With temperatures rising over 143°C (289.40°F) in most areas, the only relief is during the nights when it is much cooler. All travelers are advised to keep to the local towns on the desert's outskirts and avoid traveling too far from civilization. (+3 Endurance, +2 Defense)

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Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 05/21/2013 10:53 PM

Very few dared to venture across the deserts of Wilt'no, which left the budding clan of the Spire in relative safety. They had been allowed to grow and prosper undisturbed in the ancient cavern system, but a safe past didn't have to mean a safe future. No one knew that as well as the dragons of the Guards, those charged with the foremost defense of the clan by way of early warning.
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Warin was at his post as always, statue still wrapped around the point of jagged rock that rose just before the bridge to the main entrance of the Spire. Many would have mistaken him for a statue carved and bleached from the red stone if not for the flicker of his eyes and flame tail. He had been tasked years ago with watching this spot by day and had never failed to take such a duty seriously.

The Primal's gaze shifted skyward to the winding shapes of flying Paragon above his head and snorted. They all had jobs to do, sure, and for some, such flying was their job. By the formations he could vaguely pick out, he guessed they were the Air Scouts on drill before breaking out for their own patrol. Good; as far as he was concerned, the Guards could use all the help keeping an eye around here as they could get.

There was a reason for his tensions. Between the Hunters and Gatherers always ranging far and wide in search of food and supplies as usual and three of the leaders gone, right now was one of the most stressful moments of his time at this job. The Spire had never been without its leaders for the entire time he had lived in the mountain, and now he was on high alert.



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[1] [1]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/22/2013 12:11 AM

Wilt'no was harsh territory, and very few pets adopted it as their home. The harsh temperature — blazing hot by day, yet frostbiting cold by night — and the uneven terrain often lead many pets and humans alike to travel away from the desert in search of a new home. Those who were bent on exploring it and living in it, even if only for a short period of time, had to get accustomed to such unusual weather, which was only natural to Wilt'no.

It was because of the harsh setting that the desert was a good terrain for practice.

Image

The Lavamancer flew high and proud, scales shining and illuminating against the sunlight above. Her teal and light blue scales shifted colors every now and then like an on-going gradient, fluid and soft as it moved along her spines and wings. Her eyes were alert, and the scars on her body proved that was far from just a hatchling; sharp claws and teeth were included, and the scales, despite shining beautifully, also looked incredibly hard and difficult to break.

After a moment of flight, the Lavamancer gently glided down towards the sand below before giving a hard push of her wings to pull herself back up. Movements that came naturally to her and that were no different to her than eating and drinking.

However, the small display and the trip through Wilt'no Desert wasn't quite so generous on the smaller dragon that was following the Lavamancer.

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The Placid was smaller than the Lavamancer ahead, and not nearly as impressive. She was fairly bare in terms of scars and injuries, and her smaller, more fragile-looking frame was far different from the Lavamancer's tougher looks. However, she carried the same glow as the other's, and her scales moved in a similar gradient-like effect, going from a soft, golden yellow to a lush natural green.

Following the white Paragon slowly, the Placid was wheezing her way through the sky, her flying skills not nearly as fluid as the Lavamancer's. "M... Mother," the yellow female called out, her voice high-pitched from just speaking out to the other Paragon. "I-I need to... rest," she added between gasps and puffs, the Placid watching anxiously and hoping that her words would be enough to sway the white Paragon to stop.

While it seemed like the other had no intention of taking a break, the Lavamancer did settle for a small pause. With a flack of her tail, she guided the smaller Paragon down to a little patch of desert rocks, all sticking out of the sand in different positions. While the white Paragon landed gently without any effort, the Placid nearly lost her balance as she awkwardly got her footing on the rocks.

Needless to say, the white Paragon — the mother of the smaller one — didn't look very impressed. "We have only just started, Morgan," the Lavamancer pointed out, and while her voice was gentle and motherly, it was also stern and authoritative.

"B-but I'm not... u-used to this... form" Morgan answered between pants, lifting her head to look at her mother. "I-I don't transform often." Unlike regular dragons, Morgan and her mother didn't stay transformed as dragons all the time. That was something they couldn't do; to counter that problem, their powers were sealed inside powerful stones that allowed them to switch between forms at will, from human to dragon.

It was also worth mentioning that, while Morgan's mother was a full-blooded dragon, Morgan was only half-dragon: her father was human, while her mother was a full-blooded Paragon. Of course, there was more to her mother — much, much more — which was part of the reason why Morgan wasn't comfortable in this form.

"That is why I insisted that you come out with me today," the Lavamancer pointed out as she stretched her wings subconsciously as she spoke. "The more you will transform and fly around, the more endurance you will build up," the mother explained, now starting to flick her tail in slightly impatience.

"I-I'll continue to practice... F-for now I just need to rest," Morgan asked, sitting down on the rocks and sighing as she felt her entire body relax at the thought of simply sitting down for a moment.

Her mother gave her a hesitant look, but before the Lavamancer could say anything, the Placid had already made her decision. Without saying anything, the Lavamancer simply stared her daughter down and remained standing. Waiting just a few minutes for the hatchling to recover was just the blink of an eye for a Paragon like her mother, whom had already lived her fair share of years. Still, staying still left them open to predators and other creatures roaming the sands, so the Lavamancer couldn't let the two stay still for too long. Hopefully Morgan would recover quickly, and the two would be able to continue traveling across the desert.
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Re: Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 05/22/2013 1:29 AM

Warin had long since settled back into his customary watching position, neck slightly kinked and up while his body pressed close to the sun-warmed stone, before a flash of something white near the entrance to the valley caught his attention. The path was concealed well enough from there, covered in randomly scattered, jagged stones that eventually petered out before reaching his own perch, but the normally beneficial rocks obscured his view of whatever was glinting in the sunlight down there.

The Guard squinted against the sun, trying to focus his deep red gaze in on the vague movement he could detect at this distance. He was having a bad go of it, though, and was so focused on his target that he failed to notice the approaching footfalls from behind him.

"What're you staring at?"

The white male whipped his neck around, eyes refocusing on the blue shape in just below him so quickly he saw stars. "Ileya?" he asked, shaking his head to clear his vision. "What are you doing here? I thought you were out hunting today."
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The Windgill shook her head, bright yellow feathers waving erratically with the motion. "Nah, I took the day off. Some of the others have it in mind to catch more than usual just to impress Jellal when he gets back. I think they're idiots." She waved her odd finned tail back and forth like an excited canine. "Are you going to answer me or not?"

He pointed with one claw down to the valley mouth. "There's something down there, but I can't quite tell what it is," he explained. "Maybe you could take a look and see what it could be?"

The female blinked at him for a second, then nodded. She turned her gaze toward the start of the entrance, upper mandible clicking in her birdlike manner. "It looks like two Paragon from here," she said, though she didn't sound too confident in her response. "If it is Paragon, it's nobody I know. No one that I can recognize from this distance anyway. We'll have to get up close to really find out who they are. How about it?"

Warin uncoiled himself from his post and crawled down to the canyon floor in front of the pillar of stone. "I suppose if anyone should go, it should be me," he conceded, though he felt a bit guilty for leaving his post at a time like this. "If you want to come along, fine. Just stay out of sight like you're hunting; I want to have the option of surprise if these strangers turn out to be a threat." With that, the white male began to slink between the stones, head, tail, and wings held down well behind the cover of the boulders, the blue and brown female just to his side.



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Postby Jaykobell » 05/22/2013 6:46 PM

Only minutes after the Placid had settled down to rest, the Lavamancer started getting agitated more clearly. Her tail flickered and the mother kept looking this way and that, as if she were looking out for predators or other such dangers. While the white Paragon wanted to ask if they could start flying again, the mother bit her tongue in silence.

Of course, that was behavior that didn't go unnoticed. While Morgan felt bad and pressured to get back on all fours, the daughter just needed more time to really regain her energy completely. While it burned her to stay silent and to act as if her mother weren't dropping off clues, Morgan couldn't summon the courage to fly again without having rested enough.

With both parties keeping quiet, the tension rose fairly quickly between the two. "Are you ready now, Morgan?" the Lavamancer eventually asked, turning back to her daughter in the hope that the Placid would cooperate and get back up.

Lost in her own thoughts, her mother talking directly to her gave Morgan a scare. "I-I..." the Placid started mumbling, trying to think fast about what to answer. "J-just... a few more minutes?" she asked, her voice not quite begging, but the tone being fairly close to that. The Placid was almost ready for her heart to sink deep in guilt, but her mother didn't quite react.

All the Lavamancer did was stare for a few moments before sighing quietly. "Do you... not want to learn more about your dragon heritage, Morgan?" the white Paragon asked, the usually calm and collected tone of her voice crackling slightly with worry. While her daughter was half-dragon, she was also half-human. Being obviously closer to her father, it had always worried her that maybe her daughter was more interested in being only human rather than having a foot in both worlds.

The question gave Morgan another scare as she quickly looked up to look back at her mother. "N-no, it's not like that!" the Placid argued indignantly, although hesitation and doubt could be heard in her voice. It wasn't that she didn't want to get more accustomed to this side of her: rather, it was a problem that was deeply-rooted in Morgan's mind. Sadly, it was also a problem that she couldn't openly talk about, and especially not with her mother of all people. She knew it was ridiculous to think the way she did, but Morgan couldn't help but to feel completely weak and unimpressive with her half-blood lineage compared to her full-blooded mother of a divine lineage. She felt ridiculous when in dragon form next to her mother, and the worst part was that she felt like she was embarrassing the Lavamancer by being to puny and weak-looking compared to her.

Her answer left her mother sighing again, but this time, the white Paragon didn't say anything afterwards. Things were going around in the Lavamancer's head, and she had more than just one question to ask. Their predicament was incredible to begin with: while they did share the same blood, the two Paragon weren't exactly related. Morgan was the Lavamancer's daughter, but not from the same timeline. It was after a terrible and dark event that the Placid had been allowed to travel back in time to change the events that would otherwise lead to a dark and helpless future. While the threat had since been avoided and taken care of, Morgan had no reason to return to her timeline.

Still, the fact remained that the white Paragon was her mother, but not in this timeline, and that was what sometimes bothered the Lavamancer. Still, that didn't mean the white Paragon didn't want to bond with the Placid. "Is it because I..." the mother started, but she abruptly stopped mid-sentence, suddenly becoming more alert.

Confused, Morgan looked up and became anxious when she noticed her mother looking so tense and alert. "Wh-what is it?" While they were both dragons, Morgan's senses were pitiful compared to her mother's, whom could literally sense predators and enemies from miles away. Another thing that set the two apart across an uncrossable gap.

While she'd looked incredibly tense, the Lavamancer eventually relaxed a little. Her eyes were set to the terrain ahead, where more rocks jutted out of the sand in sporadic patterns. She could feel something from the area, but she couldn't quite tell what exactly — but there was definitely some sort of presence nearby. "Be alert," the Lavamancer said quietly without turning to look back at her daughter, whom had since gotten back up on all fours. She would've given better instructions, but until she could even confirm that was anything nearby, the Lavamancer couldn't jump to conclusions quite yet.

"B-be alert for what?" Morgan questioned, but her words only earned her a swift flick of her mother's tail, which the daughter knew meant to stay quiet and to listen to the sounds around them. Unlike her mother, however, the Placid couldn't hear or feel anything at all.
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Re: Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 05/22/2013 10:18 PM

Almost in time, the Guard and Hunter moved through the sand-scoured stones, bodies hugging tight to the ground. The two were young compared to most of the clan, but they knew what they were doing when it came to stalking. Ileya knew about tracking prey, quick as a whip and quiet besides, and Warin had been trained as a Warrior before taking the job he currently held. They moved in relative silence, only the occasional scrape of claw or scale on stone to give them away.

As they drew closer, the Primal managed to spy glimpses of the two intruders through the gaps in the stones. Two females, it seemed, from what he could tell of their body builds, one white and one a soft yellow. They shared a green color and seemed to be marked similarly, so he assumed they could be related. Still, there was no guarantee that they were not from the Spire since he could not see them plainly.

The two took cover behind a massive pillar fallen across the main pathway a ways away from the strange pair. Almost immediately, Ileya tried to stick her head up above their shelter only to have Warin pull her back down. She made a small, stifled noise and shot him a glare, which he shrugged off. "Don't you know the first thing about stealth?" he rumbled, soft enough to not echo against the canyon walls. He edged around to a missing chunk of rock, his dark face helping to hide him in the shadows.

The Windgill continued to glare at him, sitting back on her haunches with her wings folded, coverts roused in irritation. "Why do you get to look?" she asked, voice kept soft but still broadcasting her unhappiness.

"Because I don't have a bright bunch of stuff on my head, that's why." He pulled back from his peephole, shaking red dust from his snout. "Anyway, I don't know them, and I know every dragon in the Spire. Two females, a Lavamancer and a Placid. I don't think they would be a threat, but we should go warn the council members who are here just in case."

"Or we could ambush them."



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[3] [3]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/22/2013 11:55 PM

While the Lavamancer kept her eyes focused on the terrain ahead, the Placid was having a hard time figuring out what she was supposed to do. When she said that she wasn't used to this form, she really meant it in more than one way. She wasn't very good at flying, nor was she very good at stealth or hunting, nor at fighting or battling. She was used to her human abilities and weaknesses, but not the power she could get from her dragon heritage. Of course, Morgan knew that was the reason why her mother was so adamant that she learn to become comfortable as a dragon.

"Mother, what am I supposed to look at?" the daughter eventually asked, keeping her voice low and hoping the whisper would be quiet enough to earn her an answer.

Fortunately for her, the Lavamancer found her question acceptable. "This is good practice," the white Paragon answered simply, eyes scanning the rocky terrain ahead diligently. "Train your senses, Morgan. Do you feel anything?" the mother asked, her body being so tense and alert that Morgan almost felt intimidated.

"M-my senses?" Morgan echoed quietly, realizing just how weak hers were, once again, compared to her mother. Since her instincts couldn't help her, the Placid turned to her logical thinking instead. Senses: she could try to look for something, or she could also try to smell something. Her sense of smell was more developed as a dragon, so perhaps that would come in handy. Raising her muzzle, the small yellow Paragon sniffed the desert air, but she caught very little besides the stinking smell of hot sand and hot air, mixed together with rock and dirt. The Placid curled her nose back in disgust, making a grimace at the smells. "Ugh, I'm not smelling anything."

The Lavamancer listened, but again did not turn to face her daughter. Smell was a step in the right direction, but Morgan had something far more useful than that. Being able to sense the presence of others was an important power to develop, and the Lavamancer would see that Morgan developed such a valued skill. Although the Placid couldn't feel anything, the white Paragon could pick up on the presence of another — however, it was unclear whether it was a single creature or multiple. She could also pick up certain smells, albeit faint. Still, they stood out simply because they smelled familiar. Dragons? the Lavamancer thought curiously, narrowing her eyes as she tried to spot but the faintest of movement. Yet they are not Divine or Earth dragons... They smell entirely different, she mused further, her tail flicking slightly in annoyance. A familiar smell, yet very mysterious—

And suddenly there it was.

A flash of bright yellow popped out from over the rocks before hiding again. It lasted but a split second, and surely Morgan had seen none of it. However, for a trained and senior Paragon like the Lavamancer, the movement hadn't gone unnoticed. "Did you see that, Morgan?" the mother asked, although the likelihood of the hatchling having seen anything was slim.

"What?" Morgan replied, turning to her mother in shock. What had she missed? What had happened? "See what?"

With the confirmation that something was out there close by, the Lavamancer's tension turned into defensiveness. With the other hiding, that meant it probably had ill intentions; perhaps a wild dragon or a few, or just some reptilian creatures. Considering she had her inexperienced daughter to defend and protect, the Lavamancer was unwilling to wait for an ambush for any kind.

"Stay close, Morgan," the mother instructed as she took a few steps forward, but without straying too far from her child. "Come out," she called out to the strangers hiding behind the rocks ahead, her voice steady but also powerful. "What do you want with us?"
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Re: Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 05/23/2013 2:04 PM

Warin was about to scold his companion for even suggesting an ambush, as well as questioning exactly why he had brought her along if that was the only plan she could come up with, when one of the strangers started yelling at them. "Great," he rumbled. "Now look what you did."

"Me?" Ileya responded, much louder than before. Since they had already been discovered, she figured there was no reason to keep quiet. This was why she usually went fishing instead of hunting for more warm-blooded prey; she hated all this sneaking and being quiet. She was not very good at it anyway. "How is this my fault?"

"You stuck your head up there, and they probably saw you. Now I have to deal with this." He climbed atop the fallen pillar, wings held high above his spine in an attempt to make himself look larger. His bright red gaze scanned over the two intruders, trying to determine whether they would actually be a threat or not. The Lavamancer was obviously older and more confident in herself, since she was the one who had called out to them in the first place; most were unwilling to call a confrontation upon themselves if they did not think they could handle the situation. The Placid was young, possibly younger than either Ileya or himself, and looked almost fragile beside the older female. "You have entered the territory of the Spire. If you do not want to come into conflict with us, you should leave immediately."

The young Windgill stuck her head up again, plumes waving as she cocked her head to get a better look at these two intruders. "She doesn't look to good," she said, nodding toward the Placid. "Maybe we should take them back with us. I mean, I don't think they want to do anything, and you know what Alastor says about judging others before we get to know them."



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Postby Jaykobell » 05/23/2013 5:35 PM

Once the Lavamancer had called out to the intruders, noises and shapes started moving beyond the rocks. The voices were clearer to her ears, but it was hard to tell just how many intruders there were. Regardless of numbers, the Lavamancer had seen her fair share of battles and ambushes. With age came experience, and you ended up with a lot of that after three thousand years. Others may call it over-confidence, but the white Paragon thought otherwise. She had a special kind of power, and she would certainly use it, if necessary to protect those close to her.

Of course, that did include Morgan, whom was just standing behind her quietly, confused. Who was her mother calling to? The Placid hadn't smelled anyone or anything, so obviously Morgan had missed something.

Soon enough, the two females caught a glimpse of the male Primal. The Lavamancer's eyes were still focused ahead, unfazed as the bigger male appeared from behind the rocks. The same couldn't be said for Morgan, whom squealed with surprise when a huge male popped out from behind the rocks that were just ahead, even taking a few steps back. Judging from the distance the between them, the Placid was burning hot with shame that she'd missed picking up on the Primal's scent or presence. What if her mother hadn't been with her?

When the Primal spoke to them, the Lavamancer narrowed her eyes slightly at his words. First, it was interesting to see dragons around these parts, but the thing was that she had been right: they didn't smell familiar at all. They were not from her family, nor from the other dragon families that she knew. And again, in three thousand years, you come to know those said families quite well. Second, the fact that the male referred to this area as a "territory" was intriguing. "The Spire?" And third, what was the "Spire"? That wasn't something she'd heard of before, either. At the moment, she was intrigued; at her age, not much was unknown to her. Her voice was steady and calm, and it seemed like the male's display hadn't fazed her or scared her in the least, nor had the threat of leaving immediately to avoid conflict.

Morgan stepped back further and lowered her head when the conversation turned to her. She kept her wings tucked close to her body, still burning with shame as the embarrassment that she was to her mother. If it weren't for their similar patterns and designs, others would never guess that the two were related. The Lavamancer, on the other hand, kept her head high and her wings stretched wide, matching the Primal's. "We have no interest in confrontation," the white Paragon spoke, her voice matching her confidence and presence. She wasn't giving off a menacing or threatening feeling, but she was certainly confident. "But we are also unwilling to follow complete strangers into what might possibly be their home." They could end up like hungry mice aiming for the cheese strategically put on the mouse trap: a very bad idea. Having married a man of incredible strategical prowess, the Lavamancer knew better than to be too careful or trusting.

"Come, Morgan," the Lavamancer called, hoping the Placid would listen. Morgan was far from being injured or sick, and was simply tired. "Predators will eat you whole if you don't hold your ground," the mother explained, urging the Placid to come closer and to stand with her tail, without even so much as turning around to face her daughter.

Upon being instructed as such, Morgan quickly got back up on all fours and walked up to her mother, standing side to side with her. However, unlike her mother, the daughter was fairly timid and insecure, and she looked more like prey than a predator or a threat of any kind. "I can assure you that she is feeling just fine. A mother wouldn't let her child faint from exhaustion," the Lavamancer assured to the two strangers, keeping her eyes on them constantly, proving that she had every intention of being alert towards them until she had any reason to think that they meant no harm.
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Re: Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 05/23/2013 10:49 PM

"Yes the Spire," Warin responded, choosing to both ignore Ileya and address each of the Lavamancer's statements in turn. Despite their difference in size, he had a feeling that he would have a difficult time should things come to an actual confrontation. She might say that she did not want a fight, but there was no telling where things could go. "We are a clan living here. We as well do no wish for a confrontation, but it is my job to warn off intruders should they prove to be a threat. As my friend here vaguely pointed out, we do welcome travelers who have shown that they mean no harm to the clan for food and rest." Not that this was a policy they had had to enact too often; living on the edge of the desert usually was enough to prevent them from ever getting visitors.

Ileya seemed to have latched onto the last bit of the Lavamancer's speech. "Mother?" she said, climbing to sit atop the rock beside the Primal, wings folded and tail allowed to hang in a much less dominant posture. "So you're a mother and daughter, hm? That must be nice, having a mom. Warin and I don't have parents other than the clan, so we kind of know what it's like but really don't." The Guard shot her a glare, but was promptly ignored; he needed to know when to lighten up. "This big grump is Warin, by the way. And I'm Ileya, though some call me Darter because I'm so fast. And you two are..?"

The Primal shook his head. Ileya always liked to jump head first into things without considering the consequences for those around her. She had no idea who these two Paragon were or what they could possibly do if taken back to the Spire, especially with have the council away, but she just kept talking regardless. She had been that way ever since they were hatchlings, both brought to the clan as orphans and raised together. The two had known each other for years and had been raised by the same Paragon, but could not have turned into two more different individuals in the long run.



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[5] [5]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/24/2013 12:54 AM

The word "clan" is what stood out to the Lavamancer. She was from a very powerful and ancient tribe of dragons, but never had her family really been considered a "clan". Of course, the dragons in front of the two females seemed considerably different from the dragons the white Paragon knew of — and different dragons from the kind of dragon that she was, as well. While the dragons part of her family had always found areas to adopt as their home, never had they really referred to themselves as a "clan"; they were too scattered to be referred as such. Of course, there were other reasons...

The statement that they welcomed travellers should they prove to have good intentions fell on deaf ears. The behavior from that Primal indicated quite the opposite, and while the Lavamancer was confident that she could take him on, she genuinely had no interest in starting up a meaningless fight. Considering Morgan was also too inexperienced to fight, that was another reason to avoid confrontation. Besides that, the white Paragon had to fight the curiosity within her that simply begged her to accept their invitation to their home, simply to learn more about this clan the "Spire". A fairly new concept to her, and that was hard to come by nowadays.

The discussion quickly turned upside-down and to a completely different topic as the Windgill started talking about family relationships and parents. The Lavamancer's face changed when the mention of a mother was spoken, but she said nothing otherwise. Her expression was a mix between sadness and longing, but there was nothing the Lavamancer could say. Her family experience had been rather peculiar: she did not who her father was, and while she knew her mother quite well, there loomed a darker side to their relationship. "I am sure that it must be," the Lavamancer answered quietly, trying to regain her composure. "This is why I am giving to my daughter what I can, so that she can have what I never did," the mother added, her face frowning slightly as the words.

At those words, Morgan felt her heart sinking. She was familiar with her mother's situation, and if she had to be technical, she didn't have a mother — at least, she didn't have the real one anymore. Traveling from one timeline to another made things more complicated than they needed to be; regardless of time travel or other such things, Morgan considered the Lavamancer to be her mother, and vice versa. Of course, the same applied to her father, whom wasn't present on the scene.

Seeing her mother's shield break ever so slightly, Morgan felt bad for cowering behind her without so much as trying to do anything. Her anxiety kept the Placid from being natural around her mother: she knew very well who — and what — her mother was, and she also knew what she'd gone through. They didn't speak often, but Morgan was very close to her father — and he was too soft not to let his daughter know about her mother's past. Three thousand years' worth of stories had taken quite a while to be told, but it was worth it. It wasn't that Morgan was afraid or unconfident in her skills per se: she was insecure and weak only when around her mother. She had the bad habit of comparing herself to her mother, but the Placid had quite a few millennia ahead of her if she ever hoped to reach her mother's level. Was that where the near-immortality kicked in?

When Ileya introduced the two, Morgan saw it as an opportunity to speak, and show that she wasn't just all meek and weak. Not to mention, everyone knew her mother: when they would hear her name, they would certainly realize that she was no threat by any stretch of the mind. "My name is Morgan," the Placid spoke, softly, but her tone definitely proved that she was building up her confidence as she spoke. "And you've probably already figured out that I am my mother's child," she added, turning to her mother, hoping that she wasn't actually making a fool of herself. "It is nice to have a mother... And if you learned to know mine better, you would see she's far from being a threat or someone with ill-intentions. She is a wise soul who would give her life for her family and loved ones," the Placid went on to say, the words ringing with more and more confidence and heart as she went on. If she had looked tired and sick before, she sure looked the complete opposite now.

The words were enough, for the first time since the very beginning, to get the Lavamancer to turn her head towards her daughter. She was far from being unkind or uncaring, and she was truly grateful and amazed to have a child of her own. However, the Lavamancer hadn't conceived Morgan, herself, and that had left the white Paragon to meet her daughter as a young adult. There had been no childhood years, no baby, no gradual learning curve. From one day to another, quite literally, the Lavamancer had ended up with a child that knew quite well how to take care of herself. In three thousand years, the Lavamancer had never had a child; being secluded for the vast majority of those millennia hadn't helped in rectifying that. The idea of having a child was such a new concept that the Lavamancer was at a bit of a loss. While she wanted to connect with Morgan, it was hard to bond on such a special level, and as previously mentioned, the two spoke little.

Hearing such things from Morgan lifted the doubts the Lavamancer often had with respect to the Placid. In no way did she want the child to hate her or come to dislike her; it was always a relief to hear that she wasn't necessarily that bad at trying to fill the shoes of a mother, despite the incredible lack of experience. "That's quite a bit of flattery..." the Lavamancer said quietly, giving a soft smile and a quiet chuckle to the Placid. She then turned back to the two strangers — newly introduced as Ileya and Warin — but she paused. She had to ready herself: while it was nice to be known far and wide by everyone, quite literally, the Lavamancer found it dull and restrictive to have others fawn over her constantly. Speaking her name would most likely turn this discussion upside-down again, in a completely different way.

At least, that's what she was expecting, but perhaps these two mysterious dragons had not heard of her before. "Perhaps proper introductions are in order," the white Paragon finally spoke, the gentle, motherly display giving place to the tough look from before. "My name is Tiki: I am Morgan's mother," she introduced herself, half-expecting some shocked reaction from the two ahead, or something equally exaggerated. "We were simply passing by, as practice for my daughter to get accustomed to this form. We mean no harm by passing here, and I do apologize if we trespassed on your territory. However, I can guarantee we mean no harm if you mean the same." While not letting her guard down, Tiki now seemed more comfortable talking to the two. Perhaps the clan dragons would also feel the same, now that proper introductions and apologies had been given.
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Re: Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 05/31/2013 11:09 PM

As the pair of strangers began to speak, Ileya gave Warin a thump with her tail; he needed to learn to loosen up and stop being such a grump when he actually had to work. After a moment of hesitation, purely out of stubbornness, the Primal dropped his haunches to sit and let his wings fold in for a slightly less intimidating posture. Pleased, the Windgill returned her full attention to the talking pair.

The two really seemed to care about one another, though Ileya supposed that came with being related, even though both Placid and Lavamancer were entirely different. Though timid, Morgan was willing to speak to two total strangers about her mother's kindness, which drew a response of equal affection from her mother. It was actually quite sweet when she thought about it, and she was kind of sad that she had no similar experiences.

Warin, however, was more interested in what Tiki had to say. The word "form" caught his attention, but he disregarded it as some foreign term. "Understood," he said with a nod. "You are still welcome to come with us if you wish. The Spire has food and space a plenty, so you would be welcome to stay for as long as you like." He hoped they made up their minds soon, though; he had a post to return to and felt uneasy being away for so long.

"Yeah!" Ileya chimed in, tail wagging with the excitement of the idea. "If you want Morgan to learn and stuff, you should really come! I bet she could learn all kinds of stuff at the Spire." She only half understood what Tiki was talking about, but it sounded like it could be an opportunity for more friends. She had been a fan of making friends with whoever she could since she was little and already found herself liking these two, Morgan in particular.



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[6] [6]

Postby Jaykobell » 05/31/2013 11:46 PM

The reaction of the two wild Paragon surprised the Lavamancer. Usually, once her name had been spoken, the conversation would turn upside-down. Almost everyone knew her, and even those who had never met her personally or who had only heard of her legend, still recognized her name. The fact that dragons, creatures from her own family — even if the two families or clans were unrelated — didn't recognize her was more than just a shock.

The same thought process went through Morgan's head, as both females stared at the Primal and Windgill, surprised. "You... You don't know who my mother is?" Morgan questioned, and that honestly wasn't a rhetorical question: she sounded genuinely surprised. She had lived in the shadow of her mother all this time, and it was the first time they'd met beings who had not heard of the divine dragon oracle, Tiki.

Regardless, that seemed to please the Lavamancer. Finally coming upon an area where her name seemed to be completely unknown? If Morgan hadn't been with her, she probably would've seen it as an opportunity to loosen up a bit and finally be herself in front of strangers. Everyone who knew of her legend expected her to be just as legendary as the stories, and it proved to be hard at times. Even legends had faults and wanted to loosen up, but everyone always thought that they were perfect and so unlike the lowly mortals that they were.

"Hush, Morgan," Tiki said after Morgan's question, flicking her tail at the Placid to get her attention.

"Wh-what?" the other female squealed, taken aback by her mother's instructions.

Without giving her enough time to add anything else, Tiki lowered her head to stand closer to the Placid. "How are you holding up?" the mother asked, keeping her voice low for a question that was meant for her daughter only.

"I... What?" Morgan squeaked, looking around a little confused at this situation, which was going way too fast for her to keep up with everything and everyone.

"Your Dragonstone," Tiki clarified, referring to the item the two of them needed in order to keep this dragonic form. "I can maintain this form for days, but I am not sure how long you can withstand the stone's power. It drains you as time passes; how are you faring now?"

"O-oh... That," Morgan answered quietly, suddenly looking beyond embarrassed. "I-I'm okay," the daughter answered hesitantly, even though she had tried to hide her uncertainty. While she could maintain her dragon form for a while, she was fairly certain that she couldn't keep up with it for more than a single day.

There was a short pause between the two before the Lavamancer closed her eyes, deep in thought, and sighed. "Perhaps it would be better to establish this before we are left tired in their camp." While it wasn't something Tiki would've needed to reveal had she been alone, it was probably going to be revealed since Morgan was with her. This form wasn't permanent: they couldn't stay dragons forever. While Tiki was used to maintaining her dragon form for days, Morgan was still inexperienced and would most likely need to turn back into her human form in order to recharged.

Moving just a few steps away from her daughter, the Lavamancer turned back to the two wild Paragon. "Your invitation is most generous," she started with, taking a few steps forward until she was a little ways away from her daughter. "However, perhaps there is something you should know before we officially decide to interact further. While we do have this dragon form, this is not an appearance that we can keep forever," the Lavamancer explained, hoping the concept would make more sense after she'd demonstrated what she meant. "We are dragon-born, but we are incapable of maintaining our dragon form constantly."

Once she was done speaking, the Lavamancer closed her eyes and focused. It all happened in a flash; the white Paragon started to glow and before long, the dragon became a blinding white light where the massive female had stood just a few seconds prior. As the light cleared, the rock no longer gave place to two female Paragon. In the Lavamancer's place was a human woman, dressed in red with long green hair tied in a ponytail. She sported matching gloves and heels that were the same color as her one-piece dress, the outfit adorned with a small pink cape and a large pink ribbon tied around her waist.

"Please just be aware that we have this form as well," the human woman spoke, sharing the same voice as the Lavamancer, if only without the booming effect because of the massive difference in sizes from one to the other. "I will stay in my dragon form as long as I need to be, but my daughter is still unused to hers. It is likely that she will need to revert eventually in order to rest," the human-Lavamancer explained, her presence holding just as much power and ground even as a small human. "I would simply like for... none of you to try to eat her, while she sports a weaker form. I'm sure you understand what I am trying to say, don't you?" She knew just how easily humans could be gobbled up; she herself had had to threaten one before, sadly enough. Still, if the strangers understood this slight difference in culture, the two would visit their Spire home.
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Re: Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 06/01/2013 9:20 PM

Both clan Paragon were as confused as their visitors, though for the exact opposite reason. Should they have known this female? The Lavamancer was not from their land, since they did not recognize her or her Placid daughter. Neither of them had met strangers before, not until they decided to join the clan; this was the first time they had been the ones who actually found a visitor. The conversation that followed between the mother and daughter compounded their confusion, their words just loud enough for the two Paragon to hear bits of and strewn with terms neither was familiar with.

Ileya cast a worried glance at her Primal companion, entirely unused to not understanding what was going on. She usually had at least some idea what others were talking about, but what she managed to catch of the conversation was beyond what she knew. Warin gave a shrug in response; he had no better idea of what they were talking about that she.

Once Tiki addressed the two of them again, they bother turned their attention in her direction, hoping for some kind of clarification for what they were struggling to understand. All this talk of forms and stones was not something they had every encountered. The Lavamancer's verbal explanation did little to make things clearer. The visual display, however, had quite the different response.

Warin flared his wings again, bristling at the bright flare in surprise. Ileya took a step back and slipped, sending herself toppling backwards off the rock to land on the other side in a heap of feathers and limbs. The Primal squinted through his fuzzy vision, eyes widening in surprise once he could make out the shape of the being who now stood where the white female had been. "A human?" He sounded both surprised and confused; he knew very little of humans, and none of it was good.

"Human?" The Windgill's gold feathered head popped back up over the rock. She kept talking as she walked around the base of her previous perch, intent on getting face-to-face with this strange creature. "I've never seen a human before, but I know Fiag says he likes them. Apparently they make good conversation. What are they exactly?" She came right up to the now human Tiki, her head down on eye level with the woman, top mandible shifting in her odd bill clicking habit.

Warin was much more reluctant to approach, still puffed up from his initial fright. "Humans are egg smashers," he said in a quiet voice, "hatchling killers, dragon slayers. Nothing good comes to dragons who mess with humans."

Ileya turned to look at him only long enough to snort. "Told you he needed to loosen up," she said with a smirk. "You're not entirely human, though, right? I mean, you were a Paragon just a minute ago. And I don't think you could be an egg smasher even if you wanted since you had an egg of your own." Did humans come from eggs? She didn't know, nor did it really matter for the meaning of the statement. "Besides, you've accepted the invitation to come and already said you mean no harm; dragons are a lot of things, but they're honest if anything. It's not up to us to determine whether you can stay or not now. It's up to the council. And I don't think anyone will try to eat Morgan even if she is a human-dragon-thing, too. Humans probably don't taste good enough for anyone to bother with them, and no one at the Spire has ever mentioned it. That, plus the fact that you're really Paragon, too, means you'll be just fine."



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[7] [7]

Postby Jaykobell » 06/02/2013 1:35 PM

Tiki couldn't blame the two wild Paragon for being surprised at the transformation, especially if they had no human form of their own. Morgan was a little surprised at the reaction of the two strangers, jumping a little herself when everyone reacted at the same time. Seeing her mother transform wasn't a new thing for her, but Warin's more surprised and defensive reaction had given the Placid a scare.

What followed was the two clan Paragon discussion humans, and to be truthful, Warin's words had a certain air of familiarity to Tiki. She frowned at Warin's words, but the expression wasn't aimed at his words, but rather at the truth of them. "I'm afraid that you know of humans is true, for the most part," she confirmed, unhappy at admitting this. While she shared the form, that was strictly for specific reasons. Even then, there were other things that differentiated her from normal humans: the longer pointed ears, for one, and for two, she was shorter and smaller than most humans. "I cannot deny that humans have the tendency to judge and harm those unlike them... I, and my family, have been victims of those acts." And by family, she really meant her whole clan-family; not just Morgan. "Believe me when I say that I am dragonborn, and not very similar to true humans. My family has a very long history, and reasons as to why we need to bear a human form of our own. Although our history may mean very little to you, I would gladly share it with you." Considering how different these dragons were, chances were that their history were vastly different from one another. Still, the idea of meeting other dragons, even if they weren't from the same history and family, was still a good feeling, especially now that they had established that they weren't aggressive or feral.

Tiki was especially grateful for Ileya and her willingness to try to understand their situation. Despite the human form, she did consider both Tiki and Morgan to be more dragon than human, and that was certainly a relief. Even if she did have this form, Tiki was pure-blooded: both her parents were dragons, and not only that, her mother was considered a deity where she came from. She was the princess of her family, and usually put on a pedestal by one and all, humans and dragons alike. To be honest, it was refreshing to be somewhere where her legend was completely unknown. The attention was nice at times, but people always expected her to act as an oracle, and not as herself, and that was tiring. If she could loosen up and be more herself here, that would certainly be appreciated.

"Thank you," she replied to Ileya, the giant Paragon being so close to her not fazing her in the slightest. Tiki had seen a lot of dragons in her time, and she had far scarier and terrifying ones. Much, much scarier ones. "I'm glad that you understand what I am trying to say. And pray, believe me when I say I would never hurt a hatchling, whether human or dragon." Well, Morgan's birth and relation to Tiki was a bit of a... long and convoluted story, but for the sake of not confusing these Paragon further, the oracle would avoid all mention of time traveling and others. Besides, regardless of all that, the two were mother and daughter, time travel be damned.

With that explanation out of the way, Tiki figured it was best to turn back into her dragon form, if she were going to follow Warin and Ileya to their home. The oracle pulled out a strange stone, perfectly round in shape and pristine. She focused on the stone, and before long, the magic inside was awakened and the woman transformed back. Large, light pink flower petals encased the small human, and after another bright flash of magic energy, the petals broke apart to reveal the Lavamancer once more. "We are ready to follow you when you are," the Lavamancer said, turning to Morgan to make sure the Placid had listened through all that.

She had, and throughout the conversation, Morgan's eyes had fallen on the Primal. His words hadn't fallen on deaf ears with this Placid, and she had found his words to be rude and misguided. Unlike her divine mother, Morgan wasn't pure-blooded: she was only half-dragon, and the other half was from her human father. Her mother had seen a lot more in her lifetime than Morgan had, but the Placid had met many humans in her short life, and while there certainly were really despicable ones, that didn't apply to every single one of them. Morgan's father was nothing like what Warin had described, and her mother would approve: if he were, she wouldn't have married him. She also had her fair share of human friends, and they all accepted Morgan and her mother for who they were, regardless of their dragonic heritage. No matter how often she repeated the Primal's words in her head, they didn't ease her indignation in any way.

"Morgan?" Tiki called out, noticing how hard the Placid was frowning and staring at the Primal ahead. She knew the Placid was daydreaming, and that she clearly had something on her mind.

There was a short moment of silence between the two, but the Placid eventually answered. "I'm ready," she said quietly, if a little flatly, as she stopped staring at Warin so indignantly.

There would be plenty of time to discuss what had made the daughter upset, but for now, it was disrespectful to keep the two strangers waiting. "Please lead the way," Tiki invited, stretching her wings and waiting for Warin and Ileya to show them their home.
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Re: Lazy Days [Semi-Open]

Postby Azura Rayume » 06/05/2013 10:13 PM

Ileya pulled back and straightened up once Tiki began glowing again, figuring that another transformation was coming. Seeing that she was correct and that the white Lavamancer now stood in front of her, the Windgill was happy with her decision to back up. "That's pretty," she commented with a smile before swinging her head around to stare at Warin. "Are you ready to come down now? They're not really humans and not egg smashers, okay?"

The Primal shot her another glare but figured what she said had to be right. There were no stories of humans who could turn into dragons that he could recall. Then again, dragons that turned into humans were unheard of as well. He mulled this over, turning to climb down the back of his rock without so much as a nod of response.

Ileya sighed. "Males. Can't live with them; apparently can't live without them," she gave both visitors a sheepish smile. "Again, I'm really sorry about him. Every little thing gets under his scales and, well, he tends to take all those things personally. He's really nice once you get to know him, though. Promise." She started up the trail, hop-fluttering on top of the rocks instead of weaving between to keep in sight. "Right. Well. This way. Warin's gone on ahead, but he does need to get back to his post, so we'll see him there I guess."

The path they traveled snaked between boulders and jags in the sides of the pass that slowly petered out as the mountains drew nearer. Warin had long disappeared from sight, presumably back at his post already, but Ileya made sure not to get too far ahead of the visitors so they knew they were still going in the right way.

After about a twenty minute walk, the full Spire came into view, the mountain spearing upward into the sky from its island of stone. Ringed on all sides by a deep chasm, it looked like a jagged weapon poised to attack the heavens. A stone bridge wide enough for at least two dragons to wall crossed the expanse and provided the only land-based method for anyone to gain access to the clan's home. Paragon of all species and colors lounged on the stone or flew overhead in patterns and formations or alone. Every once in a while, one or two would fly up from the gorge surrounding their home, prey or some manner of plant clutched in their talons. Most of the Paragon stood in the stone yard in front of the gaping dark hole that served as entrance to the network of halls and dens within.

"I think Warin told everyone you're coming," the Hunter said, fluttering down from the rocks to walk the path below. "He's not actually at his post right now. Anyway, I would normally fly across, but I think it's expected that visitors cross the bridge. This way!"



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