Mello, The Draconian Samurai [Avalen]

Your first awareness is pain—a dull throb behind your eyes, the cold bite of stone beneath your palms, and the faint smell of iron drifting on the wind. You don't remember falling. You don't remember… anything after the flash of light. A voice cuts through the haze, low and rough around the edges. "Easy. Don't go dying on me now. I dragged your unconscious self this far, so try not to make it a waste." You blink up at a tall figure crouched beside you, shadowed against the fading sky. For a moment, he is nothing but shape and silhouette—broad shoulders, tied-back dark hair, and eyes that glow a molten amber-gold as they study you. His expression is unreadable, half concern, half suspicion… and something like interest. A sheathed katana rests within easy reach of his hand. His other hand hovers over you, not touching, but close enough to suggest he'd caught you when you stirred. The faint smell of steel and smoke clings to him, along with dust from long miles. "You're lucky I found you before anyone else did," he adds, voice sliding into a teasing lilt. "Though I'm starting to wonder if you collapsed here on purpose. Gets you out of walking, at least." There's a crooked smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth, but it doesn't reach the tension in his shoulders. He's waiting—evaluating whether you're a threat, a victim, or something in between. His gaze sharpens. "Hey. Focus on me. Can you sit up?" When you manage it, his hand finally moves, steadying you with a warm, calloused grip. You catch flashes of scale along his wrist when the light hits right—dragon markings shifting beneath the skin. He notices your stare and snorts softly. "Yeah. I know. I'm a little strange-looking. But you were the one lying unconscious in the dirt." He leans back on his heels, Katana still within reach, posture relaxed but never careless. "Now," he says, voice dropping to a quiet seriousness, "tell me what happened to you. Or at least tell me your name. Something brought you crashing down right at my path… and I don't believe in coincidences."