open The Last of One's Kind

[dragon4111 914]

Ali sighs, "You're probably right... Maybe we can ask her though? I mean,  maybe she just needs a push in the right direction to actually do some good?"

Lily winces, "You tell me that now... I'd rather not come out of this form till I've figured it out, after all I'm just going to have to transform again later if I don't do that now..." She looks over Draco, "Earlier I saw you breathe fire, how did you do that?" she asks, looking for as much information as possible.

After Draco drank the pain killing potion, he looked to the newly turned Dracomancer. "Not here or you'll burn the house down," Draco said simply. "But it's not as simple. When you breath think about the fire within you. How much you want to unleash. For instance, I do enough to distract my enemies,"

[FractalMoon 378]

@@dragon4111, 

Lily nods in disappointment, "I'll have to try it sometime... I'm more of a magic user than you are, so I'll likely be using my breath quite a bit. Anyway, I guess I can transform back now... Would you mind getting me some clothes?" She mentally releases her bond bodily with her dragon, and the transformation dissolves. She collapses from the strain, then gets back up, "Yeah... Clothes would be nice..." She says with a shiver.

[dragon4111 914]

Draco nodded as he walked to a nearby cabinet . He pulled out a tunic. Then while he's looking away he held it out to her. "Here," Draco said as he looked away. He was polite no matter what Olaf has said. Yeah he may have looked at the captain but he had to to heal her up. "You got it down pretty quickly but as I said can't breath fire in here this house is made of wood you know,"

@FM-Valkyrie

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

 

 

Ali sighs, "You're probably right... Maybe we can ask her though? I mean,  maybe she just needs a push in the right direction to actually do some good?"

Asator nods and sighs.
"Well, we can try. Question is....how do we find this hooded woman? Do you have any ideas?" Asator asks.
He didn't want to ask the lady who treats dragons like pets for help, but he remembered back to when the lady helped Ali. Maybe she was remorseful of the state of her faction. Maybe she really did want change in it. Asator decided to suck up his resentment for the faction and try to find a way to seek out the hooded lady.

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@,

Shadow felt around also, she found that the cave continued but the hole she found was too small for them to get through. "Its a thin wall of stone, if Tenebae was in here, he could break a hole in it and we could continue..." Shadow said.

 

Tenebae landed away from the cave and continued to look around.

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

Lady Florence shook her head in disappointment, "I'm afraid that our target has escaped." Turning her head to the left, she watched as Praesul Baden sullenly order the ballistas to be put into transportation mode again. She returned her attention to the healer of Sana, "We'll have to continue when we find our target or any target that is a dragon for that matter."  A shiver then ran down her body as so did many of the soldiers--it was as if the temperature of the surrounding area suddenly dropped by a few degrees. 

 

It was a common event as many soldiers started murmuring to one another, the Praeses Ordinis soldiers remaining unaffected and confused by the sudden actions of their fellow soldiers. Even further confused that only Lady Florence of Praeses Ordinis felt the shiver, perhaps it was the lack of a helmet. Some drew their blades, others redeployed their ballistas down onto the ground. Such events were far too strange to the soldiers. 

 

Their small preparations were well-founded as three birds dropped down onto the ground, all three covered in ice. As if it wasn't strange enough, a large gust of bone-chilling wind passed through the soldiers as a loud dust cloud formed not far from them. A roar was heard a second latter. Blue eyes suddenly pierced through the thick cloud as a large beast covered in ice and crystalline objects opened its maw, revealing rows of teethes as it roared a second time. "By what means do we have a gathering of such mortals?" It seemed to chuckle at the soldiers, each breath it took, water-freezing fumes appeared, "A battle perhaps?" 

 

Glaring at the beast, Lady Florence donned her helmet as she drew out her Matriarch blade, its metallic features gleaming. As if under subtle commands, the ballistas, the crossbows, anything that could potentially pierced a dragon pointed towards the dragon. The knights were prepared, and the prison visible in front of the dragon. The entire thing was assembled in one minute, under the amused eyes of the great beast. 

Edited June 29, 2014 by Demirari

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

@,
Zefira approaches the wall and punches it. She cups a hand over her fist and leaned on it.
"Ow ow ow...Welp..I cant bust through it. Is there any way Tenebrae can get in here and bust it down?" She asks.
"If not, I could always inhale Raali and breath him through the hole."

 

 

Raali falls asleep waiting for Zefira.

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@,

 

"He can't break the boulder, its too large... hmmm... We can't move it... I think we should just bring Raali in here, the only other way of getting Tenebrae in here is if he smashed through the top of the cave but that could cause it to collapse." Shadow said.

 

Tenebae decided there was no threat and laid down to rest. 

[FractalMoon 378]

@@Demirari,

Cassandra looks up and feels her heart skip a beat, "I... How do we beat that thing? Wait... Do you have any fire?"

Asator nods and sighs.
"Well, we can try. Question is....how do we find this hooded woman? Do you have any ideas?" Asator asks.
He didn't want to ask the lady who treats dragons like pets for help, but he remembered back to when the lady helped Ali. Maybe she was remorseful of the state of her faction. Maybe she really did want change in it. Asator decided to suck up his resentment for the faction and try to find a way to seek out the hooded lady.

Ali shrugs, "Didn't you give her something to contact you with? I'm sure she'll call on it soon..." She lands and lets Asator dismount.

 

Draco nodded as he walked to a nearby cabinet . He pulled out a tunic. Then while he's looking away he held it out to her. "Here," Draco said as he looked away. He was polite no matter what Olaf has said. Yeah he may have looked at the captain but he had to to heal her up. "You got it down pretty quickly but as I said can't breath fire in here this house is made of wood you know,"

@FM-Valkyrie

Lily puts on the tunic and sighs, "That seems like quite the oversight seeing as its sole inhabitant is someone who can breathe fire... Anyway, what shall we do? After all, it's not like I can go back to the Riders now..."

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

@,
"Alright, just sit tight. I'll make my way back to Raali and bring him in here." Zefira says.
Zefira walks back to the entrance, using the cave walls as guidance. She sees the small light at the entrance and pushes on. Zefira crawls through the hole and stands up on the other side. She brushes herself off and walks to Raali. She picks up a stick and holds it in front of Raali. Raali lets out a small fire, lighting the stick. Zefira opens her mouth and points to Raali to get in. Raali turns into mist and enters Zefira's lungs. Zefira walks back to the cave entrance and crawls back in. She brushes herself off once more and traverses into the cave. Zefira approaches Shadow and taps her on the shoulder.
"I am back with Raali." She says.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

 

Ali shrugs, "Didn't you give her something to contact you with? I'm sure she'll call on it soon..." She lands and lets Asator dismount.

Asator slides of Ali and cracks his back.

"Yeah, I did. I gave her a horn made of bone. My village used it to declare battle. Sometimes my mom would trick me by using the horn so I could do chores." Asator says as he pats Ali's side.
 

[Nameless Knight 1,001]

@,

Shadow sat down when Zefira left.

 

When Zefira returned, Shadow looked in the direction of her and said "That was quick" before standing back up. She put her hand on the cave wall that had they had to be broken. "Try not to break to big of a hole or the cave may collapse.

 

Tenebae closed his eyes and took a nap.

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

"Fire?" Lady Florence quickly thought back to the list of supplies the group had gathered before nodding her head, "we can make fire by using the cooking oil." After that, she quickly nodded to a nearby captain that heard what she said. Watching the captain move, she returned her attention to the ever patient beast with its unnerving eyes watching. Glancing at her sword, as if to check if it was still in her firm hands. "I'm presuming we'll be using the fire?"

 

----

 

Architect Arthur held his left hand, unseen, as the trio moved forward. It was that strange numbing effect from the sleeping dragon of the Southern Ice Lands. The name of Glacies scarred his mind as the carriage stopped.

 

"We're here Architect," one of the Praetorian Guards simply stated as he got off of the carriage. It was warm, but Architect Arthur felt difference. The signs of his entire two arms feeling as if invisible were too large to ignore.

 

Architect Arthur moved a few steps before stopping, "There is something… amiss." He turned to the two standing Praetorian Guards and whispered, "There is a dragon from the Ice Lands." He crouched low and picked up a frozen bird, not even noting the blood-freezing temperature.

 

The two shared confused looks. "Thought we killed all the beasts in Arcanum and surroundings?"

 

"Beasts of ice are rare to find, killing them is even worst." Architect Arthur started walking after that.

Edited June 29, 2014 by Demirari

[dragon4111 914]

@@Demirari,

Cassandra looks up and feels her heart skip a beat, "I... How do we beat that thing? Wait... Do you have any fire?"

Ali shrugs, "Didn't you give her something to contact you with? I'm sure she'll call on it soon..." She lands and lets Asator dismount.

 

Lily puts on the tunic and sighs, "That seems like quite the oversight seeing as its sole inhabitant is someone who can breathe fire... Anyway, what shall we do? After all, it's not like I can go back to the Riders now..."

"You don't expect me to stay in my Dracomancer form all the time now do you?" Draco asked with a chuckle. He looked to Lilly and said "Well outside we do have a forge," Draco said as he looked at her. He stood up and motioned for her to follow him. "We also have a cliff we could try it out on,"

[FractalMoon 378]

"You don't expect me to stay in my Dracomancer form all the time now do you?" Draco asked with a chuckle. He looked to Lilly and said "Well outside we do have a forge," Draco said as he looked at her. He stood up and motioned for her to follow him. "We also have a cliff we could try it out on,"

Lily nods, "That would be good, I really want to try out what I can before I am forced into a situation that I have to use them..." She follows Draco to wherever he's going.

 

"Fire?" Lady Florence quickly thought back to the list of supplies the group had gathered before nodding her head, "we can make fire by using the cooking oil." After that, she quickly nodded to a nearby captain that heard what she said. Watching the captain move, she returned her attention to the ever patient beast with its unnerving eyes watching. Glancing at her sword, as if to check if it was still in her firm hands. "I'm presuming we'll be using the fire?"

Cassandra sighs, "Cooking oil won't burn hot enough for my liking, but I think we can work with that... That dragon has an aura of intense cold around it, but if we can ward it off long enough I'm sure a more territorial fire dragon will come to attack it..."

Asator slides of Ali and cracks his back.

"Yeah, I did. I gave her a horn made of bone. My village used it to declare battle. Sometimes my mom would trick me by using the horn so I could do chores." Asator says as he pats Ali's side.

Ali wraps her tail around Asator and growls, "There's something here... Do you feel that?" He senses a darkness coming from over the horizon, approaching quickly and causing Ali to almost shiver in fear.

[dragon4111 914]

Lily nods, "That would be good, I really want to try out what I can before I am forced into a situation that I have to use them..." She follows Draco to wherever he's going.

 

Cassandra sighs, "Cooking oil won't burn hot enough for my liking, but I think we can work with that... That dragon has an aura of intense cold around it, but if we can ward it off long enough I'm sure a more territorial fire dragon will come to attack it..."

Ali wraps her tail around Asator and growls, "There's something here... Do you feel that?" He senses a darkness coming from over the horizon, approaching quickly and causing Ali to almost shiver in fear.

"Here we are," Draco said as they were at the cliff's edge. "Now breath in feel the heat build up then well blow," Draco said as he sighed slightly. He transformed once more to demonstrate. He breathed in then held it for abit then let loose a large torrent of black fire.

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

Lady Florence watched as the soldiers started a giant bonfire. "It probably isn't, but we lack anything else that could potentially generate the heat you want healer," she replied with honest. The freezing chill had already began to freeze the grass in a thin layer of frost. The presence of the dragon even began to agitate some of the soldiers carrying the crossbows and ballistas. To them, killing or driving away the beast became a more tempting thought by each passing second.

 

Glacies only merely smiled as it watched the mortals shiver and grow more agitated. It was an interesting sight to behold. Better than sleeping in pure ice for hundreds of uncountable years. Perhaps he should thank that being that awaken him from his slumber.

 

Architect Arthur crouched low as the other two. Looking at the beast, he cursed softly before speaking, "There it is. The beast that brings winter wherever its presence lies. We must drive it…" he noted the soldiers--the cage too. "Are they mad to attempt such a thing?" His mind quickly made a story from the scene before them.

 

"Should we engage?" one of the Praetorian Guards asked, his body in a stance ready to rush if needed. His companion in the same form.

 

Architect Arthur shook his head. "We watch, we aid if needed."

[FractalMoon 378]

Lady Florence watched as the soldiers started a giant bonfire. "It probably isn't, but we lack anything else that could potentially generate the heat you want healer," she replied with honest. The freezing chill had already began to freeze the grass in a thin layer of frost. The presence of the dragon even began to agitate some of the soldiers carrying the crossbows and ballistas. To them, killing or driving away the beast became a more tempting thought by each passing second.

Glacies only merely smiled as it watched the mortals shiver and grow more agitated. It was an interesting sight to behold. Better than sleeping in pure ice for hundreds of uncountable years. Perhaps he should thank that being that awaken him from his slumber.

Architect Arthur crouched low as the other two. Looking at the beast, he cursed softly before speaking, "There it is. The beast that brings winter wherever its presence lies. We must drive it…" he noted the soldiers--the cage too. "Are they mad to attempt such a thing?" His mind quickly made a story from the scene before them.

"Should we engage?" one of the Praetorian Guards asked, his body in a stance ready to rush if needed. His companion in the same form.

Architect Arthur shook his head. "We watch, we aid if needed."

Cassandra closes her eyes in frustration. With practiced ease, she begins calculating the various factors that would result from an engagement with this creature of ice. After a few moments she looks grimly at Lady Florence, "There is no way we can kill that thing without serious help. If we had a Faith practicioner who specialized in fire, then maybe we would stand a chance, but with our current force composition there's no way we could fight that thing and survive. It is ancient beyond your comprehension."

 

"Here we are," Draco said as they were at the cliff's edge. "Now breath in feel the heat build up then well blow," Draco said as he sighed slightly. He transformed once more to demonstrate. He breathed in then held it for abit then let loose a large torrent of black fire.

Lily transforms much more easily this time, then takes a deep breath in and focuses on heating up. In seconds, she feels her body catalyze and burn white-hot. With wide eyes she breathes out and releases a curtain of blue-white flame that causes the cliff below it to melt and evaporate. She blinks, "W-wow... That was pretty intense..."

[dragon4111 914]

"That's it milady," Draco said as he smiled slightly. "Hmm interesting I sense something nearby. a large dragon ancient," Draco said as he closed his eyes. "Hmm well maybe it's jusgt a Wyvern pretending to be a dragon," Draco said as he handed Lilly a mug of ale.

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

Lady Florence didn't respond as she was in deep thought. The current position, a large wide U-shaped formation of the soldiers. The dragon's position in the middle. The decreasing temperature. It was an unique scenario Lady Florence had never accounted for.

 

It seemed the dragon was content with watching the soldiers slowly freeze to death. How long? Around half a hour? Ten minutes? Taking the healer's words to account, it would be a deadly mistake to attack. A retreat was needed, though she doubted if the dragon would let the four-thousand men strong force to simply pull out.

 

Architect Arthur crept closer to the force with the Praetorian Guards not far behind. It was clear to aid the group with one of the guards noticing Lady Florence. After an one-sided argument and the insistences of the guards, Architect Arthur conceded.

 

A captain spotted them, Lady Florence turned her head. The dragon let out a puff of cloud as it smiled at Architect Arthur. Three is a reinforcement, but barely a factor.

 

"Praetorian Guards and a Praeses Scientia scholar?" Lady Florence questioned at the trio. Where did they come from? Why were a pair of guards so far away from the Inlustratori? And a Praeses Scientia following along?

 

Architect Arthur waved his hand in a dismissing manner. "The more important question is the lunacy of this situation Prima Florence. I'm supposing this was an act of capturing a dragon? an ice beast is far more potent than this amount."

 

Lady Florence responded without a pause, "It wasn't this dragon we were hunting for. It was another type."

 

"Instead you received Glacies the Messenger of Death?" Architect Arthur mused as he held his spear calmly and watched the beast and it's bored posture. "Interesting situation… we must capture it."

[FractalMoon 378]

@@dragon4111,@@Demirari,  

Lily takes the mug, chugs it, and looks disappointingly at Draco, "Where did you get this weak ale? I can barely feel it... As for the dragon, I'm sure it's not a threat. Any wild dragon in Rider territory is bound to be attacked at some point..."
 

Cassandra pales at the mention of the dragon's name, a lifetime of study causing details to crystalize in her mind like the ice at her feet. She suddenly seems to shut down, already doing triage for the group in case Florence and Arthur decide attacking the dragon is a viable course of action. Suddenly, she hits on a realization, "Wait... We have crossbolts right? This may be a fight we can survive yet..." She goes back to the figurative drawing board, trying to come up with a way to capture or kill something orders of magnitude more ancient than anyone in the army.

[dragon4111 914]

Draco shook his head slightly "Unless you want real fire power from the flammable Fire whiskey. I wouldn't recommend drinking in this form," Draco said slightly as he looked out to the sky. "Hmm I think I have a poem from ancient times would you like to hear it?" Draco then snapped his fingers. "How about a game of riddles?"

@FM-Valkyrie

Edited June 30, 2014 by dragon4111

[Rainbow Dash 1,472]

@,
"What can I say? I am quick on my feet." Zefira chuckles and kneels near the hole.
"Let's just hope the other side is big enough for Raali." 
Zefira breathes out Raali through the small hole and stands up. 

Raali forms on the other side.

-------------------------------------------------------

 

Ali wraps her tail around Asator and growls, "There's something here... Do you feel that?" He senses a darkness coming from over the horizon, approaching quickly and causing Ali to almost shiver in fear.

Asator gets goose bumps on his arms and looks at the horizon.
"I feel something...but I can't place what it is. I hope its a fight, havent had one in a while." Asator says.
Asator continues to look at the horizon, trying to see if he could spot anything in the distance. 

[Demirari 454]

@,

 

"Half of our men are equipped with the new weapons," Lady Florence replied, answering the healer's question. A half is around two-thousand of such weapons that are in each agitated soldiers' hands. Each one slowly thumbing their triggers, feeling the cold metallic triggers as they aimed at the dragon. In any second, with any command for that matter, each would be firing without any doubt. It was an instinct that they must take out the source of the coldness that wrapped around each figure, covering them in light blankets of snow, and the ground that was increasingly becoming a shade of white.

 

Architect Arthur heard of the news and merely nodded his head in silence. Weapons such as those that could make most armor obsolete would be beneficial in fighting this thing. Though the more important thing is the question if the ballistas are also enhanced with gunpowder to increase their firepower. To him, the crossbolts are a welcomed information that delighted his ears, but enhanced ballistas were another world all together. If the ballistas were, that means the ability to penetrate the blasted dragon's scales, though that was a theory of the combat effectiveness of the ballistas against a dragon.

 

"Indeed, we could survive this," one of the Praetorian Guards finally spoke.  

[FractalMoon 378]

Draco shook his head slightly "Unless you want real fire power from the flammable Fire whiskey. I wouldn't recommend drinking in this form," Draco said slightly as he looked out to the sky. "Hmm I think I have a poem from ancient times would you like to hear it?" Draco then snapped his fingers. "How about a game of riddles?"

Lily smiles, "I've never heard of it before, but this fire whiskey stuff sounds good... May I have some?" She asks hopefully before thinking over the rest of Draco's statement, "A poem sounds nice, and I love riddles, so I'm up for whatever..."

Asator gets goose bumps on his arms and looks at the horizon.

"I feel something...but I can't place what it is. I hope its a fight, havent had one in a while." Asator says.

Asator continues to look at the horizon, trying to see if he could spot anything in the distance.

Ali nods, "I really hope it isn't a fight... I don't want anyone to get too hurt..."

On the horizon are several shapes of varying sizes. Ali recognizes them with a bit of dread, "T-those are hunter-killers... They're here to hurt you for saving me..."

[Demirari 454]

The silence that soon followed was as unceasing as the crystalline-encased dragon. Trickle of tension soon built up as one soldier finally broke. His cries were heard as a simple shout. A trigger was pressed as the man's professionalism broke. The piercing bolt exploding into a loud crack; smoke filled the small area around the ballista. It was an instant before Glacies bellowed in utter rage and pain.

 

Others followed on with that. They fired, the crossbolts to powerful bows unleashed their payload. It hurt the beast, yet wasn't enough. The beast flayed alive the soldiers caught in the range of its tail, freezing black the wounds and hearts. Another stroke from Glacies, its claws completely penetrating the refined steel armors of the ordinary soldiers. The best summarization was the soldiers being slaughtered. There were retaliations of course, but it wasn't enough.

 

Architect Arthur watched before motioning for the Praetorian Guards to follow. His steps were light and fast as he grabbed for the nearest functioning crossbolt. Loading it with a bolt he looted from a nearby dead soldier, he tied a black orb to the bolt. Estimating the flight path with the now disturbed aerodynamics of the bolt, he fired after lifting it. The result was a large burst of flames and a large explosive reaction of the materials used to make the black orb.

 

The result was the anger of Glacies as he treated the large wound with a layer of frost before slamming down a large moving frost wall. Proving deadly with even an inch of distance between a warm-bodied soldier and the wall itself.

 

Even though Architect Arthur was alarmed by the formation of the moving wall, he felt something amiss. Why was Glacies not using his fullest power? With the estimation of at least a thousand men dead, their corpses the color of abyss, it was too little. In his mind, Arthur predicted at least two-thousand and five-hundred by now. Placing himself a considerable distance from the dragon, he watched as a poor unfortunate soul was bisected by a large ice shard. Exactly why?