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Fantasy The Dragon Wardens

The Mouth of the Mountain

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A smile continued to grace Wuld’s thin lips as his eyes continued to observe each new Dragon Warden. Hale’s formality caused a lighthearted chuckle to escape him airily, his hands placed over his chest as he leaned slightly backward in the jovial act. “Ah!” he said. “You warm my heart being so dedicated to our past, young man.”


Wuld came to a hold next to Hale and nodded to Kraeg as his hands rested upon his hips. The knee-length robes and tapered pants were just as dirty as the rest of them, though unlike the rest of them, he was the only one present completely wearing attire associated with Dragon Warden culture. Embroidery bordered the hem lines geometrically in once-silver thread now dulled with circumstance.


“But,” Wuld continued, “while I am an advocate to remembering our past and holding to tradition, in this case I would rather us drop the formalities. I am a former councilman.” His eyes turned to fall upon Tronje and lingered there in quiet thought for just a fraction of a moment before he spoke again. “Whatever we were or whatever we did burned away with the Haven.”


Wuld’s gaze fell upon Idhrenan as she curled a lock of free hair behind her ear. He eyed over her state of appearance objectively as he continued. “Carrying titles now will do us no good. We are pure equals once again.” Turning away from the Emasari, he scanned through the group once again, his smile widening. “Isn’t that lovely? We must take this bad situation and turn it for good. New leaders shall rise, but they will rise in an environment where all Dragon Wardens are equal. We have all survived a great deal of suffering. We should celebrate in our living and honor our dead by finding a way to continue on.”


The old half-elf turned to briefly look back at the other two Dragon Wardens by the fire in idle thought. Taklar mirrored Wuld’s friendly smile with his own, offering the man a slight nod of his head in agreement to his words before the former councilman turned back towards the new group. Sallen studied each newcomer carefully with crossed arms and a furrowed brow. Her dark eyes focused on Liola. Yisfel turned her head towards the fallen dragon and huffed a breath through her nostrils.


“It is good to see you alive and well, Tronje,” said Wuld as he took a step towards the eccentric man. “We had a couple of volunteers leave for a hunt not but an hour ago. They’ll hopefully be back soon with some food. In the meantime, help yourself to some coffee.” Wuld motioned towards the fire where a pot rested upon a rock. “Sallen brought it to us. It’s quite the rare delight. Come sit with us. The invitation, of course, extends to everyone. I will tell you what we know and our plans for the future.”


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

Eastern Thallas

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Cheers echoed through the mountain signing another victory for Thallas. The mountain ambush was a success and brought down another unsuspecting Dragon Warden, though this time they were not prepared for what they saw. Two groups split to contain their downed prey, the soldiers rushing towards the Dragon at one end of the slope and the rider further up the incline.


The soldiers headed towards Olsten slowed their pace as he rolled over. “It’s just a boy,” one said to himself in bewilderment. It was as though they had never imagined their enemies could be comprised of both old and young, that they would have to face a crossroads in their duties and morals.


“He’s an enemy of the queen,” another commanded. “Tie him up and get him on the wagon. We take him as soon as we’re ready to go. And put those damned cuffs on this time. Regioner Egioneir will be pissed if we lose another because of magic casting.”


They quickly set to tying the disoriented boy around his ankles and secured his wrists together behind his back. Occasionally one soldier would exchange a hesitant glance to the other as they silently contemplated their orders and actions. Olsten was just a boy and seemed to their minds less of a threat. Their hesitancy was more in knowing what was to come for the kid, for this was only the beginning.


The cuffs clanked together as they were locked in place over Olsten’s hands up to the bonds around his wrists. They were heavy, made of enchanted with symbols across the metal to ward off the effects of magic. The soldiers tugged on the cuffs to insure they were snuggly fit around the boy’s small wrists before hoisting him up over one shoulder to haul him to the wagon down at the foot of the mountain.


“I don’t like this,” the soldier that carried Olsten said. He looked over to his companion, a brunette woman of equal height and stature to him, with unease. “Think if it were your brother.”


“He’s not my brother,” she stated, though her low voice carried the same unease. “It’s not comparable.”


“I remember arresting Cullen,” he said quietly in return. “He was just a boy and-“


“Just do your job, Rel,” she said in return. “We’re just doing our job. Otherwise we commit treason. Do you want that on your record before you are put to death, soldier?”


A heavy sigh escaped the soldier named Rel as he carefully placed Olsten in the back of a horse-drawn wagon. He took the boy’s tied legs and shifted them fully into the cart before resting himself against the edge. The woman looked up towards where Grybil fell as soldiers gathered about the dragon’s form. Called commands echoed incoherently down through the barren winter trees as the group desperately tried to determine just how they were going to transport a dragon. The large ballista arrow protruded from his form. Five soldiers heaved it from the dragon’s body, the effort taking several tries before the large metal head was fully removed.


“We’re moving out,” commanded a soldier as he approached the woman and Rel. “The dragon will be brought to the queen when they can. We can go ahead and bring this one in.”


As the commander hoisted himself upon the seat of the wagon, Rel and the woman rushed to their horses and mounted to follow. The road leading to Rosenfall would not be a long travel.


@Macaberz
 
Feria and Ifer

More dragons. More people. She didn't like this. She was uncomfortable. She was a jumble of emotions as she clutched Zachary's necklace in her hand and stared at Liola. Feria was just a mess. Her hopes of Zachary being alive had been crushed. Liola was barely alive, and a stranger that she did not like was her only hope of saving her. Feria didn't want to be here. She was ready to throw the whole strength in numbers thing out the window.


Hale confused her. So helpful, rushing to save everyone when he could barely help himself. Or at least, that was how it looked to Feria. She felt in a constant state of panic, looking at Liola in that condition. Her chest was tight. He cheeks flushed, her eyes wide. She looked like a deer in the headlights and she absolutely hated it. Ifer could feel her tension. He made no move to comfort her, or anything at all, really. He was fixated on Liola.


Feria clenched her teeth together. She. Did. Not. Like. This.


They landed. Feria stayed with her hand on Ifer as he examined the new dragons and their riders. He snorted, unhappy with their current situation. He wasn't uncomfortable, like Feria. He just plain did not like people. Ifer went and sat right next to Liola, placing his head on the ground in what seemed to be a depressed way, snorting at Yisfel and Sallen and then closing his eyes.


Feria didn't know what overcame her, but she walked over to the other Ice Warden and stuck out her hand. After they had shaken hands, Feria lifted her chin and pointed to her purplish looking throat. She was in no way going to be properly introducing herself now.


@Effervescent
 
At Feria's movement, Hale glanced over at her, curious as to what she was about. Surely her throat head healed well enough by now to allow a sufficient greeting or introduction. But no. It looked as though he'd underestimated the caustic effect of the Shadow Magic, and while she might have healed some since the half-elf had treated her, Feria it seemed was not up to conversation just yet. Clearing his throat, Hale spoke up, addressing Wuld and the others.


"I apologize, fellow Wardens, and Feria, but it seems in my haste it escaped my mind that Feria here is incapable of speaking at the moment. A Shadow Mage attacked us; our Ice Warden here got to worst of it, I'm afraid." He glanced at the others, contemplative, before turning back to the former councilman. "But while I'm at it... Tronje and Idhrenan, and their dragons Eelikas and Eosphelon respectively, I assume you know already, given their, um, previous status now as Emasari. With Feria is Ifer. Bedside him sleeps a dragon we rescued; I'm afraid I as yet do not know her name. We also have with us Dinyla and Erramun, and lastly Ava and Feral."


As he spoke he gestured to those he named. He'd not intended to introduce his best friend last, in the place of honor, but he'd somehow managed to do so. A slight blush touched his cheek at the thought, but he tried to ignore it. Oddly, Hale couldn't decide whether he wanted her to have noticed or not.

Effervescent said:
Come sit with us. The invitation, of course, extends to everyone. I will tell you what we know and our plans for the future.”
Click to expand...
The half-elf shook his head as the older Warden's voice called him back to the present. Nodding, he made his shuffling way to the fireside.


"Thank you, sir. It'll be good to have a little direction in our lives."


The memory of the tavern still clawed at his brain, and anything that helped direct their actions and purpose was a good thing.


@CloudyBlueDay @Effervescent @LadyMatsudai @Keitsumah @Unwavering Knight
 
"Then let's sit, let's revel, let's drink and indulge!" Tronje exclaimed, grin widening in childish self-perceived victory over his former betters "And let's completely forget the piercing and impending sense of doom that lingers over all of us!" Giving a chuckle, he looked back expectantly at Eelikas, who simply remained silent, vigil kept on Wuld as an anxious animal would on the beginnings of a forest fire.


The Emasari's grin lessened only momentarily before he caught sight of the spectacle of Feria's silent but seemingly-sincere greeting. Putting on his most self-serving smile, Tronje stepped closer to the duo "A magnificent catch there, good Sallen, congratulations!"


Arms thrown open in welcome, the male Emasari's grin broadened further "They do, after all, say that the best women are of the sort that want to violently murder you in your sleep, the less reason they have, the riper they are for marriage!" his loud voice took on a chuckle, as he assuringly patted Sallen's shoulder "Don't worry, you need to restrain yourself only for as long as it takes her to eventually regain control over her jaws and try to eat your throat, that will be the perfect moment to propose and lead a happy family life!"


Head turning slowly towards Feria, mischief glinting brightly in his eyes, he looked her up and down in the suicidal manner of one having a cup of tea with oblivion incarnate "Wouldn't you agree, second-fairest of the land?"


@CloudyBlueDay @Effervescent
 
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The Mouth of the Mountain

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Thannel, the lone Vuaturi elf, felt out of place at such a gathering. He placed himself away from the Dragon Wardens to observe at a respectful distance. He was always curious of their culture and way of life and enjoyed the rare visits to the Haven. His eyes looked over to the injured dragon where she lay peacefully with another. Ifer looked sad, and Thannel wondered if there was perhaps an instinct within dragons to know if their kin would not make it through the night. The elf wished he knew more of first aid. He felt so useless. Even if he weren't injured, his magical abilities pale in comparison to everyone else around him.


Wuld gathered the Dragon Wardens around the fire as introductions were given. He greeted each one with a nod and a smile, but noticed the elf out on his own. The old man walked over to Thannel fluidly, his heels barely scuffing the stone floor as he approached and placed his hand upon the elf's back. "Come, he said as he gave him a little push, "sit with us. I'm sure you have an interesting tale to tell, to which I will ask for in detail later. But the fact that you are still with this group speaks to me. Join us as we discuss the coming days. You will likely be a part of it."


Hesitantly, Thannel complied and followed Wuld back to the circle around the fire. Sallen, a brutish looking ice caster, eyed Feria's throat to assess its current state. The taint was evident, but fortunately not as prominent as the day before. It still looked fairly bad to Sallen, and she winced at the sight.


"Nasty run in with a shadow caster, eh?" she commented. "You're lucky to be alive." Yisfel looked to Liola and Ifer and snorted before preening her feathers. Sallen tilted her head somewhat in thought, her weight shifting over to one leg as she glanced over to Liola before looking back at Feria. "Maybe she's why you're lucky. Looks like she got most of the taint. Shadow casters can't channel that effectively for long periods. I've seen taint make the strong weak and sick. It's unexplainable."


"It's an addiction," Thannel added. Idhrenan's brow furrowed in thought as she sat down. Wuld ladled a portion of dark coffee into a tin cup and held it out to her. She looked from the elf to the cup, Wuld explaining to her in a soft whisper that there was likely enough cups to go around. Idhrenan nodded as Thannel continued. "The pain is soothed with more exposure to Shadow Magic. I experienced it with Vorstag."


As Thannel continued his explanation, however, Tronje had approached the two Ice Casters in his boisterous fashion. Sallen's expression dulled to unimpressed and settled into annoyed as the Emasari continued. "I think you need to sit down," Sallen said to him. "We've got a lot to discuss."


"Well," Wuld said thoughtfully as he pretended to ignore Tronje, "that is quite fascinating." He ladled out another cup of coffee and held it out towards Hale. "Now, we have heard quite a number of rumors come about here. We've had several groups come and go bringing about their own news. The most unsettling rumor we've heard is that there is activity in the Orcish Lands suggesting a possible siege upon the Woodlands of Valnahar. A few of our kin took refuge at the Ruins of Sol'davur and were attacked. They told us as they flew away they saw far too many lights than the previous nights. It's quite alarming. While this may relieve the tension upon us, and possibly suspend the man hunt as the threat spreads, we could also seize this opportunity to do what we were born to do; help others."


@Keitsumah @LadyMatsudai @Unwavering Knight @Red Thunder @CloudyBlueDay
 
The trip to the Mountain had taken a lot out of Erramun to the point where he had climbed up the side of the mountain itself instead of flying, delaying his arrival a little with a sleeping Dinyla on his back. The color had returned to her face, gaining her strength after the illness of fatigue and little nutrition consumed her mind, body, and soul for days, the medicine the goat creature had given to her finally bringing her back around. Erramun growled to announce his arrival upon reaching the top of the mountain, breathing heavily before his whole body shook like a dog, muscles aching from the endless climb. The quick shake side to side made Dinyla stir quickly from her slumber, hands pawing at her scarred blind eyes before tiredly moving to the side of the saddle to lower herself down to the ground. Erramun quickly caught her dangling feet with his snout, lowering the Warden to the ground before watching her slowly walk in front of him, her fingers trailing along his strong scaled side to direct herself accordingly. She could hear the voice of an older man in the distance, unsure to who they might be before Hale had introduced her and Erramun, both Warden and dragon bowing respectfully towards the elder Wardens.


Dinyla's ears twitched to the sound of feet shuffling to approach the crackling fire, her hands spread out in front of her as she took hesitant steps forward. She gasped to Erramun's snout bumping her hands before using his head to guide her towards the fire, nose leading the way before making her stop beside a rock to let her sit. Patting the air as fingers brushed against the stone, Dinyla patted Erramun's head in thanks and settled down, remaining quiet while Wuld had explained the latest news from the lands.


(( OOC: Sorry this took so long :( ))


@Effervescent @Unwavering Knight @Red Thunder @CloudyBlueDay @Keitsumah
 
Feria and Ifer

Feria glanced over at Hale. She had hoped someone would have explained her predicament sooner but now would have to do. As simple and to the point as his explanation was, Feria thought it made her sound weak. But she perked up at Hale stating that they did not know the injured dragon's name. Feria was certain she'd spoken her name when they'd found her, despite the pain it caused her. She let out a tiny sigh and turned back to the other ice caster.


Feria listened intently to Sallen. The woman had captured Feria's attention, she seemed smart and Feria instantly took a liking to her, which was very rare. There was just something about her. She seemed very down to earth and Feria liked that. As the Warden spoke, she turned to look at Liola sleeping rather peacefully alongside Ifer, her hissed at Yisfel when the dragon snorted. Feria was incredibly grateful that she was alive, even if she still ached for the return of Zachary. It had not crossed her mind that Liola had.. protected her in a way. By taking the worst of Vorstag's terrible Shadow Magic, had she really saved Feria from further harm? An addiction, the elf said. All she could do was nod.


Only to be interrupted by that stupid Tronje. "A magnificent catch there, good Sallen, congratulations!" Feria's eyes first widened, and then narrowed, and if she could, she would have spouted a lot of curse words but she settled for covering her face with her hand. "They do, after all, say that the best women are of the sort that want to violently murder you in your sleep, the less reason they have, the riper they are for marriage! Don't worry, you need to restrain yourself only for as long as it takes her to eventually regain control over her jaws and try to eat your throat, that will be the perfect moment to propose and lead a happy family life!" Words could not describe how irritated this made Feria. She was boiling inside. This was ridiculous.


"Wouldn't you agree, second-fairest of the land?" As much as she would've loved to kick him right between the legs, she would look like an idiot. It was so hard without words. So she settled on one.


"No." It hurt to say it. Physically, most certainly not mentally. Maybe not as much as it did a few days ago but it definetly hurt. Her voice was awfully scratchy and hoarse. Feria winced at the sound of it. She turned away from Tronje without another word and towards the other wardens.


Feria was itching to explain to them Liola, her rider, and her history, but she could not. The memory of Zach was plaguing her. Taunting her. His laugh echoed in her head and she squeezed her eyes shut, trying to block it out. The necklace glowed bright. It did not help.


Taking a deep breath and gesturing towards anyone at all, she pretended to hold a quill and write, hoping someone would have the means for her to communicate.
 
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Ava and Feral



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"Here." A quill and scrap of winkled paper were carefully placed in Feria's hands, along with a vial. But instead of ink, something red sloshed inside.


Ava shrugged apologetically. "Ink isn't exactly easy to come across, even with my scavenging nature, but the deer's blood from last night should do well enough." she said as she moved to sit in front of Feral, who had laid down neatly beside Hale. Using her dragon's crossed forelegs like a bench, Ava snuck a slight smirk in the half-elf's direction at him mentioning her last when they'd been introduced. Why was he embarassed?


But upon listening to the elder speak of orcs, her whole body tensed up like a wire and the ground in a circle around her suddenly sparked. "Orcs?" Feral moved a paw, disupting Ava's seat, and patted out the tiny flames, but the lack of control of her powers made Ava flinch and withdraw a bit, her brows scrunching together so her fear didn't escape in a physical form again. Shadow mages topped her list, but Orcs were close behind on that same list...
 
The Mouth of the Mountain

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Just as Wuld was about to continue, he stopped just before his words were released upon noticing the return of the two scavengers sent out to find food for the rest. With them, however, were several other Dragon Wardens not far behind, their descent and landing deepening the wrinkles around the old man's face as he smiled brightly. "Ah! More to join us! How wonderful! Come! Resfald, Darn, introduce us to the newcomers."


Resfald and Darn held a striking resemblance to each other, being one of the rare occasions of identical twin Dragon Wardens. Their red hair was cropped short and simple with the top tuft a bed of curls in a haphazard mess from the wind. The two men were tall and lanky, and their fair skin held a tinge of red from being flush from flight. Their dragons released a stag and a boar from their grasps, placing the two kills gently by the group around the fire before slinking off to a corner away from the strangers.


"We ran into a few more," Resfald said as he brought out a large knife and began skinning the deer.


"We've got Nora and Sigfel, Gunter and Ballad, and Vant and Esher," Darn added before cutting into the boar.


The trio didn't sit right with Idhrenan. Something felt...off. As they dismounted from their dragon companions and stepped closer to the firelight, she could see the dark circles around their eyes and sickly looking features. They looked malnourished and just as poorly as Dinyla just the other night. The Emasari looked over to Tronje thoughtfully to gauge whether or not the Arcane Caster felt the unease she felt.


"Councilman Wuld," Vant began as he approached. His dragon slithered behind him and halted, his head turning thoughtfully towards Feral.


"Former councilman," Wuld corrected as he ladled another tin cup of coffee and chuckled as he held it out towards Feria. "Ah, it looks like we might need to share cups!"


"Apologies," Vant continued, ignoring Wuld's jovial disposition. While he did not look to the gathered just yet, the other Dragon Wardens behind him took care to study everyone gathered with bland expressions. "We came to present a solution to our ever growing oppression against our people."


"Ah! We were just discussing that very same thing, my boy," Wuld said. "Come and tell us your solution."


Vant continued further only pausing momentarily in his tracks as he saw Ava and Hale. His features hardened with determination, his stance straightening as he spoke further in confidence. "I am not sure if you noticed, but our magic is no longer enough. We were once the strongest casters this land has ever known, and yet we are being torn down so easily. Our numbers dwindle, which only makes them stronger. I know it is looked down upon, but there is a greater power than our own. Wallace Savere has promised to protect our kind if we join his cause. He's a good-"


Sallen jumped up from her seat in immediate protest. "Don't you dare finish that sentence," she threatened.


@Keitsumah @Red Thunder @LadyMatsudai @Unwavering Knight @CloudyBlueDay
 
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Ava and Feral

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Ava stood stock still, her gaze focused on the spot on the ground just where she had been about to stand and move away from Feria. She didn't even have to look up to see him. Feral was already crouched between them, head lowered, jaws open slightly as the skin spread on the back of her neck and the end of her tail to make her look like a spined cobra, her scales rattling together as a deep growl shook the ground beneath their feet.


Finally, her movements stiff, Ava stood to her full height, short as she was, and took the three strides to her dragon's side, her amber eyes focused on Vant's face. Her expression was just as bland as the other dragon Wardens as she looked them over in turn, but to those who looked closely they could see the gravel beneath her boots begin to smolder and smoke ever so slightly.


The flames captured in the scales of her throat flickered vividly as Feral crouched lower, the growl never ceasing as she kept her gaze on the other serpentine dragon. Ava felt the first cold flood of true hatred that she had felt in a long time from her dragon, and knew that if it wasn't for their bond, and for the number of Wardens around them, the she-drake would have attacked and ripped into the other dragon's throat in an instant.


When Ava spoke, her words were hushed, sounding almost accusatory. "I thought you were dead."
 
Defying all odds, Feria's reaction merely served to further broaden Tronje's grin, causing him to give a bow akin to a showmaster as he exclaimed with overdrawn drama "Such coldness, such detriment, such denial! Were you covered in the blood and entrails of a thousand foes, I would declare you the title I gave you earlier, though now I must admit, I lied, for you lack the height, the teeth, the horns to be the second-fairest." He tipped his beloved hat towards her, voice bearing honest pity "The third-fairest is your title. My condolences." Giving a laugh, nonsensical provocation done for the moment, the arcane Emasari took his leave, 'off the stage' as he liked to call it.


'Are you done reveling in your pathetic self-gratification yet?' Eelikas's searing mentality intoned, claws digging into the ground as she glowered over at her Warden.


"As if you would be doing any different day in, day out my dear." he smiled up at his perpetually-agitated dragon.


'I am trying to keep us alive, yet all that you do is run around, drawing attention like a whore in heat! Why do you have to incessantly scream at everyone a variety of "Kill me! Kill me!" ?!'


Tronje's grin wavered, lessened, simple self-enjoyment turning to wry mischief as he waved up at his dragon "Oh my dear, dear, little girl, you appear to be suffering from a misconception most grave! Get down here, let me tell you what it is!" He beckoned for her to lower her head onto his level.


The dragon gave a derisive snort, but doggedly followed the command as always, eyes betraying curiosity. It was not like Tronje to miss a chance to appear as ridiculous by seemingly continuing to speak to thin air. The diminutive Emasari gently grasped the dragon's horn, leveraging himself to her side till his mouth could directly whisper into her scaled ear-piece "Girl, I am not screaming 'Kill me!'." he gave his most carefree smile as he continued with sickeningly-sweet patronage "I yell 'Kill me if you can!'." As Eelikas drew back with sudden force, his voice rang louder, now devoid of amusement "You know all too well, girl: Self-loathing is the most powerful of all motivators."


Looking thoughtfully at the locket tied to his neck, the Emasari gave one last saddened grin before turning his back to the arcane dragon.


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


Eelikas greeted the newcomers with her usual suspicion-filled glare, though Tronje was able to pick up a distinct feeling of alarm. As the three afflicted ones spoke, the diminutive Emasari did not betray the concern that slowly welled up in his heart, turning to defined dislike. Feeling Idhrenan's gaze on him, he returned it with a knowing nod, allowing her to see his disapprobation for the newcomer's words. But before he could step forward and make his case, Ava and Feral reacted with slight drama to one, eliciting the desire to just sit back and watch the show, let the young ones have their fun and broken limbs. But unfortunately, simple reunions had already taken place, and the Emasari had no desire to change the subject from the current matter at hand.


Giving a sigh, Tronje strode forward, between the newly-arrived and the agitated fire-duo. Eelikas tensed, wordlessly communicating to anyone that watched her readiness to engage if someone lay a hand on her Warden.


"Oh dear, oh dear, quite the news you bring, good sir. The name Savere bears so many... let us call them 'thoughts'." Tronje presented his smiling self, arms wide open in a gesture of welcoming "Declaring justice before killing, then getting fought and fleeing, most certainly while vowing vengeance, the usual tale of the poor man that just wants a place in the world for his kin, from the uninvolved outsider's perspective, one that can be related to by us, we who we are in such a similar situation these days, being run ragged and huddling around campfires like lowly bandits and all."


Tronje gave a mock-sigh, overexpressing self-pity, before his eyes suddenly took on a pronounced coldness, smile instantly vanishing from his face as he continued "But exactly that similarity is what renders me all too questioning. We all here heard the rumors, the reasons dear Queen Malan of Thallas gave for her attack on Haven: Attacks. Attacks by unnamed Dragon Wardens, slaughters of innocent villages and isolated patrols without provocation. The validity of these rumors was never confirmed, true enough, but seeing you here, ready to drive us into Savere's arms, embracing him as some sort of savior, makes me wonder: Was it perhaps he that gave Thallas her reason to attack us, for just the purpose of having the ragged remains of our kind driven to join his crusade? That, after all, would be just what he would need to reemerge."


Just as sudden as his coldness had emerged, it vanished, again replaced by a warm smile and a welcomingly quirked eyebrow. Tronje did not expect much of a confirmation, all that he required was a reaction.
 

Olsten.

collab with Effervescent.
​



The midday sunlight provided little warmth in the Winter. The road to Rosenfall was brightly lit as the leafless tree branches jutted overhead. A horse-drawn cart guarded by two riders on horseback hobbled steadily ahead. They weren't in any hurry.


Flitting in and out of consciousness, it wasn’t until he’d been put on the cart that Olsten's awareness returned. One side of his face felt thick and swollen and tiny needles pricked at his cheek. His legs felt like they’d been mangled in a grinder. Bones ached and throbbed as the cart hobbled forward. Propping himself up he wistfully glanced around. Grybil was gone. Soldiers, three in total, escorted him. If Grybil was hurt…He tried to reach out, but his mind hit a black nothingness. Cold sweat dripped through his hair. He was alone. It was as if part of his mind had been mercilessly stripped away.


Burning eyes settled on his escorts. He would rip their hearts from their chest, gouge out their eyes and roast their intestines for this. If they even dared to come near to Grybil, if they even so much as touched him…


But no fire came to his palms. No rush of power coursed through his veins. Instead, his arms quivered like strings. It was only then that he became aware of the cuffs burdening his wrists. It was as if the cold steel hungrily soaked up his efforts to spark a flame.


Or…His mind somersaulted at the thought. Magic stemmed from Dragons. If he had lost his magic, then perhaps...It can’t be, he told himself through gritted teeth. He’s still alive. He must be. He…


“Hey,” he scooted over to face the two mounted guards trotting casually behind the cart. The blacks and brown leathers common to Thall soldiers betrayed their destination. The two soldiers could've been brother and sister as they were of equal length and toted the same brown hair. The male looked the friendlier of the two. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was Grybil.


“Where’s my dragon? What did you do to him?” Olsten's voice was as gruff and coarse as the dirt he’d landed in.


The male soldier called Rel smirked as he looked over at his brunette comrade. She did not share in his amusement and instead frowned at Olsten's consciousness. Rel's grin faded and smoothed to seriousness with a forced cough. "Your dragon was shot down," he explained. "It's being handled back on the mountain."


Handled. That was a nice word for what he imagined to be a rough and careless undertaking. Shifting that much dead weight around would take time and effort. He hoped they would choke on their own sweat.


"So is this it then?" He looked up at Rel. "I hope you have a good night's sleep after this. You know, after you've killed the last peacekeeper in these lands. Please do pride yourselves..." A moment of silence lingered between them. Almost he'd said 'one' of the last peacekeepers but that would've betrayed there were others. If he couldn't save his own live, he could at least try to convince them there was no one else left. His thoughts lingered on the subject for a moment. What if they would torture Grybil or him, to make him point out other wardens? What if they knew? His skin crawled at the thought.


"Will I at least get to see him once more before...you know..." he furiously bit his lips,


The horses hooves muted by the dry dirt road cut through the silence. The woman kept her gaze outward to scan their surroundings and the driver's attention remained ahead as he kept silent in his eavesdropping. Rel resituated himself within his saddle that groaned with the action.


"No," Rel responded. Another bout of silence between them grew as the soldier fought an internal battle. His eyes darted about thoughtfully as he tried to conjure up words that would be of better news. "But it may be possible later."


The woman glanced over to him sidelong, though did not interject as he continued. "If you are truly the last of your people, it may be possible for the good queen to spare you and your dragon."


"Don't fill his head with nonsense, Rel," the driver said. His tone was exasperated, as if he expected Rel to say something of the sort.


"Apologies, sir," Rel responded.


"I am the last," Olsten whispered, head hanging in defeat. With a bit of luck those words would save him and others alike. His mind returned to his companions. For all he knew they'd already been captured and killed and he was, inadvertently, speaking the truth. "Won't you at least tell me why? Why the hunts? The bounties? What harm have we ever done to you lot?"


Another silent pause as Olsten's questions inspired deep thought within the Thall trio. The woman continued to act disinterested, and the rider pretended not to even hear. Rel's thoughtful gaze moved from his comrade to his superior, his mouth hanging open somewhat for a moment before he built up the gumption to speak his mind.


"I think we all ask ourselves that question at some point in our career," Rel explained. "We're part of the queen's army. We do what we are told because that is what we signed up to do. The bounties I guess are a form for people outside to exploit Her Majesty's goals. They aren't officially sanctioned, but she doesn't frown upon the means."


"Your kind is not innocent," the woman cut in. "Queen Malan told us of the Butchering of Edlenfeld."


"Butchering? Butchering?" A mirthless chuckle escaped Olsten. "You're fine with slaughtering an entire order because of some filthy lie made up by your bitch Queen? Because you're blindly following orders?" He spat at them. "Why would any Dragon Warden ever butcher anyone? It makes no sense! It's a lie!" Anger colored his cheeks like the dried blood on his temple. Cuffs clattered as he tried to break free so he could punch some sense into his captors."You're the butchers!"


The commanding officer pulled on the reigns and halted the wagon at Olsten's words. The other two followed suit, confusion evident in Rel's features as he kept his gaze on his superior. The man hopped off the cart with a grunt.


Rounding the wagon, the man grabbed Olsten by his arms just above the elbows and hoisted him off the cart and onto his feet. Holding the boy in place, he spoke in a calm tone.


"You are young, and for that I will excuse your ignorance. It isn't our fault your leaders did not inform you of the negotiations between our people. It isn't Queen Malan's fault that your people refuse to give up the darkness in their hearts. Because of what your people did, because of the butchering, we were forced to fight a battle against the undead. We had to watch our loved ones march against us as puppets to Savere. We spent three days in battle trying to find a way to end their suffering."


Rel shifted in his saddle as he listened, his eyes occasionally glancing to his stoic comrade to gauge her reaction to the tale. She stared down at the boy and her superior with a hardened frown.


"Please tell me they have not corrupted you," the officer said as he searched Olsten's gaze. "It would sicken my heart."


"You've gotten it all mixed up," he muttered, "it can't be...they would never..." Only the sound of his rumbling stomach and impatient horses ruptured the brief quiet that followed. "I do know of Savere though, I-"


He sighed.


"I killed Vorstag. He was a Shadow mage under Savere's command. He was hunting Wardens you see, he wore a cape lined not with fur, but hair of the Warden's he'd killed for profit." Eyes flitted between his three captors, hoping to see their hard expressions dissolve into kinder ones. "Vorstag was trying to reach Savere for something, but I don't know what. I only remember him saying...saying-" The crash landing had done little to aid him in recalling Vorstag's exact words. Olsten's features contorted into a pained expression as he tried to recall them. "Something about all feared is ignorance. But Savere never picked up. It was a trap you see, and I killed him, though he hit me too and...a-and..." He gazed at the sky. "I don't understand what's going on, but I've no part in any butchering."


The officer watched the boy as he explained himself. Rel listened in more intently than the woman, though at the mention of Savere she turned to watch the interaction between Olsten and her superior.


"I cannot free you," the officer explained. "The information you carry has incredible value if it is true. When you are presented before Her Majesty's Court, it would be wise to inform them of what happened with this Vorstag. I will send Rel back to the mountain to insure your dragon is kept alive if it survived the fall."


Before continuing, the man looked up to Rel and nodded to him in silent command. Rel returned the nod as he instructed his horse to turn about with a pull of his reins. The soldier galloped away, the horse's hooves pounding rhythmically against the dusty road. The officer looked back to Olsten.


"Would you like to continue your journey up front with me, or would you like to remain in the back of the cart? I assure you, it's a better ride where I sit."


A curt nod was given in reply. Now seated next to the officer, Olsten got a closer look at his leathers. His heart sank through his abdomen like a stone in water. Fire-protected armor. No wonder they dare come so close to a Dragon. In Haven he'd worn similar armor, only of a finer make. The runes scratched into the leather kept fire, even dragon-fire, at bay. Magic wasn't going to save him, though maybe words could.


Almost a minute went by before Olsten spoke again, voice deliberately low. "Why are you helping me? I am no fool, it can't be just kindness." Narrowed eyes bore into the officer as the cart hobbled forth. "If there's something you mean to tell me, do it now, I am running out of time." It wasn't exactly polite, but Olsten wagered the man had something up his sleeve. Had they not been riding towards courts and gallows, he would've been more patient. But time was running out and he felt the man needed to be pressed into answering.


The officer flecked the reins, and the cart jolted initially before slowly continuing its course. The commander was content in the silence, his eyes forward and the reins held loosely in his gloved hands. The boy's doubt came as no surprise to him.


"Is a man not allowed to be kind?" he asked rhetorically. He didn't bother to lower his voice. "But your people are extraordinarily keen."


"Just tell him," the woman cut in. The officer slowly looked back to her, his brow raising to accompany a stern gaze. "Apologies, sir."


"Well," the man began as he turned back to face forward, "I see no point in keeping it from you. We believe your kind has a sect of...deviants working with Savere. It's treason for us to suggest it, or even consider that not every Dragon Warden is evil. But you have the opportunity to speak out against such claims and maybe we can all go after the right people."


"Every other Dragon Warden that has been taken to the queen has remained silent or lashed out in anger," the woman added.


Olsten quirked an eyebrow at the officer but didn't speak. If his wrists weren't growing cold and numb, it would've been quite a lovely ride as Rosenfall drew ever closer. "I am pretty sure I am not like any other Dragon Warden," he sighed quietly.
 

Hale and Kraeg



​



That voice.


His lips pursed in displeasure, Hale turned at the sound of Vant's voice, anxious to lay eyes upon the man that had caused him trouble in the past. His anger bled over to Kraeg through their connection, and the Wyrm glared at the back of the offending Fire Mage's head from where he still sat toward the cave's entrance. The clack of the half-elf's quarter staff echoed sharply within the relatively tight walls of the stone hideout, and Hale came to a stop after a few steps, as if the action was more symbolic than anything. He glanced at Ava, seeking her eye, but she seemed like a cornered cat: tense, frightened, and dangerous. Feral's behavior wasn't helping; she was evidently as upset as her Warden. The cripple placed a comforting hand on his friend's shoulder, giving a squeeze of support and comfort. Now is not the time. But neither Warden nor she-drake seemed ready to put aside the past, even for the moment. Nor, it seemed, did Tronje; he referenced rumors, tales, and reports, none of which cast the one in question in a positive light. But the Arcane Mage did at least make valid points.


"'Savere.' 'Madman.' 'Shadow Lord.' What Tronje says is certainly well known to all present. One would have had to have been living within a cave during the last days of Haven to have not heard them. I should know: I was, and these names and rumors still reached my ears. So please inform us, you new-comers: why should we trust him? Vant here says there is greater power to be had. I can only assume he means Shadow Magic."


Glancing around them, the Earth Mage smiled. He made a sweeping gesture with his free hand, leaning upon his staff with the other, and turned his attention to his comrades and those who had come to the cave before them.


"'Greater power.' The power over the dead. An unholy strength. I for one would rather die, carried by my own strength and the strength of my brethren, than live, having prolonged that life by that black magic."


@Keitsumah @Unwavering Knight @Effervescent
 
The Mouth of the Mountain

​



"I thought you were dead."


The obvious tension between Ava and Vant was palpable in the stillness of the cavern. Resfald slowed his carving of the deer, his head looking over to his brother before casting a questioning look towards the unfamiliar group. Vant, cut off by Sallen, remained quiet now as he stared down the familiar girl. His two sullen companions resituated their stances with either anticipation or unease and exchanged thoughtful glances.


Feral's defensive stance put Eosphelon on edge. He let out a yelp and a whimper, snapping his jaws as he looked from Feral to the dragons of the newcomers. He didn't like them. Idhrenan couldn't tell if he didn't like them because of Feral's reaction, or if there was a threat. She briefly turned her attention to the unfamiliar dragons as Tronje and Hale made their observations. They made excellent points, and points she could sense were on the right track. The other dragons looked normal, yet their movements were off. They stood as still as stone, their eyes focused on Vant and Ava.


Wuld's smile had since disappeared at the mention of Savere."Savere is the reason our people are being hunted, young man," he said calmly, though his expression was stern.


Idhrenan calmly walked over to Tronje as the tense conversation continued. She lowered her voice to speak to him in a whisper. "I have a bad feeling. Do you have much experience against Shadow Casters?"


"No, please," Vant cut in, turning away from Ava and Hale. "Savere was trying to stop the rogue Dragon Wardens. They strayed from our ways and slaughtered those people. They went mad!"


"Shadow magic isn't bad!" one of Vant's comrades, a girl with olive skin and curly red hair pulled back in a thick ponytail, exclaimed. Her brow was furrowed as she stared at Hale in anger. "Savere is a good man who used it to try to save the Thall people!He succeeded! Even now, the people live. He has shown us the way, and you should be more open minded!"


"They won't listen to reason," the other comrade spoke softly.


Vant turned his gaze back to Hale and Ava with contempt. "No, not with these two. They're idiots. Rumor has it some Dragon Warden with fangs is one of the evil ones, anyway. I hear it through the land. Don't trust the many-fanged Fire Dragon Warden with a spiked dragon companion. She tried to kill a Guide in the Cliffs of Anova."


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

Eastern Thallas

​



The cart began its rickety trek once again across the worn dirt roads leading to Rosenfall. The winter air was crisper in Thallas and more akin to conditions once experienced at The Haven. The woman kept her horse behind the cart, her eyes fixed to constantly scan through the trees and behind them for signs of some disturbance. With the woods so barren of greenery, it was easy to see a good distance before things were just a mesh of browns. Fifty yards away, a family of wild turkey slowly paced through the dried leaves uncaring of their presence so far away.


"I'm AddiverCald," the commanding officer finally said to Olsten. "Miss Funpants back there and I are Dragon Warden sympathizers. I guess you call them Guides? Is that right Miss Funpants?" He leaned back and looked over at his subordinate who pursed her lips in response.


"Guildes has been the term used, sir," she responded in monotone. Satisfied, Addiver looked back at Olsten and nodded.


"It's taken us a long time to get here on this duty," he continued. "This is our third run. One of them we couldn't really tell if they were corrupt, and the other refused to talk to us. So tell us, what makes you feel you're not like any other Dragon Warden?"


@Macaberz
 

:Ava and Feral:


BloodBound



​



"He never once came to harm. We warned him not to come near, yet he did. Fire Wardens are rather famous for making a little light show when we're pissed off aren't we, Vant? Gotta give him credit for the amount of guts he had to enter that cave though. He got out fine."


Ava leaned against her dragon's chest nonchalantly a she spoke, not once looking at the other Wardens. "I did what I had to to survive. I did what I did because after what happened at Haven, I do not trust anyone but other Wardens." she bared her teeth, her fangs glinting. "This was so I could survive more readily on what meat was available: fish and seagulls. I did not trust myself to be able to survive by stealing from others. Either Feral would kill them to defend me or they would kill us. You yourself have pointed out so many times how... proficient I am with my magic." She flicked her wrist and sparks flew to one side. "My controlled magic may as well be nonexistent. So I resort to more natural tools. My swords. Intimidation. Feral's wings and her speed along the ground. If I am one of the evil ones, then why am I not currently flying around and burning villages to the ground? Why am I following these Wardens who are trying to find a solution?"


Her eyes sparked and her hands wrapped around herself tightly as she hissed. "I swore an oath that I have since broken out of fear. Fear of myself, and of what would happen to the others if I had gone through with it. And now the face of that boy will haunt me for the rest of my days. You do not see a child and his hatchling torn from the sky and crushed beneath soldier's boots when they should have grown and prospered and become the beacon of all that we were before all of this. Shit. Happened!"


Her body was visibly shaking as she stood leaning against her dragon, and Feral curled her neck so she could rest her head above her Warden's. The she-drake stopped growling long enough to look over to Kraeg and then, surprisingly, to Eelikas. Her nostrils flared and contracted, communicating that something was off about these other Wardens and their dragons, and she was wondering if they sensed it too. But as soon as the interaction passed between them she turned her head back to focus on Vant, curling her wings slightly around her Warden.


As her Warden grew more upset the fire dragon stepped forward and gently nosed the girl under one wing to hide her away from the prying eyes of the others, before she stood taller and looked Vant's dragon square in the eye. He had not one moved through that whole interlude, and she needed to know for sure.


Building up the sound in the back of her throat, Feral let out a high-pitched note that only other dragons would hear and react to. Her jaws were closed, so even the humans or elves could not see what she was doing and anticipate it. It was the call a female fire dragon would make when her nest was in danger, and such sounds were known to attract enough attention from an entire flight of dragons as to number in the hundreds when the cry was desperate enough. But for this, she wanted to see how the other Warden's dragons reacted. If they were "right" she should see distress. But if they were not...





Fear caused her to shift her position just slightly. Her hind-legs bunched, her forelegs tensed and prepared to carry her Warden into the sky to safety.


@Effervescent
 
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Hale and Kraeg

The branches of the trees on the great Wyrm's back were shifting gently, simulated through the trunks by Tony movements of muscles in Kraeg's back. Feral, as she glanced at him, would recognize the behavior, and it certainly reflected her own suspicions: he didn't like something about these new ones either.


At Ava's outburst, Hale turned back and placed a hand on her shoulder again.


"We've all seen things on and since that day. Awful things. Things one wouldn't wish on their own enemy." He looked about, taking time to stare purposely into Vant's hated face. "The fact is that these things have been done to us. To all Wardens. Now obviously there's disagreement on the method in which we survive. But we still need each other; we're already too few as it is."


Back toward the cave's entrance, Kraeg snapped his head around at the sound of Feral's cry, fear and rage flooding the empathic link between dragon and Warden. His huge eyes roved, seeking the threat that it seemed the she-drake had identified or feared. His body tensed; his Hale, his crippled ward, was out of reach, blocked by a few dragons and their Wardens, both friendly and potentially not. If there was danger, the Wyrm might have a great deal of trouble getting to him. But Hale, for his part, didn't react to his dragon's emotion, choosing instead to focus his efforts on getting this group to work together.
 
Everything just seemed to d falling apart with these new Wardens stirring the pot. Turning to the man who was responsible for the deaths of so many of their kind? Unthinkable. But these three Wardens, these threesome souls that saw promise in such an offer could only crack under the pressure to guarantee their safety. Dinyla slowly forced herself to sit up, hearing all of the exchanges between the others was starting to make her upset. Erramun carefully began to help Dinyla to her feet, his broad chest providing her a solid surface to lean on as her tired eyes glance in the direction of the others.


"Rebellion? That is your solution, sir Vant? To destroy the ideals of the Wardens for a man who does not think twice about his men. The promise he made to you are empty words with his eye focused on the prize. The reason we are being defeated so easily is our spirit is broken," started the diplomat as she tucked some of her red hair behind her ear. "This is both a battle of the blade and of words, sir Vant. If you are resorting to just the blade to answer the question of who wins this war...then you already lost."


Erramun blinked to the sound of Feral's silent cry, a deep rumble spreading through his chest, enough for Dinyla to hear as she laid her hand on his chest to calm her massive friend. Something had him on edge and Dinyla could tell the difference to him being overprotective and attentive. In this case, it was the latter. Her head turned a little more to gather the sense of where everyone stood, their voices giving her a vision in be mind's eye there was enough space between the two groups. Just enough space...she thought to herself.


@Effervescent
 
The Mouth of the Mountain

​



Wuld took in a deep, calming breath as he set his jaw. Sallen looked at Feria thoughtfully as she crossed her arms over her chest defensively and rested against her dragon companion. The grizzly looking woman eyed the other Ice Caster over, quickly before looking over to the unwelcomed Dragon Wardens. Her shaved head gave a quick nod towards the newcomers.


“Can you believe this shit?” she asked Feria rhetorically before rolling her eyes and shaking her head in disbelief. Feral’s shrill cry jolted Yisfel upward, her muscles tensing. Sallen was bumped forward, and she nearly ran into Thannel. The elf quickly held out his uninjured hand like a buffer, but the Dragon Warden retracted from his touch just as quick. Thannel, unsure of what to interpret, bowed his head apologetically and returned his attention to the tension.


Eosphelon whined. Feral’s scream was sensory overload for the arcane dragon. His instincts were on edge trying to make sense of a nagging feeling, and his distractions only carried to Idhrenan to further the confusion. He looked up at the cloudy sky where the cavern’s mouth opened up at the mountain’s peak. Wuld’s dragon companion, Centuron, could barely be seen upon her perch where she searched the skies for signs of newcomers. It looked far more peaceful up there, and far less stressful. Eosphelon crouched as he pondered the idea of hanging out with the Earth dragon above, but Idhrenan urged him to stay.


Protect the injured dragon, Idhrenan thought to Eosphelon. While the dragon could not respond in such a concise manner, she felt him agree, and without reluctance the dragon walked over to Liola. He hesitantly glanced at Ifer before sitting.


“You should listen to those around you,” Wuld said to the unwelcomed guests as he motioned to Ava, Hale, and Dinyla. Vant gritted his teeth as he looked between his former girlfriend and her half-elf companion. Escher, his serpent-like dragon, slithered slowly around his back towards Hale.


“I can’t believe they’re falling for your pathetic excuses, Ava,” Vant said. “Everyone knows you don’t have to sharpen your teeth to cut through soft meat like fish and poultry. Or any meat at all. No. You were always for theatrics. Always the drama queen giving Queen Malan a run for her money. That poor, poor Guide. He helped me, you know. Julaeus. When he told me about some crazed Dragon Warden on the loose, I knew I had to come here to warn the last good of our kind.”


“Let’s kill the little bitch,” the olive-skinned Dragon Warden suggested. “We have to purge the bad, and she’s brainwashed them all. We need to cut off her power so their minds can be freed.”


The mention of murder set off alarms as Sallen and Taklar stood in alert. But the conflict could not be resolved so quickly with words, for almost immediately Vant gave a nod and shot his hand out towards Ava’s heart. Simultaneously, Escher inhaled deeply, his body glowing a vibrant hue of purple under his scales as he aimed towards Feral. As one, they cast their dark magic in a channeled beam at their targets. Vant’s two comrades and their dragons watched and waited for any possible retaliation, the same purple glow faintly emanating from the statuesque dragons.


@Keitsumah @Red Thunder @Unwavering Knight @LadyMatsudai @CloudyBlueDay
 
Without any change in expression, Feria snatched up the paper and 'ink'. It did not rustle her at all that it was deer blood. She was, actually, rather thrilled to be able to speak in any way at all. It may have only been a day, but Feria felt like it had been months. She wrote furiously, trying to ignore the surroundings best as she could. Orcs. New people. It all flew by her, until the former councilman, whom insisted he be called that, shoved a cup of coffee in her face, which she took gingerly. It had been a long time since she had coffee. Feria never gushed over it like some others did, but she enjoyed the bitter taste. She'd grown used to it.


The dragon's name is Liola. I do not know where her rider, Zachary, is any longer. I was not at the Haven during the attack. When I went back, everything was in ashes. I saw him the day before. That was the last time.


It felt so good to explain the situation, explain how she'd lost her friend, and it wasn't even explaining. She wasn't even talking.


Feria perked up slightly when she heard a newcomer, Vant, speak. Our magic not enough? Turn to Savere? Intriguing. It amused her that this man was so ready to jump into the shadow caster's lap. If the time came where she was desperately, truly in need of aid from him.. maybe. Just maybe. But right now, not a chance. The fire dragon stiffened at the sight of this man, however. And her rider looked pale, speaking rather quietly. Dead, heh. Apparently, these days, just about anyone could've been dead. She stopped writing, putting the quill down to gaze at the tension.


It escalated so quickly. Feria looked from Vant to Ava constantly, watching the young fire mage begin to erupt with anger. “Can you believe this shit?” It surprised Feria that Sallen seemed so nonchalant about the hesitation, but Feria could tell this wouldn't end good. Who were these people? Was this the fate of Dragon Wardens, to be sealed to Savere or forever hunted?


“Let’s kill the little bitch," Feria stood up slowly, letting the piece of paper fall to the floor, forgotten. There were other pressing matters at hand.


Ava had returned Zachary's necklace to her. Feria would return the favor.


Feria willed a wall of thick ice in front of Ava. Resources were in no short supply. Too late, possibly, but Feria had been watching, there was a chance she'd done it in time. Hopefully enough to offer some sort of protection, but then again, she didn't even know how powerful their magic was.


(@Everyone -Mac)
 
Hale and Kraeg

​



Being an Earth Warden had its disadvantages. First, one had very few offensive capabilities. Rock, while heavy, is be no means fast, and casting a stone like a missile was exceedingly difficult. Second, Earth Magic is much like a mace: powerful, strong, but imprecise and indelicate. When it is used, it can often decimate and crush into powder.


But Earth Magic was by no means merely negative in aspect. First, it provides the absolute best defense of any magic, manipulating as it does the bones of the earth itself. Second, if an Earth Mage was particularly in tune with one's magic, the ground itself could give insight about the mage's surroundings. Indeed, Hale himself had already exhibited this ability at the ruins of the Silver Lance. And the close proximity that he now found himself to Vant only provided a clear picture of what the Fire Mage intended. So when he shifted his weight to cast his magic, the half-elf was prepared for it.


But he was so focused on Vant that he didn't notice Feria's actions. He'd taken a step in order to throw himself in front of Ava when a wall of ice cracked into existence in the path of the blast of magic. He couldn't be sure how it might hold under the onslaught, however; action needed to be taken. Wielding his quarter staff much like a club and sidestepping the new freezing obstacle, he took a swing at his enemy's head with all the might he could muster and with a scream of hate.


Back toward the cave entrance, Kraeg opened his maw. A roar like an avalanche exploded from it, shaking the very stone walls. The sight of Feral being attacked infuriated him, and Hale's own rage flooded him and intermingled with his own. The Wyrm's claws burrowed into the floor, and he leapt forward, covering ground far more quickly than his size indicated he could. He slid to a stop between the she-drake and her attacker, the Shadow Magic grinding into his rock-like scales aggressively. But he didn't halt at that. Still roaring in anger, Kraeg reached out with his head, his expansive mouth gaping to bite at Escher's throat.


@everyone in the cave
 
Dinyla and Erramun




Murder? thought Dinyla to herself, her blind eyes widening in fear to the sound of the three strangers planning to kill Ava and potentially the rest of them if they tried to stop it. Now she knew why Erramun was so tense earlier. One of the other dragons must have done something to warn the others, what exactly Dinyla could not be sure. Her ears perked to the sound of ice quickly crackling, possibly a wall forming or some ice being sent flying into the three Wardens who were trying to kill them. No...no they can't do this...they can't! thought Dinyla, panicked as she felt Erramun's body straighten out and growl deeply, his thick black scales of stone grinding into one another as his massive body curled up, ready to attack. Trying to think quickly of what to do to help, Dinyla slowly closed her eyes, clearing all thoughts for a moment to try and 'see' what was around her.


She could tell immediately, while her senses were still off from her ailment, that she could see more...more than she had before the encounter with the Shae. At first it shocked Dinyla, but not before she shook off the awe and surprise to try and focus on where everyone and everything was. She could feel a dark energy flowing across the stone surface of the cave, her feet instinctively digging a little more into the floor to ground herself. A roar of rage from Feral cast her head to turn to feel the dragon dart for Vant's beast, Kraeg aiming for Escher and Hale rushing towards the dark mass that focused around Vant, a hint of the dark energy aiming for Ava.


Her eyes opened wide and quickly looked behind her to Erramun, his golden eyes locked to his rider's before snorting, showing he would go along with whatever plan she had. "Hale! Move!" cried out Dinyla, slamming her foot into the ground as she yelled out, both fists shooting in front of her. The ground beneath her cracked, jagged rocks protruding from the floor before a massive wall of granite protruded from the ground, separating both parties. "Everyone duck!" called out Dinyla, quickly falling to the ground as Erramun gave out a mighty roar, his large body spinning in a tight circle as his tail whipped around him. An explosion of rock echoed through the cave, Erramun's tail breaking apart the wall as massive portions of the wall and some smaller boulders were sent flying towards the three Wardens.
 
Tronje and Eelikas





The arcane Emasari beheld the ensuing violence before him with defined wryness written across his features. Here he had taken his time to figure everything out, starting from the moment where he would have calmly and precisely explained to the shadow-tainted Riders the error of their ways, the deception of Savere, grand machinations set in motion to propel their damnation ever onwards, before revealing that their salvation could be gained just as easily if only they would emulate his style - specifically his headgear - and followed his every command to begin the revolution with which they would dethrone the evil villainness Malan and restore all of dragonkin to greatness. All accentuated by him planting a kiss on Idhrenan, telling her to wait for him after which he would ride off into the sunset to let destiny lead him where he would be required.


Yes, that is how it would have all worked out. For sure.


Unfortunately, just moments before he could initiate his strategy, Ava's lover's quarrel suddenly took a turn for the sour when the three new-arrivals decided to violently dispose of the hypotenuse. Figured. And now there was this head-sized splinter of rock, courtesy of dear Dinyla's heartfelt interference via earth-magic, flying towards him, ready to tear through his innards.


Tronje gave a sigh, displeasure creeping upon his face. Dinyla's advice to throw himself to the ground went unheeded.


Gaze remaining affixed upon the shadow-tainted Wardens with cold deliberation, Eelikas's claw struck the ground before the unworried Tronje, her thick scales blocking the fragment even as her mind's voice sundered towards her Warden 'The two in the frontlines are as good as dead. The ice will break in seconds.'





"Noted, girl." Tronje replied, a small smile on his lips as he beheld how Hale threw himself into a foolhardy maneuver, striking at his opponent's head with his staff. Pointing towards the lad, the arcane Emasari spoke a single word of power, feeding Vant and his cohort's minds - including those of their dragons - an illusion that displaced Hale by just a few feet to the side but changed absolutely nothing else. Unfortunately, as experience had taught him with pain, the arcane could do nothing to stop the shadow-tainted magic directly as it could with other forms of magic.


Besides the illusion, there was no time for fancy tricks, but for now Vant's compatriots weren't actively engaging in the fight, just standing ready to join the fray if the balance was tipped out of his favor.


Keeping his connection to the aetherial presences of the shadow-Wardens up, Tronje began channeling an energy-blast, carefully molded and prepared, ready to unleash it upon Vant's sidekick should they actively begin to participate. Mimicking her Warden, Eelikas likewise prepared herself, feeling little more than apathy at the sight of Hale's daring charge.


@Keitsumah @Red Thunder @Effervescent @LadyMatsudai @CloudyBlueDay
 

Ava and Feral


Rage



​



The moment Vant raised his hand toward Ava, Feral let loose the scream that had steadily been building in her jaws, lifting up her body and slamming her torso and head down in a bowing position over her Warden. Ava fell back with a cry, hitting the ground hard, and looked up in terror, then shock, as a wall of ice formed in front of them to block the attack.


Feria. Hale. Ava blinked and looked up as Kraeg galloped toward them, his massive claws making the ground shake violently as he sprang over Feral and took the blow meant for the she-drake, snapping his jaws at the Shadow dragon's throat whil Hal ran toward Vant, swinging his staff at the Shadow Warden's head. Yet the earth refused to stop shaking, and Ava looked to one side and spied Dinlya -who had seemed so timid before- split the earth as her dragon spun in a tight circle overhead, his tail lashing into the cave walls and sending boulders flying.


Another crack rebounded, and she looked up, fearful that the entire cave itself might collapse for the deed. But her attention was quickly drawn back to the fight as Feral's scream reached an even higher pitch, and her eyes, as well as her throat, glowed like a forge. The rage her dragon had felt when she had attacked the soldier only amounted to half of the fury, no, even less than half, of what she felt now that her Warden had been threatened. And it flooded over into Ava, the girl laying still on the ground, stunned, as she reached up and laid a hand on the fire drake's belly.


Feral drew her head back, crouching low over her warden, her wings dropping to close off all sides as her stomach suddenly contracted, relaxed, then contracted again, the same movements growing into her throat as she began to regurgitate the soil she had ingested at the Inn.


Ava only caught a glimpse of pure, liquid flame as it poured from her jaws, the rock flying around them melting to join the fray as she sent a blast of the earth's blood under Kraeg's body where he stood over her, aiming toward the dragon and warden who had sought to hurt hers.


But as she sent the deadly beam of lava to their foes, Ava's magic burst out of control, flame creeping over her body and Feral's, the blood-red tongues flickering and enveloping them both in a blanket of heat.
 
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The Mouth of the Mountain

​



The dormant volcano in which the group stood upon had only one opening; the mouth. A hundred yards upward was the sky surrounded by rocky teeth, and around its lip was snow. On every occasion of snowfall, the white tufts would collect upon the rocky surface within the cavern only to melt and collect further within the darkness. The Ice Casters would know of this unseen reservoir, its still waters only felt by their magic.


Feria's quick thinking drew from these waters, collecting and freezing them so quickly the air within the cavern reached almost unbearable subzero temperatures. Vant's channeled Shadow Magic was only able to hit Ava for a second before it was cut off by a thick wall of ice. The beam's impact crackled the surface, shattering through the solid layer. Cutting through it would take a moment, and his target's location had already changed.


He saw Hale's selfless act regardless. The way the half elf threw himself before Ava brought his lips to a momentary snarl as he lowered his hand in momentary defeat. Hale's image was warped behind the glassy ice as he swiftly rounded to the other side. Vant ducked as quick as he could as he tracked his movements. Hale's staff clocked the crown of his head, which in turn caused him to knock his head upon the wall of ice. A brief moment of embarrassment and shock filled the boy. How could he have missed that? To his perception, Hale had been nowhere near his head! His moment of disbelief dissipated into hatred driven anger, and he charged at the Half-Elf. His lanky arms wrapped around Hale's torso to lock him in place while his momentum drove the two to the ground.


Kraeg's roar shook the earth and loosened the jagged teeth-like rocks above. Centuron croaked as she took to the air, swooping down with the avalanche as the massive dragon took the blow meant for Feral. Escher's beam of dark energy grinded against the stone-like skin, the taint oozing off and collecting in a pool at his feet. Angry, the serpentine drake screeched and halted its casted breath to take to the air before Kraeg's maw could clamp down on his neck.


The other two Shadow Wardens engaged in combat against the opposers, their dragons taking flight with Escher. Around their bodies was a halo of dark energy, much like what was once seen around Vorstag. Tronje's energy blast hit the olive-skinned girl, the blue glow funneling into the darkness around her. Their protective measures, however, would not save them from everything.


A large wall of granite protruded from the cavern floor, its veins and specks glinting as light refracted off of its matte surface. Wuld grabbed the twins, manipulating a falling rock away from them as they clamored over. Centuron swooped onto one of the Shadow Dragons as Taklar ran to mount Denebren. The two Fire Wardens took flight to attack the other remaining enemy dragon, driving it out of the cavern completely.


Erramun gave a billowing roar before whipping his tail across the granite wall. Chunk after chunk flew through the cavern speeding towards the Shadow Wardens. The size and velocity in which they traveled sent the two wardens flying, their bodies smashing between the granite chunks and the cavern wall before falling limply upon the rubble. But the impact did not kill them. Within seconds, they pushed themselves up to a stand, their bodies seemingly unbroken and without signs of any damage. The only note that there was any effect from the blow was the pained grimace and uneven gait as they positioned themselves before the group with a clear shot at whomever they pleased.


The twins' dragons lept towards Centuron and her opponent, aiding the dragon in the kill. It was taking longer, and with each slash and bite the trio would cry out in pain. The shadow dragon did not seem to register its wounds and blasted a beam of dark energy into one of the dragons and sent it flying a few feet back.


Eosphelon whined as he stomped his feet next to Liola. The chaos sent him on edge, and he did not feel adequate for protecting the injured dragon on his own. With a grumble, Yisfel slinked over to his side and snapped her jaws at him. He didn't feel comforted in the slightest.


Vant placed himself on top of Hale to keep him down as he punched his face with all the force he could muster. There was a hidden strength within his thin and sickly looking frame, his hands covered in shadow that burst with each impact to Hale's head. He was deliberately casting fear into Hale's mind, attempting to weaken the strength and resolve he always displayed.


Thannel saw the display and acted quickly as he discarded his makeshift sling. He knew he was the weakest participant, but Vant had not put up his protective barrier just yet. The time for him to make a difference was now, and only now, and so his hands moved in a quick and fluid motion from left to right towards the two.


At the same time, Idhrenan noticed the fight between Vant and Hale as well and felt compelled to act. She thrust out a hand towards Hale to create a protective ward around the Dragon Warden to lessen the damage, both physical and magical, against him. Just as Vant's hand pulled back yet again, the ward began to form.


Ice crystallized in a stream, manifesting within seconds before jutting up into spikes within a blink of an eye. The spikes merged with the arcane ward unintentionally as they pierced through Vant. The pain caused him to retract from Hale completely as he cried out in pain. Almost immediately in an afterthought, he conjured his protective darkness that wreathed around him, but the ice spikes were not deterred. Blood stained his clothing, but he was not stopping, and confusion filled the boy as he gingerly clasped his hand around each ice spike and pulled them from his body. They clattered to the ground, the impact revealing the blue glow of the arcane ward before Idhrenan stopped casting in her bewilderment.


Fire brightened the cavernous room revealing just how large the Mouth of the Mountain was. The cave reached behind the Dragon Wardens for another fifty or so yards, the body of water now glistening just to the side. Lava burst towards Vant and the other Shadow Wardens. The intense heat poured over their shadowy halos as they quickly changed locations, using occupied dragons as shields. Their bodies were reddened and burned, bloodied skin forming boils and cracks that did not seem to give them cause to give up. Vant ran back towards Hale in another bout of anger.


The ever-present glow that came from the Fire Warden's halo of flames created a dancing display of shadows across the walls and floors. In this moment, everyone's shadows were linked. Intense pain would shoot through everyone present as the Shadow Casters utilized this opportunity to their advantage. It would feel as though their insides were being flayed.


Due to Vant's lust for physical violence against Hale, the Half-Elf's shadow was cut off from the group where he lay on the earth. "She was supposed to be mine!" he yelled as he channeled the dark taint into Hale's chest.


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

Hale



​



The quarter staff clacked as it hit the ground. He'd left his new friend Ava not an hour ago to pick up in the library where he'd left off. But he'd been followed. Hale threw his arms out, trying to find proper balance without his walking stick. But his equilibrium was already bad thanks to a brand new black eye, and suddenly his gimp foot failed him. A spike of pain shot up his leg as he stepped on it badly, and the half-elf hit the stone floor of the library. The book he'd been sent to find skittered away as he dropped it. Glaring down angrily at him was the larger figure of Vant, the student Fire Mage. His countenance was aflame, and rage filled his eyes and clenched his fists. His confrontation with Ava, Feral, and Hale was evidently still on his mind.
"So. She's in your shadow now? Making you feel like a man?" The boy bent down to shove a finger in Hale's face. "Ava is mine , you understand? She just doesn't know it yet. Stay away."


"No!" The Earth Warden's voice echoed off the stone-lined room. But there was no one to hear. "You hurt her once; she deserves better. Leave her alone, you Fireball!"


Scowling, the larger boy bared his teeth.


"Watch your tongue, bastard. You have no right to speak to me that way. And you definitely can't taint Ava with your...imperfection. I'll say it again: she's mine."


Reaching down, Vant grabbed a handful of his victim's lapel and lifted Hale's head up off the ground. Grinning wickedly, the Fire Warden pulled a handle-less knife from its sheath. The blade sudden began glowing an angry red, heated by direct contact with the Fire Warden's hand.


"I imagine you'll forget. But being the nice guy I am, I'll give you a reminder."


Pain, debilitating pain, exploded in Hale's head as the blade entered his cheek.
Click to expand...

Unrelenting. Cruel. He'd only ever met the Fire Warden in direct confrontation once, just after he'd found Ava in the library, but Hale had witnessed Vant's machinations and manipulations enough to know that he embodied that very terms. Blind to all else, the Fire Warden pursued his goals. And just now that goal was to turn Hale's face into mush. Reflexively the half-elf's arms came up to block his head, absorbing the rain of punches he received beyond the two or three that had managed to get in initially.


But what's the point, really? The thought came unbidden but felt natural. Shadow magic is indefensible. Everyone knows that. And Vant can't be appeased. He's powerful, so powerful. The blows continued coming down in a torrent, the angry Warden's gaunt figure fueled he guessed by that accursed Shadow Magic. My arms, they can't take much more. He's so much more than I am, and I can't defeat him.


Suddenly a warm glow filled his eyes, and he squinted. A ward? But that wasn't the only thing happening. Just shy of piercing the half-elf himself, several ice spikes rushed past him, traveling through the ward to impact the oppressive mage on top of him. Vant bolted upright, trying unsuccessfully to escape the chilling pain. The unknown grip that fear had about Hale's mind faded as he did, and determination and understanding rushed to fill the void in the Earth Warden's mind that the fleeing fear had left. Of course! I can't; we can.Hale was nothing even like a strategist, but this should work. It had to. They seemed to be out of options. He scanned the room desperately, searching for an update on his comrades.


But the Shadow Mages were not through. As Vant bull rushed Hale in another bout of anger, screams began filling the cavernous space, some of them quite obviously the screams of his friends and new acquaintances. NO! But he had little time to think of them. While his mind was mercifully spared the assault from before, the cripple's chest suddenly felt as though a massive weight were upon it and within it. Combined with the near debilitating pain the effect caused, Vant's shove pushed him back down against the rock. The Earth Warden's teeth grit, clenched so tight as to threaten the integrity of his jaw. But it was more than weight; an unclean feeling began seeping into the rest of his torso, traveling into his limbs like molasses oozes out of a tree.And making way for it was his very life force. It was leaving him quickly, being forcibly ejected by Vant's rage.


"She was supposed to be mine!"


He had no time nor any energy for a rebuttal. But Hale wasn't done quite yet. As a scout, he had needed to learn to be able to identify people and animals by their sounds. While he'd heard few actual screams from those around him, each voice still carried in it the person's unique tones, and of his friends, Hale had identified all but two. Gasping in as large a breath as he could, the half-elf yelled out a command, hoping against hope both that he could be heard and that he would be obeyed.


"Ava! Feria! Hit me with your own!" They, or at the least the spunky Fire Warden, was sure to hesitate at such a thing, so he reiterated more aggressively and passionately. "DO IT! We can't take them alone; if we fight together they stand no chance! Now DO IT!"


With his own scream of rage, Hale reached up and grabbed Vant by his lapels. About them slabs of stone rushed forward from the rock floor. Two caught Vant underneath in a solid sheet (effectively shielding Hale from the assumed onslaught of Fire and Ice magics) and two caught him above, effectively pinning him between them. Hale held nothing back, and the slabs pressed in toward each other, trying their best to crush the offending mage within their grasp. Underneath, his arms the only thing shoved through his shield of stone, Hale scrunched his face, both in preparation for the women's attack and in pain as the corruption Vant had planted continued to destroy his body.


Kraeg



​



Pain. He's in pain.





Escher had fled into the air like the shadowborne yellow belly he was. Kraeg's own pain arched through his flesh; the former Fire Drake's Shadow Breath might not have broken through the Wyrm's gray flesh, but it was bright red in its rawness, and his scales had been eaten away. The Shadow Burn also dug into him, and his whole underside flared in horrible pain. To accompany all that, Hale's torment bled unwillingly through their empathic bond. And Kraeg knew with the certainty that nature grants its alpha predators that Hale would not linger on this plane for much longer. And it was in no small part this hated dragon's fault. Escher. He'd followed Vant in his mad schemes, in his rage and insanity, and had never bothered to even attempt to ease it. In fact, it was likely that, had the drake actually done something about his mad Warden, none here might be in this situation. And Hale wouldn't be dying.


All. His. Fault.


The thought possessed him, possessed his limbs, possessed his voice, possessed his mind. If Kraeg's previous roar of challenge had been an avalanche in its anger, then the scream of desperation, terror, and absolute rage that now filled the cavern was like unto the eruption of the very volcano itself. The very ground the Wyrm stood on cracked in deep furrows, splinters of broken stone jumping into the air with the breaking's ferocity. Overhead more rock rained down, shaken free by the sound, and even several of boulder size shook free. The dragon unfurled his wings, their length covering much of the broken ground. Doing so merely gave the Shadow Burn more surface area upon which to work, but Kraeg cared little. Madness was in his mind, and the gentle green of his eye had darkened to a malice-filled black. With a mighty beat of his membranous limbs and fangs bared to rip his opponent into tiny sheds of revenge, the Wyrm took into the air in pursuit of the Fire Drake that had wronged him to such a degree.


@Effervescent @Keitsumah @CloudyBlueDay @Unwavering Knight @LadyMatsudai
 
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