The lively trio was soon joined by an intriguing new arrival. Emerging from the misty shadows like an apparition, she was a vision of exotic beauty. Her voluptuous figure was accentuated by form-fitting garments unsuited to the chill night air. But despite her unusual attire and arresting looks, her most striking feature was her raw power. It rolled off her in palpable waves, speaking to a formidable strength beneath the surface. To Tōga's heightened draconic senses, her prodigious might smelled as heady and overwhelming as roses blooming in an inferno's heat. She moved with predatory grace through the raucous tavern, sparking both unease and allure with her otherworldly presence. Whether friend or foe remained unclear, but one thing was certain - this mysterious woman was not one to be trifled with. Her arrival signaled a change in the night's tide, for better or worse still unknown.
Beneath the darkened canvas of night, confusion reigned as an air of tense uncertainty descended upon the tavern. Tōga stood silent, looking on as the three newcomers conversed in familiar yet perplexing tones. The exotic woman and mysterious man clearly knew one another, evidenced by his deferential address of her as "guild master." Her immense power was thus validated and confirmed. Yet their words rang cryptic when directed toward the third - a raven-haired beauty whose eccentric garb was partially obscured by tumbling ebony locks. Though equally striking in appearance, she seemed clueless to their hushed discussion.
"Huh?" Tōga turned with a start as the man addressed him. That voice, that scent - familiar yet implacable like a childhood memory long forgotten. "Dead? Pretty sure I'm still breathing," Tōga chuckled uncertainly. But as the words left his lips, a shadow of doubt crept into his mind. He racked his brain, trying to recall his last battle, his last camp under the stars. When was the last time he had felt the grind of conflicting mana challenging one another? The days and nights had blurred together recently, one indistinguishable from the next.
Could it be true? In a world swimming with magic, where all manner of mysteries lurked just beneath the surface, who was to say what lay beyond the mortal veil? Tōga's eyes widened as his mind raced, grasping at half-remembered fables of the unrestful dead who wandered the earth bound by some unresolved task. Is that what he was now? Doomed to haunt this tavern until...until what?
Shaking his head, he tried to anchor himself back in the moment. The din of music and laughter felt real enough, the bitter taste of ale still sharp on his tongue. No, surely he still walked under the sun. But a faint disquiet lingered even so, a nagging doubt that perhaps all was not as it seemed.
Tōga took a steadying breath, patting himself down to confirm his physical form still remained. Flesh, bone, clothing - all present and accounted for. With a shake of his head he banished the chilling doubts for now. Eyes closing as he flashed a toothy grin, his pronounced canines glinting in the dim light.
"Yep, still alive and kicking!" he announced with carefree cheer. "Not sure why you'd think any different. Is there something I should know?"