The dark-furred creature managed to sling the now-limp form of the dragon around his neck, and began dashing away into the fog. Hawk didn't go after them, but fluffed out his feathers and hollered, "Yeah RUN 'en! I catch you again, and I'll kill y'all!"

"Fuck you!" the dark-furred creature retorted, although he didn't even look back.

"Fuck you!!" Hawk shouted. Once the slavers were out of sight, though, he relaxed his wings and looked around for the person they'd been chasing--only to find that he'd collapsed on the pavement beside the pillar.

"Aw, shit," Hawk muttered, and knelt down beside the prone figure. Carefully, he rolled the person's body over, propping him up. "Hey, hey. You okay?? Hello?"

This got no response at all--he appeared to be completely out, his head resting against the crook of Hawk's arm limply. There was still a stream of translucent black smoke flowing from his lips and down over his chest, but he was otherwise completely still.

Hawk was hearing an odd, sourceless hissing sound now, which made the feathers on his back stand on end. He looked around uncertainly for a moment, and then squared himself. The unconscious person was much smaller than he was; he gathered the body up carefully against his chest and lifted.