[robopup24]

Si'altha and Magia

"Waking up I see that everything is ok..." The faint, childish voice echoed through the dark streets, hanging in the air before fading away. The faint clatter of hooves could be heard on the stone path as two figures came into view. They alone were a curious sight. The little Black Mage sitting on the Penticorn's back was singing in that childish voice, sounding utterly innocent of the dangers around him. Si'altha remembered her caretaker's instructions as they continued to stroll down the street:

"Si'altha," her caretaker's parchement hands gently stroked her rough neck. "You must take Magia to safe harbor. He is in grave danger. Very grave danger. No matter what, Si'altha, you must get him to safety." He leaned in closer and whispered in her ears. His faltering breaths made the Penticorn look at him in concern. Her caretaker feebly smiled. "I'm counting on you, my girl."

And now, they were in Jawan, where this supposed 'safe harbor' was.

"Si'altha?" Magia had stopped singing. The Black Mage was sensing that there was a grave reason why they were here. "Why are we here?"

Si'altha gently said, "We're visiting friends, Magia."

At the mention of 'friends', Magia perked up. "Friends? Really? Have I met them before?"

"Hush." Si'altha smiled at him. "You'll find out soon." Yes, he will find out, after he's away from this terrible danger.

Unknownst to them, pale, white eyes watched them from the alleyways, calculating the words they said, taking in all the information it needed. Satisfied that it had found its prey, it sunk back into the shadows...

[Flame]

~Auricomous~
- Auri -

A shadow fell across the cobblestone street, a small alleyway that wound in a serpentine fashion through the whole city of Jawan. It was one favored by those who chose to keep out of sight and scene, criminals and mysterious sorts alike. The figure that now trod these streets, though, was neither of the two, although she too, could be called an enigma, of sorts. No doubt she would make a rather...conspicuous thief, if she were one, which she was not, due to her sheer queerness of appearance.

From a distance, one could be quite certain that this young female was indeed a kuhna: She had the same features and physical characteristics, yet at the same time, she really was not. On second glance, it was blatantly obvious that she was no kuhna, or at least none of which's species was known. Her ivory coat was thicker and softer than the usual, cat-like fur of other kuhnas, and her markings identified her as a species completely unknown to the lands of Evelon, if she even belonged to a species. Her clean, creamy fur was accented with rosettes of black with a center of a light, platinum gold hue, a bright golden gaze to match. Her pace was leisurely, and had a smooth, gliding quality to it, as if she were floating an inch or two off of the ground, not having to touch it to progress on her lone path.

She was new to these lands, a foreigner, trying to learn to fit in with daily life...and not quite having the best of success, but had to be credited for making a good effort. She appeared perfectly at ease with herself, her sharp eyes darting back and forth with a detached interest as she perused the scenery about her. Jawan seemed a pleasant enough place, where people were friendly and with plenty to see. The farther she had walked though, the quieter things seemed to get. Suddenly, in the distance, she heard the faint clop clop of hoofbeats, tapping out a steady rhythm against the time-worn stones. Deciding to investigate to see who could possibly be out and about, she sallied forth, retaining her grace of step as she drew closer to the approaching pair.

{1}

[robopup24]

Someone approached. Si'altha took a defensive postition, dextreiously turning to face the stranger. She could feel Magia's gloved hands gripping onto her sketchy mane, surprised at her reaction. Si'altha was completely stunned by the stranger's appearence. It was a Kuhna...no, it couldn't be. The Penticorn irratibly shook the thoughts out of her head as she warily watched the newcomer.

"What's wrong, Si'altha?" Magia innocently asked. "Maybe she just wants to play!"

She? How could the boy know it was a she? Besides, you couldn't trust anyone on delicate situations like this. There were people who were willing to kill to get to Magia. "You take one step closer, Kuhna." Si'altha whinnied threatingly. "And you'll find yourself dead."

"Si'altha...you're going to kill her? What's wrong if she wants to say hi?"

There's too much risk! Si'altha wanted to scream at him. There's people who are out to get you, who want to kill me and you! I can't trust anyone! Instead, the Penticorn only said, "You wouldn't understand, Magia."

"But all she's doing is-"

"I need to protect you." Si'altha coldly answered. "That is my mission."

[Flame]

Auri was quite ready to be affable as she approached the two, who turned out to be a Sketch Penticorn with a small, person-like figure perched upon her back. The leopard-marked kuhna cocked her head with a cordial glimmer in her golden gaze, sparkling with an innate curiosity. She stood to the side of the street, merely looking up with a sort of detached innocence up at the much larger Penticorn, half expecting the two to trot on past her without a second glance. Not that she really minded much; there was plenty more to see here, and she wouldn't bother people if they had something else on their minds besides playing host to a little thing like her. Needless to say, she was rather surprised when the travellers pulled up to a stop, a little ways away from her. Bushy, black on cream tail swishing amiably, she made to pad closer, but was halted in her tracks by the harsh words which fell from the equine's mouth, its dangerous edge accented by the sharp whinny which accompanied each syllable.

Auri was rather taken aback by this hostility, and rather confused by it. She had done nothing to the pair except watch them pass by, and though it didn't seem to bother any other regular pedestrian that she observed, her presence alone seemed to greatly unsettle the Penticorn. The creature on her back though, seemed to have a differing opinion. By its voice, it was a he, though he had a rather childish, yet friendly tone. To be quite frank, Auri couldn't help but agree with what the Black Mage was saying. To her knowledge, she had given no reason for such a reaction from the Penticorn. It seemed almost as if the equine had something to hide, not only from the kuhna, but from her companion as well. If the little person had not indicated by name, Si'altha, that he knew the Penticorn, Auri might very well have believed that the Sketch creature was somehow tricking the Mage, apparently named Magia, into some kind of trap. Paranoia hides a guilty conscience.

"My apologies," the little kuhna finally spoke up, her voice quiet and condescending, "but I see that my presence here is somehow unwelcome." Her tone was polite and held no reproach or indignation, and she dipped her head in a small apology for the unknown offense. Whatever it was, it would be better not to start a fight with the locals, especially since she was still more than a little unfamiliar with her surroundings. After all, she was new here, and it simply wasn't in her nature to start a fight without good reason to. "My most profound apologies if I am intruding. I shall be leaving then, if my being here causes any inconvenience." She inclined her head again to the Penticorn, then once more, with a little more friendliness, to the creature perched upon her back.

{2}

[robopup24]

The Kuhna's tone seemed polite, harmless. Si'altha kept her guard up though, just in case the Kuhna would attack them. "Go then." Si'altha snapped. "We don't need you to hang around here."

Magia had other plans. "Let her stay, Si'altha! She said she was sorry." Before the Penticorn could protest, Magia slid off her back and walked in that funny gait of his toward the newcomer. His hat bobbled with every step he took, threatening to fall down. "I'm Magia." He held out his gloved hand. "Who're you?"

"Magia!" Si'altha whinnied. "Get back here-"

"Do you live here?" Magia ignored the Penticorn. "We're here to visit some friends."

Si'altha glanced at the shadows, fear rising in her. Darn it, the Black Mage was talking too much! "Magia, get back here right now!" Si'altha trotted over to him, her tail slapping the pavement in worry.

"She's friendly." Magia stubbornly said. "She's not hurting me."

"You can't trust everyone." Si'altha stomped her hoof. "Get back on my back Magia, we need to go now!"

[Flame]

Feeling slightly hurt by the hostility in the Penticorn's voice, yet her pride refusing to let her show it, she began to turn back the way she came at Si'altha's harsh answer, the only sign of her agitation being her twin tails, flicking lightly behind her with mild bewilderment. She was nothing short of surprised when the rider slid from his mount's back and began to approach her, and at first, she took a step or two back, eyeing Magia carefully. Could this be some sort of trap? Most of her worries were alleviated though, by his friendly words as he walked up to her, pro-offering a small gloved hand with a genial introduction. At first, Auri hesitated, unsure, both of whether or not to trust him, and also the extremely defensive Penticorn behind him. Finally, she raised a petite, cream-hued paw in reply, gently shaking hands with Magia. "I'm Auricomous," she replied in return, smiling.

At another barrage of angry words from Si'altha though, she withdrew once again, taking another step or two back to regard them. Normally, the young kuhna was quite bold and fearless, despite the situation, but she had common sense as well, and she could hear the raw urgency in the Penticorn's voice, and knew that her interference was not helping the situation. Still, she smiled politely at Magia before speaking again. "It's nice to meet you, Magia, but I think it'd be best if you listened to your friend right now," she said, her voice slightly apologetic. "I have the feeling that you've got somewhere urgent to be right now, and that isn't here." Her bright gold gaze once again flickered to the Penticorn, and there was a quiet understanding in them, conveying that she knew of her worry, and that she would not impede them any longer than necessary.

[robopup24]

"Yesss." A cold voice hissed. "Go back to your friend, little Mage."

Si'altha jumped at the hissing voice and whirled around to face the newcomer. A Hollowheart, his glowing white eyes devoid of all emotion was standing there, a smile playing on his scarred maw.

Magia stepped back instinctivly, a bit intimidated at the huge dragon. The Hollowheart noticed this and gave a half-cough, half-sneeze of a laugh. "What'ssss the matter, little Mage? Afraid?"

Si'altha felt a shiver run down her spine. This Hollowheart...he was after Magia... "Don't take another step closer." Si'altha narrowed her eyes.

"And what if I do?" The Hollowheart struck like lightning, his fangs sinking into the rough flesh of the Penticorn. Si'altha let out a whinny of pain and lashed out at him with her hooves, her tail, anything she could use to fight back.

"Run!" Si'altha cried out to both Magia and the Kuhna. "Run!"

Magia stood there, blinking his eyes in confusion. "Si-"

"Get away from-" She was cut off as the Hollowheart threw her against a building, blood dripping onto the ground. Si'altha slumped upon impact, stunned.

The Hollowheart turned his attention now to the two, his white eyes glowing with amusement. "Your little protector issssn't in the way now, little Mage. There'sss no one to protect you now."

[Firenzata]

((If it's ok to join...If not, I'll delete this post))

Toxin's mistress, as he called her for now, had set him free for a few days. He was to return to her, but for now all that was on his mnd was his freedom and traveling around. Gliding down the streets, he suddenly smelled fresh-spilt blood. Unable to resist the smell, then the end of a yell, and even no-one to hold him back, he instantly headed in that direction. Turning the corner of that street, he skidded to a halt, not wanting to crash, and ontop of that was one of his breed's worst enemies, a Hollowheart. Letting a growl rumble in his throat, he also quickly scanned the area, looking to see what spilt the blood.

There also seemed to be another strange creature, but he was cowering and there was a strong fear vibe comming off of him. Not sure what to say about everything, Toxin raised the level and sound of his growl, and stared back at the Hollowheart.

[Flame]

{Oh, what the heck...*decides to throw her fair share of large creatures into the RP* ;3}

Oh my...
That was all that the young female kuhna could think as a huge figure suddenly detached itself from the shadows, looming ominously above the small group. Suddenly, all the hostility towards her seemed to have drained out of Si'altha, and instead, she had whirled to face the newcomer instead. Instinctively, Auri knew that this was not a pretty situation to be in. "Go back to your friend, little Mage." Okay, so now she knew two more pieces of information: Magia was some sort of strange species or another that she had never heard of, called a Mage, and more importantly, she now knew that Si'altha had not been lying in the fact that there truly was danger lurking in these streets. Bright, golden eyes watched with trepidation, and the kuhna had to bite back a cry of fear and disgust as the evil being, the Hollowheart, tossed the Penticorn aside like a rag doll. Before she fell though, her words seemed to jolt something back to life in Auri's mind, and turning to Magia, she nudged him towards the safety of the buildings. There was a large crack in the stone of an ediface nearby, and seeing as that was the only entrance, and by far to small to even fit the Hollowheart's head, the kuhna decided that it would be worth a try. Pushing the Mage along, she spoke through gritted teeth, trying to get him to understand the grave danger that he was in. "Come on Magia, we've got to go! See that crack over there? Climb in, and that monster won't be able to get you." As she got him moving, she turned back again to eye the Hollowheart, trying to figure out what to do if he ventured too close. Go for the eyes? Go for the wings? She pondered silently to herself, a frown of deep concentration on her brow. So much for a stroll through Jawan today, she thought dryly.



She was saved from having to make that decision by a sudden shadow that befell the street, and as she peered upwards for a moment, bemused, her heart lightened considerably, almost to the point of being happy, if one in such a dire situation could call it that. With a shrill, piercing cry like that of a hunting raptor, a large, sleek blur of silver and platinum gold shot out of the sky, hurtling at a startling rate towards the dark Hollowheart. The was a flurry of fangs and claws, as the newcomer, yet another Hollowheart, yet much lighter and contrasting in color, arrived on the scene. In a flash though, she had disengaged from the monster, and flitted to stand in front of the fallen Penticorn, glittering fangs bared, silver wings flared and white eyes hot with the fire of battle.

"Don't even think about taking one step closer."

"Impeccable timing, as usual, Galatea," the snowy kuhna said with a grin up at the brightly-scaled dragoness, her own golden eyes glimmering with a sort of grim amusement. The Hollowheart was one of, if not the only, friend that Auri had here in Evelon. They had arrived together, and were pretty much an inseperable pair. Not to mention that fact that Galatea had an uncanny ability to come to her smaller friend's rescue when situation called. "Magia," she said, turning back to the Mage. "Hurry, into the building. Galatea will keep your friend safe." Her voice was reassuring as she urged the Mage on, herself torn between following him and staying behind to help her friend.

Auricomous - {4}
Galatea - {1}

[Firenzata]

Toxin's adreneline level increased greatly as a second Hollowheart entered the scene. Especially when the two Hollow hearts began to engage in combat. Unsure what to really do about entering the fight at that moment, Toxin let out a loud roar and flapped hisarm to raise himself into the air and become noticed. After a few more seconds, Toxin lifted his head towards the sky and let out a large breath of fire, feeling the heat slightly around his nostrils.

[robopup24]

(OOC: Whoot! Company XD *Loves it.*)
The Hollowheart snarled in pain as the golden one grazed his wing, his tail lashing out in hatred. Oh great. Another dragon had entered the fray. His prey would get away at this point. The Battleheart's roar caught his attention. The dragon swung his lithe head toward the Battleheart and his eyes narrowed. His natural enemy let loose a jet of fire into the sky. Was he trying to initimidate him?

Magia half-stumbled, half-ran as Auri pushed him along, and stopped in awe when he saw the golden Hollowheart land. How amazing, how pretty...the Kuhna's voice snapped him out of his childish trance. Oh crud. He remembered Si'altha was hurt badly by the Hollowheart. "I want to stay!" Magia tried to sound serious, which was quite difficult for him. "I need to help Si'altha!"

The Concept Penticorn told herself that this was all a dream. Why else were these strange events happening? She was in her stable, resting, feeling the scratchy and comfortable hay rubbing against her legs...
A gust of cold wind woke her up as Galatea, as she heard Auri call her in the distance, landed in front of her. "Wh-what?" Si'atha struggled to stand up. It was a futile effort. She fell to the ground again, blood pouring from her side wound. Magia...where was he? She saw him standing next to the Kuhna, shouting something...

"Begone both of you." The Hollowheart hissed at both of them. "I have no interesssst in you!" His prey would get away if he fought the two dragons at once. And he had no intention of failing his mission. With a shrill shriek, he took to the air clumsily. Crap. Galatea's brief attack had damaged one of his wings. No matter. He suddenly dived toward the little Black Mage, his claws outstreatched, ready to snatch him up.

[Firenzata]

Grinning and finding his chance, Toxin swooped forward with his lip curled up at the darker Hollowheart. He aimed at its wings, and lashed out with his claws. Taking a deep breath, he shot out another large breath of fire at the dark Hollowheart, flapping his arms again to control speed and to stay at a good distance. His nostrils flared with excitement as the slight taste of his enemy's blood landed on his tounge.

(( Edit: sorry! I'll do that next time. ))

[Flame]

{Hey Firenzata, try to keep the posting order, since it helps to keep things organized and gives every character a fair chance to put their two cents in ;3}

"Please," Auri continued to usher Magia on gently. "We've really got to go, so that you'll stay safe. Galatea is more than able to take care of Si'altha for you, and after all, it would be of no help to her if you were injured or kidnapped trying to save her, especially after she risked her life to give you time to escape." Her eyes were serious, but still had that gentleness that seemed always present. "Now go, I'll watch your back." Giving him one last shove in the right direction with her muzzle, she turned to face towards the attacker, hackles rising and tails lashing as she hissed at the much larger dragon. At the moment though, he seemed to have quite a lot on his plate, seeing as he seemed to have managed to attract two opponents that were probably able to take him, even alone. Her gaze flickered to her friend, the golden Hollowheart to make sure that she was alright.

Galatea was faring quite well against her newfound opponent. To be quite truthful, she had no idea what in the world she was battling him for, but if Auri was somehow being threatened, the Hollowheart was willing to put her own life on the line to keep the kuhna safe. After all, once her loyalty was pledged to someone, not even death could make her break it. Her figure was that of pride and dignity, yet at the same time, managed to exude an aura of ferocity and anger at her opponent. If he dared try and harm Auri and her friends, he would have to get through her first. To her satisfaction, she found that she had managed to injure his wing, with her first flyby attack, yet now that the battlegrounds were even, she knew that she had an equally likely chance of being wounded by the male. Also, to make matters worse, a Battleheart had picked this moment in time to appear on the scene, and Galatea almost hissed with exasperation as his arrival. At the moment, it seemed that the beast's act was all bluff, and therefore, she paid him no heed. Her eyes were trained on the Hollowheart, even as she heard the Penticorn behind her try to rise, to no avail. Her long, whip-like tail curled back to rest against the wounded creature's neck gently, trying to soothe and ease her. "Calm down and don't strain yourself. It'll be alright." Her voice was quiet and reassuring, although at heart she was worried that the Penticorn, already wounded, would try something foolish and get herself killed. Hopefully she had enough sense to leave this battle to the titans, for Galatea knew that she was a match enough for the opposing Hollowheart. Her gaze narrowed though, as the male suddenly took to the air, and she took a step back, shielding the fallen equine, neck arched as she snarled upwards at the airborne dragon. Then, she realized that he was not aiming for her, or the Penticorn, but for Auri and the Mage. "Auri!" she cried, her head whipping about as her eyes met the kuhnas'. "Get moving. Now!" Keeping herself between the Penticorn and the Hollowheart, she rushed towards them.

Auri could only watch with trepidation as the dark Hollowheart changed his course of action and came towards her and Magia. She stalled for a moment, then threw herself between the Mage and the oncoming leviathan, shielding him from the attack and bodily shoving him into the crack. There was no time to squeeze herself in as well, and she tried to whirl to face the diving Hollowheart, but only had enough time to turn halfway before he struck.

[robopup24]

The Hollowheart ignored the Battleheart's attack, his eyes fixed on the goal. Much to his surprise, the Kuhna flung herself in his path, sending him into a colliding into the smaller creature. Snarling in annoyance, he drew back, blood dripping from his claws. "Foolissssh cat!" The Hollowheart scanned the area for any sign of the Black Mage. There was none. "Where isss he?" The Hollowheart screeched. "Where isss the-" He was cut off as Galatea slammed into him, knocking him to the ground. The Hollowheart hissed angrily, clawing at his enemy. If the Battleheart joined in, then the darker Hollowheart was in for some serious trouble.

Magia was squeezed into the crack, clutching his arms nervously. Why was all this happening? Was it all his fault? Oh my...the ten-year old pushed the thought out of his mind as he shivered in the cold, damp air. The noises of battle were still loud, letting him know that the dragons were still fighting. "I want to help." Magia whispered to himself. But Auri had told him to stay here, and stay here he will.

Meanwhile, Si'altha had managed to regain her footing, panting heavily from her wound. Was it possible for a sketch to feel pain? It was. Si'atha's face was etched with agony as she galloped toward the dragons, a lively battle cry escaping from her, despite her feebleness.

[Firenzata]

Toxin, with a slightly angered roar since he was not being noticed, shot another round of fire into the sky above him. His mixed irritation and excitement made him charge back at the darker Hollowheart. Half-snarling, half-roaring, he lashed out with his front claws and flexed his back claws, also trying to snap at it with his teeth.

(( sorry....I have a lack of creativity right now.... @.@ ))