darkSpyro

Lucien stopped to a familiar smell, Just up here then. he sighed as he continued his normal pace. Each step he made left a paw size spot of grey fire, and his wings wouldn't stay closed, they were out half their length, burning anything they touch as well. He paused for a second when he reached a hedge-like bush line, I think she is just on the other side... he looked at his grey paws. He closed his eyes in thought and patients, not wanting to burst in at a bad time.
--
Skyer only sat by the water till Lucien was out of sight, then he turned and headed back to the tower where he want to the top once more. Instead of laying down he decided to go into the tower to read while he waited for someone else to come along, if anyone would.

Aretis touched the Soul Orb. He closed his eyes. A white area. Nothing. No lines of reference. Nothing. Absolute, nothing. He was just floating through....nothing. And then he appeared. He always did. Xrail. His father. Finally, this time he'd answered. "Father......"

"Hello. You've grown up. I'm impressed."

"Well..." Aretis looked down.

"Yes, yes I know. You're dealing with things you shouldn't. Son, there are some things that shouldn't be mixed and rather left alone. Diluting an element doesn't increase it's power to it's full potential. No matter what others might say." His father growled. More dragons came around him. Aretis blinked, recognizing them. Spirits. Of the elders of his race. "Young Aretis, it's good to see you again." One of them smiled. It was the one who announced his name during the Naming Ceremony of his hatchling tradition. Aretis blinked. He knew that while this was unexpected, it would use up much of his time in connection to these spirits.

Casia dropped some fruit at Ria's feet and took a few steps back.

Ria groaned a bit and ate a smaller fruit, then shifted in the grass. "I think I'm going to try and take a rest." she murmured. "The sick feeling is gone, but I'm in no condition to go anywhere. Sorry Casia..."

The little red dragoness nodded. "I understand, just try to get better."

It neared it's source but instead found a village instead, it was no doubt clearly on a wrong course but it still hungered and it ran towards the village, in this state there was no doubt it was going to repeat past sins.

The last time this happened a town was put under mental and physical damage of it's structure and population, Fires were started, people killed, supplies eaten and in some cases people were defiled...all this from it's home town

"This is our counsel to you: Our race will not be easily rebuilt. You can't do this alone. You need friends, not other spells. Not more power. You need people that you can depend on, like your mate." His father hummed in amusement. Aretis was taken in by surprise.

"How did you know that...."

The elders chuckled. "Oh, don't you know we still watch things that happen in this world? What? Didja think we're stuck in this little bauble for the rest of eternity? Besides, the Spirit Land here gets quite old after you've heard all the news. Most spirits take invisible trips to places they've never visited before. It's quite fun. I believe Vejir is out exploring right now er....where was he again? I don't remember. But I think Rusar, your brother is up north somewhere. He's been gone for a while now." The elder rambled on a bit. Then everything got misty. Their voices dimmed, and then Aretis was back in the room. It was pitch black, and it took a while for him to see again. The Soul Orb only glowed faintly now. Aretis realized that that was all the help he would get for now. Rusar......he would remember that name.

Hearing Ria speak mad his head raise higher, She wants to rest... Then I will let her. She is in no state to see me like this... A true monster, with the urge to burn the world. he raised his paw to see the burning patch of grass. The silent flames burned the grass away, but it did not go out once the grass was gone, nor did it spread. The wind seem to have no effect on it, only his touch could make it move. He settled down in his spot to lay down in an upright position, where he would wait for the Sun or Ria to rise. Maybe I should just make sure she stays safe to her destination... If there is one. he only stared at the small leaves of the large bush that separated him from the girls on the other side.

Lucien looked around some without really moving, trying to fill a mental map of the area. Sensing all the animals in the area, and even the wind payers, My powers are always surprising me, its like I can feel the wind as if I was up there. The animals and bugs, the trees and the grass. I feel it all... Is this what grey magic is?

Aretis exited the temple. If the elder's advice was correct, then he should probably leave the island. Is Starz back from the flight yet? Hmm....well, he'll leave a note for her at their cave.
Starz, going out for a while. Meet me at the Dragon Market if you must.

—Aretis

All it took was a scream before everyone in the market knew something was up, People kept their distance while others got in a defensive stance along with the guards, It flew a tentacle at a guard sending them off only to get a barrage of fire and arrows to it's face. Through the arrows only stuck on it's form the fire did indeed hurt and it recoiled from the pain, one more fireball was directed at it so it dodged and made sure the fire hit a building, as it slowly ran away figuring everyone else would be busy trying to get rid of the fire a few guards chased it.

Making sure it was alone and isolated in a alley it managed to whip the guards chasing it and knock them out, however one guard managed to avoid the attack and charge up a fireball right at it, it screamed in pain from a direct and powerful attack slightly weakened and slowly trying to escape when it saw the guard too was exhausted, it was a female dragoness and she was out of puff

Ria yawned softly. "Wake me if there's...danger..." she said, drifting to sleep.

Casia simply nodded, allowing her sister to sleep.

Off he flew, not really in a hurry though. He didn't feel like straining himself and sensing what was ahead beyond his physical sight and sound, so he didn't.

Lucien could feel the exhausted energy of the female in the market, He is lucky that is Ria. his teeth exposed themselves with anger, I am not leaving her, not now, not when I just found her. he tried to ignore it, but his new ability made his attention stay in the area. He shook his head, "This must stop." he said softly then he looked up in shock that he accidentally spoke. He stared, wondering if he had been heard.
--
Skyer yawned as he turned to the next page of his book. The old pages held together quite well considering its age, but the tears and scuffs were distractions. He eventually closed the book and layed down to sleep.

Casia lifted her head. "Huh?" she murmured. Slowly rising to her feet, she looked around the little clearing. "Is someone there?"

It grabbed the female with it's form and tendrils, her body was in it's grasp and it wasn't going to let go. Something of this scent was familiar and the dragon suddenly formed into the light dragoness from before who got him arrested...she must live here in secret, this was clearly a random chance it just happened to be her of course but in his primitive mind it still didn't take long for one and two to click.

Slowly it started to drain her energy so she would be totally defenseless and then....it would like to pay it's rival a nice gift in return for it's setbacks she had given him...in the form of a egg.

Aretis sighted land now, just over on the horizon. Aretis closed his eyes and sent out a thought wave. "Lucien" Was what he said. He knew it would probably reach him. If it didn't....something was wrong. But still, he knew this would probably be for the best.

Lucien heard two voices hit his mind, "I cannot talk now... I've... Got things... I have too,

Now now, you are only suppose to speak with the girl... Leaves us be boy, if you want to see the sun rise, I suggest you keep your distance. Gray cut in sharply.

Lucien obeyed Gray's command, "I... I didn't want her to see me like this..." he replied to Casia from the other side of the hedge, "Do not wake her..." his voice was strained, it became harder to separate his voice and Gray's, making him seem like someone different.

Casia listened, first frightened by the voice, then thoughtful. After a long pause, she replied softly, "Lucien?"

"She's sick Lucien, she's keeping something from me."

... Aretis didn't reply. It burned him that Grey intervened but he knew to leave well enough alone in mental matters, but still. He knew something wasn't right. Aretis frowned and kept flying.

Lucien sat up, "I... I can see it... I don't know what it is..." he replied. His eyes burned the shiny gold they once did but it blinked away and he winced in slight pain. He looked to the ground as it burned the grey fire to the soil, leaving it untouched.

Tamaa struggled to whisper words, "What are you doing?! if you keep this up you will be classed as a demon and...." She didn't have time to say the rest as it had hit her on the head. It was gaining it's raptor like form again and slowly getting back it's intelligence.

OOC: Hey S-G, welcome back! Heheh, it seems all the Realms dragoness' are getting mad at their significant others

Casia shuffled a bit closer to the bush. "I think she's somehow using her magic to hide it or something, considering she knows what's wrong. But...I'm quite sure she'd be willing to tell you if you talked to her."

ooc: Well, y'know. Males. X3

Aretis landed now sending his mind out, sensing where everyone is.

OOC: Heheheh

Ria could sense Aretis reaching out as she slept. Her face screwed up in annoyance and she automatically put a shield around her mind.

Aretis met the shield, but had already felt enough for him to know it was Ria. Why did she put a shield up though? He thought. He didn't probe further but now padded quickly over to where she was, jumping through a bush and over a fallen log. He could hear water running somewhere.

Lucien felt the mind connection, but ignored it by Gray's command, "I... I can't, not like this. My powers have faded, along with my will." He stired around in this stop feeling Aretis draw near, "Eh, uh. I have to go... Tell her when she wakes, "I'll be back soon."" He turned and flew into the air, only to be brought back down into the water with a loud splash.

No, you must talk to here. Show them all what you have become! Gray yelled. Forcing Lucien to surface close to Ria.

"Stop!" Lucien screamed wincing as Gray moved his body. Pushing him onto the shore, "You must complete the deal, you make a deal, you must keep it. You don't want to disappoint your ancestors." Gray's voice brew up into his speech.

Others were coming...he left her down and crawled onto the walls, gazing at this town he inhaled ready to blow a streak of blackfire onto several of the buildings

Casia's eyes widened. "Is...oh my, that must be Gray..." she said. She quickly trotted to Ria, nudging her awake. "Wake up, wake up!" she cried frantically.

Ria opened her eyes, glaring at Casia as her temper flared. "What?!" she snapped.

Casia simply pointed to the riverbank where Lucien was.

Ria's eyes widened, her glare ceasing and slight tears glazing over her iris'. "L-Lucien?"

"There's something wrong with him." Casia whimpered.

Familiarity struck Ria. "Gray..." she snarled, rising slowly from the grass. "Stop this nonsense!"

He halted his attack, noticing a large power source near but it would not matter as very soon he too would get that strong. He blew the black fire on the roofs of the buildings making sure it would give enough time for anyone inside to escape.

Already he could see more guards and enraged townfolk ready for him

"Nonsense? We simply made a deal." Lucien struggle to get his words out. "IIIIII had nnnno choice. III had tto seeeee you..." their voices mixed hard, "IIII had tto askkk, why you llllefft. My powers ffffaill me, mmy only chchchoice was to ussse his energyyy." his body walked toward them.

Ria shook a little, tears pouring down her face. "Gray? Could you please let me speak freely with Lucien for just a moment? I'm begging you..." she pleaded.

Casia shivered a bit, feeling a strange wave of magic.

"It was in our deal." he added, "Once you leave his sight, he is mine." the grey aura faded from his scales to be white once more. When his eyes became circular again,he dropped weakly to the ground. Looking up to Ria, "My ancestors left me to find out why my scales were white again... I soon realized the reason they were gold in the first place." his eyes wandered to the dirt, "It was a connected love that boosted my maturity up, and when we mature, our scales stay gold. The only thing I could think why they would change is," he slowly returned eye contact, "If the one I love lost their true love for me..."

Ria slowly sank to the grass beside Lucien. "I-I still love you Lucien, more than anything, but I wasn't sure if you still felt the same for me. I've been doubting us a lot lately, and I'm sorry... Remember a few days ago when I left, and I told you I was looking for the others? The main reason I left is because...I found out some shocking news. I've been trying to tell you for awhile now, but...something always happens so that I can't tell you."

Her purple eyes burned into his. "Lucien, I..." she squeezed her eyes shut for a moment, and she gently grazed her paw over his. "I'm carrying your egg..."

Casia's eyes widened in surprise. That's why she was so upset about the whole family thing...

Lucien's eyes softened, and he looked at her paw on his, "This is something I should have known sooner." he chuckled to himself, though it seemed quite insane for him to, "I had been blinded by trying to protect this world around you... I didn't notice how much you really needed me." he looked up to the sky with tears flowing from his eyes and a slim grin, "Isn't life ironic? Things come and go, always changing." he closed his eyes, "Some things aren't avoidable, or reversed." he looked to his free paw as grey began crawling from his claws, "They say things happen for a reason... I'm not sure of my situation." his eyes wandered to Ria, "And I don't know if the effects can be reversed."

Aretis blinked, watching the conversation from afar. I wonder how Starz is doing. I did kinda leave off in a hurry...... He thought sadly.

Ria had smiled for a moment, then noticed the grey. "What did you tell him? What is he going to do to you?" she asked, lifting her paw to Luciens cheek, gently stroking it. "There must be something we can do, there's always something." Her voice cracked a bit at the end.

Aretis was now listening very intently at this point. If Grey turned to be a threat, then perhaps this would be a good time to figure out a way to stop it.

The idea of escaping was silly to him...and yet his power was failing yet again and his form turning to that of the slime form.

The Council must of put a failsafe on him, so he would always hunger. His only choice was to be a symbiote or parasite and find a powerful host...two entities came to mind and he could feel the presence near, he quickly ozzed through the wall cracks of the town and into the woods before any townfolk could get him

His mind was slowly turning back to an animal again and worse was he could now hear something being broadcasted on a psychic frequency... his entire presence and mind could be sensed.

"I... I don't know... His only weakness is the death of his host, but then he just moves to the next I expecting child..." Lucien replied, "The world is lucky he thought he could control me... A regular child would have been most disastrous." he waved his paw over to Ria, "He won't have total control, that is something I must not allow, even if my powers manage to return to me, I did make the deal. I made it... So I could see you, even if it would have been for the last time. I'm not perfect with words, but my love is either way, unspeakable." he dropped his paw as the grey reached his elbow.

"There has to be another way..." Ria cried softly. She shakily took her paw and placed it over the very slight bump of her stomach. "Please Lucien, I love you, and I need you...we need you. If Gray takes off with you...I'm not sure what I'll do."

Another tear falls from his chin, "I have to stay true to my word, and I am telling you now... You will never be alone. I am a simple name call away, for I would do anything for you... But I cannot call off this deal, I don't know how my body could handle being without such power to withstand him." he turned to the sky once more, his eyes widened as he felt his body begin to burn on the inside. His left eye turned into a crystal blue flame, "It is unavoidable..." he stopped, "But... To save the world of lifelong, my life, torment and death... If my body was to be destroyed, he would pass to another, only bringing the world to the same state."

It was getting close to it's source and in desperation the grass and flora near it were getting sucked dry not like last time but utterly dying, it was starting to get to the point it might jump on a animal host just to stop the absorbing of flora and plant life. It's hunger was so very large and it's target so close. It suddenly found a footprint of fire belonging to Grey, As it latched onto the traces it caused a unexpected reaction as an large dark aura exploded, from the looks of it the traces of grey were trying to overtake Drenyz but due to a larger mass were devoured. It could be possible that if both entities met in full force they would form a either an Ouroboros...each trying to eat or take over the other only to create a loop or balance the host to a normal level

Ria let out a shaky sigh. "I just wish it didn't have to be you..." she murmured. "But regardless, I believe in you, and I believe that you can gain control from Grey."

Lucien turned to look where he had latex earlier, his eye flared and the bush burned away to view Drenyz in the distance, "He's back?" he looked to Ria, "No doubt he is after me... Well Gray. I vowed to not let Gray go, and I will protect his release for as long as I live. If he want to kill me for power, then he will be sorely disappointed. Gray is ruthless, he would most likely rip him apart after he is long dead..." he looked back once more, "I will be uncontrollable in a fight... I... I need to go. If he wants me that bad, he will follow me. I don't want to be around you when he takes over." he turned to Ria, his right eye now a crystal blue flame, "I will return when it is safe for me to." he stood leaving her paw on his. The left side of his body is now a dirty gold, a smile on his face, "That is a promise." his other white started turning a dim gold as well.

He was leaving, it had no time and nothing to lose so it decided to do the only thing it could...Plead in a psychic wavelink

"No! Don't leave, I can help you..I've been turned into something else now...a Symbiote just don't leave...I can't survive without someone to bond with...I...I can make you feel better, heal your wounds and devour your diseases should you ever feel ill"

You will not feed off of me! Gray raged back to Drenyz, I am a superior being, and no little exile will just take what they want. Go find a hole and berry yourself so I don't have to. Its too much work, I could break a nail. he added sarcastically.

Though Lucien froze upright, "You cannot help me... No one can..." Lucien put in, "And if you then further wish to hurt my friends, I will hunt you down like an animal, and use your hide as a door mat." he threatened knowing his nature, but still feeling a hint of sorrow for the now lesser creature.

Ria took notice of Drenyz, her eyes narrowing and pupils constricting. Her nostrils flared a bit as she rose from the grass.

Casia felt another wave of the strange energy, just as a reddish-yellow glow came off of Ria's scales.

"Leave us alone." Ria hissed, her lips pulling back over her teeth.

Blinking, Casia gazed at Ria's stomach. But...no, it couldn't be... Casia thought. And yet... It almost looks like the egg has grown a bit already...

It was true. The tiny bump of the egg was now noticeably bigger and more prominent.

Aretis stepped out of the shadows, staring intently at Drenyz as if daring him to make a move. Then he looked at Grey, then Ria. Somehow, this whole situation didn't seem right.