open The Last of One's Kind

[dragon4111 914]

Ali nods, "It sounds immensely painful. Let's not think about it anymore."

Zefira sees a faint glow emanating from what appears to be a crack in the wall, a sickly fel green light that filters into the cave.

Lily shrugs, "Honestly? If she was still alive I'd still be arrogant and confident, so yes. Her death was what made me question what I was doing." she takes the top off of the bottle and drinks more than she did before, probably more than necessary. Her eyes go wide as the much stronger effect of the magically enhanced liquor takes hold of her body, and she feels an intense burning begin to build within her.

 

Cassandra sighs, "Alright dragon, what do you want? It's been a long day and I'm seriously not in the mood for this."

On the other side of the continent, there was a conflict brewing. On the edge of their territory, the Riders were preparing for an invasion. In their eyes, the Church had been given a free ride long enough, and it was time to strike.

"It is quite painful. Bones break then become hollowed out. organs destroyed then reform. Scales forming on us painfully," Draco said explaining. "But that's how different our bodies are Asator. Dracomancer bodies are meant to handle the strain of the transformation. In someways it's superior. But in other ways we have to be careful around regular humans," Draco said. "We have greater stamina. and a pain tolerance. but the problem comes with a dragon's memory. Dragon's never forget. So Dracomancers never forget. unless your a ghost like Olaf there,

 

"Do you feel a slight chill in the air like there is a war that's about to go down?"

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

 

 

Ali nods, "It sounds immensely painful. Let's not think about it anymore."

Asator pats Ali and takes a deep breath.
"No, let's not think about that. Let's think about flying again, soaring in the skies and touching the clouds."

 

Zefira sees a faint glow emanating from what appears to be a crack in the wall, a sickly fel green light that filters into the cave.

Zefira inspects the green light and runs a finger over the crack.
"Hmmm...wonder if theres some ancient relic behind this wall."
Zefira began chipping away at the wall, hoping for treasure.

Raali's mist surrounded Zefira's lungs.

[FractalMoon 378]

Asator pats Ali and takes a deep breath.

"No, let's not think about that. Let's think about flying again, soaring in the skies and touching the clouds."

Zefira inspects the green light and runs a finger over the crack.

"Hmmm...wonder if theres some ancient relic behind this wall."

Zefira began chipping away at the wall, hoping for treasure.

Raali's mist surrounded Zefira's lungs.

Ali nods and wraps one of her wings around Asator, "The sky is so beautiful... I wish we could just live peacefully there forever..."

As Zefira chips away at the wall, she begins to feel a strong sense of foreboding at what she is doing. The glow becomes more intense, but for some reason that's not why she feels what she feels.

 

"It is quite painful. Bones break then become hollowed out. organs destroyed then reform. Scales forming on us painfully," Draco said explaining. "But that's how different our bodies are Asator. Dracomancer bodies are meant to handle the strain of the transformation. In someways it's superior. But in other ways we have to be careful around regular humans," Draco said. "We have greater stamina. and a pain tolerance. but the problem comes with a dragon's memory. Dragon's never forget. So Dracomancers never forget. unless your a ghost like Olaf there,

 

"Do you feel a slight chill in the air like there is a war that's about to go down?"

Lily shrugs, "Not really... Let's get back to the task at hand... There's a Rider cell just below this rock, shall I reveal them now?"

[dragon4111 914]

Ali nods and wraps one of her wings around Asator, "The sky is so beautiful... I wish we could just live peacefully there forever..."

As Zefira chips away at the wall, she begins to feel a strong sense of foreboding at what she is doing. The glow becomes more intense, but for some reason that's not why she feels what she feels.

 

Lily shrugs, "Not really... Let's get back to the task at hand... There's a Rider cell just below this rock, shall I reveal them now?"

"Do it," Draco said as he looked at the rock. "Heavy elements in this rock. May take two blasts to finish it," Draco said as he looked at it. He chuckled slightly. "As I said three times is the limit for transformations," Draco said as he sighed. "It takes alot out of us Dracomancers," he explained

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

The opening left had attracted some attention, by either sheer luck or coincidence that it was Captain Artemis and her group to grow curious enough to venture through the tunnel. Dismounting from their steads and drawing out blades, fifteen men and women marched inward silently while the remainder remained outside. Each one was trained in the art of fighting in the darkness and were well-prepared to handle anything that could come at them through the tunnel.  

 

Captain Artemis held her hand up to halt the traveling group of Praeses Ordinis soldiers and moved silently forward before having one of her sergeants take point. Creeping along the walls and in silence, one of the sergeants held up a torch as they traveled inward. Taking slow steps as they crept closer and ever closer in utter silence. If they knew there was a valuable target, it would had been the same procedure, but they didn't know anything out of the ordinary besides freshly moved boulder.

 

----

 

@,

 

 Glacies moved his massive head to the healer and scoffed at the words the mortal had spoken. "The request is rather simple, easy enough for you mortals to understand the meaning of," he paused as one of his massive claws scratched the surface of the floor, creating large marks, "I want all of my kind to be free. All of them, every single last one of them from the clutches of the accursed mortals that dare to think of enslaving us immortal beings, to steal our gifts." His eyes blinked as he looked at the three figures, "and if you all don't help, you all will die painfully in the abyss of winter."

 

----

 

The Praeses Church wasn't idiotic enough to leave its borders bordering the dragon riders undefended, they had made some preparations in defenses years long past. From eight forts situated around five miles apart and a single town in between two, any news of attack will be heard very soon enough. Although the recent conquering of the barbaric lands had left the forces of each fort, which used to number in the forty-thousands, to merely ten-thousand each. It was also very unfortunate that the forts did not receive the guns the armies in the barbaric lands were using. Despite these setbacks, the forts are still worthy opponents of any would-be attackers. 

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

 

 

Ali nods and wraps one of her wings around Asator, "The sky is so beautiful... I wish we could just live peacefully there forever..."

"I agree, Ali" Asator replies, smirking as Ali wraps her wing around him.
"When I die, I think I want to be set on fire and catapulted in the air."

 

As Zefira chips away at the wall, she begins to feel a strong sense of foreboding at what she is doing. The glow becomes more intense, but for some reason that's not why she feels what she feels.

Zefira stopped chipping at the wall and backed away. She looked at the wall and then at her hands and sighed.
"I dont like this one bit." She said.
Zefira  had been in many situations before, either stealing relics or stalking a target, where she had been overcome with a sudden sense of doom. Half of the time she would go through with what she was doing anyways. Other times she would be smart and stay away from what she was doing.

[FractalMoon 378]

"Do it," Draco said as he looked at the rock. "Heavy elements in this rock. May take two blasts to finish it," Draco said as he looked at it. He chuckled slightly. "As I said three times is the limit for transformations," Draco said as he sighed. "It takes alot out of us Dracomancers," he explained

Lily decides that more power is also an option and flies up a few feet, hovering about 2 meters away from the rock. Content with her positioning, she opens her mouth, exhales, and releases a torrent of blue-white fire bright enough to be seen for miles that melts through the boulder in front of her with ease and is bright enough to be seen for miles around. Unfortunately for her, she underestimated her own power and some of the flames entered the short tunnel, causing a few shelves and cupboards to be incinerated and, somewhat poetically, managing to set the supposedly flame-immune Rider flag ablaze. She sets down and smiles, "If memory serves there are 3 full sized dragons in this cell."

"I agree, Ali" Asator replies, smirking as Ali wraps her wing around him.

"When I die, I think I want to be set on fire and catapulted in the air."

Zefira stopped chipping at the wall and backed away. She looked at the wall and then at her hands and sighed.

"I dont like this one bit." She said.

Zefira had been in many situations before, either stealing relics or stalking a target, where she had been overcome with a sudden sense of doom. Half of the time she would go through with what she was doing anyways. Other times she would be smart and stay away from what she was doing.

Suddenly the crevice begins to induce a sense of safety and adventure, and if she strained to hear she could begin to hear the clatter of armour somewhere in the cave system.

Ali nods, "I'm sure they'll find a way to do that for you..." She shies away from the rock near Lily, which still glows white-hot in places where it wasn't annihilated completely.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

 

 

Ali nods, "I'm sure they'll find a way to do that for you..." She shies away from the rock near Lily, which still glows white-hot in places where it wasn't annihilated completely.

Asator climbs back onto Ali and lays on her back.
"I hope so! Being sent into the sky as your final resting place sounds very...interesting...hmm...can't think of the word for it."

Zefira picks her teeth with her knife and sets off again into the cave. This time, she was gonna ignore any lingering doubts or fear; anything that would stop her from completing her little cave exploration. Raali stirred around in Zefira's lungs, waiting to be called upon. He could sense Zefira's excitement and chuckled a bit.
Zefira walks into the dank cave and glides her hand on the wall, feeling the various bumps and jagged edges. She walked back to the wall where she had decided to take a break from. Zefira pulls out the small ice pick she had found on a skeleton in the cave, and goes back to chipping at the wall. The wall soon collapses, leaving a hole big enough for Zefira to walk through.
 @@Demirari, 
Zefira walks down a wide hallway and looks around, wondering how this new section of the cave was formed. In the middle of her pondering, Zefira bumps into a suit of armor. She looks at it and soon realises she bumped into a soldier of an opposing faction.
"Oh....excuse me....I was just spelunking in a cave, which must have been connected with this one....I'll be on my way now, sorry for trespassing...praise be to the church!" She said, being as deceptive as she could.

[Demirari 454]

@, 

 

The soldier Zefira had bumped into raised his crossbow on instinct and had aimed the tip at her as his fellows followed his movement. Soon enough, there were four crossbowmen aiming as the others quickly got up and assumed an encirclement around Zefira. This was a simple procedure and tactical movement of surrounding a single individual, to prevent any type of escape. It was dead silence as the soldiers waited for Captain Artemis to speak--while their waiting, some soldiers gently pressed their crossbows as to minimize the time it takes for the crossbow to fire

 

"Now, now, ma'am," Captain Artemis replied negatively, "praise the church all you want, but first, inform us of this cave." Was it all that Captain Artemis wanted? Certainly not, there were more than a few three questions, but perhaps more. By this time, the remaining infantry had pulled out their blades to enhance intimidation and fear that they wish to invoke from Zefira. 

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

@@Demirari,

Zefira tried not to crack a smile at the soldiers movements. She thought of them as children, easy to scare and not truly sure of their actions. Zefira knew she could escape, but didn't want the hassle of it. She instead kept a calm head and looked over the man speaking, who she figured was the captain.
"I am afraid I can not tell you much, sir. I am but a humble adventurer who was seeking a story to tell her drinking buddies. I thought this cave would hold some ancient relic or mystical artifact....seems I was wrong."

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

Captain Artemis studied the woman carefully before replying, "If you were a humble adventurer, you wouldn't be as this calm, would you not? A mere adventure would be more... unsteady on their feet." Captain Artemis at that, drew her saber at Zefira's throat, "Sadly, we who serve the church, do not simply believe a humble adventurer." Was it paranoia? Perhaps it was, however, on the other side of the news, it was suspicious to simply find a "humble adventurer" in a cave system. Not as one as calm as the woman, nor was it acceptable to simply let a person go after finding them in a cave system. It was a simple hunch Captain Artemis had been feeling. 

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

@@Demirari,
Zefira shakes her head at the supposed Captain. She wondered how much of a grasp on vocabulary he had. She then cocked her head back, fearful of getting cut by the saber.
"I think you misunderstand me, sir. I say humble in the fashion of not being important. My adventuring skills are however not to be down talked. You know, I was thinking about joining your order, but alas, I am a girl and im sure you dont want a woman in your garrison of soldiers." Zefira says.

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

"That was exactly what I meant, you used humble," Captain Artemis replied, "why use humble? It would make you a lesser target, wouldn't it not?" She paused as her soldiers moved in silently, slowly before continuing, "We already have women in our ranks, and the way you are speaking, you're trying to talk your way out." Captain Artemis took a single step further, making sure there was proper distance between her and the woman to allow her flexibility in striking down the so-called "adventurer," if she strikes. "Now, I request politely that you cease your evasion of the question." 

[dragon4111 914]

Lily decides that more power is also an option and flies up a few feet, hovering about 2 meters away from the rock. Content with her positioning, she opens her mouth, exhales, and releases a torrent of blue-white fire bright enough to be seen for miles that melts through the boulder in front of her with ease and is bright enough to be seen for miles around. Unfortunately for her, she underestimated her own power and some of the flames entered the short tunnel, causing a few shelves and cupboards to be incinerated and, somewhat poetically, managing to set the supposedly flame-immune Rider flag ablaze. She sets down and smiles, "If memory serves there are 3 full sized dragons in this cell."

 

Suddenly the crevice begins to induce a sense of safety and adventure, and if she strained to hear she could begin to hear the clatter of armour somewhere in the cave system.

Ali nods, "I'm sure they'll find a way to do that for you..." She shies away from the rock near Lily, which still glows white-hot in places where it wasn't annihilated completely.

Draco looked at the cave. "Good job Lilly," Draco said chuckled as he felt the heat. "Definitely hot," Draco said as he wanted to test how hot. "Does anyone have a left of stag? Or a leg of a goat?" Draco asked as he looked at Asator then to Lilly. "None? Okay," he said shrugging.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

@@Demirari,

Zefira saw she was getting no where talking to a bone headed captain. She sighed and cracked her neck a bit, knowing that this man only spoke one language.
"Repeat your question and I will answer it to the best of my abilities...philistine." Zefira replied.
She withheld a chuckle, thinking about how the captains brain wasn't able to process an insult such as the one she spoke. She noticed the soldiers closing in on her and took note of the Captain's position.

Trying to close me in, eh? Oldest trick in the book. She thought.

[Demirari 454]

@, 

 

Captain Artemis only narrowed her eyes at that as she felt her patience growing thinly. "I know not of such words, but I assure you that wasn't very polite of you to add a word at the end believing that I know not of it." Then, she decided to repeat the single question, hiding her weariness of dealing with, in her eyes, an arrogant pestilence that needs to be taught manners, "How did you find this cave?"

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

@@Demirari,
"I found this cave when I was walking around. I saw a small opening and decided to check it out. That is how I found the cave. Nothing more, nothing less." Zefira explains.
She was telling the truth to the captain, and hoping he would be smart enough to pick up on it. 

[FractalMoon 378]

Draco looked at the cave. "Good job Lilly," Draco said chuckled as he felt the heat. "Definitely hot," Draco said as he wanted to test how hot. "Does anyone have a left of stag? Or a leg of a goat?" Draco asked as he looked at Asator then to Lilly. "None? Okay," he said shrugging.

Lily shrugs, "I don't have food, but I can guarantee that that rock is dangerous to the touch... Shall we see what these riders are doing?" She walks into the cave, and there's a loud roar in the background. There's a slight glow in the background, then Lily's body becomes an unharmed silhouette as a column of red-orange flames cascades out of the cave, approaching Draco and Asator like a wall of burning death.

 

Asator climbs back onto Ali and lays on her back.

"I hope so! Being sent into the sky as your final resting place sounds very...interesting...hmm...can't think of the word for it."

 

Zefira picks her teeth with her knife and sets off again into the cave. This time, she was gonna ignore any lingering doubts or fear; anything that would stop her from completing her little cave exploration. Raali stirred around in Zefira's lungs, waiting to be called upon. He could sense Zefira's excitement and chuckled a bit.

Zefira walks into the dank cave and glides her hand on the wall, feeling the various bumps and jagged edges. She walked back to the wall where she had decided to take a break from. Zefira pulls out the small ice pick she had found on a skeleton in the cave, and goes back to chipping at the wall. The wall soon collapses, leaving a hole big enough for Zefira to walk through.

Ali nods, "It sounds like a beautiful and novel way to be put to rest... Is that what you wish for me to do to you if... If you die?" She notices that the woman is now missing, and there is a large inferno heading their way, "Hold on!" She shouts as she takes to the sky to avoid it.

 Glacies moved his massive head to the healer and scoffed at the words the mortal had spoken. "The request is rather simple, easy enough for you mortals to understand the meaning of," he paused as one of his massive claws scratched the surface of the floor, creating large marks, "I want all of my kind to be free. All of them, every single last one of them from the clutches of the accursed mortals that dare to think of enslaving us immortal beings, to steal our gifts." His eyes blinked as he looked at the three figures, "and if you all don't help, you all will die painfully in the abyss of winter."

The Praeses Church wasn't idiotic enough to leave its borders bordering the dragon riders undefended, they had made some preparations in defenses years long past. From eight forts situated around five miles apart and a single town in between two, any news of attack will be heard very soon enough. Although the recent conquering of the barbaric lands had left the forces of each fort, which used to number in the forty-thousands, to merely ten-thousand each. It was also very unfortunate that the forts did not receive the guns the armies in the barbaric lands were using. Despite these setbacks, the forts are still worthy opponents of any would-be attackers. 

Cassandra shrugs and looks to the other two, obviously deferring to their judgment, "I see no reason to argue with his requests, though I must stipulate that the dragons should be free to choose as they wish, not forced to leave if they enjoy the companionship of a mortal.'

A lone fort, as far from the main area of the Church as possible, is chosen as the first target. Battle lines are planned, and forces mustered, till the day arrives. A thousand of the Riders' best shock troops descend on the fort from all angles, falling like fire breathing comets in a bid to assure there is no one who is able to report of the attack to the other forts, and thus prepare them. The fort, designated 'Edelweiss' by the Riders, will soon be a wretched battle that will leave only ash and corpses on both sides.

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

 

 

Ali nods, "It sounds like a beautiful and novel way to be put to rest... Is that what you wish for me to do to you if... If you die?" She notices that the woman is now missing, and there is a large inferno heading their way, "Hold on!" She shouts as she takes to the sky to avoid it.

 
Asator nods and pats Ali's back.
"I would like that, but you needn't worry. I won't leave you like that....WOAH!" Asator holds on as Ali quickly ascends to the skies.
He sees a wall of fire pass by them and sighs in relief.
"Did....did that come from that lady? Did she try to attack us?"

[dragon4111 914]

Draco looked at the on coming flame. He breath in and blew out a torrent of fire to cancel it out. Draco could at least do that much while still in human form. It just burns his lips as dragon flames were extremely hot. He felt dragons inside the cave. He applied a healing ointment to his lips. "Will you two come down?" Draco asked the two in the air.

[FractalMoon 378]

 Asator nods and pats Ali's back.

"I would like that, but you needn't worry. I won't leave you like that....WOAH!" Asator holds on as Ali quickly ascends to the skies.

He sees a wall of fire pass by them and sighs in relief.

"Did....did that come from that lady? Did she try to attack us?"

Draco looked at the on coming flame. He breath in and blew out a torrent of fire to cancel it out. Draco could at least do that much while still in human form. It just burns his lips as dragon flames were extremely hot. He felt dragons inside the cave. He applied a healing ointment to his lips. "Will you two come down?" Draco asked the two in the air.

Ali sighs, "I... I don't know... Her fire wasn't that color before, but I really don't know... You probably shouldn't trust her if you can help it..."

Lily turns to the group, her body now cloaked in fire, "Shall we go greet them? I'm pretty sure they aren't too kind to meet us..." A crossbow bolt whistles out of the cave, followed by an angered shout of "What in the nine hells are you!?"

[dragon4111 914]

Ali sighs, "I... I don't know... Her fire wasn't that color before, but I really don't know... You probably shouldn't trust her if you can help it..."

Lily turns to the group, her body now cloaked in fire, "Shall we go greet them? I'm pretty sure they aren't too kind to meet us..." A crossbow bolt whistles out of the cave, followed by an angered shout of "What in the nine hells are you!?"

Draco chuckled "Ones who you have hunted for so long," Draco said as he grabbed the bolt in mid air with his hand. He hissed slightly as it caused his hand to burn "Dragon's Bane?" Draco looked at the one who fired the bolt. "Really have you no respect for your dragons?"

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

 

 

Ali sighs, "I... I don't know... Her fire wasn't that color before, but I really don't know... You probably shouldn't trust her if you can help it..."

"I will be weary of this lady now. It seems they are fighting too....As much as I hate to turn away a chance to fight, I say let these two have their fun." Asator replies.
Asator looked down and thought about Lily's carelessness. Almost burning him was one thing, but almost burning Ali? It was something that changed his perspective on Lily. Not that it was a favourable perspective to begin with. Asator got comfortable on Ali's back. He wasnt going to step in, unless he needed to. 

[FractalMoon 378]

"I will be weary of this lady now. It seems they are fighting too....As much as I hate to turn away a chance to fight, I say let these two have their fun." Asator replies.

Asator looked down and thought about Lily's carelessness. Almost burning him was one thing, but almost burning Ali? It was something that changed his perspective on Lily. Not that it was a favourable perspective to begin with. Asator got comfortable on Ali's back. He wasnt going to step in, unless he needed to. 

Ali snorts, sending out twin small jets of fire, "You're right about that... She and the strange man can fight for themselves, and we'll only step in if we're really needed.." 

 

Draco chuckled "Ones who you have hunted for so long," Draco said as he grabbed the bolt in mid air with his hand. He hissed slightly as it caused his hand to burn "Dragon's Bane?" Draco looked at the one who fired the bolt. "Really have you no respect for your dragons?"

The man frantically reloads, "How dare you lecture me on how I should treat my dragon you freak! Go away!" He fires again, "Die already!" 

Lily feels a club strike her, splintering against her more resistant dragon form. She turns to the person and smiles, "Did you expect that to do anything?" She lets out another puff of drastically enhanced flame, causing the entire club to quickly crumble to ash.

[dragon4111 914]

Ali snorts, sending out twin small jets of fire, "You're right about that... She and the strange man can fight for themselves, and we'll only step in if we're really needed.." 

 

The man frantically reloads, "How dare you lecture me on how I should treat my dragon you freak! Go away!" He fires again, "Die already!" 

Lily feels a club strike her, splintering against her more resistant dragon form. She turns to the person and smiles, "Did you expect that to do anything?" She lets out another puff of drastically enhanced flame, causing the entire club to quickly crumble to ash.

Draco stepped to the side. "1 minute to reload," Draco said to himself as he walked towards the crossbow man. "As a dragon rider you have to respect and befriend your dragon but you treat them as pet's or beasts of burden," Draco said as he walked closer. "The dragon Ali has a new rider who respects her. Treats her like a person,"

"Freak," Draco said harshly. "You call me a freak how little you know," Draco said as he grabbed the crossbow and pointed it away from him pointing it towards a wall.