The Wings of the Changeling

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii looked at the Sunstone dragoness when she approached him and asked about them being able to move on.

 

"We should be able to move on. I know he's still there somewhere but I didn't see him while scouting. If we had time I would have gone in and fought him myself but we need to get through these woods as fast as possible."

 

He continued to pick the thorns out of his scales for a few moments before he heard her offer to help.

 

"I can manage myself." he said sharply before adding clumsily,"Thank you for offering though."

[octopi]

"Oh! That's great. Maybe we should go before the Stone notices that a bunch of dragons is just sitting in his territory." So there was a Stone dragon in there. Peri gulped. "Hey, before we get going, can I get your name? I didn't catch it back there at the clearing."

 

((So terribly short. There is nothing to saaaaaay))

[kronosdragon]

"His name is Dharsii, and we're wasting time as it is."

 

Asoryll took a brief look around, his scales bristling as a darker energy filled the air.

 

"Get moving, all of you. We've attracted enough attention as it is, and it would be in our best interests if we keep from attracting more."

 

His dusty scales glinted dully in the pale light from the stars above. He nudged the others along, urging them to follow Dharsii.

 

"Come on. The sooner we're out of here, the sooner we can speak above a whisper."

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii looked at the Red, a little surprised by his sudden change in behavior. But they were at the mercy of time and did need to get moving again. He turned to look at Peri.

 

"Yes, my name is Dharsii as Zarbeses said. And he is right, we really should be going."

 

He stood up and proceeded off in the direction that would take them around the Stone Thicket and hopefully keep them away from the resident Stone dragon. He felt something unnaturally dark in the air and his scales bristled at the sense but he kept on his way.

[Tyra-Ice]

Tyra was listening to the other Dragons but at the same time, her eyes darted about, scouting for danger. This place...this setting....something just wasn't right about it. Usually, the Stone Dragons were fierce and wouldn't hesitate to run a stranger out of their territory but all was just...quiet. Maybe he was asleep? No...that can't be it... Venturing up to Dharsii, she whispered in a low voice, "Something just isn't right...if there was a Stone Dragon still living here, why hasn't he driven us out yet or even approached us...? We should get moving quickly. I have a bad feeling about this place..."

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll didn't like the feeling he was getting. Something was approaching, and it wasn't friendly. He turned his back on the others, facing the shadows behind them. His toes curled as his body tensed.

 

"Move," he whispered. "Slowly. Don't make any noise if you can help it."

 

He slowly started to back up, urging the others to start forward through the forest.

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii's nostrils flared as he caught a faint scent in the still air. He lifted his head and stopped in his tracks. His tail begain to sweep from side to side in the dusty earth as he scanned the surrounding area.

 

"Everybody, hold up. Something's not right." the Grey said in a low voice.

 

He then began to stalk forward, tongue flicking. He knew that smell. The Stone Dragon was somewhere around here. Dharsii reached out with all of his senses to try and locate his foe but could only find a spot that smelled faintly like the other dragon, a little way off from the others.

 

He tested the air above the ground with his tongue and realized too late that he had fallen into a trap. The dusty earth beneath him shook and swayed as the Stone Dragon came up beneath him with a mighty roar and locked its jaws around his ankle, its fangs scraping bone.

 

Dharsii let out a screech of pain and turned on his half burried attacker, digging in with claws and teeth, exchanging pain for pain. The Stone Dragon was large even for his kind, possibly almost as big as Zarbeses. The Stone Dragon managed to get the upper half of his body free of the ground and spread his great wings, revealing the crippling tear across the base muscle, he had recieved in his last battle with Dharsii.

 

If I can just get free and into the air I'll be okay. He won't be flying on that messed up wing. Dharsii yanked his leg but the Stone's jaws only clamped tighter and held him in place as the Stone dragon continued to dig himself out of the earth.

[TotallyDrow]

Phayne watched as the stone dragon ambushed the grey dragon from beneath and proceeded to exchange blow after blow with Dharsii. Taking this chance Phayne charged forward, brushing pass the others before circling the stone dragon and pouncing on its injured back. Phayne had noticed the huge tear across its base muscle and decided to further increase the discomfort that wound would have given him.

 

He clawed at the tear, slowly increased its size along the stone dragon's base muscle.

 

 

[octopi]

((By the way:

"Stone dragons have a tough outer covering made of a stone-like material. […] Although they have wings, indicating flight ability, no one has ever seen a stone dragon flying."))

 

"Everybody, hold up. Something's not right."

 

Peri stopped. “Something’s not right? What do you mean?” She looked around. There was nothing but dead silence. She sniffed the air, following the Gray’s example, but caught nothing. “What’s wrong? Is it-“

 

The Stone dragon erupted from the ground, grabbing Dharsii by the ankle. The rest of Peri’s sentence turned into a strangled screech. She stared in shock for a few seconds, but shook herself out of it when she saw Phayne charging the monster. Peri gulped. She was a good enough hunter, but none of the prey back home was bigger than she was.

 

It doesn’t matter. We can’t win this unless we all do something. Those wings…hmm. Peri took off and flew towards the Stone dragon’s head. “Dharsii! This thing can’t fly, right?”

 

[kronosdragon]

Asoryll cursed beneath his breath and rounded on the scene before him. This only made things worse, because the dark energy he was sensing was not coming from the Stone.

 

"Blast it all..."

 

He reached into his bag and pulled out a small, clear crystal. It was a raw crystal, with a bit of the stone it was growing on still attached. It began to glow faintly, and Asoryll felt heat building in his gut. He reared his head back and opened his maw, letting a fireball of massive proportions rocket into the air, exploding a half-mile away to draw whatever was stalking them in a different direction. When he felt the evil presence diminish, he breathed a puff of smoke in relief before turning back to the task at hand.

 

"Peri, there's no time to take wing!" he called to the sunstone. "We must stand together!"

 

With that, he charged in after Phayne and released a low, menacing growl. He latched his teeth and claws into the craggy, rocky skin of the Stone, tearing and pulling at a chunk of it in an attempt to rip it off.

[Tyra-Ice]

Swiftly, Tyra dashed to the side, the massive stone dragon's tail almost crushing her as he grabbed hold of Dharsii's leg with his teeth. Growling, she whipped around and slid under neath the Stone, attempting to distract it so it would let go of Dharsii. Taking a deep breath, she let out a sleek blue flame from her mouth, freezing the front belly plates of the massive enemy.

[Drakossozh]

The Stone Dragon bellowed and released Dhrasii's leg at the sudden barrage of attacks. Dharsii beat his wings and carried himself away from his attacker. He looked up at Peri when she asked if it could fly or not.

 

"Not this one. Never seen one in self powered flight but with his messsed up wing muscle this one isn't getting off the ground." he shouted up at her. The Gray then let out a roar and went to lunge back into the fight only to feel his wounded leg give out beneath him. He hissed a curse under his breath.

 

The massive Stone Dragon thrashed his body about to try and come to grips with his enemies. Still buried from the thighs down, he could not move around very much. And after being hit by Tyra's icy breath his front quarters were severly impaired as well. The Stone Dragon dropped his head and wings in order to swing his tail at Phayne to try and knock him off his back. It then turned its head around to try and latch it's jaws onto the Red who was tearing into it's armored side.

 

Dharsii managed to get back to his feet and snarled at the Stone Dragon, blood dripping from his wounded hind leg which he held up off the ground. The Gray would not let this injury keep him from fighting. He pulled his head back and and let a stream of flame shoot forward at the Stone Dragon. The flames struck the base of it's neck just above Tyra's ice. There was a faint creaking sound as the ice was evaporated on contact, followed by a much louder CRACK. The armor on the Stone Dragon's chest split in several places.

[octopi]

Peri noticed the Stone trying to snap at Zarbeses, and growled. She dived and landed on the Stone’s head, trying to claw at his eyes. “Dharsii! Do you think you can fly? If he can’t come after us, we might as well just get out of here.” Sensing that she was about to lose her balance, Peri launched herself into the air again and sprayed fire at the Stone’s head. “We don’t have to win this battle!”

[TotallyDrow]

Phayne ducked, just in time for the stone dragon's tail to pass over him. Pnce the danger of its tail was gone Phayne jumped back up into the air and circled above as the others began to attack the stone with a barrage of fire and ice.

 

Phayne let loose a torrent of green flames(matching the color of his eyes) aimed directly at the tear on the stone dragon's back. It was an obvious weak point on the stone dragon and Phayne was going to take full advantage of that.

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii looked up at Peri.

 

"Of course I can fly." he snapped, flexing his wings, "But i'm not backing down from this guy again. And I know just how we can win. Tyra! Ice his chest again!"

 

The Gray jumped into the air and beat his wings to sustain flight.

 

The Stone dragon screamed as its armor split on its chest but continued to try to dig its claws and teeth into Zarbeses and once again swung its tail at Phayne, this time brining its tail straight down rather than in a sideways motion.

[Tyra-Ice]

Tyra dodged a few swipes the angry stone threw at her then dove back in with another blast of icey fire to his chest. However, she didn't calculate that the Stone would regain his balance so quickly and suddenly felt herself flying backwards then sliding across the bramble covered ground, having been thwacked by the Stone's huge tail. Her ears rang and her head pounded from the shock and she was gasping for air, having had the air knocked out of her lungs.

Edited March 18, 2012 by Tyra-Ice

[octopi]

"Fine, then!" Peri snapped back. She spat another gout of fire at the Stone dragon in anger. This is all so unnecessary... Well, it can't be helped. Seeing that the Stone dragon was paying no attention to her attempts at distraction, she growled in annoyance and landed on his back beside Phayne. She dug her claws into its injury with a frustrated scream.

[kronosdragon]

Zarbeses felt claws raking his side as he viciously attacked the Stone. It had managed to grab hold of him and was tearing away some of his scales. He growled as blood began to run down his side from the ripped skin beneath, but he ignored the pain enough to move away, smacking the angry Stone across the face with his wingtips in the process.

[CYDA LUVA83]

Lachrymossin stretched his wings as he woke up from his slumber. He opened his eyes tiredly and looked around his modest little burrow. It was freezing cold inside, enough to make him want to get out and get moving. The Ochredrake picked up his satchel with his tail and put it around his neck before slowly rising to his feet. Lachrymossin walked up the little slope that led to the entrance of his burrow of sand. He closed his eyes shut as the sudden darkness opened his pupils wide. Blindly, the ochredrake clambored out of his burrow and into the cold desert air. He squinted his eyes and opened his wings, preparing to take flight. With a mighty flap, the dragon was in the air, on his way to the Northwestern territories for a little hunting trip.

Within the timespan of a couple hours, he landed in a small clearing, frightening away a small family of beetles as his did so. Lachrymossin stalked around, being as quiet as he possibly could, searching for game like maybe a rabbit or if he was lucky; a deer.

Edited March 19, 2012 by CYDA LUVA83

[Drakossozh]

The Stone dragon bellowed in pain and left off on its attack on the Red to try and get at the two dragons attacking its back. It massive form finally broke free of the ground and it heaved itself onto its powerful hind legs and thrashed about to try and dislodge them.

 

Dharsii watched as Tyra was bashed aside and let out a roar as he dove at the Stone dragon and spat a burst of flame at its chest. But the Stone would not be so easily hit a second time. It blocked the Gray's breath with its good wing and then knocked him away with it.

 

Dharsii spun in the air after being hit and landed on his feet, only for his wounded leg to give out again. The Stone then continued to try and attack Phayne and Peri. It rounded in circles as it tried to get at the smaller dragons on its back, revealing its frozen chest to Zarbeses.

[octopi]

Peri clung to to the tear in the Stone’s back, scrabbling for a foothold as the huge dragon thrashed in its attempt to shake her off. The Stone stopped to defend itself from Dharsii, and Peri used the opportunity to pull herself up. She had mostly recovered and was just about to stab at the tear again when the Stone dragon’s jaws snapped shut right in front of her face. Surprised, Peri let go of the tear and tumbled to the ground.

 

Peri got up and half-flew, half-hopped out of the Stone dragon’s reach. She was, miraculously, relatively unharmed. Probably because you’re not exactly the biggest threat here, she reminded herself. She looked around and found that, due to all the spinning the Stone dragon had done, she had ended up close to Dharsii. She walked over to him. “Hey, are you alright? What was the plan? Were you just trying to break up his armor more?"

Edited March 19, 2012 by Fractional Pi Day

[Shapeshifting dragon Cyrus]

Ther'ull beat his wings furiously, his shielded tail swaying up and down in time. The wind whipped his face as he flew over his homeland, the north-western territory, in the direction of the petrified forest. The night sky above him was beautiful and clear but he cared little; he had seen it for far too long. It was time for the sun to come up.

 

His sources had informed him that the mystery dragon, the one he was looking for, was last seen heading in the direction of the petrified forest. If he was to get there any time soon, he didnt have any time to dilly-daddle...but his stomach ached for food. Feeling it would be safest and most effective to hunt before he left his homeland, he landed in the woods next to a small clearing. The clearing contained one of the few remaining streams in the area, making it the obvious choice for any game that might be coming towards the northwest. If he was lucky, he might see some animals passing through to drink. Although it was unlikely to be anything more than a rabbit or some birds.

 

Shortly, he spotted a shape appear in the sky over the opposite side of the clearing. When the creature came in to land he quickly identified it as an ochredrake. The dragon began stalking around the clearing, clearly looking for food. move, you! You're scaring away any animals that may be near! Although, I can't blame him, he looks pretty hungry. he thought to himself. Well, if there was no chance of getting any land or air animals any more, he might as well see if there were any fish in the stream. He walked out into the clearing and called out to the dragon, "greetings stranger! Would you like to fish with me?"

 

((please point out any mistakes or possible improvements in my posts if you see any from now on.))

 

((edit: I edited my post per your corrections. Thanks a bunch!))

Edited March 20, 2012 by Shapeshifting dragon Cyrus

[kronosdragon]

Zarbeses took note of the thrashing Stone's frozen chest, and knowing well the effects of frozen stone under heat stress, he reared his head back and spewed his white-hot flames over the ice. The stone beneath creaked and made loud cracking noises from the point-blank searing of fire on ice.

[Drakossozh]

Dharsii watched as Peri was also knocked away by the Stone dragon. As he managed to regain his footing he looked over at her confused when she asked if he was alright.

 

"Yeah. I'll be fine. And yes, the plan is to break open its armor, if we can get through that we can win!" he said before adding a little quietly, "And I'm sorry for snapping earlier."

 

The Gray tried to get back into the fight but with his wounded leg he would just be a liability to Zarbeses and Phayne. He turned and saw Tyra sprawled on the ground.

 

"Help me with her." he said to Peri as he limped towards the Winter dragoness.

 

The Stone dragon bellowed in pain as its armor cracked and shattered on its chest, revealing a large amount of vulnerable red flesh beneath. The large dragon continued to thrash at the Black dragon on its back and also sent a gout of orange flames at the Red who had breached its armor.

[octopi]

“Um. Well. It’s alright, really.” Peri was surprised by the apology, and tried to avoid meeting the Gray dragon’s eyes as she spoke. “I yelled too. It was just that…well, I wanted to avoid getting ourselves injured when it wasn’t necessary. I guess I know how you feel, though, about not giving up again.” She walked up to Tyra’s other side, turning to face Dharsii. “So, what are we going to do with her? She seems badly hurt. I’m glad that Stone dragon didn’t try to hit me with its tail. I don’t think it tried to injure me much at all, actually. Guess he had better things to worry about. Guh, I’m rambling again.” Peri took a deep breath and sighed. “Hey, Tyra. Are you alright?”