The Bonds Between Us (Saren and BadonKaDank)

[Saren]

The Story Locke, the Rogue Nashira, the Princess Dracopolis Embermoore Featherwind Floravale Kinesi Somberfell The Ocean Isles

• The Element Kingdoms are on the brink of war. The Princess of Embermoore, the Fire Kingdom, has run away, and Embermoore is in shambles. The other kingdoms are being searched for her, and tensions are rising. No one knows why she's fled, and she has blended into the crowds of another kingdom.
  
  A lone man from Somberfell, the Dark Kingdom, has run across the Princess, though he has been scorned by her predecessors. However, her identity remains a secret to him, and he agrees to help her in her quest to see the world away from her home. How long her true lineage will remain a secret, no one can say.
• 
  
  
  
  Name:
  Unknown
  Alias:
  Locke
  Age:
  26
  Gender:
  Male
  Personality:
  The authorities in many different kingdoms define Locke as 'a snarky bastard who likes to run people in circles.'
  History:
  Seemingly popping out of nowhere, the rogue simply known as 'Locke' emerged to take a (literal) stab at whatever he could find, whether it was thievery, assassinations, or overall bad behaviors. He's not known for anything but trouble, and any attempt at capture results in death or severe injury for his would be captors. He's recognizable by a strange burn over his right eye, one that has scarred not only his skin but his iris. Rumors say that he's searching for the people who burned him, and others say that he's looking to flee the country. Whatever the case may be, there is one saying that always remains true: when a raven flies by with a key in is beak, a Locke is never too far behind to catch it.
  (Played by Saren)
  
• 
  
  
  
  [BCOLOR=transparent]Name: [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent]Nashira Emberlore[/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent]Alias: [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent]Nashi Falle (F - al)[/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent] Gender: [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent]Female[/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent] Age: [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent]23 [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent] Personality: [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent]Described as "the ideal princess" by most, Nashira is known to be bold and charming, able to get jobs done with seemingly little effort. Her fiery determination and nerve mean she is never willing to give up when issued a challenge and unafraid in the face of danger, though her intelligence keeps her from going and looking for it. She is reserved and cautious around people she does not know, but as soon as she feels able to trust someone she is sarcastic, silly, and loyal to a fault. [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent] Brief History: [/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent]Born to the noble family of Embermoore, Nashira was loved by all and never had to want for much, having everything she ever desired served on a silver platter. Everything except freedom. Being born to a royal meant a strict life plan that left little room for adventure or error, leaving Nashi feeling trapped and anxious, these feelings only growing worse when tradings between their and other kingdoms began growing hostile. To save their people from the horrors of war and poverty the King and Queen promised Nashira to a Prince. Not wanting to be married for the sake of anything less than love, Nashira decides to try and solve her kingdom's problems on her own while also getting her shot at freedom.[/BCOLOR]
  [BCOLOR=transparent](Played by BadonKaDank)[/BCOLOR]
  
• 
  
  
  
  The Dragon Kingdom
  
  Dracopolis was the first major kingdom to close its borders to most, if not all, of the other kingdoms. The Dragon Royals do little business with all other kingdoms except Featherwind, and this business is only related to military and other bond creatures. Dracopolians believe themselves superior to other citizens, as their blood line was chosen by the dragons. They don't seem to be aware that some dragons have fled Dracopolis and gone elsewhere, particularly Embermoore and Featherwind. Dracopolis does not control the sea-faring dragons; those creatures are loyal to the Ocean Isles. Such information would likely enrage the entirety of Dracopolis and cause unrest between all the kingdoms.
• 
  
  
  
  The Fire Kingdom
  
  Embermoore is a free, open kingdom that is seeking relations with another kingdom. How the Fire Royals want to complete this alliance seems to be unsure, but due to their daughter being of age to marry, alliance by arranged marriage is the most popular rumor floating around. Embermoore possesses many types of bond creatures, though their most important creature seems to be the few dragons that exist in the kingdom. The dragons are a tightly wrapped secret, and with them, Embermoore has a secret strength that they want to reinforce with another kingdom.
• 
  
  
  
  The Flying Kingdom
  
  Featherwind is a neutral areas; people from all kingdoms can visit and be welcome. They don't often get involved in wars or other things they see as trifling matters. This is mostly because Featherwind is far from the other kingdoms. Because the kingdom possesses many creatures capable of flight, this ensures that Featherwind is both hard to reach and able to sustain itself with frequent supply drops gathered from other kingdoms. Featherwin can only be accessed by flight or by climbing the mountain, so the kingdom does not have many visitors. Aerial combat is something Featherwind excels at, which means that many armies like to get their hands on soldiers and mercenaries from Featherwind.
• 
  
  
  
  The Grass Kingdom
  
  Floravale is one of the truly neutral kingdoms. All citizens can visit and live in Floravale with peace and contentedness. The environment is free and clean, creating a healthy location that often houses many elderly couples and budding families. Floravale possesses one of the weakest armies due to its peaceful nature, but it is unwise to underestimate the strength of the natural world surrounding Floravale. Massive woodland creatures live in Floravale's elaborate forests and only the gentle Floravalers have ever been known to bond with such creatures.
• 
  
  
  
  The Mind Kingdom
  
  Kinesi is a free, open kingdom that relies on reading the other kingdoms before making deals. Because the Mind Kingdom possesses some of the strangest creatures, people from other kingdoms often find themselves drawn to Kinesi's unique structure and creatures. The Mind Royals, though they are mysterious, allow free trading between kingdoms within their borders. Due to this decree, Kinesi has become a popular hub where people of all kingdoms live in peace. Because of the close proximity to Somberfell, exiled criminals come to try and make a new life within the Mind Kingdom, making Kinesi the only place to freely house those who were once evil.
• 
  
  
  
  The Dark Kingdom
  
  Somberfell is closed off due to it being a place of banished criminals, vagabonds, rogues, and other ne'er-do-wells; therefore, no one actually wants to go there. Many other kingdoms mark Somberfell as the reason that some of their citizens become corrupt and otherwise bad people. There are often claims of dark magic being worked in Somberfell, despite the fact that the kingdom itself suffers from bad storms and harsh weather. Few kingdoms do business with Somberfell, and only the hardiest of folk stick around to live there.
• 
  
  
  
  The Water Kingdom
  
  The Ocean Isles are both open and closed. They are willing to make alliances, but because each island has a different ruling house, opinions are often disjointed and create strife. Most of the islands strive for peace and prosperity, but there are others that wish to go to war and show off their naval armies. Because many other kingdoms do not have access to boat or other naval transportation, the Isles often offer up their boats for passage in exchange for food, bond creatures, or other supplies. This lack of naval force from other kingdoms puts the Isles in a position of power, particularly if they want to go to war.

 

[Saren]

He sat in silence, twirling his cup so fast that it threatened to spill its contents onto his lap. Realizing that he had a sleeping creature on his legs, he decided it was time to stop spinning the piece of glassware. At the thought of his little friend, his gaze strayed down. A smile crossed his face and a glove-covered hand rested on the cat's head. She wasn't all that big, perhaps bigger than a sheep dog pup, but she was much more than a young animal. Of course, in Floravale, a neutral kingdom, he had no use for her strange power, but it was always nice to have her around.

At the motion, the cat opened a single eye, glared at the man looking down, and promptly went back to sleep. It caused a smirk to cross the man's face, but he left her alone. A large raven, another companion of his, was sitting across the table, his head cocked at the man. It was odd that the tavern allowed the bird inside, but he didn't bother anyone, as long as the other patrons didn't have anything shiny. Noting the way the raven was looking at him, the man reached over and snagged a stray feather from the bird's head. With an indignant squawk, the raven pecked at the man's fingers, but it was something he was used to. Annoying his bonded creatures was a favorite past time of his, considering how often they returned the favor. He almost found himself smiling with the distraction, but the motion faded as quick as it came.

Locke, as he'd taken to calling himself, had been stuck in the same place for almost two weeks. He'd caused a bit too much trouble in Dracopolis, and since they had a nasty habit of possessing bond creatures that liked to eat cats and birds, he'd had to flee to save himself and his companions. He couldn't really let some baby dragon take a bite out any one of them. He was sure his companions didn't enjoy moving around as much as he did, but he liked staying alive.

Locke took the time to finish his drink, sparing himself the thoughts of his flight from Dracopolis. It was entirely his fault and not his bond creatures', as he had to remind himself. It was easy to blame them, since they didn't fight back. The raven had flown out an open window, likely keeping watch for anything that might have wanted to come after Locke. That, or he was brooding after being forcibly preened by Locke. Locke himself was still searching for a safe place time to hide out until they forgot his name, but he could never go home to Somberfell. No one wanted someone who had been burned.

A sigh escaped his lips as he slid the cup away from himself. He was so bored all the time. Traveling didn't have the same fantastic grandeur it had once had several years ago. Not a day passed that he didn't beat himself up over messing up everything he'd had.

As the sun lazily crossed over the sky, the air seemed to change inside the inn. The quiet atmosphere was shaken by the appearance of two Floravaler guards, accompanied by a pair of spriggans. They weren't the greatest looking creatures, but spriggans were fierce and defended their bond units with their lives.

The Floravalers didn't do much other than take a seat, but the spriggans unsettled everyone. They were quiet creatures, but their humanoid faces spiked the nerves of all the other tavern patrons. They all turned back to their seats until the guards began to speak of the recent events of Embermoore. A few weeks ago, the Fire Royals discovered their daughter was missing from the entire kingdom. No one had seen her for several days, and the Embermoore citizens panicked as a collective. The Fire Royals had decreed a massive reward for anyone who found their missing daughter, but the news of that was only reaching the outskirts of Floravale now.

The chatter started up more conversations about the missing Fire Princess, to which Locke pointedly turned back in his seat in silence. If Locke could find her... no, he didn't want to. He was done with the kingdom of fire. Not after what they'd done to him.

He continued to sit in silence, alone, before the cat in his lap stretched and stood up. She perched on his knee, pawing the scarf resting on his chest. "Oh, now you want to be pet." Just like a typical cat, the animal continued to paw at Locke until he paid attention to her. "Alright, Nyx, I see you." His gloved hand stroked the top of her head, and he felt purrs vibrate from her throat. He rubbed her ears down, ever aware of the conversations taking place around him. He didn't want anything to do with the Fire Kingdom or their Princess, but it seemed like talk of the place would never leave him.

 

[BadonKaDank]

A loud yawn escaped her mouth for perhaps the tenth time that day, the greenery around serving to make Nashi drowsy instead of amazed, as she might have been had she not spent the entire night before walking the final stretch of land leading out of the fire kingdom. The road into Floravale had been a long one that left the redhead feeling more tired than one would have thought possible, and the constant nagging from the serpent constantly hanging off her neck did nothing to help. The drake in question was currently perched atop her right shoulder, rumbling his displeasure over the fact that Nashi had shifted her bow and almost knocked him off.

Her bonded had become moodier since they'd passed outside the borders of their homeland and while on one hand Nashi was sorry for pulling the drake away from the world he loved, on the other she couldn't help but laugh at the fact that the serpent was pouting. Given the fact that he was much older than he looked and was acting like a hatchling to express the displeasure he felt towards the actions she had taken the past few weeks would have been enough to amuse anyone. Although, Nashi thought, I think a lot of people are unhappy with me right now...

The princess knew everyone from Embermoore was in a panic over her disappearance -if the rumors that had already spread kingdom wide were anything to go by- and it was understandable that her kingdom might lose it over her running away, but... Ugh, stop. You know what you're doing. It's a good idea. Stop thinking about them. They'll be fine.

Her drake snorted and flicked her ear with his tail in an obvious show of annoyance, though Nashi assumed this time it was directed at her mood versus his previous irritation. "Ow! Sardon," The redhead cast a glare at her bonded, eliciting a smirk from the serpent. "Knock it off. I know you're tired, but don't start being a grump."

Sardon huffed but did nothing further, something for which the woman was thankful; he really was cranky when he wanted to be- cranky enough to rival her, in fact- and Nashi found herself inwardly giggling when he got riled up over something she did. The redhead often found she was reminding the small dragon that he was her bonded, not her parent, but that never stopped Sardon from treating her like a child. Nashi could never decide whether that upset her or not. It depended on the day.

Today though, she decided it was annoying, which was what led Nashi to flick the drake right back and turn her attention back to the lush green expanse before them, her weariness receding for the moment now that she'd been jostled into awareness by her friend. If there was one word that could be used to describe Floravale the redhead would have to choose "magnificent". The never ending trail of nature left the redhead breathless even as she was taking a deep breath, smelling the clean crisp air with a grin. Never before had she seen so much grass. That coupled with the great curved stone pillars going on as far as the eye could see and waterfalls rumbling in the distance left Nashi feeling overwhelmed in the best way possible.

This was what she'd wanted. This was why she refused to feel regret over leaving her kingdom. This feeling... this freedom, it was better than she'd imagined in all her years of life. There was nothing that could've dampened her ecstatic mood in that moment.

Or at least that's what she thought up until the point which her stomach growled loudly.

"Ah!" Nashi groaned at the volume her body had decided to make its needs known and shook her head, trying to will away the hunger like she'd done the entire day thus far. She was having little success and feeling stupid. One thing she continued to berate herself over was the fact that she had not taken into account how much food she and Sardon actually consumed and therefor hadn't packed enough and had run out of proper provisions several nights prior. After all, when one was royalty meals were made for you, which left one not knowing the exact amount you received. Thankfully they had come across a few kindly people along their way to Floravale that had been more than happy to spare something, even if it never was much. Now though, Nashi knew her drake would likely eat her in her sleep if she didn't get a proper meal into him, and now that they were in another kingdom the redhead might even have the chance to do so. Even knowing that though, the woman still had no idea where exactly they were or where the nearest village was.

As if sensing this, Sardon hopped down from his perch atop her and flew several meters ahead, his neck craning every which way the entire time. When the drake finally stopped and landed in the grass beside Nashi he flicked his tail towards the west, giving the redhead a smug look when she blinked in surprise at the speed in which he'd found something.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah," Nashi sighed as she scooped the reptile from the ground to throw around her neck like a scarf, "Thank you very much, Lord Sniff."

The nickname earned Nashi a nip to the ear that she ignored for favor of walking the path Sardon had pointed out to her, still enjoying the scenery even if her enthusiasm was now numbed as she searched for the beginnings of civilization and mused at the amazing speed in which her bonded could find things when he was hungry.

Thankfully it was not a long trip and the duo reached the town the drake and smelled within the hour. There was a surprising amount of people and variations thereupon and Nashi's eyes widened as she took it all in. Everything was shockingly close to how she'd imagined it in her head: Simple, homey, and with a definite earthy feel. In general, it appeared a very secure and welcoming place to be, something for which Nashi was endlessly glad for when the places she'd seen the last few days had been in less than prestigious conditions.

The redhead might have lingered outside longer had the smell of food cooking not caught her attention. Within seconds the princess had the direction of the scent pinned down and Nashi followed her nose at a brisk pace then that left a few people sparing her confused looks that she payed little attention to. Before she knew it the two were standing in front of a building labeled simply as "Inn" and a feeling of relief was washing over her when she realized not only would they find food here, but rest as well. "Finally," Nashi whispered more to herself than Sardon as she pushed the door open and let her eyes adjust to the inside light.

 

[Saren]

All travelers were welcome in Floravale. There were only a few select times in the history of the Grass Kingdom where travelers were turned from the lands. But that had been many years ago, and the Grass Royals were determined to remain neutral and open for everyone. They even allowed the finicky Dracopolis citizens roam their lands, even though the Dragon Royals kept themselves from everyone else. Floravale sought to be a kingdom of peace, and for a long time, they had maintained that status.

With the upset in the Fire Kingdom, change would soon reach them.

Though the spriggans had unsettled the inn patrons, the chatter eventually resumed and Locke continued to pet his furry companion. He knew Kandar wasn't far, even if he'd upset the raven earlier. The creature was just more of a loner than even himself, and he could respect that. Nyx, however, liked to stick around for all the affection her bonded human liked to give her. For the first time in a while, the rogue was content, relaxing in a peaceful kingdom where few things ever upset the calm over the land.

He should have known better not to get comfortable.

The door swung open to reveal a young woman. That fact could be ignored, as many women took it upon themselves to journey for their bond creatures or simply to explore the world. She was wearing simple clothes meant for comfort and not status, another sign of her travels. Red hair wasn't too common, but it could be ignored. The most important thing - and the thing he noticed first - was the little crimson dragon perched on her shoulder. It wasn't very big, perhaps as long as her arm, but it was still a dragon. A creature he hoped he would never see again.

Nyx sensed and felt the sudden tension in Locke's hand, peering up at the human with wide, yellow eyes. She tilted her head on his fingers, but he wasn't paying attention to her. His eyes were trained on the dragon, and only when it looked back at him did he turn his head down. He couldn't be trapped in the same place as that creature, but his sudden departure would startle the spriggans. In fact, anything was likely to startle the tree creatures, which meant he only had one means of escape. It wasn't a good one, but desperate times call for desperate measures.

"Nyx, be a dear, won't you? We need to get out, and we need to do it fast, alright?" Locke rubbed her ears before she jumped out of his lap and crawled under the table. He heard a soft meow from her before the room darkened. Candles flickered out and shadows fell over the windows. People ceased their chatter before clouds of darkness filled the air like smoke. The spriggans jumped up, clicking and snapping in their strange language, but even as they went to defend the inn, the entire place became pitch black. Some tried to light fires to see, but the darkness was oppressive, snuffing out anything that tried to brighten up the room.

Locke was the only one able to see, having been subject to years of darkness. He jumped from the table, dashing to the back entrance of the inn and shoving the door open. He held it there long enough for both a sliver of light to pierce the darkness and Nyx to run out. Kandar fluttered down from the roof and landed on Locke's head with a squawk. "Find us a good place to settle down. I have a feeling those spriggans won't take too kindly to what we just did." Kandar's answer was to peck at the man's hair before flying above the canopy of trees in search of shelter.

Trying to forget the young woman and her dragon, Locke walked away from the building. The farther he and Nyx walked, the lighter it became. When they were far enough, it would return to its previous state, but it didn't matter what happened after. "If we never see another dragon again, it'll be too soon." He heard an affirmative meow, and it was all he needed to keep goin.

 

[BadonKaDank]

The only warning Nashi received before the darkness enveloped everything was a distressed hiss from her companion, who had sense something was wrong before anyone else. The sound had the woman halting immediately in her trek to the counter, her eyes darting around the room, trying to catch sight of the cause of the blackness before it completely filled the room. The task proved impossible since quite a few of the patrons had gotten to their feet in surprise, not that she could blame them; her own heart was beating heavily against her ribs as an uneasy feeling settled itself in her stomach.

There were too many people after the princess of Embermoore. Some were friendly, only wishing to return her home, others had darker intentions and Nashi did not wish to stay in the shadows any longer than she had to in order to find out which one it might be. Whether or not she was being paranoid did not register with the woman. All she knew was that this had the the potential to be very dangerous, and she had to get out of there now.

How to do that, the redhead was not certain. She could feel her way out, but that would take too long if the person, or people, that had done this truly were after her. Yet as she observed the individuals around her trying to bring light back to the establishment only to have their flames extinguished by some invisible force, she came to the conclusion that fires could not be lit. What now then? Nashi shrugged her shoulder to get her bonded's attention since he seemed perfectly content to leave her to groping around in the dark, which was not something she was going to allow. The motion had Sardon huffing loudly before he moved down from his perch to help out.

A moment later the woman was looking down as she felt a familiar weight latch itself around her forearm and let relief touch her features when Sardon's chest began glowing dimly with contained flame. For not the first time Nashi felt blessed to have bonded with such a magnificent creature, with his abilities never ceasing to amaze her and the intelligence to use said abilities to their advantage. Not that she would ever say that aloud. The last thing the drake needed was an inflated ego. Still, he did deserve some form of acknowledgement for what he'd done. The redhead opened her mouth to thank her friend only to pause when a brief flash of light from somewhere further into the building caught her attention.

The princess was tempted to write it off as nothing more than someone being fortunate enough to have found the back entrance, but her over-curious mind would not allow her to leave it be, especially when the room started to lighten more and more by the second afterward. Nashi found her feet taking her towards the back where the light had come from instead of the front door to make her quick escape, and when Sardon rumbled low in his chest in question she hushed him with a wave of her free arm. She would answer him later, after the burning interest in her mind had been sated with a satisfactory explanation as to why the shadows had only disappeared after that person's departure.

"Last person that went through here," Nashi dropped her arm and Sardon slid off to begin sniffing around, "Find them, please."

If she was being too inquisitive -as she was often told she was as a child- then Nashi knew she would deal with the consequences later. For now though, she had to know what that had been about. Her earlier fears of it being someone who wanted her had dissipated with the shadows and now not even the rumbling of her stomach or the ache in her legs was enough to stop her from wanting to pursue the possibilities of another adventure.

The woman smiled wryly then, thinking back to her childhood, when her father had joked that she never could leave well enough alone. She could clearly remember his amused tone as he placed a hand atop her small shoulder, giving it a light squeeze as she grinned right back and chirped, "No Papa, I can't." The group of royals had laughed along with her father then, but even at that young age Nashi had known only the King's had been tinted with genuine mirth. The redhead's smile smoothed into something fond then, and as she thought back to her ten year old self's words she had to nod in agreement. Some things would never changed.

Sardon's tail whipping at her ankles a minute later jolted the woman from her musings and Nashi sent her bonded a glare while stifling the surprised yelp that had almost escaped her mouth. The drake purred in a way that left the woman sure had he a more expressive face he'd be smirking and she kicked his side lightly before asking what he'd found. Sardon let out another sound, this time closer to a long suffering sigh, as he threw a clawed hand into the air, pointing down the alley. "Thanks again, buddy." Nashi scooped her friend up threw him back onto her shoulder as she strode down the road, taking directions from Sardon as she went.

 

[Saren]

Locke wasn't the type of person to be followed easily, but Nashi's advantage over him was that she possessed a dragon, and he did not. As such, he was being tracked, but it was made more unfortunate by the fact that he didn't know he was. Nyx and Kandar stayed close to him, and the raven only scouted ahead, not behind. Locke was too distracted to even think that someone would come after him, and it never crossed his mind that someone would even want to. He had a habit of staying quiet around others, watching rather than speaking. He went unnoticed, and that was fine by him. This time, he would not be so lucky.

Locke and his shadow cat companion walked as far as their legs would go, continuing their trek even as the sun set beyond the horizon. They had long left the small town where the tavern had been, opting to leave Floravale and travel into Kinesi. It would take a few days to walk, but Locke was used to such travel. He'd spent a long time walking, running, and doing everything in between. Travel was a part of life, and it would be up until the day he died.

That day, he hoped, would not be soon.

As the moonlight grew dimmer as the trees heightened, Locke finally had to stop. He whistled, a low sound that pitched up and down twice in a code meant for his raven. Kandar flew down, squawked once, and then perched on Locke's head. Nyx followed her feathered friend, standing on two legs and leaning on Locke's leg until he picked her up. She purred as he placed her on his shoulder, and he felt Kandar flutter his feathers and snap off a strand of Locke's shaggy hair. "Hey, knock that off. You don't nest, ya dumb bird." Kandar gave an indignant caw, but he didn't pull any more strands. His previous call had meant Locke was to go north until he found proper shelter as he grew closer to the borders of the Mind Kingdom.

Kinesi was considered one of the freest places, as the Mind Royals allowed anyone within their borders. Considering how close the kingdom was to his former home of Somberfell, one would think that they might be more careful. As it stood, Kinesi boasted low crime and high marriage rates, as well as a place where many wanderers found their bond creatures. Kinesi was also one of the only places where someone could bond with spirit creatures. It truly was a unique place, and it proved to be one of the best locations to hide out in. Rogues like himself, with no home to go to, were welcomed in Kinesi, and it was a place he could lay low for a while.

He just had to get there first.

After walking for another half hour in the growing darkness, Locke found what Kandar had. It was a massive tree with part of its insides hollowed out. It was a sign that someone from Kinesi had tried to make refuge there before moving on, and the tree had never grown back quite right. The hollow was large enough for himself and his companions and then some, so Locke stretched his legs as he settled into the inside of the tree. Nyx walked down his chest and curled up on his knees, black tail twitching over her nose. Kandar fluttered to the ground, hopping onto Locke's boot and fluffing out his wings. More often than not, the raven was Locke's night watcher and scout, as he had the quickest getaway with his wings. "You get the first watch, and then Nyx will take over for you in a few hours," he said to the bird. Kandar's response was a nod - a strange motion for a bird - and the raven fluttered out of the hollow and onto a low hanging branch. A single, long squawk meant that he was fine and ready to watch for others, so Locke pushed his back against the hollow and closed his eyes.

It was almost impossible to see him or his shadow cat in the night, but Locke wasn't counting on a little draconic beast following his invisible tracks.

 

[BadonKaDank]

Ughhhhhh! Nashi slowed from her jog, trying to catch her breath and ignore the burning sensation pulsing through her tired leg muscles. She'd been alternating between that and running since night had fallen and her lungs were not appreciating the abuse. Neither was Sardon, who had hopped down some time ago in order to be spared being jostled, and possibly to also avoid the sound of her heavy breathing. It wasn't something Nashi could be upset about, though she could've definitely done without the drake's dramatic huffing and sighing every couple of minutes as if their traveling was inconveniencing him in some way. The redhead knew for a fact her bonded enjoyed being on the move so long as he didn't have to do any of the actual walking, which was why she found herself rolling her eyes at Sardon's whining.

"Get over yourself," Nashi chuckled before gaping at Sardon's immaturity when he stuck his forked tongue out at her. The woman snorted as she scooped the reptile up and placed him atop her head, smirking at his indignant squeak. "You have no shame."

The princess sighed, continuing to walk and refusing to acknowledge the way her body was protesting the movement. Her stomach had long ago given up on letting her know it was time to eat but her limbs and eyelids were growing heavier as fatigue tugged at the back of her mind. She couldn't give up though. Not yet, not after she'd already gotten this far. The town was no longer in view when Nashi looked over her shoulder, so the option of turning back in order to rest was nonexistent at this point, and she was not going to risk falling asleep out in the relative open when people were after her. No matter how much the redhead wanted to sit and rest she couldn't, not even for a second; she had brought this on herself but she would not let it stop her.

Still, having an end goal in sight never hurt anyone. Nashi shook her head to get Sardon's attention, unconcerned about whether or not the motion might throw him off. "Hey, Lord Hiss, d'ya have a stopping point yet?"

Her bonded groaned loudly, blowing hot air into her thick braid where he'd steadied himself as he considered her question. A short time later the woman got her answer through a series of clicks and warbles that let her know whoever they were after was close by. The knowledge made Nashi's pulse quicken, caution coming to stand beside determination and curiosity, making her slow down and pay closer attention to her surroundings. It was dark enough that the redhead strained her eyes trying to see anything other than the shapes of trees, and while it was tempting to have Sardon use his flames to light her path, the princess figured that would only serve to spook whoever was out here.

Even with the darkness making the search difficult though, finding them did not take as long as Nashi had thought it would. With Sardon's powerful nose leading the way the two had quickly located the hollowed out tree where the person was. It was still nearly impossible to see if they were a man or woman, but that was not something the redhead particularly cared about; she was just relieved to know she'd finally found them.

Now... Now she just had to approach them and hope they didn't attack her. Nashi stopped several feet from the tree's opening, finally requesting Sardon use his inner fire as a lantern so if the person felt the need to be violent she at least wouldn't be fighting blind. The light did nothing to bring whoever was in the hollow out of the shadows, but it helped the princess and gave whoever was inside a clear view of her face, so Nashi put a friendly smile on her face and raised a hand in greeting. "Um, hello?"

 

[Saren]

Nothing ever passed by Kandar without the raven noticing. Though they had traveled far, the night had brought far more than darkness. Whoever was trailing after his bonded human, they weren't very quiet. Twigs snapped and branches shifted with the movements, and Kandar roused himself to cock his head at the sound. He was as used to the darkness as his bonded human was, and his black eyes caught sight of two figures. One was taller and slim, walking on two legs as his bonded human did. The other was smaller and bright, walking on four legs as his shadowy friend, Nyx, did. Kandar tilted his head this way and that, watching the newcomers venture ever closer to the hollowed out tree. He knew his bonded human was fast asleep, but Nyx was only dozing. She had a habit of waking up their bonded human more than Kandar did, but his bonded human didn't like the way Kandar would wake him up.

But this time was urgent, for the four legged creature was a dragon. And they didn't like dragons.

Kandar knew the ways to alert his bonded human. One caw was safety, two was caution, and three caws meant danger. However, at this time of night, ravens weren't supposed to be awake. Kandar shifted his talons on the branch, peering down at the dragon and its bonded human as they drew closer to the tree. By this time, Kandar knew Nyx was awake. The shadow cat hadn't dared move yet, but she was glaring at the dragon.

Finally, she dug her back claws into Locke's leg, biting at his skin. He jolted awake, about to protest the pain she was causing him. That was before he caught sight of the dragon glowing with inner fire, lighting the way. He froze before he scrambled upright, Nyx jumping from his legs. He pressed himself into the corner and looked up. He saw only darkness, but he had to get out. He leaped forward, but his hands only met the inner, smooth wood of the tree. With a frown, he tried again, with nothing but sore hands to show for his attempts.

Nyx had ventured forward as Locke attempted to escape. She hissed at the dragon, black fur raised and tail puffed out. She didn't swipe - she knew better than that - but she certainly seemed just as big as him. Then the other person spoke and Nyx hissed at her instead. The shadow cat understood a lot of things, and she knew just as many female two-legged walkers ventured around as male ones did, but that didn't make her any less of a threat. In fact, a female one walking around so late at night had the potential to be even more dangerous, especially with a dragon.

Locke didn't make a move to answer the other person's greeting. In fact, he tried to make himself invisible as the dragon ventured forth to chase away the shadows of his his hiding place. But dragons were curious bastards, and this one seemed to be even more so. In the fire generated by the dragon itself, Locke saw that it was the same one that had been in the tavern only hours ago. Which meant that the female that was still waiting for an answer was the same one as well. With a stifled sigh, Locke stepped forward, nearly - and perhaps a little purposefully - kicking the little dragon in the face. He shoved past the girl and brushed his arms off, fixing the tattered scarf around his neck. Nyx sidled around the dragon, never letting her yellow eyes stray from the creature.

"Y'know, it's not nice to follow people and ruin their sleep by bringing their scaly runts around," he said, irritation lacing every word. "Is there a reason you ventured through a dangerous forest to interrupt that nice dream I was having?"

 

[BadonKaDank]

Bump.