There wasn't much to really hide in properly, but it worked until Howl saw the dragon rear back and suck in an enormous breath. He shot into a sitting position, bracing himself to get the hell out of Dodge. When nothing but disappointment came, he totally had the time and nerve to guffaw at gembound. His "Ha-HAH!" was muffled slightly by the veritable menagerie of rocks in his mouth, but it served its purpose. Now, it was time to run like his tail was on fire, which it might actually be in a moment if he didn't get going.

He bounced from the hoard, clenching his overstuffed jaw so that nothing would fall out, and careened towards the pathway leading down the ledge, not even daring to look back. Stopping from full-speed at a slight turn, he looked over the edge. There was a platform just below, and it might aid him just that little bit to just jump down. Tail raised like a flag, he crouched and prepared to slide down. It was a little risky, and he tumbled head-first just slightly enough to get a spike of nerves, but managed to stop in time before he went the rest of the way down.

@Dread

When the monkey--creature--thing laughed at him, he felt rage boil over. It was sentient, then--or it likely was--and it was STEALING HIS THINGS. With a shrieking bellow he leapt forward, scrambling more slowly after Howl--right up until the point where he simply dropped off a ledge, leaping and spreadings his wings. Then he was fast, and dove forward, aiming to plow his hind legs in a double-kick against Howl and send him flying downward.

The path was unwieldy, ungainly, and he wasn't sure if he'd succeeded in knocking Howl off or just tumbling farther down his path. Hopefully he'd hurt him, at least; the dragon turned, flapping off into the air, having to circle back to try and see where the stranger had gone. To see if he'd even hit him.

A second shrieking roar rended the air as he turned, his eyes blazing with fury and his wings flapping in an angry rush.

"MIIIIIIIIINE!"

@Howl

Well, uh, this wasn't good. 'Not good!' he thought as the dragon's claws whiffed him but was just enough to send him careening off towards the next platform down, which was... quite a ways. Despite this, Howl felt like he had absolutely no time to brace himself other than twisting frantically midair and splaying his limbs out like he would suddenly become a kite. 'Maybe thoes rocks wirn't worth it.' Unfortunately, pride was a fun thing that corrupted the poor hybrid, and he refused to give up on this lest he have another crisis with his memory mid-wild-goose-chase like the last time he was in this situation.

As he hit the rock, he decided that maybe he'd just give up. There was an explosion of pain across his shoulder as he accidentally fell upon it, then across his back as he flopped uselessly. Gritting his teeth across a plethora of baubles and goodies, Howl rolled onto his stomach, joints uneasily shifting to accommodate it. He really should give up. But would he? No. Despite the blossoming soreness of his shoulder and likely fracture he continued on, limping slightly as he went. It was something.

@Dread

It took him another pass to spot the hybrid--tumbled farther down, up and moving again, a darker blip against the reddish stone. Dread shriek-roared once more as he caught sight of him and then banked sharply, wings folding and leaning and then beating heavily as he powered for his target.

Warm wind rushed by, his rage stoked by the sight of his enemy. Nothing else existed, in that moment. Nothing else mattered. There was that thing he had to kill, the thing that had taken his things, and Dread swept closer in a rush of air.

Heat welled up within him, and this time he felt the surge of triumph and pain as he lowered his head, flames pouring forth in a torrent as he passed swiftly over the stranger. It was only a brief pass, yet the roiling fire engulfed the stone, and he turned, banking with another shrieking roar to circle back, to peer down and see if the other was yet dead.

Savage righteousness curled his snout into a snarl, fangs glinting as he curled back overhead, peering down into his billowing black smoke.

@Howl

When he landed, he could not find the monkey-thing. He'd circled back, waiting for the smoke to clear, but his sharp eyes had picked out nothing fleeing from the fire and the black.

Dread was fairly certain he had killed it, as he'd promised himself he would. He could not be sure, though--perhaps it'd managed to leap into some cover he couldn't see, saving its life at the last moment. But he could find no such cover.

For a time he simply circled, the heat of the rock he'd scorched adding a satisfying little extra lift beneath his wings; and at length, he landed. The smoke was clearing, now, and the rock charred black in places, but he saw no bones, no hair--perhaps he'd incinerated it completely..?

He did, however, see a few blackened stones--and he recognized them as at least a few of those that Howl had stolen from him.

For a time, the dragon was preoccupied with picking up every shining pebble with flicks and clumsy curling of his wing-claws, and with grinding nips of his jaws against flat rock. When at last he had them all he took flight once more, leaping into the air and winging his way back to his den.

Any others who dared to steal from him would suffer the same fate.

He was death on wings! He was fire incarnate! He was dread, taken form!

...He was Dread!

This new identity left his lips curled into the same savage grin, teeth glinting as he swept back to his alcove.

exit Dread