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Fantasy The Dragon Wardens


:Ava and Feral:

The Darkness Within
​



Ava nodded her head in thanks to the earth dragon when he helped her retrieve the necklace, then smiled when he whined at her. "I saw Feria look at it before she attacked the Shadow Mage. It may be of some importance to her: why else would she have blown our cover?" she said, then carefully checked if the necklace was too hot before picking it up. Half of her mind was still focus on taming the fire below, but moving and speaking has caused her focus to slip a little and the flames began to lick at the support beams a little higher up than before.


Aware of the danger of letting it go any further unmanaged, Ava turned back to her work, when a blast of fury rocked her thoughts and sent the flames arcing skyward once more.


"Feral! What--" Ava gasped and clutched at her head as the wave of anger nearly consumed her, burning into her mind and affecting her emotions. They had been alone together for so long that they sometimes felt as if they were one individual, but now that unity was backfiring. Both for her and for her companion.


Gritting her teeth, the girl stumbled toward Kraeg and clambered onto his head. "Feral's... caught a patrolman. She's going to kill him." she hissed to the other dragon. She winced as the light of the flames below them began to grow brighter, and she only just managed to contain it. "Get us away from this place. Quickly. I... I can't control it any longer."


Unable to speak any more as her dragon's thoughts overwhelmed her yet again, the girl curled up in a ball and wrapped her arms around her head.


Feral snarled and prowled toward the soldier, and when the man moved to try and dodge her she lashed out with a forepaw, knocking him to the side. Se could feel Ava recoil somewhere in the back of her mind, but her rage had nearly consumed her. Oath breaker. Egg breaker. Here was one of those who had destroyed their home, and she didn't intend to let him get away.


Screaming again, Feral reared back on her hind-legs, and slammed down toward the hapless patrolman.


STOP!





Her foreclaws impacted the earth mere inches away on either side of his torso.


Panting, fuming, burning to kill, Feral lowered her head until her nostrils were a hairs-breadth away from the soldier's face. How easy it would be to kill him. One bite. One burn. One boil. One stomp even, just to snuff out this insect's life who had so destroyed theirs. But she was held back by the image of her rider's tear-stricken face.


Don't. Don't do this Feral. Please.





Feral screamed and snapped her jaws close to the man's face, sulfur breath and smoke coiling over his features. Why!? Why could she not kill him? Why give them mercy when they had killed so many of them?


Hadn't Ava wanted this all along?


She felt her rider's regret, her anger, her confusion, but most of all her fear.


A whine. And then a whimper. Feral pulled back to stare down at the face of her victim. Terrified eyes masked behind plates of gold. Skin as white as snow.


We can't become them... Please Feral. The dragon closed her eyes and a shudder passed all through her body. Her wings drooped and brushed the ground.


Fine. She would let him live.


Growling, Feral pulled away from the human and dipped her head low to the ground, warbling in her throat as a form of apology and then nudging his side with her nose to try and urge him to get up. She wasn't about to let him go, but she would at least try to let him know that she wasn't going to kill him.


Yet.


@Red Thunder @Effervescent
 
"I didn't know anyone else came to this spot. I thought I'd found it all by myself." Feria jumped. She turned around, wondering who it was that decided to scare her like that and interrupt her. She sat with Ifer on the edge of a cliff, overlooking a beautiful forest. Her hand rested on Ifer's head. They had been sitting together quietly, just enjoying the view. The man who had disrupted the peace stood at around the same height as Feria, with curly and wild red hair that fell just past his ears and almost blocked his view. Sparkling green eyes with a triumphant smile, as if he was proud of himself for bugging her. A glowing blue necklace was clasped around his neck.

"The hell? Can't you see I'm enjoying the SILENCE?" She snapped at this stranger, jumping up and racing straight towards him like an angered bull. He held up his hands in front of him as a sign of surrender. "Alright, alright. Jeez. Chiiilllllll." He made sure she understood that last word. Feria narrowed her eyes. "That's both offensive and-" "Woah, slow down a sec, will ya? I'm an ice warden too." Did he really just emphasize that so he would have an excuse to tell her that? Wow.

"Name's Zachary. I come here to think, too. Crazy how we've never run into each other, right?" He smiled again and stuck out his hand. Feria growled and turned away. "Come think some other time." She said. "Oooooh~ Feisty, I like that in a wo-" Ifer turned his head and let out a fierce screech at the obnoxious man, his way of saying 'shove off.' Zachary's eyes sparkled. "Wow. Awesome dragon." "Did you not hear him? Go away." Ifer grunted, a last warning. Zachary might have been an annoying guy, but at least he knew when to stop. "Alright. See you around." He turned to take his leave.

Ifer looked at Feria. "I know. What an idiot."



This stupid child. All he did was blame everything on her when HE was the one who sent the tavern up in flames. Complain, complain, scowl, scowl. Christ. This kid had nothing better to do with himself, did he? Feria finally managed to recover from her coughing fit, throat stinging terribly but she stopped coughing. She wanted nothing more to fling a barrage of ice at the boy, maybe that would silence him. She felt powerless without words. When she couldn't lash out physically, she could lash out verbally. Now she had neither.


This new warden, the flamboyant one, decided a speech was in order. All these people were getting on her nerves. She flicked a little ice spike at his boot, not even sharp. Just her way of saying, 'oh, shut up, would you?' without any words.


She turned to look at Granny. The woman had lost her bearings, rocking back and forth. Feria, for some reason, could not look away from her. She too knew what loss felt like. "Enough," Feria snapped out of her thoughts. This woman was suddenly shouting orders at everyone. Feria stared at her as she pointed. "Ice Caster. I need you to go to the tavern and help Ava put out that fire. Please ask your dragon to help." Usually, Feria would never take orders from anyone, especially a stranger. But as she looked towards the burning tavern, a thought occurred to her. Maybe she could retrieve Zachary's necklace.


Ifer, come. Ifer snorted in surprise. Feria was agreeing to help? That was not like her. But if she wanted too, he would follow. Feria began to head towards the flames, Ifer in tow. As she walked towards it, she slowly collected the small puddles of water from the melted snow and made it move with her. The heat from the building was intense, and Feria could see that the support beams would not last long. She willed the ice around the beams, encasing them, hopefully to make them last a little while longer. Ifer copied Feria's strategy, breathing icy breath on the beams, but instead of those thick spikes, it was literally icy breath that began to freeze over the beams. Ifer did the same to any flames that came close to the pair, as well as flicking them with his tail.


Feria moved towards Kraeg. She obviously couldn't call out to announce their presence, so Ifer did it for her. He let out a roar, because just a small grunt or snort would not be loud enough among the crackling of the flames. Feria poked her head down the stairs to see Ava holding the necklace. She.. she had went to retrieve the necklace? Feria's eyes locked on the necklace before breaking into another coughing fit. Her throat was already stinging enough, but the smoke began to take it's toll and she bent over, spitting more blood on the floor. How would they contain this giant fire? It melted ice.


@Effervescent @Keitsumah @Macaberz @Unwavering Knight
 
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Hale

"Hale. I need you to see if you can tend to any of Granny's wounds. I will tend to the elf."


Cold. Commanding. An Emasari. The half-elf nodded at Idhrenan's direction and changed his path. His legs seemed more leaden than usual, weighed down as they were with the guilt of the actions of his fellows here.


Not only my fellows, but my dragon, too. Kraeg had meant nothing cruel or harmful by his actions; Hale knew that. Even now the Earth Dragon hadn't quite realized the extent of the harm he'd caused, but as soon as he did the Warden knew his friend would slip into harsh depression. All he wanted, all the Wyrm had ever wanted, was to help. Funny how we force our help on others, and they pay the price for it.


The observation rang even more true in his head as he approached Granny. The old Thall was in shock, rocking and staring in blank silence as tears poured down her cheeks. Even the willow that now gave her shelter seemed mournful, its dying branches weeping and sobbing in rustled heaves for the child-robbed mother who couldn't. Saddlebag slung over his shoulder, Hale approached her as quietly as he could manage, head bowed in respect. He stopped a few feet from her.


"Ma'am, your wounds need tending to." His words fell gently from his mouth, as if they were autumn's leaves floating to the ground. "Please allow me to do so."


Kneeling before her, the Warden began treating her injuries as best he could, applying poultice anywhere the skin was broken and wrapping more serious areas with torn strips of impromptu bandages. As he worked, Hale would glance on occasion at the old woman's face, taking stock of the dead look in her eyes. How he longed to do something, to say anything, that might rectify this to her. But what else could serve as recompense but to give her back her beloved Jern? No. Right now, he would only cause her more pain.


He glanced back as he worked, concern for his fellow Wardens in his grey eyes. Olsten may have thrown accusations at Feria in uncontrolled anger, but they were by no means false accusations, if Hale was honest with himself. If the Ice Warden had contained her anger, they would not be in the situation they were in now. Not that the Fire Warden was free of blame. Taking on a Shadow Mage, and a bounty hunter at that, was foolish. Incredibly foolish. The cripple felt his cheeks flush in anger at the thought of it. If he'd not gone down there, he'd not have needed rescuing! Then Kraeg wouldn't have-!


Hale smothered his anger and his shame as quickly as he could, hoping that his empathic companion hadn't picked up on them. No, he had to face it: ultimately what brought down the inn, what actually killed people and left the poor Granny before him childless, jobless, and homeless, was Kraeg. In his naiveté and overwhelming desire to help, the dragon had been the one to actually bring down the inn. And Hale felt sick at the thought.


But his own words to Olsten rang in his ears: We can discuss blame later. Once everyone is safe... Just so. Clearing his mind, the half-elf turned back to his work with attention devoted to it. Yet his eyes would sometimes stray unbidden to the ruined tavern, and guilt would burrow itself into his heart a little more.


@Effervescent


Kraeg

"Get us away from this place. Quickly. I... I can't control it any longer."


Carefully, so as not to dislodge his temporary rider, Kraeg turned his head. One thing filled his dragonish mind: protect and help Ava. That's what he was best at, right? Helping? He helped them best: Ava and Feral and- The Wyrm's thoughts turned toward his Warden, and despite Hale's best efforts, the empathic link remained strong, sharing everything. And Kraeg the Mighty felt it even as his half-elf did.


Guilt. Shame. Fault.


His legs staggered, causing the burning wood about him to shift and crumble that much more. Only through sheer force of will did Kraeg move Ava and himself away from the flames and the tavern, narrowly avoiding the unnoticed Feria as he left the stairs behind, and though he didn't collapse as he finally stopped away from the inn, Kraeg found himself unable to move.


He'd made someone die. A good someone die.


That was not who he was. He helped people, he...he kept them safe, not hurt them. But he'd done worse than just hurt, and he knew it. Finally, as the Ice Warden approached, he collapsed, willpower spent fighting the despair that now overwhelmed him. For if he now hurt good people, what good was he except as a crooked dragon? That thought more than anything scared him, and ignoring all else, he whimpered in sorrow.


@Keitsumah
 
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:Ava:

Strength of Will
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Ava gasped when her dragon finally let up on her attack: the effect had left both her rider and that man pinned for lack of a better term. But as her attention slowly began to focus on her surroundings once more, the earth beneath her shook, then collapsed.


Ava tumbled to the ground with a yelp, then groaned when she sat up to rub at her backside. "What the Hell Kraeg, you--" Then she noticed the dazed, grey look to his once clear emerald eyes and knew something was wrong.


Bruising to pride forgotten, the girl heaved herself up and approached the dragon, placing a hand on his nose. Still he didn't react, whimpering, his mind lost in something. Other than the odd whine she had never once seen this dragon weep.


"Kraeg. Snap out of it. Weeping is of no use right now when we are in danger." she said quietly, first trying to get his attention by simply comforting him, but when he didn't react she edged closer to his eye, brushing a hand along his hardened, scaly skin until she found the soft spot next to that dark, green orb rolling around in chaotic mists.


Then she realized that he must be mourning over what he had done. What they had all done.


Her fist slammed hard into that soft spot. Enough to hopefully give him a blast of pain and make him react. Make him see her.


"Kraeg'zech." she gritted out, using his full name as if he was in trouble. "You did what you did in the best interest of the others. You could not have reacted any differently. Now are you going to just lay here until crows feed upon your Warden's carcass for your inaction? You are needed Kraeg. Do not let yourself be buried alive by sorrow. I was for the last season, and it's changed me. Hardened me. Turned me into something I am not proud of at times."


She knelt until she was a mere inch from his eye, her gaze speaking truth. "You did not will death upon that man. But I am guilty for willing death upon everyone at one point." her hand gently stroked the spot she had struck, and she shuddered. "He was just a human. It is our job to make sure all of our Wardens survive. Would you have traded his life for Hale's? Was he that important? No. Feria's dragon could have done differently, but instead he spit out ice and killed an innocent man in a mere display of power. But it was an action meant to intimidate our greater foe, to help us kill him before our Wardens were killed. You did the same: you wanted to save a Warden, and though it had a cost, we got him out alive. We could not have done any differently than what we have done. We cannot let ourselves be buried in the past, for it no longer exists."


She tried to give him a smile, though it was crooked, and her next joke was dark. "Get up Kraeg. If I know one thing you hate, it is to be a big useless lump of rock. Both you and Hale have always wanted to help. Will you be any help if you lie here and wait for death?"
 
Olsten and Grybil


Like ice sizzling on an ember the salve cooled his arm with stinging teeth. Feet still trapped by Hale’s magic, Olsten resorted to chewing the fibers out of his sleeve until the biting sensation ebbed away. Grybil gently scratched his head past Olsten’s free arm, trying to rub off some of his rider’s pain. Rider and Dragon snarled in choir as Hale tied the bandage with deliberate force.


The small vial was begrudgingly accepted and promptly stowed away into his pocket. There would be time for cures and potions later. With their presence announced so loudly to the world, it would only be a matter of time before the hunters and soldiers would arrive. A fit handful of Dragons with skilled riders on their back might be a challenge to overcome, but as it was, half of those present were injured or otherwise incapable, and he didn’t fancy his own combat skills too much either.


Without Hale ever lifting his magic, it were Grybil’s bony claws that dug him free. No more words were wasted on Feria and wood-leg as Olsten turned around and clambered, with gritted teeth, back into the saddle. Grybil’s muscles tightened underneath him.


Don’t go yet buddy.


Grybil relaxed-


-Only to jump up at the alien sounds of laughter and amusement. Like a cat bitten in its tail, the fire-drake spun around and arched his back in defense. The sight before them was jarring to say the least. Now, out of all times, the stout little man with his gloomy Dragon had decided to play around. Olsten sighed in disbelief.


…we’re surrounded by idiots.


Grybil rumbled in agreement.


…whining, arrogant, incompetent idiots who don’t deserve to have survived.


Yet a needle of light broke through the fringes of his mind. They were Dragon Wardens, they were his brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, teachers and guides. Fourteen years he had lived among these people and without them, there’d be no one to rely on. No one to trust, no one to help, no one to share food with. Or did he?


Even with Grybil so close, he couldn’t help but feel hollowed out. Who are my parents?


He wasn’t given much time to meditate on the thought. Waving and barking like a mad-man, the one-eyed clown approached them with morbid jokes and insults. "Do youhonestlybelieve either of you are the first or the last Wardens running and flying about with more power than their brains can handle?"


“No,” Olsten retaliated, “you’re obviously a fine exam-“ The man, though short, made him pull his punch. The scars, the steely gaze, the flamboyant choice of clothes. Were it not for his red hair, the man would certainly pass as a charismatic haggler, overwhelming his victims with hellishly white teeth and too-wide smiles. There was a commanding confidence in his voice that gave Olsten pause.


But when it came to commanding, no one could beat the tall, feline woman that came marching towards them. Dust and the scent of charred splinters accompanied her. It was hard to tell what was more overwhelming, her booming voice or her ability to unearth his desire to leave.


“You’ve been eavesdropping, haven’t you?” he cocked his head at the woman. How else does she know my name? Unless someone told her… “You were there…” he recalled, “right next to me…” and you sat there and did nothing… “So the other riders are your people? And he…” he turned in his saddle to face Liola, “was he with you as well?” Suspicion crept up his chest. It was one thing for Feria not to come to his aid, and Hale could be excused due to his leg. She, however, had been sitting right next to him. Surely she could have done something…


“No matter,” he said in a clipped voice. “Haven’s gone, I am done taking orders from other people. Look at where it got me.” He glanced around and shook his head. Above, the sky called. Green eyes settled defiantly on Idhrenan. “Good luck I suppose, I imagine it won’t be long before the executioners arrive. I won’t be there.”


Grybil gave a lazy blink before plodding over to the tavern’s blackened remains. Shaken, yet bolstered by his resolve, Olsten forged his mind into a spear. Combining his efforts with hers, he added to Ava’s attempts to quench the flames’ thirst. Hissing and lashing out, the fire tried to fight him as it once too often had, but he would be a sorry excuse for a mage if he didn’t know how to outsmart his own creations. With Grybil and Ava in support, he slowly but surely pushed the flames back until they died with a fat plume of ashen smoke.


It was a good things he was strapped into his saddle, or he’d have fallen out from exhaustion. Wiping his brow he glanced down at the fierce girl. “Thanks about uh…” he swallowed, “thanks about that thing you did…without you I’d have been toast.”


For a moment only the wind sounded.


“Good luck.” And with that, Grybil kicked off, heart beating like a war drum. His rider was reckless no doubt, but the other dragons hadn’t been the companions he’d had at Haven. Kraeg was too gentle, too absorbed in pity concerns. Ifer too fierce, too eager to prove himself. Among them, he was just a small-ish fire dragon who obeyed his rider like a dog. Among them, he was no longer the sole ruler of the sky. This group had stripped them of their privacy and freedom, but no longer.


No sooner than the first whiff of clear air hit their nostrils, Olsten knew they had made the right choice. Haven was no more and he was not some silly child taking orders from lucky survivors. He would not be ordered around and wait for his executioners to arrive. If the others had a death wish, that was their choice. All this destruction had made him realize one thing more clearly than ever. He still had hopes of a family living somewhere out there, and he’d much rather be with his family than with the circus down below.


Up and South the journey would go. Back to home. Back to Haven. Back to evidence of his parents amid the rubble.
 
Giving a wry grin as Idhrenan beside him easily overruled his own insistent voice with her commanding tone, Tronje quietly subordinated himself, unwilling to cause friction with an ill-fated grab for authority long lost. Eelikas's earlier vigor soon enough turned to a venomous stare as her slitted eyes set themselves upon the female Emasari once anew.


Oh so very mortifying, the gaudily-dressed man deemed with rapidly-lessening interest.


Unfortunately, it appeared the changing of times had not brought on much change in dear Idhrenan's code of conduct regarding the proper time-placement of cold professionalism, a measure certain t0 be effective when commanding fully-fledged soldiers, but showing a glaring deficit when aimed at an assembly of developing adolescents.


An annoyed sigh, glaring blue eye set upon the lad, Olsten he was called, sitting on his dragon as he looked down on them while declaring his decision, the elevation no doubt adding to the hardening of his ego. Tronje knew he himself had made use of that trick quite a number of times. Defiance, fueled by anger and bitter disappointment, the fire-dragon turned at the behest of his rider and took off.


"Tsk, tsk tsk." the Emasari emitted, though at least the lad seemed to have manners, a rare thing to find these days. Giving a shrug, he turned around to Eelikas, who already tilted her side for him to grasp his reins. Either she was in quite a cheerful mood or she just wanted to get away from Idhrenan.


"I am certain it is the former." he chuckled, patting her scaled side after settling in the saddle. Looking down on the female Emasari he announced "I will be back in a few minutes. In the meantime, dear Idhrenan, please do consider that acting like the frigid..." he blinked, searching for the right word "... commander, all the time, may aid your image, but not your bodycount."


Rearing herself up on her hindlegs, the arcane dragon gave one last silent glare of warning at the female Emasari, before giving a mighty flap of her wings, gradually lifting her massive weight upwards to the sky "Do make this quick, girl, unless your bones give signs of being as old as dear Idhrenan..."


A mildly annoyed growl, this sort of joke was rapidly losing its luster.


"Oh, I am so very sorry, my grand draconic comedian, in the future I will always consult you for reference first when it comes to humor-related matters." he replied with equally mild amusement, holding on tight as the dragon set herself in motion to follow the red counterpart that was quickly making distance "I assume I should start with biting the first person I see?"


For as long as you remain in the mood for jokes.





Tronje's grin widened.


------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Saddening thing was that he had spent next to no time with this one, making calculation for a proper epiphany rather hard. While it was a possibility that young Olsten had simply acted on a boiling mixture of disappointment and fear for self-preservation, Tronje could not simply decide whether that was just a temporary predicament or a long-going series of emotions that had been stewing for a long time and just now found release.


As such, all that he could do now was gamble on the fact that he himself appeared as a strange enough oddity to earn credit for his assumptions. That one had worked out favorably more often than one would think.


"Lad!" the Emasari called, one hand set on the saddle to further his hold, the other giving a tipping to his hat in an instinctive gesture of greeting that was naturally lost in the odd circumstances the yell took place in. Despite the difference in sizes and the already-developed distance, Eelikas managed to catch up to young Olsten quickly enough, owing to her markedly higher practice in terms of simple flying.


"Olsten!" he called again, one hand waving about in an attempt to increase his notability, perched atop his dragon as he was "This way you will be fortunate only to find charred ruins and scavenged corpses! I'm not certain what sort of existence you promise yourself by going alone, but unless you either seek to become a bandit and make your livelihood by taking from the well-doers, you are far more likely to be caught by hunters, interrogated, tortured and then used as bait for the next Wardens that are unlucky enough to walk into the trap!"


Grimacing in reminiscene of that one time a month ago when he belonged to the latter sort. Poor bastard had begged him to die.


"I understand the pain of failure, the knowledge of having sown misery and suffering where one was supposed to save and bring hope! Whether out of the desire for being like a hero from some tale or losing control of one's bitternis over cruelty, suddenly becoming a freelancer without much sense of direction isn't going to give you or your dragon any improved chances of survival!"


@Macaberz , @Effervescent
 
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Olsten & Grybil


A shift in the cool air betrayed Tronje long before his voice did. Olsten glanced over his shoulder. They’re catching up… Without uttering a word, rider and dragon reached a silent agreement. Grybil halted mid-air and turned, translucent blood-red wings rhythmically cutting through the sun’s rays.


What followed was hardly worth pausing for. The small clown tipped his hat with cringe-worthy flamboyance, as if all of this was part of some travelling circus. If it was, he’d certainly fit right in…


“You have nothing to say,” Olsten sneered, “yet you seem to spend all your time talking. It’s gibberish. Gibberish, gibberish, gibberish…Who are you to lecture me anyway?” Once he would’ve been happy to see another Warden alive, but not anymore. Nothing about the man was sweet to the senses, and his Dragon’s death-stare was as inviting as angered wasp's hum. Whereas Feria toted a superiority complex that would make Haven’s teenage girl population blush with envy, Tronje boasted an air of arrogance so thick that it could suffocate a Kingdom. Perhaps the clown could be of use in that regard. Yet Tronje droned on, ”I understand the pain of failure…” Olsten’s brows knitted together, “…the knowledge of having sown misery and suffering where one was supposed to save and bring hope…” Olsten’s frown deepened. With a mighty beat, Grybil rose a feet above his arcane counterpart. ”…Whether out of the desire for being like a hero from some tale or losing control of one’s bitterness over cruelty…” Again Grybil rose, tendrils of smoke seeping from his nostrils. ”Suddenly becoming a freelancer without much sense of direction isn’t going to give you or your dragon any improved chances of survival!”


“I’d rather be tortured than be ordered about by you lot!” Grybil snapped his jaw for emphasis. It wasn’t exactly true of course, but it strengthened his resolve. Grybil and he had made their decision, anyone trying to stop them was their enemy. That ugly little imp had guts to lay the blame on him! Yet again, the nimble red dragon rose above his arcane counterpart. Muscles and sinews tensed in anticipation.


“None of this was my fault, you have to let me go!”


Grybil cracked his tail like a whip. Olsten leaned forward just in time, hands seizing one of Grybil’s spikes. Like an arrow they shot towards the ground. In free fall, all Dragons were equal. Heart racing, Olsten braced himself for impact. One second’s delay, and Grybil would impale himself on bark needles. Just in time, the fire-dragon unfolded his wings. The wind jerked them back with sickening force before Grybil leveled out, claws grazing the tree-tops below. “It will take more than that to lose them, bud…quick, there!”


Their landing was quick and rough, a small clearing providing just enough space for Grybil to slide to a halt. “Come on, we can lose them in the woods!” But Grybil remained still, as if frozen by some ungodly spell. “Grybil! Oh come on you lumbering lizard! We gotta move, now! What are you waiting fo-“


Olsten’s jaw threatened to unhinge. Right before them, hidden from sight only by a dozen or so pines stood two Dragons: one smallish, fidgeting arcane and a rather large but none too threatening earth dragon. Two dragons, a downed warden and a goat? Olsten blinked. Grybil cocked his head and Olsten sensed that his Dragon was witnessing the same.


Several conclusion reached his mind all at once. First, the goat was a Shae, he’d spend too many hours burying his nose in books when he should be practicing swordplay not to know that. Second, this Shae was hostile. Through whatever means, she had managed to down a Warden and possibly daze the Dragons. Third, there were two dragons, but only one rider.


Forgetting about the pursuit, Olsten reached for his bow and nocked an arrow. Had his right-arm not been weakened and trembling, the whistling arrow would undoubtedly find its target. But his arm was quivering like a twig; the string only pulled half-way back and his aim far too hasty. It would be hard to miss, but with a bandaged noodle for an arm, nothing was impossible.


At the same time, Grybil rose to his full height, chest filling with wicked flames. If Olsten's arrow would not kill, his fire would.
 
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Kraeg

His mind was drowning in a miasma of despair. He floundered, trying to pull himself out. Trying to justify his actions. Words seemed to echo about him, familiar words from a familiar tongue, but he didn't hear them. He could only hear his self-deprecation.


Like a Drake's fireball, Kraeg suddenly felt an explosion behind his eye. The pain soon dissipated, but his vision immediately cleared and he looked around, glaring daggers of jade and ready to teach the offending party a harsh lesson about meddling with a Wyrm. But he only saw Ava. She was beside his head, staring intently herself into the pool of green and black from which he looked out. She looked...sorrowful? Two-leg emotions were so hard to read at times. As she spoke, consoling and chiding him gently, Kraeg listened quietly, making no reaction or indication of his thoughts on her words.


"Get up Kraeg. If I know one thing you hate, it is to be a big useless lump of rock. Both you and Hale have always wanted to help. Will you be any help if you lie here and wait for death?"


The Wyrm snorted, blowing mud and half melted snow in all directions. But he stood all the same. Glancing down at the Fire Warden, he chuffed a dragonish thank you. Suddenly the other Fire Warden and his Drake took to the air, evidently agitated, and the clownish one took after him on his Arcane Dragon. Something has happened, it seemed. But he didn't care. Turning his head, Kraeg looked about, taking in the situation. His Warden seemed to be helping out the old woman. Good. But he was too busy to ask what needed doing. It looked like the ice pair had put to rest the fire. His eye peered down again, looking Ava straight in the face, over to the ashes, then back to her, rumbling an obvious what now?


@Keitsumah


Hale

The steady flow of negative emotion suddenly spiked in pain and anger, and Hale whipped his head about to look at Kraeg. But Ava stood beside him, speaking with him. They were too far for the half-elf to hear, but based on the grim determination he now felt from the dragon, it seemed she had spoken some kind of encouragement. Smiling a bit and nodding to himself, he turned back to tending to the old Granny's wounds.


Finished, he got up. Ifer and Feria seemed to be battling the fire, and Olsten and Tronje looked to be flying off. He shook his head, wondering what nonsense Olsten was pursuing or angry about now. But Hale couldn't help him. What he could help with was the likely still injured Ice Warden. Slowly he began hobbling over, making his way toward Feria.


@Effervescent @CloudyBlueDay
 
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Dinyla and Erramun

​



The sudden turn to facing North made Dinyla's stomach flip, her hand retreating to her stomach and nodded in understanding, leaning against Erramun's large head. Just as Dinyla was about to ask more questions to clarify to the shae, her eyes widened as a sickening chill ran down her spine. They were being watched...she didn't know how she knew...it was a gut feeling as every hair stood up on the back of her neck. Sniffing the air a little more, Dinyla's eyes widened again in shock.


"Dragon fire..." she spoke to herself, tucking the vials into her pocket before starting to walk around Erramun. But she was too late for Erramun had smelled the scent of another dragon, immediately standing up and circling around Eosphelon, the shae, and Dinyla with his large body, loose skin shaking faintly with each step and growled towards the strangers in the woods. A deep rumbling muffled growl flowed from his large teeth, golden eyes locked on the woods. Scooting in front of her enormous protector, Dinyla shushed Erramun softly before staggering closer towards the woods, hands up in the air as a sign of peace.


"Please...please...we mean no harm," breathed Dinyla, the wind pushing off the hood of her cloak to reveal her flaming and flowing red hair. "Warden...please...we mean no harm..." she added before she grimaced to the sickening feeling in her stomach overwhelming her, the pain making her fall to her knees with her arms around her stomach. Erramun whimpered towards his Warden and inched protectively forward, his taloned claw hugging her closer to his face and hissed. "She is...helping...please..." begged Dinyla weakly as she fell to her side on the ground.


@Macaberz
 
The Southwestward mountains of the Neutral Lands was among Idhrenan's favorite to frequent. The range wasn't as tall as the white capped giants in the North, nor as rocky. These mountains were covered in rich greenery. Most notably they were known for the thick fog that rose from its undulating forms in the morning or after a storm. Dragon's Breath, they called it. An old children's story surrounds these mountains told throughout the Haven that says the mountains are slumbering Earth Dragons that come alive in the night.


Tucked within this modest mountain range was a mountain with a clean rock face to the East. Idhrenan and Eosphelon would fly to the mountain's face on clearer mornings to watch the sunrise through the fog until it all dissipated into clear skies and a glorious view. Eosphelon would take to the skies as the Dragon Warden observed contently watching the dragon weave through the thick vapors.


It was a particularly normal morning for the duo as Idhrenan sat upon the large rock. She crossed one leg over the other and reclined on the slope as she bit into an apple slice. Feeling Eosphelon's thrill was enough for her, though he teased his rider for remaining upon the land and often swooped close to her pretending to pick her up by his hind claws.


Eosphelon warned of a friendly approaching, and Idhrenan peeked upward to see a familiar pair land upon the rock face next to her. Her mentor, Elianor, and her dragon companion Redth landed with a gust of wind. Slipping off her saddle, the old woman hailed Idhrenan with a zealous wave of her bony arm.


"I knew I'd find you here!" Elianor called out. Idhrenan rose to greet her with an embrace. "I brought coffee. I need that extra zip in the morning!"


"Come to watch the sunrise, Elianor?" Idhrenan asked as she guided the woman to her sitting spot.


"I've come to tell you the news! You're going to be an Emasari." As she held her mentor's arm to aid in a secure and comfortable sit upon the rock, Idhrenan froze in confusion. She released Elianor's hand as the woman settled with a little wiggle at her hips.


"That doesn't seem correct," Idhrenan stated and sat next to the old woman. Elianor offered a thermal to the dumbfounded woman with a small chuckle in her throat. Redth whined at the skies as she watched Eosphelon fly through the sky, her stumpy legs patting the earth down in frustration as she wished to be airborne. Due to her Warden's age, she didn't like to leave the old woman alone.


"Oh, go on, you crazy galooty!" Elianor called out, her bony arms shooing the dragon away. Redth gleefully jumped into the air to chase after Eosphelon. "Damn dragon can't decide anything for herself if her life depended on it, bless her." Idhrenan took the thermal in hand and sipped from it thoughtfully. Elianor patted her arm. "It's correct, though. There's been a large number of graduating Dragon Wardens from the academy and not enough Emasari with room in their charges."


"But I work at the nursery," Idhrenan stated. "The missions I've been on under Emasari Thestern have been limited and purely diplomatic."


"That's exactly why I nominated you," Elianor stated. "And why you were chosen. Thestern felt very strongly that you were more than a capable leader. He mentioned something about a civil dispute in Faledrin at the hearing. Besides. You know how to deal with babies."


"Academy graduates are not babies."


Elianor let out a boisterous guffaw. "Oh! You must have forgotten how you were when you graduated. Everyone's a big baby. Just as much shit to wipe off their asses and just as much whining. You'll do fine."

Outside the Ruins of the Silver Lance

​



Idhrenan's lips sagged to a frown as Tronje's words sunk in. Over the five years she served as an Emasari, she had gained so much confidence in her abilities as a leader. Now it seemed so futile. Everything was different, and these children were never part of her charge. She knew there needed to be order in this chaos, and cooperation was a first step.


Whether or not she deserved or would ever earn any level of respect was brought to the forefront of her mind by her peer's words. Did it matter at this time? Idhrenan curled a lock of red hair behind her ear as she made her way towards the elf. She was an Emasari, but not really anymore. She was just a Dragon Warden looking for the harmony she had from her home at the Haven.


"May I see your arm?" Idhrenan asked the elf. He slowly brought the arm upward and delicately folded back the fabric of his tattered sleeve to reveal the unnaturally twisted bone beneath his tan skin. "I'm going to have to set the bone. This will hurt."


As the elf's bone was set back into place, his voice crying out involuntarily with the pain, Hale tended to Granny Phillis's physical wounds. The woman at first complied with the boy in bitter silence, her sobbing ceased as the flames within the tavern subsided to thick smoke. The half-elf wasn't like the others, at least in the old woman's mind. Finally, her hazel eyes looked up to regard her mender and watched the anger flush his cheeks.


"You have a kind heart," she stated quietly. Her weathered hands clutched the fabric of her apron still stained with the labor of the day's meal. The taste of the well seasoned roast barely lingered within Idhrenan's palate. It had mixed unharmoniously with wood dust and ash.


"I want you all off my grounds," Granny continued, her voice raising somewhat to catch the ears of anyone nearby. Idhrenan did not pause from splinting the elf's arm. "None of you can stay here. Not even you, elf."


"I can help repair-" The elf began to protest, but Granny cut off his words curtly.


"I said I want you all off my grounds!"


Idhrenan tucked the end of the torn fabric carefully around the elf's arm, glancing up at him with defeat before turning to call out for Ava and the Ice Caster. "Granny Phillis wants us off her property. Ava, do you mind going to get Dinyla, Erramun, and Eosphelon? We should head to the mountains as soon as possible. Anyone who wishes to stick together is welcome. I'm going to go see if we can do anything for the other dragon."


@CloudyBlueDay @Keitsumah @Red Thunder

Along the Eastward Road

​



Not too far past the forest was a small open field. Within the browning grass was a chestnut mare, her saddle skewed upon her back. Her snout brushed through the grass in search for winter clovers. The once-spooked horse no longer remembered what scared her in the first place, nor did she stop to consider where her rider had run off to. Winter clovers were her favorite treat this time of year.


The patrolman jogged laborously into the open area, relieved to find his mount well and alive. A small chuckle escaped through his lips, his pounding heart finding cause to relax. He had just faced a dragon for the first time and survived.


Thundering hooves resounded like thunder in the field as the rest of the patrol deviated to approach the lone patrolman and his horse.


@Red Thunder (to be explained in PM)

The Wayward Pine Between the Border of Baladur and Thallas

​



At the sudden grounding of another Dragon Warden, a startled Shae Kelfie jumpped back and staggered unsteadily upon her hooves. The old shae fell in her imbalanced state, her hands shuffling through the topsoil. The fear she once felt quickly dissipated as soon as she understood what she saw, and a frown pulled her lips downward.


"No! Yous trespassing!" she exclaimed as she sat upright. The fall had hurt her tailbone and bruised her hip, and she wasn't quite ready to stand with such pain. Olsten knocked his arrow and aimed towards the shae, his weakened state letting it loose too soon before careful thought.


A short huff of air escaped the shae's lungs as the boy's arrow pierced her chest. The dragons reactions fell too short. Eosphelon snaked behind Erramun's large form to check over the shae and provide further protection. As much as the being was annoying to him, she hadn't done anything terrible from what he could gather.


Eosphelon felt anxiety rise within him as he monitored the shae's ethereal presence. She was mostly in surprise from the attack and now dealing with the trauma of the shot. Her breathing wheezed with the strain as she stared at Eosphelon with wide eyes.


The shae known as Kelfie was quite old for her kind. She had lived a good life in solitude thus far within Thallas. Shae Kelfie had never known the dangers of poachers and hunters, for her surrounding neighbors had always offered her protection from such diabolical deeds. While her people in the rest of the world hid away in fear of never seeing tomorrow, she wandered about her property unhindered often shooing away vagabonds and wanderers who, for reasons unknown to her, would not dare even touch her. When Jern Farthen had built his establishment that attracted less savory folk, the Baladuri swore further protection.


And so for decades Shae Kelfie had known a good and comfortable life. She had never met a Dragon Warden before this day, for she never had to call for their aid. And while an arrow had pierced through her lung, she still did not show fear, but rather confusion. This was not a path revealed to her, but despite the injury, she knew she would not die just yet.


@LadyMatsudai @Macaberz @Unwavering Knight
 

:Ava and Feral:

Troubled Days
​



"Granny Phillis wants us off her property. Ava, do you mind going to get Dinyla, Erramun, and Eosphelon? We should head to the mountains as soon as possible. Anyone who wishes to stick together is welcome. I'm going to go see if we can do anything for the other dragon."


Ava nodded and then reached out to touch her dragon's muzzle when Feral landed next to her and Kraeg. "Feral caught a patrolman and was going to kill him a while ago. I stopped her, but we need to get out of here quickly! No doubt the man will have found his horse by now and be coming with reinforcements!" she yelled back to the Emissari.


Then she glanced back at the wounded dragon. "Maybe Kraeg and Erramun can combine their strength to lift her out of here. I know Erramun cannot fly for long, and such strain may limit him even more, but we need to move her out fast. I will not let any others die needlessly."


Frowning as she clambered onto her dragon's back, Ava guided her partner into a trot until she was next to the Ice dragon. The necklace she had scavenged from the rubble glowed in the palm of one clenched hand.


Dropping down and sliding into the ditch, Ava stroked the sleeping dragon's head once and eyed the work Feral and Hale had done. "Hale. I want you to see if you and Kraeg can make a kind of stretcher for this one. I know Kraeg can tear a good sized limb from any tree, so maybe if you tie the thicker branches together until they seem strong enough to support her weight, then Kraeg can pick her up and move her onto the stretcher for him and Erramun to fly with." she called over to her companion. "Feria. You help calm the Ice dragon if she wakes. Help Hale tie the stretcher together as well, and maybe we can add a sling to allow Ifer to carry some of the weight as well. All of the dragons will need to work together to lift her away, so I don't want any complaining! One miss-flap and she could overbalance and fall!"


Clambering back up and out of the ditch to examine the others, she noted the two Emmisari with some consideration.


"Idhrenan, you and the other man with his dragon are both Arcane, so you can watch for incoming life. There might be soldiers coming for us very quickly. I'll go get Erramun and Eosphelon now with Dinlya, but we need to move fast." Ava sprang back into the saddle, and with a heavy thud of wings, Feral took to the skies.


Ava glanced down to her hand and realized that she still had yet to give Feria the necklace. Reading her Warden's intent, Feral circled round and Ava hung over the side to drop the necklace above Feria. The jewel glimmered brightly, its chain clattering for a moment before it struck the ground and bounced at the other Warden's feet.


Flapping her wings once more, Feral made another circle before making her way toward their hiding place.


@Effervescent @Red Thunder @CloudyBlueDay @Unwavering Knight
 
A sigh.


Watching the lad begin his daring maneuver with mild interest, Tronje couldn't help but feel a tinge of sadness. Such admirable skill and willingness to maintain his choices, even if guided by misplaced denial. But was it really so bad these days that people thought they could escape his gaze simply by dropping out of sight?


Another sigh. Such a sting to his pride.


Eelikas merely emitted an annoyed grunt, keeping herself hovering in the air. Younglings that spread their wings too early tend to die off quickly. The bravery to take the leap of faith often results in the finest natural selection.


Lazily leaning back in his saddle, the Emasari allowed himself a few moments of recollection while keeping track of Olsten's atherial presence. It appeared he had found a few friends rather quickly, quite the deed considering that he had simply run off into a random direction. Judging from Eosphelon's presence, the other Warden and her mount would also be friendly-aligned, though he couldn't put a name to the fourth one.


Nothing too dramatic, he was certain.


"Girl." he called, eyes staring up at the sky as he remained lying on his back "Discussion."


Approved.





"Possible course: Pursue now, catch off-guard, try to reason again."


Chance of success: Low. Earlier encounter resulted in provocation.





"Hmmm..." he emitted, stroking his chin "Other possibility..."


He trailed off, in tandem to the sudden but dramatic lessening of one of the presences. Eye widening in alarm for a moment's notice, it immediately turned to a slit, his upper body slowly rising again, grabbing the reins. Gone was the amusement that normally graced his features, replaced by grim quietness. Things had changed. Dramatically.


A sound emerged, slow and quiet at first, but quickly gaining in tremendous volume as Eelikas turned at her Warden's behest, hulking scaled form cutting through the air. A rumbling, a tearing, an inhuman laughter. Searing, draconic merriment rang through the clouds as Eelikas's howling amusement reached levels befitting for inserting nightmares into the minds of fools.


With cruel laughter the arcane dragon descended from the skies, shooting downwards like an avenging arrow, aiming for the gathering of aetherial presences hidden beneath the thick tree-crowns.


Like a primordial avalanche, her arrival was heralded by the brutal tearing of wood, a mighty tree bending and breaking under the force of the behemoth's fall-enhanced weight as the dragon landed in an earth-shattering impact that threw up a cloud of dust.


Whereas usually, Tronje would have emerged with amused laughter and self-serving grandeur, this time the clearing of the smoke only revealed a quietly-chuckling dragon with her claws embedded deep in the earth, and a small, silent, sitting frame that stared down at the onlookers with a coldly calculating gaze.


Eye switching from the prone form of the shae to the bow still in Olsten's hands, to Eosphelon who was protectively covering the goat-like humanoid, the earth-dragon that was obviousely covering his own Warden, to Grybil whose fire was already gathering in his maw, Eelikas quickly leapt between the fire Warden and his chosen prey, her own breath gathering even as her eyes glinted with quieting amusement. Though for now she held back, simply towering over the younger duo in warning, snapping fangs making it clear that any reason they gave her would be answered with malevolent glee.


For a moment, Tronje's eye only emitted hopeless apathy as he stared at Olsten. Misplacement of judgement despite his better knowledge. Failure.


To the greater good of all! came the mocking comment. She was in such anticipation.


It appeared the role of a coldly-authoritative figure was lacking. Not his preferred choice, but alas at times there were just those circumstances.


Taking his gaze off the fire Warden without so much as a word, Tronje slid down from his mount. Gait devoid of his usual swagger, steps carried out with perfect usage of energy, he approached the downed shae, nursing an arrow in her chest, a sucking wound most likely if the shortness of her breath was not from sheer shock. Opening one of the saddle-bags, he retrieved some mundane bandages, certainly unfitting for the job, but at least sterile and thus better than tearing off contaminated scraps of fabric.


"Emasari Tronje, an acquaintance of Idhrenan, greetings." he spoke the routine with clear and cold tone for all present to hear as he walked, before kneeling down at the shae, tone gaining a soothing note "Please, try to control your breathing, even if it's painful. No one will cause you further harm, but it is vital that you pace yourself now." He had neither the tools nor the skill required to safely remove a foreign object from a wound like this, but he could at least stabilise her current condition.


Beginning to carefully apply a makeshift-dressing around the wound to stem the flow of blood as well as allow air to escape but not invade, he addressed Idhrenan's mount with a steady voice "Eosphelon, I must request that you inform Idhrenan that a healer is required, here, as quickly as possible. Transporting the wounded in this state is not recommended."


@LadyMatsudai , @Macaberz , @Effervescent
 
Olsten & Grybil

This will be my last post before the next scene


"She is...helping...please..."


The Warden he’d glimpsed earlier stumbled forward with ghostly eyes and a weak, trembling voice. She was obviously delirious, poisoned or bewitched by the unfazed Shae. His eyes narrowed, even as the shadow of the approaching Tronje and his maniac Dragon loomed over them.


"No! Yous trespassing!"


It was too late. The arrow slipped from his fingers. The Shae thudded to the ground. His fingers grasped a second arrow and he aimed to shoot again when the large earth Dragon and the lithe Arcane jumped in front of the Shae. No shouts or snarls were needed for him to understand he’d made a terrible mistake. It was instantly understood, and Grybil’s fire died down far faster than it had risen. Warden and Dragon turned to statues as the horrible reality sank in.


It was only amplified by Eelikas’s mad, ear-splitting approach. Like the others, she settled in front of the downed Shae, emphasizing the dividing line between them. Tronje’s cold look-over could not be misunderstood for kindness or understanding, it was far too late for that.


While all rushed to the Shae’s aid, Olsten choose his last remaining option. His gut somersaulted as Grybil turned and trotted into the woods. Down on the ground, Grybil was slim enough to find a way between the trees. The earth dragon and the large arcane would have to plow through a myriad of wooden needles to follow them and that would inevitably slow them down.


Surely they would understand. It had been an honest mistake after all…


A sour taste entered his mouth as he tried to imagine Tronje’s response to seeing him leave, or Hale’s…They’ll think me a coward. At least Feria would be happy, or perhaps she would feel nothing at all. But what other choice was there? Staying would only bring him reprimand and perhaps he would never be granted an opportunity to leave again.


Even Grybil had closed off to him as his Dragon hurried forward. It wasn’t until they stumbled another clearing and kicked up into the air again that he could feel the comforting warmth of his Dragon shush the cacophony inside.


To the naked eye, Grybil was but a dark speck against the sky. Olsten slumped in the saddle and let out a deep sigh. The cool air washed away his frustrations one by one, but he could not return now. Not anymore. Two lives he’d taken today and gained only a throbbing wound and a hollow spirit in return. It’s time to go home…


Grybil hummed in agreement before Olsten rested his head on the drake’s neck and dozed off into a quiet dream.
 
Hale and Kraeg

"Hale. I want you to see if you and Kraeg can make a kind of stretcher for this one. I know Kraeg can tear a good sized limb from any tree, so maybe if you tie the thicker branches together until they seem strong enough to support her weight, then Kraeg can pick her up and move her onto the stretcher for him and Erramun to fly with."


All this talk, all these commands. Too many kings and not enough soldiers.


As Ava continued issuing orders, he glanced over to the old woman who had moments before had complimented him. Or at least his intention. His eyes grayed in regret as he turned away from her. Intention? It was worth nothing when his comrades destroyed and set fire at will. Not that they stuck around. The angry lad had fled the consequences of his flames. Snorting to himself and pulling his cloak a little tighter against the chill air, he changed his course once more to comply with Ava's direction, pausing only to watch her take off. To the side Kraeg had watched the Fire Warden in silence. His eyes gleamed with uncertain curiosity as if trepidatious of the girl's commands but interested to see how they'd be responded to. But a look from Hale was all the Wyrm needed to comply. Moving away from the smoldering remains of the inn, Kraeg began searching the nearby trees for a suitable tree limb.


The half-elf's mind wandered as he neared the sleeping Ice Dragon and his mouth was drawn. Just how had they gotten into this mess? Things had been going well: he'd found a few other Wardens, the dragons had hidden themselves, and they'd even managed to meet a few more Wardens at the Silver Lance. But then that bounty hunter had shown up, and the tension his presence created could have been cut with a knife. And two of his brethren couldn't keep their cool. Feria. Olsten. His brow knit tightly. What were they thinking?


A distant dragonish screech, full of dark humor he thought, filled the air, and the sound broke his focus. He tripped, his foot catching on a largish rock in the path, and Hale caught his fall with a well-placed hand to the ground.


Thunder. Thunder in the ground.


He stood up in shock. At the treeline, Kraeg ceased his search and whipped his head about to look protectively at his Warden. The Wyrm had felt Hale's panic and all else was immediately forgotten. That panic gripped the half-elf's heart and threatened to squeeze. Bending down, a bead of sweat forming on his brow, he closed his eyes and touched the ground again.


Forty. Forty beats of thunder. With thunder comes lightning. And the thunder draws near.


Eyes snapped open. The scout had been quick, for all the fear that Feral had inspired in him, and neither Hale nor his companions were in any shape to take on ten armored soldiers on horseback. He practically leapt up, shouting and gesturing to Feria and Idhrenan as he did.


"Retreat! Thall soldiers are en route! We must leave now! Wardens, grab your necessities and follow Ava! Flee to the cave! Kraeg and I shall look after the wounded one."


His Earth Dragon was already hustling to the Warden's side. With a great deal of effort but reasonable speed for all that, Hale mounted his seat on the dragon's neck and glanced at his ward. Hands moved in small circles, each independent but each in sync. Slowly, grinding upon the stable ground from whence it was wrenched, the block of ground that the Ice Dragon lay upon began to rise into the air. Kraeg jumped into the air himself, massive wings propelling him upwards and over the block of stone. Grasping it with his claws and grunting at the strain of its weight, he began making his laborious way toward the cave where he'd left the other dragons. As they passed her by, Hale glanced down at granny in regret.


I'm sorry that I couldn't do more in recompense for our deeds.


@CloudyBlueDay @Effervescent
 

:Ava and Feral:

Shadows
​



Feral pulled up and landed in a rush of wind that tasted of smoke and magic. Curling her muzzle back at the unsavory tang, the red wyrm looked after where the boy and his dragon had slithered into the trees not a moment before.


Ava felt the same distress she did, and Feral sent a mournful call after the small drake as they fled. But there was no following them in those trees. And they were needed moreso here: not chasing a Warden who refused the help of all others.


May the Fates grant him a chance... Ava thought and slid down from her saddle to examine the scene before them more fully. Erramun and Eosphelon hovered around the strange man; his dragon a few paces away with an expression that drove Feral to step between them, the quills along her neck, back, and hind legs standing up lest the unstable arcane wyrm act out in a more hostile manner.


But when she spied the shae, and the arrow, cold dread clenched her heart, and denial greyed her eyes.


He had to have had a reason for it. Right? The girl carefully masked her emotions behind that same blank face she used when regarding anything other than a fellow Warden. The shae had been no danger, but she was of little importance to them. Not an enemy, nor an ally that she could tell so far.


Striding over to the older Warden, frozen pine needles crunching under her footfalls, Ava paused when she noticed Dinlya seemed to have a few more items on her person than before.


"What happened while we were gone, Dinlya?"


@LadyMatsudai @Unwavering Knight @Macaberz
 
Dinyla and Erramun

​



Dinyla gasped to the sound of an arrow shooting through the air past her to embed in something soft...something living. She could hear the sudden halt of the shae's voice as her eyes turned towards her general direction, hearing the gasp of air escaping the shae's lips to the shock of having the arrow burrow into her chest. Erramun snorted with surprise, sniffing the shae worriedly before turning to face the other dragon and the Dragon Warden, a deep snarl rumbling in his chest before completely standing in front of the others, blocking them from view as his large wings opened. Erramun's chest puffed out before the snarl erupted from his lips, sitting upright at his full height to try and ward off the other dragon and his rider away.


"What did you do?" cried out Dinyla to the stranger, tears rolling down her cheeks as she fell to her hands and knees, crawling towards Kelfie and struggled a little to sit upright, feeling the shae's chest to locate the arrow, the feathers at the end of the arrow brushing her fingers before making contact with the wood. Shaking sickly hands felt the wound a little more, wondering if she should remove the arrow or not before feeling the ground to look for the shae's bag. "There...there has to be something...anything to stop the bleeding..." she stammered more to herself, frantically and blindly trying to feel for anything that would help.


@Effervescent @Macaberz@Unwavering Knight
 
Feria & Ifer
​



Hale's large earth dragon collapsed in a heap, making gross noises, as if sobbing. Feria narrowed her eyes, unsure of how to react. Ifer snorted in an amused tone, although he was just as confused as Feria was. When Ava went over and slammed her fist into a soft spot on his tough hide, this started Feria. She gave the dragon an entire peptalk and he finally got over himself. Ifer snarled when Ava mentioned his name; it was no intention of his to kill a man.


Olsten and his dragon stepped towards the blackening tavern, and the young fire warden seemed to begin to help Ava's attempts to quench the fire. Feria watched the flames die down, all of her and Ifer's work trying to stabilize the support beams deemed worthless so quickly. "Would've been nice if you had helped a bit earlier." She growled. “Thanks about uh…” He said to Ava, “thanks about that thing you did…without you I’d have been toast.” And then the stupid child flew off.


Hale began to hobble towards the remains of the tavern, but before she could ask why she heard the voice of the older woman who had told her to help Ava in the first place. "Granny Phillis wants us off her property. Ava, do you mind going to get Dinyla, Erramun, and Eosphelon? We should head to the mountains as soon as possible. Anyone who wishes to stick together is welcome. I'm going to go see if we can do anything for the other dragon."





Now Ava was barking orders as well. "Hale. I want you to see if you and Kraeg can make a kind of stretcher for this one. I know Kraeg can tear a good sized limb from any tree, so maybe if you tie the thicker branches together until they seem strong enough to support her weight, then Kraeg can pick her up and move her onto the stretcher for him and Erramun to fly with. Feria. You help calm the Ice dragon if she wakes. Help Hale tie the stretcher together as well, and maybe we can add a sling to allow Ifer to carry some of the weight as well. All of the dragons will need to work together to lift her away, so I don't want any complaining! One miss-flap and she could overbalance and fall!" Full on Emasari mode. Hah. The fire mage jumped into her dragon's saddle and moved out; only to circle around and drop Zachary's blue necklace at Feria's feet.


At first, Feria was only able to stare. If she had been able to talk she would've been speechless. Ifer made no sounds either. He moved next to Feria, and the both of them gazed at the glowing blue necklace, until Feria bent down a picked it up. She held it in her palm, took a deep breath, and clasped it around her own neck. Ifer let out a small whine.


"Retreat! Thall soldiers are en route! We must leave now! Wardens, grab your necessities and follow Ava! Flee to the cave! Kraeg and I shall look after the wounded one." Feria raised an eyebrow. She walked outside the ruins of the tavern alongside Ifer. She wanted to see what Hale planned to do with 'the wounded one' when she found herself staring up at a big chunk of earth in the sky. The pair's eyes widened. Ifer snorted and Feria jumped on his back; he shot into the air alongside the thick piece of earth, his eyes wide in shock. Feria almost called out to Hale, to ask what the heck he was doing, but she realized if she broke his concentration he could send Liola plummeting down.


@Effervescent @Keitsumah @Macaberz @Red Thunder
 
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The small, scarred hands, force exerted weakened by disease, were quickly grabbed and blocked from setting a touch upon the open wound paining the shae as Tronje's patronising voice intoned "Careful, miss, wouldn't want this one to catch an infection, would you."


A dazzling smile, a self-certain tipping of the hat as the head is turned to face the earth Warden, before eyes widen in realisation of the conclusion drawn from the unfocused and clouded view caught in her own, for but a moment's notice. Then Tronje's eyes widened even further as he reached another realisation: Never would she be able to set sight on his form most invigorating, never would she behold his benevolent gestures as he allows his subjects to be placated by a mere handwaving, and, most important of all, she would never be able to see his hat, placed upon his cranium like a king's crown true and proper!


Only barely managing to hold back his tears of pity, he set a hand on her shoulder to give her a heartfelt squeeze as he spoke "You have my condolences. Emasari Tronje, treating the wounded shae."


With the speed of a whiplash, all of Eelikas's amusement was gone in an instant, the feeling akin to sudden shock. A game of pretense was, after all, one of those erratic pleasures.


"Why?" came the hollow tone of a female, shaking Tronje out of his self-absorption.


Shae Kelfie's brown eyes widened as she stared up at the Emasari. He spoke of names she did not recognize and his touch caused her more pain than the boy's arrow. Her thick hands clutched the fabric of his sleeve as she cried and repeated the word, "Why?"


Losing any and all empathy just as quickly as he had shown, the Emasari turned back to the shae, again making sure to keep the seal tight to deny air entry into the chest "Because he lost in a game of dice to you, perhaps. Wanted to clear his debts and all." he spoke lightly, though a hint of exhaustion crept into his voice.


If there was a reason for everything in this world, a lot more people would keep their wits together these days. He cast a sideward glance at Eelikas, whose claw struck the ground in answer.


A presence rushed closer and closer to the feathery pine. "Kelfie?" a man's voice called out. Shae Kelfie didn't seem to hear it. The man's voice called further through the evergreens until he broke through the branches of the wayward pine. It was a simple looking young man no more than twenty, his face full of stubble and his brown hair a mess atop his head. His Thall-green eyes darted between the humans and the dragons, quickly taking in his misfortune as he froze in place.


He raised his hands away from the daggers along his belt to insure the Dragon Wardens knew he meant no harm. Shae Kelfie reached out as soon as she noticed the man, and he spoke to Tronje.


"Please," the man said as he looked over at the shae. "I'm her friend. If you're looking to take her horns I can pay you a better price to leave her instead."


Quirking an eyebrow, before waving the man closer, Tronje soon used one hand to point at the wound "Punctured lung, sucking chest wound by the looks of it. If you think you can treat it better, go ahead, man."


Apparently overjoyed for not having to argue or fight, the man hurried closer before taking over for the Emasari. Inspecting the wound closer to find it in line with Tronje's words, he looked up at the assembled Warden. "Your kind isn't really looked upon so fondly in this kingdom. There's a patrol that comes through here around this time of day. You'd better get moving if you don't want to be spotted."


"That would be one of the more expected consequences, at least..." Tronje mumbled, form visibly growing more relaxed as the fiery one, Ava he recalled her to be named, arrived, emotions kept beneath an amateur's veil of coldness.


About time, he had grown to dislike that particular role. If she wanted to take a bite out of that particular feast so badly, he wished her the best luck she could have at it, see how many teeth she would lose.


"That would be the most expected of consequences, at least..." he muttered with a wry grin that was quickly lost as he caught side of the trees within which Olsten had retreated, his arcane presence growing dimmer with each passing moment, indicating that his flight was one of guilt-induced haste.


High above the clouds earlier, he had let the lad go because there was that distinct possibility that he would lash out and 'accidentally' set the forest on fire. The Emasari had not deemed it a danger that he would simply flee, though the fact that he suddenly attacked someone with the true intent to kill spoke of a crucial misjudgement on the boy's mentality on his part.


Were the situation less surrounded, he would have hunted the lad down.


Tronje gave a sigh. Just more blood on his hands.


A bit farther off, Eelikas paid Feral little mind, slitted eyes instead focused with hateful intent on the blind Dinyla.


@LadyMatsudai @Effervescent @Keitsumah
 
Panic welled in Dinyla's chest, hands still scrambling to try and find the bag of the shae in the hopes to help her. She cried out in surprise to the sudden touch of a strong man's hand holding hers away from the shae, her blind eyes sickly from fatigue looking up in the man's direction. Taking the apology to be for her eyes, Dinyla nodded her head gently before hearing the man's name, keeping her silence in the hopes she would not give herself away aside from her red hair. If she kept quiet, maybe she would be able to keep the identity of the others safe as well.


The presence of another voice made her jump, looking behind her quickly in the hopes she could pinpoint where this second voice came from. Just as quickly as she turned, the man rushed beside them. Her body trembled. Where were the others? What was taking so long? She gasped to feel Erramun suddenly grab the back of her clothing by his teeth and pulled her protectively close to his chest. A deep angry growl rumbled in his broad chest, directing it especially towards Eelikas, expanding his chest to make himself as big as he could, golden eyes locked on one of his targets in case this was a set up. Dinyla clung to Erramun's scales softly, his large talon pulling her close before her ears perked at the sound of two familiar voices, moving a little away from Erramun as she tripped, managing to cling to Ava's arms before her fall.


"I...I wasn't feeling good...and...and this shae came with medicine and brought it over...but...but there was another Warden...He shot an arrow and hurt the shae and then...then these two men showed up...one is a Warden...the other...I...I don't know..." she stammered fearfully, shaking violently in Ava's touch as the vials the shae gave her remained in her pockets. "And Erramun is so angry...I don't know why..." she added as Erramun simply lowered his massive head beside the two women, still growling towards Eelikas


((OOC: I hope this is okay :( ))


@Keitsumah @Effervescent
 

:Ava and Feral:

Rage
​



"I...I wasn't feeling good...and...and this shae came with medicine and brought it over...but...but there was another Warden...He shot an arrow and hurt the shae and then...then these two men showed up...one is a Warden...the other...I...I don't know..." she stammered fearfully, shaking violently in Ava's touch as the vials the shae gave her remained in her pockets. "And Erramun is so angry...I don't know why..."


Ava carefully gripped the older woman's arms and steadied her, helping her back to her dragon. When Ava took note of just how focused Erramun was on Eelikas, Ava snapped her fingers near his face to get his attention. "We need to move out quickly. I want you in the saddle, Dinlya. Feral caught a patrolman earlier and no doubt he'll be returning with reinforcements. Some very bad stuff has happened and we have no choice but to run. When I take off, have Erramun follow Feral." she said just loud enough for Dinlya to hear. @LadyMatsudai


Feral stepped between Eelikas and Dinlya alongside Erramun, curling her lip back to expose jagged white teeth stained grey where flames had passed through them time and again. A warning growl wobbled in her chest, and despite the fact that the other dragon was older and longer, they stood at the same height. And where the former was a fire dragon with hardened scales cracked through with steaming vents, the latter's scales could be ripped away and her flesh burned with somewhat ease. The expression on her face and in her body language could be compared to the words: You really wanna try this? @Unwavering Knight


Ava turned her head upon hearing a new voice and one hand reflexively went to her swords. But upon seeing the stranger crouch beside the injured shae, she nodded in satisfaction.


"We only meant to get supplies from the tavern here, but found a Shadow Mage instead." she said loudly enough for the man to hear. "None of this would have happened if such a feared enemy not shown his ugly head. We are lucky there were so few casualties as it is. But this..." she waved at the shae. "This should not have happened. If you can tell the patrolman that yes, though we destroyed everything here, it was in the best interest of everyone....we Dragon Wardens may be killable, but are our collective enemies so easilly slain by the common man?" She couldn't hide the note of accusation in her voice and in her eyes as she stared at him. "All that was heard was rumors before we were obliterated. Before we even had a chance to explain ourselves or try to find the reason for such rumors." he voice dropped a note lower, grave, "Was it really such a good idea to destroy something that had only intended to help, when there is a much greater threat that you people seem to ignore?" @Effervescent


Having said her part, Ava stood and moved to her dragon's side and slung herself into the saddle. "We have no herbs here, and no healers. The shae has a friend to help her, so she won't be alone. And he may know where her home is so he can find some tonic or other. They are not under threat from the soldiers. We need to move out. Now." she ordered, even though she was barely even half the age of the both of them.


Snorting, Feral kicked off and took to the skies, circling high and wide to find Kraeg before following after the other group. If the others decided to take longer or follow as she'd said, she didn't care. They could decide their own fates. She, however, had to live in order to fulfill her promise.
 
Line of sight on Tronje soon blocked by the bodies of her conspecifics, Eelikas's annoyance received a spike in growth as the spiny fire lizard and the other girl's gigantic meatshield both emitted their respective yammering in an attempt to intimidate.


A snarl of derision.


She did not care for how limited their ability to determine a path was if their Warden ever fell to weakness, or that their idea of "fighting" was mere clawing and spewing. No, she couldn't bring herself to feel any sort of emotion for either of those.


What truly annoyed her was this relentless, this fearful ignorance that stunted their minds in a desperate attempt to cling to ideals that were rendered hollow by that very act.

download_zpsifodvh6q.jpg

Gradually, she came to realize the enhanced perceptions were a matter of propriety moreso than awakening.


She had found something truly beautiful in life, and emptied herself of anything which might have profaned its splendor. The result was an epicenter that dwarfed all other concerns with its radiance.


Conversely, when she looked at other things, their flaws were so much more apparent than they once were. It was like when you get your sense of smell back after flying for hours in smoke and suddenly you can tell how long it's been since somebody bathed.


That sort of observation cropped up wherever she looked.


Eventually, she couldn't even feel disgust, anymore. Instead she felt pity.


Then that feeling, too, began to wane within her.


...


So focused was this braced fool of a dragon that she did not even notice the flouncing form of Tronje, the man's gait turning more and more into a defined stalking as he emerged from the scaled scenery of Feral and Erramun.


A bare hand set upon the scales winding their way upwards her neck, Tronje's remaining eye stared up at her with pronounced exhaustion.


Slitted eyes returned the gaze.


Of course, the entire way over he had been smiling, eyes emitting nothing but pure gleeful energy. Unlike most, she could tell, both exhaustion and elation were quite real, none masking the other, but each turned to tools and used just as such.


A playful jingle with the locket tied around the neck, containing nothing.


... yes, the desire to protect something.


Thoughts were disjointed, beliefs unutterable.


... was, at the same time, nothing more than the wish for something to violate it.


Once anew Tronje seated himself in the saddle, giving a ruler's benevolent smile as he waved to the ones still on the ground before taking off after Ava, back to the others.


@Effervescent , @LadyMatsudai , @Keitsumah
 
3rd Day of Winter

The Mouth of the Mountain

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​



The route to the Mouth of the Mountain within the Northern slopes of Baladur was not long, but due to the burden of the injured dragon Liola, what would have been half a day’s travel became longer. The band of Dragon Wardens periodically stopped to rest within the frigid clearings of the range’s base.


Colossal mountains made up what is known as the Northern Mountains. The valleys and lower slopes are dotted with Baladuri villages both ancient and new as clans and kinsmen spread. The mountains had sparse foothills and jutted from the earth like grand monuments that served as guardians and protectors of those that live within the lands since the beginning of time.


The Mouth of the Mountain was not the tallest in the Northern Mountains, but it served as a very recognizable landmark for travelers. Set within the Southeast slopes, this dormant volcano carried upon its top an opening akin to the gaping maul of a beast. The closest village of Dra is nestled at its base. Despite the activity within the air, the land remains quiet.


Upon a jutting rock within the mountain’s maw sat a rather large and old Earth Dragon. Her solid wings rested close to her body, and to the untrained eye she would appear as though just another part of the rock face. The dragon served as a beacon and a signal to the Dragon Wardens that this was a safe location. To those who knew Councilman Wuld would recognize the dragon as Centuron.


The air space within Baladur was undisturbed. While they would not go unnoticed, the cloud coverage within the Northern Mountains aided in hiding the group to throw any trackers off their trail. Idhrenan kept her perception watchful. It wasn’t until they reached the Mouth of the Mountain that she felt the fatigue of overuse.


Heading the charge, Idhrenan and Eosphelon swooped past Centuron and urged the rest of the group to follow. There were more within the cavernous opening, and as they flew in they could see a gathering of three riders and two dragons by a fire.


The first to rise was Wuld, his aged eyes staring upward at the display. Deep wrinkles creased further on his weathered features as a smile graced his bearded lips. It had been since the fall of the Haven that he'd seen so many Dragon Warden together. The glimmer of patriotism caused the other two Dragon Wardens to rise from their seats, their dragon companions lifting their heads and craning their necks with interest as the group landed within the large open space.


"Welcome!" Wuld greeted as he walked over. His eyes studied each new Dragon Warden with a hint of skepticism, but his smile remained friendly none the less. "Always happy to see more come. I was worried we'd seen the last of us just the other day. I'm former Councilman Wuld, and these are Taklar and Denebren, and Sallen and Yisfel."


@Keitsumah @Red Thunder @Unwavering Knight @CloudyBlueDay @LadyMatsudai


The Skies Above the Farmlands of Thallas

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​



Winter's bite grew less frigid as Olsten and Grybil traveled Southward. Skirting between the Twisted Woods over Thall farmland allowed the two unhindered travel. The fields were too important to the kingdom to skirmish upon for just one Dragon Warden even within the Winter season, and so instead word traveled through the land marking each sighting of the dragon warden.


Predicted paths were projected upon maps. Carrier pigeons were sent out to each nearest possible passing where the Queen's Guard were stationed. Commands were to watch and wait as the fields turned to hills and more and more trees began to dot the landscape. Now without the aid of the Dragon Wardens, the Twisted Wood's taint corrupted further into Thall land, the barren Winter trees twisting in a gnarled tangle as if they were hunched in pain.


Since the fall of the Haven, Queen Malan had sent her army to occupy and claim the once-neutral lands. Within the mountains leading towards the ruins of where the Dragon Wardens' once called home were strategically placed ambushes to snare and capture unsuspecting Dragon Wardens in their journey home. Ballistas hidden in brush and the stagnation of the trees pointed out towards the horizon. Men and women dressed in muddied leather and hidden within the few evergreens that spotted the modest mountain range knew the boy and his dragon were coming. And so they readied themselves with bows in hand. To him, the mountain would look just as any other, the ballistas like rocks from afar. With the dense overcast of the afternoon clouds, no sunlight would sheen across the large arrowheads. It was a perfect day for a catch.


@Macaberz
 
Hale and Kraeg

The impromptu stretcher that had been made to carry to wounded Liola was set down gently, the little bit of brown grass that had been found and placed in its bottom absorbing any force of impact that couldn't be otherwise avoided. Kraeg, wings stiff from long hours of flight, came to a heavy rest beside her. He was tired, more tired than he'd been in some time, but in the presence of a Councilman his pride would not let me relax. So the Wyrm sat his haunches on the stone floor of the cave, rumbling in appreciation for the cool feeling on his backside. His head lowered briefly, and Hale slide off.


"I thank you, Councilman," he said as caught his balance with his staff. His clothing felt rough and old, worn from the weeks of life in the wilderness, and it bothered him in some small way that he should present himself, as well as the group of Wardens with him, before a person of title. Tilly, certainly, would have given him an earful back in the day.


Ah well. As in all things, one must work with the tools one has.


Hand to his breast, he bowed in respect.


"It is an honor. I am called Hale, and this behind me is Kraeg'zech. The others, I'm certain, wish to introduce themselves in their own way."


At having himself introduced, Kraeg chuffed in regret, and standing back up Hale cast a bemused expression at him. The dragon's head still bore signs of the fire he'd stuck his head in: neither the green leaves nor the verdant grass had made a return, leaving him effectively bald and slightly blackened past his jawline. Through their link his Warden sent feelings of encouragement and pride in his dragon's deeds, and Kraeg sat up just a little more.


@Effervescent
 
Olsten & Grybil


Olsten and Grybil spent the largest part of their journey in silence. The Twisted Wood's clawing trees threatened their right whilst prying eyes bore into their left. Sunlight hours were spent under cover of trees dark and thick with mystery. At night they continued their journey south, hungrier than the day before, but no less determined. Once, much to Grybil's chagrin, Olsten escaped his Dragon's watchful gaze and headed into a village.


It had been amid the common folk, gathered in the local, smoggy tavern that he'd overheard two loose-lipped Thall soldiers. He'd left the tavern with heart and legs in full gallop. They'd been spotted several times and soldiers were on the lookout. Their haste had doubled ever since. Haven was drawing closer and he reasoned there would be no enemies there, precisely because it was such a stupidly obvious place to return to. Grybil disagreed. Olsten countered that even if guards awaited them there, they could still handle a few. Grybil had given his wounded arm a painful nudge after that.


It hadn't been two days ago that they'd changed tactics. During the day they would occasionally fly over open land, nose pointed towards Rosenfall while during night, they would draw closer to Haven. At the very least it ought to confuse their hunters and while Rosenfal and Haven lay apart, the overall direction was still south. It tired Grybil immensely, but the ferocious dragon soldiered on without complaint.


The constant ache of Olsten's arm had started to subside when they flew over the forest canopy. Days without company had been both a relief and a loss. No more being commanded about, but no helpful eyes watching over him either. Out of all things, he missed talking the most. Quiet filled his surroundings, yet his head bursted with thoughts, ideas, worries.


Afternoon had settled and Grybil was descending for a small break when it happened. No sound warned them. One moment the sky was up, the next they were tumbling down. Howling and flailing, Grybil tried to level out. Olsten sensed a lancinating pain near Grybil's right wing. The wind whistled sharply in his ear, the ground rapidly drew closer. Olsten's stomach lurched. With the grace of a boulder rolling down a hill, Dragon and Rider crashed into the ground, their fall largely broken by snapping twigs. A blur of green and brown filled Olsten's vision before all turned dark.


Dirt filled his mouth. His head felt thick and swollen. Even as his eyes fluttered open, his limbs refused service as if he'd suddenly become fat and heavy. Grybil! No answer came. He didn't see his dragon anywhere near. It was as if Grybil had simply disappaered. Panic raced through his veins. He wanted to shout, but he'd forgotten how. Something was terribly wrong. As he rolled over from his side onto his back, a figure loomed over him. "Where...?" he started, terribly confused.
 
A rough landing, claws dug into the cavern floor, emitting sharp, twisted sounds as reptilian eyes flew wide open with barely-restrained rage in recognition of the Councilman.


In contrast, an honest-sounding chuckle emerged from Tronje as the diminutive Emasari slid gracefully from his dragon's saddle with usual grandeur, undeterred by Eelikas's increased feeling of alarm, though even he could not deny some qualms of his own when he took note of Wuld's position. He did not mind that Idhrenan would take it on herself to "represent" the group if need be, and he would not mind if Wuld took over, his own pride would not take offence to that.


The problem was the... incident that came to light just a week prior to the destruction of Haven. The one that reduced the diminutive Emasari to a drinking wreck at the time and was about to make him lose his position.


Alas... what was that feeling... was he forgetting something...


Eelikas's reaction was immediate. Scaled head jerking towards Tronje, eyes narrowing in concentration.


A single short moment, lasting less than a second.


Tronje's head gave a barely-noticeable twitch.


The moment was gone. The feeling was gone. What was the thought...


Your usual arrogance, your desire for notice, your enjoyment of attention. came Eelikas's surprisingly helpful advice, strangely uttered without contempt.


Disturbing, coming from her.


"Ah, thanks, girl." he mumbled, giving a carefree smile.


Tipping his hat in direction of the three new Wardens, his features gained a note of coquettish rebellion as he exclaimed with loud and clear voice "Emasari Tronje, greetings again, Councilman and fellows. Good to see that sitting idle by a fire in a cave is not just reserved for bandits these days. What about supplies? Any rumors?"


If he was to be demoted here and now, he would not go quietly at least.


Eelikas's calculating gaze set itself on Wuld again. The same enmity she felt for Idhrenan projected itself onto the Councilman. The same impending sense of doom.
 
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