A wide open area of flat, grassy land and rocky trenches, supposedly a wide range of ancient civilizations once lived here. Species that like wide, open areas, such as Gyrophants, Serraptors, and Sahound, thrive here, though only the agile survive. (+3 Speed)

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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 09/12/2012 5:38 PM

Pleasantly surprised by how this, her first true meeting with the Hive, was going so far Hani couldn’t help but grin. She stopped the orbs from bobbling to better encourage the hatchlings around her to listen to their caretaker. Then, of course, came the gasp she had been expecting at her offer to assist and she gave a brighter smile to Corinna. “Not a problem; and they were not interrupting as far as I’m concerned. It was a pleasure to meet them.” A clan is only as strong as its weakest member, her father had always said judging by the hatchling before her this Hive would be strong for years to come.

Her smile faded a little hearing the tone in the other Fairy’s voice change. It wasn’t so much the tone itself but rather the words that accompanied it. Perhaps making the hatchlings fear the leader’s wrath from such a young age was not the best idea…they certainly had a lot of respect for the Frost but fear didn’t need to be brought into it at this age. But it was not her pace or job and it did make the little ones fall in line, so she supposed there was no damage done.

For now there was little to do but wait patiently while the clan leader and the hatchling caretaker exchanged information to better her chances of blending in while she was still here. Sparring, hmm? Galo sounded instantly like a guard or hunter of some sort—not many really sparred alone unless they were practicing to challenge for leadership. Izotz, however, didn’t seem worried by the notion and thus Hani could only assume the lone sparring was to keep in peak physical condition for his job. Gathering herself back onto her feet at Izotz gesture she looked to the retreating pack of babies and smiled brightly towards them. “I will be back to visit, don’t you worry. Until then, goodbye my new friends!” her voice was light and sing-songy as she called back to the hatchlings in particular.

Chuckling to herself as she turned back to walk near Izotz Hani shook her head with a content sigh. “Poor dear certainly does have her hands full. The little ones of the future…amazing how they can go from being so amazed by flapping wings and new friends to grow into clan leaders and fearsome hunters. Or scouts.” She mused softly, not forgetting the words of the youngest baby. Her attention was shifting towards the prospect of this Galo. It didn’t sound like a faction Nyala would be terribly happy with her being in, but perhaps she would be surprised.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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[7] [1]

Postby Jaykobell » 09/12/2012 9:35 PM

There was a light chuckle from Izotz. "She does have quite a few little babies to watch over. She has been our hatchling caretaker for years — she's even older than I am, just by a good couple of years." Had he been born a little later, he probably would've ended up under her young care. Despite her older age, the Fairy caretaker had never wanted to go beyond her task. "As for their future ranks, I just hope none of them becomes better to me. I love being a leader. If I weren't, I wouldn't get to show off as much," he added mischievously, grinning mostly to himself. Coming out of his den and standing at the top of the plateau, looking mighty and wise? Well, yes, he won't deny that he loved it a lot. It was all for show, though; he was far from being egotistical. Maybe.

The clearing was fairly big, but not enough that it was a pain to trek through. It was an open terrain, so noticing specific details or dragons was relatively easy if you knew who you were looking for. Izotz was doing just that, turning his head slightly this way and that, looking for the specific Paragon Corinna had mentioned. He knew that particular Paragon very well, himself, so finding him wouldn't be a big problem. "Hm! ... Ah, there he is," the Frost eventually piped up as he started heading in the general direction of a specific Paragon that seemed to be stretching out close to the edge of the Hive's forest area. "Galo!"

Image

Unlike his fellow Paragon, this particular male lacked fancy markings and even colors, keeping to a conservative and unexciting black to white fading pattern. His red horns stood out in his pitch-black mane and whiskers, and so did his small red furtail.

Ending his stretching session, Galo looked towards the source of the voice that had called out to him. He was a standard-size Paragon, not bigger than the others, but not any smaller, either. "Hey, Izotz," he called back to the leader casually, not looking particularly awed or afraid that he was speaking directly to his leader. "What's up?"

"Still sparring, I see," Izotz commented with a smile, lightly praising the Nago Paragon for being so diligent with his sparring. Not every Paragon bothered to keep themselves in shape, both physically and mentally. "Galo, this is someone I'd like you to meet," the Frost eventually went on, motioning to Hani.

Upon seeing the stranger Paragon, Galo's eyes narrowed slightly. He looked wary of the Fairy Paragon in front of him, but he didn't do anything else to show his concern about her presence. He looked Hani in the eyes, eyeing her from head to toes as well. "That injured stranger?" he asked warily, not sounding particularly thrilled.

Seemingly used to this sort of reaction, Izotz just tilted his head. "She's going to be staying with us until her wing heals properly," the Frost explained, hoping that might clear up some of the Nago's doubts.

However, that seemed to increase Galo's wariness as his eyes widened slightly and his face changed to disbelief. The Nago didn't say or do anything to further show his disagreement with Izotz's decision, and he eventually just lowered his head slightly, seemingly accepting Izotz's explanation. "... Pleasure to meet you," he quietly replied to Hani, although without making eye-contact with her. His tone was even and neutral, making it hard to tell just what he was thinking.
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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 09/15/2012 5:24 PM

Hani returned the mischievous grin and shook her head. “Ah, so that’s how you wake your clan up—walking out into the morning sun and having such dazzling scales that it wakes everyone up, right?” She joked back, avoiding the topic that the Frost was rather handsome in a roundabout way. She hadn’t technically said he was, but it was in the context if he so chose to look so deeply. Hey, a girl can look can’t she?

As they continued to walk Hani tried to glance around. If she was going to be staying here she would need to remember where everything was—especially while she was grounded. She wondered if she would be under some sort of watch once she selected the faction she was going to work with—Izotz surely wasn’t going to remain her escort the entire time she was here. As they neared the Nago Hani craned her neck to the side to try and get a better view of him. The small but eye-catching red was very offset against his white and black fading scales, something the Fairy had never seen before.

Her eyes went back to meet his face when she heard how he addressed Izotz; even further intrigued. Had that tone been taken with her father it would have been seen as a challenge and a battle would have taken place right where they stood. But izotz was so calm and dismissive about it. Suddenly, she realized that she had been more or less introduced and with a small hop she took a few paces forward before dipping her nose to the Nago. “The pleasure is mine, I’m Hani.” She introduced brightly and hoped Izotz had not already mentioned her name to make her sound like a fool.

“Izotz has been kind enough to take me around to meet some of the others this morning to figure out just where I might fit in to pull my weigh while I am here.” She explained, hoping to counter the Nago’s otherwise uninterested sounding tone with her chipper one. Perhaps a show of willingness to work for her keep would assist in bringing him around.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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[8] [2]

Postby Jaykobell » 09/15/2012 7:58 PM

[ 8| Now I want a Gon that... does that. All he does is waking up before everyone else and singing like a rooster to wake everybody up. Lawl. Rooster Gon. ]

Despite her happier tone, Galo still seemed uninterested, but perhaps that was the word feeling to him. He looked more wary of Hani; he looked suspicious of her being here among them, and being allowed to be here. He couldn't be too surprised, though, could he? This was so typical of Izotz that Galo should've almost anticipated it. "... I'm Galo," he replied to Hani, finally meeting her eyes by glancing in her direction. "Not really surprised Izotz's been doing that," he admitted bluntly, though not out of ill intentions.

Izotz tilted his head nonchalantly at the Nago. "Is that a compliment, then?" he asked with a slightly mischievous grin, though he was teasing more than anything.

Galo turned to Izotz and tilted his head slightly as well, wondering what to reply. "It's whatever you want to read it as," he answered after a few seconds of silence, thinking that this would be vague enough to please Izotz. "... So, what? She's going to join a faction while she's here?" the Nago questioned afterwards, glancing at Hani briefly before looking back at Izotz.

He got a slow nod from the white Frost. "I figured I could ask a few of you so you can explain to Hani what you all do. She can make up her mind once she knows what every faction does," Izotz explained further, keeping his smile all the way through. "I would place her myself, but considering she's not from here and she's injured, I'd rather she judges herself."

Galo narrowed his eyes at Izotz's explanation, but regardless of what he thought of it, the Nago seemed satisfied enough with the explanation. "Hm. A hunter's job isn't for her." He eyed Hani's injured wing carefully, from shoulder to tip. "You're going to get that stuck between trees and shrubs and make it worse. That, and if we got attacked, you would be useless with that injury."

"Galo," Izotz interjected bluntly, giving the Nago a look. "Hani will make her own decision. Please keep to what I said and simply tell her what it is that you do," the Frost asked with a tone that was harder and left very little place for arguing.

Keeping quiet for a moment, Galo lowered his head slightly. "Hmr. I'm a Hunter. Our primary task is to hunt for food for the Hive, and to make sure there's enough food for everyone. We hunt out on the plains, in the forest, or we travel further away to get different foods, like fruits or fish. Our secondary function is also sparring and training to be the Hive's fighters. If something happen, we're the ones who will defend the Hive. Some Paragon who join the faction do both tasks, while others do only one or the other." There was a short paused as he turned back to Izotz. "Is that good enough?"

The Frost had been looking with a stern face the whole time, keeping an eye on the Nago, but as soon as his request was granted, Izotz started smiling again, as he usually did. "It is. Thank you, Galo," Izotz answered cheerfully, as if he'd never had to force the Nago into that explanation. "Unless Hani has any specific questions about it," he mentioned in passing, turning to the Fairy next to him.
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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 09/21/2012 7:24 PM

The Fairy stood by and listened contently, keeping a close eye on the way Galo looked at her. She could understand the distance he was keeping between them verbally; she probably wouldn’t be too apt to trust someone brand new either. But Hani hoped to change that and make her face more well-known. As soon as he mentioned that a hunter’s job wasn’t for her she could guess what came with his station, but on Izotz insistence she let him talk on about what they did.

When he was finished and Izotz was focused back on her she only smiled and shook her head. “No, I think that pretty much covers all bases. But, I do have to agree with Galo.” She began, looking from one male to the other. “While it might be a job I would excel at in health, right now I think this articular job is not what I should focus on undertaking.”

She paused, looking to her own wing and wishing she trusted it enough to give it a reluctant flex. She didn’t, however, not wanting to experience the pain that would likely follow as well as the added time of injury. “I would only make noise and scare away the prey or slow the entire team down with a laid-up wing. And as for fighting…well…I’ve never been very practiced at that. They would spend more time training me that I would training anyone else.” She joked lightly, grinning toward Izotz.  She finally turned her attention back to Galo and gave him a nod of her head.

“But thank you, for taking the time away from your practice to explain things to me. It’s very appreciated; I want to become a functional member here as soon as possible. I have already used too many of your resources during my initial healing.” Even if it wouldn't earn her trust, perhaps knowing that she was both grateful and wishing to make up for lost time would help ease Galo's wariness of her. She was going to be here, if only for a short while, living as one of them after all. She had to start making friends somewhere outside the pack of hatchlings.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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[9] [3]

Postby Jaykobell » 09/23/2012 12:08 AM

At least the Fairy seemed to have a head on her shoulders. Galo did gain a tiny bit of respect for her when Hani admitted that it wouldn't be a good job for her, considering her injured wing.

Despite Hani's honest answer that followed — from what Galo could tell, anyway — the Nago still seemed fairly unimpressed and uninterested in the Fairy in front of him. He doubted the female would keep her word, and that, when she'd have a chance, she would just hightail it and leave the place without telling anybody. She would abuse their kindness and then leave, despite her words that she wanted to "blend in" and "thank them" for using their resources. However, until Hani actually proved it to Galo by doing it, he would continue to be wary of her intentions. "Glad to have helped, then," he replied, although his voice was very even and somewhat careless.

"I guess it's disappointing the first division is unavailable, but at least it's a step forward. Thank you, Galo," Izotz thanked gratefully with a nod, and of course, the usual smile. "We still need to find out about the other factions. Have you seen a scout or a keeper nearby?" Hunters were only one of the major divisions; considering Corinna had helped find Galo, perhaps the hunter would be just as helpful.

It looked like the Nago hadn't expected the question, because his first reaction was to blink at the request. "Hm," he mumbled quietly as he turned around and tried to remember his whole morning and who he'd passed by and who he'd seen. "I think I remember seeing Careen this morning. She was checking certain weak points in the mountain with Tapio." He flicked his tail in the general direction he remembered seeing them.

"Oh, that's perfect. Thank you, Galo." Izotz knew the two well, especially the one named Careen — they shared a history together and had been close friends for a long time. "Let's get going, then," he invited, turning to Hani and nodding as he started making his way towards the particular part of the mountain Galo had pointed at.

"I'll see you later, then," Galo said at the two as they left, although it was just out of politeness.

As they made their way towards the mountain, they passed by some groups of Paragon and by some Paragon just flying about overhead lazily, just enjoying themselves. At this time in the morning, it seemed like the majority of the dragons were out or still sleeping in their dens. "That reminds me," Izotz suddenly said, realizing something that was worth mentioning. "Every division works twenty-four hours. Some Paragon prefer to work early in the morning, while some others prefer to work during the night. Depending on what kind of Paragon you are, you can pick which schedule fits you better." He sighed wishfully afterwards. "I wish I could work during the night. I'm far from being much of a morning bird," he admitted as he tilted his head, thoughtful. "But I don't have much of a choice."
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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 09/23/2012 4:21 PM

Hani gave a nod of her head and a smile to Galo as he…tried to sound pleasant. She understood—she was a stranger and all. She hoped given time she could change his views on her—whatever they may be from his flat and even tone. The same bright smile remained on her face as she turned to Izotz. “It’s only the first we’ve discussed, I hold out hope for another I might fit in with. Besides, I would hate to disrupt the flow of a faction with my injuries. Perhaps another day Galo and I might talk more about me becoming a hunter.”
Turning to follow Izotz she looked over her shoulder and offered a bright “I’m sure you will!” to Galo. As they walked Izotz brought up an interesting concept, one which had the Fairy laughing lightly. “Well, you hide your dislike of the daylight hours very well. You have had me fooled all morning.” She offered brightly before considering the options now before her.

“Though I think perhaps I would be the opposite; I prefer to be out and about during the early morning hours when everything is still peaceful and undisturbed. It’s a lovely time of day…besides the fact that I do value my sleep in the dark.” Another small laugh accompanied this statement as she followed after the big Frost. “I’m sure a leader’s job truly never ends. Though at least there is another to help you shoulder the burden. I find it admirable that you run your clan that way. Mine was run only by my father…much like a lions’ pride might be run I suppose. The bulk of the hatchlings belonged to his bloodline and he alone had say over matters. I know I have very little grounds to judge, but I personally think your way of running things is much more effective.”

It was a genuine statement—for a leader to have no mate or hatchlings of his own and yet share some of his power with another that had no blood ties with him? It was unheard of in her world but something that seemed to keep the peace both much differently and much more peacefully here.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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Postby Jaykobell » 09/23/2012 5:13 PM

Izotz nodded, considering he also figured that one of the two factions left would be fine for Hani to join. Regardless, he wanted to leave the decision up to her. "Regardless, we'll manage to find something, I'm sure — whether it's a big division or something unique to you." As for his morning habits, the Frost chuckled sheepishly as her compliment. "I'm lucky enough to be adaptable quickly. I have to, and I had to be back then. I know some Paragon can't stand working one time or another, though. What you don't know is that I end up sleeping my afternoon off without anyone noticing," he joked, saying the last sentence quietly as if he didn't want the others to hear. "Don't tell anyone, though. They might get jealous."

At Hani's compliment on the way he ruled, Izotz blinked down at her with a genuinely curious look. He did hear that compliment now and again, but mostly, the Hive was still wary and a little messy; some thought that he was ruling it entirely wrong, where as others appreciated his gentle ruling. "I do love it when Paragon tell me that," he admitted with a smile, although the happy expression hid a lot of dark memories. "I make most of the decisions, much like your father would, but I listen to what my tribe wants. I'm taking over from a Paragon who thought she could rule through favoritism and tyranny."

There was a pause as he weighted his next words. "It was a small group of us who chased her away from the mountain. Truth be told, I wasn't expecting to become the leader after the mutiny. I'd expected another Paragon to lead the Hive, but our healer ended up choosing me for the task." It had left the two males at a sort of unstable relationship, but after so much time, the tension had somewhat died down between the two. "I wasn't raised to be a leader, either," he added, tilting his head a little at that point as he tried to remember how things used to be done. "Before I became leader, the hatchlings of the leader would usually end up being the leaders over time. It wasn't always the case, depending if the hatchlings could actually rule properly; or some of them weren't interested. In that case, the leader could pick the one that would replace them, or our healer would pick one." There was a short pause as Izotz realized that "healer" was probably too vague for Hani. "Well, the healer back then being Balthazar — he's probably the oldest Paragon we have. He's Nyala's father; you can imagine who she got her sharp character from," he teased, grinning a little like a mischievous child. "But don't tell them I said that."

Noticing he'd let himself ramble continuously, he smiled sheepishly. "That said, I do appreciate the comment, especially from an outsider." Because it meant he was making a good first impression, right? That was always good. "To be honest, I'm just ruling the way I've always wanted the Hive to be ruled. I don't know if I'm doing it right, but at the very least it's become peaceful again."

As they spoke, they almost reached their destination, where two Paragon could be seen discussing something a little ways up from the ground and on a part of the mountain's side. One Paragon seemed to be wingless, where the other sported wings.

"Ah, we're getting there," Izotz pointed out, craning his neck forward a little. "The two Paragon over there are the two we want to talk to."
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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 09/27/2012 5:17 PM

Hani chuckled at the idea of finding something for her to do. “Well I’m sure you’ll find soon enough that I’m one for chatter; perhaps my failsafe job could be a Harold of sorts.” It was a joke, of course, she had already seen that this leader needed no extra fanfare upon his appearance. The hatchlings had practically clamored all over him when they saw his face down among them.  His next statement surprised her, and she offered his a coy wink with her reply. “Then we’re threatening your quality alone time, we’d best get moving along and find a suitable job station for me quickly.”

She listened patiently as he told her a little more about where the Hive was coming out of and a little more about himself and his role. It was all very interesting—a sort of pauper  to prince story. Hani, however, was at the other side of the story. “Yes, I’m very familiar with those ideals. My father did try to be fair—though he ruled through his bloodline. Only the strongest may hold clans and when you become weak another might take your place if they can defeat you. As for the children of the leader…as a female I was never groomed for leadership. I was groomed to become the mate of another clanleader’s son—a tactic to strengthen our clans alliance with them.” Her smile faded a little but gained an odd quirk to it.

“Needless to say I don’t think it ever would have worked as planned. I’m a little too….boisterous to be the quiet and demure statute my intended wished me to be.” Adding that getting lost on her rite of passage was really the best thing that could have happened to her seemed a bit melodramatic to add, so she refrained from it though she was sure the point would get across all the same.  “Ah, Nyala’s father. Then I know he picked the right one—though Nyala is a bit…let’s just say rough around the edges she seems to have a sharp head on her shoulders. I can only guess she got that from him as well.”

Hani nodded and chuckled a little. “Any leader who puts even half that heart into his job is one worthy of the position; you seem like you’re doing just fine.” At that she looked ahead and squinted to the two figures they were currently walking towards before she glanced up at the sky. “We’re making good time then, still a while until the sun is at its peak.” Again she gave him a coy little wink as she joked about his earlier ‘afternoon nap’ comment. She didn’t bother to ask about the faction they were meeting next—she was sure the two ahead would give her all the details.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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[11] [1] [1]

Postby Jaykobell » 09/27/2012 8:34 PM

Izotz blinked when Hani mentioned that particular job as a herald. He stared ahead for a bit, as if in a daze, until he blinked again and turned his attention back to the Fairy again. Somehow, considering how talkative she'd been despite being a stranger, Izotz could actually foresee the Fairy carrying on a job like that. He silently kept that detail in mind, because you honestly never knew. "Yes, well... What can I say, I tend to sacrifice myself for the well-being of my followers, but I will remember that you prevented me from getting my beauty sleep," he complained, but all in jest; he was far from being a good liar, and the words were only a tease.

At the mention of the way Hani's tribe was lead, Izotz's mood drooped. At least, it didn't sound like she'd been mistreated, but giving different treatments to the males and the females was something the Frost disagreed with. He thought it unfair to place or judge one's capabilities — the limitation of said capabilities — solely based on gender. If a female proved to be strong or intelligent enough for the job, he would give it to her. "That's not something I can agree with. I wouldn't want anyone else to be my supportive leader besides Slavica — and she's a female as strong as any male we have here." If he ever had daughters? He wouldn't bear to teach only the boys how to rule; he would give the chance to his daughters just as much. "But I guess we probably come from a different mentality to begin with. The Hive was founded by a female Paragon, and to my knowledge, we've had just a few more female leaders than male ones." Sadly, that legacy probably wouldn't last long, considering how pampered and attention-seeking the females were becoming.

"Hahah, well... Yes, Nyala's father is just as moody as she is," Izotz admitted with a large, sheepish grin. Oh dear, if either of them heard him say that, he would be in for it. "But I would be lost without her father, that's for sure. Sometimes I wonder why he didn't just rule the clan until they shaped a good leader for the job." After that, though, was a smile. "But I'm glad it seems like I'm doing an okay job. I just tell myself there's no way I could possibly be worse than the leader before us." At least there was that, right? "Even if I have to stop everything I'm doing comes sun high to recuperate in my old age," he added playfully, though he really wasn't that old. Well, a little bit older than average, but he really wasn't old in the literal way.

That said, it didn't take long for the two to reach said destination, now capable of getting a good look at the two Paragon, and even hearing what they were saying.

ImageImage

The female Lavamancer was lying on her stomach, carefree, as she pointed out certain spots of the wall. Her tail hung limply from the edge of the little cliff; from the looks of it, the tail had been ripped apart before, where bits and pieces had almost seemingly been stitched back together. Only tidbits of fur hung at the tip still, but it looked like parts of her tailtip couldn't let the hair grow back anymore. "Yes, around... the middle there. That should do it," she instructed as she pointed out towards the spot she meant from a distance.

Huffing, the male Lavamancer sucked in air before breathing a dark, metallic-looking fire from his mouth, straight at the particular spot the female Paragon had pointed at. After the cloud of metallic dust disappeared, a thick layer of metal-covered rock was left right where the Lavamancer had breathed. "Enough?" he asked quietly, not sounding particularly excited to be doing this job.

Unlike the female, who just gave him a happy smile and clapped her hands together with content. "Excellent."

"Careen, Tapio!" Izotz called out to them, stopping just a little ways away from the little cliff the two were standing on. "Would you mind coming down here?"

When their names were called out, both Paragon turned around to face their leader. The female looked relaxed, and even happy to see him, whereas the male looked a lot more edgy and not as comfortable. However, without saying a word, both Paragon complied with Izotz's request. The female made her way down with perfectly-timed jumps and agility, whereas the grey male slowly made his way down by flight, up until the two reached their leader on the ground.

Without even letting Izotz explain why they were here, the female Lavamancer perked up when she noticed Hani. Immediately, the Lavamancer skipped over to the Fairy and grabbed one of her hands and closed her two over Hani's. "You have to be that Paragon Dunstan found on the Plains just a few days ago. I won't like, I was really curious about you!" she spoke up, tilting her head to the side and grinning excitedly, despite her voice and composure being gentle and quiet by nature. "I'm Careen, and this big boy is Tapio," she introduced, knowing the male Lavamancer wouldn't even try to interact. And so, she would force him to interact.

Upon being introduced, Tapio lowered his head and looked in Hani's direction, although he quickly glanced away. He didn't seem uninterested or wary of the Fairy; instead, he looked like he was just shy and wasn't very interested in any sort of social interaction. "Humph... I'm... Tapio," he blurted out quietly and awkwardly, though not with any ill intentions.
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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 09/29/2012 10:58 AM

At seeing his face drop, Hani had to chuckle a little. “It’s a difference in the spaces we live in. There is far more fighting where my tribe dwells—so providing a tribe with the bloodline of a leader was our main way of keeping blood distributed and our lands peaceful. Which is all well and good, but I just like to dream bigger than that. But here…well, you said yourself you have only heard rumors of other tribes. You lack the issues that tend to cause the gender gap.” She explained. It wasn’t that her people disliked their females, it was only that they were more useful peacemakers; to introduce a lovely and prime female into a tribe was much more tension soothing than sending in a haughty male of the same age. “I have to say that I prefer your view on things for what it’s worth.”

The Fairy gave a light shrug. “Some don’t like the limelight of leadership I would suppose. Perhaps he just wanted to let the new leader shape himself on the job.” Then, with a quickly furrowed brow she leaned closer to him and looked at his face carefully. “Oh dear, you’re right. I think I see a scale wrinkling. We’d better hurry!” She laughed as she took a few playful bounds forward.

Her gaze was soon turned upward as she listened to the pair and witnessed the breath abilities of the male. She instantly took note of the female’s tail and wondered for a brief second what had happened. But the two were just as quickly making their way down and Hani beamed at the approaching strangers. It took her by surprise when the female skipped over to clutch her hand, but Hani returned the gesture by placing her other hand on top of Careen’s; her smile only getting brighter. “The same! I’m Hani, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Careen and Tapio.” She offered brightly. Considering the greeting she had gotten from Galo, Careen's greeting was much more her style.

“Izotz is being kind enough to show me around and to help me find a faction to fit into while my wing heals.” She explained, hoping to save the leader from explaining the situation again. His presence with her would be telling enough that she was telling them the truth…at least in her eyes. “I have already met with Galo, but the hunter’s game isn’t something I would be skilled at right now. What is it the two of you do here? I certainly saw you in action already but I’m still curious as to what it is, exactly.” She gave a glance to Izotz, deferring to him in case the leader had something extra to add.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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Postby Jaykobell » 09/29/2012 5:44 PM

While he didn't have any time to really say anything about it, Izotz blinked when Hani looked at him from up close, only to comment that she could see a wrinkle starting to pop up. It was almost a blessing that Hani was outgoing enough to explain everything, because the Frost was left to himself, self-conscious about if he was really starting to look that old. He wasn't even out of his prime yet! He couldn't start looking like a decrepit old Paragon at his age.

With Hani introducing herself and explaining the whole story of her morning and why she was here, Careen was already pleased with this newcomer. At first glance, Hani looked like she was outgoing, and not really one of those attention-seeking lazy females. Of course, every female liked some attention, but Careen didn't really fancy the females that gave this image of them being absolutely useless and just plain lazy. Let the males do everything and give us all the attention! She had nothing against those females per se, but she certainly liked it when females had a good, outgoing personality.

The Lavamancer was a little concerned at the fact one of the first dragons Hani had met had to be Galo, but the Fairy still looked pretty cheerful regardless. "I'm glad to see you seem to be feeling right at home!" Careen answered, the two still clutching over each other's hands like two close friends who hadn't seen each other in years.

When Hani looked back at him after her small explanation, Izotz blinked, and it took him a few seconds to register everything. "It's just as Hani explained," he slowly answered, nodding afterwards as he got his composure back. "I'm giving her a tour, and I'd like you two to explain to her how each of your factions work."

"So that's why you ended up meeting Galo, then. Well, the hunters are just one division out of the three main ones we have here," Careen explained, letting go of Hani's hands so she could clap her two together. "I am the commander of the keeper division — or the leader, if you prefer," she started with, grinning a little mischievously as she specified the word "leader". "Tapio here is a scout," she added, motioning to the shier Lavamancer with her tail, which seemed to react and move just fine despite it looking mangled.

"As for what we were doing, that was more a task from my division than Tapio's. Our big boy here just so happens to have a special ability of his own," she explained, turning to the male Lavamancer and giving him a praiseful smile. Despite that, Tapio just looked away and didn't say anything, seemingly uninterested in being the center of attention. "That said," Careen started again, turning back to Hani, "my division is for what we call keepers. We do a little bit of everything that has to do with keeping the Hive safe and clean, as well as organized and working. You can consider us the oil and the nuts and bolts that make the entire machine work." One could tell by her enthusiasm that the female Lavamancer couldn't be prouder to explain what she did. "For example, we often check up on the Hive's mountain structure to make sure everything is solid and safe. These few spots up there looked pretty fidgety, so that's why I asked Tapio here to solidify them for me. Some others might volunteer to go gather up medical herbs for Nyala if she's too busy, or they might even help her with some patients... although the latter barely ever happens. Sometimes we also play with the hatchlings if they're really agitated or bored, or we might be going around to make sure we have enough food piled up. We also clean if a storm hits the Hive and trees are broken or rocks fell from the mountain."

It felt like the Lavamancer could just go on forever, but she did eventually stop, smiling sheepishly at the Fairy in front of her. "I could really go on about what we can do, but I think I've given you enough situations. Overall, my faction's the most relaxed and the one where most Paragon fit in. There's basically no Paragon that can't do what we do," Careen added, this time only as a closing paragraph to her long introduction.
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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 09/29/2012 6:27 PM

Hani didn’t seem at all phased by the overly warm welcome from Careen—in fact she seemed full comfortable with their hand-holding just as if she were greeting her sister she had lost years ago. She noted that Izotz’s demeanor had shifted slightly but brushed it off quickly. Perhaps too much joking or perhaps he really was that sleep deprived. Either way she eagerly listened to Careen explain both the task she had witnessed and the faction of Keepers.

“Ah, that does explain why the mountainside is rather shiny now.” She stated with a chuckle. “It does sound as though Keepers cover a little bit of everything; a good faction for any newcomer really.” Gathering, babysitting, mountainside repairs? There was certainly something she could be useful at within the division; not to mention Careen seemed like the perfect commander for her to be working under. It was a sort of instant kinship based on their personalities really—this was a paragon Hani felt she would get along swimmingly with.  However Careen and Izotz had both specified three main factions, so Hani carefully turned her gaze to Tapio.

“But it would be very unfair of me to make a choice before I have heard the third option. Scouts sound rather self-explanatory, but what is it exactly that you do within that faction…if you don’t mind my asking.” She asked gently, not wanting to put too much pressure on the shy-seeming male. Shyness was admittedly not something Hani handled with practiced ease—this wasn’t a hatchling who would warm up after seeing a few tricks from a big paragon. As such, Hani’s expertise on how to make him feel more comfortable was null.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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Postby Jaykobell » 09/30/2012 1:05 AM

"Usually it's inside the mountain that paths and bridges are starting to collapse, but as you can see, some dens actually have an outside view. Still, they sometimes become weak close to those den openings, so when that happens, we have Tapio to fix them for us," Careen explained, once again turning her smiling attention to the other Lavamancer, whom still wasn't interested in being praised or put under the limelight.

With Hani's brief description of her division, Careen clapped her hands and nodded with enthusiasm. "Exactly! A lot of insecure Paragon like to be keepers before they become hunters or scouts; others just don't like the monotonous jobs of being a scout or a hunter, so they become keepers, since our job can change every day, depending on what there is to do. Every day is a surprise!" Of course, they were always good surprises. Well, most of the time, anyway; if a Paragon didn't like picking out herbs, they might find their day pretty long and boring.

When the Fairy turned her attention to Tapio, the dark Lavamancer grumbled a little. He figured he wouldn't be able to get out of this one. Up until now, Careen had gladly done all the talking, but she wasn't a scout, so only Tapio here could really explain what it was about. Of course, so could Izotz, but it seemed like the leader wanted them to explain what their division did. Tapio was already socially-awkward, even with Paragon he did know, so speaking to a complete stranger made him nervous. "We... usually check the territory around the Hive to make sure... no one invades or attacks. There are a few wild Paragon around," Tapio started, a Paragon with a relatively gentle voice despite his gender and his shy personality. "There are flying scouts and ground scouts. Flyers usually cover a bigger range... Ground scouts check things from up-close, and they usually intercept any intruders or unwelcome guests. They also keep an eye out for... unusual... things." His words seemed to falter when it came to looking out for unusual "things", but why something like that would make the Lavamancer nervous was anyone's guess. "Scouts are little like... the guardians of the Hive." Hopefully that description would please the Fairy, and then Tapio wouldn't have to talk anymore.
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Re: Out Of The Storm And Into The Snake Pit [P-Shrewd]

Postby Kallile » 10/04/2012 11:07 AM

The explanation of why the male had been called on suited Hani just fine—she had never had to deal with rocks that could crush someone after all. Rocky mountains weren’t exactly a huge hazard out on little sand bars and islands. “Genuine concern, I’m sure. It’s an amazing idea really—we never had to worry about such things in my birth clan. The biggest danger were rogue paragon and hurricane winds.”

She turned to Tapio as he began, reluctantly, to speak about his task. She nodded graciously to him once he finished, not taking too great a notice on his faltering words. He had already proven himself shy and insecure around her—she didn’t feel the need to dig for a deeper explanation than that. “Thank you…and while the job is an important one, I fear I may be a little too trusting and open to do it properly. Again, perhaps it would be a job better done when my wing heals, but I don’t think I could contain my good nature long enough to handle an intruder as should be dealt with.” She said with a small chuckle. She had certainly not shown many, if any signs at all of being terrible hostile towards anyone. Perhaps the first few seconds of actually meeting Dunstan when things were still new and fearful…but not since. That and if other scouts were as reluctant as Tapio she would have a very hard time doing her job rather than spending all her time trying to pull friendly conversation out of them.

“It only seems fitting for me to join in Careen’s ranks then; to more fully experience the Hive and the way things work. It would give me the most opportunity to meet other new faces as well I think. If, of course, you think it would be fitting as well?” She turned towards Izotz with a smile. Of course, she wouldn’t jump into a job without his blessing on the matter. She was still under his watch as it was, and if there was something he didn’t want her to be doing she hoped he would speak up about it.
"I have been hidden, scorned, adored, worshiped, forsaken, coveted and banished more times than I care to count. But the one thing all those experiences cannot steal from me is the gentle soul I was born with, the kind heart I have molded, and the bright ideals for the future that have lit my way through the darkness of the past."




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