Kethtria and Zebulon "Are we there yet?" whined Kethtria. She lay on her stomach across Zebulon's back, head hanging low and her hair waving about wildl in the wind. She had convinced Zebulon to leave the forest and go towards to the ocean, after telling him that villagers would not likely attack a dragon that was ridden by an Elf. Most Elves and their companions came across as goodly creatures. Kethtria was so happy when Zebulon grudgingly agreed to go she had caused a updraft that had carried him into the air. He didn't seem to happy about that. "Are we there yet?" she whined again, this time more plaintively. "You'll know we've arrived once I land, and I can't land with you blasting me up or down," Zebulon answered. He'd been flying through the fresh-blue-sky for hours, with Kethtria clearly visible on his back. Instead of worrying about being attacked and thus be forced to kill, Zebulon now worried about drawing too much attention. He'd been on his own two months after birth and was much more used to the calm and quiet of the woods and rocks than the bustling, sharpened-tree-enclosed, mud-hut villages. A dragon with a rider was still a very rare sight. The populace of the two-legged far exceeded the amount of dragons. Considering that only few dragons were ever tamed; riders were a memorable sight indeed. "There, it's only a few more minutes." A deep rumble rippled through his belly, "unless of course..." Without warning he snapped his wings to his flanks and dived down. The wind soared through his nostrils and Zebulon closed his eyes for a moment, relishing in the fresh, watery air. A good fourty feet above the ground he unfolded his wings. The drag allowed them to glide down gently, just half a mile outside of town. Kethtria gripped his foreleg as Zebulon made his sudden descent, and laughed all the way down. Soon as he landed she slid off his back and faced him, her hair forming a veil over her face. She gave his nose an affectionate pat then parted her hair with both hands and made a face at him. Laughing she smoothed her hair back in place, making sure to tuck it behind her long ears, and looked towards the village. "Kind of a quaint little town, isn't it?" She asked Zebulon. She lept back onto his back and sat side-saddle, looking every bit the dignified Elf that she wasn't. "It smells of fish," Zebulon remarked. Contrary to Kethtria, Zebulon -being a proud dragon- held his head high and strutted towards the village. He'd outgrown the largest cow in the land, but was still quite small, even for an air dragon. Nevertheless, he tried to look as big and impressive as possible by arching his back slightly and pushing his legs down deliberately hard, sending a small shiver through the earth. "I am not going to swim. I like water for drinking, and for clearing the air, nothing more," he warned Kethtria. "I never said you had to," she said smugly. "Then again...." she grinned mischievously and sent a whirlwind to the ocean. When she called it back it had a large load of water which she promptly dumped on Zebulon's head. The dragon cringed and let out piercing howl. "Don't! It burns!" His skin seemed to crackle for a moment, tiny blue sparks shooting off and across it. Zebulon shook his entire frame and flapped his wings, sending a storm of salty droplets into the air, then smacked Kethtria in the stomach with a whip of his tail. How a two-legged-conjurer failed to see that water and electricity didn't combine well was beyond him. "Don't ever do that again," he demanded. "How was I supposed to know that you'd shoot sparks? I'm Elf not human, I don't play with them weird electric contraptions," Kethtria said from the ground. She got up and dusted herself off, "We know next to nothing of your kind," she said a little more apologetically. She went up and touched Zebulon's head, sending a light and cooling wind over his scales. "I'm sorry friend, I never meant to hurt you." Her eyes began to burn, but she managed to blink her tears away. Zebulon let out a satisfied hum. "Very well," he said, "I forgive you." He dug a hole in the ground with his foreleg, "are you sure we can enter the to-?" "Help! We got a wounded man a-board!" His head jerkedtowards the source of the noise, then back to Kethtria. "Shall we have an adventure?" Kethtria's shoulder's dropped in relief that Zebulon had forgiven her then her eyes sparked with excitement. Her Elven ears had also picked up the faint yell and she relished the opportunity to test her powers. "Of course! When am I not?" she gave Zebulon a kiss on the snout then bounded onto his back, not sitting side-saddle anymore. She leaned in close to his neck and smiled widely, "Let's see how fast we can give that man our help Zebby!" Zebulon wrinkled his nose, he wasn't sure why Kethtria had just pressed her lips against him, nor did he know what it meant. He decided he'd ask after it later, for now, they had an adventure to enjoy! He let out an excited roar. A flock of pigeons fluttered skyward in suprise. "Zebby," he snorted, "what a ridiculous name." He kicked off from the ground and launched himself into the air. With a few mighty beats of his wings they soon arrived at the docks. Zebulon wished Kethtria was right about the humans and their understanding of dragons as he landed near a boat. One of the sea-walkers was bleeding from three gashes in his chest. "Can we help?" he said to Kethtria, hoping she would relay the message for him. No matter how hard he tried, he hadn't been able to talk with anyone else but Kethtria, their minds were too closed.[/QUOTE] Kethtria drew herself up as regal as she could, people tended to trust her more that way. "My dragon friend Zebulon asks if we can help?"
Blaine Blaine's lanky body walked in an eerie fashion towards his destination. His head bobbing form side to side. He wasn't bothered by any branches or bugs that he walked into. His mind was set on something far to important to be even slightly hindered by the hub bub of every day nature. Then finally the prison came into view. He'd gotten lost on his way their so he'd been walking through the denser areas of the forest to find it. Which explained the various twigs and leaves caught in his bandages. Time to spread my wisdom to the prisoners. It is the creatures who are barred the outside that deserve a lesson once in awhile. He couldn't wait to see their enlightened faces. The mummy happily waved and nodded towards the frightened villagers as picked the extra companions from the trees of his face. Snapping he each twig before he let it fall. The noise brought him comfort and would most certainly inspire his wise words. Maybe he could tell them something about twigs that related to them being locked up? He kept on thinking even as prison came into view in the distance.
Dragons Aren't Friends Amara was about to respond to the fisherman when a blur of blue caught her attention. Not the ocean, but a large creature soaring through the air. Its wings beat in rhythm to her frantic heartbeat. Could it be? Her eyes widened like murky pools as a joyful smile spread across her face. Finally! Her luck had surely changed. When the creature began to approach, Amara plucked an arrow out of her bunch. Excitement filled her being, even as the man near her could be at death's throe. Dragon, that's what her mind was focused on and nothing else. Beautiful thoughts swirled in her mind, ones of victory. "Stand back, I'll be handlin' this." She rasped to the ones on the boat as the vermin circled towards them. Amara's eyes flickered with malicious intent, her smile never fading. Soon enough the dragon made its descent and Amara groaned. The dragon was not alone, a young woman; rather an elf, had made it her settee. A very strange sight to behold. "My dragon friend Zebulon asks if we can help?" The woman spoke, her voice holding no fear. Amara spat. What kind of nonsense was this? Dragons weren't friends. They were enemies, thieves, bloody murderers! Pulling the arrow taunt on the bowstring, the soft feathers brushed against her cheek. Biting her lip, she took aim. "Your help isn't needed here, friend of vermin." Amara shouted. "Now step down, or I'll be shootin' with no mercy!"
Camdin and The Prisoner Of Azkaban Pt.1 Camdin was at unease doing the so called god's bidding. He starred down into the hole he had created with his sword. The only thing that looked back at him was a small bag, it resembled that of the one carrying his weapons, except much smaller. As he walk into the hole, he slid down. While doing this, mud kicked up onto his black boots. His eyes were stuck on that of the bag. He previously intended on running of with the bag, yet he was overcome with a sense of adventure. Once at the bottom of the hole, he hid his sword back in its tomb. Looking at the bag for a small amount of time, he then grabbed the rock. Holding the rugged stone in his hand, he looked next to the hole. There was a white flower, with four petals, and a blue center. After picking it delicately he began to walk towards the exit of the forest. He must have looked strange, a dwarf walking through town with a large bag on his back, a stone in his hands, and a holster containing a sword under the bag strapped to his bag. He soon walked up to a citizen. It was an older woman, looking to be in her early thirties. She had long red hair and blue eyes. She was human, and much taller than he. He greeted her and asked her to the way of the prison. After she pointed it out to him, he found the building and began to walk towards it.
Injustice!!! "Sorry no masks beyond this point." One of the guards stated as he looked at Blaine his eyes clearly filled with suspicion. The mummy known as Blaine had made it about half way into the prison was stopped when he tried to enter the holding areas. "Its not a mask sir! Its for my medical condition!" His voice rasped out in offensive manner. And he was offended. The trouble that his containment gauze brought him was a bit annoying. "Sorry either lose it, offer us some proof that you're sick or we'll escort you off the grounds." The guard replied Blaine admired the gray walls of the prison by sliding his hand gently over it. "You remind me of this wall." The guard cocked his head. "Thick." Blaine finally said. No venom was in his voice. His body was relaxed in fact as he went on defending himself. The guard walked closer to Blaine. "You insulting me boy?" "Boy?" Blaine asked surprised at being spoken as such. "I am likely your elder......probably..........maybe........." A sigh escaped the guards mouth. "Alright that's it!" The man said grabbing Blaine's arm to take him out. The man wasn't able to move him. Not that Blaine was struggling but it felt as if it was like tugging at a boulder. The Guard was now pulling for force his teeth starting to grind and his muscles flex. Blaine simply remained unmoved. His blue eye staring coldly. "Do you truly insist I remove my bandages?" Blaine asked in bored tone. The guard gave a thoughtful look. He figured that would be more productive then starting trouble with this monster. So he gave a slow nod. "Now do not breathe. Do you understand?" Blaine asked "Just get on with this!" The guard commanded. The mummy slowly started to unwind what was on his face from the bottom up. The guards eyebrows went up once beautiful full lips were revealed. Blaine breathed and suddenly the air was enveloped with green mist. The guard sucked in a breathe out of mere shock. It took all but a second until the guard fell face first with a loud.......thud! "Oh dear boy. I told you not to breathe."
"Now step down, or I'll be shootin' with no mercy! Kethtria's eyes flashed with a sudden impatience, "I don't plan to be stepping down anywhere," she said, eyes narrowing dangerously. "We came here to help and if your too proud to accept it you can just kiss my healing magic goodbye. An frankly, if you did," she looked pointedly at the wounded man, "I don't think he'd make it to another healer." Zebulon dug his feet into the ground and growled. Who was this stick-shooter human? And why was she threatening his rider? He stepped up beside Kethtria, and sniffed at the tip of the arrow, then snarled. "I don't like her," and with that, the matter was closed, as far as Zebulon was concerned. Kethtria pointedly looked away from the human child and leaned her back against Zebulon, looking out to sea. "So. What's it going to be? This man's life? Or your own petty dislike towards Zebulon and myself?" she shrugged and started twiddling with her hair, "Of course, if you chose to attack us, I should have no choice but to end it quickly. I for one do not like bargaining with someone's life," she gave the human a piercing look, not to different from Zebulon's own. "What's it going to be?"
Orochi stirred slightly as something landed in the water next to him. He guessed it was another ship sinking. Although it seemed to have fallen into the water from some height. As quietly as he could he opened on eye. Something black and chained was sinking just past a fishing boat. Thankfully the fisherman had been a bit quicker to react than Orochi throwing a net over the side and pulling the thing aboard. It appeared to be some form of humanoid. "Help! We got a wounded man a-board!" The sailor shouted. His call was answered by a small blonde haired human. As she ran over he explained that the humanoid had been dropped by a dragon. Orochi was slightly skeptical, he would have noticed a dragon overhead. He chided himself when he realised there was another dragon nearby. "My dragon friend Zebulon asks if we can help?" I must be losing my touch. Zebulon ay? Not a bad name. "Your help isn't needed here, friend of vermin." The blonde human shouted. "Now step down, or I'll be shootin' with no mercy!" Vermin? To the onlookers the iceburg gave a disgruntled roar before cracking. The sailboat shook as chunks of ice showered down around it, the occupants shifting to balance themselves. In a few seconds the iceburg had vanished. The water was calm for a moment before Orochi's head rose up out of it between the boat and the human, one large eye facing each of them. He turned his head to face the human just to make sure she got the message. "Did you just refer to dragons as vermin small human?"
Blaine Blaine fixed the bandages on his face to cover his mouth once again. To prevent any further incidents as such. "I'll assume that mean's I can go in." He said poking the downed guard with the toe of his boot. He stepped over him and gave his apology. Blaine never gave the man a second thought. He'd proved he was sick, in a way at least. As the tall mummy's footsteps shook the floor causing various prisoners to run to their bars to get a look at this......thing. Blaine let out a raspy cough and started to speak. "To be caged! Oh how sad it is!" He exclaimed his voice inhuman yet melodramatic. The three guards near him were of course suddenly stunned by his sudden intrusion. "You're under arrest!" One of the men shouted Blaine cocked his head. "Whatever for?" He asked The biggest guard spoke up"One no masks unless specified, two the guard in the front must escort you back here and three what you're saying makes no sense.!" All three men drew their swords expecting a struggle. "Gentleman there is a rational explanation for all of this." Blaine said nodding his head. "Start talking." "Well you see I can here to teach the criminals of philosophy. But I have this condition which needs to be contained with these bandages, you see? Well I explained it to the nice man in front but he needed proof. But my condition in small doses can cause people to pass out.......I warned him not to breathe. But he did." Blaine went on. "And he passed out." The guards blinked at him. "Ah good you understand then? The mummy asked in a hopeful voice. .......................................................... SLAM! The cell door shut tightly as Blaine was walked into it. The prison was apparently getting full so he had to be put with another person. He didn't struggle against them. If he had they wouldn't of been able to move him. "Well this bites." He muttered as he leaned against the closest wall. The mummy looked over at his cellmate. The many guards seemed to taking second glances at her as if expecting some sort of outburst and a few others seemed to be snickering at Blaine himself. She was a pretty little girl......at least Blaine thought she was little. It was hard to tell the age of women sometimes. Though blue hair and stunning golden eyes were certainly oddity. Blaine wasn't sure why but he suddenly felt a wave of uneasiness in his stomach as he stared at her for a few moments longer. "So how's the weather?" He asked. Nodding towards her scarf.
Camdin and The Prisoner Of Azkaban Pt.2 Once Camdin finally made it into the prison, he entered and was greeted by a medium sized hallway. There were cells in this room, but as he looked around he could not find the person the god had described to him. As he walked down the hallway, he became displeased with the lack of hope he was given when he did not see the person he intended to. Suddenly he stopped in his tracks with a serious tone on his face while he held his rock tightly and his flower behind him. "For what do you intend to do once you have possession of the knight? asked the dragon. "I plan on.." Camdin said until he was interrupted by a fist that came flying into contact with his face. As he was moved off the ground, he turned to his side, so not to fall on his bag of weapons. The dwarf looked up at his opponent and saw a guard on the small prison. "What the fuck!" asked Camdin raising his head of the ground to look into the eyes of the guard. "We just had an ambush, so we don't know whether to trust you. Plus, bringing weapons in here makes you an automatic threat, it is a rule that every citizen knows, and is on the front door." said the guard with anger in his voice. After saying we, two other guards came into sight of the downed dwarf. Camdin stood, and the two guards pointed swords at him, while the fist locked into a fighting stance. As he used his hands to jump back onto he feet, he pulled out his sword very quickly. It began to glow, and almost forced the guards the cover their eyes. At the sight of their disability, Camdin reached for the flower. After he had it into his hand, he threw it into the air and sliced in multiple times with his sword. This made the flower into a powder in a matter of seconds. He used this powder and blew it into their faces. Once the guards were overtaken by the illusion, they saw the rock as treasure, also. He pulled the rock out and asked if he could free someone for a certain pay. After putting his sword away, they pondered and agreed as he seemed to be no threat. While they walked him to the cell of the knight, a guard asked him a question. "Why did you blow powder in our face? Why not ask from the beginning to pay?" he asked. "I wanted you guys to smell nice." Camdin answered while he walked in front of the cell that held Jon. He stopped in his tracks. "I am here to set you free!" the dwarf exclaimed. A man in the cell next to Jon asked "Really?" And Camdin looked in his cell and stated "Not you." The man in the cell sulked as Camdin looked back at Jon.
"What's it going to be?" Amara kept her arrow aimed at the dragon, eyes squinting. How could an elf actually take a liking to a dragon? Didn't she know what sort of vile creatures they were? Didn't she know of the possible danger? Didn't she know that if not her in danger than a family member? A lover? A sharp pain pierced her heart as she glowered at the dragon. She took a step forward, showing not a lick of fear. "Like I said, I don't be needin' the help of dragon friends--" Amara started, her gaze shifting to the elven girl. Her words were interrupted by the crack of ice and to her complete surprise, another dragon emerged. Not one dragon, but two now stood before her. She could hardly believe her luck. "Did you just refer to dragons as vermin small human?" Amara frowned. Great, this one could talk to her. She hated dragons who talked, most of all the ones who hurled insults while attacking. One could only take so many crude jokes about being human. Turning her attention from the delightful friends, she glared at the dragon head in front of her. Raising herself to her full height, Amara took aim once again. "You be hearin' correctly, I did just refer to you as vermin," Amara replied with a firm nod. "A pest, annoyance, destroyer of all things good 'n holy." Without warning, she pulled her poison arrow back tight and fired. A wicked smile split her face as it struck her target, another iceberg behind them, about five feet away. Slowly the ice began to melt, disintegrating into its true form. "Now either the same will be happenin' to you or you'll do as I say. So, what's it gonna be?" Amara mimicked the elf while stringing on another arrow, not caring to delay the situation.
The stranger's eyes went huge when he saw what the arrow had done. That and the appearance of not one, but two dragons had completely worn through what little bravery he apparently had left. A low growl throbbed in his chest, and the man grimaced behind the mask as the sunlight shining down upon them all suddenly seemed to intensify. The very water began to be coated with a thin haze, and then his image flickered like a bad TV screen. The sailor yelled in alarm at what he saw, trying to grab him, but the stranger vanished. He re-appeared not ten feet away on the shore, standing for a moment before collapsing to his knees. The chains still bound his arms and legs, and the man made a strange noise, more of a whine: "Why clount tey juss kelt me? Better det ten baneesh herr . . ." the words were barely discernible, both to dragon and humanoid, for his language was far older than what they currently spoke. Panting now from exertion, the man cursed and tried to stand up, only to fall on his side again, bits of earth clinging to his skin. "Pa . . . is he gonna die?" the sailor's son asked plaintively, staring at the man with huge eyes. "Det neh eziil! Drake no det unlez Sol det!" The man spat in response, making the lad jump. * * * Deep beneath the earth, a booming chuckle was elicited from the sleeping dragon. A group of mixed creatures had caught his attention, and his muzzle curled to reveal row upon row of dagger-like teeth. Not dead unless the sun is dead eh . . .? A swirling violet eye opened again, and the dragon envisioned the sky going dark, filled with thunderheads. Black lightning forked the sky as it loomed over the shores, and then blood would rain down from on high. * * * The very same thing was beginning to happen. If anyone had looked over towards the horizon, they would see the same scene. Plink. A drop of red struck the bow of the ship. The stranger looked up as yet another struck the mask, trailing down like a dark tear. His whole body paled. "Void . . ."
The last sane man, in a world gone mad The situation in the prison was getting more absurd with every passing minute. A bandaged man entered and began preaching to the inmates until he was promptly silenced by the guards and ended up becoming a member of the congregation. Jon was now sure that the cell across the hall was for crazy people; the insane girl and the mummified preacher were now cellmates. "This is a madhouse,” Jon muttered under his breath and backed away into the rear of his cell, as far from the bars as possible. He sat down, pulled his knees up to his chest, and tried to make himself as small as possible, hoping none of the crazies would notice him. Maybe he was still hallucinating. Maybe he wasn’t in jail at all. Maybe he was sitting in a bright, sunshiney field, with the wind in his hair, watching his noble steed graze while unicorns and butterflies frolicked before him. Unfortunately, the thought of unicorns reminded him of the forest demon… Maybe this was all part of her plan to ‘free’ him. Crazy cuties and mummified madmen sounded like something she’d conjure up. Jon groaned and hung his head in misery….until a voice snapped him out of it. “I am here to set you free!” The knight lazily lifted his eyes to see the dwarf standing outside his cell, with a guard. Great, now she’s sent this, Jon thought. What next? Jon tried to ignore it, hoping this was all a figment of his imagination, but the guard had already produced a set of rusty keys and began unlocking the cell. The knight stood and stepped forward, wary of this dwarf. He stopped and waved his hand in the air, where the bars had been. Nothing was there. This was no illusion. He was actually free! “I… I… who are you…?” but he stopped when he noticed the pollen dust on the dwarf’s clothing. “Y-you’ve been to the forest!” he exclaimed. “She’s cast her spell on-” the knight quickly clamped his hands over his mouth, before he could say anything more. If the guards began to think the dwarf was ‘possessed’ as well, they’d both be tossed back into that dreadful cell! “Your debts have been paid,” the guard said, holding up a fist-sized stone. “You’re free to go, sir. Take your weapons with you, but don’t cause any more trouble.” “We, umm, yeah, we should go,” Jon said and quickly led the dwarf out of the prison, pausing to grab his sword on the way out. Once they were outside, he knelt and looked the dwarf in the eyes. “Look, I don’t know who sent you or why, friend, but you’ve been tricked. There’s something very…” he nearly said ‘evil,’ but that didn’t seem quite right, “very odd in that forest. You can’t believe anything she says. She’s a liar and a-” Jon stopped when he noticed the most beautiful aroma. The faint scent of flowers filled his nostrils. It was wafting from the dwarf’s clothing. “Shit!” the knight said and clamped his hands over his nose and mouth… but it was too late. How could I have been so stupid? he thought to himself. “Oh, but being stupid is what you’re best at, Johnny dear,” the demon’s voice said to him, with a delighted laugh. “Guess who’s baaaaack. Missed me?” Jon muttered a string of curses under his breath as he stood and frowned. “Anyway, your work is done, dwarf. Thank you very much for your cooperation,” the demon said and a trail on the ground illuminated. Jon stepped back, wondering what the heck that was. “The idiot knight is correct; the gold wasn’t real. I had to know if I could trust you,” she said. “Your true payment awaits. Follow this trail and you will find the real thing. Thanks again. Nyaladcthulxoteph will remember you fondly, short one.” “How many more trails are you gonna make him follow, demon?” Jon growled. “Don’t do it,” he said to the dwarf. “She’ll march you right off a cliff.” "You should be quiet now, knight," the demon said, her voice sounding very soft and... afraid? "Something's coming."
"Now either the same will be happenin' to you or you'll do as I say. So, what's it gonna be?" "Kethtria, now would be a good time to use that whirlwind of yours. Let's see how well she can swim," Zebulon said as he stared down the human. Any move on his part would no doubt result in needless violence. Besides, there was a man bleeding out, this human was standing in their way. Kethtria agreed with Zebulon, plus it would be fun. She also knew how much trouble she would cause by doing so. "I don't think that's a very good idea Zebby. We might cause more trouble then this guy is worth," she told him telepathically. "Young woman, are you really going to let that man die because of your hate? Now I know why the Elves separated themselves from the rest of the world ages ago." she turned towards the man, determined to help him. "Zebby, if that arrow comes, you can burn it with your lightning. It is still only made of wood after all and I have set a still air slowing shield around us. It will slow enough for you to take it out," "Young man, i'm a Mage and I can heal you," she called a small whirlwind to lift her towards the young man, and gently approached him.
Camdin And The Trust Game Camdin followed the knight from the prison, finally clearing his objective, he hoped to be now payed. Anyway, your work is done, dwarf. Thank you very much for your cooperation,” the demon said and a trail on the ground illuminated. Jon stepped back, wondering what the heck that was. “The idiot knight is correct; the gold wasn’t real. I had to know if I could trust you,” she said. “Your true payment awaits. Follow this trail and you will find the real thing. Thanks again. Nyaladcthulxoteph will remember you fondly, short one.” “How many more trails are you gonna make him follow, demon?” Jon growled. “Don’t do it,” he said to the dwarf. “She’ll march you right off a cliff.” At this, Camdin did not seemed somewhat phased by the reveal of his betrayal. This seemed to be relative to the fact that he would soon be payed none the less. He knew what ever illusion the girl had one him, it would ware off soon enough, so he needed to be as swift as possible to get his money. Then a voice could be heard in Camdin's head. It was a stern voice, not a feminine one like that of the so called goddess. This voice was familiar, it was Erde Welt. "There is danger, and it is close." said the Dragon. Camdin seemed somewhat baffled as a confused expression crossed his face. "What are you talking about?" "I feel a heavy presence. I am not positive whether it has magical origin or not, yet either way it is extremely powerful." said the dragon. "Also, by the docks something very strange is happening. The sky is creating black lightning, and it is raining something strange. You should probably return." "I have to get my treasure!" Camdin retorted as he threw he rock to the ground and started to follow the trail. Yet, before he left the area he turned toward his knight friend and spoke. "Even if she threw me off a cliff, I'd live." After, he continued to walk down the path searching for his treasure.
The stranger watched Kethtria approach warily, and the moment she came within several feet of him seemed to realize that she wasn't going to leave him alone or turn away as he had first thought. Making a disgruntled sound, the stranger grit his teeth and vanished once again, then suddenly re-appeared with a loud BANG! against Zebulon's chest. Lightning crackled over his skin, but he didn't seem to be affected by it as he slid down to the ground, giving everyone the most frustrated look a human could conceive of. His wild brown hair had flopped over one eye, and he blew it away moodily. But once looked up and realized he had teleported right into a dragon's chest, that look only intensified. So it was the lightning that had stopped him this time, or had it been a mix of both his own weakness and that? He spat out something that sounded like a curse in his language, then tilted his head back to expose his throat to the elf. If anyone knew animals, that was an obvious sign of submission. But in his case, it was more like "don't hurt me". Wherever he had come from, he was obviously not familiar with humans or elves.
Queen takes knight “No, don’t!” Jon warned, but the dwarf was already walking away. “The gold is a lie. You can’t trust anything she says.” “Oh, stop with the melodrama,” the ‘demon’ said. A woman materialized in front of him. She was beautiful -- at least as beautiful as the elf he’d seen earlier -- but Jon knew this was also an illusion. “Stop it. Go away,” he muttered and averted his eyes. “Don’t be such a baby,” the woman said as she tossed her hair. “I know how I can cheer you up. Tell me what you like and I’ll transform into it.” She batted her eyelashes, smiled flirtaceously, and pulled the hem of her skirt up an inch or two, showing some leg. “What’s your ideal woman, Jon Grayward? No one else can see me. They wouldn’t mind if I… undressed a little. You wouldn’t mind, would you, dear?” Jon grunted and began to walk away. “I like honest women,” he muttered, searching for any excuse to get away from the ’demon.’ “I like quiet women. And it helps if they’re real, instead of a damned hallucination.” She laughed and caught up with him, hovering by his side, like a ghost. “So, you want to see the real me? Is that what you want?” “Go away, woman. Aw, shit…” The moment he called her ‘woman’ instead of ‘demon’ he knew he’d accidentally walked into a trap. She immediately began to laugh. “Shut up. I’m trying to find my horse,” he said, changing the subject. “Don’t worry about that. You could always ride me instead, Jon,” she giggled. “Must you turn everything into a filthy joke?” he growled. “Oh, Jon, you dirty boy!” she said, pretending to be surprised. “Get your mind out of the gutter! I’m a dragon, dear boy. I meant ride a dragon.” “That’s not what you meant. And you ain’t no dragon, lady. Get lost,” he said adamantly. But she just smiled in his face. “I am. And I’m on my way. You'll see...” “Is that a threat?” Jon said and stopped in the middle of the street to glare at her. He was staring so hard, he didn’t notice the ground beneath his feet was shuddering, ever so slightly, as if something large was tunneling through the deep rock. “Look, we need each other, Jon,” she said, stroking his chin with her slender fingers. But he couldn’t feel her touch. He wondered if this was because she was incapable of creating such an advanced illusion or because she didn’t want to make this too ‘real.’ She’d tricked the dwarf into thinking a rock was a sack of gold. Jon knew she was capable of deceiving more than just his eyes. She could fool all of his senses if she wanted, but she was holding back. What kind of dragon can do that… “I am Nyaladcthulxoteph, an earth dragon,” she said, peering deep into his eyes. “I am as old as the stones that pave this town’s streets. I saw this place rise from mudhuts and sticks to… ummm… bigger mud huts and stronger sticks.” She paused, searching for the right words. “My point is, I love this town, Jon. I love these people. I would never hurt them. And right now, I think this town --my town-- is in danger.” “What’s that got to do with me?” he grunted. She stood up straight and proudly lifted her chin. “I’ve been underground for a very long time, dear. The Darkness is coming. I can feel it in my bones. The Deep Underground isn’t safe anymore… and, soon, the surface won’t be either.” The knight was not impressed or interested. “And what’s that got to do with stuff falling from the sky?” he asked. “I don’t know…. But we shall find out together.” She bowed to him, humbly. “You may call me Nyala, though I would prefer ‘friend.’” As she stood, she added: “if you still want to see my true form, head toward the beach. I’ll surface there, in the soft sand, where I cannot damage the streets or homes. And I think that's where the 'thing' fell to earth. We may find out more at the docks.” “Fine, whatever,” Jon said and began to walk. He could already hear a commotion coming from that direction. “But I ain’t gonna ride you.”
A strange figure was placed in the same cell than Karen. The man tried to make some conversation with the girl, yet she ignored his words. Instead she fixed her eyes on his face, wrapped in bandages only leaving one eye free. "What's this Karen?, is a PEOPLE?... But is not the same.... What is the STUFF of Iaga now?...." said the girl, wondering what had her other personality created for her. She slowly raised her hand close to the face of the man and then she poked the only free eye with her finger without even considering the strenght she used. Any reaction the man could had have was quickly ignored as soon as a loud noise caught her attention, she quickly turned to her window. On the distance she observed how black tendrils were falling from the sky, something like lightning but also different. "Iaga, IAGA!!! Thunder... lightning... But is not lightning... What is it Karen?..." reacted the girl noisily, and obviously talking to herself as usual.
"What a nice young lady." Blaine said as tears and some blood streamed down his free eye. He ignored the burning pain that had started in his eye and was now causing him a headache. It a must of been a custom of where she was from........wait........Iaga? Blaine started looking around the cell for another person. "Hey is this cell haunted?" He asked to no one at all but then turned to Karen. "Excuse me young lady would your ghost be interested in hearing my words of wisdom?" He asked.
"GHOST?... what's a ghost stuff?... Iaga you know?... But Iaga is Karen..." Said the girl confused, and into her confused mind she came to another conclusion. Iaga is Karen, but also was a voice, then if all is Karen, all can be like Iaga and be Karen at the same time. Of course such complex idea was thought on a simplified way, but complex too. "You are Iaga? IAGA!!!" said with a smile greeting the creation of her mind. "Hey Iaga you tell Karen, what is a ghost thing?"
Blaine let out a growling sound as he started to contemplate. "A ghost is the spirit of a dead person that still wanders the Earth." Blaine answered but not really paying attention. There was clearly one girl but it seemed like two people were having a conversation. Blaine nodded as he began to understanding the situation. "I can see being a prisoner has slightly altered your line of thinking. You must of been here quite awhile." He said as he eyed out the window.
"A dead person?" asked the girl curious. She recalled the definition of a person and the definition of death by Iaga. She also had visualized the death before when eating fishes or birds, it was something normal to her. "Iaga... Why am I here?, is this a different home? like the Marble's Cathedral?..." said the girl to Blaine. She then extended her hand toward the face of the man, attempting to tear the bandages out of curiosity.
"Hey!" Blaine shouted wrapping his one good hand around her wrist and attempting to push her hand away. He was only applied a small amount of his monstrous power as he pushed her back. It was still far greater then that of the five guards all put together. "You can't just go grabbing at peoples clothing. These bandages are important!" He said still shocing her back but he found himself applying a bit more strength then before. For as small as she was this woman had immense brute power. Which Blaine of all people could certainly admire. "Why don't we introduce ourselves? I'm Blaine." He said hoping to distract her from his face.
"Oh clothes!!!" exclaimed the girl excited. She then went on a long uninteresting rant about what clothes were, something the prison's boss explained to her a week ago, and thus she considered it something completely new. Then the man introduced himself as Blaine "You are Blaine?, you are not PEOPLE or CLOTHES?, then Iaga is Blaine too?.... I'm Iaga too and Karen, I'm Karen" replied the girl with a bright smile that showed how entertained she was.
"Well if you are Iaga and Karen then you are not Blaine. That would just make you, well you." Blaine replied as he stood up. "Not all things that aren't clothes or people are Blaine. But you would be correct. I am not people nor am I clothes." She was so naive. Blaine had met her kind before. She must of had lazy parents. "Well Miss Karen and Iaga it has been a real treat meeting you." He said with a bow. She clearly needed a proper guide in life. It caused his heart to ache that she would be caged as such. "Miss Karen how would you like a teacher in life?" He asked
The girl frowned, she had a hard time to get it, but she quickly did, her ability to learn was abnormal after all. "So you are no Iaga, no Karen, you are Blaine, you are not people and not clothes, you are Blaine" Said Karen still curious about her companion. Yet she still considered Blaine to be a being of her mind. "Miss Karen how would you like a teacher in life?" He asked "A teacher?, Iaga said Iaga was a teacher to Karen... but Karen is Iaga.... Karen don't like it..." said the girl consterned. Another black lightning striked calling her attention.. "Hey, hey Blaine, what is that?, Karen wanna see the lightning..." exclaimed the girl excited, demanding Blaine to take her to that place.
