The Wings of the Changeling

[TotallyDrow]

Phayne kept silent as he followed the three dragon's toward's the river. There was some truth in what Zarbeses said, and it was true that Phayne was tired of all the chao's.

 

Phayne decided to wait until he knew the reason for forming this group before making his decision whether to join them or part way's.

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll led them out of the forest, where the land opened up and the last great river, the Sin'Ladori, rushed by with less water than usual. Around the river, the gently-sloping land was covered in yellow grass and the only flowers that seemed to thrive in these dark times; Moon Roses. Their pale petals seemed to glow faintly at the center, casting a gentle light over the grass.

 

Asoryll looked down the banks of the river, lined with chunks of broken shale. He shook his head, frowning.

 

"This is only getting worse and worse.."

 

He turned to those who had decided to follow.

 

"Alright everyone. Sit down and pay attention."

 

He laid himself down in the pale-yellow grass, his body surrounded by Moon Roses. He looked at each member of his small party.

 

"My mission is to gather the nine Tablets of Balance. Some of you may know the nursemaid tales of the Tablets, but I doubt that you know the truth about them."

 

He looked up at the starry, moonless sky.

 

"The Tablets of Balance were what held together the foundations of our little oasis here in the mountains. They were created by the Guardian of Nature, a brilliant dragon who is believed to roam a world parallel to our own, watching over us. Seeing the chaotic nature of mortal dragons, the Guardian of Nature created nine tablets, each signifying the elemental and physical properties of balance. These Tablets are what helped to keep Vyrmgard safe. They would absorb both good and bad energies from the valley, cancelling out one or the other to maintain what we called a 'neutral energy'. This made sure that Vyrmgard, whose inhabitants were all dragons, would remain in a state of balance."

 

He locked eyes with each one of them as he spoke further.

 

"Then the Changeling came. We are still unsure of how this creature came to be, but what we do know is that it doesn't belong in our world. The Guardian of Nature made it so that only dragons could touch the Tablets, lest a darker power rise up and use their power for evil. When the Changeling arrived and threw our world into eternal night, the guardians of the Tablets disappeared, and with them, the Tablets. Now, if the stories have been true thus far, it only makes sense that if the Tablets are brought back together and returned to their place high in the Crystal Cave, then balance will be restored."

 

He wrapped his tail around his forelegs.

 

"But first, we have to find them."

[FireKitty]

Beryl followed closely to Zabeses. When the land opened up and gave way to a river with Moon Flowers dotting the landscape here and there, she laid down in front of the Red Dragon as he did so and watched in awe as they gave off a light on him that made him seem almost royal. She thought back to the previous conversations. He made it sound as if he was a part of the royal family once... yet she did not recognize his name. She narrowed her eyes as she listened to this 'Zabeses' and shook her head at the tale she had been told many times as a hatchling.

 

She looked at Zabeses and tilted her head some. "If this is true... then how are we going to find them? Are they even in Vyrmgard anymore? And if they aren't, then what?" she asked, blinking. "And do you have any idea where to start if they are in Vyrmgard still?" she added. She had plenty of questions and she wasn't afraid to ask them. She was so used to being straight forward that it came second nature to her. She was also used to asking questions about things that didn't seem real... but with the coming of the Changeling, she couldn't doubt that this tale wasn't real.

Edited February 20, 2012 by FireKitty

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll quirked an eyebrow.

 

"You doubt me?"

 

He bared his teeth in a grin.

 

"Well, I suppose you would be unwise not to question me. I've done research for the past several years. I've been hunting down every scrap of knowledge I could find about them, but seeming as most information comes word-of-mouth, it's not very likely that what I've heard is accurate. However, I do have a clue as to where to begin looking. But..."

 

He looked at the other dragons, a cold, almost unfeeling tone taking over his voice as he said, "I cannot run the risk of any of you being one of the Changeling's Wings. If you do not join me, I cannot let you leave alive. Nothing personal, but if you were in my shoes, you would understand the magnitude of these circumstances."

 

Returning his eyes to Sumara, he said, "I protect my own. I am not a dragon to take lightly. This is not a leisure club, nor a merry band of misfits. This is the fate of Vyrmgard, possibly even the outlying territories beyond the mountains. I cannot risk failure after coming this far. If you doubt me, so be it, but I cannot let you walk away knowing my identity and my purpose. Now...To begin searching, we will start in the caves beyond the Northern Throne. The catacombs beneath the castle lead into a system of caverns deep within the mountains. It's by my research that the first Tablet, the Tablet of Body, was made from the stone of these caves, deep within Mount Ascension."

[TotallyDrow]

Phayne lay down and listened to Zarbeses tale, yawning at several points throughout his story. When he finally finished he interrupted Sumara's folly of question's, a slight grin appeared on the edge of his mouth. Phayne was not a very big fan of the military regardless of which faction they belonged to and whether they were still "active", they were all the same to him.

 

"This all sounds fine and dandy, find the tablet's and restore the peace. What concern's me is your background, or rather a lack of a background. I have never heard your name spoken until today, and surely someone with your amount of knowledge would have their name whispered among the inhabitant's of Wyrmgard" he paused and stood up. "You claim to favor neither side of the civil war, which lead's me to believe that if either side were to learn of your existence and vast knowledge, there would surely be a bounty on your head. This is of course under the assumption that they have yet to know of your presence and your quest"

 

Phayne looked down toward's the river and thought about his next words carefully. "There are too many risk's to take into account here, and all for some story mother's tell their children before they go to bed. Do you not have any proof, that what you say is in fact true?"

 

 

 

[FireKitty]

Beryl resisted the urge to roll her eyes when the Red Dragon asked if she doubted him. Of course she did! It was an old nursemaid tale! And she was an Elder, almost an Ancient dragon. Well, maybe not almost, but she certainly felt like she was. She watched the Red Dragon for a moment and listened. She had never heard of these 'Wings' as he said, which were apparently a part of the Changeling's force.

 

She listened carefully and nodded before looking at the mercenary. She listened to him and then nodded again, looking at the Red Dragon before her. "I agree with the mercenary. You have no background and your name has never been whispered. How are we supposed to trust you?" she asked, raising a non-existent eyebrow.

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll listened to her little proclamation and laughed when she finished.

 

"My dear, you are no longer a guard of any stature."

 

He then turned to address the Black.

 

"You speak nonsense. Why would I, who have so much work to lose, even mention my real name to anyone of importance? Much less, anyone of un-importance? I am sure that none of you have or will give me your real names, so why should I trust anyone who places no trust in me?"

 

He cleared his throat, remaining as stoic as ever.

 

"If you want proof of the Tablets' existence, you'll just have to trust me enough to follow. I know this world of chaos has little to believe in, but I've been at this much longer than any of you have. I'm not asking you to place your trust in me as a dragon, but to place your trust in my intentions. If I am correct about the location of the Tablet of Body, you will see for yourselves that the stories are true."

[FireKitty]

((I redid my post Beryl is supposed to be more suspicious than I give her credit for xDDD))

 

Beryl narrowed her eyes at the Red Dragon. She stood up and stalked over to him, standing tall and mighty above him, even though he was probably older than her. "I may believe in the existence of the tablets as well as that they could bring peace. However, what have you to show that we can trust you at all?" she asked, tilting her head.

 

She then shook her head. "No matter... If you aren't really working for a goal of peace and balance, then it doesn't matter because I will kill you if you are working for the Changeling. Just remember that," she told him cautiously, narrowing her eyes.

 

She then laid down in front of the Red Dragon Zarbeses. "I will join you for now, but I will keep true to my promise, I can promise you that," she added, calming down now.

[kronosdragon]

Zarbeses chuckled, unfazed.

 

"Your threats are idle chatter compared to the real threat of death I receive on a daily basis," he said with a dismissive gesture. "Now, if there are no more questions..."

 

He looked around at the others.

 

"I cannot reveal my true identity to you right now. But, rest assured, I do not work for the Changeling. The Changeling overtakes those he controls in shrouds of darkness, clogging their minds and hearts and removing all memory of their past."

[TotallyDrow]

"...and if you are wrong about the location?" Phayne interrupted. "If we were to follow you to the northern throne seeking this tablet, and it just so happen's that it is not there. What will happen?"

 

Phayne pointed toward's Tyra with his tail, "she is a victim of the civil war, an escaped slave. No doubt if word spread's that a fugitive has been spotted in either faction's territory she would be hunted down"

 

Next he pointed toward's Sumara, "An ex-royal guard, tasked with protecting the noble family before the death of Asoryll. No doubt she too would be a person of interest for either faction...."

 

"... and lastly me, a mercenary. Do you think I would be welcomed with open arm's in the northern territory?" He paused. " On top of that, you ask us to place our trust in your intention's, only a few seconds ago you threatened us to join you otherwise you would not let us leave alive. If your intentions are to kill us if we do not join, how can we trust you?"

 

"We are taking a lot of risk's here, all on the word of some scholar who claim's to have found a way to end the chao's that has plagued our land's"

 

[Tyra-Ice]

Tyra sauntered after the Red dragon as they came out of the Petrified Forest and to the river. She gazed around at the Moon flowers for a moment then sat down as Zarbeses relayed the story of the Tablets. Tyra's eyes widened slightly as she listened with much intent. Living in the Northwest mountains, she'd heard stories of the tablets but never in this great detail. Silently, she pondered the Red dragon's words.

 

Finally, she spoke. "...It it true that it is hard to trust someone on first impressions. But that is all how we start out and then trust is gained and bonds are formed. If we never give him a chance, how can we learn to trust him?" she explained quietly, "I can assure you, Zarbeses, that my mind is set on staying with this group. There's nothing for me to go back for...no home or family, just misery and imprisonment."

 

She looked at Phayne as he mentioned the risks. "...of course there will be risks. I am afraid he is right. My face and name is known throughout the Northeast. There will be danger of me being recaptured and putting you all in danger for harboring a fugitive...," she agreed sadly.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Tyra-Ice

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll smiled at the winter dragoness.

 

"Now there is a sensible young dragon. She speaks as I would have. You cannot go through life without taking risks. You all took a risk seeking me out, did you not?"

 

He grinned.

 

"If you were in my shoes, leading a resistance against a tyrant, would you not want to keep it as secret as possible? Although, given the fact that some dragons live off of rumors these days, it is not surprising that word has gotten out. Therefore, my threats to keep you from leaving are nothing compared to the torture of becoming one of the Changeling's puppets."

 

He shuddered, his scaled rattling.

 

"Ugh, I hope I never have to see that happen again...though I'm sure that before our escapade is over, we will be unfortunate enough to see it once more."

 

Asoryll turned back to the Black.

 

"As for the Northern Territory, I have...special arrangements with the guards of both sides. You will have nothing to fear as long as you don't wander off. Besides, no matter the background, there is safety in numbers."

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii listened to the group of dragons talk as he watched from the confines of the forest. A red, and a black he could identify. But he had never seen anything like the other two before. One was a deep shade of blue with large horns on her head and the other was white and blue. Who were these strangers in his territory?

 

He hissed lowly as the group moved off. This territory is hardly enough for me. There is no way for it to support five dragons! he said to himself. The Gray dragon slipped silently through the fossilized trees as he paralleled the group from off to the side. They were heading towards the river. He would run out of cover there.

 

He watched from the forest edge as the group came to a stop by the river and settled into conversation. The big red who called himself Zarbeses told the other dragons about a war in the north, The Tablets of Balance, and something called the Changeling. He had never heard anything like it. He crept closer, wanting to hear more about what they were saying. It seemed they were to band together to find these Tablets and stop the Changeling to bring an end to the war.

 

He was right at the edge of the forest, lying perfectly still to blend in with the petrified fallen trees around him. These dragons intrigued him to say the least.

[Tyra-Ice]

Tyra smiled shyly at his praise for her wisdom. She didn't realize how nice it was to just sit down and converse with other dragons who treated her as an equal, not a slave. Suddenly, she lifted her nose to the air, the scent of an unknown dragon meeting her nostrils. She turned to look behind her, peering into the dark depths of the Petrified Forest.

 

"Zarbeses....," she said nervously, motioning for him to stay quiet for a moment as she listened closely for any other sounds, "I don't believe we are alone..." Ready fight if needed, the Winter dragoness stood up and kept her gaze on the stone woods, her entire body quivering slightly.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Tyra-Ice

[kronosdragon]

Zarbeses tapped his claws to regain her attention.

 

"Pay it no mind. Let it believe that we don't realize it's here. Perhaps it will show itself," he said softly. He then cleared his throat.

 

"Now, are there any more questions? Whether you trust me or not is your decision, but that doesn't mean you can't follow and allow me to gain your trust. When it comes to 'what ifs', sometimes the journey is more exciting than the destination."

 

He grinned widely.

 

"You will see the Tablets. I have a small trick to finding the Tablets, but for the sake of keeping my true identity a secret, I must use it alone."

 

He knew that this would only raise more questions, but time was of the utmost importance.

 

"Listen, if we are to go together, we must get moving. Time is not our friend, for I fear the Changeling may already have picked up on what I am doing here. So, what do you say? Will you join together with me, and help me to search for the Tablets of Balance?"

[FireKitty]

The Royal Blue dragon raised up her head and narrowed her eyes in distrust as more questions than answers came to her mind. But the Winter Dragoness was right. There was no way for him to prove himself to be true except to find the tablets. She sighed and nodded her head, ignoring the presence of the other dragon as she was told to though she kept her ears out to hear if it decided to attack.

 

She nodded again and looked at the Red Dragon. "Alright... I'll join you. You seem... trustworthy enough. I don't know why, but I feel as if I can trust you, so I will, for now," she said. She looked to the other dragon. "The Winter Dragoness is right though. We have to take a risk," she told the mercenary. "There may be many questions, but I'm certain he'll answer them in due time," she added.

[Tyra-Ice]

Tyra once again focused her attention on Zarbeses, the faint stars above reflecting in her deep violet eyes.

 

"I will join you, Zarbeses, but under one condition. That I am treated as an equal and not as the slave I was not long ago," she answered, her voice serious yet quiet.

 

It still bothered her that a strange dragon was watching them but she forced herself to look at Zarbeses and keep from glancing behind her.

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll chuckled.

 

"Have I treated you as a slave thus far?" he asked.

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii stiffened when the other dragons began to speak of sensing another dragon nearby. This is too close for a land approach, he thought to himself and he slipped backwards into the forest away from the other dragons.

 

He circled around to try and figure out their weakest angle. He could take on one dragon no problem. He might even be able to hold his own against two. But four? Could he handle attacking four? He kept his distance from the other dragons and made a quick move across the bank further downwind away from them and slipped into the water.

 

He crawled along the bottom of the river, back upstream towards the other dragons. It seemed that the Winter dragoness was the youngest so he would try to get close enough to attack her first if it came to a battle. He slowly came up off the river's bottom and his head broke the surface of the shallows near a patch of dead reeds to keep himself covered. The big red and blue dragons would probably be the biggest challenge so he wanted to stay hidden until he knew more about the group.

 

He was now only a few meters away from the group of dragons.

[Tyra-Ice]

This brought a shy grin to Tyra's face and she chuckled softly. "I'd say not," she responded, wrapping her tail around her legs, "and I appreciate it more than you know." The young dragoness then turned and dipped her slender muzzle into the stream to drink, the hot winds of the desert beginning to dehydrate her. "Where is our first location we should be heading towards again?" asked before she began to drink. Excitement of an adventure was beginning to build up inside her and she could wait for the journey to get under way.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Tyra-Ice

[kronosdragon]

"As I stated before, the Tablet of Body was rumored to be created of the stone within Mount Ascension. The quickest way into the mountain without being seen is through the catacombs of the Northern Throne."

 

He looked at the others, waiting. He kept his wits about him, sensing that something was off.

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii watched as the Winter dragoness approached the river. If he was to attack this would be his chance. Hopefully the dragons would leave his territory without himhaving to harm one too badly.

 

He braced himself against the current and launched himself at the drinking Winter dragon with a loud roar. Scales rattling, he exploded from the water, mouth open, hoping to bury his teeth in the winter dragon's neck.

[Tyra-Ice]

"Oh, yes, that's right..." Tyra replied, lifting her muzzle from the water. But just as she was about to turn away, something dark in the water caught her eye. She turned back just in time to see a powerful Grey dragon launch himself out of the water at her, mouth agape, teeth bared, and claws extended. However, Tyra was fast and had experience dodging other dragons in their attempts to recapture her so she dove out of the way at the last second, causing the Grey to miss her vulnerable neck. The Winter dragoness cried out, though, as Dharsii's sharp claws grazed her haunches, creating long slashes that began to bleed. Growling, she whipped around to face the threat, baring her own white teeth and crouching low. She knew she was not match for the dragon in strength, but she was swift and she relied on her agility.

Edited February 20, 2012 by Tyra-Ice

[FireKitty]

Beryl listened to the conversation between the Winter Dragoness and the Red Dragon Zarbeses. She bowed her head and then movement caught her eyes as the Winter Dragoness turned away from the river. She immediately spun around and lashed out, jumping into the path of the Gray dragon and turning around, whipping her tail at the side of the Gray dragon, hoping to knock it out of the air and back into the water.

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll leaped up when the dragon launched itself from the water.

 

A Grey?

 

He bolted over to the winter dragoness and grabbed the Grey by the tail.

 

"Don't move, or you lose a few inches!" he roared, flames crackling in the back of his throat.