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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Postby Jaykobell » 01/02/2014 10:51 PM

Although Nyala didn't bother to come past the curtain to answer, she did reply to the Soveris's question. "As soon as you are up and about, so he said," Nyala answered amongst the sounds of clinking bottles and crushed up herbs. "I believe he will call a meeting as soon as you are ready. He wants you to be with him and safe once he announces his decision, I suppose." One could only imagine how a Paragon like Alcippe would react getting punished; she was one of those self-entitled little hatchlings that always assumed she deserved everything on a silver plate. It had been unfortunate for Koralia, of all tribemates, to land in her den injured, but at least something had come out of it. If that Placid could finally get what was coming to her, the Sandshark would personally be satisfied.

At that answer, Koralia figured all she needed to do was get up and go see Izotz right away. Even though the race had initially been brought on by Koralia herself, none of this would've happened had Alcippe kept her mouth shut. If she hadn't made ridiculous assumptions about the Soveris, then no race would've been mentioned. They wouldn't have gotten to that point, and Koralia never would've been injured and semi-crippled for the rest of her life. She would openly admit her fault in the matter, but she still couldn't forgive the Placid for what she'd done. Being a sore loser was one thing, but deliberately hurting another member of your clan something so petty? Part of her was curious to know what kind of punishment Izotz would pass.

The only problem was that she wasn't quite sure how to go about this, now. She understood she couldn't put pressure on her leg, but it would be difficult to not do exactly that. She was used to walking on all fours, and not just on three legs. She'd tried getting up earlier, and clearly, her brain still thought her leg was fully functional. "N... Nyala?" Koralia called out hesitantly, wondering if she could bother the Sandshark for just a minute or two. "Could... could you help me get up?"

At first, it seemed like the bird would have to get up all on her own, but the shuffling of things behind the curtain eventually stopped, and the white female Sandshark emerged from behind it shortly after. She quietly walked over to the Soveris and got a good feel of her surroundings before pressing herself against the bird. "Consciously put your good leg forward first. Lean to allow your back legs to push yourself up," the Sandshark instructed, cutting right to the chase; she had work to do, but she would spare some time to help her patient.

Following the crystal clear instructions given to her, Koralia put her good leg down on the ground first before leaning against the Sandshark. She would've been mindful not to put too much weight on the other, but she was smaller than nearly every single Paragon in the tribe; leaning against them wasn't a problem. She put her whole weight on the Sandshark and focused her strength in her back legs, which slowly and awkwardly followed along up until she was up and standing.
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/02/2014 11:09 PM

Once the deed was done, Koralia sighed with relief. It was awkward to be standing up on only three legs, but it was manageable. It would be a conscious thing for her to walk for the next few days, but she hoped to get used to it soon to make it easier on her injured leg. "Thanks, Nyala," she thanked the Sandshark and instinctively smiling, remembering only after the fact that the Sandshark couldn't see her expression.

When the Sandshark didn't say anything, Koralia initially thought she'd bothered and aggravated the healer. That didn't seem to be the case, however, when Nyala simply turned away to shuffle some more within her wares. Koralia craned her neck forward a little to see what she was looking for, but it was hard to distinguish anything. The Sandshark probably had no choice but to keep her things huddled like that, so she could feel and find what she wanted faster. That was the bird's guess, anyway; maybe the Paragon was just messy.

Nyala's head eventually reemerged from the pile of things, and the Sandshark came back to her patient to hand her a strange strap-like contraption seemingly made out of skin. "Put this on," the healer instructed, raising it a little higher for Koralia to stick her head through. "This will help keep your injured leg off the ground. It will also allow you to carry things," she pointed out, tapping the strap a little before tapping a particular spot of it, where the skin stretched downward to form a bag-like space. Without giving Koralia a chance to do much of anything, the healer craned her neck down, plucked the gel bottle from the ground and dropped it right into the bag. "Remember, twice a day: once in the morning, once at night before you go to sleep. I'll check your leg after the bottle is empty," she reminded the Soveris, hoping the girl would remember to be diligent with the gel.

Koralia nodded, but again, she had to remind herself that wouldn't do. "Yes, thank you, Nyala," she added orally, feeling a little sheepish for constantly forgetting the healer couldn't actually see her. "Trust me, I'll make sure to remember." Without adding anything else, she watched the Sandshark give a nod and then head back behind her curtain. The healer was a secretive Paragon of very few words, and so Koralia left her to her work. She had her own things to do now.

It took a long time — or what felt like a very long time — for Koralia to finally exit the Healer's Den. With her other front leg out of commission, it always felt like she was about to fall face-first every time she tried to take a step. It took some trial and error, but with some conscious leg coordination that didn't exactly look natural, the Soveris had found a way that was somewhat acceptable for walking. Once out of the den, Koralia took a turn to the right and started heading towards the clearing. Not a lot of Paragon were around these parts, mostly because both Balthazar and Nyala would snap and hiss at anyone who dared to cause a ruckus near their dens. They were also somewhat secluded, which added to the lonely feel of this particular part of the mountain.

Part of her wondered how the Hive had taken the whole ordeal. Were they angry about what Alcippe had done? Did they not care about it, since it had happened to the one and only outcast of the clan? Had other Paragon seen a pattern in what had happened to Koralia? Juro knew about Alcippe's dirty tricks, so the Soveris couldn't have been the first victim. Perhaps her first order of business would be to go meet Izotz so that they could settle this matter as quickly as possible.
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 2:37 AM

Although her state didn't quite help, Koralia found the small strip of land to be much longer than it looked. She wasn't so much lost in her thoughts — although that was a part of it — as she was a little fearful of stepping in the clearing, where everyone would notice her. It had been only a day, but things had happened so quickly that it felt like it had taken a lot more time than just twenty-four hours. Part of her was afraid of what would happen if, God forbid, she came across Alcippe while she was still in a rather secluded part of the Hive. Nothing could really stop her from hurting Koralia, right? If she were as nasty of a sore loser as all that, then it was entirely possible that the Soveris had to fear for her life. Punishing her was nice, but what exactly would Izotz do? He had to do something that would get the message across to the Placid, but that would also protect Koralia herself from any vengeful thoughts the Placid may get.

She'd barely cleared half the distance to the clearing — her leg wasn't helping, since it made the Soveris completely aware of every single step she needed to take — when she heard a deep, flat voice echo nearby. "Hey," it called out, a faint hint of friendliness to it; and she remembered that voice, too.

Regardless, it made her jump, since she hadn't been paying attention to her surroundings. Way to worry about a vengeful Placid when the Soveris herself wasn't paying attention. When the voice called out to her, she stopped dead in her tracks and looked around to find the Paragon. It didn't her that long, considering the Nago's dark navy fur and eye-popping red Chaos stood out against the pale rocky mountain. "Ju... Juro?" she stammered, unsure what to think of him. Although he was clearly good friends with Alcippe, the Nago had gone out of his way to help her and, ultimately, he'd saved her life.

"Hey, twerp," the male called out, but the name "twerp" didn't have a degrading or aggressive tone to it. It actually sounded like he was calling the bird that affectionately, like a little nickname just for her. "Just checking up, see if you were awake," he added afterwards, just to make sure they were both on the same page; he had no intention to hurt her or pull a fast one for Alcippe's sake. After giving his introduction, he spread his wings slightly and let himself glide down the small mountain plateau he'd been standing on, just so he could land next to the Soveris. He tucked his wings away and bent his neck down, staring intently at the strap-like contraption Koralia was wearing. "I kinda feel bad; s'my fault Alcippe did all that to you," he said, somewhat apologizing in his own cryptic way, although whether or not the Soveris would believe him was another story altogether.

Koralia took a few steps back when she saw the Nago approaching, but admittedly that was difficult to do properly in the current state of her leg. She was a little wary of the male, considering he seemed to have some ties with Alcippe, but he sounded nice enough. Not only that, but if he had truly saved her, then the least she could do was give him the benefit of the doubt. "Well..." she started, unsure how to phrase her next thought, "... it's really thanks to you that I'm okay. You... Nyala told me what you did." In a sense, it was all right; if the Nago turned out to be tricking her, she was close to Nyala's and Balthazar's dens. Balthazar was potentially absent, but she knew for a fact Nyala was around. Worse came to worst, the Soveris could make an awkward mad dash for the healer.
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 4:57 PM

When he heard those words from the Soveris, Juro simply stared before eventually cracking the smallest of smiles. Koralia picked up on it, and it felt like the Nago had caught on to something; as if the words had made him realize that doing good deeds could result in good feelings, too. "Heh, did she? Guess you're up to speed, then," he replied simply, straightening up and sitting down close to the bird. "Izotz's waiting, if you wanna go see him. Want a ride?" he offered, spreading his wings to let her know they could leave right away if she wanted to get it all over with.

Koralia blinked, genuinely surprised to see the Nago suddenly being so friendly and helpful to her. Although the offer was very appreciated, there were some things she wanted answered before she went to meet Izotz. "Why did you do it?" she asked the male before realizing maybe that was too vague. "I mean, why did you tell Izotz what had happened?" From what little information Juro had told her, he'd known about Alcippe's nasty attitude for a while. Why tell on her now? Why not before, and why tell on her at all?

Juro seemed surprised to hear the Soveris ask him, and he didn't reply right away. Instead, he tucked his wings back to his sides and looked away. Koralia tilted her head slowly as she waited for an answer, and for a while, it felt like the Nago wasn't interested in giving him his reasons. As she continued to stare at him, she picked up on something; a distant look mixed with a lot of different feelings. The most prominent, however, seemed be sadness. "She was tough, Alcippe. Still is, I guess," Juro eventually spoke, but without turning back to the Soveris. "She got grief from a lot of Paragon 'cause she's small, and a Placid. Eh, well, that's what she said... But really, she's had less worse than lots of Paragon here. She takes things to heart way too much." He gave a pause, shook his head and looked down. "She was cool, at first. Tough for a female: I like that a lot. We were a whole group of friends for a time." There was another pause, and then a sigh as he rolled his eyes. "And then everyone started to get injured every time they'd challenge her to stuff: races or otherwise. I was there. I helped part of the way."

Although she could tell Juro was already a massive improvement over Alcippe, Koralia could also tell that he was far from being clean, himself. "Why did you help her at all?" She couldn't herself from interrupting him to ask. If she had friends who hurt others, she wouldn't let them continue. She would've told someone right away, whether her mom or Izotz.

At that point, Juro looked back at the Soveris and considered his answer carefully. "I liked it," he eventually admitted, and he caught on to Koralia's surprised expression right away.

"You liked it?" Koralia echoed, and for a moment, she felt like the shock alone was going to be enough to knock her off all three feet. "You liked hurting others?"

All she got from the male was a light shrug. "D'you know how nice it is to be on top of others? Where you can do whatever you want, and no one will catch you or punish you for it? It's like... a thrill. For a long time, Alcippe would set it up and I'd just gauge 'em: tell her if they were fast or whatever. I never really did anything to anyone: she's the one who did all the dirty work."
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 5:18 PM

"Thing is," Juro added, barely giving Koralia any time to answer his questions, "at first, we weren't really hurting anybody. It'd just be Alcippe doing small stuff like tackling Paragon while they were flying. They'd crash in the obstacles, and we'd get a good laugh. They'd laugh, too," he explained, part of him reminiscing about better days, when they were still a group. It was just him and Alcippe now, but they used to be a whole bunch of Paragon who all enjoyed flying and racing. Even when accidents happened, they'd brush it off and laugh over it.

When Juro explained that better, part of Koralia could understand him better. It was a bit more like playing pranks, and overall, just some healthy competitiveness. It wasn't unheard of for Paragon to get competitive during battles, and any kind of event that resulted in any sort of placement always brought on competition. If even the victims — if you could call them that at the time — found some enjoyment out of it, then she couldn't really blame Juro — or even Alcippe, surprisingly — for enjoying it.

After a short pause, the Nago went on. "And then she got cocky. Tried to see just how far she could go. How far she could go to make it look like an accident." He narrowed his eyes, and Koralia picked up on more feelings: mostly fear. "Do you know how many Paragon she hurt like you? Twisted ankles, crooked arms, crippled wings. She all made them look like accidents. And I supported her, and I believed her." He paused, and the next words were spoken more softly, barely loud enough for Koralia to hear. "I wanted to believe her."

The Nago stopped there, seemingly lost in thought. The Soveris could see now why the Nago had stuck with the Placid for so long, despite her nasty tricks. He'd known her when she was a better Paragon, and it seemed like part of him was still in denial over the fact that his best friend had turned into a horrible, dangerous Paragon. "You didn't answer my question earlier," Koralia pointed out after a while, finally breaking the silence. "Why did you decide to tell on her now? Why was it different this time?"

The question brought the Nago's eyes back to the Soveris, and it felt like his fear had intensified. "I was terrified," he admitted, proving the Soveris's assumption right. "For a while, she'd started hurting others over nothing. Not from racing or hunting or anything: just because she could. I saw you leading the race: and then you were gone by the end. When she told me you'd crashed into a rock tower, my heart stopped." His face started to get contorted, both from guilt and unfiltered fear. "You're smaller and frailer than Paragon. You're a bird. We're dragons. Even for a Paragon, crashing into one of those rock towers would've knocked them out cold on the spot. I was terrified that you were dead. I was terrified that she'd killed you, and that I'd helped her do it." He shook his head violently, and even his voice was starting to crack. "It was fun, at first. But I don't want to do this if she starts killing Paragon. I can't do it." He paused, and his eyes became so conflicted from so many feelings that Koralia couldn't read him at all. "Not even for her."

There was yet another bout of silence, as the Soveris had no idea what to say. Even though the two were still mostly strangers to each other, Koralia could tell Juro had a powerful conscience: even if it were a little tainted. "That's why I decided to tell Izotz," the Nago started again, now that he'd calmed down a little and regained his momentum. "I knew she was going to kill a Paragon if I continued to keep quiet any more."
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 6:54 PM

It was surprising just how powerful words could be. While none of this could convince Koralia to forgive Alcippe for what she'd done to her, it did help her sympathize with Juro. It sounded like he was a genuine friend if you got to really know him and get past that monotone voice of his. He obviously wasn't clean, but in the end, he'd done the right thing. It was unfortunate that it had taken so much time for him to realize what Alcippe was doing, and Koralia couldn't quite say that she truly trusted him completely. However, if Alcippe and her nasty antics were out of the way, the Soveris could imagine the Nago being a very and honest friend. "Thank you," Koralia eventually replied, breaking the silence once again. "For everything: for saving me, and for telling Izotz. I didn't trust you then, but just knowing all this makes me realize you're not really a bad Paragon."

It seemed that wasn't the kind of answer the Nago was expecting, because he looked genuinely surprised to hear the Soveris thank him. He tilted his head to the side, and he had to admit, it felt good to hear it. For a very long time, other Paragon had been doubtful of him, and had avoided him due to his hanging out with Alcippe. Even though he'd brought her harm initially, the Soveris had thanked him for his later good deeds. Izotz had done the same, thanking him for reporting Alcippe's malice. He could understand the leader doing it because he had to be politically correct, but the Soveris had every right to hate his guts for the rest of her life. "Heh," he chuckled, suddenly at a loss for words. "Not sure what to say. Haven't had anyone tell me that in a really long time. I feel better now that I've spilled the beans, really." He'd initially regretted it, but hearing both Izotz and Koralia thank him for his change of heart had made it all the more worth it in the end.

Koralia mustered a smile to the Paragon, and under different circumstances, she could imagine the two of them being good friends. She couldn't tell if his streak would continue, but for now, she could consider it a blessing to have known the Nago. "Can I ask you one last favor, Juro?" the Soveris asked, feeling a little bit renewed from their conversation.

The Nago got back his laid back composure and looked down at the bird. "Sure. What d'you need, twerp?"

"Is your offer from earlier still available?" she asked, frowning a little. "I'd like to go talk to Izotz as soon as I can. It's just awkward to do anything or get anywhere right now." She could certainly fly there, but to be truthful, her whole body was still aching from the whole ordeal. If the Nago was still willing to give her a ride, then she would certainly take it.

He seemed surprised that that was the favor she needed — considering it wasn't quite a favor if he was the one who'd offered in the first place — but the Nago didn't question it. He turned around and showed his back to the Soveris before laying down and spreading his wings wide. "Sure thing. Hop on," he invited, keeping his wings high so Koralia could get on without too much trouble. "I'll fly you there lightning fast."
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 7:19 PM

Lighting fast was an understatement. As soon as the Soveris had safely gotten on the Nago's back, Juro made a mad dash for Izotz's den. Every single instinct in Koralia's body kicked in as her good feet sank their claws into Juro's skin, but fortunately, that didn't seem to faze the Paragon. She quietly apologized, but there was barely any time for that as it took but a few minutes for them to get to their destination. While she could fly faster than the Nago, Koralia had to admit it was a different story to fly on another creature's back at high speed.

Once they were at the large plateau, Juro landed gracefully on the platform, flat on his belly, so Koralia could get off. The Soveris got off fairly easily, finding it easier to slide down something rather than getting up on it. She was going to wait for Juro to come along with her, but the Nago straightened up and got ready to fly away. "Final stop, twerp. I'll see you, then." Without giving the bird any chance to reply, the male spread his wings again and took off, leaving the Soveris to her business.

Without being given much of a chance to think or say anything, Koralia just blurted out a loud, "Thank you!" before the Nago was out of earshot. She wasn't sure if the male had heard her, but it seemed like he didn't want to spend too much time close to Izotz's den. With the Nago gone and just a few steps away from the leader, Koralia started heading inside the massive mouth of the den.

Once a little ways inside, the Soveris could already catch a glimpse of the Frost leader at the very back. He was hard to miss, considering his almost completely white body. Balthazar was also present, most likely finalizing things with Izotz, as Nyala had assumed. Slavica, of course, was also nearby, but it was harder to notice the Sailfin due to her very dark colors. Only her bright green wings and Ancient marking made her easily distinguishable from the dark.

With all three Paragon discussing an important matter together, Koralia cleared her throat timidly before calling out to the three. "Um, hi, Izotz," she called out, giving a shy and sheepish smile as she called out to him. "Nyala... Nyala told me I should come talk to you?" She could only assume the healer had been right, but she found it was always better to play it safe. She also didn't know how they would all react to seeing her awake, and especially considering the matter at hand.
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 7:39 PM

Almost right after she'd called out to him, Izotz snapped out of the conversation he was having to look in Koralia's direction. His serious face was replaced with a beaming smile, and something that looked like relief. "Koralia!" the Frost called back, getting up from his spot and walking over to the Soveris in order to give her a nice bump on her head as he rubbed against her for just a few seconds. "I'm so glad you're awake. Are you all right?"

When Taniqua had started raising the bird, Izotz had offered to help her. Although his duties had kept him too busy to visit daily or to really do anything big like babysit the Soveris, he'd always done his best to be there. Although she wasn't so close to Izotz as to call him "dad" the same way she called Taniqua her "mom", she still considered the Frost to be her father figure. She was a little taken aback by the snuggling, but she returned the favor with a timid smile. "Well, my body is aching," she started with, and then she paused as she looked down at her leg. Only then did it come back to her that she might never be able to walk on it again, and that would most likely be crippled with a limp for the rest of her life.

Seeing her pause, Izotz tilting his head and tried to urge her on. "And your leg?" Although Nyala had kept them updated, she hadn't really described her condition in a lot of details. She'd only said that the Soveris would be fine and that she needed rest. The Sandshark definitely knew how to handle her job, but there were times when she wasn't very descriptive. She'd mentioned needing more time to really check the Soveris from head to toes, considering she wasn't exactly an expert on Soveris.

Koralia's ears drooped, and she looked down. "Nyala said she doesn't know if I'll get walk on it again," she started with, but at least part of the news was a little bit more bearable. "But she said I'll most likely just end up with a bad limp. For now I can't put weight on it until she tells me it's healed."

Izotz's face changed again, this time going from happy to guilty. "I'm sorry," he started as he bent his head again and pressed against Koralia's. "Maybe if I'd been more alert, I would've picked up on Alcippe's behavior before she hurt you, and before she hurt so many others." As a leader who kept a close eye — albeit a friendly one — on his Paragon, it was shameful that he hadn't picked up on the issue.
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 8:38 PM

From the depths of the den, a low, aggravated growl resonated. Even with such a big den, it was still possible for sounds to bounce off the wall, making loud growls and snarls sound all the more menacing. No words followed, however, but judging from how deep it was, Koralia knew it had to belong to Balthazar. It sounded like the Sandshark was upset at Izotz's words, but he said nothing to argue.

Slavica, however, said the words the Sandshark didn't. "Izotz, we've already talked about that," she reminded the Frost, and her voice also sounded aggravated with him. "You cannot go around blaming accidents on every Paragon there is. None of the victims spoke of who had hurt them: it was impossible for you to truly act on Alcippe's behavior." The Frost had been beating himself up for what had happened, and both her and Balthazar were starting to get agitated with him.

"If you truly feel like this is your responsibility," Balthazar picked up, his voice a lot more prominent than Slavica's quieter, flatter tone, "then punish Alcippe as I said." The Sandshark had been leader ages ago, but that didn't mean he'd forgotten how to put forth suitable punishment. Izotz, however, had picked up after a tyrannic leader, and enacting punishment was a lot harder for him than it had been for Balthazar so many years ago.

At those words, Izotz turned around to face his two advisors. "I do feel it is my responsibility, no matter what you might say," the Frost insisted, shaking his head sadly at the two. "Regardless, I still feel like this is too drastic, Balthazar. What happened to everyone from Alcippe's behavior is unfortunate, but I don't think—"

As if unable to take the Frost's indecisive nature no more, the Sandshark erupted into a loud roar, which bounced off the walls and made the Soveris crouch down in fright. "Your heart of gold will be the end of you, Izotz!" Balthazar growled angrily, and if the Sandshark had been younger, Koralia could imagine the two males duking it out. "You shake and cower at the thought of punishing any Paragon in this tribe! If you do not punish Alcippe as you should, this tribe will lose respect for you," the elder warned, his mouth turning into a snarl. "I am warning you, Izotz. You will solely patch the problem instead of fixing it if you do not listen to me."
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 8:51 PM

Izotz was known for being benevolent, and many thought he was too lenient. He made it a point to spend time with the Paragon of his tribe, and he considered many of them all to be his friends — whether they be acquaintances or close friends. It would be a lie to say that the Hive was happy with the way Izotz established discipline. Although the Frost knew that, it was too hard for him to ever truly judge what was suitable punishment, and what wasn't. What would truly get the point across, and what would just make the problem surface again.

Izotz didn't reply to Balthazar's comment, but he did visibly narrow his eyes. It was an interesting expression to see from the Frost; Koralia couldn't remember ever seeing Izotz be genuinely upset or irritated. It was only silence after Balthazar had spoken, which gave the air a certain tension between the four parties. "Um..." The Soveris's word echoed, and she paused for a second. "What do you want to do to her?" she asked the three older Paragon, but after asking, she wondered if it was her place at all to ask. "If... if I can ask." She took a step back and her ears drooped nervously; she knew Slavica wouldn't say anything and that Izotz wouldn't be upset, but Balthazar wasn't another story.

Surprisingly, it was the Sandshark who spoke first. He turned his head towards the bird, as did Izotz and Slavica. "Perhaps the bird can decide, then," Balthazar proposed, which surprised both Koralia and Izotz. "She is the one who suffered from this accident. Let her decide if this punishment is too 'drastic'." This wasn't something that he would've usually considered, but they were now at an impasse due to Izotz's foolishness. Even he possibly couldn't disagree with what the victim herself wanted.

Izotz considered the idea, and meanwhile, Slavica took the opportunity to agree. "This does sound like a good idea," the Sailfin added, taking a few steps forward towards Izotz. "Truly, she is the best judge to decide what we shall do with Alcippe and Juro."

Koralia was baffled at the new turn of event she'd created, but her amazement was cut short when she heard Slavica's answer. "Wait, what? What do you mean, Alcippe and Juro?" she asked, taking a few awkward steps towards the Sailfin. "Why are you punishing him? He saved me!" Perhaps the Nago had had a hand in the accidents, but he'd explained his reasons to her. It didn't feel quite right to punish him. Although she had very little faith in Alcippe getting better, she genuinely felt Juro could be set back on the right track with a little help.
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 9:59 PM

The only reaction Koralia got was the three Paragon looking at each other and back, until Slavica broke the silence and turned to Koralia. "Yes, he did save you. He also reported all those different accidents that were caused by Alcippe. We realize that he came clean," the Sailfin answered, and then she shook her head. "However, he also admitted to having helped Alcippe prepare and cause the said accidents that left many Paragon crippled. Some of them may never hunt or fly ever again." She paused to give the Soveris some time to let it sink in, and then continued. "Do you believe a Paragon who did such things shouldn't be punished?"

It would be a lie to say that Koralia was used to being involved in serious conversations. Even with her mom, they never really discussed about serious things. Being asked to decide a Paragon's fate was fairly serious, and she didn't really know if she wanted to talk about it anymore. Her head and her ears drooped, and eyes shifted this way and that uncomfortably. "I... I-I guess... not," she replied awkwardly, her thoughts having a hard time formulating coherent sentences. She didn't exactly want to impress anyone, but she didn't want them to think she was ridiculous or stupid, either.

Seeing the Soveris's discomfort, Izotz walked up next to Koralia and put a hand on her shoulder. "I know how you feel," the Frost said, giving her a small smile. "I think Juro should be punished, but not as severely as Alcippe." There was a pause. "However, Balthazar and Slavica both make an excellent point: perhaps you are really the best one to judge how we should go about this. Perhaps you will judge Balthazar's judgement to be fair, since you are the victim." It was a valid point to think that Koralia would judge Alcippe's and Juro's punishment according to what she felt was right. She was the best to know what price both Paragon would have to pay, both for her sake and for the other Paragon that had been hurt by Alcippe's nasty tricks.

While part of her agreed, Koralia wasn't sure this was her place to decide. "I-I don't... I don't know," she replied timidly, unable to meet anyone's eyes. Did she really have the authority to make that kind of decision?

"The decision will fall upon us," Balthazar rasped from his spot, his voice a little calmer than it had been earlier. "We will give you options, and you shall tell us what sounds more reasonable. That is all you have to do," the Sandshark explained, and both Slavica and Izotz nodded.

"Ah... O-Okay," Koralia replied, the strong presence of the Sandshark urging her to reply. She could take her time with Izotz and Slavica, but dwelling too long with the elder would probably result in the Sandshark getting agitated with her. "What... what did you have in mind?"
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 10:14 PM

Including Koralia in the discussion had helped the three leading Paragon come to a decision. Having started their discussion early in the morning, after having told facts and presented options, a decision was unanimously made by mid-afternoon. Even Koralia and Izotz seemed fine with the decision, having judged that is was about as fair as they could get without being unreasonably harsh. Once they were all ready to announce their judgement, the four parties exited the den and walked up to the plateau.

Izotz and Slavica stepped forward to the very edge, whereas Balthazar and Koralia stayed just a little distance behind the two. The Paragon near the plateau could tell that a meeting was going to happen, as the formation was well-known in the clan. With both leaders at the very tip of the cliff, both Izotz and Slavica raised their head and roared to the sky, sending echoes across the entire mountain. They would take another deep breath and roar again, until they were certain the call had been heard by as many Paragon as possible. From experience, Koralia knew it could reach Taniqua's farm well enough, so the scope of the leaders' united roars was impressive, to say the least. It was fascinating to hear them and to see them up close, although that left the Soveris's ears ringing for a bit.

Having heard the signal, the Paragon of the Hive slowly started to trickle down towards the plateau. They settled down in the clearing, with some of the winged Paragon taking a seat in the sky. With so many Paragon often out and about scouting or hunting, it was during these rare meetings that one could see just how many Paragon the Hive hosted. Before long, the entire clearing was filled with Paragon of varying species, sizes and colors, creating a massive sea of dragons. A solitary spot was left empty down below, as was standard. This was in case a Paragon had to be called out to speak directly with the leaders, and considering the matter at hand, it was obvious that it was going to happen.

Koralia stared down, her eyes literally unable to keep up with the massive influx of Paragon. Living with her mom, she didn't know nearly as many Paragon as everyone else, and some of them looked similar to others that she'd seen before. It was overwhelming, and while she tried to find some familiar faces, she felt like the many faces and colors were getting smudged over each other the more she looked at the crowd. The one and only Paragon she recognized from miles away was Taniqua, whom she saw arriving in the sky from the direction of the farm. A large grin crossed the Soveris's face, and that was all she needed to feel a little more at peace. She would go to her mother immediately once the whole ordeal was over.

It took some time, but eventually, the clearing was busy enough for Izotz to feel comfortable starting his speech. He looked over the massive crowd, and he felt his heart beating in his ears. This would be a hard decision to make, but one that was necessary. "Dragon Hive," he called out to the dragons below and above, roaring louder than Koralia had ever heard him before, "you were all made aware of the incident that happened yesterday, in which one of our clanmates was injured by one of us," he recapitulated just to make sure everyone was on the same page. "Today, we bring you our decision." He took a few steps closer to the very edge of the cliff. "Alcippe, come forward!"
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 10:31 PM

The moment Izotz mentioned that a decision had been made, the crowd started to whisper. It was hard to really decipher if they were pleased or unhappy, but the majority just seemed to be passing comments on what kind of decision they'd made. Koralia wondered, in passing, how the Hive would react to their decision. If Balthazar was correct — and who were they kidding, the elder had been born right — the clan wasn't quite used to punishments enacted in this manner. Still, the elder had brought up some good points, hence why they'd decided to go with their decision.

There was some shuffling at the back of the crowd, and given enough time, Alcippe emerged from the crowd. The Placid looked nothing short of enraged, and for the briefest of moments, Koralia and Alcippe crossed eyes. The Soveris shivered when she saw those dark eyes, ones that seemed to say that the bird had taken everything away from her. Taken her image, taken her friend: everything. Part of Koralia felt indignant over those eyes, but perhaps she'd misread the Placid's gaze, especially from so far away.

"Alcippe," Izotz started, calling out to the Placid in order to get her attention in full, "you are guilty of tricking and attacking other Paragon — and a Soveris — in order to win challenges against them. According to claims made by Juro, you organized multiple attacks and schemes against others, all of which have left the victims crippled or extremely injured," the Frost stated, and that was another face of him that Koralia had never truly seen. The stance, voice and presence of a leader, of a Paragon who could put his foot down and make the right decision for his followers. A Paragon who, despite the difficult decisions he had to make, was ready to do all he could for his tribe. "What do you have to say for yourself before we pass our decision?"

The crowd fell silent as they all turned to the Placid, countless eyes burning through the female's skin, both from the ground and from the sky. Alcippe glared right back at the leader and his cohorts, and it seemed like the Placid wouldn't go down without a fight. "Yeah, I have something say," she replied calmly, but one could tell she wasn't going to keep that quiet voice the whole debate. "Who's this source you say turned me in? Juro?" She turned her back to Izotz, and a few Paragon were surprised at that; now wasn't the time to be disrespectful to the only one who could maybe sway his decision on your judgement. "You're accusing me on false charges! Who's to say he isn't the one who hurt all those Paragon, and he's just using me as a scapegoat?" She turned back to Izotz, and her glare intensified. "Where's your proof that I hurt all those Paragon? That I hurt the bird?"

Koralia narrowed her eyes when Alcippe clearly called her a bird instead of calling her by her species. She refrained from jumping in and calling out the Placid for blatantly lying and even trying to use her best friend as a scapegoat. Ironic that she would call out Juro for supposedly doing exactly that, and then for her to use the same strategy in order to save her own skin.
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 10:49 PM

The crowd started to whisper as they listened to Alcippe blatantly talking back to Izotz, but the Frost didn't lose his face. He remained perfectly calm, and simply stared right back at the Placid down below with a neutral gaze. "First, I would remind you that Koralia is not a bird, but a Soveris. Second, were you innocent from the start," Izotz started, waiting a little for the whispers to quiet down before continuing, "why did you not speak yesterday? You should know that we welcome all Paragon to our den." He motioned Slavica with his tail to say that she could've easily spoken with the Sailfin just as much as she could've spoken to him. "Not only that, but Juro admitted to helping you create the accidents. He has come clean and requested that he be punished accordingly."

"Yeah, ever come to mind that maybe it was the other way around?" the Placid continued, clearly unwilling to concede anything to anyone. "What if it was the other way around? What if I was the one who had been roped into planning those things with him?" The Placid had her wings outstretched at that point, with her eyes narrowed and her teeth gritted. "I'm the—"

Izotz cut her short with a short, quick roar. "'What if's," the leader went on, again waiting for the crowd to quiet down from his roar, "do not make facts. Not only that, but Koralia confirmed that she was racing you when you attacked her and caused her to get severely injured." Izotz turned to Koralia and motioned, with his head, for her to come forward to the edge of the cliff. The Soveris blinked, but she quickly obeyed her leader, limping awkwardly to the edge of the cliff. Izotz eased her forward with his tail as she neared him, up until she was close enough for all Paragon in the crowd to see her injured leg. He then turned back to the crowd and Alcippe. "As a result of your scheme, Koralia may never walk on her leg again."

Alcippe glared at the two up on the cliff, but all she could afterwards was to laugh. "So what?" she asked, and to that question, many Paragon from the crowd could be heard gasping. "She challenged me to a race, and she wasn't used to flying an obstacle course, and she got injured," the Placid retorted, and the crowd got even louder. "You're blaming me for one of her mistakes?"

At that point, the crowd seemed to be doubting the accusations, at least to a certain point. Koralia's eyes widened when she heard Alcippe's claim, and while she could admit that she'd only added fuel to the fire, the fact remained the female was clearly lying through her teeth. Koralia hadn't gotten injured from a mistake while flying! She'd gotten injured because Alcippe had attacked her while they were flying at high speeds. "You're lying!" the Soveris cried out from next to Izotz, and her voice surprised the crowd into silence. "I was there! You're the one who attacked me while I was flying! You rammed into me and made me fly right into a rock tower!"
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Postby Jaykobell » 01/04/2014 11:04 PM

Although she didn't know if it was her place to speak or not, Koralia couldn't care less. She wasn't going to let Alcippe blatantly lie in front of everyone else to make her look like the bad guy. Fortunately for her, Izotz didn't say anything, and he seemed to be fine with her speaking. The crowd was surprised to see the small Soveris take a seat up front, but the surprise quieted them down as the debate continued on.

Alcippe glared silently at the Soveris for a bit, and then her demeanor changed. The Placid grinned and her whole body seemed to relax. "You want to tell everyone the whole story, Koralia?" Alcippe asked, and the emphasis on the Soveris's name could only mean bad things. "Let's tell them from the beginning, right?" The Placid turned her back to the cliff again, and this time, she faced the crowd. "You know how this whole thing started? I was minding my business with Juro when out of nowhere, Koralia crashed right into me. She literally sent me falling down from the shock," the female told, and the Soveris's eyes widened. "We apologized, and we were going to leave it at that. When Juro mentioned we were going to flying practice, though, the Soveris started insulting me." The crowd was listening carefully, completely silent, and Alcippe's face started to change to a frown. "She started telling me that Paragon were no match for a Soveris like her. She started telling me I was a lousy flyer, and that she could outfly me."

Unable to let the Placid's distort the story anymore, Koralia went along Izotz's methods and screeched loudly up the cliff. The unusual sound was enough to make everyone turn their heads, and by that time, the bird was fuming. "That's not what happened! You're—"

"That's exactly what happened! You told me I was a terrible flyer because I'm a Paragon. That's why we decided to have a race: so we could figure out which one was faster!" By that time, she'd turned to face the Soveris again, and that smug look of victory on the Placid's face only intensified Koralia's rage. "You got so competitive when you saw that I was winning, that you got cocky, lost control, and crashed in one of the obstacles," Alcippe continued, and with that said, she turned to the crowd. "And that, my clanmates, is what really happened. That is what Izotz is accusing me of!"

Koralia screeched again, and the cry was so loud that she felt her lungs burning. "You're LYING!" the Soveris cried out indignantly, crying out so loudly that her throat burned and her lungs felt like bursting from the effort.

The angrier the Soveris got, the wider Alcippe's grin got. "See, my friends, what kind of creature she is?" she asked the crowd as she showed off the Soveris with an arm. "Who do you believe more: your fellow Paragon, or a creature whose species never came back to claim her?"
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