lucky was she who could escape the bandits, and to find herself in a recently cleared section of the territory.  not long after Sam had arrived upon the path up to the inn, boulders to her left and right escaped a mist so thick that it hid the sounds of fighting deeper in the land before a roar broke through the mist,a great golden beast rearing up through the mist.

trails of moisture followed the lung dragon as they pushed off from the ground, talons shimmering in the light of the rising sun. jaws spread with splintered branches and bolts of lightning escaping their jaws in a bright almost white pale blue hue, their body came whistling down at the ground. the charged electricity escaped their jaws, smashing into the ground leagues away, the shrieks of creatures ringing out. the creatures in question rushed in sam's direction, bloodied and charred, stumbling and reeking of carrion. the dragon had noticed her, long serpentine body pushing through the mists in a swinging predatorial way, enough to make most flee from instincts screaming to retreat.

coming to a stop not far from her, they turned their head from side to side, silver metallic ichor dripping from cuts and gashes on their muzzle. "state your name, traveler. are you a bandit? if you are, clear out or you'll meet your demise." they threatened her, blind eyes not falling upon her but just past the wolf.

a deep sound escaped from the dragon, their jaws barely open, lips curled in a ferocious expression, anger fueling through the beast. they struggled to calm themself, the just for war ringing through their body, keeping their senses alert for a sneak attack. shaking their head to clear their mind, they brought their head lower in order to get a better read of the wolf. "state your name.", they rumbled, manners curt for lack of time, aware of the lightning racing around their jaws. closing their eyes, they urged themself to be calm, "this is abrupt and i apologize but would you be willing to stay and help us with this issue, mercenary? my name is lin bai, but call me bai shi. i am the kingpin of the rightful group of this land that the bandits snuck in upon.", they growled lowly, suddenly lashing out with a fore foot, sending a coyote NPC flying away with a cry of pain, their talons having ripped through the creature's fur and into flesh.

a deep rumble escaped the divine beast, their tail sweeping forward to keep a peaceful boundary between their hatchlings and sam - listening to their instincts. "children, take a moment to collect yourselves and calm down. sam, please take our apologies to heart. this is my daughter veris and my son leoku. we are the few defenders remaining in this land and we find it very hard to trust anyone nowadays. I've only just been able to return to my home here, it is our wish to protect it and we are uneasy of newcomers at this time. please allow us to make it up to you in whatever ways that we can.", the dragon murmured before taking a step back from sam and their children.

accompanied by the sounds of cracking bones and ruffling fur, their body shrank and changed, the body of a large black jaguar taking their place, white spackling covering a good percentage of their pelt. "This body of mine might be easier to converse with and see as an equal. we will provide you with refreshments and foods in our inn for a few days to allow you to recuperate. in two days - come to the meeting and tell us the decision that you have made: will you stay with us or will you leave.", they murmured, blind blue eyes glinting in the light.