darkSpyro

Kaon quickly leaped ahead of the Skydancer and landed beside him, showing off her agility with a graceful, though unnecessary flap of her mulberry wings. She barked at him suddenly in a gruff voice, "Well, get a move on, boy! Your friend probably isn't going to save himself any time soon!"

Lucien hung back, his feathered wings drooped downwards as he watched the Ridgeback leave his side to follow this new dragon. He flattened his ears. 'Have you no sense of danger? Are you really so blindly following him into what could be a trap!?' Though he felt like repeating those words out loud, he knew that whatever he would say would go through one earhole of Kaon and out the other, without even touching the logic center of her brain. She was stubborn like that, he knew. With a sigh, Lucien finally pawed forward and cautiously trailed after the two. Partly because it was best not to wander alone, and partly because he did not want to leave Kaon by herself with this new stranger, unreasonable as she may be.

OOC: I added a familiar to Zolla's character sheet. She'll meet up with him some time here in the Viridian Labyrinth. And I'm gonna try and be more dedicated to getting on here! *crosses fingers*

Zolla continued to move through the thick undergrowth of the trees. She wasn't a fan of it. Sure, it could hide one well, but it was also annoying. Still, she'd prefer it to a busy city. Her thoughts went back to the festival. She just couldn't get it out of her head. No matter what she did, something always seemed to trigger a memory. And it was always so vivid. Even now, she thought she was seeing an umbra wolf. Wait! That really was an umbra wolf. Stopping, she scanned the trees. Sure. It was right there. She frowned, studying it. It certainly wasn't doing a very good job of blending into the shadows. As she watched it, she realized it didn't seem to care. It's head was hanging and it's feet were dragging as it walked. It seemed saddened. Wondering why, she glanced about at its surroundings, wondering if it was with a dragon. She spotted one quite a ways ahead, moving as quickly as he could through the tangle of undergrowth. He was pulling a cart, so she couldn't make out his appearance, though she could tell from where she stood that he was indeed a male, and a Ridgeback. Once again, her mind went back to the festival, but before she could get a better look at the Ridgeback and figure out what he was doing, a shout split the air. "Watch out!" The umbra wolf heard it, too, as his attention went right to the spot the shout had come from. Zolla hesitated. Did she go see what was going on, or stay and see what this Ridgeback was doing? Watching the wolf, she made up her mind. The shout could lead her to answers. At least, more answers then a cart-hauling Ridgeback and a mysteriously saddened wolf. She quickly hurried off.
Zolla pushed her way through more underbrush and saw another Ridgeback walking away from a clearing along with a Skydancer. A male Pearlcatcher followed them at a distance. Curious, she did the same, staying back and following the follower.

-------

Zelkov stopped, hearing the shout. It tempted him to want to go try to sell some wares. He was sure to have 'something that could help in your time of need.' A grin spread across his face as it always did when he thought about just what he'd say to make the sale. "What da ya think, Amon?" He asked. "Should we go make a sale?" Not getting an answer, he turned back to the wolf. He frowned. "What are you doing way back there? Catch up, will you?! Don't forget, we've gotta make it to the Behemoth before the others, or we'll lose business!" Reminding himself of that, he knew he spoke true. They had to keep moving, yet Amon stood staring into the distance. "Amon, get a move on!" He shouted, and hurried on. "I don't have to keep you around, you know? It would be easy to leave you here in this forest..."

------

Ranun stopped as he heard a shout. "That sounds like someone's in trouble," he said.
Timothy stopped beside him, instantly growing tense. "Oh great. That's just what we need."
"It is," Ranun replied. "We should find them and lend aid. Help them get to the Behemoth. It's a dangerous road if you don't know the way. And that's why we're here, remember?"
"We're here to keep you safe. Running into what could be a trap is not what I'd call 'safe.'"
"That may be why you're here, but not me. Don't worry," Ranun said, grinning. "We'll move in cautiously." Without another word, he moved on, not waiting for an argument. He was determined to help where he could. Anything to make this wasted trip feel useful. He hurried quickly in the direction the shout had come from. It was a good distance away.

"As much as I'd like to stay here and just waste away, I really think we should be moving," Midna spoke up after a few minutes of silence, having finished eating the apple, "Unless you want to wait around and see what goes wrong... Not my problem..."

Epona stared, chewing on some grass. Then she swallowed and blinked. She looked at Link, then Midna, then started walking away. She stopped and turned her head to look at them, as if to tell them to follow.

Link nodded in agreement and walked in front of Epona, with Midna taking a look around their surroundings before running to join them.

Loki and Reynard watched as the three walked away from their hiding place, carefully jumping to another tree to follow them.

Avenriel paused, still not quite sure what to make of the ridgeback, then pulled his wings tightly to his side and darted through the narrow gaps in the trees along the faint path ahead. He nimbly dodged the jutting branches and tripwire vines that hung from the looming trees, slowing occasionally just to check that Kaon was actually still there. Sometimes he felt he should try to speak to her, just a few words, but was unsure what to say.
Avenriel had been under the impression that he had traveled quite far when he ran, but in actual fact, it was only a short amount of time before he could hear the cracking of many branches accompanied by the hisses of several Stranglers and the noisy grunts of a fighting Snapper.
"Grga?" He called out, not receiving any response from his friend, whose jaws were clamped around the tail of a blooming Strangler. The individual was larger than the younger ones around it, and was hissing fire at the dragon who was trying to hold it down.
"MFFFMFGH MMFTH!" The Snapper growled back.
The Skydancer turned swiftly to face Kaon. "He's up there, on that ridge." A couple of Stranglers slipped off the ridge, landing in a heap in front of them. They very quickly uncoiled and began to shuffle forwards, their mouths open wide.

OOC: I just realised Kaon is about 5 times Avenriel's size and that's not relevant just thought I'd point it out. Ave is teeny.

The air was still quiet when Lucien pricked one of his ears up, briefly turning his attention behind him. Was someone there? He thought he heard the sound of footsteps, but they were so faint that he wasn't too sure if he could trust his ears on this. Narrowing his eyes, he warily glanced over the thick brushes of the forest, then quickly turned back to catch up to Kaon and the Skydancer. Whatever it was, he'd deal with it later.

Kaon's wings flared up almost immediately, perhaps because she was alarmed, and she took a few tentative steps backwards beside Avenriel. Then, baring her teeth in anger, she charged into the fray and tackled the Strangler closest to them, bringing it down and mercilessly crushing it with her massive form. Panting from the sudden rush of adrenaline, she lifted her head up to see that the other Stranglers had seemingly ignored her, instead beginning to aim for the other dragon. Kaon pushed herself upwards - she wasn't sure if Avenriel knew how to fight, or if he could flee in time. Right at that moment, a blast of Arcane magic pierced through the trees and hit one of the Stranglers straight in the cheek, startling the other ones. A familiar black Pearlcatcher came flying overhead soon after, delighting the Ridgeback. "Lucien! You're -" Before she could finish that sentence, one of the larger Stranglers turned and leaped towards her with sheer agility, wrapping around her neck and tightening itself. "Agh! G-get it off...!"


OOC: how do you think Lucien feels

"Why are you stopping?" Midna asked, turning to look at Link, after they had been walking for awhile. Then her ears perked up as she heard a faint noise. Link only shrugged in response, more interested in listening. Epona got closer to Link, shaking.

"Sounded like a scream...?" Midna wondered aloud, and she soon regretted doing so as Link ran off into the direction of the sound. Epona sat down and placed one of her hooves against her face in annoyance.

"...Why am I not surprised she did that?" Midna grumbled, "LINK! WAIT BEFORE YOU HURT YOURSELF!"

Her pearl secure, Midna ran after Link, Epona following.

"Delightful," Loki said dryly, but she smirked nonetheless and continued following them with Reynard. There'd be a time to show her face later...

Zolla stopped walking as the pearlcatcher stopped, staying as still as she could. He moved on and she watched the fight that soon ensued. But she did no more than watch. She knew she should lend aid. If she did, she knew she'd earn the dragons' trust, and they may be able to help her learn what was going on. Yet she didn't move. All her life, she'd been taught to defend only herself. Getting involved with helping random strangers wouldn't do her much good, especially not when things didn't seem to be going so well for them. So she stood where she was watching. Then suddenly another Ridgeback rushed past her, and an exasperated shout went up, "Ranun, wait!" She turned to see a Longneck Magi, coming to a stop nearby, looking quite beside himself. "What about moving in cautiously..."

Zolla turned her attention back to the Ridgeback. Light glinted off his scales as he slashed at one of the Stranglers fiercely, swinging his tail at another and driving his spikes into it. She stood mesmerized by his force and bravery. He had rushed in out of nowhere, never giving a thought to his own safety. In that moment, as she watched him spin his tail toward the Strangler he'd just slashed, driving his spikes into it and snarling at a third Strangler, she suddenly felt like a coward. She'd not even considered lending aid, except to gain something in return. Then her eyes widened as she saw the Ridgeback's eyes glance her way. They looked so kind, and so familiar. In fact, now she studied him more closely, he did seem familiar. Ranun. The name flashed through her head. That's right, that's what the Magi had called him. Could it really be? She dared not hope. She hadn't seen him in so long. She'd barely recognized him, and even still wasn't sure that it was true. He was so much younger then, and yet... Could her Ranun really be standing before her? Could they be reunited again?

Grga tossed another Strangler off the cliff. He had registered what was going on down below and wasn't prepared to leave these new dragons to deal with all those Stranglers at the bottom on their own. The Snapper lunged off the ridge, crashing down to the ground below and slicing at one of the attacking creatures with his heavy fist. A pinkish aura surrounded the arm as he thrust it forcefully into the animal, which yelped in response.
"Ave gotcha did he?" Grga called out to the other two dragons over the sound of the Stranglers.

Amidst all the turmoil, Avenriel couldn't help but feel fairly embarrassed. Here were total strangers putting themselves at risk because he had asked for help, and all he could do was cower behind the nearby trees. He watched in horror as one of the vile things was twisting around Kaon's neck. Considering it was large enough to surround a ridgeback's neck, there was no hope in a tiny dragon like him being able to do anything at all... Was there? After all, Stranglers were plant snakes, and he a dragon of fire. Though last time he'd tried to use his powers, Avenriel had ended up setting a row of bushes on fire, and that was only due to a tiny spark. There was no hope for him trying to control his flames in the middle of this situation.
One of the Stranglers- only a relatively small one- broke off from the rest and began to slither towards the Skydancer. Grga spotted it in time and, tearing a few others out of his way, lunged to stop it from reaching his friend. Before that even happened, Avenriel cried out in panic and a short burst of smoke billowed from his nostrils.
The Strangler dodged, wisely.
Instead, the uncontrolled bout of flame latched onto a nearby tree, a thick plant that was growing from the side of the cliff. One that was distant enough from the other trees that the flame wouldn't spread to them, but also one that happened to be standing tall right above where everyone was fighting. The flame ate away at the base of the trunk, narrowing it until the heavy plant couldn't withstand its own weight. The tree proceeded to collapse.

This thing is still going? Geez, somebody catch me up.

Zolla continued to watch the fight. A stone-colored Snapper had leaped off the nearby cliff to join in. Now Zolla felt sure she didn't need to lend aid, especially as she watched the Snapper thrash many a Strangler. Then she noticed a nearby tree suddenly catch fire from the Skydancer who had taken cover almost as soon as the fighting had started. why didn't he use his flames against the Stranglers? She shook the thought away. It wasn't her place to judge, as she wasn't getting involved, either. But as she watched the fire burn the tree, she soon realized those fighting were in real danger. Panic filled her, not wanting any one to get hurt. She didn't want to make herself known, but Ranun was there. Without a second thought, she rushed forward.

"Look out!" She shouted, sweeping one of her wings upward toward the tree. "Over here, quickly!" She motioned toward herself with her other wing, hoping that if her shouts didn't get everyone's attention, at least her movements would.

She waited, anxiously, watching the tree in fear, hoping the others would heed her call. If not, they would surely be crushed. Yet if they all got out in time, the Stranglers would be the ones in peril, and this whole little fight would be ended for good, thanks to the Skydancer, whether it had been his intention or not.

OOC: Willster, yup, it's still going! Basically, your characters are still making their way through the Viridian Labyrinth until they run into other characters. A few of our characters have already run into each other, as well as some fierce Stranglers.

Grga had been so focused on Avenriel that he hadn't even noticed the singed tree. Avenriel was frantically backing into the bushes in panic, leaving Grga terrified in case more Stranglers were hiding there. Grga was trying to hold back a few attackers by kicking with his back feet, while keeping a calm expression on his face and trying to reassure Avenriel. A sudden voice alerted him to what was happening behind him.

"Dodge!" He called, giving a quick nod of thanks towards the dragoness who had issued the warning. He lunged out of the way, dragging a few of the Stranglers who were latched to his tail right into the path of the falling tree. Avenriel gasped in horror as he realised what he had done- the pair who had come to help him were under that tree, which he had so idiotically damaged. Both he and Grga froze, praying that Kaon and Lucien could get out of harms way.

---

On the winding path towards the great Behemoth, a group of Ridgeback dragons, all dark in colour with their wings outstretched, came to a halt. They lowered their wings a moment, and beneath them, the golden king Auride came into view. They had been trying to hide him for his own safety, but now they had been alerted to the sound of what seemed to be a fight in the distance.
Between the guards, all five or six times larger than himself, king Auride poked his head up and tried to hear what was happening. "Oh dear, sounds like a terrible scuffle. If only we could just-"
"I am afraid not, sire. It is absolutely vital that you reach the place of safety unharmed and we cannot afford to expend our energy otherwise. Nor can we afford to put you in harm's way."
The king grunted, and lowered back down onto all fours. "Very well then. Proceed if we must. How much farther do we have to go before we arrive?"

OOC: *exceeds character limit with one-time-only unnamed guards*

OOC:

Ranun was so involved in the fight with the Stranglers that he almost didn't notice the burning tree behind him. As it was, his quick eyes took it in just as he heard a shout. He turned about and froze in shock. Standing before him was a Skydancer he'd recognize any where. It had been years, but Zolla had barely changed, besides growing up. Fear filled her eyes as she stared at him.

"Ranun!" She shouted, and instantly he remembered his peril. He flew toward her, quickly, still unable to believe that she was standing before him. She sighed, her relief obvious.

"Zolla?" He questioned, wondering what on earth she was doing there. But he caught her gaze as it moved beyond him and he saw the two dragons who still hadn't realized the danger they were in. He held his breath as he watched, along with Zolla.

-------------------

Zelkov continued to head toward the Behemoth, growing bored. His interest spiked, however, when he noticed an odd group of dragons up ahead. He stopped, glancing to Amon. "Guard the cart," he demanded, missing Amon's slight growl of disapproval as he moved forward, slowly, finding the need to spy on the dragons ahead.

As he drew nearer and waited in the shadows, the large group of dragons stopped, lowering their wings. Zelkov's jaw dropped. He could barely believe his luck. Before him stood the king of Elastrea. He laughed giddily to himself. This was too good to be true! Ducking behind the tree as the guards looked around, his grin grew. He turned about and saw they were moving on.

He returned to Amon, his excitement surely obvious. "Hurry up, Amon!" He shouted to the wolf. "We've got a very important guest to take care of!"

Watching the distance, he scooped up his cart again and started forward, nearly dancing with excitement. His decision to come to the Viridian Labyrinth had payed off big time!

OOC: I should probably just remove that character limit

As seconds flew by, Kaon thrashed about helplessly in the growing heat, the oversized Strangler holding it’s grip persistently around her plated throat. Her pitiful front legs were too short to reach up that far, and in her frenzy, her eyes were blinded from foliage and dizziness.

Landing on the ground, Lucien braced himself and began to think of a plan to get the serpent off Kaon, though he couldn’t do so for too long. There was no way that he was going to use one of his spells - one misfire of Arcane magic, and his Shadowy friend would be in even worse trouble.
He pawed at the dirt. Then, he charged forward and, spreading his wings in a spectacular display, took off from the ground and brutally pried the Strangler off with his own talons before diving to the earth with it.

Free from her choking prison, Kaon hastily leapt forwards, gasping for air and then coughing when she realized that it wasn’t the dear oxygen she desperately needed, but instead smoke. Smoke, everywhere, trailing from the fires that now engulfed the once bountiful forest. What in the name of the land had just happened? The Ridgeback looked around, confused and panicky, before she decided to simply follow her instincts and run. Catching sight of a strange Skydancer, surely not the one from before, she scurried uphill towards her safe vantage point, hoping that she was friend and not foe.

Wait... friend. Had she forgotten something?

Once again, Kaon felt dread rising up within her as she froze and whipped her head back around. Lucien! Where was her Pearlcatcher companion? She didn’t even so much as glance at him after he had gotten the Strangler off of her. Her eyes darted back and forth deliriously as she tried to look for her partner, but there was no sign of him. Nothing to be found but bodies upon bodies of Stranglers trying to save themselves from the embers. The blazing tree that they both had been underneath a minute earlier began to fall. “No,” Kaon whined, wanting to go back and search further, but her instincts forced her to keep walking away.

OOC: *starts on profiles for my whole lair*

King Auride's guards suddenly stopped in the middle of the path. It took the king by surprise, but he didn't expect much. Possibly a Podid in the middle of the road. He could see a few of the guards turn their heads, apparently listening out for something.
"I heard the sound of another. Or it may have been a wild beast," a large female Ridgeback guard informed the others in the group, causing everyone to momentarily become still as boulders and quiet as mice.
But as they were listening out for the sound of something nearby, a strange smell caught Auride's attention. It was a funny sort of smell. It reminded him a little of the winter, of being indoors during cold... And a bit like a traditional winter meal being prepared... Or the warmth of a cosy fire... Yes, yes, that was it. Fire.
Just as he caught on, the guards began to sniff the air. They could detect it too. The level of danger suddenly dawned upon King Auride, and immediately the guards began to hurry him along, trying to get him as close to safety as possible. There were no flames in sight, nor any clouds of smoke, but in the middle of a thick forest there was no knowing how fast the fire could travel.

---

"Grga- Grga, oh... Oh gods, what have I done?" Avenriel fussed, jerking his head nervously. His tail twitched in agitation. "I- I set them on fire! Oh, gods, I'm going to kill us all!"
"It's alright, Ave. It's alright. You ain't done nothing wrong, it's not your fault."
The fire was too close for comfort, but if the Snapper didn't stay calm, Avenriel was going to lose it. And that would place them in deep trouble. So Grga began to herd Avenriel to safety. The Skydancer was frozen in one spot until his friend physically pushed him forwards. Grga spotted the Ridgeback who had helped them before, and decided that following her uphill was probably the best way to go.
"Grga- the ones who helped us- the Ridgeback and- Pearlcatcher- we need to-"
"Ridgeback's run off up there," Grga indicated, nodding his head in that direction. "If you go get up this hill I'll go make sure the other fella's safe."
After a very brief pause, Avenriel nodded and finally began to clamber to safety himself. At the peak of the hill, he glanced back to look for Grga, who had run back down towards the flames in search of that Pearlcatcher. He trusted Grga. He knew Grga was going to come out of there safely.
Despite that, an icy fear gripped him when he looked down and couldn't see Grga at all.

Beside her, Zolla heard Ranun sigh in relief as they watched the other Ridgeback start toward them. Then she felt him tense as they watched the Snapper rush back into the flames. Zolla's eyes went wide in horror as she turned to Ranun, suddenly knowing what he was thinking. "Ranun, no!"

He didn't turn to her as he answered. "I have to, Zol! I can't let them die..."

"No, you don't! Ranun, please..." She could hear the pleading in her voice as she watched her friend. He hesitated a moment longer, then rushed back into the flames. Zolla stared in shock, hardly able to believe it. She'd just gotten him back, and now...

------------------------

Zelkov stopped short as the king's entourage did. Had they seen him? He watched, cautiously, then picked up on their panic. Worry threatened to take him, but he calmed himself, reminding himself that he could just pose as a traveling merchant had they heard him. It wasn't like he was spying on them, or planning to rob them. He grinned. Well, at least not like some highway thief. He was ready to move up on them now, but just like that, they were moving on again, much too quickly. He'd been so excited about the endeavor before him, he hadn't been paying attention. Then suddenly he smelled it. Smoke. Which could only mean fire. He understood their hurry. There was no telling where the fire was, but in such a thick forest, it would travel quickly. Not wanting his goods to be taken by flames, he hurried after the king, the worry he'd managed to suppress earlier coming to the surface once again.

OOC: okay i've been watching this all confused but i'm going to try to get involved

"Link, stop for a moment!" Midna shouted as loud as she could, taking a deep breath afterwards, exhausted from running. Link heard her and skidded to a halt, turning to look at her as she breathed heavily. Midna's body felt waves of relief as she stopped running and sat down. Epona fell flat on her face.

"Do you smell that?" Midna asked, "It's smoke... There's a fire somewhere. I suggest we run away from it."

Link just stared, disagreement in her eyes.

"Damn it, Link, don't be a fool," Midna growled in response, "You can't keep risking yourself for complete strangers!"

Link shook her head furiously, and said firmly, "I must."

"You...? Argh! Don't you dare-"

Link dashed in the direction she had been running in before, determined to find the source of the scream, and with it, she reasoned, the fire. Epona shook her head and sighed, but nonetheless pursued Link, eager to help her in any way possible.

"Fine!" Midna shrieked as they ran deeper into the trees, her emotions boiling, "I won't be joining you!"

"Is that not...unwise?" another voice said from above Midna, and she looked up into a tree to see a Spiral and an Ethereal Trickster.

"Who are you?" Midna snapped, backing away and lowering her head threateningly, her pearl hidden behind her, "And why do you care?"

"Loki, and my familiar is Reynard," the obsidian dragon answered with an eyeroll, "Oh, and I care because you two seem rather close and we wouldn't want to ruin such a beautiful friendship, now would we? Oh, but do tell me your name!"

"...Midna. Your point?" Midna gritted her teeth, not trusting this stranger.

"Oh, so fierce! I like you already," Loki said, gliding down from the tree, "But please, do take what I say to heart. We are alike, yes? You were there, at the Mask Festival, were you not? There were a lot of dragons, to be sure, but I am certain I saw you there! Mm, yes, we're all on the same page. You want answers, I want answers, your companion wants answers, we all want to stay alive. And our best chance of that would be sticking together, I should think... Don't you agree?"

Midna glared, "I don't trust you, but you are right on one thing."

"Oh?" Loki sounded genuinely curious, yet her posture was haughty nonetheless, "And what would that be..."

"I would rather not ruin my 'friendship' with Link, if ruining it means being stuck with you!"

Loki let out a surprised cry as Midna promptly charged towards her and smacked her into the tree, before running down in the direction Link and Epona had gone. Reynard cried out in surprise and rushed to his fallen master, nudging her in the hopes of getting a response.

"Heh heh heh, I like her a lot," Loki managed, rubbing her head,. She got back up, winked at Reynard, and resumed pursuit of Midna and Link.

- - -

Link, out of breath, stopped running and looked at the site before her, seeing the fire, and a lot of other dragons. However, she stood just on the edge of this, and found herself at a loss for words.

OOC: hopefully im not messing anything up

Kaon continued to trot upwards, stealing back glances towards the ever growing fire. She could hardly believe what had just transpired recently. She had opened her eyes to flames that had come out of what seemed like nowhere - there was no way that a Blooming Strangler could have done that, nor less an ordinary Strangler. And then Lucien... she just went up and left him to burn. What kind of a friend - no, what kind of a sister was she?

Kaon stopped abruptly and turned back. There was no way she was going to continue this journey without his company. If that Snapper was going to go look for him, then there was no reason why she shouldn’t either. Gritting her teeth in determination, she spread her wings and glided down to the blazing forest, not even thinking to look at Avenriel.

---

His back leg and tail burned from being caught in the fire, but Lucien withstood the pain and continued onwards. He’d lost sight of everyone else after taking down the Strangler that was choking Kaon, and only narrowly had he missed that falling tree. It was only a matter of time before the other trees would collapse as well.

Flight was out of the question, so the Pearlcatcher stuck to the ground, dodging flames left and right before stopping quickly to take shallow breaths. If only he were a Water dragon, perhaps things wouldn’t have escalated this quickly. Feeling like there would be no end to this burning forest, Lucien lifted his head up to see an opening between two trees. A way out! With all the strength he could muster, he darted towards the opening and leapt out of it with a flap of his wings, hoping to take flight, only to end up scratching one of his wings on a branch and tumbling spectacularly down to the grass.

‘Urgh, I’m much more graceful than this...’ Lucien sighed and got up to his feet, turning his head back to the forest he had just thankfully escaped from. Realizing that he should now get as far as possible, he picked up his pace and hurried away before catching sight of a green Mirror dragon at the edge of the scene. Surely not the dragons he had met before, but a dragon nonetheless.

Holding his head low to the ground so not to take in too much smoke, Grga called out in the hope that the other dragon could hear him.
"Hello!" He yelled, "Are you still in here?"
He stopped just a short distance from the nearest flaming trees. Already, what was ahead of him had been obscured behind a thickening black cloud, and the crunch of collapsing trees and burning foliage began to make it difficult to hear as well. He thought he could hear the sound of something heavier falling through branches at one point, though that could have been a dying Strangler, but he decided to carefully investigate in that direction anyway.
Avoiding the edge of the fire, Grga crept around but still could see nothing. Either the Pearlcatcher had gone, or it was very unlikely that Grga could get to him. He tried shouting out again: "HELLO!"

Up atop the hill, Avenriel was shuffling and scrabbling around on the spot. He felt like he was going to be sick. Holding in that sensation, he peered over and tried to spot Grga through the smoke. Still, nothing. For a moment the Skydancer wondered if he should actually go down there himself- no, he could be injured and might slow his friend down, maybe he should just wait- but then Grga could become trapped down there- perhaps he could get help- and then for a moment, he wondered what had happened to that Ridgeback. She seemed to have escaped...
Then he spotted her, or at least it looked like her- a large Ridgeback flying down towards the fire. Was she mad? Well she was probably after her friend who Grga had gone to look for. Now there were three of them down there, in the flames. At least they could hopefully help each other out, in an emergency... Oh gods, what if none of them returned?

Link saw the Pearlcatcher and froze in place, watching him.

"Hello?" she called out, managing to find the words as Epona hid behind her, "Are there any others?"

She could tell the fire was getting even worse, but she still couldn't stop herself from asking. Nor did she stop herself from beginning to carefully run towards him, Epona following.

Midna made it to the place Link had stood soon after, unaware that Loki and Reynard were following her and caught up fast.

OOC: Can I just say, I'm so glad this one isn't dying! And I love the pace of it - I never feel rushed to get on and RP. Thanks everyone.

Ranun moved through the flames, letting out a low growl as his tail caught fire. He smacked it on the ground, ridding it of the flames as he looked around, trying to see beyond the flames and smoke. It wasn't a good situation to be in, he knew that, but he'd faced danger plenty of times before. In fact, almost every day. Avoiding flames as best he could, he moved slowly, keeping his head down to breathe better, glancing about in hopes of finding the others and leading them out. That was, if he could find his way back out. Glancing back, worry threatened to settle in, but he shock his head, forcing himself onward. He couldn't think about such things right now. Catching a hint of grey, he moved in that direction, then heard a shout. "Hello!" He called back. "Are you alright?!" He could only assume it was the Snapper he'd seen rush back into the flames.

-------------

Zolla watched the flames, wide-eyed. What had Ranun been thinking?! Of course, she knew the answer to that. But still, what if he were killed?! Suddenly she frowned, ready to rush in after him. She wasn't going to let him risk his life, even if it meant she had to pull him out of the fierce flames herself! She spread her wings, ready to fly in after him, when she stopped short, seeing a black blur dart into the air above the flames. It was a dragon. The Pearlcatcher. The one she'd followed to the scene, and the one everyone was trying to rescue. Looking to the flames, her frown returned to her face, and with it, her determination to get Ranun out of danger.

Without a second thought, she flew to the flames, landing just before them and rushing in quickly, holding her breath. Glancing around, she caught a shimmer and moved toward it, hoping it was Ranun's flashy scales. She had to find him, to tell him the Pearlcatcher was alright. With any luck, this mess would all be over soon. And everyone would be safe.

OOC: Is it to late to join?

OOC: I'd be fine with it, but that's up to Darkrai...

OOC: never too late to join

With a loud ‘thump’, Kaon landed square on the ground near the edge of the forest. She took a deep breath and trudged forwards, a great behemoth wading through the forest. Naturally, burns were unavoidable, and Kaon found the tip of her wings singed from fiery branches and the like. First and foremost, she glanced over the tree that had nearly fallen over her in the first place. No sign of Lucien under there, thankfully. She lowered her face, trying not to inhale the smoke, and continued onwards until she suddenly bumped into a giant gray rock. “Bah! Dumb rock, where did you come... no, wait, you’re not a rock...”

She tilted her head in mild confusion. Rocks don’t wear armbands... No, that was definitely a Snapper, most likely the Skydancer’s friend. Kaon shook her head wildly and began to speak quickly, pretending that she didn’t just mistake Grga for a rock. “Did you find him yet? Lucien? The black Pearlcatcher? I can’t see anything in this gods-forsaken hellfire!”

Kaon suddenly whipped her head around, hearing another voice aside from her own. There was another among them - a grand, shimmering blue Ridgeback. Kaon stared at him silently and slack-jawed. He looked oddly familiar, for some reason....

---

Lucien paused to look back towards the forest. That was a good question. Was there anyone else in the fire? For all he knew, everyone else had fled and he had been unable to catch up with them. Or perhaps they had ditched him to save their own hides. Somehow, the thought of Kaon doing that wasn’t overly surprising to him...

When he looked back at the Mirror, he found yet another dragon alongside her. There were even more dragons in the Labyrinth than he had initially thought. He wasn’t sure if this was a good thing or a bad thing. “Perhaps. Perhaps not. I would wonder how anyone still in there could even be alive. Though I suppose that a burnt corpse would still count as ‘anyone’.” He glanced back yet again, as if searching for something.

Name: Amethyste
Nicknames (if any): Ame, Amy, or none, depending on how well you know here
Link to Dragon:

Gender: Female
Skills/Powers: Ame, being a Fae, uses magical powers, particularly Wind aligned ones.
Weaknesses: Size and overall perky personality are Amethyste's main weakness. She doesn't particularly enjoy fighting, so she can easily be taken advantage of by anyone really. Her precious petite-ness is her downfall.
Aligned With (Kingdom/Shade/Deity/Neutral): Windsinger
Personality: Amethyste is a perky young dragon. She has a bad 'please everyone' complex and has problems accepting things when other are hurt by them. She is a perky dragon who prefers to see the bright side of every situation.
History: Ame was born to a Wind Flight gypsy family and still lives by their principles. When the Flight started fading, they were forced to the Dragon's Crest because of thier faith in Windsinger. In Dragonhome, they were forced to settle and stop moving. This had a largely negative effect on Amethyste. When she came of age, she instantly left and began to travel around to the cities, hoping to leave her culture in her wake. To keep herself alive, she began a job as a performer, doing dance and music at festivals as she travelled. She spent most of her time in Kezyl, where she felt they most related to the way she grew up. She never really settled anywhere, and kept her gypsy lifestyle
Homeland: Windswept Plains/Kezyl, Elastria
Other: She was at the festival as a performer.

OOC: Accepted! Feel free to start whenever, somewhere in the Viridian Labyrinth.

"BY THE- huh?" Grga never got a chance to reply to the first Ridgeback before the second crashed into him. He quickly realised she was the one from before- presumably, having come after that Pearlcatcher, like he was.
Grga's eyes moved between the two Ridgebacks. "Could use a little help here, if neither of ya mind. I can't find the guy anywhere! Don't wanna think he got hurt in there or somethin'. Just stick away from the flames and keep your heads low down as you can get 'em, the smoke's rising."

Smoke climbed up the hill and into the skies. When Avenriel next sniffed the air, he was flooded with the stench of it. His first reaction was to dig his claws into the earth, tensing his neck as if bracing for an attack of some sort. His instincts were telling him to get out, but his legs were glued in place. He glanced at the terrain behind him- more forest, but none of it was on fire yet- and without really thinking about what he was doing, the Skydancer suddenly bolted off towards them.

OOC: Smoke Rising. New breeding game with translucent multicoloured Steam Gyres.

OOC: Can someone give me lowdown on what's happened so far and possibly help me work my way in?

OOC: Everyone was at a festival in Altera (see map on first post) but there was a dragon being possessed by the Shade (evil force thing, see Flight Rising encyclopedia) that died, the Shade broke loose and now everybody is evacuating to the Nature territory. My characters Grga and Avenriel were attacked by Stranglers and a bunch of us all started fighting them, Avenriel accidentally set a tree on fire and now a section of forest is burning. Right now some of us are looking for Lucien, Darkrai's Pearlcatcher, who they got separated from.

OOC: So where should I come in? Should I run into Lucien or the group?

OOC: If you like! Lucien is separated and running away from the flames, quite a few of the others are close to the fire looking for Lucien (pretty sure Zolla is still looking for Ranun who is looking at Grga looking for Lucien with Kaon... wat), and Avenriel is running away really fast.

Mass hysteria. Dragons everywhere. Blackness creeps out of the cracks in the ground, out of the handmade crafts, even out of some dragons. Dozens lay dead on top of each other. Elderly, adults, and hatchlings alike. A Fae was scheduled to perform first, but clearly she can't. She tries her hardest to flap her wings and keep flying above the corpses. She prays to her god, Windsinger, to help her. She's terrified. Her eyes lock onto a fleeing Pearlcatcher, and she decides to follow him.



The Pearlcatcher weaved around a tree, and Amethyste followed. The much larger dragon wasn't aware at all of her presence; Ame had made sure to keep a good distance and fly quietly - you never know how dragons will react to a dragon using their size as their own personal compass. She wasn't surprised that she could fool him into thinking he was not being followed, but the fact that she could also fool his companion(s) was serendipitous. Amethyste got separated from the dragon when the Stranglers attacked - she couldn't fight - and then again when the fire started. Ame was good at remembering a dragon and she always found him quickly after they got separated. This time, however, he was alone, and she was left to wonder what happened to the other dragon that was with the Pearlcatcher.

Amethyste wasn't sure how she'd announce herself to the stranger, but she knew she would have to. All she could think about was the possibility of him forcing her to leave, or maybe even attacking her. Not all dragons are nice, she thought. She shook the thought away so she could pay more attention to hiding.


OOC: In case you're wondering, I picture her as flying through the branches and leaves to keep out of his sight. Also, if any of this is wrong or works against the plot, please tell me, I can fix it.

Link nodded in response, then she turned to Midna as Loki arrived. Link looked confused, Midna looked bothered, and Epona glared at Reynard. Loki merely grinned.

"Are you searching for something?" Midna asked the other Pearlcatcher calmly.

OOC: Longer posts will happen, I promise.

OOC: Smoke Rising? I'll play!

Ranun nodded to the Snapper and was about to say more, when he heard a shout coming through the flames. "Ranun!"
He frowned when he recognized the voice, turning toward it. "Zolla?! What in blazes are you doing here?! You should be outside these flames, where it's safe!"
She found her way to him, then, frowning as fiercely as he, her foreclaws crossed over her chest. "As you should be? What good are you to your subjects if you're dead? Especially with no heir?"
He rolled his eyes. This was always how it was with her. He shook his head. "This isn't the time for that, Zolla."
She shrugged. "You brought it up." Her eyes drifted past him to the others, and then suddenly lit up. "Oh, right! You all have to get out of here!"
Ranun shook his head again. "Not until we find the Pearlcatcher."
"But that's just it! He's fine! I saw him fly out from the flames!" She pointed with her wing toward the distance, then pulled it back quickly as flames leaped toward it.

OOC: Dead, sorry.

"That way, you say?" Grga lifted his head a little and peered through the crackling branches. "Well, if he's safe then we need to get ourselves outta this wildfire!"
He turned to clamber back up the ledge from which he'd came, only to find that his huge, heavy feet didn't quite grip the stone wall as well as he'd originally intended.
Muttering rude phrases under his breath, he desperately tried to climb up again. It was getting harder as the fumes made it difficult to get clean air into his lungs, and more of the rock slipped away beneath him. Finally he gave in.
"None of ya know a way back up there which isn't burning or directly up this wall by any chance?"

Kaon's eyes widened at the Skydancer's words. "He is? You mean he's safe?" She looked around, her mouth gaping a little. "So... wait, he's not the one stuck here... but it's actually us who're trapped in the fire!?"
Kaon spun around frantically, searching for an exit, before accidentally slamming her tail into a tree and getting it burned. She clenched her teeth and scowled at the blackened spot on her tail. Looking upwards, she stared into the icy eyes of the newcomer. 'Zolla', that's what the Ridgeback had called her, right? Or was it 'Zilla'? Whatever, Kaon had no time for useless names. "Hey, featherface, think fast! Do you think we can get out of here through the way you came from!?"

---

Lucien locked eyes with the black Spiral for a fleeting moment. Most likely not on great terms with the others, by the way they were reacting to her. But he wasn't one to judge someone based on others' opinions. He turned back to the Pearlcatcher that was speaking to him. "I am indeed searching for someone. You haven't happened to catch sight of a small, maroon Ridgeback, have you?" As he said this, his right ear flicked upwards instinctively. Something was bothering him - a stray sound, perhaps - but he couldn't quite place what it was. He slowly lowered said ear and let it relax against his head, as if nothing had happened.

Zolla let out a low growl at the Ridgeback's remark. She wasn't fond of the nickname. "Not unless you want to be roasted alive," she said, not hiding the anger in her voice. She glanced around, trying to think. She had been in plenty of tight spots before. None involving fire, however.

"Zol..." She glanced to Ranun as he called to her, catching his eye. "Diver and Dash!" Zolla nodded, knowing exactly what his mysterious words meant. It was a tactic they'd often used to get out of trouble, one that involved a distraction.

Glancing around, she saw what she was looking for, pointing with one of her wings. "There!"

Ranun nodded and moved toward the flames where she was pointing. She joined him. There were more trees on that side. If they could get the flames to feed on them, diverting them away from where they were now, there would be a path for them all to get out on. Ranun glanced to her. "Ready?"

She nodded. They both stood on their hind-legs, lifting their wings high to their sides. Then, they began fanning, knowing full well that it would only make the flames more frenzied. Yet, if it worked, it would also push the newly livened flames away from where they were to a nice patch of trees for them to consume, heading the other direction.

Ranun kept his eyes on the flames, calling to the others. "When you see an opening, take it!"

Zolla kept her eyes on the flames, as well. If things got out of control, they'd have to stop, or they'd only make everything worse.

"No, I haven't, but we can help you look," Midna replied, taking a moment to look around warily, "...Assuming this dragon is still in one piece."

"Hear something, did you?" Loki asked, having been watching the male Pearlcatcher.

Link remained silent, choosing to walk around the others, as if searching for something. She looked up into the trees, then stared into the flames.

"Keep it up, the pair of ye!" Grga said to Ranun and Zolla. "Heh, that's a pretty good tactic. Wouldn'ta thought it myself, but you learn something new everyday, right?"
There was something very familiar about that blue Ridgeback. Very familiar. He just couldn't pinpoint what it was.
In all honesty, Grga couldn't tell if their method was working or not, but it seemed to be shifting the flames a little. Hopefully they could clear a path big enough for his wide body to get through. If only he could have flown, it would have made life a billion times easier... Although admittely, flying over a wildfire with lungs full of poisonous smoke wasn't the best idea.

"Are you two insane!?" Kaon shouted at the two dragons who were fanning their wings in front of the fire. "That's only going to make the fires more..."
She didn't complete that sentence. Yes, the wind was increasing the ferocity of the flames, but it was also blowing them away from their direction. In a bit of time, they might even clear the way out of this wretched forest. "...Huh. Why didn't I think of that?"
She shook her head to regain her composure, then turned her head to look back at the Snapper. "Hey, I think there's a path opening up! Come on!"



"Oh, I'm certain she's still in one piece. She has her ways..."

Lucien's eyes darted to the Spiral for a brief second, but he otherwise ignored her. It seemed like she already knew the answer to that question.
Instead, he turned his attention to the Mirror that he had originally been speaking to. What a peculiar dragon. Where did she think she was going?

"How comforting," Midna replied, then she stared at Epona, who was busy holding on to her tail and watching Link. Loki was still smiling, and picked up Reynard to hold him.

Link then ran to a tree and attempted to climb it, trying to find the one that was following them.

OOC: no idea how close Dmcrocks' character is and my brain is slow so if I made a mistake tell me tell me tell meeeeee

OOC: Sorry for letting this die. Computer issues and lack of free time...

Zolla continued to fan the flames beside Ranun. A path was beginning to open, and she could only hope that it would remain. It was soon wide enough that they could all fit through, even the Snapper. She glanced back to the group. "Go! Now!" She shouted, then kept her eyes on the flames. All she could do was hope that things wouldn't get out of control before everyone was to safety. This had been a crazy enough day as it was.

"You, too, Zol." Ranun said beside her. She turned to him. "The flames have already taken the trees, so the path should remain. I'll keep at it a bit longer."

"I'm not going anywhere without you," she said, seriously. Having seen him again after so many long years, she realized just how much she'd missed him. Maybe leaving her homeland hadn't been about finding answers at all, but about finding a better life. She'd been finding thieving a bit dull of late, and couldn't figure out why. Now, seeing Ranun again, and knowing what he stood for... maybe she was ready for a better life. All she knew was that the two of them needed to talk. But first, they needed to get out of this blazing inferno!

"Zol..." he said, giving her a smile that still said 'please just listen to me.'

She shook her head. "No. We'll both keep at it a bit longer. And when the others all through safe, we'll go after them together."

"You always were stubborn," he said, shaking his head, continuing to fan the flames.

She grinned at his words. It was something she prided herself in. Continuing to fan the flames along with him, she waited for the others to get through the path.

"Well if you two ain't going until we're all through then I'm out!" Grga called as he bolted through the gap. At least, as fast as a Snapper could run. "Quick, all of yer, or else those two are gonna get 'emselves trapped again!"
Safety was just up ahead. He could see the way up now, to the top of the cliffside. The only risk was the still-rising cloud of smoke which choked the clifftop. The Snapper could only pray that Avenriel was safe- he was bound to have escaped to avoid the smoke.
A little way along the path out, Grga stopped and looked back. He couldn't bring himself to leave until he was sure that all of those other dragons were out too.

OOC: Bah I'm doing it myself

Finally, Grga scrambled to a safe spot. He knew the others were behind him, and fanning the flames away had been more helpful than he'd expected: from up here now, with a little less smoke to contend with, he could just about see over the surrounding area, and remarkably, the flames had not spread as quickly as he might have thought. Much of the distance was still green, though for how long he couldn't say.

What gave him more hope was what he could see in the other direction. Beyond the dense forest and over the wide, curling rivers, he caught a glimpse of the Behemoth- a massive structure at the heart of the region. The huge tree sat a safe distance away from the fire but was probably in very little danger anyway, given its sheer size and the number of dragons who were almost certainly sheltering there right now.

"Alright! Up here, there's the Behemoth right that way! Still a bit of a trek but only a day or so's worth of travelling if we get out quick!"

"I'd never thought I'd be so happy to hear that..." Midna groaned, then she shot a glare towards Link, "What were you thinking, anyway?"

Link shrugged, walking in front of Midna, Epona, Loki, and Reynard.

"Frankly, I don't think she was," Loki commented.

OOC: all i have for the moment because im tired but if i think of something more i will add it but for now eh yeah

OOC: Alright, I'll join you. Can't promise I'll be on a lot, though. And just assuming all the others made it out of the flames safely. Also, hope I didn't mess anything up. Can't really remember everything that happened and don't have time to go back and read it.

Ranun watched the Snapper scramble to the safety of the cliff before them. He watched as the others followed, his wings still flapping to keep the flames away.

"Zol, go!" He shouted to Zolla. She met his eyes, and he could see the defiance and hesitation there. It was nothing new. Finally, she turned away and scrambled gracefully up the cliff after the others. Ranun dropped his wings and darted forward, scrambling up the cliff as quickly as he could. Reaching the top, he pulled his tail up just in time to keep it from getting singed, but the flames didn't climb any higher. He glanced to the distance and was relieved to see the large Behemoth there, a shelter from the chaos now surrounding them. Or so he hoped. Yet feared also ate its way into his heart. Once they reached that shelter, there would be many dragons looking to him for wisdom and guidance. Could he give them that? Turning away from the Behemoth, he shook the thought from his mind. His eyes caught on Zolla as she turned toward the Snapper.

"What about your friend?" She asked. "Was there not another with you before?"

"Ave? Yeah, he got up here before. He'll be around here somewhere, he ain't the adventuring type..."
Even as Grga spoke, he was looking around, but he couldn't catch sight of his companion.
"...I mean, maybe he went off away from the smoke a bit, catch a breath, but he won't've gone off that far... He must've seen the Behemoth over that way, yeah?" Doubt lingered on his voice. Oh gods. Considering the altercation with the Stranglers before, leaving Avenriel in a forest on his own didn't seem that good an idea. Being honest, Avenriel was hopeless on his own. Grga couldn't possibly trust him to stay safe. It was pretty bad not to be able to trust the other dragon, but Avenriel was too nervous and incapable for his own good.

---

Far off in the distance, safely away from the fire, the golden Tundra king was finally lead to the safety of the massive tree at the heart of the green region. He stopped for a moment to take in the sight of the natural wonder looming above him- it was like nothing he could remember having ever seen before. The scent of freshly blooming flowers and tree sap, the sound of a breeze dipping between millions of rustling leaves, the cool feeling of standing in the shadow of the humongous plant.
"I have yet to hear word of any other regional monarchs arriving," one of his guards informed him, "but many Elastrean citizens have arrived safely, according to what I have been told."
"Good, good, good." Auride said, desperately trying to recall who the other monarchs were and what they looked like. Normally he had some form of visual reference, a painting or something to look at before he met up with them for political discussion. He wasn't even sure when the last time he'd seen them was, or if they were even the same kings or queens he had encountered in the past.

"I suppose we should find him," Zolla said, catching the doubt in the Snapper's voice, "before we head off. I'd hate to leave anyone behind."
"Speaking of leaving anyone behind," Ranun said, glancing about. His eyes soon caught on something, and he lifted a wing high. "Timothy! up here!"
It wasn't long before a Longneck Magi hurried toward them, clearly disgruntled.
"Oh, Ranun, thank goodness you're alright! What did I tell you about rushing in?! Good thing this fine lass was there to warn you of the flames. How on earth did you get out, anyway? Those flames are..."
Ranun cut him off with a laugh, raising a wing. "It's a long story, Timothy. But for now, did you happen to see a Skydancer in the area? He'd be... I'm sorry." Ranun paused, turning to the Snapper. "I'm not sure I noticed your friend in all the commotion. Can you describe him?"

------------------------------------------

Zelkov continued to follow the king and his guard at a distance, the smell of smoke growing ever less present. Clearly they were heading away from it, and the danger was diminishing with each passing step. With one more step, he rounded a bend and looked up, the sight causing him to stop in awe. It was the Behemoth. He'd only ever heard stories of its beauty and build. It certainly lived up to its expectations. It was enormous, and overpowered everything else about it. The sight took his breath away, but so also did the sight of all the many dragons seeking shelter at its roots. They were a mixture of many things - exhaustion, worry, fear, even hunger. Nothing he and his wares couldn't aid them with. As he watched the poor, unsuspecting souls, a wide grin spread across his face.

Name: Skull
Nickname/s: Skulldran
Link To Dragon:



Gender: Male
Skills/Powers: Has the ability to spit out hot acid from his throat.
Weaknesses: Ice dragons, they can freeze him and make the acid in his throat dissolve and he can not produce anymore acid for 24 hours.
Aligned with: Shade
Personality: Is a villain, when his henchmen don't do anything right, he yells at them, and sometimes melts ones that gets on his nerves with his acid.
History: What exactly made Skull a villain? What made him want to be evil? Well, when Skull was just a little hatchling, his parents knew they couldn't keep him, they were in battle all the time, with the big war going on between the elements centuries ago. So Skull's parents left him in a forest, far far away. Skull started growing up and found new parents, evil ones who's great power, yet have we to discover. Possibly, even a new element.....
Homeland: Awkley Village (In Dragon's Crest)
Other: Current Home: Makeshift Caverns (In between Solsigra and Winterstar)

OOC: so fill me in on what's going on

Oops, sorry, I forgot to close this topic it seems. This one's the old dead roleplay (the first page of the FR topic is outdated, since HDAZ sadly left). New one's over here. and has a much different story/character sheet. It's kind of slow, though.