The Dragon Wardens: RPN Archive

Status
Not open for further replies.
Dinyla and Erramun
Erramun kept sniffing the air diligently, golden eyes scanning intensely for any more clues or signs of those who had passed through the brush of the forest before them. The large earth dragon was starting to worry. The clues of the trespassers seemed to go on and on but there was no sign of them getting closer. Erramun whimpered as he heard Dinyla cough heavily on the saddle, still shielded by his wings before she threw up, coughing at the horrible feeling escaping her as she remained on her side on the saddle.

Purring to have the saddle vibrate to help his rider, Erramun kept moving forward, his large body engulfing the path of the smaller beast that tore through the woods, his stone scales untouched while the wood broke and caved to his strength. His tail swayed side to side across the sand to cover his tracks, while it would not hide the evidence on the trees, it would keep others from thinking a dragon had passed by...hopefully. Soon...there had to be something coming soon...

Then he saw it...a small house tucked in through the thicket of the woods and hidden in the shade of the larger trees. A deep pure of joy erupted from Erramun's large chest before he stopped to the weak whimper from Dinyla, still shaking and pale from her sickness. The house was still a fair distance away...but it might be something. His joy turned to worry at second thoughts. It's not a dragon...it's not. It's a house with humans that could harm him as well as Dinyla. It may not be safe after all. It did cross Erramun's mind to continue past the house...but there was something else. A familiar smell...a smell not too far from their location that made the stone beast tilt his head up and inhale. His golden eyes widened in realization.

A dragon...

Not wanting to startle Dinyla, Erramun slowly inched towards the direction of the house, his stone covered talons sinking into the wet earth under him as the trees shivered to each slow step. His wings tucked closer towards Dinyla to keep her from sight...he kept staring intently ahead...waiting...begging...
 
Hale and Kraeg
The Northeastern Border of the Twisted Woods​

The horse whined weakly, clutched in the vise like grip of Kraeg's maw. It called desperately for its companion and its master. But both were gone, its companion having been roasted by the hunted bounty and its master having fled in a panic for the trees. The dying mount's eyes followed the bounty hunter as he left it, and it finally succumbed to its wounds, despair in its animal soul.

Hale climbed down off his dragon's back as his friend sated his hunger on the horse's corpse. He waved a hand and the dust cloud dropped, falling back to the ground as quickly as it had risen. The half-elf frowned as he yanked the arrow from his chest, glad that he hadn't taken it off since fleeing the Haven. The twisted branches of the wood made judging the distance to the fleeing hunters difficult. Besides, it'd be foolish to reengage them. They were trained to kill; he was not. All the same, he risked a lot in letting them go. It was bad enough that they had known of one Dragon Warden; now they knew of two.

The familiar rumble of Kraeg's drew him back to his surroundings. Of course! There was another Dragon Warden! Hale spun around, yanked his quarter staff out from its place on Kraeg's saddle, and began stumbling about, looking for the fire dragon that had killed the other horse.

"Hello? Anyone there?"
 
Olsten and Grybil
The Northeastern Border of the Twisted Woods​

Grybil let out a pleased snort as the bounty hunters turned tail and ran. Sniffing, he approached his reward. A steady throb pulsed in the horse's neck. He snuffed it out with one bone-breaking snap of his jaw.

"Come on we, can't let them get away!" Olsten said. But Grybil was immovable, he was not going to risk having his meal eaten by mud-wing. Horse meat maybe tough on the teeth, but it was better than the thin air he'd been served for over a day.

Sighing, Olsten refrained from giving chase and pulled a string on the saddle. With a rattle and a whir the straps around his ankles came loose. The only trouble with his invention was strapping in again took longer, but he was pleased with it nonetheless. At least being on the run had allowed him to spend more crafting inventions, only he very much lacked the tools to build anything significant. Sliding down, he clutched one hand to his upper right arm. He'd been lucky that the arrow had merely grazed the leather and bruised the skin. For mere bounty hunters, they certainly had good aim. Pacing aroynd Grybil he met the other Warden halfway. A billowing fur-lined cloak and dark auburn hair, seated atop a slender frame, greeted him. He stopped in his tracks.

"Oh," he glanced down at the young man's skewed foot. Of all the people that survived...we're left with a cripple... Struggling to hide his disappointment, Olsten gave the pointy-eared Warden a scrutinizing once-over. For a moment only chewing and crunching of bones sounded. After so much time away from other living beings, Olsten had to remind himself of his manners. Cripple or not, the young man had come to his aid and was by all means a brother.

Grimacing, Olsten tore his eyes from the bum leg and met the half-elf's stormy gaze before extending his hand and offering his name. With the formalities out of the way, he showed no restrained, an avalanche of questions clattered down on his brother-in-arms. "You heard what happened, didn't you? Were you there too? -At Haven I mean- any news? There was an expedition to the mountains, my Mentor was there, have you seen him? Tall, plaited hair, quite scarred because he's no good with razors, his name's Malcolm...?"

It felt good to be talking to someone again.
 
Malcolm and Elain
Eyes fixed on the two attackers of the Dragon Wardens Malcolm stood up and forward in the saddle, hatred rose within him and a primal predatory urge surged through Elain. The invisibility ward faded as he gathered his strength for coming combat. He swayed in the saddle, counteracting the sweeping zig-zag flight of Elain as she aimed to confound any further arrows. As a pair was loosed towards them Malcolm swatted it from the sky with an arc of arcane energy. He saw the vast Earth Dragon devour a horse hungrily but as he saw the hobbling Warden his mind was set. For too long he'd been angry at himself with no one else to legitimately blame. Those two hunters were now the object of his wrath, and he swooped low over the blur of a pair of Wardens as he chased his prey, neither obviously up for a fight in his view.

Elain hit the ground running, slowing just enough for Malcolm to leap off of his binding free saddle and land in a roll. He got up and shared a quick signalling glance with Elain. They both split ways, disappearing into the woods from the raised clearing. He could feel the presence of the Hunters' panicked minds ahead of them, Dragon and Warden bracketed them. Elain's stealthy form padding silently through the mist and twisted trees, her senses alert and her arcane magic ready to kill. Malcolm moved quickly but carefully parallel to her about twenty metres away. He could now hear the seemingly loud sound of the bounty hunters and their equipment ahead of them. Some part of him reasoned with itself, weighing up his responsibility to those two other wardens and the danger of letting the two attackers escape. But barely managed lust for revenge overrode, pushing him after the men who tried to kick them when they're down.

He closed in on them, feeling the presence of Elain also drawing closer. As he was within five metres he reached out with his mind, casting an illusion of total darkness into their minds. He moved forward as if through water, his concentration focused on blinding them. The sounds around him dulled as if he were himself beneath the surface of some mirror smooth millpond. He had fought more numerous enemies, with Elain and other Wardens at his side, but still his heart pounded, his face hard and eyes narrowed in loathing. As he neared the left hunter he slowly and cautiously moved a hand to the hilt of his combat knife, no need to dirty his sword with their blood. His hand closed round the hilt of the small blade and he moved forward at lightning speed, the spell lifting as his concentration broke. Slinging one arm round the man's chest to impede any vain evasion he drove the knife into the side of the hunters throat, blood splattering on his hand and the side of his face. The man's body went limp, but remained upright in Malcolm's grip, feeling the dragon skin armour beneath his fingers he stabbed him again pointlessly in frustration. All this having occurred in just a few split seconds his mind flitted to the remaining hunter. As he looked the man had managed to notch an arrow and was drawing back as Elain loomed behind him. Malcolm grimaced and spun to hold the dead body before him as a macabre shield. The stun arrow flew and detonated on the body. Malcolm was thrown back by the force and landed on his back with a grunt, soot covering his arm and the dead hunter. Elain roared in frustration as she stumbled back a few steps, also stunned.
 
Hale and Kraeg
The Northeastern Border of the Twisted Woods​

Kraeg ate the whole carcass, saddle bags and all. Going without food except for the odd faelus root for several days had made him ravenous. The crunch of bones filled the air as both he and the fire drake consumed their respective dinners. For his part, Hale took the outstretched hand and returned the introduction, being sure to include his dragon as well. The scrutinization bothered him, though he knew he should be used to it by now. Shaking his head, the half-elf sighed.

"Aye, we heard. Were on the way home, Kraeg and I, when we got attacked. Well, we and... and others."

He shrugged helplessly and leaned in his staff.

"As to your Mentor...I'm sorry. Happy to help you look, but I...I lost mine. Getting your hopes up is a terrible thing, Olsten.

"Especially when all hell seems to have broken loose."

As if to punctuate his admonition, a muffled explosion sounded in the forest, not too far from their positron. Hale whirled, lifting his staff defensively before him. His dragon suddenly perked his head, his half eaten meal forgotten. Hale grimaced.

"And yet more trouble." He cocked an eye to Kraeg. "What do you think, mate?"

Kraeg chuffed, his voice grating like stone on stone. The grass on his back waved in the still air in agitation, and the trees on his back rustled in a similar way. Hale nodded, his gray eyes tired.

"Okay then."

The half-elf hobbled to his dragon and began climbing up, only to stop to turn to his new acquaintance.

"Feel like making sure those killers are kept silent?"

His voice held determination but no enthusiasm.
 
Feria & Ifer
The Twisted Woods​

They seemed to be doing alright. Ifer was practically slicing through wyverns, and some seemed to be retreating when they realized that their prey was putting up more of a fight then they hoped. As one jumped towards Feria with it's mouth open, preparing to chomp down on her arm, she jumped back, smirking, proud of herself that she had seen it coming. What she had not realized is when she backed up, she backed up into the spiked tail of another.

It sent her falling forward, the katana flew out of her hand. The spikes dug into her back as she was face forward in the muddy earth. She jumped up as quickly as possible, wincing because of the gashes in her backside. Half her face was covered it mud, and then she realized; mud. Mud meant water. And water meant ice. How had she not realized it before?

Ifer let out a loud screech seeing his companion fall, and instantly directed his icy breath at the one that had hurt Feria. He curled his long tail protectively around her, and Feria silently thanked him. She tried to squeeze as much water as she possibly could from the earth and she came with a thin wall of ice. Ifer flicked his tail in surprise, watching her work out of the corner of his eye while making sure no one stepped near.

Feria shattered the ice wall into a million tiny spikes, giving each Wyvern it's fair share, mostly trying to aim for the eyes. Ifer snarled, intrigued by her approach, and combined his breath with her ammo.
 
Olsten and Grybil

The air rippled. Something big passed over them, like the shadow of a predator creeping over its prey. Olsten glanced skyward. Nothing. Calm down, it's just the wind...

"As to your Mentor...I'm sorry. Happy to help you look, but I...I lost mine. Getting your hopes up is a terrible thing, Olsten."

Shoulders drooped at the news. No sign of Malcolm then. He refused to believe the hardened rider had fallen. A fat, coarse lump solidified in his throat and he merely nodded before turning away. Come on, don't start crying now, you're not the only one who has lost someone... Whatever salt lingered on the rim of his eyes was swiftly brushed away when a distant bang distracted them both.

"Feel like making sure those killers are kept silent?"

Grybil looked up from his scanty meal and growled. "That's a yes," Olsten translated before he hoisted himself on Grybil's chiseled back. Like a statue coming to life, Grybil rose to his full height and kicked off hard. Rider and Warden fused their hate into a fiery blur. Olsten had only a moment to see a downed Warden and its Dragon in the dirt below. Three against one...you're out of luck

Roaring, Grybil crash-landed before the remaining bounty hunter. But no fire came, no snap of the jaw separated torso from abdomen. Whooshing, Grybil flung his tail at the bounty hunter, knocking the man backwards. Kneecaps cracked as Olsten leapt from the saddle. Groaning, the man began to scramble to his feet-

-only to be tackled to the ground once more as Olsten threw himself at the wretched looter. Little fingers grabbed the hunter's throat. Grybil loomed behind Olsten, ready to pounce. "Who are you?! Who are you working for?" He'd never been the strongest, but he shook with enough force to make the man's teeth chatter in his skull. "You'd better tell me or I'll have you eaten alive!"
 
Rion and Lupin
Perhaps the fate of Barrod the shepherd would've been different if he had actually been spotted by the distant creatures he so feared. Then, perhaps, the Dragon Warden would have decided that they valued his silence more than they valued his life. But as fate dictated, for better or worse, Lupin touched ground without either of them being alerted of this sharp pair of eyes. The little specks of grey and white wool, so tiny and distant, were simply so similar in color to the solid bedrock that they escaped their notice, that shrill whistle being so far away it did not have a iota of a chance to reach them in the howling autumn winds that whirled around them.

The Earth dragon hit the ground running, claws drumming quickly yet softly, silently against the vivid grass. Despite his bulk, Lupin was as quick as any horse, although his gigantic steps made riding this way somewhat of a workout to keep up with for his elderly Warden. There was a prance in his steps every now and then, excess energy that he was still eager to get rid of.

Not that Rion held it against him. Besides, she did not wish to linger any longer than she absolutely had to. Lupin knew where he was heading. She would simply be the eyes and the shield, keeping a lookout for spies or soldiers and do her darnest to keep out of their way. She pulled her hood up over her face, covering every last strand of whitened hair, wanting to keep the advantage of being unidentifiable as a Warden should they be spotted. With that, she let her grey eyes sweep over the waving grass as bared, rugged bedrock. Her mind relaxed. Expanded. Became aware. In a sight her eyes could not see, she saw the strings that weaved the world with cold soil and breathing roots and hard stone. Strings of magic, and life, that she could move to her will. She sent a thought to ruffle the trampled grass and top soil in their wake, eliminating the dragons footprints. Another into the soil, feeling the cool clay with her mind and pulling it up. Some was swiftly smeared against Lupins vulnerable wing joints, ready to be hardened into a thick layer of cheramics at a moments notice. Some, she kept close to herself, embedding it in her dragons thorny scales if she was ever to need it.

Things entered her awareness and faded as they flew by. A flock of birds, a mountain hare, a weasel in its underground burrow. Hopefully, this would be an uneventful ride.. she just wished she believed it actually night be.
 
Cliffs of Anova


Julaeus had never personally seen a dragon up close. In his youth he saw a few fly overhead, but he never expected a dragon to have so many spikes! The fire dragon snaked her head out of the cave's entrance to inspect the elf, and he found himself holding his breath as he braced for the coming fire. It never came. As the dragon's head retreated back into the cave he released a heavy sigh of relief.

He could hear her voice faintly echo from inside, but the crashing waves below made it difficult to discern. The dragon's yelp came more clearly causing Julaeus to jump nearly off of the cliff side. Despite the cool air, sweat continued to drip off of his forehead in growing anticipation. He knew his work was still not complete, and he would never be able to forgive himself if he did not follow through with his task.

Carefully, he edged himself closer to the cave entrance. He was about a two feet away from where he could hop onto the lip when the dragon suddenly poked her head out once again. This time, a high pitched yelp escaped Julaeus, but the dragon did nothing but sniff him, the inhaled air wafting the loose fabric towards her face. Her head lingered close to him without malice, and he hesitated as he tried to discern the gesture. Was the dragon blocking his way? A hesitant hand reached out to touch the spike upon her snout. The dragon did not seem to mind, and he used it as a means to hoist himself to the lip of the cave.

"Thank you, friend," Julaeus said as he quickly released his hold on the dragon's spike. He cleared his throat before continuing, his attention turned to the girl. "My apologies for startling you, but I bring urgent news. Reports have entered Syth of possible Dragon Warden activity along the coast, specifically in the cliffs. They know you're here, Dragon Warden. Syth has amassed at least twenty volunteers to go in search of you, and another twenty north in pursuit of other sightings. Miss, you must leave. They're likely a league from this location by now. You do not have time."


The Northeastern Border of the Twisted Woods


The last bounty hunter finally felt his fear set in. He had lost sight of his coworker, and did not even know he had succumbed to a terrible demise. His feet carried him further and further into the Twisted Woods, his heart racing as his surroundings began to darken. As a precaution, he knocked another disorienting arrow onto his bowstring and let it loose. It flew back from where he came, though he did not particularly notice to what it would hit. It was meant as a distraction or possible deterrance should his enemies be close to the impact site.

He traveled further and further into the woods, running as fast as he could, never looking back. Thick brambles and large trees caused his path to snake and turn unexpectedly, and he was beginning to lose track of which way he had come in the first place. The bounty hunter was lost, but he would run even past the point when his lungs burned.

Outside of the Twisted Woods, all seemed to have calmed. The falcon circled above like a dot in the sky, a faint cry escaping its beak as it called out for its master. It wanted to warn him of the two Dragon Wardens that retreated into the woods. Its call was blocked by the thick canopy of the ominous woods below. The bounty hunter did not know of his coming fate until a dragon crashed through the trees to loom before him.

The dragon's thick tail smashed the man against the tree, the wind escaping his lungs from the impact. His head swam as he gasped for air, and as it returned to him he clambored back to his feet. The bounty hunter reached back for an arrow in his quiver, but found none. The bow in his right hand was broken in two. The Dragon Warden tackled him to the ground and seized his throat in his small hands.

"Who are you? Who are you working for?" the boy commanded. The bounty hunter couldn't help but laugh at this pitiful attempt. The boy was acting on impulse, forgetting that choking a man prevented him to speak. The Dragon Warden was effectively deterring his ability to gain an answer. And it would be just his luck to die by the hands of an unseasoned child.

Locks of greying hair whisped from the hair that was haphazardly pulled back from his face. The thick beard upon his jawline still clung to golden colors denoting a man who was pushing past mid-life.

"You'd better tell me or I'll have you eaten alive!"

The bounty hunter weezed a chuckle, for it was all he could manage before airily struggling a response. "How much is it worth to you?"


Twisted Woods

The poison contained within the spiked tails of a wyvern is activated as soon as it makes contact with blood. It is slow and painful as it eats away at the flesh, muscle, and then bone, and if left unattended, the poison is fatal. Due to the location of her affliction, the Dragon Warden has two days before the poison eats through her organs and kills her.

It wasn't the shriek the dragon emitted, nor was it the wall of ice conjured from the damp mire around them that caused the wyverns to quickly flee. As the ice wall shattered from caster's magic, the stragglers felt the sting of impalement as they rushed away and cried out with the pain. It was coupled by the dragon's breath, and together they drove out the threat completely.

For a time the two would be left in complete silence within the Twisted Woods. Their once blazing campfire was now ash and smoke, and the muddy ground beneath them a mess of tracks suspended to display the chaos that had once surrounded them. Something drove them away, and that something was quiet and near.

Fear could almost prickle the hairs on the back of the Dragon Warden's neck should she be keen to her senses. Someone or something was there, nearing the girl and her dragon without fear. Another silent moment passed until an unsuspecting man journeyed out from a path behind a line of trees. He gathered his robe about him and stopped suddenly at the sight of the two. He showed no fear, but concern pushed his brows downward.

"My... I heard wyverns. Have they gone?" His hooded head craned to look about in search for the beasts.


The Northern border between the Twisted Woods and the Northern Mountains


Barrod herded his sheep safely over the foothill and headed towards home. It would take a few hours, and the entire time would be spent on pins and needles. The dragon and its rider did not follow, nor did they seem to care if they ever did see them.

The ride through the foothills would be particularly uneventful. The sun rose ever higher into the afternoon sky, the dull clouds thinning to invite more of its light. A falcon glided above them called out a mournful cry before turning towards the Twisted Woods. It would not hover above the gnarled mess of trees and kept along its border.

It is possible the old earth caster would sense the distress within the flora of the surrounding land. Sturdy evergreens and barren oak bristled with whispers of a happening further down the border. The grass sighed with relief that the earth further down the way was no longer disturbed. Tension remained within the magic of the inanimate that cast towards the Twisted Woods. These inklings would grow the further down the border the two would journey, and should they do so, they would travel a little less than a league before finding evidence of a bounty hunter's disorienting arrow cast to the ground after areal impact.


The Northern Woods of Eversyth


Eosphelon's head turned at the sight of Erramun, and he snapped his teeth in his surprise as he urged his companion to turn from the house. Before Idhrenan could even look upon the dweller, she turned about to see the large earth dragon, her eyes wide. Was it hurt? She could not determine its reason for such caution as it approached the home. It was a rather large creature who likely would attract attention with or without trees.

"Both of you come in," the dweller urged. Idhrenan turned back towards the doorway to find a young Naveri elf, her face frought with concern. "And bring your dragons to the Northern facade."

"But I am the only..." Idhrenan's voice trailed off as she felt another presence. Whoever it was, their presence was faint and slipping. Without word, Idhrenan relayed the plan for him to head for the Northern side of the home. He groaned and slithered across the open grass as if it were on fire, quick to get back into the shadows of the trees. As he passed Erramun, he sniffed the air and playfully brushed his wing close to his leg as he tested his bounds with the newcomer.

"Quickly!" the dweller said before retreating into the house. Idhrenan cautiously approached the imposing earth dragon and bowed low.

"Please allow me to aid you," she requested.
 
]Feria & Ifer
The Twisted Woods​

When the wyverns fled, Feria was surprised. Was her attack that powerful? She didn't feel very powerful. Maybe Ifer's screching and growling had done the trick. Her back was stinging as she stared at the empty space before her which had been filled with danger only moments ago. Feria took a shaky breath. I thought I could handle this. She brought a hand to her face, touching the already drying mud that resided on her cheek and began to try and pick it off. Ifer whined, staring at her backside worriedly.

How had those wyvern appeared so quickly, so stealthily, so silently? Attacked in an instant, threw her around like a rag doll. Feria was ashamed of her awful performance. She could've done better. Realized they were standing in mud sooner. Heard the wyvern coming sooner. Idiot. She was an idiot. Ifer could probably guess what was going through her head right now and whined once more. He would have nudged her thoughtfully if it were not for the hundreds of ice spikes that covered him. Ifer didn't want to impale her.. again.

Now that she was grilling herself for not being keener, Feria felt something. Like something was coming. As quiet and swift as the wyvern's, but she knew in her gut it was not that. She stood up, looking around for something to prove that she wasn't going insane and hearing things. Ifer raised his head, following her gaze.

"My... I heard wyverns. Have they gone?" Feria flinched. She raised a hand towards the hooded figure and generated a small but deadly ice spike in her hand, prepared to fire. Ifer let out a roar and stood alongside her, prepared to blast the stranger with icy breath. "Who are you?" Feria growled, firm and strong, despite being half covered in mud and hurting awfully. Was there poison in the wyvern's tail? She couldn't remember. Oh, no...
 
Dinyla and Erramun
Erramun was surprised himself to the sudden site of another dragon. After so long, the site of another of his kind was just so...foreign. The dragon was much smaller than he, causing Erramun's talons to shift a little nervously, afraid he might step on the tail of the smaller dragon, his massive size making the trees shake, leaves falling quickly to the ground. The Earth dragon sniffed at the air, his golden eyes soon locking on to the red haired Dragon Warden in the distance as a sense of anxiety consumed him. Anxiety...and fear. What if this Dragon Warden was not as nice as he had hoped? What if she was corrupt in some manner, in which she would wish to harm his own Dinyla?

The Earth dragon grumbled in slight surprise to the brush along his leg, little chirps of uncertainty escaping from his throat, immediately growing defensive to Idhrenan approaching him, growling deeply in his throat to warn the Dragon Warden to tread lightly. His eyes followed the woman slowly approaching him before he tilted his large head to her bowing deeply. Snorts and short growls escaped his lips as he tried to decide what to do, keening to hearing Dinyla throw up again on the saddle before he purred. His large stone scaled wings slowly opened, spreading them to their full wingspan as Dinyla was revealed on the leather saddle, breathing weakly as her skin looked pale and her body shook, unaware of their fortunate find.
 
The Northwestern Border of the Twisted Woods

The young one had blasted off, shooting forward on pursuit of the remaining hunter with more fury than Hale had thought possible for one so young.

So young. He's barely that much younger than you.

But Hale shrugged at the thought. His dragon would keep him safe, surely, despite any rash actions on Olsten's part. And there was that other bounty hunter...

Kraeg, seemingly having the same idea, slowed, Olsten and his dragon involved in...whatever off in the distance. The half-elf glanced about, the dragon doing the same. Finally they spotted what they were looking for and turned for it. Before them lay a familiar face: the bounty hunter, a knife shoved in his throat. But not far off were two unfamiliar faces: an arcane dragon of reasonable size, and her Warden. He seemed to be a middle aged fellow of skill and experience.

He also seemed thoroughly dazed, as did his iridescent wyrm. Hale climbed off Kraeg's back and eased up to the older man. Carefully he examined him, probing and searching for broken bones or injuries. He seemed okay, save for a gash on the back of his head where he impacted the ground from falling. Hale gently adjusted the Warden's head, retrieved some herbs from a pouch in his cloak, and began ministering to the scabbing and dirty wound. His earth dragon watched him protectively, waiting patiently for some kind of response.
 
Malcolm and Elain
Malcolm lay there after the arrow hit, he couldn't hear and his vision was naught but swimming stars. He tried to move but winced in pain from the point blank attack. With extreme effort in his dazed state he managed to heave the dead hunter off of him, his protection now a hindrance to breathing. He felt something or someone feeling at him and his arms weakly tried to bat them away. In fact they barely left his sides, the strong paralysing effect of the burst arrow resurging now the immediate need to move the dead body was gone. He felt his head being moved, and as (unbeknownst to Malcolm) Hale worked his craft on Malcolm some degree of life returned to him. He could make out the shapes of the forest around him, and the warmth of his body, thankfully all of it. He blinked his eyes slowly over and over, trying to clear them of flashes in his mind caused by the arrow. He reached out with his mind and felt Elain's confused mind, and the earth mage behind him, he managed to speak as more vitality flowed into him "Who... Stop... E-Elain, is sh-she...?" He said, the sound clear but words indistinct. What ever the healer was doing was working as his throbbing headache ceasing to be quite so insufferable. "Elain, my dragon... Is she okay...?" he asked through gritted teeth, internally enraged he had concentrated so much on dealing revenge to the man he killed that he had lost focus on the other.
 
The Northwestern Border of the Twisted Woods

"Elain, my dragon... Is she okay...?"

Hale glanced up. The arcane wyrm's scaly hide had likely prevented any kind of damage that she might have otherwise sustained from collapsing to the ground. She was probably just fine, though he couldn't be absolutely sure. His limited knowledge of medicine didn't extend far.

"Hush," he chided gently. The half-elf continued spreading salve onto the gash. "She's fine, I think. But don't worry about her; she has scales to protect her head; you don't."

Beside him, Kraeg loomed over the fallen Elain. His face bespoke his curiosity, but his stance was cautious, alert. He stared at her for a full minute, occasionally sniffing the air, before looking back at Hale. The cripple nodded.

"Thanks, mate. Glad to hear it."

The final bit of salve in place, Hale sat back. He wiped his hands on the grass and sighed.

"Well, that's about all I can do, I'm afraid, sir. Ah, forgive me; I've not introduced myself. I'm Hale, and my friend is Kraeg'zech." He smiled and chuckled. "I'm sorry if he's being overprotective about Elain. He always wants to help."
 
Day 85: Cliffs of Anova: Ava and Feral

Ava drew out a half-sword with a faint rasp and laid it across one hand. Her eyes had narrowed -her amber gaze glazed and thoughtful. Suspicious. "What would they want with us but to kill us? We have caused no undue trouble. I have yet to see anyone but you come by this place." She snorted, her lip curling back to reveal unusually sharp canines -the girl had carved her teeth to further adapt to the tough meat in her diet. "Do they claim they own the seagulls, as well as the fish in the ocean?"

The tip of her sword made a sharp ringing sound as it struck the stone, the flat of the blade having slipped off of her hand and now gleaming in what sunlight that entered the cave. Her gaze burned with that old rage -clouded by the whispers of vengeance and hatred.

Children screaming. Hatchlings raining from the sky. Dragon's pitiful death hisses as they struggled in vain to protect their companions. Only to see the one they loved cut in twain. Ava fled through the back alleys, using every shadow, every flame to burn alive those who she came across. Feral clambered over the rooftops, body low as she parted the flames with ease, hiding her blood-red form out of reach of seeking arrows. Just ahead, a large, grey dragon nearly the size of a full grown earth dragon bellowed, a tongue of blue flame arcing into the sky as the human astride his back severed a man's arm from his torso.

Ava and Feral both screamed when their mentors fell.

She would burn them. Every last one. A deep, guttural hiss escaped Feral's jaws as the memories passed between them and the dragon lowered her head close to the ground, the ever-present glow in her neck and chest intensifying. Ava picked up her sword again and let it sway from side to side, her arm hanging off one knee as she crouched.

Breath whooshed from her lungs and Ava glanced in the direction of the elf again. She knew he must feel like a rabbit cornered by wolves at the moment, but she was careful to keep her mind on the enemies outside, rather than the enemy within.

"I thank you for your warning. And I thank you for the letter. Should you need it, we can provide you flight to where you need to go. Or at least as far as is safe for us. But should we come across enemies, we will take our chances." she said lowly. Feral growled in agreement, padding forward until she stood behind her partner. "We saw too much to not feel the urge to slaughter and maim everyone we can. Would you not, as well, if you saw children murdered heedlessly? Children who had dreamed of becoming the great heroes of legend." Ava's eyes narrowed. "I was one. And now am not. My only purpose from now on is to wreak vengeance for the dead."
 
  • Nice Execution!
Reactions: rissa
Tamrana and Sassy
Southern woodlands of the Forests of Valnahar
After touching down, Sassy had settled into a large forest clearing, watching her injured rider rest and attempt to remedy her injured shoulder.

"Sassy... I love you and all... But please... Next time, check the surrounding area of the camp before you go off to hunt... Did you at least leave me any food?" Tamrana asked, leaning against Saskan's leg, pressing her hand against her open wound. She had no medical supplies. No way of healing herself. All she could hope to do was tear up her spare shirt and use that to dress the wound, but then she'd be out of shirts once the one she was wearing was torn to shreds! "... I really hope it doesn't end like this, Sassy... I just can't imagine dying because I got an infected wound..." Tamrana sighed, not able to think of anything else to say. What was she living for anyway? The Dragon Wardens were being hunted and weren't accepted anywhere. She was living on the run. Constantly hiding.

"... No food, Sassy?" The dragon snorted at her regrettably and made a worried trilling sound, resting her muzzle on the ground beside her. "Ah, don't worry about it... I'm sure we'll figure something out..."

Hopefully.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.