IC Section


N'RASO'GATH
​



EXPEDITION - Traveling Music (Sea)
​


 
​


There was nothing left to be said. The rowers were done preparing within each of the streamlined, efficient raid vessels, and each Minotaur knew exactly what to do. N'raso'gath's eyes drifted to his left and right, confirming with a glance that Nelroque, his right hand, was ready, and Nelroque's second and command was as well. With that much out of the way, N'raso'gath signaled for the gate to drop, and braced himself against his ship's prow. The instant the gates had risen above their ships, freezing arctic air blasted them, the first signs of snow peppering the winds, and giving each Minotaur on the ships' decks a powdered look. With a triumphant roar, the ships set forth, slicing through the frigid water like a knife through butter. As all ten of the ships approached the oncoming horizon, they could still hear the whoops and cheers of their brethren across the strait, echoing into the fog that was now rolling in.


The water underneath them was eerily calm, and if it weren't for the fog, would be glassy too. The few other times they'd crossed this strait, though, the water had always been rough, choppy, and unpleasant. So... why now was it so calm? And despite it being midday, what was with this fog. Certainly something was amiss, and though each Minotaur felt it, none said a word. Not even N'raso'gath. Of course, he thought, this must have something to do with what happened in the west: there's no other explanation for this fog otherwise... But even the reaches of his mind could not answer why the fog was prevalent, and why, as they slipped through it in the quiet, cold light of day, it formed an impenetrable wall of opaque grey behind them.


- - - - -
​


 
​


On the shore, N'raso'gath and Nelroque watched over their brethren as they began to pitch tents on the rocky, black beach that they'd made land upon. Though the next two days would be rough, they didn't have time to stay and help their fellow Minotaurs prepare. The storm was coming in a day and almost a half. They were running out of time.


"Come, Nelroque. Bring half your soldiers. About fourty is all we need." Ten ships. Eighty soldiers. It was a tight squeeze, but even with N'raso'gath and Nelroque (and his junior), they'd made it work. Their eleventh ship would be piloted by the three aforementioned. That, which would house the goods.


"Isn't that a bit excessive, though?" Nelroque inquired, snorting out snot that was building on his muzzle. "Last time, we only brought twenty, and that was more'n enough."


"This time, we will no doubt have blood on our hands." N'raso'gath snorted, his own snot building as well. "The more of those hands we have to hide the bodies in the snow, the better." Nelroque nodded, understanding fully. With a deep moo, he signaled for his best men to fall into line behind him. "I shall lead the charge. Tell your men we will not stop running until we reach the human settlement. If we do, we shall reach it in the cover of darkness, steal away their goods, and leave undetected. After that, it is a straight run back, and we immediately hop ship and head for home." N'raso'gath sighed, anticipation growing in his stomach. "It will be tiring. It will be painful. But we must do this to the 'T'. This plan shall not fail, so long as they do not fail."


"We can handle it, N'raso'gath-sir." Nelroque rumbled, his own anticipation audible. "Now, please! We're more'n ready!" At this point, even N'raso'gath could feel his heart pumping, and that predator's grin, that glint of malice glittered gleefully in his eyes.



"Of course! Now, men! We run!" That, and a roar of approval, the fourty two MInotaurs charged into the snow laden lands, whoops and moos fading, and soon replaced with the rhythmic crunch of snow.


@Beowulf @ChoShadow
 
Syrilth froze as the glowing one turned to look directly at him and spoke. Only his mother had ever been able to detect him when he was in the shadows. He had planned to observe a little while longer but he no longer had that choice. Now it was either stay or run.


Shadows surged outwards from the shadow of the gate and coalesced into Syrilth's human form. He wore all black and had a hood pulled over his head. His pale face and glowing red eyes were the only part of him that was exposed.


He turned towards the other three dragons and gave them a small bow. "Elders." He then turned towards the red-haired female, the one who had been clad in light on the other side, and dropped to one knee.


"My lady," he bowed deeply this time before returning to look at her. "Who . . . who are you? I feel as if I know you, but I know I do not, for if I had met one as powerful as you, I would remember."


@ChoShadow @Beowulf @Scaver @SunSmurf
 
Sil observed the Gateway as the shadows around it began to push outwards and give form to something new. When Syrilth emerged in his humanoid form, cloaked and hiding his face in the darkness of his hood with only his red eyes showing she couldn't help but smile softly at him. He bowed to the other elder Dragons and then dropped to a knee before her and spoke. When he was finished, she walked forward and placed a hand gently upon his shoulder.


"Though the mortal world has known me by many names throughout history, my true name given at birth by my Father and Mother is Sil'Eph Niir. I am a Goddess who is also a Dragon, and the mother to the First Dragons who set foot on this world. In short, I am your great ancestor." She said, removing her hand and stepping back a few feet.


"When I came to this world countless millennia ago, I sacrificed nearly 80% of my own Life Force at the time to give form and life to the souls of the First Dragons. Thus, whether birthed from my power or not, all Dragons are a part of me and their souls exist as an extension of my own. So they always have been, so they shall always be." She said, clasping her hands together before her chest and closed her eyes.


"I'm sure you've guessed as much, but the reason you feel as if I am familiar to you is because you as well share a tiny fragment of my soul. But that tiny fragment is more than powerful enough to connect us in ways mere mortals can only imagine. From this bond I can see into your soul and observe information about you such as your name, relative age, sex, and even bits of your history such as whether or not your soul has crossed over to be reborn and how many time it has happened." She said, opening her eyes.


"Such is the power of our bond, Syrilth." She said warmly.


She then looked to the others.


"My dear Children, thank you all for coming here. Whether you knew it was me passing through that gate or not, I could not be happier to see you." She said, bowing her head to them.


"If it is no trouble, I would request one of you please give me transportation to the mainland of Laa'hk Undra, as I sense a gathering presence of evil there which must be expelled. I haven't the power to transform into a Dragon myself due to the expenditure of power needed to pass from the Higher Plane to the Mortal Plane." She said.


@Deus ex Machina @Beowulf @SunSmurf @C O I S E @Scaver
 
Buras lowered his head towards the younger dragon, acknowledging the respect he was given. Not all youngsters were like that, some thought far to much of themselves. Then again, that could also be said for the First Generation. But they came directly from Mother, from Sil'Eph Niir herself. They are entitled to some pompous behavior. And their age should also play a factor. To a degree.


"I would be honored to take you to there." He said to Sil, lowering himself until he laid on the ground so she could more easily climb up. A lot of people had ridden on his back at some point or another. But never had Sil'Eph Niir herself. Every dragon would do the same, get on their bellies and assist her in climbing onto their backs in any way they could, he was sure.


And now that he thought of it, that dark energy he had felt earlier had come from that direction. He doubted it, but perhaps she would need more of his help once they've arrived. He didn't dwell on the fact that if a god couldn't do anything then he had very little chance of doing something by himself.
 
Avo nodded his head in response to Syrlith as his form manifested out of the shadows. While not outwardly showing it Avo was impressed that one of the younger dragons had managed to master an aspect of magic to such a degree. Molding with the shadows was a difficult task to accomplish and he must have spent many years practicing and training to make it as fluid as he did with so little wasted energy. As Buras offered to convey mother to her destination small blue tendrils began to form in the air surrounding Avo pulsing outwards.


The lights pulsed faster and brighter until with a thump of displaced air Avo stood in his Dragon form. He was still smaller than Buras but it had long since stopped bothering Avo, he had had millennia to get used to the idea of being smaller after all. With a great downbeat of his large wings he shot into the air letting out a small roar as he enjoyed the feeling of the air rushing over his scales. He had been in such a rush to get here and see mother that he hadn't had time to truly enjoy the feeling of flight once again. Avo did a few spins before going into a long back flip and heading back down to a hover near the ground to see what the others were doing.


@ChoShadow @Beowulf @Deus ex Machina @SunSmurf @C O I S E 
 
Sorventh was surprised but not unexpected, he would expect as much from one of his own kind. Though what was unexpected was the respect he had shown to the others. Sorventh was a second generation dragon, the other two where first. First generations always carried themselves special because they where direct creation from Mother. How he liked to think it as, the firsts where there to smooth the ground and build the foundations. While it was the seconds job to build the temple. 


Mother spoke to Syrilth with the same inspiring, yet calm tone she used for all of them. When she requested a ride Buras eagerly jumped on it. "Dark times are coming Mother, we can all sense it... The die of fate has already been thrown" He spoke then shifted back to his dragon form. "The only question is if we can weight that die, with your help" He flexed his wings, the ground beneath him compacted under his weight. He made a quick mental note, Avo was much smaller than him of Buras. Maybe his magic power had some unexpected side affects. He began flapping his large wings preparing for flight. 


@ChoShadow @Scaver @Beowulf @Deus ex Machina @C O I S E
 
Sil smiled and bowed her head to Buras when he lowered himself to allow her to climb aboard.


"Thank you Buras." She said gently.


She carefully climbed onto his back and made her way to the base of his neck where there was more grip and protection from the winds they'd encounter at speed.


"All right. We're Southward bound to Laa'hk Undra my dear Child." She said.


She looked to the others.


"Be safe on our journey my Children. I have a feeling we will be met with resistance before we reach the mainland." She warned.


She then looked back down to Buras.


"You, especially, will be in danger if my hunch is correct. It is unfortunate that you are not the only ones who can sense my presence in this world. So too can the servants of Darkness, and they will hone in on me like a beacon before long. So please tread cautiously my Child." She asked.


@SunSmurf @Beowulf @C O I S E @Deus ex Machina @Scaver
 
"Don't worry, Mother. My scales haven't grown soft with age." Buras assured her, craning his head around as best he could to make sure she was situated nicely on his back. Once that was done, he took off, dipping down before jumping into the air and flapping his wings frantically to gain more altitude. It wasn't graceful, but his size didn't really care for grace. But it cared enough to try and keep Sil as comfortable as possible in his ascent into the sky. And once he leveled off, he did a large, lazy circle towards Laah'h Undra. From there he could glide for a good portion of the journey, flapping just enough to keep him at his current altitude. If he could find any thermal updrafts along the way, he could circle around one for a while and save even more energy.
 
Sil'Eph Niir straddled the wide neck of her Child Buras as he flew through the air at great sped towards Laa'hk Undra. Even as fast as Buras was traveling, the journey would be at least four days on the wing. But they were all prepared for that reality.


The first day on the wing was uneventful, but Sil'Eph Niir expressed caution for the group as they flew onward towards the Northern shores of Laa'hk Undra.


Sure enough, as per her prediction, the second day saw them intercepted by the forces of Darkness. Thousands upon thousands of tiny winged devil looking creatures descended upon them seemingly from nowhere. They were small, but their sheer numbers would make this a very difficult and long drawn-out battle for the Dragons and the recovering Goddess.


"Please be careful my Children! Do not attempt fight them alone!" She called out.


@Scaver @Deus ex Machina @Beowulf @C O I S E @SunSmurf
 
Avo had just been gliding with his wings locked open as they moved over the large expanse of ocean, his body may be gliding over the almost endless ocean but he had brought his mind inside and was examining the information about how the world had changed since his last visit and what he would have to do with the colleges to ensure that they managed to complete their mission to the best of their ability. He was so engaged with this internal thought process that he nearly missed the flash of magical energy that indicated a small realm portal opening, by the time that he realized what it was and prepared to roar a warning, the winged demons were upon them.


He cursed himself for allowing his mothers presence from lulling him into a state of non alertness and comfort. With a crack his wings unlocked and in one great sweep he shot upwards clearing awway from the swarm, however he did not escape cleanely the beast clawed at his scales as he shot through them resulting a lattice of small scratches appearing on the weaker scales at the joints. As soon as he cleared the swarm he looked back down picking out a group that were away from the other dragons. "Waise aurboda oth svell" Avo roared the draconic edge to his voice lending more power to the words. As ice began to form on some of the larger ones, causing them to begin to fall out of the sky, while several of the smaller ones in the group Avo saw vanished in small puffs of black smoke. Immediately Avo felt a small drain on his magical power, he had only managed to catch a few hundred in that spell, if he wanted to take care of more he would need a stronger spell.


Translation: Be banished by Ice


@Deus ex Machina @Beowulf @C O I S E @SunSmurf @ChoShadow
 
Syrilth followed the other dragons from slightly behind - for now he wanted to observe and understand them. It was a habit of his, something he did before any job, to look for habits and watch for weaknesses. While this time he had no further objective, it didn't hurt to be prepared for any situation. Those who did not prepare, did not live long.


The trip to Laa'hk Undra would not be taking nearly as long for Syrilth if he could travel through the shadow world, unfortunately the others could not follow him there. Not to mention, he could only enter and exit through shadows that existed in the physical world. Unless it was night, that limited his options at sea. So, when the demons attacked, it was fortunate that he was traveling with the others.


Fighting in dragon form was something that Syrilth avoided at all costs. While in human form, his natural draconic attributes allowed him to be exceptional in combat, even against other dragons. His ability to meld with the shadows gave him a strong advantage over anyone trying to strike him without a powerful magical weapon. However, for all his strengths in human form, he lacked severely when compared to other dragons in their true form. He did not have the sheer size or physicality that older dragons had. In fact, he was almost certain that he was the smallest dragon of those over the age of ten-thousand. Nor did he have the strong offensive magics that most dragons had. It was a subject of particular soreness that Syrilth had no flame that he could conjure from his maw.


But Syrilth was not helpless by any means. He dove into the sea of black and tore through the demons with his razor sharp claws and fangs. As they tried to retaliate, they found that their claws could not find purchase upon his shadowy form.


@Scaver @Beowulf @SunSmurf @ChoShadow @C O I S E
 
Buras was lazily gliding through the air when they appeared. And when they did, his body immediately tensed up. "Hold tight, Mother." he warned her before the cloud enveloped them. But he did not meekly sit there like a rock sitting on the shore. This ocean he could fight, and fight he did. A low rumble shook his chest, a heat unmatched swelled in his throat, and finally a stream of nearly white fire erupted from his mouth. Swinging his head and twisting in the air, his flames burnt and his claws rending. The enemy may have numbers, but it was quantity over quality. Their claws skittered across his scales leaving barely a scratch, their teeth barely found purchase as they bit into the leathery membrane of his wings. This was the power that came with age. For dragons at least. His body had only hardened with age, and this was proof of it.


But even with his immense strength and fortitude, they seemed to never end. "PROTECT THE MOTHER!" he roared over the battle, commanding the dragons to assist him. Of course, dragons were not known to do what someone else has said even if it was from another dragon. However, he was certain that such a proclamation would be enough to at least get them closer together. Like flocks of birds against a lone hawk, being separated meant death.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 2 (members: 0, guests: 2)
Back
Top