|
|
Post by Obelisk on Oct 4, 2017 22:30:27 GMT
Obelisk had been to the Blood Rose territory once before, led by Alvina. It had been nice to see what brought so much joy and purpose to her life. It made him think. And he had though. And pondered. And speculated. And thought some more. He had met the mage in the icy barrens and seen the beauty of the floating islands only really reachable by those in flight. Though the earth had felt strange there, it had also felt good. Safe. Rich with magic. And rich with possibility. Eventually though his wandering had brought him back to the Naihan mountains. Well, he supposed it was not truly wandering that had brought him. He had come on purpose. And he'd chosen today to actually approach because the clouds were heavy with late summer rain and gave him cover as he approached.
He had considered the consequences of such an approach for a few days and in the end he always came around to the same conclusion. He was tired of hiding. So here he circled, just above the cloud cover, trying to recall the layout of the camp and where a beast as massive as he might best land. He thought he recalled the slope a little higher on the mountain being clear. Far enough that his wing-beats wouldn't disturb them terribly. He could hear the earth beneath him, singing with life and richness. The metals and stones locked deep in the rock whispered to him of their natures and the bits of magical stone he'd torn from the islands sang in tiny, gentle voices from the pack held in one clawed paw.
Finally he decided he had delayed long enough. He spilled air from his wings and slowly emerged from the cloud cover. He did not directly fly over the pack sanctuary but rather swept around it in a wide curve before finding the place he'd thought to land though it was a bit farther away than he'd originally remembered. The stone colored dragon settled with remarkable grace for his size and build, folding his broad wings close into his body and consciously stilling his heavy tail so it did not whip through the vegetation. His eyes half closed as he listened to the earth beneath him and a touch of magic shifted some of the rock and earth, stabilizing it against the degradation of time. Alvina was his friend and he valued her pack as important to her. He would not want to see them hurt by a landslide sometime in the future if he could so easily prevent it. Too his magic spilled out, so long unused, and raced down the face of the mountain. Touching the soil the crops were grown in, checking the stability in the roots of the trees they used for housing.
They would come soon to find him. He thought Alvina would know him though he could not recall if she were familiar with this form or not. Etiher way, she would surely lead the charge to guard her people and then they could talk. In the mean time he would learn about the land the way he couldn't the last time he was here with his magic locked away behind a false skin.
|
|
Alpha of the Blood Rose Pack
Heterosexual .
Widowed.
Werebeast
Authored by Rhys.
Offline.
113 posts made.
0 likes.
Alvina
|
Post by Alvina on Oct 5, 2017 0:02:00 GMT
Alvina was fastidiously assisting in the repair of a roof when the first call from one of the patrols urgently popped into her thoughts. Up to that point, the day was passing as any other. A small break in the rain had provided time enough that she and two others were hurrying to seal up stray holes, aiming to anticipate leakage before another, heavier, damaging rain might come. Roof repairs, after all, were tricky business. They needed to be done just right so that the rain and wind were kept at bay, and that the snows didn’t leave anyone buried or frozen. She was scarcely halfway through, dutifully lashing the roofing materials together, when it happened.
A beast is landing on the hillside above! As if seeming to anticipate her next question, the Were quickly added, A dragon!
Well. That certainly changed things. Alvina found herself hoping the guest was who she thought it was.
She left her work where it sat, a pile of cord and a knife resting neatly on the roof as she edged to the side of the structure. With a small push, she lithely dropped down onto her toes. With a little more maneuvering, it was not long before the woman reached the ground. By that time, several distinct animal calls had risen to the air, others reaching out to her through their thoughts. The instructions she offered were clear: avoid conflict, stay back. She would be there soon. Her body had just phased, abandoning any remnants of clothing, when a rushing sensation seemed to permeate the earth beneath her.
As a Werebeast, it wasn’t as if she could manipulate those intrinsic chords of energy which spread through the earth. That did not mean, however that she was entirely incapable of detecting them. Especially was that true when such an obvious current of energy seemed to flow, to bleed down the mountain, passing as a river through the ground beneath her paws.
She ran headlong toward the source of the feeling, toward the hillside above their little encampment. The feeling beneath the earth did not seem to lessen in her approach, rather, the tremoring energy beneath her paws seemed to grow more turbulent. The source. It was close.
When she finally broke through the brush, pebbles bounced lightly with the abrupt digging of her claws into the turf. Holding her head high, nose twitching, she sought to discern anything from the scaly scent drinking in the breeze. The stone-colored figure ahead… was massive. Her ears flicked first forward, then back, uncertain, before she drifted a little closer. Taking a chance, she projected the thought. Obe?
|
|
|
|
Post by Obelisk on Oct 5, 2017 14:44:14 GMT
He settled, crouched low like an outcropping of rock the mountain had suddenly thrust forth. The wind was against him and he did not smell her before she arrived- the whole place was alive with the scent of those who lived there. He dropped his head low when the black wolf came, until his jaw scraped the dirt. His eyes, pupiless and lit with bright veins of metal, studied her with amused curiosity. The verdant jungle around him seems to bring out the hints of green in his scales, like moss colored stone or silvered leaves.
"Alvina." His voice rumbles softly in his chest, seeming almost to come from the earth beneath him. There is an echo of falling stones in it. "I hope I did not startle your strays too badly." He teases gently. There is a difference to him in this shape, a certain amount of life and vitality that his human form seemed to lack. And an easiness that perhaps comes from a decision made and a plan decided upon. "There are things I wish to speak with you about, so you know before they happen. The world is due for change."
His bone colored claws slowly retract from where they had scraped into the earth to get a better feel for it, retreating into his fingers until only small, sharp nubs showed. He knows that he should probably change so they might speak more comfortably, and yet he is loathe to. It has been so long since he has shown himself as he is and he is proud. He is too old to ignore sense though. Soon enough there is the faint breathlessness of magic in the air and he ceases to take up such space, as thought his shape folds in on itself and is drawn back beneath the bounds of human flesh. It is deafening to be suddenly robbed of earth song again and he takes a moment, kneeling by his pack, to orient himself. His lips pull back in a grimace of distaste before he reaches for the clothing bundled into the top and begins to dress.
"We can speak more easily this way. A few hours of deafness will do me no harm." He flashes her a smile, though the words are perhaps more enigmatic than he intended.
|
|
Alpha of the Blood Rose Pack
Heterosexual .
Widowed.
Werebeast
Authored by Rhys.
Offline.
113 posts made.
0 likes.
Alvina
|
Post by Alvina on Oct 6, 2017 20:26:36 GMT
Her ears pricked forward in recognition when the timbre of his voice rumbled, and without needing anymore confirmation, she practically bounded forward. There Alvina stood, her form easily perceived as excessively small as she stood beside a very giant dragon. Her tail was wagging as if her form was that of a domestic dog seeing their child-master they’d not seen for a time. A moment later, with a quick projection, she gave the all clear that would send a few curious beasts appearing from the trees, while others darted off to resume their duties elsewhere. None too badly. I think it would’ve been more of a shock if you flew in low. Her nose wiggled slightly as she inhaled his scaly scent, the air around him simultaneously his own, and yet very different. Much closer to the first time she’d scented him, back when she’d discovered him in his prison.
Approaching a little closer, she lowered her rear to sit against the stone. I do hope this is a change for the better, Obe. Her tone bellied much curiosity unspoken without a question; he’d stated plainly he would tell her, and so she would wait. If he prolonged it after such a statement, however, it would be assured that she’d pepper him with questions.
Blinking, she watched as his form seemed to shimmer, the air growing heavy with yet another surge of magic. The last time she’d seen him put on such a display… she could scarcely remember. Perhaps she hadn’t seen it. The circumstances in their first meeting had been unusual, their encounter at the spring unexpected. When his body finally seemed to collapse in, his scales being replaced with soft flesh, she averted her gaze out of courtesy. She, however, would lack clothing for such a change without a retreat to camp. And so, when he finally bundled up, flashing a smile, she took a few steps closer and reared up on her back paws. Settling her forepaws against his belly, she stretched her face up to nose his chest a little. It was as close to one of her playful hair pats that he might’ve seen in this form. It’s good to see you Obe.
Dropping down, she cast him a small look, before nodding toward the encampment. Let’s get back to camp. I’ll shed my fur once we reach it.
|
|
|
|
Post by Obelisk on Oct 9, 2017 14:58:18 GMT
As she reared up on him, he smiled and caught her head gently between his hands, fingers rubbing along the base of her ears and then into her scruff. He was a little surprised by the affection but enjoyed it none the less. Then he let her go so she could drop down to all fours and he felt good. It was still a little unusual to him to find such welcome even though Alvina was dear to him.
"It's good to see you as well, Alvina." He let her lead the way back towards the pack grounds, running his hands through the long, loose strands of dark hair that seemed to catch and hold the shadows of the trees. "I specifically did not fly in low because of that. I had no desire to defend myself from the teeth of your wolves while I waited for you to rescue me." He chuckled, a low rumble of sound. His voice still sounded larger than himself, as though it came from larger lungs. It was a voice meant to echo in caverns and sing off crystals.
"It is a good change, though I don't know if all will see it that way. Too, it may make me a target- which is why I wished to speak to you." He was pleased that he had managed to land so close to the encampment. Though his senses were handicapped in his human skin, he had no doubt that they were not alone. Surely the shadows held others, checking to make sure that their alpha was safe. He was sure that even the birds winging above had some messengers and scouts among them. "I have decided that I am done hiding. And I doubt I'm the only one. It is my intention to declare a sanctuary for my kind in the floating islands in the north. Should we gather enough strength it is my intention to force the other kingdoms to treat with us as a political entity. Despite the treaty we are hunted just for being what we are. It has to stop."
|
|
Alpha of the Blood Rose Pack
Heterosexual .
Widowed.
Werebeast
Authored by Rhys.
Offline.
113 posts made.
0 likes.
Alvina
|
Post by Alvina on Oct 9, 2017 21:21:17 GMT
The rubbing of her ears and scruff was perhaps not expected. She didn't go so far as to lick his skin, certainly not an actual pet of any kind. But, caring for the powerful elder dragon in the way a mother might her pup, none of it bothered her. She was genuinely pleased to see him, considering it had been a few months since the last chance she'd had, and decades before prior to that chance. As they set off toward the grounds, Obelisk kept a good pace to match her. Her ears flickered toward him, listening, as she bounded among the rocks. Too, several pairs of eyes regarded them as they neared the edge of the forest, which would shortly give way to their home.
Explain.[/i] Her prompt came mildly, as his pleasurable greetings gave way to a potential explanation that caused her to grow curious immediately. When he actually went on to finish speaking, she paused, head tilting, before she cast him a look. Her ruby-toned eyes lingered for a long moment, before they continued along the pathway. Your sentiment is the very same which drove me to create this place, Obe.[/i] A moment of pause. I’m sure I don’t need to say that just because you seek to create sanctuary for others doesn't mean it is so easily granted. My people have been persecuted too. The islands sound like a fine place to do it, so far away from the kingdoms, but how strong are your numbers? It’s the idea, the conviction, that your people will need to believe in to make such a thing work.[/i]
|
|
|
|
Post by Obelisk on Oct 10, 2017 13:40:24 GMT
Obelisk smile was a bit wry at her questions, knowing full well his answers wouldn't satisfy her. He had known she would understand his reasoning, but the differences between their kinds were still vast. Dragons were a fickle bunch, if his experience was anything to go by. They had to be wooed, won, or bribed. Working together did not come naturally to them. And then, of course, there was the problem of finding each other.
"Right now, there is only I- it is hard to find us. Perhaps I am the only one left." His voice was untroubled though- he did not believe that his kind had so fallen. Rumors had reached his ears here or there but always he was left frustrated when he tried to follow them. He was not a tracker, nor did his magic hold the gift of following living creatures. But he believed that there would be others, those who would come because they were tired of being hunted. Of being alone.
"I know it sounds foolhardy, but I am Elder among dragons. Perhaps not Eldest, but my age counts for something. It carries weight. If I call, they will come. In calling though, I will create some stir, I imagine. It is only that we are so hard to find. I cannot tell me own kind if they where a human skin. We could pass by each other in the streets of Cendra, sit at the same table in a tavern, and I might never know just as they might never know me." He paused for a moment, then sighed. "Perhaps I overstated, let me revise. I would like to create such a sanctuary. I cannot find allies because we have gotten quite good at hiding. I intend to put forth a call, a meeting of sorts and from there we will see if there are others who believe as I do. We are not like you and yours, Alvina, who school together as if something calls you, blood to blood. It will be hard."
He sighed, tucking his thumbs into the straps of his pack and briefly turning his eyes up towards the overcast sky. "Regardless, I am done. This may not work. Either way, I suspect I will become a target to anyone with an itch against my kind. If they find you know me, it might be dangerous to you and yours."
|
|
