You As A Dragon

[Omen]

Omen

 

I flapped my wings, soaring into the frosty atmosphere, my breath coming out it wisps of fog against the night sky. I kept my head titled skyward, not wanting to see the darkened alpine forest below. It was a wonderful feeling, to be able to fly after spending my life walking on two legs. I heard the calls of the others behind me, and stopped flapping, letting my wings to the job of keeping me in the air as I glided towards where I presumed the desert was.

 

“You’re a wyvern Esko, you could probably fly faster than I could with your feet tied together!” It was my roundabout way of saying that he could catch up without much effort. Or at least I thought he could, I didn’t particularly pay attention to dragons when they flew above me as a human. I only paid attention to the ones that would circle back to investigate what I was doing. I had no idea which part of the desert we were going to, and was content with the answer of wherever we landed. I stayed silent for this part, as Alexander responded.

 

Stars dotted the night sky, their flashing lights and twinkling interrupted every now and then by a passing cloud. I silently hoped it wouldn’t rain, that would put a damper on our travel and probably freeze our wings. The last thing I wanted was to turn into a midair popsicle and end up hurtling towards the ground as a result.

[Esko]

"Well, I was a human too, I am still clutzy at flying. And I need to make sure a dragonet doesn't fall off. I can't hold her with my hands, they are my wings! Sorry if I sounded nasty..." I felt the cold. An hour had passed.((can I zoom time like that? Pleeeeaaasssee? Permission?)) I was ready to pass out, and I hoped Furisa was still okay. A bird flew passed me, and I almost fell. "Stupid bird watching habits. I need to break them" It wasn't my fault humans can wander with binoculars while dragons can't. I almost crashed into Alex and Omen both at the same time. "Woah! I am ready to pass out, when can we stop to sleep?" I used to love the night sky. Now, I hate it with a burning passion. Probably because it was night when I was turned into this thing. And when Furisa almost died. I saw the sand and felt ready to blorch at bad memories.

((Blorch=barf))

[Alexander_Drake]

((sure why not, I thought about it too Esko.))

 

Alexander

 

Esko and Omen were flying further ahead than me, or to put it another way, I was flying further back. I liked the solitude, as I wasn't much of a people person, despite all that I had done throughout my time with the others. I mostly thought about how nice the nighttime air was, and remembered that, hey, I'm supposed to try and go back to life as a human...

 

Lumina

 

Lumina woke up an hour later after her nap feeling, as she had predicted, fat. Well, she wasn't too fat, but it was still noticeable. Lumina's stomach gurgled, and she sighed before returning to the confectionery and buying more chocolates, which she promptly began to eat.

 

After said chocolates were completely eaten, Lumina burped and went back to her spot to nap again. She lied down on her soft belly and soon fell asleep.

[Esko]

"We MUST be nearing a rest stop. Hey, is that a town full of dragons and people?" I said, pointing to the mass of buildings and people and scales. I started to fly down, when I stopped in midair to look at Alex and Omen. ""Hey, Alex! Omen! Should we stop at this...town?" I looked at them, my wings aching for rest. Probably because I was tired and I had pushed myself flying. "Okay, if we land, I can help guide Omen with landing if he needs it" I smelled roasted...something. When i neared, those Dragons and humans looked pretty nasty. I needed to rest, and I saw a resting building thing, probably a dragon motel or something. "I found a place to rest. Follow me! Now, Omen, you need to do this..." I kept guiding Omen to the landing spot.

[skwerl56767]

((Meanwhile, far down at the south-eastern end of the desert...))

CLASH! I side-stepped out of the way, blocking my opponent's swing.

CRASH! My opponent blocked, before attempting to counter. I took a well-aimed swing.

“ AHH!!”

I stopped dead in my tracks at the cry, whipping around. Just like that, I felt a hard impact on the back of my head.

“ Agh!” I cried, before crumpling to the ground. Loud laughter filled my ears. I picked myself up indignantly spitting out dust and sand.

“ You're fast, but weak.” My trainer said.

“ Well, you try-pptthh-not looking around when-pththththh-you hear a shout.” I get spitting out sand. More laughter. I turned to the person who had panicked. “ You! You're interrupting my training!”

The person, a messenger from the Imperial Palace, picked himself up rather hastily-and I can't blame him. Such a scrawny guy, amidst all of these guards and apprentices?

“ Y-You have been summoned.” The messenger stammered out. I spat out the final sand clump and stared at him.

“ Summoned? By who?”

“ Emperor Luswold III.” Those were his last words before he bolted out of the ring. I stared at his flashy garments in contempt before turning to my trainer. The guard shrugged. “ You'll have to put off training for now, Blade.” He said simply. I sputtered out something unintelligible before complaining.

 

“ What would Luswold want with me? Just because people call me a dark knight doesn't mean I am one. Doesn't he have some caviar or something to pig out on?” A couple of my closer friends, watching from the edge of the ring, burst out laughing at this. My trainer just took of his helmet and gave me a look that said “ Do you want to be pummeled?”. I just groaned and picked up my sword. “ All right... I'll be gone for a bit... ”

 

The barracks were far out at the outskirts of the city of Cudahsai, so I had quite a ways to walk. There weren't any donkeys available for transport, either, and apprentices have to take their armor home with them. Aside from loving the feeling of armor(except for its ability to trap the unbearable heat), I felt like a true guard being in it, so I simply kept my suit on and walked through the streets, keeping the visor up so people knew I was just a returning apprentice. On my way, I glanced at the beggars, practically lining the streets.

 

There used to be so much more wealth. I observed. What happened? Did more dragons gain an interest for jewels and gold? Just so you know, Cudahsai was beyond friendly to dragons; all of those caught or even spotted were dragged down, restrained, tormented, and either put to work in mines or slain. There was a pit outside the city that held their bodies... I shivered. I once saw the most beautiful dragon, shining like gold and silver, thrown into that pit... I will never forgive the Emperor for making those decisions.

 

But instead of responding to the Emperor's summons, I instead took a path that led downtown, and entered a tailor shop. I took off my helmet for easier recognition, barely looking at the gaudy garments, blankets, and rugs that surrounded me.

“ Father!” I called. “ Where are you?”

“ Up here.” Answered a voice from the nearby stairwell. I turned in curiosity. That sounded like my mother. I promptly went up the stairs, which creaked threateningly underneath the weight of all of the armor.

“ Mother? Where is Father?” I found her in my room, simply cleaning.

“ Oh, he's just up at the Imperial Palace, dearie.” She said, without a care in the world.

“ Funny, I was just summoned there... ” I muttered, glancing habitually at a candle holder on my bedstand. I suddenly froze. “ U-Um... ”

“ What?” My mother looked up at me, but I was already racing out the door as fast as I could.

 

It can't be, it can't be... Why don't they respect my privacy?! Father hates dragons! Thoughts were racing through my mind. I should have never opened that casket out of curiosity, I should have never taken that egg! It only makes sense that he would take it to the Palace! Ugh, stupid, stupid, stupid!

 

My feet carried me up to the palace faster than I thought-I only ran out of breath when its grand staircase came into sight, but I pushed myself regardless, thinking only about that egg I had taken. I had nourished it, and strengthened it! It would quiver when I touched it, like it was happy to see me! I would kill myself if that egg came to harm!

But when I threw open the doors to the palace, not noticing the oddity that there were no Imperial Guards about, I saw something I did not expect to see.

 

My foster father, standing in the throne room, conversing with a girl! She had to be no older than I was, and next to her was a Magi Dragon. What baffled me the most was the dragon-if Emperor Luswold III slew dragons who merely looked at his city, one could only imagine how he would react to one standing in his throne room! However, the emperor was nowhere in sight. The dragon was the one who noticed me first, giving out a dangerous growl. Both the girl and my father turned to me.

 

“ There's the traitor!” He spat viciously. I took a step back, like a wall of bricks had fallen on me. What was going on?! The girl said nothing, simply advancing toward me. But what really made me mad was the egg she held in her hand.

 

MY EGG!!

 

“ Give that back to me!” I demanded, feeling much more imposing(even in the presence of a venerable dragon) with my armor on. When she didn't answer, I drew my sword without hesitance and attacked, seeing nothing but horrible images of what could happen to that bright blue and white egg. The girl was swift though, and dodged my first strike. She attempted to slap me, but I dodged behind her, raising my sword. There was a sudden hiss behind me, and funnily, the same mistake I made before, I turned to see the Magi grabbing my raised arm and biting down, hard. I cried out in pain, but I kept a firm grip on my sword, trying to focus on my weaker opponent. My father simply watched, at a distance.

 

“ I'll be damned if you hold that egg a second longer!” I spat viciously at her. She raised her palm, but I traded hands with my sword, and even though swings with my non-dominant arm were close to pathetic, I managed to make a nasty cut along her own arm. She stumbled backward at the pain, glaring, yet still strangely mute. Her Magi, however, bit down harder, and I could feel the teeth even through my armor. Gritting my own teeth, I kicked backward to free myself, but it was pretty much futile.

 

Drat this untrained body of mine! My conscious snapped. The dragon snatched my other arm with a wing claw, and the girl managed to recover enough to give me a harsh slap across my face.

Worse has struck my head before, but nothing has ever forced me to black out. Yet this mere slap somehow forced me into unconsciousness. The last thing I could think of was the fate of that poor egg.

[Omen]

Hahnuhadroz

 

Coasting on the air currents, the Daydream dragon headed towards a small town. The alpine air was chilly at night, so much so that she wanted to rest somewhere warm. The dragon noticed that the town was still active despite the hour, and felt relieved. It would do her no good to wander about in the dark whilst nobody paid her any mind, after all. Landing on the ground with light feet, the Daydream wandered into the town, her blue fur perfect in every way. Her tail swayed about behind her curling and uncurling as she moved.

 

People closed their windows as the Daydream wandered past, and she cast them a dirty glare. To close the windows on her, a beautiful sight to behold? How preposterous! It never occurred to her that they might be closing the windows against the cold. Pressing on, she neared the centre of the town, and upon rounding a corner on the large road in the centre, noticed a sleeping hatchling. Hahnuhadroz was baffled at the sight, the dragon most certainly didn’t look like it belonged.

 

Cautious, Hahnuhadroz edged closer, her blue paws leaving footprints in the drifts of snow that had yet to be cleared. The hatchling wasn’t one she had ever seen in her travels, and she had travelled far. Perhaps it was a new species, or one from lands she didn’t often travel to. Not wanting to disturb the strange creature, Hahnuhadroz slowed her pace, shifting to walk on the cleared path instead of the snow.

 

----

 

Omen

 

I was minding my own business, flapping my wings occasionally to keep my gliding speed and height at a relatively safe distance. Flying was tiring, unbelievably so. It didn’t feel like much time had passed, but my wings felt as if they were cast in lead. A flash of gold streaked across my vision and I almost ended up smacking into the side of a Golden Wyvern. Whether through divine luck or simply me being quicker to react, I had been able to pull myself upwards, gliding over what could have been a nasty crash.

 

The almost crash encouraged me to look below, and I spotted the sands of the desert, and in the distance, a town. I hadn’t been paying much attention as I flew, my concentration frequently lapsed when I was becoming tired. I regretted not staying back at the Caverns for longer, a rest would’ve been grand. The flight was mostly quiet, with nothing but the sound of beating wings and the occasional bird call to break the silence.

 

Soon we found ourselves on the outskirts of the town, humans wandering about with the occasional dragon. I didn’t like the look of it, there was a lot of activity for this time of night, and even worse, I hated towns. On top of that, there were dragons about. I wasn’t sure if these dragons were friendly, and didn’t particularly want to find out while I was barely awake enough to fly. I followed Esko as he flew around, and he suddenly stopped to survey the area below us. I almost found myself getting a close up of the Wyvern’s scales, but again, luck had me swerving out of the way just in time. “A little warning next time Esko, I almost crashed into you!” I let out a laugh to show that I wasn’t annoyed. My head felt muddled and the fog of sleep curled and grasped its tendrils around my mind.

 

That’s when I smelled the scent of food, I could almost feel my mouth begin to water. I agreed with Esko’s idea on the mere basis that I was tired, hungry and needed rest. I wasn’t sure if I needed help landing, but I wasn’t going to deny it because of my stubborn nature. Instead I followed his directions tilting my wings upward to catch the air, thereby slowing my air speed. I arched my legs on an angle, paws pointed parallel to the ground. The ground below me seemed to come rushing toward me, and I felt a little giddy at the thought of smacking into the sand.

 

I kept my wits together, dropping onto the sands to land at a slightly faster pace than needed. Sand flew up every which way, yet in the end, I stayed on all four feet. Shaking the sand from my scales, I turned around admiring the ditch of sand I had cleared thanks in no part to my terrible landing. “Cheers Esko, I might have ended up in the side of someone’s house without your help!”

 

My attention turned to the town, its tall sandstone buildings surprisingly larger than I had expected. “Who builds a town in the middle of a desert anyway?” I mused. Wouldn’t it get incredibly hot during the day? Or did they have a water source nearby that allowed such a thing. Thinking of water, I suddenly felt parched. “If we can find some food, I’d also appreciate some water before passing out for the night.” I was tired, probably more tired than I had ever felt in my life. Flying was so tiring, I wondered how dragons managed to do it on a daily basis.

 

----

 

Lazuli

 

The winds blew the marks of her footprints from the sand in record time, her feathers ruffling as the wind buffeted against her sides. The weather was starting to pick up, and with no large structures between her and the wind, she received the full brunt of its strength. Not that Lazuli minded, the wind was fresh and was far better than a sandstorm. She had been out in sandstorms before, long enough to find shelter and hide for the remaining duration. The worst sandstorm she had been in felt as if it would tear her feathers from her flesh, and so she was glad this was just wind.

 

Clear skies meant the weather would stay relatively calm for now, something she was grateful for. The orb on the end of her tail glowed brightly, absorbing the moonlight cast from the two beautiful moons in the sky, the larger golden one she knew as Aurax and the smaller blue one she knew as Cirion. If it weren’t for the sheer beauty of the moons and sky, Lazuli may have been unhappy with her predicament at being a social outcast.

 

Cirion was shining brightly, the full size of the moon casting a blue tinted glow upon the sands. Aurax was only half visible, the right side of it cast in a shadow of darkness. When both moons were in full view, the sands of the desert were lit up almost like daytime, just without the heat. Lazuli had experienced no more than four of these such occasions, it was a sight to behold and one she would never forget. The polar opposite of this, where both moons were shrouded in darkness was an eerie sight, and one she had only experienced once.

 

What she had never experienced however, and did not wish to, was an eclipse of both moons. She had heard legends about a dual eclipse, where nocturnal dragons would become unsettled and diurnal dragons would refuse to sleep. The moons were powerful things, and to be shrouded in an aura of red was something that could only bring forth unsettling feelings.

[Alexander_Drake]

Lumina

 

Lumina was busy thinking about what I might have been doing at the time, when her thoughts shifted to the appealing topic of chocolate. Lumina still felt full from her earlier binge, and was still just as chubby as before, which was understandable, she hadn't actually moved much from her position. Lumina began to daydream about syrup-filled chocolates, when she noticed the cause of said daydream; a Daydream dragon. From what Lumina could see, the Daydream was incredibly self-absorbed in it's appearance and totally narcissistic about how good looking it was, glancing at it's reflection in some ice.

((Omen, I will edit out that part about the ice if you don't want it there, I thought it fit Hahnuhadroz pretty well.))

Lumina thought that the Daydream was very pretty, and mentioned it to said Daydream, hoping to seem friendly to it, she didn't want to get on its bad side, lest it make her daydream for days on end.

 

Alex

 

The desert city was very pretty, but that may just have been due to the two moons behind the buildings, causing faint shadows among the streets. My stomach rumbled, and I told Omen, "I'm hungry. I have a few gold coins on me from the windmill job I did a while back, I can pay for a meal if you and Esko are hungry, too."

[Esko]

"I would love some food, thank you. But maybe I can pay for part of it?" I reached into my "pockets" and took out a few coins. Suddendly, a random kid popped out of no where and took the coins. "hey, stop!" I tried to yell, forgetting that dragons don't speak English.

Furisa giggled while on my back. The kid disappeared into a hole that I may have squeezed into when I was human. I wandered back to Alex and Omem. "Well, now I'm broke. Something abput these desert cities tells everybody to hold onto their coins. A meal would be nice" I shuddered at the thougt of desert food. It didnt look like humans hated dragons here. It looks like they don't have too much experience. I hoped this town was different.

[Alexander_Drake]

Alex

 

Lucky for Esko, I knew and could still use a pickpocket ward to stop what had just happened from happening. I had cast it on myself not long after becoming a moonstone dragon, so I knew that it would work for Esko. I cast it, and nothing much happened, but that was supposed to be the case.

[Esko]

"That looks like a food place over there. Let's hope there is something edible" I walked over to the food tents. I hoped Alex would come, because I didn't have squat. I beckoned the two to head over. The food smelled off. His tummy growled for alpine food. But if this was what they got, this was what they got.

[Omen]

((It’s fine Alexander. Something as minor as that doesn’t bother me. :3))

 

Hahnuhadroz

 

Her intent gazing at her own reflection was disturbed by the Moonstone’s admiration for her. Hahnuhadroz appreciated the compliment, turning her head to face the hatchling. As she did so, the Daydream whipped her head, moving the lilac coloured fur from her field of vision. “My my, what do we have here? Such a cute little darling.” The Daydream approached the hatchling, her paws stepping lightly on the cold ground beneath her feet. Circling the somewhat chubby looking Moonstone, Hahnuhadroz nodded her head.

 

“Your peers should be in awe of your astute observation skills, it is not often others take notice of my beauty.” Sitting on her haunches, the Daydream lifted her dainty paw, smoothing her fur on her body. She spotted a speck of dirt, presumably from when she had been walking in the snow. “Disgusting, even here in the mountains the land is rife with dirt.” Brushing the dirt off, the female focused on the hatchling once more.

 

“Deary me darling, you are covered in snow and dirt!” Hahnuhadroz recoiled, lifting her other paw into the air to protect her face from the sight. “By the Avatars, something must be done to make you presentable!” Had it been an adult dragon, Hahnuhadroz would be running to the opposite end of the town at the sight of the few specks of dirt and snow on the hatchling.

 

The dragon rose to her feet moving towards the hatchling. She lifted her paws, making an ushering motion to encourage the Moonstone to stand up. “Oh where are my manners? To not introduce myself to another lady, such reprehensible etiquette. I must ask your forgiveness for the belated introduction, please dear, you may call me Hahnuhadroz or Dreamweaver if it pleases you.” So tied up in her admiration for herself, Hahnuhadroz forgot to ask for the Moonstone’s name.

 

----

((Whenever I go to a market, my family always wanders off as I get engrossed in looking at cool things. ))

 

Omen

 

I was grateful for Alexanders thoughtfulness, and voiced my thanks. “Thank you Alexander, I’d appreciate something to eat!” My stomach rumbled in agreement, it’s low tones causing me to cough awkwardly. “Yes well, we should probably get something before we start eating people alive!” A few humans sent me cautious glances, it would seem that I growled alongside speaking telepathically. Must be my tiredness setting in, I pushed it aside, blinking my eyes against the cloud of exhaustion.

 

The markets smelled strange, even moreso because the desert had different foodstuffs available. At one stall, I saw all sorts of ground tubers and plants that I couldn’t even name them. In another stall, cacti flowers and other such foliage lined the tables, an old lady ushering other humans to her stand as she hollered a sales pitch. It was dark out, why were people still selling and buying stuff? I was baffled. If this were the Alpine, the only thing in this area would be the tumbleweeds the wind blew through. I really hoped it wasn’t unbearably hot during the day, enough to force these people to sell their wares by the light of the moons.

 

I followed the three, Alexander, Esko and Furisa as they wandered the markets, my eyes focusing on everything and nothing at once. I desperately needed sleep, but if it was hot during the day, night might be the best time to travel. Never mind that Bleeding Moons were nocturnal, as well as Moonstones. I paused in my tracks as I passed a stall covered in stones and rocks, my eyes gleaming as I spotted some amazing gemstones. I lamented that as a dragon I couldn’t carry them around easily, but to say it wasn’t tempting would be a lie.

 

Temptation got the better of me and I approached the stall, my eyes focusing on a chunk of quartz. To my knowledge quartz was incredibly common, yet the stone looked beautiful when cut right. This chunk wasn’t even processed, it looked as though it had been mined from the stone and brought directly to the stall. The stall owner eyed me, his eyes looking down at the rock in which held my fascination. The man picked it up, moving it in his hands with caution. He then took a chisel and hammer, and began tapping away at the stone with a level of skill that only years of practice could bring.

 

I sat there, enraptured by the process, completely unaware that a group of humans had surrounded me. My wings rustled in anticipation, each chip of clouded stone falling to the table revealing an almost flawless rock beneath. The stall owner continued, cutting out the centre of the rock to create a ring. As he finished the design, the man picked up the rock, moving toward me. I backed up a little, unsure of what he wanted to do.

 

“Stay, you lower head down and stay.” The man lifted his hands in a placating gesture, the ring of quartz in his hand.

 

I did as he said, eyes watching him for any sign of deception. He approached slowly, whether through necessity of caution, I couldn’t tell. My scales itched at being so close to humans, and I resisted the urge to hightail it in the opposite direction. The man took hold of my uppermost right horn, slipping the Quartz ring around it before pushing it to my head. One tap on my head from his hands and I lifted my head upwards, thoroughly confused by the action. What was the point of that?

 

“Thanks, I guess?” I had no idea how to pay for it, and had absolutely no money. I didn’t like the idea of taking something without giving something in return, so looked around for something to do to repay him. The man shuffled back to his stall, before waving his hand toward a large rock. I approached the stall, aware that my body wasn’t human sized anymore. Nonetheless, there was enough room for me to stand close enough to the stall to reach the rock. I picked up the rather heavy stone, holding it dumbly as I wondered what in the name of the Legendary Trio this man wanted me to do with a rock.

 

He then shuffled over to a flat topped bench, which also looked to be made of rock. Patting the bench, he spoke. “Put stone here, will make a statue with it.”

 

I followed his directions, placing the stone on the flat rock with care. It was heavier than it looked, but I had no idea what type of rock it was. Probably something like granite, but I only ever paid attention to gemstones. I let out a snort at that, dragons were known for their admiration of gems and gold.

 

The man then shooed me away, having gotten what he wanted. “You go now, scaring customers away.”

 

I looked around me, wondering what customers he was talking about. Seeing nobody, I merely shrugged. Little did I notice that the group of people that had surrounded me had merely moved to the side, so that they didn’t get squashed when I meandered off to find Alexander and Esko. Surely two dragons wouldn’t be able to stay hidden for long.

[Alexander_Drake]

Alex

 

I was starting to become tired from hunger, so I decided to break off from the group and find somewhere to eat. The sandstone buildings were really pretty for a bunch of rocks. The people who lived here really knew how to sculpt stuff.

 

As I wandered along a gravel path, I began to smell cooked carrots. I had no idea how those could grow in the desert, but there was nothing better to eat right now, so I followed the smell, eventually reaching a stall with carrot soup cooking in pots above some fires. It smelled really good, and I was on the verge of drooling profusely, so I got the attention of the stall owner so I could pay for some. The man who owned the stall was willing to give me the whole batch of soup he was currently cooking for one gold coin, because carrots were expensive here and there was so much soup. I paid him, and laid down on all fours and sipped soup from the pots one at a time. There was enough soup for me to not be hungry anymore, so I headed back to where Omen and Esko had been when I had left them.

 

Lumina

 

Hahnuhadroz was honestly very pretty, and was kind enough to help Lumina clean herself up. Lumina liked the attention, and enjoyed some female company for once, other than that aggressive Bleeding Moon. Pshh. Lumina was much more attentive about her dirty fur around Hahnuhadroz, and cleaned it up right away. Lumina offered Hahnuhadroz some chocolate all the same, though.

Edited January 8, 2015 by Alexander_Drake

[Esko]

the man at the counter didn't look fond of a dragon at his shop. When I asked for food(I got my gold coins back after the boy's mom found out he stole) I asked for some meat. The man gave me a rather small piece of meat for five gold coins.

"Now, that is RIDICULOUS for a strip of steak made out of something I never had before!"

"Then why did Ya leave the alpine? Take a hike" the man rudely said.

"I'm traveling for a reason. "

"I need money"

"Well, even a pack of CARROTS here costs less than this meat! "

"Pay or leave"

"I won't pay for this!" Who would?"

"LEAVE!"

" Get out!"

While we were arguing, another boy grabbed the meat from the counter and ran. "Hey, stop!" The man yelled, running after the boy. I grumbled and huffed off.

I then smelled carrots nearby. I looked up, and saw Alex heading over with a vat of carrot soup.

"Oh thank you! I just had an argument with a man who charged five gold coins for a small steak of whoknowswhat." I ran to Alex and helped myself to the stuff. I was a carnivore, but I could tell there was steak chops in the soup. I lapped it up, saving some for Omen, who I knew was coming.

[skwerl56767]

I woke up groggily, my visions blurred. What were those dreams? It was like I had tread the paths of Hell itself, surrounded by unearthly shrieks and screams, and my body under some indescribable torment. I felt like my face was contorting into strange shapes, and claws were forming at my fingertips, all the while my muscles were stretching and pulling in the most painful ways. Was it a nightmare of becoming a demon? What did I do that would cause such a horrific vision? I have never had such awful dreams in my life.

 

Yet, there were pauses in my pain, and I would see a small glow, surrounding a girl and her Magi dragon. THE girl. So filled with disgust and vengeance, I turned down her helping hands, more interested in the punishment delivered to me than being dragged out by the enemy. I even bit her once, so fueled with rage I attacked like a hound. She seemed genuinely frustrated by my behavior, and eventually left me to wallow in the darkness.

 

But now, I had awakened from the strange nightmare...

 

I felt something move at the base of my spine, and my first thought was that someone was trying to fool around with me. I whipped my head up and elbowed at whoever it might be, only to find myself tangled in some kind of black, scaly fabric.

 

" Are you trying to capture me?!" I cried out in utter disbelief, but all I heard was something between roar and a wall falling to the ground. I let out a series of hoarse coughs, like I had never used my throat before. Frustrated, I rolled over and tried to crawl away on all fours, and in being successful, rose to face my attacker. There was a thunderous crash as my head struck something, hard. I fell over with another crash, huffing in frustration.

 

" I swear... " I grumbled, and I was answered by several rumbling growls. I opened my eyes and tried to get a clear view of the situation.

 

WOW!! I could never see better in the entirety of my life! Every detail was highlighted, every nook and cranny visible, hah, Emperor Luswold III would cobble me for pointing out every imperfection in his "grand" palace! I could see the cracks in the marble and the wear in the etched pillars, as the palace yearned to give in to its mighty weight.

However, there were no foes in sight.

 

" Huh?" I muttered. Another rumble, and I looked down to see where it was coming from, but there was nothing underneath me. Nothing but a massive pair of blue paws, with broad silver claws adorning each tip.

Whoa!! I panicked briefly, backing up, and heard a threatening rumble-this time more akin to a structure-from behind me. I immediately stopped and craned my head of my shoulder; which took surprisingly little effort.

Behind me stood a caryatid, but to my astonishment, I was level to her face! But... how did I get so tall?! I looked down at the paws I had seen, and saw that they were still there. I lifted my hand, and the paw lifted with me. I wiggled my fingers, and it wiggled its toes.

 

" No way... " I mused. Another rumble. " No way!" I repeated, louder. A loud grunt. " ROAR!!" I shouted, and I unleashed a mighty roar.

This is awesome! I thought. I mean, I can't believe it! I'm a dragon! I'm a DRAGON!! I've always wanted to be one of these mighty beasts! I wanted to jump around in joy, but I was partly afraid that the palace would crumble, and then the Emperor-

 

Oh no! The Emperor! Panic filled my new dragon brain. What will I do? If anyone saw me, they would surely kill me! but I don't know how to fly! I don't know how to fight on all fours! I can't imagine I could just sneak out, either!

So much for becoming a dragon. My conscious said, with raw humor. I grunted though, not wanting to succumb just yet. There had to be a way out of here. And I had to get out, before anyone-not even a servant-could find me.

 

((caryatid=a pillar with the statue of a woman carved into it, especially one with draping clothes. I thought I'd specify, just in case ))

Edited January 8, 2015 by skwerl56767

[Pyrowings]

"Wait. You say that you have an injured friend?" I immediately took focus on this odd dragon as Mira's warning echoed in my head. Yes, I understand her caution, but I found through my time that dragons are generally intelligent enough to know a deal that works in their own favor. "Hmm. I ha.... Know a white who usually spends his time in the desert that can help.

 

"Skies, show's over, get over here and see if you can find Basii. He's probably pestering some female... Poor dragon. And people look at him and think "oh, my, he must have had so much experience to have all those scars" and I never seem to have the heart to tell them the truth... Ah, well. If nothing else, that had made him into one of my best healers."

 

I looked over to Skies, who did a florish and ended with a spectacular display of magic for the little kids, drawing many "oohs" and "aahs" from both the amazed faces of the kids and their guardians. Show-off. "Can do, ma'am."

 

"Diya have to end it so quick?" TInselwings grumbled. I had the most spectacular idea and all, too. Did you lose your sense of humor with your humanity?"

 

"Tinselwings," I pouted, then started using a hand to draw a circle in the sand. Not exactly mature, but, hey.

 

"Geez, lighten up. Just trying to pep you for you talk with Mira," Tinselwings said, then giggled. "Oh, this'll be fun to watch!"

 

"....Right. Mira," I sighed again, then turned to Amara. "And I'll go with you, sure, but can we rest first? I'm really tired from... Stuff today."

[skwerl56767]

My first tactic was to try and get through the massive doors of the palace, and I would have been successful, had the size of my hips and the added width of my rear legs been no larger than my chest. But my haunches got stuck halfway through. I tried to keep my tail from lashing in frustration to avoid damaging the palace further, and dug my claws in, thrusting myself forward. There was a loud creak like thunder as the door frame was strained by my massive form. I wiggled and tried to move, but I felt my hind claws skidding on the smooth marble floor, unable to grip its surface.

 

" Great... " I shut up right after that, as a dangerous growl escaped my jaws. I didn't want to alert anyone to the... strangely absent courtyard...

Where is everyone? I wondered. Does if have to do with that horrid, awful, repulsive, monstrous, horrific-

I bit my paw to keep myself focused-a habit I had obtained when I would become distracted from my training. I would pinch myself, which would briefly refocus my mind on the pain, then clear it, but well... that would be a bit hard to do as a dragon. Especially a stuck dragon.

Just don't think about that girl. I told myself. Concentrate on getting out of here!

 

This time I intended to growl, and wiggled and squirmed as best as I could, but my wonderfully feminine form kept my haunches stuck inside of the palace. I huffed and rolled onto my side, then on my back, but no matter what I did I just wouldn't budge. I could imagine huge scratches on the floor inside; that would make Luswold just glad. Yet I pushed on, eager to free myself.

 

This sucks- My thoughts complained, but they were cut off by a wild shout. I looked up in surprise.

" A DRAGON!!!" It was an Imperial Guard, probably returning to his post, just to find an entire dragon halfway out into the courtyard. I huffed in panic, almost blowing him away, but hoping he wouldn't be alarmed enough to call for aid.

 

There was a long, uncomfortable silence, as the guard just stared at me like I was going to eat him... ugh, could you imagine eating a bunch of fabric and metal? And take it from me, we get sweaty inside those suits!

I finally decided that I had to get out of here-even if the guard didn't do anything as he quaked like a leaf in front of me, his buddies, and maybe even the Emperor himself, would eventually find me. So I shook my head to make him back off, before trying once again to push myself through, while at the same time opening my wings a bit to force the structure apart.

 

Emperor Luswold will kill me for this... if he ever finds out that it was me.

 

The entire palace trembled as the arch for the doorway was strained. There was a hefty groaning sound as the stones were forced apart, and finally, the keystone of the arch gave away.

As a result, the entire front end of the palace collapsed in on itself. Finally free(and glad about it), I scrambled from the falling rubble. Without even thinking about it, I also snatched up the guard instinctively in my jaws as the rubble threatened to overwhelm us, and somehow managed to make an impressive leap over the palace walls. I landed heavily on the other side, and the first thing I did was wonder how and why I did that, before putting the guard down gently and examining my surroundings.

 

Bad place to be. I had leapt over a wall overlooking the marketplace, so I was now surrounded by people, merchants, guards, and beasts of burden alike. People ran screaming from my paws, tripping over trailing garments and fruit stands, following howling and baying animals down the main streets. The first thing the guards did was form a circle around me, weapons drawn. I was hesitant on how to respond. I worked with these guys! I didn't want to hurt them-they were just doing their job. Yet the image of the death-pit made even my impressive dragon body shiver. No way I was going in that either.

What should I do?

 

I looked up to the skies, pondering my decision. Too many things could go wrong... but if the right thing happened... I could avoid both death and bloodshed.

Could I trust in my instincts enough to be able to fly out of here? Would my wings even work? I wondered. It seems like the only option...

With my hesitance giving my former comrades enough confidence to approach me, and with more guards coming up the streets at the sound of screaming, I shrugged a bit to find my wing muscles, then slowly spread them. The now still air was penetrated only by the heavy footsteps of approaching reinforcements, and the rustling of the wings' membranes as the stretched to their fullest.

 

I took a deep breath. And jumped.

Edited January 9, 2015 by skwerl56767

[Alexander_Drake]

((Oh man, seriously awesome start. And funny. "Wonderfully feminine form," that's a good one.))

 

Alex

 

After Esko had eaten his fill of soup, I wandered off to find something to do. There were many pathways to explore around town, and I eventually found someone who was selling some pretty gems. However, my carefully trained senses told me that they weren't just pretty, some had mana in them, too. I saw a few average sized chunks of air mana and some of water, and also my personal favorite, time mana. Time mana's green coloration was very appealing to me, and the stall owner said he would part with one for ten silver coins. I gave him a gold, and he gave me back forty silvers and the time mana shard. I deposited my spare change, with the rest of my coins, into the necklace bag that was my draconic wallet for the time being before returning to where Esko had been when I had left him.

[skwerl56767]

(( Thanks! ))

 

My impressive leap made me breathless, as the ground zipped down and out from underneath me, and the once confident guards backed up in alarm. I had a brief moment when I could see over the sea of rooftops, lit up by the lights of homes.

It became less exciting when I began to go down.

 

" Oh gee!!" I shouted in alarm, almost diving forward. My cry of surprise came out as a roar that made the guards flee from my potential crash site. They were shouting something, but I couldn't understand them.

Get a hold of yourself! My thoughts snapped. I panicked briefly when I continued to lose altitude, but recovered quickly when I remembered my observations of birds flying. It wasn't uncommon for an apprentice to be stationed out on the city's walls, to stare in absolute boredom over the endless dunes around us. But I always turned to the impressive mountains to the southeast, to take my mind off the dry, unforgiving desert. And every now and then, I would spot a lone raptor, circling ceaselessly as it searched for food.

 

I remembered how the raptor would keep its body horizontal, so even though I panicked at the thought of basically laying on the air, I forced myself to straighten out and keep my wings spread. My heart raced as my descent was slowed, but not stopped.

I'm going to crash! One half of my brain cried, but the other half(and usually the one to keep me calm) overrode it: Tilt upward!

At first, all I did was look up, which didn't really help, but I eventually let my instincts lead me, and my body slowly leveled itself out before tilting in the other direction. People frantically ran from buildings as I came unbearably close to them, and my right wingtip scratched a tower, almost upending me. I struggled to stay calm though as I regained altitude, and this time, was staying there.

 

I'm flying! I thought with joy. I'm FLYING!! Wow, it's so... thrilling! I could do this forever! My excitement was cut off though as the concept of turning presented itself.

Right up ahead, another large tower rose up in my path. There were lots of these towers scattered about the city, to keep an eyes on the skies for soaring dragons, but I was about to fly right into one! And I secretly blamed Emperor Luswold at the same time for even making the silly things.

 

As looking toward evident gaps didn't lead my body as well as it did when I tried going up, I was pretty much stuck with barreling into it. But wait! Remember the bird? It tilted sideways to turn!

Like that will be easy. I added glumly. I was the kind of person who stood up straight and firm, not rolled around like some over-excited puppy. Well, I had to make a choice fast, because I was now close enough to see the detail in the guards' faces as the fled from the tower in terror.

 

I'll have to apologize for freaking them out. My conscious said for a moment, as I decided to roll. It actually worked really well! Tucking my wings in made me panic briefly when I quickly dropped, but momentum kept me moving and in the air. The problem now, was un-rolling.

" Blegh!" I cried out, as even though I niftily dodged the tower, I was now spinning like a giant blue maniac. I dearly hoped that dragons had stronger stomachs than humans. The first thing I tried was to re-extend my wings, but I just ended up doing a somersault, then having an even less controlled spin. The world was flung around me, in a dazzling array of stars, sand, and lit buildings. I wasn't sure what direction I was going in anymore. Up? Left? Out?

 

I quickly got my answer as a flash of stars then turned into a brick wall. I let out a roar of alarm before plunging into it. The utter thunder of tumbling rocks, brick, and shattered mortar took over my hearing and set up a nasty ring in my ears, and on top of that, the shock from the head-on collision made my head throb... though interestingly, more at the back than in front. There was a crack that sounded very close to me, up against my cheek, and I think it was me, but I wasn't sure. Before checking though, I flattened my wings against my sides and lay curled up on the ground to avoid further damage from the debris.

 

The dust settled. The trembling stopped. A brick fell squarely onto my head, and I uncurled with a snort of indignation before looking around.

There weren't any people in sight, which meant either I crashed into them or they weren't around. But if they weren't around... I looked past the wall. Dunes! Did I really spin in absolute confusion all the way to the outer wall? That would explain the lack of activity.

 

Yet, I perked up at the sound of distant shouts. I would be found eventually. So, without any further hesitance, I shrugged the debris off of my scales before lumbering off into the desert. Hopefully, they won't follow my rather obvious tracks.

[Alexander_Drake]

(( Great job! I should mention that Omen writing more of Hahnuhadroz's perspective is a necessity for me to add in more of Lumina's perspective.))

[RWyvern]

((I don't know how regularly I'll be posting but yay, I'm back! Hope I haven't missed too much!))

 

((Also I really ought to draw little pictures of my dragons... ))

 

I watched, wrought with fear, as Gogumajiosu spun in an effort to find a gap in the wall of fire. Hellfires were no joke. Gowdali hovered several metres above the highest flames and I figured he was telepathically telling Cadifor to take refuge behind a nearby fallen tree.

 

The Hellfire suddenly tore from the ring of fire, flames spilling from her open mouth. Gogumajiosu roared in shock and brought a wing down to shield himself. First a wave of blue fire struck, exploding over and past his body as his wing did a surprisingly decent job at fending it off, and then Tataura lunged out with her massive talons. Already it was too much for me and, with the inkling that Gowdali had taken Cadifor along as a means to control Tataura, flew down towards the Seragamma. The heat from the fire, even at this distance, was intense.

 

"Call her off, please!" I begged our leader, watching as Gogumajiosu fought back. "She'll kill him!"

 

Gowdali merely tilted his head at me and went straight back to watching the struggle. A few seconds after, Cadifor emerged full-tilt from hiding, taking flight, paws wrought with an aura that he then cast at both the fighting dragons. Unlike the last spell I saw him use, there was no flash, only a loud crack and both dragons fell to the ground. Gowdali was immediately down there and on Tataura and I tentatively followed, landing next to Gogumajiosu. He was panting, eyes wide and frightened.

 

"Tataura, it's me! Gowdali!" I looked over to see Gowdali pinning the Hellfire down by the neck with his foot, not unlike a bird of prey, and her tail was writhing like an angry snake. Cadifor had landed not far off, ready to strike again.

 

"The hell do you want from me?!" Tataura spat. I listened only to Gowdali's explanation for a short while and turned my attention back to Gogumajiosu. "You alright?"

 

Gogumajiosu pawed at the ground, then pushed himself up so he was only half lying on the ground. "She could have killed me, the damned wyvern..." I walked around to inspect the side that was targeted by Tataura (right) and, to my surprise, the scales appeared almost untouched, aside from one scratch on the shoulder near the neck. Gogumajiosu was now, of course, moping over that.

 

"If that scars, I'm killing her. And Gowdali. He had this all planned, I'm sure of it! No respect for dragons like me. Trying to burn me to a crisp and then trying to rend my scales... what a shameful act! Appalling!"

 

I ignored him. Had Gowdali planned this out? Looking over at Tataura, I saw her now standing up, still spitting venomous words at both Cadifor and Gowdali, but not against them as such. She directed something at Gogumajiosu and, when Gowdali turned to look at him, he responded with a horrible draconian smile.

 

I suddenly felt a lot less trusting of him.

Edited January 10, 2015 by rampaging wyvern

[skwerl56767]

(( Yay, rampaging wyvern is back! All right, I'll be doing more posts, but I'll still try to keep some gaps open so everyone else's stories can proceed as well.))

 

*((For sync purposes, this is around the time that Alex spotted the carrot soup, so there's a bit of delay while I catch up.))

 

My tail swished, as I stood from my post on a rather large boulder. Some time had passed* since I fled from my home city, out into the starlit wastes. The two moons shone up ahead, almost completely illuminating my path, but well... my path could go in any direction! I had run too far from my city to see it, and the attempts at flight I had made along the way made me disoriented and confused. The mountain range I had once so adored had vanished over the horizon.

 

" Where am I?" I wondered aloud, which of course made nothing more than a draconic grumble. " Um... "

I finally jumped off the boulder and wandered aimlessly.

" I should have taken a map with!" I snarled. " Would have been nice, wouldn't it? But nooo, you had to run off like a child!" I proceeded in my self-scolding as I pushed on through the night. It felt like long, drawn-out hours on end before I attempted to fly again.

 

I took a couple of bounds, extending my wings and pumping them. All I managed to do was stir up quite the chaotic mess of sand and dust and hop across the landscape. Flustered from my attempt, I fell back on all fours before trying again in vain.

 

I should have been called Sandstorm instead! Couldn't fly for the life of me, but I sure could get sand in my nose! I paused in my pathetic flapping for a moment to let out a mighty sneeze. The only loud noise in this endless desert.

" If I was supposed to become a dragon, I might as well have become an efficient one!!" I cried in frustration.

ROAARRR!!! Was all that came out. I huffed, blowing up sand around me, accidentally inhaled the stuff, and sneezed again.

 

" Okay you!!" I snapped, suddenly charging across the sands in fury. I picked up speed, and despite the rather unstable surface sand creates, I didn't slip once. Wings spread, I didn't intend to fly, just to vent out my anger.

 

So there I was, roaring nonsense, flapping my wings and bolting across the dunes, leaving a trail of flying particles behind me.

Since I wasn't paying attention to where I was headed, it was only until the spray of sand around me turned to water flinging across my vision when I finally stopped. The pause made my paws sink into something wet, and I fell into the substance with a mighty splash.

 

" GOOD GRIEF!!" Came a voice. I resurfaced in surprise.

Water? In a desert?!

" Well... you had quite the run, didn't you?"

I looked up at the voice, to see a rather shocked dragon, staring at me. Now, I have only seen dragons in the pit, and going into said pit, so I just returned the expression.

The massive rosy-pink dragon, with a flare of her black wings, finally relaxed. " You must be lost, little one... or not so little." She cocked her head. " My... you're a grand Guardian, aren't you?"

" Huh?" I asked, but all that came out was a grunt. How was she talking to me? I wondered.

 

The dragon huffed, her herbal scent overwhelming me. "Climb out of the oasis first, and then I'll tell you. You are very strange, to not know who you are." I obeyed, climbing out and shaking water off my scales before examining my surroundings. It was true-I was in an oasis! I never thought I would see one! Though it was rather small, the area had a few grasses, some trees, and two ponds. The air was populated by butterflies, which I thought was... odd. There were several fluttering around the dragon before me, who sat down on her haunches.

 

" Do you know how to speak?" She asked. I knew that using my voice like a normal human being wouldn't work, so I just stayed silent. She seemed to get the message. " Think something to me!"

I just stared, baffled. Think something...?

" Huh?" I wondered. I sniffed in surprise. Somewhere, in my draconic brain, I knew that I had just spoken! " You mean like this?"

" Yes, that's it! Not hard, is it?" The pink dragon seemed confused though. " You're fairly young, but I can tell you're no hatchling. How could you not know that?"

 

I suddenly felt embarrassed, but I also knew I would feel worse if I lied, so I just explained that I was once a human. The dragon just sniffed at this-she obviously didn't believe me. Who would? The circumstances were near to impossible!

" Well... " She said. " Your species doesn't belong out here, Guardian-you belong up north, near the volcanoes."

 

" Volcanoes?" I wondered, getting the hang of this telepathic communication. I have heard of massive mountains in the far north, that spewed fire from their craters, but I didn't believe any of it-I figured it was just tales, derived from the more imaginative people who watched the forges work. But for some reason, it felt like my home. A place ravaged by fire and covered in scorched stone, populated by battle-hardened dragons who fought over the land? Strangely comforting, in a thrilling, fiery sort of way.

" Can you show me where to go?" I asked the dragon. She cocked her head again, thinking.

 

" North... should be that way." She looked over my right shoulder. " Just go straight until you see the ocean, dearie, then go in the direction of the rising sun."

" Oh, thanks!" I said. I had to admit, I was jealous that the dragon seemed to know more than I did, but I was more thankful that I could finally speak to her like another dragon! Dragons always seemed to act like animals, but I knew that wasn't true. There had to have been more to them than meets the eye!

 

" Hey... I never got your name." I turned to the pink dragon before I took off again. She rustled her wings, happy to introduce herself.

" Castiel." She said.

" Blade." I said. " Soon to be Sandstorm!"

 

And with that, I took off, leaving a cloud of dust and sand behind me.

Edited January 10, 2015 by skwerl56767

[Alexander_Drake]

(( I'm going to wander off, but whether Sandstorm and Lazuli meet me is up to their writers. I would LIKE to run into Sandstorm soon, please.))

 

Alex

 

After looking for Esko for almost an hour, I realized I was totally lost in this town. Eventually I decided it would be more worthwhile to go looking for the girl and her Magi dragon on my own. After all, the others would be looking for her too. It would just be a matter of who found who and when they found them.

 

The desert was quite barren, from what I saw, so I bought another portion of carrot soup before I left.

 

I headed northeast ((or whichever way would be towards Sandstorm, I can edit it to be whichever way it would be)), figuring that the girl and her Magi dragon would be near the volcano area, because that was really the only place they hadn't been, as far as I was aware.

 

The sand was really annoying, blowing into my nose whenever I faced into the wind to get my bearings. It made me sneeze enough to clean out my sinuses a thousand times over. When I finally learned my lesson, almost two hours later, I was starting to get tired out from all the walking. The two moons were really pretty, and the stars weren't half bad out here, either. I flopped down on a tall dune, and decided to relax. After all, the night was still young, and I couldn't see any landmarks within the horizon of my vision. the only thing that I could use to see where I was facing was the two moons.

 

((Skwerl, if you could do an hour or two "jump" through time [like, "an hour later, _____"] so that we can be synced up in the same moment as we write, that would be great.))

[Omen]

Hahnuhadroz

 

The Daydream harrumphed, finally happy with the fresh and tidy appearance of the Moonstone hatchling. The little dragon cleaned up rather nicely, and would do well in a group of civilised dragons. Clearly, if she was permitted to be this dirty, she was not in such a group. Spotting the offered chocolate, Hahnuhadroz accepted a morsel, tasting the sickly sweet chunk of chocolate. The chocolate had tastings of something she couldn’t place, and also something she didn’t want to taste on her refined palate ever again. Taking the chocolate out of her mouth with her paws, Hahnuhadroz discreetly discarded the lump of chewed sweet into the snow, using her rear left paw to cover it up. A lady shouldn’t be littering, after all.

 

“My dear, what is that awful foodstuff you have been eating?” She paired the telepathic speech with using her paws to wipe her tongue clean. The sticky stuff got everywhere, and she needed a nice long drink of fresh water to get rid of whatever that sticky stuff was. Surely it wasn’t a naturally occurring item, it had the marks of human nature all over it. They were known for throwing ingredients together in some crude amalgamation of fats, sugars and whatever else it was that she had tasted, their bland tastebuds couldn’t know the true flavours of foods.

 

The Daydream shook her head in a mixture of disgust and exasperation. If this was all the Moonstone ate, Hahnuhadroz wasn’t surprised she was a little… fluffier than most hatchlings she had seen. She would do well to scold whomever cared for this youngling, raising one on sugary goods when there was plenty of real food around wouldn’t do any good. “Well little one, mind directing me to your caretakers? I would like to have a word with them.” A strong word, one with lots of scolding and many looks down her clearly superior nose.

 

----

 

Omen

 

I wandered the desert streets, body swaying side to side uncertainly as my exhaustion chose to make itself known once more. My rear left leg dragged more, a holdover from when I was a human. Being as clumsy as I was, it was a miracle I hadn’t ended up with more than just a slightly odd gait. Whatever, it was only noticeable when I was tired… like now. The first spot that I found that wouldn’t end in me being trussed up like a roast pig and thrown over a spit, I would try to get some shut eye.

 

I wasn’t hungry anymore, not after sticking my nose near the hot food stalls and recoiling in a mixture of disgust and morbid fascination for what the desert dwellers actually ate when it came to meat. ‘Dragon perhaps?’ That was the only thing that came to mind that would be readily available. “Bleugh.” Nope, I didn’t even want to try eating sentient creatures, starving or not. I figured I’d be able to find something on my own anyway, hunting shouldn’t be too difficult for a creature of blood, flesh and scales.

 

Hunger didn’t matter right now, sleep did. I didn’t know where Alexander and Esko had taken off to, and while I did want to find them, I had no idea where to begin. This town was big, and the houses too tall to see over, never mind that I couldn’t see into the windows of the second storey without standing on my hind legs anyhow. I lamented my sense of direction, and began following a trail that I thought might belong to a dragon. I hadn’t the slightest clue what dragons should smell like in the desert, but all I got a whiff of when putting my nose to the ground was sand and dirt. The occasional breeze would blow through the part of town that I stood in, sending the very same sand and dirt into my eyes. I couldn’t exactly rub my eyes as a dragon, not without risking stabbing a claw into my eye. Not something I wanted to try, especially as I relied just as much on sight as hearing.

 

I rounded the edge of a particularly large sandstone house, noting the well cultivated vegetable garden out the side. I wondered briefly how difficult it was to grow vegetables on land such as this, what with all the sand and drought. There must be a well around here, otherwise the whole point of the humans building a town here wouldn’t make any sense. I pushed on by, skirting around the garden. The last thing I needed was whoever owned the garden to come flying out of their house with a torch and pitchfork at the sight of a dragon tromping through their plants. I may be tired, but I wasn’t stupid, that’s what I liked to think anyway.

 

Another yawn racked my body, forcing me to shake my head to stop me from ending up in the sand. I hoped the others wouldn’t mind me disappearing suddenly, it’s not like I tried to run off this time. I was honestly lost, and tired beyond belief to boot. I dragged my exhausted carcass through the gates of the town, seeing a two storey barn outside. Horses nattered and neighed as I approached, their large eyes frightful and possibly worried at the chances of them being my dinner. Nope, I had no desire to eat horse either. ‘Yuck.’ I sent reassuring thoughts to the horses, although I didn’t think it made much of a difference. Making my way around the back of the barn, I collapsed into a heap of wings and limbs, exhaustion taking over and sending me into a dreamless sleep.

 

((The barn is on the south side entrance/exit of town.))

 

----

 

((Might have Lazuli fly around a bit more, give skwerl56767's character Blade/Sandstorm an opportunity to interact with Alexander.))

 

Lazuli

 

Kicking her paws off the surface of the sand, Lazuli took to the moonlit skies, feathered wings flapping in unison. Sand rained upon the ground below, bits of minute rock and crushed minerals coming loose from her feathered wings and clawed feet. It was a peaceful night, so much so that Lazuli couldn’t help but be at peace with herself. Seemingly endless sand dunes, starry night sky, bright moons of regeneration; what more could a desert dragon want? ‘Friendship.’ The thought surfaced unbidden, sending Lazuli’s careful flight into a state of disarray.

 

She didn’t need friends, she knew enough dragons as it was. Nobody respected her for herself, they only paid mind to her heritage. Why would she want to be friends with dragons who’d sooner throw her into a sandstorm anyway? That’s why she left the courts, that’s why she began her own adventure of seeking a better life. What life that was, Lazuli had yet to discover. It was hard being out on her own, prior to her escape from ordinary life, food was brought in by the clan’s hunters and shelter was guaranteed to be safe. Out here, in the sands? One wrong step and she’d be up to her neck in quicksand.

 

The female Moonstone corrected her flight, tail orb glowing a bright silvery blue behind her. In the distance she could see the lights of a settlement and unconsciously headed toward it. Plants frequently grew in the areas surrounding settlements, farmers cultivated the land to support the citizens of the area after all. Not to mention, if she was lucky enough to find a well or oasis, she could satisfy the thirst that had steadily built in her throat from the time she left. Cactus flowers had plenty of water in them, but were too few and far in between to support a dragon of her size.

Edited January 10, 2015 by VampiricOmen

[TehUltimateMage]

((Part one. This took like, 4 more hours to write than I planned it to. ))

 

Home, sweet home. I always found the bubbling of my alchemy set kind of soothing. The bits and bottles were constantly warmed by volcanic heat as the mana crystals were dissolved, distilled, and removed of impurities. Turning mana into a consumable form -- as only dragons could use raw mana -- was more effort than it was worth for many people, but for me, it was a necessity with the amount of magic I burned every day. It could run smoothly on its own as long I checked the color of the resulting liquid every now and then, though I liked to be dangerous and create strange concoctions where opposing magical energies were mixed. Some combinations had less-than-pleasant results on me and my dragons.

 

The alchemy lab only took up a corner of the roomy cavern with rough walls carved out by dragon claws. Bookshelves three times my height spanned from the floor to the ceiling with many filled with thick tomes and just as many filled with boxes of scrolls. I admit they are roughly organized, and I pity those who would try to steal the fruits of my research. With a wave of my hand, a well-placed wind spell knocked a book down from the ninth shelf up and I caught it in my arms. A spell tome on transmutations, bound in leather.

 

I flipped through the index, but it told me nothing I didn't already know. Why the sudden interest in transmutations? Because I have been preposterously accused of a crime I did not commit. Not in the slightest. Just because someone comes around slinging around magic willy-nilly and has a bright orange Magi dragon by their side, people automatically assume it's the weirdo in the mountains! Sure, I consider myself a mad magiscientist and sure, it's not unknown for me to cast strange charms on passerby, but honestly! And there was no proof that all of this was happening. Only thirdhand reports of this mysterious transmutation that far exceeds what anyone has ever tried before -- without dying, of course.

 

Where was my Magi dragon, anyway? He shared the same room as I but it seemed that he hadn't been back since the morning. Quaksh (for that was his name) had the honor to become my assistant out of all the other ungrateful dragons who moved out once they reached adulthood. Not that I really cared. My dragon-rearing days were long behind me, and perhaps they were happier living in their own biomes. I even stopped documenting them after a while. Their scrolls were tucked away at the very top of the bookshelf so that no eyes would lay upon them again. Out of sight, out of mind. The only dragons I kept in touch with were the ones living in the volcanoes. Those fiery jerks always caused trouble. Maybe that was what was holding Quaksh up.

 

Tossing the book on transmutations onto my desk (it landed with a heavy thump and scattered pieces of parchment onto the floor), I grabbed a small vial of water mana just in case someone -- and Pewer the Hellfire immediately came to mind with her blue flames and violent disposition -- needed a good drenching. With a quick glance around to make sure I wouldn't need anything else, I made my way down the tunnel leading out.

 

It was hard for passerby to spot my cave. Nestled inside a crater, it wasn't like I posted glowing signs or anything advertising my location even though many people knew the general area in which I could be found.

 

I guess that was why I found it surprising that Quaksh was in a fight with another Magi.

 

Both dragons were taking full advantage of the abundant fire mana in the air and it was immediately apparent that Quaksh's opponent was much more experienced that he was. His tension could be seen through his whole body from his extended frills to his tail pointing straight up. With his agility, he could only dodge the fireballs and retaliate when there was an opening in the barrage. The other dragon seemed almost bored, not even bothering to move; instead parrying each of Quaksh's blasts with its own veil of flames, blow for blow. If it was a terrible idea to get between two quarrelling dragons, it was an even worse idea to get between two quarrelling Magi dragons.

 

With his mellow disposition, Quaksh would almost never confront another dragon directly unless they attacked first, and I could only think of one person with enough guts to find me directly. Ducking behind a rock and hoping that the Magi wouldn't notice me (and that Quaksh could hold out for a little longer), I scanned the area with my eyes. I could see the silhouettes of curious fire-aligned dragons peering down from the lip of the crater but not interfering as if hypnotized -- for not one of them wanted to interrupt the show of conjured flames. The girl was nowhere to be found, or was better concealed than me. Perhaps her dragon would be the key to getting some answers.

 

I uncorked the potion of water mana and downed it like a sea-flavored shot. Right after Quaksh had advanced with a whip-like stream of flame, I threw my arm forward to send a bolt of water flying at the other magi, who suddenly scrambled to dodge when my magic pierced its fire shield.

 

"Don't even try to try anything funny, ya rascal!" I yelled, conjuring another blade of water I shaped between my hands. "Tell yer dumb owner that she's ruining my rep as the greatest, most ult-" I tried to keep speaking, but I could no longer hear my own voice. Did this dragon dare to try and shut me up? Quaksh beat me to undoing the silencing spell. At least that was one thing he could do well. "You think you're such a clown! I'm going to take this spell and shove it up your--"

 

I rarely get ambushed. No really. (Totally.) But this time, it was just a single blow to the back of my head that made me go from seeing red to seeing stars and I wish I could have at least had a good look at her face before I felt a hand on my forehead -- the last thing I felt before I blacked out -- so I could curse her for the rest of eternity in whatever mire of torture I now found myself in. Coward.

 

This constant burning pain made me twist in strange directions and was worse than any ache caused by bad potions. I felt semi-conscious, as if it was a fever that would never go down. My skin burnt as if I myself were dropped into lava, and there was no end to the pain in my head. She came to me once in the darkness. I could still not see her face nor her expression though I most likely kicked or spit or howled foul words at her. She didn't come back a second time. Good riddance. I could deal with some willy-nilly pain alone.

 

And then it all began to fade. Contrary to what I might have believed, I was not in the afterlife. It was still the same powerful heat of the volcanoes, the same rocky ground underfoot. Though by the very act of trying to get up, there were many, many things wrong with this picture. My limbs would not co-ordinated like they usually would, since I had some extra appendages that were not accounted for right away. So I stumbled and fell back onto my belly. I decided to take a few minutes to gather my bearings before trying to get up again.

 

My head was the last thing to stop hurting, and the first thing to start working. My hands in front of me -- paws? -- were a radiant orange. It didn't take long for me to connect the dots. "You gutless scumbag! Get back and revert me you worthless piece of drake dung!"

 

Though since I hadn't yet gotten used to using telepathy yet, it just came out as a roar of challenge.

 

And let me tell you.

 

Volcano dragons are pretty territorial.

[skwerl56767]

I had been running over the surface of the desert for a while, maybe an hour or two. To my surprise, I didn't feel too tired at all. Okay, that's not true, but while my human body would have clunked out before the 30-minute mark, the determination I felt welling up inside me kept my tired paws moving. So though I lost speed, I was still moving at an urgent pace.

 

I laughed in my mind, imagining the side-view: a silhouette of a massive dragon, charging through the desert with valor and determination, with a long trail of flung of debris and dust behind it in the most epic way.

That could be one of those plays that occurred during the night. I thought with a huff of amusement. Ah, I remember those-I would be stuffing my face with ham, tired from one of my assignments, watching little kids get excited about puppets and props. They weren't grand like the plays in the theater, but it at least amused them.

 

I was stirred from my reminiscing when I spotted a glow up ahead. But it wasn't a yellow glow, like a fire or a house. It was blue, like one of the moons just dropped onto the desert! I glanced at the horizon, then back at the glow. The sun would rise soon, so if I wanted to find out what it was, I had to pick up the pace before it was lost in the heat and light of the desert.

I was unsettled at the thought of being stuck out in the desert, to suffer its heat.

You've walked around in a city of stone, wearing piles of metal! You'll be fine. I assured myself. That glow however... if it was a living thing, I sure hoped it was native, like that pink dragon seemed to be.

 

Despite the exhaustion plaguing my muscles, I pressed on, attempting to pick up the pace. I had learned quite a while back that attempting to take off by running would take some practice, and definitely not while I'm fatigued, so I let them sit by my sides and be useless. But here, I could try and get some air to allow brief moments of rest for my legs.

Hopefully, I can catch that glow before it's clouded by the blinding glare of the sands.

 

((Since I'm going more north than east, chances are I'll run into Lazuli sooner, come across the coastline, and then follow it up to where you guys are. To get aligned Alex, you might have to go more southwest, so the meeting place would be close to the shoreline of the desert.))

Edited January 10, 2015 by skwerl56767