Return of the Dragon Tamers: The Plague of Ogual

[Soulserenity20]

[btn=modc|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/return-of-the-dragon-tamers-the-plague-of-ogual-ooc.52827/]OOC[/btn][btn=modc|http://www.soulroleplays.com/]Information Site[/btn][btn=modc|https://www.iwakuroleplay.com/threads/micro-return-of-the-dragon-tamers-courting-thread.154410/]Courting Thread[/btn]

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• 
  
  
  
  
  
  Return of the Dragon Tamers
  The time has come for the dragons and the humans to join forces once again...​
  
  
  
  
  
• 
  
  
  Hunting the Blackshire Stags
  
  Narien, Illyria, Avren, Pomona
  
  Reverie, Xylia, Alder, Saira
  
  ​
  ​
• 
  
  Terria has been rescued and returned safely to the meadow. Her retrieval came at the cost of another talented tamer: Goliath, and his dragon Hezekiah. Terria slumbers in sickness of the body and the mind even as Merrik has spent more than a week at her side, healing her thrice daily, doing everything in his power to bring her back to the Order.
  
  The party that ventured to eastern Galidus to sort out the issues in Kibran returned with a new stranger who turned out to be the bondmate of the Valor dragoness, Andraste. Alder Grey has joined the ranks of the Order and now works to find his place.
  
  Shortly after the Order's reuniting in the meadow, a council was called the a vote was ordered for the army's next tactical move. With the votes in, the Order is now set on unlocking the memories of the strange man Bren and travelling to Galidus to meet with the new king, Kylvest Brohn of Trespa while simultaneously meeting with the People of Dragons elders.
  
  Before the Order sets off once more, they are taking time to return to their training at the meadow and heal their hearts and bodies. At current, Merrik has chosen to mix things up and brought the Order out to the north-eastern woods to hunt for Obsidian Nova's favorite game: Blackshire Stags. After a great deal of drama in Kibran regarding Merrik's decisions on leadership, he hopes that the Order will begin to sort itself out within the ranks and grow to trust each other more deeply in a time when trust among comrades is a necessity.
  
  
  
• 
  
  Character Hex Colors
  [spoili]
  Aerarya is #800080
  Saira is #33cccc
  Merrik is Red
  Nova is Black with Shadow and Italic.
  Avren is Green
  Viridian is Yellow Green with Italic.
  Terria is Dark Azure
  Taega is Medium Gray with Glow and Italic.
  Requiem is Maroon
  Aleria is Dark Green.
  Agni color is #999999
  Narien is #0092b3
  
  [/spoili]​
  Soulserenity20 ---- Merrik Tetra ----- Obsidian Nova, Nightmare Dragon
  Soulserenity20 -----Terria Tetra ----- Ataegana Kuu'iah, Lunar Dragon
  Soulserenity20 -----Avren Lebram ----- Viridian, Forest Dragon
  Rainjay -----Saira Rinien ----- Aerarya, Atmosphere Dragon
  Rainjay -----Illyria Rowena Renthir ----- Mirazh, Desert Dragon
  Firejay1 -----Narien Ki'ila ----- Angi, Arcane Dragon
  White -----Rèverie Gray ----- Celeste, Celestial Dragon
  Mowkie ----- Pomona Ayelet Muldell ----- Katla, Vanity Dragon
  Mowkie ----- Alder Balthazar Grey ----- Andraste, Valor Dragon
  Crimson77 ----- Xylia Kalei Iwalani ----- Deventh, Swamp Dragon
  
• 
  Tetra Estate - Coliseum, 8:17am
  
  The morning air was cool and crisp, the last signs of Winter nipping at Spring's hold on the lands. There was a deep fog rolling in over the eastern forest, blanketing the ancient trees with an eerie, chilling veil. A pair of deep green eyes scanned the surrounding landscape from a hundred feet in the air. Their owner felt no fear, no discomfort of the altitude, being as much at home in the skies as he was on the earth. While the height and the crisp morning air did not bother him, a deep concern was festering within the corners of his mind. It was not unusual for worry and concern to waft about in his thoughts, but the intensity of today's concern was unprecedented.
  
  There was a silence that surrounded him, cocooning him in its peaceful tendrils, broken only by the steady whoosh of powerful wings. With each heavy downbeat, the man in the sky would exhale, taking in the pristine air the ancient woods provided and letting it out in a meditative manner. His dark hair swayed gently, not by breeze, but by wing-beat. The man was concentrating on the legend that was about to begin a hundred feet below him. The man was sorting out his thoughts, organizing his concerns, perfecting his plan of action. Worrying. Concerning himself. Stressing.
  
  The mind is of no use when it is tangled and knotted with stress and worry.
  
  Merrik Tetra opened his eyes as a wave of reassurance swept into his mind, settling what had been stirred up, putting his last lingering thoughts in the right place, and shouldering the mental burden that so commonly threatened to crush him.
  
  "Your wisdom could not have been more welcome. But to execute concern would be unwise. Today the stories of the world will shift mid-sentence, a new chapter forcing its way into a tale of growing darkness. Today the legends of old will be reborn, history repeating itself at the hands of peril upon these lands." Though his lips did not move and no sound rang out into the air, his words found their way into the mind that commanded the wings beating powerfully at Merrik's sides.
  
  The man in the sky was not alone.
  
  A hundred feet above the Tetra Estate, a creature of myth lingered in the air, sustained by the grip of its thick wing membranes on the cool morning air. The creature was massive, larger than any common animal of the lands, and it wore a cloak of scales as black as a night sky devoid of any stars. Blood red eyes that made every onlooker feel like prey blinked slowly as they stared at the distant fog bank. It's vast wings, cloaked in the same obsidian scales that coated the beast's muscular body, wore rings, red as the most scalding lava.
  
  The creature was a dragon. A Nightmare Dragon, to be specific; a beast of legends and fairy tales from a time long ago, long before the memories of even the oldest human. For hundreds of years the sound of heavy wing-beats parting the air could not be heard in these lands, or any other for that matter. For hundreds of years, the great draconic race was thought to have been extinct, perished by the hands of elves or man or even time itself.
  
  Few would believe their eyes. But Merrik Tetra would not so much as blink at the site of such a creature, for the dragon of nightmares and terror that claimed the skies was his dragon, and Merrik was its human. They were soulmates, best friends, companions, one.
  
  More than 2 decades ago, when Merrik was just a little boy, he was brought down into a damp, dark cellar in the depths of his family's manor. There, he received an egg. From within that egg came a voice, though not one any other person would hear, unless it so chose to be heard. Within that egg was a hatchling nightmare dragon, the same drake upon which Merrik sat at that very moment. The dragon was given to him by a strange, mysterious old man who called himself The Oracle. This man changed Merrik's life, shifted his path of fate to one of severity and ultimatum. His life for the next two years was leading up to this moment, this cool spring morning.
  
  Today, Merrik was going to form an army, a re-birthed order of old, summoned up again to bring forth a the great protectors of Illos. Today, Merrik was going to change the lives of a group of individuals, the very same individuals that stood a hundred feet below him in the center of a coliseum. Behind the doors that lined the walls of the coliseum were more dragons. More disbelief shattered by flesh and blood. Two years ago, Merrik had once again been summoned into that musky cellar where The Oracle appeared once agian. This time, Merrik didn't receive one egg; he received an entire clutch, each one a different color, texture and size.
  
  From those eggs hatched dragons, one of each of the draconic species, apart from the Nightmares. Those hatchlings had spent the last two years of their lives growing and learning from Merrik and his dragon, Obsidian Nova. They were being trained and prepared for this very day, this moment. Each of the drakes behind those heavy wooden doors lacked a piece of its soul, a part of it that could never have been filled. Not until now.
  
  The group of people standing, uncertain in the middle of the coliseum, were chosen long ago, though they could not have known it. The Oracle had selected them at birth, when their souls entered into their bodies with their first breath. Each soul chosen, was the missing half of one of the dragons below. And today, those two souls would collide and fuse together, changing the fate of Illos forever.
  
  "They know so little of what is to come." Came Merrik's soundless voice from his own mind into the dragon's.
  The less they know, the less they can fear and fight what is to be. Though we know that each of the humans below is the soulmate of one of our yearlings, the yearlings do not know for certain. They believe that these are mere potential candidates for the bond. They will test them just as a wild dragon would have tested the first of the dragonlords so long ago. The humans will pass these tests, of this we have been assured by The Oracle. Everything is set into motion.
  
  Let their oblivion be their guide, for both dragon and human. Let the bond work in its natural ways, it will give them strength in the long run. The humans MUST prove themselves to their drake, not only for tradition's sake, but to unlock the power that hides within their blood. Tamers are not made, they are born at the very moment a dragon's soul awakens. In that moment, the two become connected, separated only by distance and time. The tamers have an ancient magic within their veins, though they do not know it yet.
  
  Today, the bond with unlock that magic and change their lives forever. We should not delay it any longer.
  
  Obsidian Nova had a way about him that commanded submission and trust. There was no one else in the world that could calm and reassure Merrik in such a way as the black dragon. Nova had an ancient wisdom to him that came with being a direct descendant of one of the first bonded dragons of the Order of Old. Though merely 21 by age, the dragon's wisdom went on for centuries. Merrik agreed without a word or thought.
  
  With perfect intent-directed synchrony, the dragon descended, lowing the pair and coming to rest on a great stone perch that sat at the head of the coliseum. As the dragon's talons touched down on the stone and his great wingspan retracted to a resting position, Merrik stood up from his place at the base of Nova's neck and slipped down off the dragon's back without a sliver of difficulty, landing on the thick, stone perch below.
  
  The attention of the visitors in the centre of the round mass of earth focused on him. Some eyes shone with excitement, others with a sly intent, and others with a plain annoyance. There was too much personality within that circle for Merrik to handle all at once. He silently thanked the gods of old that he didn't have to get up close and personal with the entire group just yet. For now, the focus of attention was on dragons, and Merrik was completely at home in the realm of dragons.
  
  "You have all be told of your purpose for standing her today. I can understand if some or many of your minds linger in disbelief, this is an event of dreams and myth. But make no mistake, you are here to become heroes, legends, and leaders. You are here to become one with beasts of old, powerful creatures not seen in these lands for hundreds of years." He walked to the end of the perch, balancing casually on the round, stone hold.
  
  "The doors that surround you are the temporary dens of the dragons of Illos. The doors will open in a few moments. You must all be strong, be fast, and be brave. Today, you become dragon tamers."
  Then, Merrik's deep green eyes became twice as vibrant as any human's and he swirled his right index finger in a curious manner, concentration clear on his expression. The doors slid open, lifting up to reveals cascading plumes of steam as the temperature difference made itself apparent. The cool morning air welcomed the sound of wingbeats, too many to count, as a mass of dragons shot out of the dark spaces and soared up into the air. Flames of every color decorated the skies, scaled beasts of every shape, size and color bolted about before peeling off from the group and honing in on select individuals.
  
  One of the dragons shot a jet of colored flame down at the ground, nearing searing one of the soon-to-be tamers. The tests had begun.
  
  Merrik and Nova watched silently as the young dragons they had raised from hatchlings attacked, questioned, chased, scared, and tested the group of visitors. Each was seeking a human worthy of their soul, of their life, of their bond. Each would find a human, though they did not know it, and until then, they would test their worthiness endlessly. Merrik pitied the men and women below, for they had not been informed of what the bond was, nor were they informed of the fact that the tests the dragons subjected them to would look more like an attack than anything, despite the fact that the drakes would not actually harm them. This pity went away mere moments after it arrived as Nova's presence in his soul shifted with the drake's emotion. Any amount of terror and confusion was worth the bond of dragon and tamer.
  
• 
  
  Combat Event Guide
  +Steps+
  

  1. GM Scenario Introduction.​
  2. Player Response. Combat Begins.​
  3. GM Response to Combat. Required die roll will be presented.​
  4. Player Response. Player Roll. Player may close combat.​
  5. GM Combat Close Response (if necessary)​

  
  +Basics Behind the Rolls+
  
  Three Types of Opponents: Basic, Challenging, and Boss.
  Basic: Just classic battling. It is generally expected that your character can handle this with general ease.
  Challenging: These will require higher rolls and a bit of strength in whatever technique the character uses to attack.
  Boss: These will require the best rolls, the most creativity, and the best weaponry/spells/approaches suited to the character.
  
  Three Types of Character Approaches: Strength, Weakness, Long Shot.
  Strength: The character attacks within their class/strength/ability.
  Weakness: The player attacks in a class/ability that they are not necessarily comfortable or entirely skilled at.
  Long Shot: The player is being an idiot and doing something that would never work unless the die gods are on their sides.
  
  +How Opponent Types and Character Approaches work together+
  BASIC OPPONENT
  Strength Base Roll: 12
  Weakness Base Roll: 14
  Long Shot Base Roll: 16
  
  CHALLENGING OPPONENT
  Strength Base Roll: 14
  Weakness Base Roll: 16
  Long Shot Base Roll: 20
  
  BOSS OPPONENT
  Strength Base Roll: 18
  Weakness Base Roll: 20
  Long Shot Base Roll: 25 (requires stat bonus)
  
  NOTE: In a boss battle, there will be much more discretion for creativity and teamwork between players. Successful rolls will mean successful hits, NOT kills. Furthermore, for boss rolls, because they are much more difficult, the player will get a 'second chance' roll if their first roll is not successful.
  In Step 3, where the GM presents the required roll, it will have the relevant stats already added in and will be presented in a manner to explain the reason the roll is what it is. Stats are applied by level of skill, as portrayed:
  5% = Beginner ----> No Mod
  10% = Applicable ----> No Mod
  20% = Novice ----> +1
  30% = Adept ----> +2
  45% = Advanced ----> +3
  50% = Expert ----> +4
  65% = Sage (Mortal Mastery) ----> + 5
  
  Example:
  Shirin Vs. Challenging Opponent, Strength (Longsword)
  Base Roll: 14
  35% in long sword, +2 Bonus
  14% in valor, +1 Bonus
  14% in strength, +1 Bonus.
  
  14 - 2 - 1 - 1 = 10 Required.
  
  The player will then post a blank post with "Rolling..." posted and then roll a 20 sided dice (D20) on that post. Then the player will post a SECOND post with their response in accordance with how their roll went. They can wrap it up themselves (Step 4), or the GM can add a post in at the end to wrap it up accordingly.
  
  WARNING: If you delete ANY POSTS in these events, I will assume you're trying to cheat and get a better roll. I don't want any explanations, I won't believe a word you say, and I'll roll FOR you with a penalty of 5 added onto the battle. This means, for example, Shirin would need a 15 instead of a 10. If you make a mistake, for example, roll a D6, or roll twice. LEAVE IT. I have eyes. I can see the mistakes.​

[spoili][/spoili]

 

[Crimson77]

Xylia frowned as they descended back to the meadow. She believed she was the cause to their team's failure, and honestly, she was. She had wasted too much time thinking and shouldn't have spoken up in the first place. The atmosphere around her was somber and she refused to look at any of her fellow Tamers in the eye. Deventh realised that she had been losing that spark in her lately; always looking down and that boisterous and loud voice seemed to have shrink and mellow to a dangerously upsetting tone.

Deventh tried to soothe her through their bond, stroking her self- esteem and offering happy memories where her strategy worked. However, he realised that she was more lost in her thoughts and every memory seemed to make their bond feel heavier -sadder.

Upon landing, Deventh watched Xylia's retreating figure to her room and he decided that it was best to give her some space for now and to calm his own mind, hoping that it would help her at the very least, and opted for hiding in the forest for a bit until he was called for.

Xylia made her way to her room before stopping by Saira's room, hoping to apologize but she wasn't there. Xylia huffed before residing back into her room and laying on the soft, uncomfortable bed, pushing the books lying astray all over to the ground to make space of herself before knocking her own forehead lightly with a fist, attempting to knock the headache she was receiving away.

 

[Soulserenity20]

[dash=yellowgreen]

Avren sat quietly in his quarters, muttering to himself about how difficult women were, and how difficult it was to be a person and to have to interact with other people. People had become a major source of stress for him in the past several months. He had come to dislike some, to honor some, and to love . . . well, just one. He sighed quietly to himself, sitting perched on the edge of his bed, his forearms resting on his knees, his hands together, fingers laced as his thumbs twiddled back and forth. Behind him, only the subtle movement of Viridian's heavy breathing as the dragon slept quietly in his nest beyond the hole in the wall drew at Avren's attention. He wanted to just forget about what plagued his mind, but he couldn't. It had a hold on him that he hadn't the power to break. The color of her hair still lingered in his mind. That vibrant hue that crowned her beautiful image; he had been captivated by it for months now. . . but here he was, falling head over heels for a woman that possibly hated him.

"She was so angry. . . " he mumbled to himself. "But why? I . . . I didn't do anything. . . I just. . ." His voice trailed off as realization ebbed into his mind. As it did, his face lit up. "That's it! I didn't do anything! I have to do something!"

He stood up quickly, flipping his loose dreadlocks over his shoulder and tying them back with a pair of them before marching out his door and into the deep woods. He followed the trails that had become familiar and ventured on for a good while before he neared the still water creek that he had found four months ago. He often came here to meditate and study, soaking his toes in the cool waters of the spring. It was only a short walk, no more than half an hour from the meadow, but it was out of the way, in the thick of the woods and down under a rocky outcropping that dipped into a lower region of the forest. As he stepped lightly down the hill that led to the quiet creek, he kept his eyes peeled for his target. He wasn't here to meditate or to study or laze about, but rather to collect seeds.

Down in the still water creek there lie a small group of water flowers, their pollen possessing a glittering property that made them appear magical, and in fact Avren was sure they were. Their petals bore a distinct red color that faded from a hue much like that of Saira's locks, into a pale, whitening tone at the tips of its petals. They lived only on still water, from what he could see, and they preferred pristine and cool waters. He needed to remember all of this for what he was planning.

Moving swiftly and carefully, he collected one of the flowers, clipping it free from its roots with a sharp knife and carrying it carefully back home. Once there, he began digging around for a somewhat elegant dish. It was a clear crystal bowl with a purple tint to it. It's clarity wasn't the finest but it was the nicest bowl he had. It was about a foot across and a little more deep. He cleaned it up, collected the best soil he could find from a garden bed in the meadow, and ran back to his hut to fill the bottom of the bowl with a thin layer of the soil. This would allow the plant to root and anchor itself.

Filling it with cool water, he began weaving his bonded mana into the flower. He collected its seeds and planted them in the soil at the bottom of the water-filled dish. Willing it to grow, the flower showed itself at the surface of the water and bloomed. It was then that Avren slowed his will and let it return to its natural growth cycle. He smiled as he noted the tone and found it to be perfect in its simplistic beauty. The blooming flower began to glitter, its pollen floating lightly above the surface of the bloom. Seeing it as it was, he decided now was the time.

Picking up the bowl, he carried it carefully to the stables and slipped in the back door. Quietly, he made his way along the hall, careful not to splash the water anywhere, and he poked his head quietly into the stable of the Air tamer and her dragoness. Not wanting to get caught, he stepped in quietly and set the flower down next to the pool of water in the front corner of the stable where Aerarya's water supply bubbled and gurgled up. He dusted it off once more and realized he had no note. Stumbling about awkwardly, the fear of discovery setting in, he decided to just run away before anyone caught him. His bare feet padding quietly down the hall, he didn't stop until he made it back to his hut. Heaving, he laid down on the ground and smiled up at the thorny vines that covered the root of his little home.

"While I applaud you for your efforts, wasn't the point of all this to. . . do something? How can she know you did it if you don't let her know it was you?"

"She doesn't have to know it was me for me to have done something. I wanted to do something. And I did. Her smile will be there whether I see it or not, and for that, I am grateful."

The dragon hummed in approval, lifting his hand back to his mane to comb out some of the knots. "You are growing, little sapling."

And Avren only smiled, thinking of the fiery haired tamer of the skies.
[/dash]

 

[White]

Reverie laughed when the hunt was called off, she was a bit dissatisfied with her own performance within the role she had assumed and taken. Maybe she should have used her smarts and perceptiveness to see and notice these attributes that the prey had displayed before setting out on planning... though, would she have been alone, it had not been an issue to do.
Xylia and Saira both seemed to be sulking down on their dragon's backs on their way back. It was unnecessary, she thought, not everything can be won or finished on the first attempt. Xylia did what she could and thought of and listened as well as contributed, while Saira seemed absent and upon realizing they were moving, just seemed to comply, rather than agree.

"It was rather a success, was it not?" The White dragon responded to Reverie's rambling of thouhts. "In a manner, yes," she replied. "It may have been unsuccessfull in the hunt in itself but we learned more of one another... Now we will just have to try and improve on what we now know and the knowledge we have acquired." Laughing sadly, she added: "I do wonder how he would have handled this, you know?" And in a manner, she missed his decisiveness, his knowledge and experience on warfare and once again she reached for the small memorial she took from his belongings, wrapping her hand around it. In a manner of speaking, it gave her strength when she herself felt like she was failing.

Within the distance she could perceive Terria on Taega alongside the wounded Alder and Andraste. Flying closer she joyfully waved, her body rising just a bit, leaning towards Terria from a distance. Reaching a close distance she exclaimed "We missed you so very much and I am glad that you are here with us once again." A gentle smile showing on Reverie's gaze as her eyes met Terria's. Her's were different, as if part of life itself was missing. She knew this feeling, she, too, once had this loss and simply nodded."Don't give in," she simply stated neutrally before that smile returned to her face. "But I believe there is somebody whom had been awaiting your return far more than any of us could..." turning her head towards Merrik to look at him, nodding in a silent understanding as the white dragon gave them distance, solemn time so that siblings could hopefully find joy in being reunited. Celeste and Reverie returned to their own training shedule right after, which this time, concluded on simply meditating.

 

[Soulserenity20]

​

Terria sat quietly on the edge of her bed. Her hair, now clean and brushed, fell loosely down her shoulders, cascading in a frame around her face. Her skin was pale, much paler than what it should have been for a woman that thrived on the open air and the light of the sun and moon. Her body was thin, her weight steeply below a healthy level, her muscles still fragile from the trauma she had suffered.

When she had returned, she slept an unnatural sleep under the care of Taega. The others didn't know, but Taega had been forced to hum her soothing songs to Terria for the entirety of her slumber, lest the nightmare return. Luckily, Taega's mana pools were deep from a lifetime of meditation and the extended practice hadn't drained the dragoness too severely. When Terria had awoken, she'd experienced a most unusual meeting with a man she knew nothing of. She had no reason to do so, but she she had trusted him and that trust was returned with comfort. Alder. The name danced about her mind as best it could, a center of focus for the time being.

"Your brother approaches."

The smooth voice in her mind stole her from her thoughts. "Merrik. . . " she spoke the name quietly. "Yes, I expect he's been waiting for some time to speak with me."

Footsteps drew near and when they stopped, a knock took their place in the still air. Taega welcomed him in and he ventured to the lift, asking Taega to give him a lift up so he could check how well it was working. When his profile appeared at the edge of the loft, he stepped off and paused to examine and tighten a rope on a part of the contraption. Turning, he set his gaze on the skeleton that was his sister. For a moment, he looked uncomfortable. Not his eyes, they were as familiar and loving as ever, but his posture was giving it away. He was unsure of how to act around her, as if he were in the presence of some fine, crystal piece - beautiful, valuable, but incredibly fragile.

He stepped towards her and sat tenderly on the bed beside her and looked down into her tired, empty eyes. His expression told her all the things she didn't care to hear. He was concerned, there was guilt, regret, pain, fear, all of which were normal but none of which Terria cared to deal with right now. Could she even deal with it right now? She knew so little of what and who she was anymore. Perhaps her brother had a better idea.

"Your bones are all set properly now."

She blinked, not expecting this, of all things. She had expected he'd get overly emotional and go on about how everything was his fault.

"I know your body isn't back to normal yet. . . and I'm sorry for that. It's just. . . you know how much mana healing consumes. I wanted to focus on the most essential elements . . . there. . . there was so much damage, Terria."

There it was. His expression hardened, he was trying to steel his emotions but they were going to burst through the wall he was trying so desperately to build.

"Terria. . . I'm so sorry." She looked away. She didn't want this. Not now. She had no room in her heart for sympathy, for guilt, pity, anything that would do Merrik any use.

"I should have predicted he would make a move like this. I should have seen the threat. . . You shouldn't have been out alone."

But I'm a better mage than you. What could you have done? No number of tricks nor amount of dragonfire could have kept Ogual from completing his task. This was a matter of weakness of the Order as a whole. It wasn't the snake's head, it was the entire snake.

"So much has happened. We. . . we had to take back Kuhl, Ter. We didn't get you back when we could have because we had to reclaim the capital. Queen Valaeria and her army marched alongside the King of Sylvis and his military. . . we had to. I. . . we had to."

She stared at the railing that guarded the edge of the loft, hearing what he said, but numb to any emotional response. The reality was that what had happened to her in Ogual's darkness was so otherwordly that it was entirely impossible for her to connect it with what had happened before or during her captivity. There was no blame in her heart for Merrik, no spite for his decision to reclaim the capital instead of journeying to reclaim her. There was simply no connection between what had happened to the world, and what had happened to her. And so, the emotion that so deeply burdened her brother, was simply missing within her.

"We came to you as soon as we could. So much happened in Kuhl," he became distant then. He was hiding something from her, failing to provide her with very crucial details of some kind. Curiosity crept into her mind, but it found no place to nest and live. "We came as soon as we could. Saira, Reverie, and. . . Goliath. We came for you as soon as possible."

The way he said Goliath's name gave it all away. It took only a moment to connect the dots. He hadn't been in to see her a single time. Merrik said his name with a tone that made it a trisyllabic obituary and Terria knew. The pain did come, but pain was familiar and so even in his death, Goliath brought her comfort.

"We split up to find you . . . and, Goliath didn't make it out of Ogual's lair."

So two of us died in there.


"We lost another, in the battle for Kuhl. Dalaith fell. She gave her life for the Order, changing the tides of the battle." He quieted rather suddenly then, no doubt struck with the weight of the losses. Merrik never handled loss well. Even as children, he struggled to come to terms with hunting, always suffered inner conflict when Father had sent him out to practicing his flying skills while Nova hunted.

"But we didn't lose you." The words caught her attention and she lifted her gaze to the green eyes that came from her father. "We have lost so much, but we didn't lose you." His voice nearly broke under the emotion that stormed within him. She looked at the pain on her brother's face and for a moment, she felt that she understood. It took more effort than she had, but Terria placed her hands gingerly on the bed beneath her and lifted herself, sliding a little ways down the bed to her brother. Merrik closed the space between them and placed an arm protectively around her.


They didn't speak for a time. Only the silent tears that dripped down onto Terria's lap from Merrik's eyes as he buried his face in her hair spoke to the emotional exchange that lived between them in that moment. She hadn't the energy to embrace him, but she rested against him from her seat next to him on her bed. Comfort grew then, and it was real, but there was little else. Despite the absence of a strong connection or any interest in the exchange, the younger Tetra remained there, resting her tired body against her brother, for as long as he needed to recollect himself. With time,the tears stopped. He placed a gentle kiss on her head, gently pulling away and looking down into her blue eyes. "One day at a time."

Mother had always said that to the two of them. Every time Merrik felt tired and miserable in his youth, every time Terria felt jealous, hopeless, or impatient, their mother had always told them, "one day at a time." And so it would be.

​

 

[firejay1]

They had caught one, and the wicked grin was still alive on Narien's face after the hunt had concluded. The girls, for their part, did not look particularly pleased, and Avren had proceeded to... sing. At a corpse. The corpse of a deer, no less, which made about as much sense to him as skinning a fly. No matter, they'd finished the hunt, proving to the others that they could work together, while the other team struggled. This was not quite amusing, but it was ironic that the two of them, of all people, would end up orchestrating the hunt that succeeded. He had watched Avren skin the deer closely, trying to learn as he did so. He was good with a knife, but had no experience with skinning things. By the time that was done, most of the others had returned already, so he and Agni were one of the last ones to leave the forest.

As they flew back, he and Agni talked about the state of the Order, the discontent he had sewn between them, or rather, the weakness he had revealed in them. The Order was not an army, and for the first time they were truly feeling that divide as they had not during Kuhl. Kuhl had been a mighty battle, but Merrik had mostly allowed each tamer to do as they saw fit, and beyond the loss of Dalaith, that had been sufficient. When they next split up, Narien was curious to see who would be picked to do what, and how each group would fare. Strangely, he did not feel the urgency he had before the battle to grow stronger more quickly. The need to do so was still there, but the harried feeling that they had not enough time was absent, perhaps because the thrill of the flight earlier was still quietly lifting his spirits.

They arrived too late to see Terria up and about, but as he walked with Agni to their stables, he caught sight of Merrik at her door, looking somehow anxious. Agni, while pleased that her small scheme had worked, was ready to take some rest, while Narien did whatever he did. He flipped a knife in his hand as he left the stables again. He had considered taking a piece of wood to make one of his small figurines with, or hopping into Dalaith's room to raid her collection of books from the Tetra library, as he had done once or twice since their return from Kuhl, but instead decided now was a good time to practice using other kinds of mana, in light of the hunt. He was growing fairly good with his bonded mana, particularly using it in battle, but his control over anything besides fire was weak, and even that he had not used in much of an offensive capacity.

Venturing across the meadow, he opened his left palm, letting a small fire grow in it, then grow larger and larger until it was noticeably shooting up from his hand. Then, he attempted to wrap it around himself in a swirl, acting as a strange shield of sorts. Perhaps that was an idea to use later. His right hand paused, letting the knife still in its grasp before he sheathed it. He passed one of the dragons by the lake and, continuing to walk without much thought as to where he was going, began to focus inward. Rather than cultivating a small flame, as he was used to, he slowly attempted to build a ball of water, going with the same process he had used for his flame - start small, then learn fine-tuned control. His eyes wandered freely, preventing him from bumping into anything, but he hardly noticed what he was passing through as he continued with his endeavor, forming water with what he knew of it.

 

[White]

Everybody had split up when they had arrived back to the meadow and Reverie had returned to meditating. It was a while before Celeste would approach Reverie, settling down at her side. "Is that really what you think?" Celeste inquired and interrupted on Reverie's thought. "Not quite and yet it seems like it had been the best choice in terms of efficency, no?" Celeste frowned... as much as a dragon could. "It is against our very nature to do such, would you say that it was not our obligation to whom we are to find an answer, a solution to that which we have to face?"
Reverie answered hesitantly, her hand wandering to that memoiral of his again. "I guess you are right and yet I can't help but feel..." "That it was good that naught were slain by your group?" Reverie nodded. "It just appears pointless and unnecessary, yet we do need to eat, do we not, but was it necessary then? I do not know and neither do I know how the food stores look..." Celeste just agreed.

"What do you think you should have done now in hindsight?" Reverie considered Celeste's question. "I believe that I would have done the same and asked, the brief encounter served as a good source of information on what we had to expect, after I should have considered it all and quickly found an answer... an answer like seeing if we could slay them by abusing the drive to survive. I would not want to copy the other group's method, it seemed cheap. One thing I failed at was understanding and realizing everybody's capabilities and I desired to involve everybody... I really should put this topic to rest, should I not?"

Celeste curled around Reverie, almost like a dragon trying to huge a human. "Yes, you should."

 

[Soulserenity20]

Merrik strode quietly through the woods that were so familiar to him. The path he followed was one worn by his own feet over the last 2 decades of trekking through the forests that surrounded the meadow and with time, some of the wildlife had taken to joining him in carving out an easier way to navigate the thick undergrowth. The woods were a magical environment indeed, but there was more to it than that. The mana in the land created a most unique set of species and a curious diversity in the layout of the various ecosystems that existed in the Ancient Woods. The undergrowth was almost always thick with plant life, regardless of the amount of sunlight that did or didn't penetrate the mighty canopy to nurture the floor below. Mana was the lifeblood of these plants, and of most the animals as well.

Moving easily onward, he soon came about the part of the woods, no so far from the meadow itself, where the tiny shack sat nestled into the landscape. The shack was a great deal different now, from what it once had been, as Aglares had taken it up as her home and wove her ancient elven manas into it. Merrik had been in awe that day. She had invited him out to allow him to witness the nature manipulation mana that was at the heart of elven culture, the very mana that Avren now possessed, but in a very different and indirect form. The shack, once plain and boring, still held it form but now bored minute and delicate details across every inch of its being. Runes, protections of many sorts, fine twists of the wood grains, and life now sprung from it. Algares had brought the old, dead wood back to life. Urged it to grow roots and restored its life, connecting it to the natural world from whence it came. The shack's roof, once a worn tile, was now thick leaves that stemmed from the branches that now formed the roof's supports. The leaves had been magically processed into a diamond-hard substance that bore a semitransparent look. The leaves were beautiful as they were in their natural state but when Aglares enchanted them, they had taken on the appearance of panels of stained glass. During the day they remained in the bright colors of the wood, bright dew yellows and spring greens, but at night, they cleared and revealed the shimmering stars in the skies above, wherever they dared peak through the thick of the canopy above.

Merrik smiled as he leaned in and knocked gently on the wood of the door, now stained a deep green tone and inscribed with a brilliant yet subtle display of tiny etchings that told tales of the Elven folk of old. Merrik could have stared at that door for days on end, simply taking in the majesty of Aglares' work, but swiftly so, the door opened and a smiling face appeared.

"Master Tetra." The old man bowed gently and gestured for Merrik to enter before closing the door behind him. Aglares sat at the table, fiddling with a device that looked a bit like a three dimensional mind puzzle made entirely of glass. He would have asked about it, but she answered his questions before he could open his mouth.


"It's a memory prism. A protective place to store memories from millennia ago. I can't be expected to maintain every detail of my life in this single mind of mine. This one will prove useful is only I can remember the cursed way in." Rolling her eyes, she set it gently on the table and straightened up in her seat.

"A brilliant concept, save the necessity of remembering the way in that was set as long ago as the memories were stored. But enough of that, I assume you're here for Bren."

The old man looked a bit surprised, but it quickly departed from his expression and he took a seat opposite Merrik as the elder Tetra did the same. Nodding, Merrik turned to speak to the man that had been welcomed as a guest into the meadow until they could unravel his great mystery. Aglares had offered to host him whenever the Order was absent and in the time that they had taken in Kibran and at Ogual's volcano, the pair seemed to have grown quite close. Merrik was suspicious of Aglares, but trusted in their blood oath that whatever she was hiding, she was doing so for a good reason.

"As I'm sure you know, Aglares has revealed a way that she might attempt to recover your lost memory. The mana required to do so, however, is great. We need to find our way to the Silent Peaks to harness the mana of the dragon relics there and find out who you really are and how you came about the state you find yourself in."

The man only nodded. "Yes, of course. I understand."

He appeared to have some objections, but his decision to withhold them led Merrik to go on. "We aren't certain that Obsidian Nova will agree to cooperate in this endeavor. He doesn't trust you and he curses the name of Aglares for her revelation. We'll have to act carefully, but in the worse case scenario, we may not be able to help you at all. In such a case, you're welcome to remain here at the meadow until the day comes that we can aid you at last. Nova may not agree, but I believe your knowledge to be of great value and as the Dragonlord, steward of the Order, I believe it my duty to do what I can to settle this once and for all. I would request that you both join us on our trip to Origin Island in search of the Hell Pit. We may find the answers we seek there."

Aglares' gaze was trained on Merrik, narrowing slightly as he requested their company. "Very well, Master Tetra, but it would be wise if we maintain our business as private on our journeys. Many will wish to know why the heroes of the land are trekking away from the fray, but few can be trusted with this truth. You'll need to come up with a believable explanation for your people to tell those they come into contact with."

Noting her point, Merrik nodded and looked to Bren who was stirring in his seat. "Is this really the time, Lord Tetra? The war beckons your aid. I cannot be sure I'll prove useful."

Aglares' gaze shifted momentary but returned to Merrik as he responded. "Each choice I make poses the a potential gain and a potential loss. I must decide what I deem to be most fruitful in the trail of war and move forward with it. I have deemed this decision a worthwhile one and I hope that you will trust until I give you reason not to."

Bren nodded, convinced and calm. He had been agreeable and calm since the day he came to them. Not calm in a way that led Merrik to believe he lacked reason or mind of the matters at hand, but rather a calm that gave off an air of experience with the path of Fate.

"We will not forgo our duties during our travels. There is much to be done across the whole of Illos and we will see to those matters as we travel."

Aglares nodded, Bren offered his own approval, and Merrik rose. "We leave in a week. Aglares, will you fly with us or will you harness your own means of travel?"

"I think I'd very much enjoy a flight on a dragon's back. It has been so very long." A brief smile from the Old Sylvian, a respectful bow from Merrik, and very shortly after, the party was dissolved as the elder Tetra made his way back to the meadow.

~~~​

It was several days later when Merrik approached the Order for a meeting. He had thought long and hard over who would take the leadership role in the journey to Galidus and who would journey where when they parted ways. He announced his decision and bade them all to prepare well for their journey this time, and to think carefully on their mistakes in the past that they might avoid repeating them. He appointed designated assistants this time, hoping for a more orderly system of command to form in the process.

It was agreed between the Tetras that Terria would remain at the meadow with Taega, for she felt safest here and hadn't the energy for a great journey, nor the mind for venturing out of the Ancient Woods and into the world beyond.

When the day came , the parties would separate in the meadow and take off in opposite directions and begin their new tasks.

Galidus Council Party
Illyria (Narien's appointed assistant)
Narien (Leader)
Avren
Reverie

Origin Expedition Party
Merrik (leader)
Saira (Merrik's appointed assistant)
Pomona
Alder
Xylia

 

[firejay1]

Narien hadn't believed his ears when Merrik had decided the groups this time. It had taken a few seconds longer to process than it should have, because that was precisely the thing he had been expecting NOT to happen. He had said "no." He had said it aloud this time, not allowing anyone to talk over him. No, I will not lead a group again. I will not be responsible for the recklessness of others, nor the foolishness of your trust. Should trouble befall us, it may be me they blame, but it is you they will turn to for comfort and counsel, Merrik. Think about what you are doing.There was much he had wanted to say, even been tempted to take out his knife and slam it into the table for dramatic emphasis, but it had been apparent that Merrik would not be moved on this decision, and he was not about to make a scene to threaten the already delicate balance of the Order. So he had bitten the inside of his upper lip hard enough to draw blood, sat where he was, and taken the insanity without another word of external protest.

He did not mind going to Galidus. He had been hoping to be part of the Origin Island group, as he was interested in what there was to find there, but Galidus provided its own interesting prospects - a chance to walk into his father's world after all. Everything else about this situation was not good. Him being leader was a horrible decision after the last disaster. If they hadn't trusted him before, a couple of them probably downright resented him now. He wasn't sure how Avren felt since the hunt had worked out, but for sure there was something hanging in the air between them. Illyria had even explicitly asked not to be put in the same group as him during their last meeting. Having her as his "assistant" was just as horrible an idea as making him leader, especially as she had been looking almost sickly lately. He wasn't sure what that was about, and wasn't sure he wanted to know... so long as it didn't become a problem later.

All in all, though, Agni thought he was taking the news well. In the last few days, he had been practicing a little more water mana and taking her out on rides just for fun. Well, his idea of fun. They had been trying some flight patterns she wasn't sure she was so comfortable with, though she was sure the extra practice would help in battle, and she felt that he had a bit more perspective to him. That didn't mean he wasn't raging pissed about the turn of events, but it did mean he was more prepared to act on it, and she was certain that would make all the difference.

When they landed in the Temple of the Moon in Galidus, Narien slid off of her back, holding himself differently than he had in the past few months. His long, black hair had been tied back neatly - instead of with the secure but slightly haphazard ponytail he usually maintained - showing off his mother's earring a little more clearly. He had scrounged a proper scabbard from somewhere, and one of his fancier knives, sporting an ironically dragon-shaped handle, was displayed on his hip. It was possible they would ask him to remove it upon entering the meeting, but it was more of a symbol than anything else, as he had never found occasion to use this one in battle. He had wrapped a thick piece of leather twice around his right wrist to hide the slave brand in a fashionable manner. The look in his ice blue eyes was hard and unreadable as stone.

He briefly turned back to the others and spoke quietly, but pointedly, without holding anything back or pretending to be awkward, "I warn you all beforehand that this is not like Kibran. Here we are not only warriors, but representatives of the Order of Illos among the People of Dragons and the king of a mighty nation to whom we owe not our allegiance, but our respect. Do not do anything without a formal decision having been agreed upon by all of us, and do not speak unless you have thought your words through." He didn't ask for confirmation that they had understood. If they hadn't, they were all screwed anyways. He turned back around in hopes of a greeting from someone at the Monastery, to acknowledge their arrival and hopefully bring them to the meeting so they could find out why they had been called.

 

[Soulserenity20]

As the party flew westward, they came into a darkening sky. By the time they reached the coast west of Tetra Manor and began following it south to where a wide strait separated a hook of the Ancient Woods from the mass that was Origin Island, the weather had turned against them and a storm soon swept over the party. Aglares had chosen to fly with Merrik on Obsidian Nova and Bren had requested that he fly with Saira, knowing the Silvers were strong fliers and feeling rather safe with the idea of being atop a beast of the sky in nature and in essence while soaring across the lands as they did.

The storm clouds were heavy and thick and as the thunder rumbled through the skies, the tamers watched a display of lightning striking off in the distance, out of time with the thunder that met their ears. A dazzling sight to see the Eternal Sea lit up with the yellow and pink strikes of electricity that spoke to the sheer power of the forces of nature, Merrik feared the storm would stop them from crossing the strait safely. He had flown in poor weather before but the other tamers never had. They knew nothing of how slippery a dragon's scales could become in the rain and how strong the winds were up here. He decided it best for them to land on the coast, where the trees of the Ancient met the narrow beaches of the western coast of Illos. The weyr landed just in time for the rains to strike and within minutes, the party was drenched. As Merrik and the others started to set up camp in the damp, cold air of the oncoming cold season, Obsidian Nova stood among them with his mighty wingspan spread out to its fullness, sheltering the tamers from the rain that fell from above. The other dragons did near the same, forming a protective ring and opening their wings to stop the winds and the rains. Within half an hour, camp was made and the tamers were safely inside.

Despite their reasonable comfort and safety within the large, canvas tents, three of them total - one for Merrik and Alder, one for Saira, Pomona, and Xylia, and one for Aglares alone, as she insisted - Nova remained huddled nearby, keeping his wings spread in a lazy rest to maintain a level of protection from the storm while he slept neatly in the darkened air. The tamers had all been called to Merrik's tent that evening to discuss their plans. When the storm cleared, they would depart across the strait and land in the thick woods of Origin Island where their search for answers would begin.

"Saira, I would ask that you and Aerarya provide an aerial view as we move about the forest floor. There may be much that only your eyes can spot from the air or there may be much that you will not see from above the canopy of the woods. We need eyes on the ground and in the skies."

He looked to Pomona and Alder, requesting they both act as guards, keeping their eyes peeled for any threats that may present themselves. Then, to Xylia, he requested that she lead, for she was more attuned with the jungles and the forests of the world than he. While Merrik knew the Ancient Woods of the Tetra Estate as well as he knew his own dragon, he wasn't like Xylia and Avren. He didn't adapt to new forests as quickly and he didn't want his own mistakes to leave them lost or worse. Xylia would make a wonderful guide and hoped she would rise to the challenge.

He was about to go on and explain to them how he wanted to search the island, using both mana searching and physical searching to find the Hell Pit, when the dragons suddenly began scurrying about outside. Merrik, looking rather bewildered, rose and made his way to the tent door.

Outside, the dragons were acting peculiarly, as far as he could tell. They were dancing about as if some invisible force were dancing about their backs. Each dragon was moving about, their attention completely consumed by whatever was bothering them, and not one of them cared to explain to their tamers what was happening, or even acknowledge them at all as they came out of the tent and peered at the odd sight through the rain.

"Nova!" Merrik yelled over the wind and rainfall, "gods be, what's gotten into you?"

The dragon chuffed and shook its entire body like a dog freeing water from its fur and glanced about in a self-conscious way.

"Ahem. . . I. . . I don't know, Merrik. There. . . something is here. Can't you see it? The dancing lights. They've come to us all and won't free themselves from my scales, nor of any other." He shuttered again, clearly bothered by the invisible presence and clearly trying his hardest to pay attention to Merrik when all he wanted to do was dance about in an attempt to shake the things off of him.

Utterly perplexed, Merrik looked to the others. "I haven't a clue what he's talking about. Can any of you see anything at all?"

They would all look, but none would see any dancing lights. Merrik looked worriedly around. The nearby forest was quiet and dark, the skies were blackened grey and empty, from what his eyes could tell, and the beach was void of any life. His mind grew concerned about an ambush, some kind of an attack, as would be expected in a time of war, but he couldn't sense any mana at work.

"We need to investigate. Come, we'll split up into pairs and look about. Bren, if you would be so kind as to monitor the camp with Aglares. And keep an eye on the dragons. Mind you don't get yourself trampled in the process."

 

[White]

Reverie was disappointed to see Xylia go with the others, she had wanted her newfound mentee with her and not away with others. Before they split, Reverie had approached her, touched her arm and worriedly spoken "Make sure to come back safe and sound, you hear?" Despite how little time had passed and how short it was that Xylia had approached her with that request... Rev felt honored to be given this chance, this opportunity to teach.

Having given her farewell she joined Narien on their flight, seeing in the disance what she thought to be great cities like Trespa and the Nomad camp that should still hold her adoptive father. She had wanted to see these places and visit them. To see if she could find her sister in Trespa and to say hi to that father of hers. Turning and looking, all of it looked so foreign and still all felt so familiar. How long had it been since she last had stepped into Galidus, not that long ago, was it? And here it felt like years, decades had passed, having had all those new experiences... She would go so far as to say that a lifetime had passed since her last visit, being redeemed now.

She dismounted Celeste upon their arrival, standing tall on her feet. The people of Galidus were hardy and strong people, they would sustain and preserve and so she showed the pride and strength she had seen once long ago in her biological father.
Narien commented and warned them to not do anything reckless, they naturally represented the order here and Reverie gave a simple nod before her head turned away to look around, searching and looking for what she may consider suspicious folk, suspicious activity, something off in somebodies body language.

 

[Soulserenity20]

[dash=blue]The arrival of the tamers at the monastery was not as grand as had been their arrival at the monastery in Sylvis, months before. The monks there were expecting them, but had not been informed of an exact time, and so when the drakes landed on the bleached stone of the front courtyard, their weight forging a low rumbling as they touched down, it was a few minutes before a single monk stepped out of the crystal doors. The monastery here was very different from the Lunate Monastery. The Temples of the Moon had been founded several hundreds of years after the Lunate and showed a degree of architectural advancement not seen at the Lunate. Where the Lunate was made entirely of stone and made solely for the purpose of training devout monastics in the ways of the old Elves and teaching their sacred ways, the two Temples of the Moon were forged later on with the specific purpose of extending the reach of the Lunate Monastery and paying a most sacred homage to the land into which it was built. Since there were never any elves in Galidus, the Galidian Temple of the Moon was forged in respect to the next greatest sacred mana-based being: the dragons. Specifically, this monastery paid homage to the Amethyst and Crystal dragons which spawned from the Heaven's Steps.

The walls were made of a white stone that resembled the snow covered peaks into which it was nestled. The carvings were inlaid with gemstones and accents in the architecture were made out of a stunning crystal. It was a sight to behold. Even as the party was welcomed into the great halls, passing through a massive door made entirely of crystal, the the beauty of the structure was awe-inspiring. The dragons were pointed up to the second floor where massive openings in the walls welcomed them into their nesting places.

Map of Monastery
[spoili]

[/spoili]

The tames were lead down a hall to their left and shown to their quarters and allowed to settle in before a familiar face appeared at the doorway of each room, asking them all to join her in the library so they could speak.

Isota met the tamers in the heart of the library and beckoned for them to sit at the long, curved table that so many monks had spent tired night studying at. Beside her was another woman with long, white hair that was tied back into a loose bun. She wore white robes and her skin told little of her age, unlike Isota who had aged to a point that could not be mistaken. Isota, still youthful in energy and movement, welcomed them with a warm smile and introduced the other woman as being Maera, the Elder of the Galidian Temple of the Moon.

The pair explained that the King of Trespa had been expected several days ago, in preparation for their meetings, but that he had not arrived in time and the People were getting worried.

"I know little of the king," said Maera, "but I am certain he is not a great enough fool to be so tardy to a meeting with the most ancient order in Illos during a time of great darkness. Something isn't right."

"Perhaps you would go on a surveying mission, tamers. Seek out the king's caravan and see what there is to see. Perhaps guide him here safely from where he is? We have much to tend to here and sending our own people would take a great deal longer than your search from the skies on dragons' backs."[/dash]

 

[Rainjay]

Illyria was none too pleased with the discovery that she was to be in the same team with Narien once again--it was even worse that she was his assistant. How much of her role would be to play leader while Narien anxiously twiddled his thumbs? It seemed he could own up to his mistakes... to an extent... but was far too reluctant and unwilling to ever be a good figure to follow. Why did Merrik not see this?

Why not Reverie? Or even me? She questioned as they landed at the temple. Avren probably shouldn't have even come, honestly, given how poorly he does with social interactions, but even he might make a better leader than Narien!

Mirazh didn't want to answer. Illyria was always a complainer, but it was getting a little bit annoying now that she had actual material to complain about. Instead of responding he attempted to turn her attention to something more appealing to her nature; Isn't the temple gorgeous? It was, indeed, much nicer than the monastery, a true beauty to behold. He wished he could nest in a place made of such glittering material. He could be the king of his own castle, so to speak, and liked the fantasy.

Illyria did too, her attention now thoroughly focused on the architecture of the building. She knew a little of architecture--only what she'd read in her spare time, usually for research--but enough to appreciate the building. "It is very nice," she admitted. The living here must be nicer than at the stables, for sure. Given the ever-persistent throbbing in the base of her skull, she dreamed of the pleasures of a soft bed awaiting her.

But she had little time to appreciate her temporary lodging before a meeting was called in the temple's library, which was just as beautiful and instantly made her feel guilty for having thought of it second. It demanded her attention, but she forced herself to sit at the table with the others, choosing a seat beside Narien. She may not like the man, but she had to begin to create some sort of authority image for herself, just in case he once again lost control.

"Seeking him out certainly won't be a problem," she said, looking towards Narien. Since he had requested they all act solely on formal, group decisions, she would play along. "With luck they won't be particularly far at all, perhaps hit by a minor diversion? I can't imagine the mountains are a joy to ride into."

--

Saira wasn't for this journey into Bren's past, but a vote was a vote--and she had lost. She silently followed Merrik and the others as they prepared and traveled, and made no complaint that Bren rode with her. He took to it extraordinarily well, a fact that almost, almost convinced her that this was a more worthwhile journey than the one they chose against. He definitely was strange, and she wondered why fate hadn't chosen him to bond with a dragon given his odd knowledge.

A faint idea came to mind, but she decided to ignore it. It was impossible, given all that they knew about the world and the dragons. And one man's amnesia was not worth the attention of half a dragon's army.

Despite her misgivings, she still felt fortunate; they flew without Avren, which alone was a blessing, though his absence and the presence of Alder, Pomona, and Xylia made her heart ache. She missed the faces she had entered the Order knowing. To her, these men and women still felt less experienced, not as strong, not the same. She wanted to cast aside the anxiety in the pit of her stomach, but after losing Goliath to the depths of Ogual's lair, she worried about how easily Alder could be lost, too. But new as he was, she knew it was probably better for him to be here, rather than handling politics. Probably, anyways.

And the shock of Merrik's order still remained; she was to stand alongside him as an assistant, whatever that may entail. Still not quite learned in politics and leadership, she seemed to have some sort of standing that she didn't realize she had. It filled her with a sense of pride, though she couldn't quite tell if the source was truly from herself, or from Aerarya. It did, though, reassure her to a point, that she was doing something right.

She'd spent so long wondering who she was and who she was supposed to be, but now things seemed to be becoming somewhat clearer. Or maybe, she was spending less time dwelling on it.

Aerarya was somewhat more keen than Saira had given her credit; she could tell it was going to rain not long before Merrik lead the group downwards. Sure enough, it rained. She understood Merrik's intention here--wet scales and flight wasn't safe. But this rain was nice. She wanted to fly in it with Aerarya, and enjoy whatever it was that was making her feel so good inside. Instead, they pitched the tents and ran inside, safe from the downpour and ready to convene. Merrik, ever ready and organized, began to hand out instructions when a commotion from outside drew them from the warmth of the tent and out into the cold rain to find their dragons dancing in the torrents.

Or, not quite dancing, but shaking and writhing as though bugs burrowed under their scales.

Aerarya?!

The silver dragonness seemed too distracted and bothered to answer. "I--This is odd." She said quite plainly. "I'll go that way," she said, gesturing to the northern stretch of their makeshift camp, to whoever would listen and join her in searching.

 

[firejay1]

Their reception at the Temple was quiet. Looking around, he was aware that the buildings were well-wrought, but he didn't have much patience for the glittery things, a sentiment Agni did not happen to agree with as she gazed upon the standing homage to dragons, though ironically the ones in question were not of their number. They were shown to their quarters, and quickly told that the king had not yet arrived. They had made good time with the uneventful journey, so it was also possible they had arrived a little early, but he did not mention that. He definitely didn't have Illyria's confidence that it would be easy to find the king, though. He rather wished she hadn't spoken up and bit back a sigh of irritation, eyes merely momentarily flickering in her direction. He had no idea why she had decided to sit next to him, but he did not like it anymore than he liked her talking, at the moment. An unkind thought, but then again... he was who he was.

"We would be glad to help search for the king. We will head out in the direction of Trespa directly, see how they've fared with the mountains. If the caravans crossed the rivers, it should not be long before we come upon them." He surveyed the others, as if daring them to argue, and stood up, politely bobbing his head in the direction of the two women before taking their leave. They took off with as little ceremony as they came. "Fan out." Narien told the others. "We should head out together towards Trespa and stay close enough to communicate, but spread out enough to cover our bases. Move slowly, lest you miss the party. Avren, you and your dragon are skilled in the woods, scout low and keep your eyes and ears vigilant. Reverie, when we come to the river, follow it a short ways before rejoining us. Look out for signs of trouble."

They headed out. For two and a half hours they flew, scanning the mountains and combing through the trees, before they finally found the party, though not quite as well-off as they could have hoped. The convoy were in slight disarray, no longer really one, cohesive party. It seemed as though some were searching the woods for something, leaving the actual caravans less well-tended than perhaps was safe. The dragons found enough room to dip down and find a place to land within sight of the sturdy, but elegant vehicles, and one by one the tamers made their way to the heart of the group. One man stood out among the rest. He was an older man, greying hair brushing his shoulders and a neatly trimmed, but also greying beard adorning his weary face. He was not perhaps anything particularly special to look at, but he held himself with a dignity that easily identified him as the King of Galidus, even if the Blue Sigil of Galidus had not.

Narien checked to make sure all the tamers had arrived and stepped forward, taking the smallest of inward breaths before venturing to speak, tone formal but voice strong. "Greetings. We are members of the Order. My name is Narien Ki'ila. These are my companions Reverie, Illyria, and Avren. Do I speak to King Kylvest Brohn of Galidus? We arrived at the Temple of the Moon not three hours past and were informed, to our concern, that you had yet to arrive. We were searching these woods and saw your party scattered. May I ask what troubles you?" For some reason, he could feel his heart in his mouth. He tried to keep his demeanor cool, but there was a strange flare of excitement in the back of his mind, wondering if he had used the right tone, the right words. It was odd how much a conversation could feel like battle. He acted confident, but he had never deigned to speak as an equal to someone of Kylvest's status before. Even with Queen Valaeria, he had tried to keep his head down and stick to a quieter demeanor. The situation called for something different now. If he didn't want things to go like they had in Kibran, he supposed he'd have to do the opposite of what he had done there. He had the nagging feeling that he would have to more often be the first to speak and act, or else someone else would, probably to everyone's detriment. It was like being in a pack of wolves. The feral grin that tugged at the back of his mind never made it to the set of his face.

 

[Crimson77]

Xylia was as relaxed as she could be with the new teaching she had gained from Reverie -and perhaps a little more. Her body was loose and her mind was as calm as it had ever been. However, it was easy to shake off a new energy when reinvited to the old. Xylia certainly was nervous at the thought of being part of the Origin Expedition, though she neither knew whether it was out of excitement or anxiety. She would have thought that being close or requesting to be close to Illyira or, now, even Reverie, for now, would have been for the better but she bit her tongue and refused to speak her thoughts knowing this was the smartest decision made by her leader.

As she reassured Deventh she was completely packed and ready to go, she felt a tap on her arm and trailed the arm to Reverie. Xylia's brows furrowed at the tone of her new mentor's voice before she beamed into a very-Xylia smile, "Don't worry! I still have lots t'learn from you!" The sentence left her lips as a sort of reassurance and hopefully conveyed as such. "You take care of yourself too." she returned with a small bow of her head, as she tightened her grip on her staff.

Upon being requested to lead, Xylia bit her tongue once more to decline. Due to the previous wars and training, Xylia had doubted her ability to lead a pack. Now, here she was asked to lead her fellow tamers in the depth of forest grounds she was neither familiar with neither assured that it was completely safe. Yes, she did travel from Nepa Village to the Monastery alone, however, she was alone. This was different; one slip up and it was all on her. She took a deep breath before reminding herself of Deventh's words and her conversation with Illyria and Reverie before nodding her head. "I'll do my best."

Not long after those words left her, that the commotion outside the tent grew louder causing the Tetra and everyone else to address it. After the orders were given, Xylia continued looking at her dragon, puzzled, as he who was now shaking about in anger and annoyance would not stop.

Though Reverie's teaching on mana was very simple and at a much beginners level for Xylia to comprehend, Xylia noticed that she could not feel the energy they had been training and talking about amongst the tumbling dragons. Could it be creatures then? Creatures that would only be visible to those who they wanted see them? Xylia was curious but split into pairs as Merrik had instructed to survey the area, on guard and ready to attack. Xylia approached Saira without thinking and suggested they go look together, before trailing off to the corners of the clearing they had set for camp.

 

[Soulserenity20]

The Council in Galidus

The king was still in awe at the sight he beheld. He had noticed the dragons circling overhead and had stopped his searching for a time. Long enough to wonder if all the stories of his youth were true. The world would be a very different place if this was the case. As they landed in the nearby woods, he found his First Commander and muttered a few standard commands to which Ser Galdren nodded in compliance and took his leave to see to it that the others were informed on the matter of the arrival of the Order. Kylvest, though never having met the Order, knew much about them. It was his job to know about them and he had spent a great deal of time studying up on the names that had come to his ears. He had expected to see Merrik Tetra atop his beast of the night, leading the parties, but instead a rather different sight met his gaze. A slender man with fair skin and dark hair led the others through the wooded area surrounding the caravan and introduced himself as Narien Ki'ila. He led three others: a girl with mismatched eyes, a man with hair of a savage of the south, and a girl with a most unusual marking about her skin.

For a time, he stared at the girl with the unusual skin, something about her caught his eye, holding his attention. All in all, they were an oddly mismatched bunch and not at all what he had expected of a legendary, mythical army. This pleased him. He hated splendor and if it was already true that they wielded magick and rode on the backs of beasts of old, he wasn't sure if he could handle a party of noble heroes. The idea seemed a bit ridiculous to him. These people, they were nobodies and as far as he was concerned, nobodies made the best heroes. Nobodies didn't have reputations to uphold, they didn't have riches to greed over or political agendas to pursue. They were often selfless, and often came from lives that they very much wished to return to and as such, they were hard working. In fact, the more the king thought about the unusual company before him, the more he came to like them.

Stepping forward, he offered a hand to Narien and when they grasped for a firm shake, he clapped his second hand over Narien's and gave the younger man a kind pat, offering a smile along with it. "It is my honor to meet you at last, tamers of the Order. Master Ki'ila, I trust you are here as an ambassador to Lord Tetra? I can only assume he'd send his most capable to such an important meeting."

He moved past Narien and shook hands with each of the other tamers in turn, bowing to the ladies out of an old and strong set habit of chivalry. When Avren's turn came, the King found the exchange to feel quite. . . rehearsed, and it amused him greatly. "Where are you from, Master Avren?"

Avren stared at the king, unblinking, unsure of whether to trust him or really how to even speak to him. Entirely out of his element, he simply said "Sylvis, but Wimbledon is my home."

The king smiled warmly. "Ah yes, the precious naturelands of Queen Valaeria. A beautiful region, indeed. Perhaps Galidus should take a page from her book and establish our own preserves. The lands are changing a great deal in our day. Though, that is a discussion for a less pressing time, one free of war and more. . . . immediate problems."

He looked around the woods at his scattered caravan and sighed. "It is a shameful and embarrassing reason that we have come to a halt on our journey to the Temple of the Moon." As he spoke he moved back to the front of the group and spoke to Narien and the others head on.

"My daughters, Eseria and Elianna accompanied me on this journey. Twins, they are, 11 years of age and far too energetic for an old man. But they insisted and the benefit of their experience of the monastic culture that exists in the Temple was too great an opportunity for me to deny them. Children, as you know, are our future and what future have we if they lack a well-rounded worldview and a matching set of experiences to support it? My Queen warned me of their mischievousness. I didn't take her seriously, though." He stroked his beard thoughtfully as he scanned the forest once more.

"There is much to kingship, dear Tamers, much more than those without it ever expect of it but even my rule over Trespa feigns in comparison to the demands of nationwide ruling. It is a tiring duty; a noble, honorable, and necessary one, but tiring at best. My daughters have grown without my knowledge over the last decade. Grown more than what I believed they had, despite efforts to be an attentive and present father." A tired sigh seemed to embody the king's words then and as he did so, he returned his gaze to the tamers.

"They've gotten away from the caravan, dear tamers. Run off into the woods after I allowed them to explore a bit. Said they wanted to hunt for Aurora Crystals, as they grow in veins around here, or so it's said. I thought it'd be good for them. They've spend days in the wagons and I thought the air and the exercise would do them well. Well, damned be my trust and fooled Father's heart. They ran off a day ago and we've been searching ever since. I fear the worst, Tamers."

His expression was a graven one, filled with a guilt only a parent knew. "I understand the importance of this meeting but I cannot. . . I will not put my family aside for it. We will not move on until we find them. If you'd like to help, I believe your dragons would be of great use. I can imagine the world looks a great deal differently from the skies."

 

[firejay1]

Narien met the king's gaze steadily as they shook hands, feeling as if he, and the others, had been appraised somehow. The king had outright stared at Illyria earlier, and to his own surprise, Narien had felt the urge to step between their line of sight protectively. He gave a neutral affirmation when the king asked if they were here as ambassadors of Merrik, but made no comment about their being "his most capable." That, they were not, but he would not insult the king by making his thoughts on that clear. He was surprised to hear of the king's predicament. He'd brought children. No wonder they had been delayed. Not to mention two female children. His father had had twin sisters. He had mentioned them rarely, and only to note that Narien did have other family members and with luck he would never meet them.

"We respect your dedication to your family." Narien said, politely. "Two small girls may not be easy to spot from above the trees, but we shall do what we can to aid in your search." The girls had a day's head start, and there was no way of knowing which direction they had gone. Quite frankly, searching for people was not one of his strong suits, so he turned back to the others and spoke quietly. "There is no fruit in searching where the king's men have already done so. Better to spread out farther out and make our way back in. What do you say, Avren? Your knowledge in these matters is likely greater than mine." The words were beginning to flow again, as if it was growing easier to slip into his own skin.

 

[White]

Reverie had followed the monasteries staff and Narien up to the chamber. They spoke and informed them that the king had yet to arrive and Narien, before she could comment or voice her own thoughts agreed to look for the king and his caravan. She had preferred to remain, to inquire and look about so that no accident would happen, no scheme could succeed and no assassination could meet it's target.
She felt cautious, paranoid even, yet the King had refused to meet for the war council for Khul and should something happen, she doubted that she could not muster the compassion to care. A man whom would only look over his own people when help should be taken as well as provided, to see the events of Otamur, as a sole defender, be risked be repeated, what worth does such a man have? That one question to keep her her mouth shut now.
Obediently she followed Narien and his command. She was meant to look about almost on her own with Celeste along the river, a command, she herself agreed but knew Merrik would not as she temporarily would split from the rest.
Rev rejoined the others and together they quickly located the caravan.

Meeting the king in person, he seemed to be different from what she had expected, bowing before her in a manner if courtesy when she had expected an arrogant and self loving king. Reverie looked perplexed at this gesture before realizing that she was here in fact, as a diplomat, not a warrior and thus curtsied politely in response "Reverie White, daughter of Otamur," she introduced herself. The greetings concluded, the king proceeded to speak about the disappearance of his daughters and Narien responded before anybody else could before he turned to Avren to ask him on his stance and position and insight on this. Reverie was a hunter once and thus might be able to trace them down. Clues in the ground, the small ones, though it appeared that her skills or opinions were to be ignored once ere, too. Narien had worked with Avren on the hunt and seemed as such seemed to focus entirely on his familiarity with Avren as a result of it...
And so Reverie turned to the King, speaking gently, softly and with every word carefully chosen as would make sense from an intellectual standpoint:" May I inquire on what they look like? Do they have certain unique characteristics, or features? Do they use a perfume? A distinct smell belonging to them? A special item?" In the back in her head, she was thinking how much Narien would probably be cringing that she spoke about, how much he would hate that she spoke up to the king, rather than consulting and waiting for a conversation to finish that she would not care to interrupt. She had been patient thus far but would wait no more.
This hide and seek was a complete waste of time, searching and risking the life's of countless soldier, countless civilians just to make time to find the children. She was not happy with this at all and still pretended, still soothed herself from being impolite...

 

[Crimson77]

Xylia decided that she would travel deeper into the clearing as she could not seem to find anything by simply glaring into the darkness of the woods. She eyed the dragons watching them swerve, toss and turn before walking into the forest. As a hunter, Xylia knew that finding something was easier if you knew what you were looking for. With no clue of what they were looking for Xylia was worried that they might overlook even the simplest of things but then because they look for the obvious the not-so-obvious would not stand out as much as they should.

With a grunt of frustrations, she decided that a higher ground would offer her a better opportunity and higher chances for spotting anything unusual. Xylia began climbing a tree, running against its bark and grabbing on to the closest, sturdier looking branch before pushed herself up with all the upper-body strength that she had. All whilst mumbling as she asked out- loud, enough for Saira to hear, "What do you s'pose we're looking for, Saira?"

She sat on the branch, her leg swinging to-and-fro before she crouched on the branch, waiting upon Saira's answer as she gazed further into the woods. Looking around the higher ground for anything that seemed unusual. It was when her pupils readjusted to the darkness that she thought she saw a silhouette not too far from where they were. It was difficult to make out, however, all Xylia knew was that they were suppose to be alone in this area of the forest. Frightened, she decided to go alone as to not bother Saira with her own search incase it was nothing. Xylia hopped carefully to the next branch that seemed as sturdy as the one before, tightening the grip on her staff as she approached closer to the shadow only to have her eyes readjust each time to find...

 

[Soulserenity20]

As Xylia peered through the darkness, a sudden rush of forward movement would startle her back from the shadow. It paused, having stepped out from the thick of the underbrush and in that moment, lightning lit up the sky, revealing what appeared to be a young boy, no more than 16, adorned in dark, tattered robes. The shade of his hair was indiscernible in the darkness, but it fell messily over his face in loose curls. It only took him a moment to recollect himself before he bolted away into the forest, running as fast as he could.

Meanwhile, on the beach, Merrik was searching along the shoreline where the grass and undergrowth of the forest met the sandy strip that divided the forest and the strait. He was looking mainly for mana signals, fearing the caster was simply overpowering him and cloaking their mana from his sensing. If this was the case, there was much to fear indeed, for surely only Ogual could be strong enough to go entirely unnoticed to the Tetra. He was a great deal farther down the coast, having sent Pomona and Alder in one direction while he searched the other way, that he was out of earshot from Xylia and Saira, trusting that Saira would serve well as a protective companion for the less experienced Tamer.

[dash=white]
Avren stared at Narien, unsure if he was prepared to take the Order. Surely they should ask more questions. Where did the king's men search already? Was this the location from which the girls had departed or had the caravan skewed away from that location during their searches? He had so many questions that he wanted to ask before flying off to scan a massive forest for two very small children. It was then that Reverie spoke up and asked a question that pleased Avren. Instead of responding to Narien, he stepped toward Reverie and spoke to the king.

"Your royal highness, ser, my dragon is of the woodlands by nature. A green, if you're at all familiar with them. Though. . . I suppose nobody is really familiar with dragons. I mean, I'm bonded to a dragon and I'm not sure I'd even say I'm familiar. . . but. . . anyways, Your Majesty, Viridian has the ability to follow scents, much like a hunting hound, only about a thousand times better. If you'd allow him one of your daughter's belongings, he'll find them."

Looking to Narien then, he began to explain a little more. "Your men will have trampled any tracks your daughters would have left, making tracking nearly impossible, and in a forest this side, with such a thick canopy, flying will not help the search. Well, not by much anyways. There's a reason hounds are used in thickly wooded areas. Let Viridian serve as your hound and seek them out."

The king nodded, agreeing without question. He moved to a large, ornate wagon and climbed into the back of it, retrieving a handful of laundry, dirty dresses and shawls, and carried them out. "This should do. Of everything here, these will smell most of my daughters. Please. Summon your dragon."

Avren nodded and turned to the woods. He let out a high pitched whistle that sounded identical to the call of a Southern Alabire, one of his favorite species from Wimbledon. The forest a ways away rustled with sound and a moment later, Viridian soared through the woods and landed carefully on the ground nearby. Despite his care, the large dragon still started the men and the king. After a moment of standing very still, unsure of what to do in the face of a mighty beast whose maw held the potential to snap any of them in half, some of the men began laughing and chattering about themselves. Eventually, they all began to clap.

The king smiled and stepped forward with caution. "They are real," he breathed. "And magnificent."

He carefully passed the clothing to Avren and watched with an awestruck face as Avren turned and showed it to Viridian.

"This isn't exactly necessary Avren. I've collected the scents of everyone in the caravan already. I'm not a hound. I can smell old laundry from a mile away."

Avren laughed. "But of course! My apologies dragonfriend. Will you lead then?"

The dragon nodded before lifting off and leaping up into a tree. He took a moment, but then flew with precision to the north, around the bend of the mountain. They came to a cave system and Viridian said, with great certainty, that the girls were somewhere inside. It was unfortunate a truth, however, that the dragons simply would not fit inside the small opening, but surely the tamers would serve as proper guides the rest of the way.

Avren was about the head straight in but as he went to step forward, he paused. Holding his position, he turned to Narien and waited.
[/dash]

 

[firejay1]

Reverie stepped away from the group and turned to the king, and Avren was quick to follow suit. It was becoming rather clear to Narien that no matter what he did, he would always lose control of the situation a little bit, but at least in this case Reverie and Avren weren't doing anything rash. Or dubious. Or just plain stupid. His belief in the general intelligence of mankind as a whole had been sorely tested in the past month, he decided, as he listened with something bordering horrified hope as neither said anything that made him want to wince. Avren's idea to use Viridian's ability was definitely a good one, and even if it hadn't existed, Reverie had been asking astute questions, questions they would have needed answered to properly begin a search.

He continued to observe quietly, as Viridian led them to the entrance to a cave, around the side of the mountain. His thin lips were forming a small, if slightly devious smile, watching Avren take the lead here. Truthfully, out of those of them here, Avren took seniority, and after the events of Kibran he had felt that the others would listen should Avren choose to lead. That didn't mean he wasn't an idiot, or a gloryhound, or socially incompetent and politically terrifying, but it did qualify him to take the mantel of leader far better than he. What was the point of a leader that no one trusted or cared to listen to? Merrik had made a mistake. So, when Avren hesitated before entering the caves and turned to look at Narien as if for approval, Narien raised his eyebrows, smirk still on his lips, and made a small sweeping motion with his right hand, palm facing up. His head gave a little dip that said, "Well? Are you going or not?" "You and Reverie together have shown enough prudence between you to lead on as you will for now. Do you not think so?" His pale eyes were a cold challenge, but there was nothing in his face or voice to suggest he was being angry or sarcastic. At least, hopefully they saw it that way.