A mysterious area, explorers tend to go missing and never return. A low fog constantly blankets the forest floor and strange sounds have been reported being heard during the day. Not much else is known about the forest. (+3 Speed, +2 Endurance)

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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/09/2017 2:01 AM

Dami was no practiced hand at reading his cues. Rey might have had more insight, if he weren't busy looking as if he was about to die. Dami could feel the intensity of his shivering, which didn't improve his mood in the least.

Zethos's response didn't help, when it finally came. "No," he said. Dami waited for him to offer something more, but nothing came. He merely turned away, as if this was somehow none of his business. That, more than anything else, lit the spark of anger blooming in Dami's gut.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/09/2017 2:05 AM

"What do you mean 'no'? You're a dragon, aren't you?" Zethos did not even turn to acknowledge his words this time. Dami's face twisted. "What, you think just because you're fine, you don't have to bother with the rest of us? Is that it?" He let go of Rey, closing the distance between himself and Zethos in quick, furious steps. Seizing his arm, Dami pulled hard, forcing the dragon-turned-man to face him. "You wouldn't even be alive right now if it weren't for my brother! Ungrateful bastard."
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/09/2017 2:08 AM

"Dami," said Rey, in a paltry shadow of his usual warning tone. "Don't..." Normally he would have taken that as a cue to back off; it had always been like that, ever since they were kids, with Rey holding him back from the worst of his own temper. But now, the feebleness of Rey's voice only made his anger coalesce into a cold knot in the pit of his gut. He made no move whatsoever to back off, turning the full force of his glare on Zethos.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/09/2017 2:57 AM

That, at least, got him somewhere. Zethos didn't quite flinch, but he averted his eyes, and there was something in that motion that spoke of guilt. Dami drew breath to speak again, to press his advantage; Vera pulsated with light, anticipating a battle. However a hand at his arm stayed him. Rey. His brother looked at him, weary beneath his misery, and shook his head.

"I don't know why you're covering for him," Dami said, but he allowed himself to be drawn aside.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/09/2017 3:03 AM

It was Saffi, of all people, who spoke up. "He isn't lying," she said. She didn't look at them, busying herself with clearing the ground, but her voice carried to them all the same. "His affinity is for shadow. There are magics all dragons can perform, but fire isn't one of them."

Dami fell silent at that. He wanted to say something, but words deserted him. He was still angry, though now he wasn't sure where to direct it--- her, himself, Zethos still. The wilds themselves, for being so inhospitable.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 5:17 AM

"We have to do something. Rey isn't going to survive if we keep going like this," he said. It wasn't nearly enough to give him satisfaction, but letting his temper have free reign wasn't going to help, and he didn't want to say something again that might be corrected. He had to remind himself that he was no longer on familiar ground, both figuratively and literally. Thus far, he hadn't been taking the transition well. This wasn't what he had wanted at all.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 5:20 AM

Saffi stopped what she was doing, finally, and turned to look at Rey. The unimpressed expression on her face made Dami want to say something sharp, despite having just decided that that would be counterproductive. He held his tongue, but only barely. "Well?" he prompted, unable to keep the impatience out of his voice.

"I can spare a few furs. Nothing more until we either arrive at a Dragonkin outpost or we kill something," she said. There was no malice in her tone, or indeed much of anything. It was all brisk, all matter-of-fact.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 5:23 AM

It wasn't satisfactory, but it would have to do. Dami had already spared all the articles of clothing he could. If he had known Rey would come so underprepared, he might have been able to ask the Order for more supplies--- no, he absolutely would have, no matter what they said. In the Order, he could do as he liked, and gotten what he needed. Here, he had to rely on the charity of others. Swallowing against the bitterness welling in his chest, he said, "I suppose that will do for now... Thank you."
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 5:25 AM

He hadn't wanted to thank her at all, but what else could he say? She hadn't refused out of hand to help, and if Rey was to live through this... No, no, he wasn't going to think like that. Rey was going to live through this, and the faster they got things over with, the better.

Saffi merely made a wordless noise of acknowledgement and returned to uprooting the foliage. Dami watched her a moment, before taking a few steps closer. "How big a space do we need?" he said.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 5:40 AM

She paused again to glance up, this time appraisingly at Dami. He wasn't tall, but she was still shorter, though her build was stockier than any of the males in their party. This was perhaps not entirely true of Zethos in his draconic form, but that didn't count.

Evidently, what she found was lacking. "If you wish to be helpful, gather things to burn. You will only get in the way here," she said. It was a dismissal, but Dami refused to take the hint.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 6:23 AM

He asked again, but she didn't so much as respond this time, so Dami decided to take matters into his own hands. "Vera," he said. The Shijin unfurled herself from around Rey's throat. Dami closed his eyes and made a wordless apology to his brother, but it would only be for a moment. Vera flowed from Rey to Dami, around one arm and across his shoulders, before drifting out at his behest, gathering volume as she went. He could feel her thrill at being put to use at last.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 6:26 AM

She flew out a few meters away from the space Saffi had begun to clear, then coiled around herself, drawing into a tight circle, gathering speed. The wind, which had been dead for some time--- the only blessing they'd had thus far, really--- began to pick up. Vera drew the air to her, circling faster and faster; and then abruptly, the wavering blue of her form expanded all at once, flattening everything to the ground within its perimeter. She stopped just short of Saffi, by no more than centimeters, all while Dami watched on.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 6:31 AM

"Very good, Vera," he said. Having performed her trick, she reverted to her original size, and floated back to press her forehead against his before returning to Rey. He turned to Saffi with a satisfied smile. "I'd only get in the way--- that was what you'd said, wasn't it? Well, I beg your pardon," he said.

Saffi's gaze shifted from him to the cleared space, then back again. He could see a grudging respect forming in that look. "There are still the roots," she said, "but that is... an interesting skill."
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 6:35 AM

"Right. Just tell me what else you need done so we can hurry up and get the camp set up," he said. The sooner he could see Rey warm by a fire--- she must have intended to start one, if she had wanted things to burn--- the better. He was already bending to collect the bits of debris that looked most like wood, though he hadn't had to perform such a task since he had been accepted by the Order.
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Re: A Dissertation on Wilderness [self]

Postby crow » 06/10/2017 6:38 AM

The work went quickly with the two of them. Dami did wonder where Zethos had gone, irritated that the dragon wasn't pitching in, but it had already been made clear that Zethos could barely abide being in Saffi's presence at the best of times. Perhaps it shouldn't have been a surprise that he was nowhere to be found. Even injured, a dragon might have had greater protection against the elements; if he didn't need them, there was no reason to stay, much less to help.
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