “Wake up, Doc, neither of us are dead, and while we live, we can fight such madness where ever it rears its ugly head. Now, go on – you were describing your plans, and I had questions for you to answer.”

[hrothgar]

He looked up at Xenophon as he spoke. He had to admit the man had a way with words, the courage in his speaking made it clear: there was a reason the man seemed to lead others so naturally. Still, it was hard to put the past behind him sometimes. He had never quite forgiven himself for what had happened, and had often times wished he had exercised his true powers to put a stop to things. There was no way he could have known what would happen though, those things were gone now. The king was right, now was a time for moving on.

"I suppose you're right." Hrothgar murmured. "Let the ghosts lie for now lest the future be plagued with them to." He turned once again to the containers, rubbing his forehead trying to remember where they had left off.

"Ahh yes, reclaimation." He said, contemplating it. "Its an attractive thought. If we could get the river clean... well not so much clean as usable again it would be a boost. Running water.... we could start growing things." he shook his head. "It would take a great deal though, with the right backing I... I might have a solution in the works and underway in a few more years but its not certain. I do this only in my spare time, I make progress an inch at a time. There are hurt people here, people without homes and people without care, its almost as if we need... A church."

The answer spilled out of his mouth faster than he could really think though it. The word surprised him but well... it made sense on an odd level. "Some place to go for refuge, Some place they can go to find help, some place they can trust in and ,yes, something they can call their own... I've never set up a government though, I've never administered the planning of a country or city... but damned if I'm not going to give it a shot if it means helping to save our world."