mythicdawnmaster Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) Xallistine outstretched his arms to the heavens in a show of gratitude, as the violent rain pounded against his skin, forcing his leather robes to wrinkle and contract. A possibly lethal situation for his fellows, Xallistine knew he could survive being enveloped in the mud... it was after all, full of water, and if the oases all flooded, he would have something of a lake to travel in. His gratitude was cut short however when the Brass Dragon boomed overhead. Xallistine smiled internally at the beast, and wondered why it was it chose to assist them? A Godsend? or simple luck? The flaming tailed beast was a magnificent sight to behold, it's apparent metallic scales glinted alluringly as they drained the water of of them, it ran down as though it were passing over tiles on a roof. Noticing the sudden change of plan, Xallistine couldn't feel anything but awful for abandoning Fatty- He had bonded with that horse incredibly well, and it was his first, he remembered the lessons Rhaine had given him, and silently prayed that his noble steed find eternal pastures in which to graze, as it passed to the other side. Knowing there was not a chance in the Nine Hells Fatty would survive, Xallistine cast a quick and painless spell, euthanizing his petrified steed in an instant. He grasped the side of one of the caravans, his feet carefully treading on the wooden supports on the exterior, and held on, content to have the rain pelt down on his dry skin- such cold conditions reminded him of home, and it kick-started his damaged mucus-glands once again, his skin soon finding it's magical-resistant glaze once more. Flight didn't particularly bother him that much, he had used spells of levitation before, and while flight with a dragon was new... well he felt no inclination to vomit. Mireth gracefully leapt onto one of the caravans, and clung on for dear life. She gave a brief cry of shock, awe, and fear as the dragon took off, unsure of whether to vomit, cry, or scream in ecstasy, it was a wondrous once in a lifetime experience, so the slender elven woman vouched for the latter of her three options. Edited March 2, 2013 by mythicdawnmaster Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokyobiohazard Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) Alphonse hesitated at leaving his horse behind. He was going to breed his mare and start a line from her once the journey was over. He rubbed her velvety muzzle, then looked over to Ianthe, who seemed to be having similar difficulties. Reona held no expression as she drew her katana while standing on her tiptoes and sliced the head clean off the horse she'd been sharing with Arva. She locked eyes with Alphonse for a split second, before looking down, rain-matted hair covering her eyes, and muttering, "It was more merciful this way." Alphonse nodded and muttered a spell, ending the life of his horse gently, as if snuffing out a candle. He looked over to Ianthe and did the same for her as she cast him an understanding look. William leaned over and picked up what looked to the others like a small wooden carving of a pony which was painted strikingly similarly to the one he'd been riding. He gently dropped it in the eggplant-colored insides of his white robes. Being carried by the dragon was exhilarating for Ianthe and Arva, and the two raised their arms into the air as the wagons swayed and lurched with each beat of the dragon's wings. They laughed and screamed as the wind and the odd drop water alike hit their faces, feeling the kind of wonder and excitement one usually only gets to feel as a child. William clutched his bag tightly, only wishing for them to get to a safer place for his ink and papers. Wind and rain rarely mixed well with those. Reona's heart sped up upon lifting off the ground, and she felt a rush of adrenaline begin to course through her veins. Her body trembled and her limbs quivered violently. At first, she clutched at the sides of the wagon, eyes wide with panic, but eventually, she let her head tilt back and breathed in a deep lungful of the refreshingly cold air. She even flashed a genuine grin or two, giddy laughter bubbling from her throat, though she would most likely never admit to it. Alphonse clutched at the sides of the wagon, a familiar sick sensation rising up in his throat. He heaved over the side of the wagon, only to yelp as he looked at the distant ground below. A trip overboard would be deadly, if the dragon allowed one of them to fa--- He scooted backwards toward the center of the wagon on his behind, hands, and feet. He was quite sure he'd nearly fallen over the edge a moment ago, and found himself wrapping his arms around what he thought to be either a wooden beam or one of Tak'we's legs. His eyes were shut so tightly that he didn't dare open them to see which one it was, either. Edited March 2, 2013 by tokyobleach Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) The flight continued for what seemed like hours. There were times when the dragon dipped and rose wildly, trying to seek out the easiest currents in the downpour. After a long while, though, the rain began to slacken...and finally, it stopped. The night sky was purple beyond the flicker of the dragon's flaming tail, and it was slowly turning a lighter lavender. Then, Rhaine's ears popped as the dragon abruptly descended. There was a powerful lurch, and the wagon frames groaned as the dragon shifted his grip. At last, with a violent crash, the wagons were released - the Doomguide and the family went flying into the floor of their vehicle. Bilron groaned, his face now a ghastly green, "Oh gods...is it over?" Maeve stood slowly, her legs wobbling under her, "I...I think so." Suddenly there was an eye staring into the wagon at them. It was a pupil-less golden orb, almost unblinking. The dragon rumbled, "Are you all right in there?" Rhaine picked herself up and brushed herself off, shoving aside a crate that had nearly fallen atop her, "We're...as well as we can be, I believe." "That was amazing!" Sori squealed, "Can we do it again?" "No!" Rhaine, Bilron, and Maeve shouted in unison. They then emerged from the wagon to find themselves deposited upon a high ledge, overlooking the Anauroch. The Black Road lay a bit to the south. The desert sprawled to the north and west. Far in the distance, the Doomguide could see the storm churning on the horizon. The sky was ever-lightening, washing the ledge in a pinkish glow. Behind them was what looked to be a cave entrance, carved into the side of a magnificent, towering cliff face. The dragon's brass-toned scales glinted in the light, still slightly damp from the rain. He sat back on his haunches and seemed to be observing them as much as they were observing him. His head was at least thirty feet off of the ground, yet the cave entrance dwarfed him. Rhaine looked around, "How far have we gone? I cannot tell." Bilron shook his head slowly, his wide eyes flicking left and right, "I have no idea..." "You are roughly two days' ride from the eastern edge of the desert," the dragon supplied, eyeing her with a sharp golden gaze. The Doomguide's mouth dropped open. The dragon had shaved almost a month off of their journey. She bowed slightly to the wyrm, "That is incredible...we are truly in your debt, great dragon." The brass chuckled, the sound vibrating the rocks beneath their feet, "No epithets for me, if you please...I would prefer just my name. It is a bit difficult for humanoid tongues to handle, so I'll settle for Charmelion." She was about to thank the dragon again with his proper name when she noticed the wagons, "Oh gods..." The wheels were gone. The frame of one was almost split in two. Several nails were missing from the other. There was no way they could get the smith's stock to Shadowdale now. Maeve and Bilron both realized this, and they could only stand and shake their heads in disbelief. The dragon, however, was not so troubled. In fact, curiosity seemed to get the better of him, as he leaned forward and plucked the canvases from the wagons with a deft paw, "And where are the rest of you, eh?" -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Maydiira frowned at Kento, "Is every person only measured by their usefulness in your eyes?" Ginafae strained her ears...she had heard that voice before somewhere, but she could not place it... Edited March 2, 2013 by AurianaValoria1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipout6 Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 (edited) Weyland stumbled out of the wagon, feeling guilty that his poor horse was left on her own to survive in the desert. He'd been so wrapped up in thinking of his and Amendale's survival that he had forgotten all about her. Amendale was feeling twice as guilty, however, and he was visibly sullen and depressed. It was quite likely that his own steed would die a slow, painful death from malnutrition or be torn apart by a predator, and it was completely his fault he hadn't ended it early. Even the view of the Anauroch and the month shaved off the trip wasn't enough to brighten his mood, although it was enough to brighten Weyland's. "Wow....a month from the trip, that's definitely something." He said, impressed. "By Tempus...." Amendale stayed quiet, thinking about his horse. Weyland shouldered his backpack, suddenly feeling incredibly tired from his lack of sleep, and yawned. "I don't think we're going anywhere for the moment, so maybe we should set up the closest thing to a campsite we can get." He didn't have his tent, but he did thankfully manage to hastily pack his bedroll, which stuck awkwardly out of his pack. Amendale was not so fortunate. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- "Fine by m- what?" It took Arland an uneasy moment to realise that the man must be telepathic. Still, he didn't mind if they walked away. He wasn't looking for trouble. He stayed where he was, though, being sure not to turn his back on either of these two. Just because they weren't attacking him now didn't mean they weren't going to, and he wasn't going to give them an open invitation and a place to put the pointy end of a blade. Edited March 2, 2013 by Flipout6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh900 Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 Seeing his fellow horses being put down and sliced apart set Tannin's on edge. With the water rising rapidly, a dragon over head and his friends dying around him, could the horse speak it would say just one thing. SCREW THIS!" And as fast as his legs could take him, he ran.---------------------------------- Tannin stepped out of the wagon, looked up at the dragon and bowed. "You have our thanks Charmelion. Had you not shown up well, there's no telling what would have happened." He said looking around. "Actually our wagon would have been swept away and we'd have been forced to swim across the desert. Not a pleasant experience I'd imagine. And as such. I am in your debt." He said bowing again. Not sucking up to the dragon as one might expect, but merely being polite.---------------------------------------- Kento looked at Maydiira for a moment then nodded. "Yes. Keeps things from becoming.. complicated." He said bitterly. "But if you would like to stay here and talk to this man long enough for the other two in the back to come out and attack, then I will not stop you." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tokyobiohazard Posted March 2, 2013 Share Posted March 2, 2013 "Well, you heard the man, mistress. He knows we're back here." Sana walked toward the front room, swiping aside a curtain with her paw for dramatic effect. Her claws caught in the fabric, and she then cast a confused look at Arland. "This makes me seem much less threatening, doesn't it?" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AurianaValoria1 Posted March 2, 2013 Author Share Posted March 2, 2013 "You are quite welcome," Charmelion replied, his mouth twisting into a lopsided grin, "I could not sit idly by while unfortunate travelers succumbed to the elements...and such interesting travelers, as well. It has been long since I entertained visitors...would you do me the honor of engaging in tale-telling with me? I do enjoy a good tale." Rhaine watched the dragon closely as he spoke, taking in more details of his features. The side-swept horns on his cheeks connected with the long, tapering horns upon his head to create a shimmering, shield-like plate resembling a magnificent brass headdress. His short, blunt snout was squared off, the lips of which were astonishingly mobile for a reptile. His mouth moved in almost human expressions of smirks, smiles, and grins, and the thick brow ridge above his molten-gold eyes was just as animated. Before the Doomguide could answer him, however, the dragon was pawing at the wagon again, "What is all this?" "I, er," Bilron started, "I'm a blacksmith...we were on our way to Shadowdale to relocate-" "Ah!" Charmelion found a mithril chain shirt and ran a claw tentatively over the armor, "You make things! How wonderful! I have a great love for handmade crafts...say, you will not be able to take your goods beyond this point very easily, now...I would very much be interested in..." he trailed, spotting Weyland with his pack. His eyes widened slightly, and he added, "Oh, my...in my excitement, I have forgotten my manners. Please, do come in." With that, he seized both wagons by their frames and began dragging them backwards into the darkness of the cave. Rhaine exchanged looks with Bilron, shrugged, and began to follow the dragon inside. --------------------------------------------------------------- Maydiira turned around to see a half-woman half-cat with her claws hung in the curtain that separated the front counter from the back of the building. Her eyes grew wide, and then grew even wider... ...Ginafae snarled, thrusting the potion she held back into her pack and angrily striding to the front counter... The blackguard's ruby eyes met Maydiira's silver ones. "Dos! Og'elend! Ugulurl d'udossta valyrin!" Ginafae hissed, her mace in her hand and sparks emanating from her fingertips. "Dos l'puul, verin, spikkaus ilharess d'natha elghinyrr qu'ellar!" Maydiira drew her own bastard sword, the moonstone pommel glowing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josh900 Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 Tannin let out a small laugh as the dragon picked up the wagons and carried them inside the cave. "Sir Bilron I think it's safe to say that your goods won't be making it into Shadowdale." He said with a pat to Bilron's back as he walked past him and entered the cave.------------------------------------------------------- Sana and Ginafae finally entering the room, Kento could now relax. He wouldn't have to worry about surprise attacks. Though there was the new issue of the two drow screaming at each other that needed to be addressed. He didn't even bother trying to read their minds to understand what they were yelling at each other, it didn't matter to Kento. Drowish politics were all the same, pointless. "Would the two of you stop your pointless yelling!" He growled. "This is not your home, so your laws and rules mean nothing!" He said to Gina. "Nor do the words of your ... Pathetic goddess Lolth." He spat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mythicdawnmaster Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 "What an interesting turn of events." Xallistine commented contently as he stepped off the wagon. He listened to the Dragons words with a feeling of similarity- This creature was drawn by interest to help the companions, just as Xallsitine had been when they stepped into the Underdark, seeking out the undead plague. While Xallistine offered no flight, he did provide a place to rest, alike to which the Dragon was offering. He followed close to Rhaine, as they made their way inside the cave. Mireth gathered her things and grinned as the adrenaline still pumped around her body- what an experience! She felt sorry for the smith and his family, for what would they do now without their stock? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flipout6 Posted March 3, 2013 Share Posted March 3, 2013 (edited) Weyland took one look at the wagons and realized that there was no way anything except perhaps a few stray items would be salvageable. He shook his head sadly at the loss of perfectly good weapons and armor and went inside the cave after the dragon. He discreetly took Bilron aside and slipped him a sizeable pouch of gold and silver coins to make up for the loss. Thankfully he hasn't spent much money since he'd been paid from the caravan job, although this would put a dent in his funds. "Don't. Tell. Anyone." He said quietly, and then walked off like nothing happened. Amendale noted the action but respected Weyland's wish to not have it known. It didn't stop him from smirking subtly to himself, however. --------------------------------------------------- Arland stepped backwards from the counter, keeping himself out of range of a stray blow. His eyes narrowed and he was thinking very rapidly. He ran his options through his mind, from staying out of it, to killing Ginafae, to summoning the guard to sort it out and escaping, to simply walking away. Dozens of thoughts raced through his head, but he finally came to a conclusion in a critical moment after Kento confronted Ginafae. If finding Weyland meant killing innocents, it wasn't worth it. Arland's blades snapped out of their sheaths in an instant and he dashed forward at Ginafae, his blades striking at the hated target with expert precision and speed that served as the signature of a Tempest fighter. He used his momentum to carry him through to the next calculated strike, using both blades simultaneously in many of his attacks and attacking her from a different, hard-to-defend angle every time, and using both blades simultaneously to strike two different positions, be it the head with one blade and the legs with the other, or attempting to impale her from both sides at once. Despite this, Arland wasn't about to fool himself into thinking he'd win so easily. Ginafae obviously had some magical talent, as seen from the spell she had prepared, and she handled a mace like an experienced warrior. At the moment he had the advantage of the first blow, but providing she survived it the fight would even out quickly. He wasn't about to forget Sana, either. He couldn't defend against both of them at once. Edited March 3, 2013 by Flipout6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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