No. Damn them. They're probably all dragonoids. I am not going to affiliate with them, I don't care if they are the only village I can see for miles. I'll find my own way back to Yuol.
Aqua's stubborn ways were eventually going to get the better of her but the only thing that mattered was getting away from that village. She could travel through the lakes and streams, which she fully familiarized herself with. She knew every lake and stream in Beltan so finding her way to Yuol was not a problem: finding her way to a source of water was. All of the feeling had returned to her body thanks to the shaman's healing but Aqua wasn't going to thank her. Burns wouldn't have bother her much. There was no need for her to keep up any physical appearance. She was not trying to impress anyone.
Aqua bound over a log and continued to wind her way through the forest. The village was getting farther and farther away, ad so was the sun. Night was coming quicker than she wanted it too but Aqua just told herself to stay on guard. The first person or thing that tried to approach her would be dead in less than 30 seconds.
The light of the area was fading fast, but Aqua's scent was thickening in his nostrills. His piercing-red eyes stuck out in the blackening air. His nose and mouth was covered by a silk mask, and his unnatural red hair was covered by the hood of his black robe. When night completely falls along the valley, Desmond would blend in perfectly with night air. An unseen danger to most that would approach him blindly.
"Just where are you, Aqua?" he said, with a calm yet annoyed tone. Her scent was taking him in all directions, even some almost back to the village but that was his fault for not giving directions. He was a dragon, so searching for what he wants isn't that hard. But by smell wouldn't be enough. He needed something more proof positive, something more definate on her location. At this rate he'd lost her... until, the sound of a breaking twig caught his ear. Swiftly his eye snapped to attention and there it was. A path of foot prints, with her exact smeel. And from the strength of it she was close by.
"Hmmm.. She's in the black forest, nice going, Desmond." he resaid, hitting the side of his head. The black forest wasn't the best place to be alone in Desmond's region. Within dwelled deadly creatures, ranging from enormous bugs to the unknown. His people lost many children to this forest, but twice as many adults that couldn't predict the forest.
Aqua didn't know this land, so whether Desmond cared or not, she was possibly a sitting duck.
Sure enough, Aqua found the source of water she was looking for, though she had to go through hell to do so. The forest was a deep cavern of blackened abyss, not natural for a forest. There was always some sort of light coming from one of the 4 moons on the planet enough to blaze through the treetops and canopies. However, this forest was darker than night itself. Fear was tingling in the back of her neck. Aqua was not a darkness type person. Then again, no one should dare try to pick a fight with Aqua now that she discovered the stream she had been searching for.
"This should take me somewhere back to that damned lake with the Deox." She didn't have much else to ride on so she stepped into the lake. The smell of the village lingered on her clothing and it was such a very pungent smell. Aqua swore under her breath and extracted her clothes, stepping up to the lake. The image of the dragon on her back burned blue the minute her foot touched the water. Surprisingly, despie the darkness of the forest, the water was actually quite warm. Aqya sided and waded over to the falling water at the edge of the lake.
The forest became darker the deeper he marched within. In front of him was nothing but blackness, shadows that covered every brush, tree, or whatever else was hidden among the area. The pupil of his crimson eyes sharped as he eased in closer to Aqua's scent, but it was getting weaker all of a sudden. Her smell was so strong due to the distinct touch of his village on her clothing, now it was diminishing. Leaving him with just her pure smell and foot-prints to follow.
"Couldn't you just make it easier for me.." he whispered, walking every closer into the dark. Walking past dying plants,erie patches of fog, and wondering eyes in the trees. As her scent slowly disaapeared, another feeling took hold of him, one he could not understand. A feeling of immense strength, but not only could he feel it, he could see it. A small source of light shining in the distance.
Curious, he followed the light, it shined brighter as he came closer to it. The beautiful glow felt familiar to him, so close to the tip of his mind, but still no identity. Beneath his black hood and mask, his face could be seen from the heavenly glow. But his eyes were shocked and amazed to see the source of the light. Aqua hereself, stood in the water, washing away the smell. He didn't mind her becoming clean, but blushed at the sight of her body. desmond was then amazed at her mark, a lung dragon slithered across her back, and had such a ghostly glow.
Aqua's head snapped to the sudden sound behind her and just as quickly, her finger flexed, causing a vortex of water to swirl around her body, shrouding her exposed skin. Her blue eyes immediately flickered towards the source of the sound and, not to her surprise, she saw a male standing there. Aqua lifted a hand and glared towards the man. The darkness was so deep that she could not make out any physical features, but she didn't need to critique the man to know that he was after her to either kill her or do something worse. The hand faced the man and she stood, knee height in the lake.
"If you move, you'll die."she said coldly. Aqua was not going to take any chances with this person. She was already offset by Dragonoid and the battle she had with him. Then again, this was a good reason to release her frustration. Aqua stood poised and unmovable, threat still hanging in the air.
He was raising his finger to tell her of who he was, but stopped in mid-rise. In his head it hit him, this was his chance to test her on fair ground, he was in his human form, she recovered from their last incounter, and just about on equal footing. But then again he knew nothing of her body and it's functions. When he found her the first time, she reeked of another fight so she could possibly be at full strength now. It'd be an epic battle for most, but he wasn't there to kill her. Just find her.
He held up his right palm to ask her to hault her attack, while he used his left to removed his hood and mask. Desmond slowly pulled his hand back to him and held in five inches under his chin. A sliver of flame ignited in his hand, he looked at Aqua with a calm expressionless face, and his pupils remaned sharpened.
"Dragonoid?"she said. The faint flicker from the flame in his hand cast a dim light over his face. His features were not as distinct as they would be in the sunlight, but the red eyes and hair pretty much gave it away. Aqua, however, didn't lower her hand at all. When he first encountered her in his full dragon form, he had tried to annihilate her. Who's to say that he wouldn't try it again? She wasn't going to trust this guy. No, not by a long shot.
"If you're here to kill me, can't it wait until after I bathe?"she said. The spinning vortex around her was still shrouding her body but it was still a bit uncomfortable to have a man staring at her in the dead of the night in the middle of the lake. Aqua could feel the dragon symbol on her back pulse and brighten. The blood from the Deox had fully soaked into her skin, making her that much more stronger than she was before. If he tried to attack her then, he'd be in for one hell of a fight. However, he had told her to calm herself, meaning he was not there for a tassel. Still, can't be too cautious.
"What are you doing here?"she demanded, not waiting for an answer to her previous question.
"Looking for you," he answered, turning his back to her. He was sure she would trust him at first word, but he did try to kill her the first time he met her. Expecting her to simply forget about it would be nieve of him. He held his hands up to let her know he didn't want a fight, as well as looking the different direction for her to bathe herself. Facing the forest, he could see and hear the chaos lurking in the grass. Desmond was hoping that she would ask too many questions of him, at least ones he didn't have to answer.
"And my name is not Dragonoid, it's Desmond.." he stated, peeking over shoulder. They may have not known much of each other, but she could atleast have asked him. Then again, he still was the politest creature in the land. While they weren't fighting, Desmond decided to take this time to learn more about her. What she stands for? Where is she from and so much more if she'd allow it. His curiousity was focussed mostly on her mark though, the glow, the shape, and it's beauty.
"Tell me," he whispered, "What does your mark stand for?"
Aqua was disgusted that Desmond was staring at her body in that way. Then again, even with the rotating cyclone of water around her, it would do nothing against the light that poured out from her back. Aqua lowered her hand, felling like the man was no threat to her. Was that probably a bad move? Yes, but Aqua was one to take chances. Aqua kept the water up but still managed to walk toward the man. If he looked hard enough, he'd be able to see right through the water, but she didn't let her blue eyes waver from him. No not for a moment.
"You're a dragon. Don't you dragon know other dragon's when you see them?" she said sarcastically. His red hair and eyes almost looked violet in the darkness of the forest, but she was positive that this was the same person who had attacked her. There was a cold wind that blew through and everyone knew that cold wind and water were not two very good combinations. Aqua's body reacted to the cold but she only stared into Desmond's eyes more.
"Why exactly were you looking for me. Here to get your ruby back? I don't want it anyway. Take your bearings and go."
The air behind him slowly became cooler, letting Desmond know that she was behind him. Nude, probably not, but he still did not turn around in case she still didn't trust him. The light of her marking brightened the spot of forest infront of him and changed the coloration of his hair, he felt her aura eminating stronger behind him. "I know what it is. I just want to know what it stands for. Every mark has a purpose." he said, slowly lowering his arms.
"I follwed you to see if you'd been harmed. And not all dragons horde treasure, just the red ones." Desmond pointed behind him towards her hand holding the ruby, "And no, you can keep that." He quickly started working off his robe and held it out to her. "I think you'll need this."
Aqua listened to him speak but wasn't so sure. There was no hiding the skepticism in her eyes and body movement while he talked. Flashes of the prior battle refilled her eyes constantly. To make matters worse, question after question only followed suit. What was his reason for attacking me? Does he work for Kraytin and is out to kill me? Is there something inside of me that he wants for himself? Is he just filled with blood lust? He had all of those working against him so she had to be sure to stay on her toes.
Remembering the earlier battle, Aqua couldn't deny her movements as she dispersed the cyclone of water that ravished around her, causing the water to splash on Desmond. At the same time, she curled her finger to allow a stray whip of water to wrap around the robe bringing it towards her as it draped around her shoulders. The lake was now still while Aqua walked from the debts, taking the ruby from the dripping hand of the man.
"I do not just explain parts of my body with just anyone. Especially someone who tried to have me killed. Why was that, exactly? What are your motives? I did nothing to you nor do I know anything of your village and the people in it. I have business elsewhere, but it seems that I can not get there due to the dragon who tried to kill me. Or was that your purpose all along? Did Kraytin send you to find me?"she asked. The robe had covered her well enough but it was starting to get cold and ominous. Where was she?
He jerked his body briefly when she splashed water on him, but shook it off quickly. His dislike for water wasn't to where loathed it but enough to where he just doesn't get along with it. For a second he though she did it on purpose to mess with him. She seemed like the deviant type to him so it looked that way. As he felt the gentle feel of his robe leave his grip, Desmond raised his hands back to his side to keep her assured.
At the time Desmond was trying to answer her previous questions until she said a name that echoed silently, "Kraytin..." A name that sounded so familiar to him for so long, but he never knew the reason why. As he heard that name, Desmond stood there in a pause, watching flashes of a new born child, a black haired woman, and a red dragon. These flashes were pieces of his memory that he couldn't put together yet activate when he hears that name.
He shook of the thoughts after a minute or two, then turned slightly to answer her first two questions. "My motives are of my own past. I remember being told humans took the life of my parents. I've despised them since." he snarled.
"Then what is your problem with me? I have nothing to do with the death of your parents, nor am I a human. Just a girl who was trying to cross the lake when I suddenly got attacked by a dragon. I will continue to bring this up until you let me know why you attacked me and why you have yet to leave me alone. If you don't know Kraytin then you aren't an automatic enemy, though you are more of a potential one. I don't take being attacked with no real reason lightly. So you better start explaining, Dragon."
Aqua let the speech linger in the dark air of the forest. She kept repeating the word "dark" in her head and that was making her think. Black Forest? Is that where I am? Aqua draped the robe further around her body while she walked over to the pile of clothes that she had removed earlier. She wasn't going to ask Desmond where she was only because she didn't want him to know that she may have been lost. The Black Forest had quite a reputation, even in Yuol. It wasn't a forest full of beautiful creatures or sing-song birds of any sort. By the density of the darkness, Aqua was almost positive that she was in Black Forest.
That's great and all, but how do I get to Yuol from here when I can barely see in front of me? Her blue eyes scanned the perimeter of the forest; trees, bushels, the lake. The lake. Her eyes landed back on the placid lake that she had only exited from moment s ago. The clothes were still bundled in her arm but she didn't put them on. Aqua remembered that she could see and breathe clearly underwater. The lake would pretty much take her anywhere she needed to go. With that thought, Aqua disrobed once more and left her clothes lying on the lake bed. She'd find more when she reached the next town.
"Forget it. I have better things to do."she said, stepping over to the lake and walking into it once more.
Desmond simply noded at her loud and straight to the point attitude. It let him know that she doesn't stand for rubbish in her ear, let alone a lie. He knew deep down that he owed her answers, and had she saved him, he'd owe her his life. But seeing as the way things are now it wouldn't have mattered. All she wants is a way home and most likely the fastest possible. Seeing as she was going to use the river as her way off, but Desmond knew a secret to why she shouldn't trust the water around here.
"OK, Aqua. You want answers, that much I can see. To answer my reason for attacking you, it's because of my visions and dreams. Nearly every dream I've had has been of you. Whether it'd be battle or...something else. And I never can understand why. Before, I had visions of an opponent, one strong and versitile. I would ignore some and kill others, but your visions intrigued me more than the others. And so, I saught you out, fought you, and found no answer. Atleast not yet."
His pupils returned to their circular shape as his voice calmed as he spoke. Completely turning around gave him a perfect view of Aqua and how she was covering herself. Desmond couldn't tell whether she was going to travel without clothing or not, but didn't care as long as she was alive. The fact that he wanted her to live was disturbing to him almost. He's never wanted an opponent to live, let alone humans. But she was special for some reason. Even if he tried now he wouldn't finish her off.
"You won't find your home, Yuol, from here but I can take you." he said walking up behind her. The dark silence in the forest was getting filled with whispers as they conversated, so he knew they had to leave quickly. "Just point the way and I will fly you."
"Maybe you haven't seen before, but I control water. All forms of it. Even if this water was toxic, I can easily purify it. If there are monsters in it, I can take them out in a heartbeat. You think I'm going to give up my mobility and strength in water to ride on your back in the air where I am partially useless? Do you think I'm that insane?"she spat. It would seem that she was being a bit harsher than usual. He had explained something that she didn't understand but didn't want to get into. Dreams? Of a foe that turned out to be her? The last thing she wanted to do was confront with a dragon, and for a reason at that. Her main goal was to rid the world of Kraytin and avenge her mother.
Aqua stood out, looking over the lake for silent seconds. Though she had a point, he had a bigger one. If this was indeed the Black Forest, then underestimating the waters wasn't a wise thing to do. Especially at this point when she was under the watchful eyes of a dragon. Aqua sighed heavily and threw on her clothes, walking past Desmond and away from the lake reluctantly.
"Alright, fine. I will tell you where Yuol is and I demand for you to take me straight there. Remember, there is still water vapor in the air, so don't piss me off. If you want to find out what these..."dreams" are, then you'd better make sure that i am alive for as long as possible, because once I hit Yuol, you wont be seeing me anymore. No offense."she added, turning and piercing him with a blue gaze.
It was done, she agreed to his offer and with a proposition of her own. She would help him learn about theses "dreams" he's been having of her and the sooner the better. She said after her arrival she'd be gone from his sight shortly. Desmond walked behind her about 50 feet away, when he was in dragon form he was atleast 45 feet long and 35 feet tall when standing on his legs. Then there was the cloak of flames that surround him during the change, if he wanted her trust he'd have to be careful around her.
The fire burned bright as his transformation manipulated his body's entire dimensions. A loud roar ascended from the flames as his wings, tail, and head emerged from the fire. His dragon eyes shined in the shadow of the forest while the silence broke from a short groan. He held his upper body low to the ground so that she may mount his back.
He moved to her side and looked her in the eye. "By your comand.."
On contact, she had wanted to attack. And why not? It was the same exact dragon that she had encountered before, except this time, it was enveloped in the darkness of the Black Forest, an even greater reason to attack and stab at relentlessly. The flames did enough to her eyes to cause her to see tiny snip its of the area around her. It wasn't much and it looked like a regular forest. She had enough of underestimating things for today so she just looked up at the dragon.
"There anyway you can tone down the flames? Just a bit?"she asked, walking around the entire beast in a full circle. It took her a minute to do so due to the gratuitous size of the thing. It was massive and was also hard to believe that it was the same man that stood before her seconds prior to the transformation. Aqua didn't fear the thing this time just as she hadn't last time. It was only an over sized lizard, and now she knew for a fact that it wouldn't lash out and attack her. True, she knew nothing of the 'dreams' he was having of her, but if he got her to Yuol safely, then the least she could do was assist him in his questions.
"If not, I can do it for you."she said, pointing to the lake behind her, watching a whip of water lift to her will.
A quick nod of his head put out the remaining fire on the ground and on his body. If she was going to be in the air then her element need as much space as it could recieve, as well as moisture. Flying her there would be dangerous for the oth of them though. Anything can lurk in the sky and at any given moment with the help of anger, she could stab him in the back clean. But how would she survive the fall from hundreds of feet in the air? She's smart so she'd probably figure that part out too. Either way Yuol was there destination, trust was there best bet for getting there in one piece, and he was her best bet to get there and he was her only way of knowing about his dreams.
Desmond used his nostril to lift her from behind and toss her on to his back, between his large shoulder blades. When he felt her land right on his back he lifted off quick and slow enough to keep her balanced on his back. The wind was nearly cut in half from his speed as the current of the wind fought against his wings, making him glide ever so easily.
It wasn't long until Desmod quickly brought himself above the clouds of his land and showed the major feature of his domain. The reason his people lived in peace from most humans and outside life that never knew of them. The land that held the Black Forest and his species, was a floating land high above the Earth. The land he lived on was legendary and mentioned in tales that told of how it once was apart of the Earth. He looked back for a few seconds at his homeland, then turned his attention forward as he flew down to meet the ocean of clouds below them. For the moment it remained night and she would probably tire along the way if he didn't hury. He wasn't sure to speak to her since in most of his word in this form are of his native language.
"Se' Krosis Strumah, where is the way to your home? Uuth Roh Ha' Gruoman."
Aqua barely caught out tidbits of what he was saying. Some of it was English and the other sounded like someone was grinding a sword across a giant metal plate. The difference in language was making her head hurt, but not as much as the height was doing. Heights was not a good thing to the young water mistress. She was used to water, lakes, streams, being below sea level. Not soaring high in the air above or in the clouds. It was a nauseating mass of chaos and to make matters worse, she was being transported by a dragon. A dragon. Yuol is a very discreet village, tucked nicely between Nortaz and Bellan. There wasn't much distance between the two, and she knew that a giant golden dragon would not be inconspicuous at all.
"I don't really expect you to drop me off EXACTLY at Yuol. If they see a giant flame winged-beast, they're going to take you down. You're tampering with the town of smoke. I wouldn't do that." She had to shout as loud as she can due to the speed at which he was flying. the wind was breaking through her ears and clattering her teeth, making her body tremble down to the very core of her. She really hated flying. Aqua said nothing more and instead, used her left leg to nudge Desmond in the side. Once she grabbed his attention, she pointed to a lake bed that was below them. Her plan was to lower them to the edge so that she could dive in. Because at that time, Aqua wanted nothing more than to be safe...underwater.
He looked over his shoulder to see Aqua trying to nudge him with her leg, as if he was some sort of horse. But for now he was her horse to command in the sky. Her face seemed to be retaining a sick-ish look on her face and it made him laugh in a deep tone. He could hear her clearly through the air since he was use to flying, when she spoke of dropping Desmond folded in his wings and strated to dive down, fast like lightning and the wind through his wings roared like thunder. The rush of the air beat at his scaled face and body giving him a sensation that he'd never left home.
Down below he smelled Aqua's scent again between the two raining provinces of Nortaz and Bellan, that was when she spoke of the town of smoke. "Really, Strumah? You're of water's blood, but you decend from smoke. Mot mul' nikromah." Over the small lake Desmond quickly spread his wings out then shifted his legs forward to work like brakes if he lands. The roof of the water tore up a path as he glided over like a falcon fishing for prey, he turned to the side and landed at the rim of the water on a gentle landing.
"Krosis, Stumah. Take yur landing before I am seen, yourr people have not seen my kind in centuries. Moth ra'all soar'kin drak gruel." Desmond waited until he couldn't feel the pressure of Aqua's weight apon his back which would tell him to go. For a slight second he got caught up in a thought of her features. He looked at her briefly and noticed how she looked to him. He was confused to see at first, but he though she was.. beautiful in his eyes. He stared for a moment and was suddenly broken out of it when a series of robes and a large net over his back. He roard at the sudden strike but was quickly immobilized by hooks in his wings, then his mouth was tied shut with durable chains. When the event was over, mannifestations of smoke-like figures stood around him.
