The Cloud Accord

[Shavynel]

It was oddly satisfying to see no one else had decided to take off. And for all the talk that they weren't a team, they at least packed out efficiently enough, taking Duras's left-behind tent with herself as they went.

Despite the air of looming danger that had settled upon them, tactically speaking, Liika liked their chances better. First of all, her back didn't feel nearly as sore as she was expecting it to after being hunched over for what felt like half the day. Unaware of the fairy's ministrations, it struck Liika as a bit peculiar. Perhaps, she figured, the fatigue would hit her tomorrow. And second, she had chosen, like Jojin, to go ranged, strapping down her battleaxe and opting for shield and javelin instead. With such open spaces, they'd be able to see far, which meant she wanted to be able to cover distance, and if something was closing on them, she should have enough time to switch to something bladed. With open space, they couldn't get stuck with no way to back out when faced with a dragon in their faces. Sure, it wasn't to say the ground was much more traversable … but there were more options. Not that it seemed people were excited about it.

"Yes, well," Liika started, "Nowhere for them to hide for long either." But talking about impending doom would merely wind everyone up, and while she was keenly aware of the possibility of danger, that was no way to travel.

She instead turned to Hallen, picking up on his earlier words. "Well, we still have one of our generals." She pointed toward Layana. It wasn't clear to her how much Hallen already knew about the rest of the delegates. "And of the generals I've met in my life, half of them seem to prefer carousing--excuse me, talking--over fighting." She pondered a second, an air of levity that did not match the general mood. "What do you think a drunk dragon would be like?"

 

[Majem]

Hallen had mixed feelings about the final decision. Obviously he didn't want to face any dragons out of common sense, but being frozen in fear when finally facing one would make him a very lousy delegate of peace. He was here representing Rotchet afterall and couldn't disappoint head alchemist Mixie, though he wasn't ready to die just yet.

At first, the open space they marched into was more comforting to Hallen as it reminded him of his home, but not long after came the realisation that it meant they were easy pickings to any dragon flying overhead. Following along with Jojin and Liika arming themselves, Hallen retrieved his crossbow with a handful of arrows and had put a metal sphere and key in his pockets for quick retrieval. With every passing minute the delegation continued walking, Hallen's grip on the crossbow tightened.

His nervous thoughts were put to rest when Liika talked to him. Immediately, his grip softened and his tensed up shoulders dropped again. A chuckle escaped his lips, even. "Now there's a mental image. A dragon stumbling home drunk." Hallen laughed some more at another image his mind had conjured. "Well, let's hope they're just the same as us, then. Still, you'd think a dragon with a title would mean something."
Hallen mulled over that thought. He didn't know much about dragons or their hierarchy, nor the war the kingdoms waged against them. He'd always been safe and secure, tinkering away at his own things or helping out inventors with their projects. He didn't think dragons would need a civilisation like they had, but they were intelligent creatures at the end of the day. Would they develop their social standings in a similar fashion? It seemed unlikely, but he couldn't know.

Again his thoughts were interrupted. This time by something glittering a little ways from the group. "Hey, wait up a second." Hallen told Liika and halted his mount. "Dragons like shiny things, right?" He asked as he reached for his belongings and retrieved two stilts. "I think I saw something." After putting on the stils, which gave him an extra foot in height, he dismounted with a grunt, though he needed a minute to get used to balancing in this uneven footing. "Mind if I check it out real quick?"

 

[Impudimp]

For her input, Lula very much enjoyed the open space. The dappled light of the trees had felt alright, but there was something about the direct sunlight that really got the fairy riled up! Maybe an affinity of sorts? She wouldn't much know too many things about that particular topic, having not paid the most attention in traditional learning as perhaps she should have. In any case, the tiny healer was a veritable ball of energy as she flew low to categorize the grasses from the brambles and the mosses from the lichens.

"This whole area is in first stage of succession!" She'd chirp in her typical, nearly frantic with excitement way of speaking, eyes alit with unrestrained interest. She hardly ever got to experience this type of natural cycling, considering her and her team mates barely got duckweed, let alone a lichen to sprout in the tainted soils of her decimated homeland. There was no succession there; just death. Aw, I made myself sad...

A visible dimming of her own light would be a little hard to discern in the light of the sun. She could never compete with a giant ball of fusion, but the frown on her face was persistent with her morbid thoughts. The girl was almost tempted to land, but Hallen and Liika made for good distractions. She was immediately pondering solutions the puzzle. A drunk dragon? Maybe they'd channel their inner snakes and slither about on the ground until their legs started working again?