The Courtyard [EVENT ROOM 3]

[Christoph]

Eli and Azza. Bunnies approved.

Glass shattered. Shouting, stomping boots. A murder! Hidden away behind the statue, the dragon and fake ‘niece’ stood still and silent for a long moment. At last, Elijah broke the silence. He elected, as was his way, to ignore the obvious bedlam erupting around them.

“So we have met?” He narrowed his eyes at the strange girl, her horns and silver hair and wings like something out of a dream. “Wait.” He scowled at what she’d said. “What do you mean time hasn’t been kind? I’m not that old!”

“Then time really hasn’t been kind.” Despite the chaos unfolding, a smirk flashed across her face.

The Dragon laughed. In spite of everything, an earnest chuckle bubbled up from his chest.

“No, they really haven’t, have they?” He sniffed, running a hand across the lines on his forehead, the scar running from his eye to jaw, and the pits of old healed blisters along his cheeks. “I know you, don’t I? From where?”

“Ah, well.” The girl shifted on her feet, wings twitching behind her. “From a dream.” She looked away. “Maybe. It was…”

“...a long time ago.” Of course. That was why he felt an instinctual drive to protect her; he had done it before, while sojourning through dreams. He smiled. “I remember you. You were a lot younger then. I spent months trying to track you down afterwards, to make sure you were okay, but I never found you.” She opened her mouth to speak, but Eli cut her off, leaning in closer.

“My employer sent me to this ball on a mission.” He slipped his mask back on, his voice dropping to a whisper. “She said I was supposed to meet someone, that I would know them.” He barked a laugh. “It must be you!”

She looked up at him, eyes wide. "W-what mission? What were you sent to do?"

He glanced about, taking stock of the scene. Shattered glass, cries of murder inside. Guards locking down the exits. He couldn't hear everything, but he caught enough panicked words to piece together the situation. A brick settled in his stomach. "Something that will get a lot harder if his lordship is dead."