Fly With Me - A Story of Survival ((IC))

[KnightsCalatrava]

"No one really knows how they weave into the tapestry of things, Azrael," Zendyr sighed with a grin as his blank eyes stared up at the now darkening horizon as the aspirant dragon flew away. "But, we do what we can with what we have as individual threads into the fabric of our dragonflight's history. And, perhaps, soon, we will see how each of our threads has been woven into a beautiful masterpiece. Or, rather, you will see." The sightless omega chuckled. "I look forward to how you weave your thread here. Whether it's finding the one to hold your heart," His snout turned in the direction of the younger female dragon. "Or simply just sharing a life with a family, I hope you find here the peace you have long searched for."

The arrival of a new member of a pack was always a fork in the road. One may lead to a future of prosperity, of peace where each dragon did their duty to ensure the survival of the dragonflight above all else. The other curves to a path of schism and fire, a bend where two powerful dragons fought for the leadership of the pack. It was quite unfortunate that most dragonflights soared down the latter road, and as Zendyr caught a whiff of the distant fragrance of a brewing storm, he prayed that this wasn't an omen of the things to come. Storms may either ruin and shatter, but it can also bring new life. Would Azrael be the storm of destruction? Be the road that would divide their dragonflight in the future? Or, would he be the blessed rain after a drought to spring new life?

Only time would tell.

As Lord Arieas called his attention, Zendyr approach his alpha's side before craning his ears in the direction of the debris and unstable beams which Lady Rya directed. The subtle creaking sounds which reverberated from the unstable pieces and debris hanging from the Drer rang in Zendyr's ear, and immediately he knew that there were dangers in just recklessly removing them.

"Some of the steel beams and pieces are hinged upon unstable blocks, Lady Rya, Lord Arieas," Zendyr tilted his head. "Pulling those beams too hastily may weaken the foundations, possibly causing the walls to collapse." The sightless dragon flew upward, hovering carefully beside a protruding beam before he clamped his jaws upon it. Twisting it whilst listening for the sounds, he was able to finally remove the offending beam which he dropped to the ground upon his descent. "We would have to listen carefully before removing anything. If we could heat up some adhesives like pitch or resin to seal off the gaps, that would make the Drer a lot more stable."

 

[Queen Sonia]

Deirdre opened her eyes when she heard the stranger dragon speak up. She was glad to see that he was up again and he seemed to be doing just fine from what she could tell. When he began to speak about leaving the pack did a frown appear on her face. How could he give up so quickly and after only being put on pending. He had a chance yet he seem to want to reject it. She wanted to speak but didn't think that Arieas would forgive her again if she did. Instead she kept her mouth shut looking down disappointed. Deirdre said nothing as Azrael thanked her for she didn't want to speak to him at the moment. It would have been best if he had stayed here with them.

It was only then when Arieas spoke again did Deirdre look up. It seem as though admitting his fault may have helped the Alpha make up his mind. A smile formed on her face as she could not believe it for a bit. At the mention of going on a hunt with him Deirdre looked a bit confused. Well it could have been that since Deirdre can see she would be able to provide more support but at the moment Deirdre was quite weak having used her ability and it would take her a bit to recover. Still she could not complain as Arieas left the two other dragons with Zendyr following behind.

With rain threatening to hit them, Deirdre thought that maybe A was punishing her. Looking at Arieas who approached her speaking about her name. "Touch of God? I have never heard of that" she said. She was about to ask him if they could wait for five minutes so she could recover but he seemed ready to go taking off before she could even say anything. "W-Wait!" she shouted but he could probably not hear him. She let out a sigh her head going down in defeat. She felt like this one was going to cause her a lot of problems.

Deirdre allowed herself to rest for a bit before taking off towards the sky. Her tiny purple wings spreading out as she tried to see where her hunting partner had gone. She could see from afar a great big spectacular and believed it was him. She flew down to the ground landing with a soft thud. She sniffed the air looking around before seeing the dead Fen'zis. It seem as though this was left behind for her. "I can see he's very enthusiastic" she said to herself lowering her head and beginning to pull the carnages with her as she continued to walk to his location. Soon the rain came and she kept her head up as the water beat down on her. She dropped the body before calling out for Azrael. "Azrael!" she shouted. "Where are you!" she shouted.

 

[BookDragon]

The structure groaned under the strengthening wind around the Drer. Ariéas watched the blind dragon pinpoint the most dangerous beam and remove it with relative ease. He made his way over to the pile of broken beams and metal shards that Rya pushed to the corner of the den. He scooped a mouthful of the debris and ignored the sudden nagging pain in his gum, a shard stabbed him below his left canine. Wincing slightly he dumped the debris over the side of the structure and listened to the almost musical banging of it as it connected with the stone ground beneath.

"My love, I applaud you for your building skills. This is a den fit for a brood of kings." Ariéas ignored Rya's protective nature and pushed his muzzle into hers, a small line of blood dripping from his punctured gum. He looked deep into her scarlet eyes and smiled internally, she truly was an incredible life partner. He stepped away from her to allow her to continue her work of clearing the nest area, bones and discarded corpse parts littered the floor still. With ease he swept the majority of the garbage over the edge of the side and onto the ground below.

A single cold drop of rain splashed onto his snout and he glanced upwards, there was a small crack in the ceiling of the den in which the gray sky stared at him. A few more droplets of rain slipped through onto his leathery wings and despite the coolness of them Ariéas became annoyed. "Great, one more thing to fix." He huffed and decided it was best to repair the hole with pitch from the outside as Zendyr had suggested for the other cracks.

He leapt out of the warm den and into the now steadily raining sky, his great wings cutting through the rain like a razor sharp claw through enemy flesh, with great ease. His golden eyes narrowed through the gray sky around him seeking the telltale steam of geothermal springs. There were two places in their territory to obtain pitch, one was from a felled tree at its base and roots. The other, which Ariéas favored due to it's simplicity, was to gather it from around the rim of a geothermal spring. After a few minutes of hovering in the chilling rain, Ariéas spied a thick billow of steam rising from the plains to the East.

"Zendyr, I have located the pitch site. Stay here with Rya, I will return shortly." He beat his wings hard and took more altitude before heading East, the rainwater racing over his pelt increasing the contrast against the hazy brightness of the sky, a golden streak across the gray. After a few silent minutes of flight Ariéas reached the pits with a large pine branch in his jaws, much easier for collecting pitch than with just his claws. He landed with a soft thud onto the mud and tried in vain to shake the water from his eyes.

A stench of death filled his nostrils almost immediately, the stench like that of a dead Fen'zi left to rot, only magnified by a thousand. Ariéas dropped the branch and hunched into a crouch, stepping as lightly as possible around the spring, desperately straining to see around the steam and rain. From across the pit he saw a glimpse of red and froze, a long stream of dried blood scarred the ground down to the edge of the pit. He felt this heart begin to race...something terrible happened here. A vision of one of his dragons dead flashed across his mind and he had to force his fear down into his stomach to keep him from shaking.

Ariéas rounded the edge of the pit and the steam grabbed hold of the westward wind clearing his vision enough to see the carcass of a decaying dragon, its limbs splayed out towards the sky and it's wings stripped of their leather. The stench returned to his nostrils with a seeming vengeance and his eyes welled up with tears, not from sadness but from the overwhelmingly pungent smell. He shook his head and breathed a small amount of flame to counteract the offensive aroma, but it did nothing to clear his snout. He stepped carefully towards the body and the sight haunted him immediately. Ghastly wounds came into full view, deep gouges across the chest exposing the ribs beneath, blood everywhere. Huge holes littered the abdomen and neck, Ariéas felt a bubbling fear and anger in his heart. Any magical blood spilt was an immeasurable waste and a near sacrilege.

"What is the meaning of this? My gods, what happened to you?" he whispered to the misty air around the body's head. The eyes of the creature were wide with fear, frozen forever in the last expression they held before death. His mind raced, long had it been since such a scene had crossed his path and never in his own territory. The smell became too much for him and he finally tore his eyes away from the body and stepped back towards the tree-line. Sitting back on his haunches Ariéas racked his brain, how long had it been since they had come to the pits last? More than a couple weeks at least, judging by the decay it had to be at least a full two weeks. The rain pelted him as he thought, "I need Rya...She can read his last thoughts if not too much time has passed..."

He pushed off the muddy ground, abandoning the pitch and raced as quickly as his wings would carry him through the rain. Reaching the Drer he let out a cry of distress, his roar cutting through the rain a least a mile into the surrounding country. He landed a little too hard onto the side of Drer tower sending vibrations throughout the structure. It groaned in protest as he scrambled from the side and into the den. His eyes met Rya's and he looked down slowly at his feet. His claws dripped with earth and blood...

An omen.​

 

[Soverign]

The Alpha dragoness had just finished cleaning the Drer to her satisfactory when she heard the call of her mate. The distress caught her off guard but what did more so was his demeanor. Walking over she did not even bother asking why his claws were drenched in blood or why he seemed shaken. Wordlessly her magic melded their minds. She had done this countless times. Minds often are met with walls of magic or resistance. However they had melded their thoughts common enough to where they could recognize each other. Identify who was wanting in. And it made things more intimate and close. In times of joy for example, or pleasure, lust, even anger when they needed to settle something between them. But what she felt wasn't like the normal feeling of her mate's mind. Confident and strong willed. Instead she felt the walls of his mind in flux. Something not in balance. But as she looked deeper she could see the shredded and mangled body of a dragon in his most recent memories. Opening her eyes she looked at Zendyr "You will remain here. When the others return they are not to leave the Drer unless it threatens to collapse" Looking to her mate she said softly "Show me" Without hesitation they departed.

With the storm coming ever closer they flew at increased speeds. But with her faster capabilities she had to slow herself to keep pace with Arieas. When they found the dead dragon she noticed the fear stricken gaze the face maintained after its death. It made an unfortunate home in her mind. Something she would not forget. However she quickly went to work. Making her magic reach out she began to search the remnants of the dead mind. Magic of the fallen dragon entirely focused on preserving the dead body had left the brain remarkably in tact. But she knew the more time she took the more danger she was in. Opening his mind she new his name. Jyru, he had traveled and was searching for a home. Until......the rush of experiences she felt made everything not make sense. Immense combat. Blood, bone and sinew covered the images she saw. He was in so many fights in the time leading to his death his body couldn't recover. His magic being of healing but even that couldn't save him. The hunger.....

It had been something he said. After taking his memories Rya stumbled into Arieas mainly to support her dazed body. As strikes of lightning cut through the surface of the ground she forced herself up noticing the rain starting to pelt the land around them. Before she left walking over to Jyru's body she closed his eyes gently in the biggest gesture she could do in these dangerous circumstances. Opening her wings she quickly followed her mate "We must return! This will only get worse!" She had made every attempt to hide how disturbed she was. But her eyes shown a fear unlike anything else. She had seen the end.......the end of everything.

 

[NatureG9]

He heard a faint call of his name through the heavy rain, it had to be Deridre. He flew down into the spot where he heard it, and saw the female dragon looking up at him, dead fen'zis around her, the slahes on the fen'zis made it clear that Deirdre had not done it. The intense smell of the corpses flooded his nostrils. He dropped the armoured Fen'zi he was carrying and landed. Someone is over hunting. He frowned at the corpse and thought, "what kind of psychopaths would kill more than he needs". He felt that it wouldn't be safe for the little healer if she was with him while he investigated, so he turned to her, " Deridre, i think there is something going on here, why don't you wait here for a bit, be careful, if anything comes your way roar and ill hear you, i will not let you be harmed, okay? Now stay for a bit, i will checkout what this is all about, I wont go far."

He blasted of into the sky, but deirdre came with him, they flew for about ten minutes, but having found nothing much he returned with Deridre. He landed with a rather harsh thud, " I hate rain" he said rather out loud. Rain reminded him of his childhood, which he spent running for his life, from assassins sent to kill him. The rain never helped him hide.

He looked at Dreidre, and asked, " what is your story Deridre?" He heard a rustling behind him and instantly turned to face whatever it was. It was a pack of Tau'l, " pfft, scavengers you were close to being evaporated" he told the creatures. He then turned around and clamped his talons onto the armoured Fen'zi, and lifted up calling down to Dreidre, " we can talk on the way to the drer, let them have their feast, or they wont be happy about you." He chuckled.

He waited for her, he was interested in knowing more about the life of others, mainly to compare it with his. Although Dreidre appeared to be young, she could have an interesting story to tell, he knew he had one. Although the dead Fen'zis posed an interesting question, he pushed it to the back of his mind for now.

For the first time in 300 years, he was not flying alone, and he wanted to talk a lot.

 

[KnightsCalatrava]

"As you wish, my lady," Zendyr bowed to the zu'rs as he followed the sounds of their departure from the Drer. "Return safely, my lieges."

Zendyr breathed out a nervous puff of air as his wings carried him outside, flying high to the tallest point of the Drer. He perched himself upon the rigid spire, snout turning upward to the darkening heavens as the loud claps of thunder echoed through the skies. Like a tambour of war, they beat in ominous rhythms just as the icy needles of rain fell upon their territory. A loud wind howled upon the towers, filling the Drer with eery whistles which unnerved the sightless dragon. Battle instincts long-buried beneath mountains of regret surfaced in an instant as he released a loud roar from his position on the highest tower, allowing him to get a better idea of his surroundings as the sounds bounced off of each surface. Then, he sharpened his sense of smell, picking up even the most minute of errant scents which could denote a possible intruder.

He still could not fathom the panic he sensed from his alpha for it was rare for Arieas to succumb to such fear given his pride and strength. Whatever sent Arieas into shock could only have been terror beyond imagination. And, if that same horror would sweep through their Drer, Zendyr knew that death would be dealt on either side. Vivid flashes of that fateful night in the Mistalker Dragonflight coursed through Zendyr's mind, and his resolve strengthened. He would never allow what happened to him to happen to his new dragonflight. He knew what it felt to lose his mate and family, and there was no way he would allow Arieas, Rya, Deirdre, and even Azrael to feel that same sorrow.

Even if his life was to be the price.

The black mists spilled from his body as Zendyr tensed in anticipation of battle, and as his nose picked up a foreign smell his fangs bared in a vicious snarl. Zendyr shot off of his perch, guided only by scent as he soared towards the intruder. Wings unfurling to its full width as a burst of black mist exploded from behind him, the sightless dragon roared in his battle-hardened rage as lightning stabbed the skies in their fury. However, the unfamiliar scent grew increasingly known, and it was only when he remembered Azrael did the blind dragon realize that this was their new fledgling. Immediately, Zendyr withdrew his mist and his fury, apologizing profusely as rain slammed against his scales.

"Ah, I terribly apologize, Azrael," Zendyr bowed his head. "Your scent is still quite new to me, and with Lord Arieas and Lady Rya in distress, I was not thinking straight. I'm just worried for all of you since this heavy downpour has never been sighted in this Drer before. An omen, if you will." The blind dragon shook his head before sniffing for another scent. "Is Deirdre with you? We are to stay in the Drer until the zu'rs return. A storm is coming, Azrael, and it's just around the bend."

 

[RONSTROCITY]

The storm unleashed a heavy rain with a relentless fury like it never had before. Sryil'th's wings were tense with unease and her tail twitched with every step. Electricity crackled off her spines. She knew the monsters that lurked in the dark, the sorrow they leeched into the ground. Wet earth gave way and enveloped her talons, cold and deathly, almost as if it were trying to pull her under. The storm followed her, as it always had. Every flash of lighting made her heart race more. She felt her electric breath grow into a ball at the bottom of her throat, waiting to be released. Syril'th was prepared to fight or die. She had been tracking her prey for weeks now, but it was tracking her as well. She had seen the wreckage they left behind. The attacks were so grotesque, a dragon could not discern the ground from blood. Her only chance of survival, however slim it may be, was to find the next dragon flight and warn them in time, unlike the last.

Syril'th stayed in the trees. She needed to give herself some cover. Flying would give away her position to anything for miles around if she wasn't careful. The lightning cracked in protest as if it were aching for her to join it. A stranger's roar echoed beneath the rhythmic beating of the thunder and rain, snapping Syril'th out of her solemn thoughts. Surprise overwhelmed her and she let her guard down. Seconds passed as she realized she was standing in the open, hopeful for another roar. The mentors who taught her to be the deadly hunter she was would be ashamed. Fear, anger, and uncertainty clouded her judgment.

"How stupid can you be!" She spat to herself.

Swiftly, she ducked back into the brush. Syril'th crouched down, her muscles lithe and ready to be released in a wild jolt. With her powers, she felt out to her surroundings. She breathed in and out until her heart slowed, and the thunder faded to nothing. By this magic, Sryil'th was able to sense the living and their life force. She detected faint heart beats in the distance, strong and scared, just like hers. She crept forward, paw after paw, silent and deadly, for what seemed like miles. For a moment, she looked up and saw a mighty Drer standing tall in protest against Mother Nature's raging tears. She prayed to the sky to watch over her.

As she crept closer, Syril'th knew what she had to do, now was the moment.

I have to warn them! I will not fail again.

She tucked her legs beneath her, steadying her posture. Unfolding her mighty wings, she felt every rain drop that rolled across them. Deep breath after deep breath. Her golden horns hummed with anticipation as she felt the storm connect with her. She gathered her strength and waited for the lightning to reach down and caress her from muzzle to tail. It danced across her body as if it were alive.

Now.

Raising her wings, she surged into the storm, pushing herself off the soaking ground with her powerful legs. Besides a whistle in the wind between the leaves and an echo of thunder, a bright flash was all that could be seen of her ascent. The dark clouds welcomed her, and she became the hunter once again. No one could touch her in the sky. With quiet wings, she carried herself on the storm's breath, heading to that stranger's call.

 

[Queen Sonia]

"What's a psychopath?" Deirdre asked as they looked at the fallen corpse. "This thing seems to enjoy the hunt more than eating" she said. "It could be a pack but also could be one single thing although if only one creature was able to create this much damage I don't think I would want to meet up with it" she said. She was glad that Azrael came back to her as if they are hunting they should stick together. She was about to thank him for coming back but he immediately blurted out that he was going to investigate on his own.

"Wait!" Deirdre said angrily quite annoyed with this new dragon. Did he think she was some small and pathetic dragon. She wasn't his maid and she wasn't here to pick up his hunt and bring it back to the pack like a good little maid. "I'm not staying here by myself" she said angrily. "If something is going on I'm not going to stay here and allow myself to be attacked. I'm going with you" she said stubbornly. She wasn't going to allow some stranger to tell her what to do. He certainly was full of himself if he believed that. She spread her wings taking off into the sky with him.

Once they look around and saw nothing they headed back to where the corpses were. She was quite worried about this whole situation. She could barely hear Azrael ask her about herself. "What? Oh yeah sure" she said letting the pack devour the corpses. "Talk about what?" she asked lost in her own thoughts.

"you want to know about me? Right now?" Deirdre said as they flew. She didn't really know what to say. Should she tell her whole life story or keep herself mysterious. "What do you want to know about me?"

 

[BookDragon]

Lightening scarred the blackening sky above his head as Ariéas and Rya made it back in the tower in the center of the Drer. Zendyr was not in the center of camp anymore but his scent was fresh on the howling wind. Ariéas's scales flexed along his spine as he touched down in the clearing between Alpha tower and the two structures adjacent to it. Zendyr's voice carried on the wind but Ariéas ignored it, Rya's shaken frame stood before him and he dug his talon deep into the soft earth beneath him. Flexing his wings against another blade of lightening above him Ariéas spoke.

"What did you see in his memories?" Doubtful she would tell him anything Ariéas stepped towards his mate with his chest puffed out in authority. He hated using his rank over her but in her mental state and due to the fear in her eyes he knew he would have to force her to speak.

"I am ordering you to tell me what you saw..." his booming voice echoed off the structure to his left and he figured that it would carry to the other dragon flight members who were not too far away in the trees. He knew they would be concerned by an alpha fight but in the moment he cared not for their opinions.

Fear and anger bubbled in his chest and the thunder clapped viciously above his head, aiding the tension in the air between them. Ariéas dropped to a crouch and the spines on his back tilted towards Rya, he did not wish to fight her but he felt the fear radiating off of her and knew she would be defensive against his order.

He bared his fangs and hissed into the humid air and flexed his jaw toward her, a gesture showing he meant business. "SPEAK!" He lashed his tail over her wing, taunting her. Fire rose deep within his chest and sparks played around he edges of his gums. How dare she keep something so obviously important from him? Ariéas felt his muscles contract and prepare to spring onto his mate, alpha physical squabbles were rare and often ended in major injury to either dragon....this could end badly and he knew it but ignored the feeling. His mind raced with the images of the dragon corpse decaying alone in the rain, blood ran through his vision, rivers of anxiety raced across his body.

 

[Soverign]

Upon arriving at the Drer the alpha female had been still. Back to him she was frozen in a nearly deaf state of shock. She hadn't heard her mate demanding to know what she saw. She hadn't heard.....at least the first time. When his voice changed to a command she felt rage building. She hissed harshly turning to face him. They had been together enough to form a respect with one another. Having disregarded that she was going to put him in his place. Pride threatened by his belittling tone she would not let this drag on long. Her voice being cold and ruthlessly aggressive "Command me like some hatchling again. And you will be granted a horrific answer" With that she roared loudly and crouched low. Though her mate had her in weight easily she was not hindered by this fact. Magic at hand she let her magic grasp out. If they could be seen it would be like the tendrils of a sun grasping in every direction.

Forcing all her magic at him she made three attacks all at once. A section of magic attacked physically for her. Causing a strong strike to contact him across his jaw. Hopefully it was equivalent to his own physical strength. However the more dangerous attacks were the other two. One went to work pelting his mind barriers. Working on overwhelming his mind. But the most dangerous tactic she chose was the third. As she was focused her mate had forced himself to look after the strike and roared in defiance. Slashing his paw at her his claws cut a wound on her cheek making her hiss in pain. Followed quickly by tackling her he pinned her on her back and opened his maw. Ready for the kill. But soon the pair was still. Only the sound of their breathing and the storm could be heard.

Her mate had a physical stance to kill her. His claws at her throat or his fangs. But her magic gripped his blast organ within him. Granting dragons to breath and use magic in breath attacks she knew it was a risky gamble. But enveloping it she had just as lethal stance on him. If he killed her or moved to quickly she would push magic into it and detonate the organ within him. If she did this she assumed he would do the same thing. The two stared at each other refusing to back down or be killed. She spoke calmly yet held a cold tone that seemed prepared for either outcome "It seems we are at an impasse. I agreed to be your partner not your pet. If you wish to command and have an obedient pet then finish it. I will tell you.....just not as a lesser"

The male atop her held a sudden look of confusion and shock at the statement. His head tilting to the side he felt his tight grip on her neck slowly loosen "An impass indeed. No need to spill precious blood. As you wish my dear...." As he returned the respect that was required did he get what he asked for. Opening her mind to him the memories she saw flowed into her mate. She gave answers or speculations to what they were. But all she concluded otherwise was the dragon they found was slaughtered by something unholy. She let go of her magic no longer threatened him. Hopefully now he understood what she was so shaken for.

 

[NatureG9]

Deridre's tension gave him towards reality, and the thought of the corpses came back into mind, something about them was not right. He wanted to go back and inspect them but surely the Tau'l pack had gorged them up by now. She had asked what he wanted to know about her. But that was out of his mind now, he quickened his pace back to the drer, being cautious not to go too fast as to leave his hunting partner behind. She was angry at him for asking her to stay he could sense it, but one cannot battle facts, and the fact was that she was young, small, and still vulnerable, brave yes, but bravery gets things dead more often than not in the real world.

As they neared the drer he heard it, a ROAR powerful and greatly frustrated, it wasn't Aireas's. Azrael quickened his pace, his wings aching to blast out into full speed, he flew slightly infront of the healer, as he looked into the horizon he saw a black silhouette in the distance, the rain was hard, and lightning clasped around. He didnt know what it was, it could be a Fen'zi he thought. That's when he saw Zendyr pounce at him on his peripheral vision. Azrael stopped his flap as zendyr's pounce got him closer to Azrael, he could see the black mists that were forming around the mist dragon. "Never have I seen loyalty and bravery in such huge quantities" he thought to himself. As Zendyr got closer he sensed Azrael and stopped his pounce. He apologized for the pounce, and said Azrael's scent was still new, but it caught Azrael's attention that the Zur's were in distress.

Azrael was yanked out if his thoughts, because he saw a massive lightning bolt hit the ground a few hundred yards away, exactly where he saw the black silhouette. " Zendyr, we might not be alone, there might be a Tradu'r in the midst", with this he turned towards the lightning, ready to take whatever came their way, he needs to be dead for the intruder to have a go with the others. He knew if the intruder means harm it will go for Deridre first as she is the healer, if you take down the healer the others are doomed for sure.

He turned his full focus onto the direction of the lightning strike. Then he heard Aireas shouting at the drer, his voice full of anger and frustration. Azrael did not know if this would be a wise time to say something to him, but he had to if there is a slight chance what he saw was another dragon. Azrael dropped the armoured fen'zi corpse and landed.

But what happened next jerked his attention from whatever he saw. A loud roar, feminine in tone comming from where he heard Aireas. He looked back towards the drer, and started to walk in the direction, keeping in mind they might not be alone.

When he was in the clearing he saw Rya pinned down by Aireas, flame dancing at his mouth. But he wasnt a winner, in Rya's eyes Azrael saw fury and readiness, and it was not for death. He knew the traditional way a duel had to be, either one or both dead or they tie and leave it, no interventions or assistance. But deep inside himself, he lost an bit of the mounting amount of respect he had for the Zur's. One he doubted they would get back fully.

With this he turned back to zendyr, who was ready to face the storm. So was he, it was his family too now, and he would gladly fight tooth to claw for the ones he cared. Then zendyr said "Dark clouds are indeed coming, but my mistake was in thinking that it was you who would bring the storm, my friend," let us face the storm", and Azrael was ready and he said " I don't bileave in omens Zendyr, but I'm starting to now, he went into his combat state, and changed his blast organ towards electricity. His instincts took over, and he was as sharp as ever, his trainings and practices driving his senses into an unparalleled level.

Then they took of, into the dark and stormy clouds. Zendyr by his side, Azrael didnt care if he was an omega, this dragon's wisdom was unparalleled by most of the dragons he had met before, besides what is ranks if they are going to be dead. All he knew was that this intruder, would be dead if it choses to fight.

 

[KnightsCalatrava]

"So, I wasn't wrong," Zendyr muttered as he desperately tried to pinpoint that one foreign scent wafting through the relentless poundings of rain. The thunderous roars dulled his hearing, and the blind dragon knew he had to detect it fast. The seemingly hostile roars he picked up from his zu'rs were ominous at best, and while he had no doubt that Lord Arieas and Lady Rya could smoothen the tensions between them, a potential enemy would not be so kind as to wait. "It wasn't just your scent I picked up, Azrael, my friend. There is another hurtling towards us, flying above the clouds."

The scent of ashes falling upon fresh foam. A scent of fear, of blood, and of a journey long started before this intruder even arrived at their Drer. Whoever this was, their approach was quiet and calm, highly contrasting that of the chaos unfolding in the heavens above. Even now, Zendyr could not fully pinpoint its location, but the scent was growing stronger, sending chills running down the dragon's spine. Right now, the zu'rs may not be in the most optimal state to react to intruders. As such, Zendyr had to take a stand. Both the alphas were incredibly prideful individuals. Make no mistake, they were also honorable and kind leaders, but there were always going to be times when an unstoppable force collides with an immovable object. To avoid damage of a collateral level, Zendyr believed he had to be the pillar to help support his lieges, even through the darkest of nights and the loudest of storms.

"Deirdre," Zendyr turned to the healer with a solemn voice. "Would it be okay for me to ask of you to inform our zu'rs that an intruder encroaches on our lands? We may need them to address this as soon as possible. Azrael, my friend, I would ask of you to stay by my side to await this tradu'r. Should it prove hostile, I will need your help fighting it off until our zu'rs arrive. We're your family now, no matter what Lord Arieas or Lady Rya would say, and I could definitely use a brother's claw."

With that, Zendyr further sharpened his senses to the apex of his abilities, his sensitive snout turning up to the lightning-stabbed heavens as he began to pick apart every single minute instance of scent. The tangy whiff of the fruits below to the earthen scent of the icy rain, the sightless omega broke them all down until the stranger's scent surfaced amongst the myriad of smells permeating from all around them. The loud crashes of approaching thunder unnerved the mist dragon whose head snapped in the direction of the east where the symphony of light and dark played the strongest in the dark heavens.

"There you are," Zendyr whispered as he realized that this intruder was riding the storm. For a dragon like him to go against the fury of the storm was dangerous as he could be struck by lightning. So, they would have to hold the line until this storm rider reached them. Zendyr breathed in deep, filling his lungs with a surge of air before he unleashed a mighty roar in the direction of the tradu'r. Then, the sightless dragon turned to the neophyte, his blank eyes boring at him. "Dark clouds are indeed coming, but my mistake was in thinking that it was you who would bring the storm, my friend," A ghost of a sad smile curved the dragon's jaws.

Then, Zendyr floated higher as if eager to meet the lightning, and while he was no immovable object, he would still try to face the worst that their broken world could give. For him, for her, and for them who were all consumed by the things darker than dragons.

Clouds of black mists now filled Zendyr's maw, his body expelling the same poison as he steeled his resolve.

"Azrael," Zendyr's voice wafted on the pelting winds. "Let us face the storm."

 

[Queen Sonia]

Deirdre looked over at Azrael, he seems really lost in his thoughts. He didn't even seem to care about his question anymore. The rain was hard ut she didn't mind the cold feeling it gave her. Kept her awake and alert, she said nothing to him as he flew ahead. She understood that he was probably anxious to get home. She was too as well, hearing the loud roars made her tense. She didn't want her family to be hurt anymore. Soon they landed ack home and Zendyr was there almost attacking Azrael because of his foreign smell. "Someone else is coming!?" she shouted in surprise. What was this day? Everyone seems to be coming towards them and what is the reason for that. "What do we do?" she asked. "If they attack us I will make sure to keep myself from the attle and support you as best as I can," she said.

"You want me to leave?" Deirdre said with a frown. "Yes, I understand you're right. Please, be very careful. The both of you" she said nodding at the two of them before running up towards her two alphas. She saw that there was some tension between them at the moment. Everyone seem to be on edge at the moment. She ran up to where Rya and Arieas stood. "Lady Rya! Lord Arieas! Something is coming. Zendyr and Azrael are standing their ground ut they will need more support. I'm sorry to interrupt ut this seems serious. Me and Azrael, we found a dead body. Whatever got them might come after us" she said letting her fear get to her.

 

[RONSTROCITY]

Her mind was blank except for one thing, find the dragon flight. Cold, pounding rain that felt like needles bothered her none. She was flying fast and true, like an arrow aiming for a target. Every time Syril'th pushed her wings against the wind, lightning struck her scales, almost as if she were beating the heart of the storm herself. She knew she was closing the distance. Any minute now and Syril'th would be on top of them. Suddenly, two great roars of frustration tore through the sky. Possibly alphas… If they were fighting, it could only mean a few things. One, they were fighting over territory. Two, they had issues mating. Or three, they were facing a danger so great that fear was consuming them all. She hoped it wasn't the latter.

And yet, another roar directed towards her ripped between the clouds. A threat was carried in their voice. With the wind blowing on her face, they should not be able to sense her. The storm should be carrying her smell away. Did she make a mistake? Of course not. This must have been one powerful dragon to sense her arrival. She changed her path. Lifting her great-horned head and pulling her wings up, Syril'th ascended into the dark rain. Her muscles strained against the force of gravity. She pushed herself higher and higher until the storm was far below her and the dense air grew thinner. For a handful of minutes, she was close to the heavens, suspended in another reality where war and blood never reached. A faint, glittering light far in the distance whispered the possibilities of secrets she wanted to discover. But first, she had to destroy the darkness in order to save the light, or else there would be no secrets to uncover. She looked around as the morning clouds were beginning to soak in the pink and orange sunrise. Her golden mane of horns reflected the sun. She was beautiful, and deadly. The light of a new day warmed the back of her wings and she closed her eyes to soak it in. However, this moment was not destined to last.

If only I could stay here forever…

With a heavy sigh, she faced the clouds below her, whirling around like smoky tendrils in a river full of black. She was ready. With one last determined beat of her wings, Syril'th folded them against her body and pointed her nose down, starting her dive. The wind turned from a whistle to a deafening roar. As she fell, her magic reached out and pulled in all the lightning around her. Syril'th, sparkling blue and gold, resembled a falling star. She was a force to be reckoned with, although it would be an unwise decision to do so, and her enemies last. Her horns hummed and her body glowed with the growing store of power within her. Time stood still as she fell from the sky, letting gravity embrace her in a dance of will. A high pitch was emanating from her spines as they cut through the air.

Closer, closer.

Syril'th was approaching the Drer at amazing speed. Whatever the reason for this alpha battle, it would soon be halted. Her lips curled over her teeth as she bit down bracing for the impact. As powerful as her stun abilities were, they took a toll on her body in the process. In her peripherals, she saw a smear of gold, white, and purple, more dragons. They knew she was here. Syril'th could not stop herself to speak to them or explain she wasn't a threat. She continued as the clouds separated beneath her, exposing the ground below. Her eyes widened as two dragons much bigger than her appeared. She found her alphas. A golden male, almost the size of a mountain had a female pinned by her neck, yet he was the one who seemed afraid. Her scales were as red as the fire she had in her heart. Syril'th was telling herself that they would understand why she did this.

With one deep inhale, she let loose her electric breath, not at the dragons below her, but to envelope herself in electricity. The current sparked to life across her body as it arced from spine to spine and wing to wing. Her tail swished back and forth as the lightning fizzed. Syril'th let out a bellowing roar to announce her arrival. Before the alphas could turn to her, she unfolded her wings just in time to slow her descent only slightly, landing a few feet away from them. As her great hindquarters met with the earth, she slammed her muscular tail into the ground, sending a stunning wave of electricity down her body. A loud buzz of static echoed as it traveled away from her in all directions. She stretched wings around her head to protect her eyes. The current sped across the wet ground right into the alphas, stunning them. Syril'th tucked her wings back and hung them loosely to show she was no threat. She still took a defensive stance as a precaution. She could only hope this dragon flight gave her the chance to speak, or else they were doomed.

And with her release of power, the rain stopped.

 

[BookDragon]

Airéas felt the current of electricity shoot up his legs and across his spine. The muscles in his jaw contracted in their own and he bit down hard on his tongue, blood spraying between his teeth as he winced, unmoving, in pain. His rigid body fell sideways into the mud and the coolness of the ground shocked his agitated scales. The dragon standing no more than twenty paces away from him did not attack, she simply crouched and held her wings in a non defensive curve.

After a few moments of the electricity pulsing across his muscles, he was finally able to move again and pulled himself to a shaky sitting position. He was angry that he looked so weak in front of this new creature although she did not seem like a threat. Knowing her power had to have been drained from such an sudden and stunning attack, Ariéas turned his still wobbling head toward his mate and made she she was also on the way of sitting up on her own. Once he was sure she was somewhat stable he attempted to stand only to find his hind legs would not carry his weight yet and he flopped back to a sitting position.

Annoyed at this, he flicked the tip of his tail against the muddy ground and only then noticed it had stopped raining. A steady stream of blood leaked between his teeth and down onto his feet below him but he paid it no mind, his eyes narrowed upon the dragon. She was smaller and sleeker than he, not impressive in size at all and her armor didn't look especially thick. What caught his eye, despite the white blades of electricity still jumping from her spine, was the incredible seriousness in her face. She held no look of evil or ill intent, only...urgency? But for what?

Finally he forced his hind legs to carry his weight and wobbled only slightly as he stood as tall as he was able, neck stretched out high and wings extended slightly, a gesture of cautious welcome. If this creature wanted them dead or incapacitated, she was clearing capable of doing so and would have already. Therefore, she must have a reason.

"Risking your life to stun an unfamiliar alpha pair in a dispute, you must have something extremely important to share...." He snarled the words at her making sure she knew his readiness to change his stance, "Speak stranger..."

 

[Soverign]

As the surge of energy ran through her Rya hissed in annoyance. Her body unwilling to respond to her commands at first. But even as her responses were heeded they were an near deaf ears. Getting to a sitting position she looked at the female and smelt the air. Eyes slowly growing wider she let another bone chilling hiss that turned into a growl. In truth she wanted to know why this female dare strike them both. But the smell was more than enough to make any female defensive. Pushing past her instinctive response she kept a glare on the female. Stopping herself from lashing out.

With her mate asking the only question needed at the time she moved slightly closer to him. The female she didn't know could be in the memories of the dragon they found. But she knew something, experience of the soul was evidence of that. Her eyes were of a serious nature like she hadn't enjoyed peace in some time. Or at the very least she was stricken by fear and evils enough to where peace was out of reach. She had seen dragons like this but only ancient ones that had been in battles. They were not so forthcoming with the reasons to their fear.

Rumbling she tested her limbs again wanting to stand. She found that her back legs able to support her weight again after a few more tries to stand. Once secure on her feet she huffed and melded her mind to Aireas. Her mind welcoming his mind and her voice spoke in a soft yet slightly irritated tone 'She is impressive. That power to stun and electrical disturbance is very unique. I would be cautious my love' With her council given she stepped forward slowly towards the female. Looking in her eyes she held back a primal snarl to lay claim to who was hers. But instead her eyes asked a question looking for a daunting answer. She knew in her heart that she didn't want to know. She didn't want to know the gnashing teeth and veracious hunger. But something planted her feet where they were. Something in her soul kept her from leaving. They needed to know. They all did.

 

[NatureG9]

The dragon was fast in its dive, and
Azrael was taken aback as it shot towards the drer. He was not a flamboyant, or nimble flyer, speed was his power, and in that he was Apex. He shot towards the stranger in her dive looking to tackle her smaller frame with his mid flight, but his actions were slower and he missed the tackle. The intruder had landed and was looking at the alphas. Azrael didnt want to charge in between them, he reckoned the alphas were more than a fair match for this intruder.

What happened next surprised him, the dragon let out a wave of electricity through the ground, and it hit the alphas, knocking them off their feets. "A kinetic dragon ? That is a rare power, he had studied them in the alliance" he thought to himself. He knew they were dealing with a powerful dragon, but this show was not a threat, it was a stun so a warning. Azrael's scales started turning black again, the unbalanced magic pumping through his vein changing his nerves and therefore the scales color into black. When he was angry he looses control of his powers, but he wasnt angry, he was intimidated, and when he is intimidated his full powers come to him. Giving him an invulnerable armor, and his full capabilities.

His blast organ morphed under the pressure, to accustom the use of all 3 elements simultaneously. Dark loafty embers of fire crackled in his mouth, his body started radiating electricity, and the air around his chilled enough for the moisture to turn into ice. In this state he was more than confident if this intruder made any wrong moves it would end it within mere seconds.

The playful, carefree attitude left his face. He was once again his true self, the assasin that noone lived to tell the tale about. THE AZRAEL. He was intimidated, not by this dragon, but by the urgency of this case. No life fearing dragon charges straight into a pack like that, not without a serious reason. And he knew the world had plenty of reasons for this urgency, and he liked none of them.

He let out a deep and powerful roar, it came out from deep within his throat, bellowing a warning to the stranger that he was watching, and waiting.

 

[KnightsCalatrava]

The mist dragon dropped down behind the two alphas he failed to protect from the intruder. Bowing low in shame whilst the crests on the side of his head slackened, Zendyr had to reevaluate his usefulness if he couldn't stop a single tradu'r. How he wished he had his sight to better protect his new pack, but perhaps, it was never his role to protect. With the arrival of Azrael, the power of their dragonflight had at least been bolstered. Zendyr had to know his place, and his place was to support Deirde in her job as a healer and to help raise the new generation. The mantle of alpha had long been shrugged off from his wings; he was an omega now, and he would never forget why. The flames, the dying roars, and the scent of blood would haunt him until he breathed his last. If anything, he wanted to wash away as much red as he could, and it started with helping the alphas raise their young.

Support.

Yes. How could he forget?

Even without his sight, Zendyr felt the unnatural power this intruder held. Its speed was beyond the fastest dragon he had ever met and the mere fact that it could draw blood from his alpha meant that its power was not to be taken lightly either. There was also something which struck Zendyr: the heavens had ceased in their weeping. No longer did the rain pelt his scales as soon as the intruder arrived, and this unnerved the dragon who realized that she had literally brought the storm to their doorsteps. Although blind, Zendyr felt that this intruder had little malicious intent. Perhaps it was the thought of the tradu'r diving alone in their midst or the vanishing rain, but if it really wanted to kill them, it should have done so with the storm, not without it.

"I apologize for being unable to stop the intruder, my zu'rs. Allow me to make it up to you," Zendyr spoke from behind them as he exuded his healing mists before propelling them in the direction of his alphas with a mighty beat of his wings.

 

[Queen Sonia]

Deirdre didn't seem to be able to make it in time to protect or warn the Alphas of the incoming attack and was therefore stun as well when the lighting struck them. She fell forwards laying on the ground for a second trying to get her breath back. It took her a while to come back to her senses and understand what was going on. She turned to face the dragon that had attacked them and saw that it was a small female. It was quite amazing to see the great power that came from her and Deirdre wondered if she practiced it ever day. She wish she had the confidences to do that herself and practice more than just her healing abilities but that just wasn't on her list of things to do. Seeing the lack of fear on the female made Deirdre believe that whatever was going on was serious and this female was not afraid of being attacked as long as she was able to speak.

Deirdre expected Aireas to attack right away as this dragon did just attack his whole pack but instead he spoke giving her the time to say what she needed to say before Aireas made his next move. Rya went close to her mate and Deirdre stayed in between the stranger and her alpha. She was far away that if the female attacked Deirdre would be able to protect her alphas. The air was quite tense and Deirdre did not know what to expect next. This day was getting weirder and weirder as time went on.

 

[RONSTROCITY]

Each breath was cool and calculated, making sure her every move was thought of before she made it. She scanned her surroundings as the current faded from her scales. The evaporating rain sent a cool chill up her body. Above her, a young male was circling, bellowing a threat. Syril'th thought she saw his scales flashing white and black, but it could have been the brightening sun in her eyes. Next, a purple female stood her ground, putting herself between Syril'th and the alphas. She seemed to be a healer. Syril'th was wary of the cautious look this female held in her eyes. And last, her gaze fell upon a large, golden male. He stood behind, guarding his Zu'rs. She watched him as his mists of life poured from his strong, beating wings.

Another healer… Syril'th thought to herself.

His body held signs of an eventful life. Whether they were positive was left for her to wonder. His eyes held a more intriguing tale. He was blind, yet he seemed to be looking right through her heart with spears of pale ice. His stare stirred up something inside her that pulled at her deep within her abdomen. She was intimidated and attracted at the same time as if he was a magnet. Syril'th shook her head back into the moment. She needed to send her warning. Soon, she would not be able to hide her scent for miles, putting them all at great risk. Glancing back over to the alphas, she said her peace.

"I did not come here to harm you." Spoke Syril'th. "I only carry a message. There is a dark force at play here in this world that cannot be explained, and it cannot be destroyed. I do not know what these demons are, for they have no name. I do not know from where these demons come, for they have no heart. They are twisted flesh made from the shadows of our brothers and sisters. Many flights have fallen to this evil. Many dragons I held dear… I fear they have already arrived. Let me speak and after, I will leave if you wish. But please, I ask you heed my warning and flee."

She held her breath for a pause. Her heart echoed in her ears, waiting for a response. She tried not to reach out, but she couldn't help but feel their hearts too. For a moment, feeling so many beats was comforting. Her eyes glanced back at the guardian made of gold and held her stare. Syril'th could only hope they would consider her plea.