darkSpyro

1. You must have a Flight Rising account in order to join, so that you may use your own dragons. You can use dragons from another person's account if they permit it.

2. As with typical RP rules, no god-modding or meta-gaming. You cannot take control of others characters without permission. Unless your character has a backstory with someone else's character, they will not know everything is to be about them, or know other characters' names before they are told. No character will have a complete idea of what is going on, as well, and have to learn more about the events as time goes on. Your character can be strong, but not perfect, of course.

3. Please do not ignore other characters in the RP for no reason when they are near your character, unless that person is breaking the rules.

4. Please do not write using any "chat speak" and try your best with grammar and spelling. It doesn't have to be impeccable, just readable.

5. Your character(s) will not be killed without permission, but PLEASE be 'realistic' in fights and wounds. Even if your character is a super tough dragon, they also have their limits.

6. Any amount of characters per person, but try not to bite off more than you can chew. If you don't trust yourself with not using loads and loads of characters, impose a limit on yourself.

7. Keep it clean. Romance is allowed, but no explicit naughty stuff. Fights can be bloody but not over-the-top gorey. Some swearing is allowed, such as "crap". Anything really foul would sound weird coming from the mouth of dragons.

Name/Nickname: Winterspell, answers to Rolang as well
Link to Dragon: Link
Gender: Male
Personality: Unlike many in his clan, Winterspell is not particularly violent or warrior-like. He dislikes conflict and will do his best to avoid it, even if it means being a pushover. He is usually quite pensive and occasionally has difficulty picking up sarcasm. Most infamously, his insatiable curiosity is known to land himself into life-threatening situations. Winterspell is not one to go along with crazy shenanigans and the poor dragon constantly finds himself bewildered by the antics of his clan-mates.
Familiar: Yvira, a lighthearted and playful female Nature Sprite. She has a mischievous streak, but is still very friendly. She doesn't seem to be able to speak, or at least chooses not to.
Other: Being the librarian of the clan, he is a scholar as well as a mage. However, he is also very quick and stealthy, and very good at picking pockets - not that he chooses such a direct method of borrowing things very often. On the other hand, he is incredibly physically weak and out of shape. He is also rather skinny.



Name/Nickname: Teldryn
Link to Dragon: Link
Gender: Male
Personality: Utterly dripping with sarcasm and contempt, it's a wonder that he can stand being around the satire-blind Winterspell. Though it does seem like he feels the need to ridicule everything and everyone, he doesn't hold himself in higher regard to everyone else - but he does have a high opinion of his homeland. He values freedom and despises anything that would seek to destroy it, which is why he agreed to accompany Winterspell and Spite to the conference (and also the money, that helped too). He's known to be very cautious and attentive when traveling.
Familiar: Arifast, a stern and fierce male Umberhorn Qiriq. He is usually left behind to patrol the borders of the clan.
Other: More of a mercenary than an actual member of the clan. He has no problem with performing deeds of questionable morals, though he does have his limits.



Name/Nickname: Spite
Link to Dragon: Link
Gender: Male
Personality: Serious, orderly and calm, Spite never cracks a smile and is apparently incapable of making or appreciating jokes. He hates disobedience and seems to enjoy being the one in control. Despite being rather reserved and distant, he does care about his clan's well-being. While it's easy to annoy him, he's quite patient and isn't quick to anger, usually willing to listen to his enemies before deciding to off them.
Familiar: Morkrul, a scheming and melancholic male Hippogriff. He has a very long memory and is often vindictive, eager to exact revenge on those who wrong him or Spite. How he goes about with that is never really discussed.
Other: Spite isn't the true leader of the clan, but is the second-in-command and mate of the leader. Since the Archdemon can't spare time, Spite chose to attend the conference himself, bringing along Winterspell for of his knowledge and Teldryn for backup.



Name/Nickname: Sezareth (Seza)
Link to Dragon: Link
Gender: Male
Personality: Even though he came from nobility, Sezareth is a very modest fellow, if not sometimes spiteful. He doesn't think much of himself, having always been put down by others, but there is something in him that makes him strive to become stronger. It would be a much easier goal if he wasn't a dirty coward who's willing to put others in danger so that he could survive. Still, his youth gives him much more time to change, and the turmoil going on in the land could be a chance to prove himself.
Familiar: Telvora, an aloof and pompous male Squall Rasa. He doesn't seem to care much for Sezareth (or anyone else), and spends most of his time grooming himself. Telvora was the only gift that Sezareth's father gave him, which is why he still keeps him.
Other: Sezareth was born and groomed as royalty, but that hasn't stopped him from feeling alienated from the rest of his kin, who view him as being inept and useless. The stress of being the son of the leader became too much for him, and he ran away. At least, that's what he tells everyone. There are rumors that he had done something incredibly atrocious and was exiled from his clan, but most find that hard to believe. He is now a rogue and is not truly affiliated with any clan, though he is known to Winterspell's clan.

ggg gg

Question; can familars talk? Or just a few of them, like the Beastclan familiars?


Name/Nickname: Namyra
Link to Dragon's Page: lonk
Gender: Female
Personality: A little twisted, with a fractured mentality. Seems to show only the extreme ends of any emotion, and tends to display moods based off of the seven sins. When in one of her rare neutral moods, Namyra is oddly playful, with a childlike mentality. Has a god complex; she believes herself to be Dreams, and on an equal playing field with the Eleven.
Enjoys her decorum, and is pleased that she has managed to liken herself to the night sky.
Familiar: A male Murktooth Bramblekeep named Oneiros. Cold and cruel to all but Namyra.
Other: The matriarch of her clan.
Despite her choice to relocate to the Sunbeam Ruins, she still yearns to return to her homeland and birthplace of the Tangled Wood. To compensate for her homesickness, she is usually seen haunting the Hewn City.


Name/Nickname: Lepidus (Lep)
Link to Dragon's Page: lank
Gender: Male
Personality: In contrast to his mate's childish sense of grandeur and near-insanity, Lepidus is kinder, simpler, and more down to earth. Quite intelligent, and has next to none of the poor memory that is characteristic of his kind. Brash and pragmatic. Can be a little rude at times, but rarely intends any ill-will on anyone that doesn't deserve it.
Familiar: A female Nature Sprite named Artemis. Kind and chatty, and enjoys company.
Other: The patriarch of his clan.
Named for a warrior-hero of the Gladekeeper in ages past. Enjoys the Sunbeam Ruins, but like his mate, he does miss his old home. Lepidus would defend his clan until his dying breath.


Name/Nickname: Maatsheptra
Link to Dragon's Page: lenk
Gender: Female
Personality: Rather imposing, and most don't know whether to describe her as kind, or cruel. Likes to ask a lot of questions about others, and doesn't attempt in the slightest to pretend that she has good intentions. Makes a point about finding out where to sink a knife to do the most damage to a dragon, so to speak. Otherwise, Maatsheptra is rather benevolent, playing her cards to her advantage.
Familiar: A male Hippogriff named Halphamet. Stoic, impassive and impossibly loyal, answering to Maatsheptra and Maatsheptra alone.
Other: Fluent in common draconic, though her voice is quite heavily accented. Not a fighter, prefering to use her wit to get out of tough situations.


Name/Nickname: Wheatley
Link to Dragon's Page: lunk
Gender: Male
Personality: The embodiment of Ideas, a dragon that is perpetually coming up with plans and ideas. Bubbly and often cheerful, if erratic, though in recent times he had become fearful and subdued. Quite afraid of what's going on. Once a hardened warrior of his 'sister's' army, and while his capabilities of battle have not left him, his nerve and bravery has. Often agitated.
His mind is ravaged.
Familiar: A female Wintermane Bowman named Luminia. Quiet and somewhat taciturn, and a hardened warrior.
Other: Quite heavily scarred, and said to have been forced to become a monstrosity in years past. Wheatley refuses to utter the name of the foul beast that had taken over him, yet the danger is closer than what he would care to admit.
Even for a Spiral, it's especially difficult to coax a straight answer out of him. His scales along his left side appear to be a lot darker than they should be (Closer to Navy/Midnight in colour).

Quote: ReshiramForever

Question; can familars talk? Or just a few of them, like the Beastclan familiars?

Intelligent ones like Beastclan familiars (and maybe Sprites?) can speak, although they may not necessarily know how to speak in the common language. Animal familiars like Rambras and Owlcats can't speak, but I imagine that they can communicate with their master with images and feelings.

I never really considered Familiars more than just simple pets. Most of my dragons have set ones, but there's no story or anything with them. It's more an aesthetic thing.


Name/Nickname: Mizuho
Link to Dragon's Page:
Gender: Female
Personality: Rather calm, relaxed, and peaceful in nature.
Familiar:
Other: Despite wind-eyes also has some water-powers.


Name/Nickname: Kazuto
Link to Dragon's Page:
Gender: Male
Personality: Carefree, kind, and friendly.
Familiar:
Other:


Name/Nickname: Hinata
Link to Dragon's Page:
Gender: Female
Personality: Kind, but can have a powerful temper.
Familiar:
Other: Can breathe fire even though she's a Wind-dragon.

I also have every intent in including Shoushi, Higure, Akatsuki, Shikyo, Konsho, Taiko, Kiriume, Murasaki, Asagi, Senryoku, and Araigaki in some way, either through mention or cameo.

Went with five dragons, they'll all appear whenever they're needed... Regulus and Denebola are more convenient for actual fighting and such while Avenriel and Lazulo will turn up more when talking and such, probably.


Name/Nickname: Auride
Link to Dragon's Page: Here you go dears
Gender: Male
Personality: A warm and friendly figure, known for being wise and confident as a leader. He is capable of being serious if he needs to, but tries to stay cheerful, and he's terrible when left in charge of hatchlings- he just can't bring himself to tell them off and he gets them over-excited as well. He has an interest in scientific and magical study, and particularly likes magical substances such as crystals, usually from meteorites.
Familiar: George the Golden Bantam Fangar (male) who accompanies him into the mountains when he goes off looking for meteorites or is just on his daily walk.
Other: The leader of his clan, one of its founders. He is very close to the other founder- Polaris- but she isolates herself a lot to study, so you'll pretty much never see her in public, or even interacting with the rest of her clan. Also, he won't remember anyone's names. He's a Tundra.


Name/Nickname: Avenriel
Link to Dragon's Page: link
Gender: Male
Personality: Generally nice to talk to, he is polite and well-spoken, but proud, a bit of a gossip, and due to his background he can be just a little snooty without realising it, which can lead him to be unintentionally rude (Lazulo always points it out and tells him off afterwards). He has a calm air about him most of the time. But if he doesn't like you, he finds it very hard to hide it.
Familiar: Pyja, a sunspot clouddancer (male). He has the same vicious demeanor as most of his species but Avenriel keeps him close because he is both intimidating and beautiful.
Other: Born into nobility in a clan based on warriors, his parents tried to teach him to be humbler and more respectful, to value skill over the conceited upper class into which he was born. Unfortunately, these nobles impressed him a lot, and he did become a little snooty himself despite his parents' words. He did realise that his respect for others was slowly stripping away, and that these seemingly beautiful royals were at conflict with the ideals he had been raised on, so he left for a simpler life in a clan with no such hierarchy. He's not much of a fighter but he can let out some fire if he needs to. He was fond of his old home and still loves fine metal items like those made in the Ashfall Waste, such as patterned armour or neat swords (decorative, swords aren't much use to most four-legged dragons). He joined Auride's clan because of its "elegant aesthetic". He is Lazulo's partner, which he is open about within his own clan, but wary about mentioning in public.


Name/Nickname: Lazulo
Link to Dragon's Page: link
Gender: Male
Personality: Much more active and outgoing than Avenriel (mostly because he's not too heavy to lift himself off the ground) he is just as much a gossip and is very sociable. He's also a little bit snobby at times, but far less than Avenriel, and he tends to realise that he's putting others down when he shouldn't and feels guilty. He's also not too proud to admit his mistakes.
Familiar: Harpia the clouddancer (male) who is far more gentle than Pyja. He can't communicate with his familiar through dragonese but instead speaks to him through a form of whistling.
Other: A sort of wind mage who fits right into his clan because he loves to experiment with his air-based powers. He tends to be more active at night than during the day. He is Avenriel's partner. Also, here is the size difference between Avenriel and Lazulo, it's hilarious.

(a shame this icon doesn't show his entire nose which actually extends for 5 metres across the page)
Name/Nickname: Regulus
Link to Dragon's Page: link
Gender: Male
Personality: Loyal and dedicated to no end, if he decides you are his friend, he will do anything at all for you (unless Denebola tells him not to). A bit guillible, but he's a loveable giant. He's a guard dragon first and foremost, so he's not afraid to take a life- only if absolutely neccessary- but deep down he's a bit of a dork who loves watching shooting stars and gathering evidence that extraterrestrial life exists. That's why the Shade interests him, even though he knows how dangerous it is. He loves Denebola for her faithfulness to the clan and the way she is so good at boosting others' confidence by telling them how strong they are.
Familiar: A sunset lasher. He fished it out of a chest and it refused to leave him after someone commented that they "had the same nose". Generally stays in the pond at home.
Other: One of his clan's two official guards (the other being his mate Denebola, below). He is brutally strong, just not so hot with elemental attacks. He was homeless as a child, and taken in by Polaris and Auride when their clan was barely started, which is why he is so loyal to it- he owes them his life and home.


Name/Nickname: Denebola
Link to Dragon's Page: link
Gender: Female
Personality: As faithful to her clan as her mate Regulus, who she dearly loves. She is firmer than him and often comes across as colder and more formal, but she is warm and loving to those she knows well. She is proud of her strength and especially of her various children, who she sees as being very strong and successful. She is less willing than Regulus to spare enemy lives, owing to her "it's us or them" and "survival of the fittest" attitude, but being with Regulus has softened her up, and sometimes he demands that she doesn't make a kill. She admires Regulus for his positive outlook, and likes to inspire others with the same confidence.
Familiar: Pestilentia (a.k.a. Pesti) a female Plague Sprite who only speaks to other Plague-element dragons, through telepathy. She is strongly faithful to her own flight's element, but came to the Arcane clan as an ambassador. She has been tense and quiet since the conflict began.
Other: The other guard of her clan, she too is strong, but can make use of her Plague magic in physical combat. She lost her clan as a child, and moved from place to place staying with other clans overnight for food and shelter; only Auride's clan gave her a permanent home. Size difference again, my word.

Here I am...


Name/Nickname: Thymus
Link to Dragon's Page: Click
Gender: Male
Personality (brief description): Thymus is a cunning, conniving, sneaky little rascal. He's softened a bit since joining Zolla's clan, but life is still mostly about him and what he can get out of it. He's an opportunist. Very friendly, he loves meeting new faces, whether dragons or creatures. He's crafty and observant. A smooth talker, he knows how to work almost everything to his favor. He prefers to watch from a distance and not get his claws dirty, but if the situation calls for it, he's not afraid to fight. He's a fairly skilled warrior, preferring to fight from a distance.
Familiar (optional, include gender): Nez, a male Black Dwarf Unicorn, who Thymus couldn't help but feeling sorry for since it lost it's magic. He's vowed to help him get it back, even if in another form, and Nez has vowed to remain loyal to him, acting mostly as a body guard. He's strong and protective of Thymus, but can't pull of an intimidating look very well, being young, self-conscious, and not very confident.
Other: Thymus can speak to other dragons in the common dragon tongue, observing and teaching himself from a young age how to do so, for his benefit, of course.


Name/Nickname: Potok (can be called 'Po.')
Link to Dragon's Page: Click
Gender: Male
Personality (brief description): Potok was born and raised in Zolla's clan, and has always been fascinated with the nature and beauty all around him. He's studied and observed it since a young age, and now can make it work for him in whatever way he needs. He's an alchemist, who prefers to be alone with his work. He's only really close to his familiar. He's not the greatest at holding a conversation, as he's so often alone in nature. He's a kind soul, who cares deeply for not only nature, but also those around him. He's far from a warrior, however he does know a thing or two about the magic coursing through him. He's a bit shy, and prefers to observe and not interject ideas. Optimistic, he prefers to not make waves, and believes in peace and goodness in all things.
Familiar (optional, include gender): Stu, a male Silver Ferret, who Potok happened upon in his studies. Stu is overly-excitable, very playful, and loves having a good time. Potok has trained him to help him gather materials for his work. It keeps Stu busy and helps him burn off his energy.
Other: With the help of Rhune, the clan mage, Potok was able to create a lasting potion that allows him to speak the common dragon language. Even so, it's still very rare that he speaks to another dragon.


Name/Nickname: Domax
Link to Dragon's Page: Click
Gender: Male
Personality (brief description): Mate to Zolla, the founder of Zolla's Sanctuary, Domax has dutifully taken to the role of leading it. He's a strong, sure, peace-loving dragon. Kind and compassionate, he's loved by all, but he's no push-over. He can be a bit stubborn when his mind is set on something. He has a way of seeing beyond what's really there, both in the world around him, and in the dragons he sees every day. He's not quick to cast judgement, but isn't naive, either. He simply waits to see what will happen, giving others the benefit of the doubt, and believing in the good in them. (This is what's allowed Zolla's Sanctuary to become such a large haven for dragons.) He's a planner and a strategist, doing nothing without thinking ahead first. The only exception to this is when any sort of injustice is being done, or when someone he cares deeply for is being threatened. In such instances, his compassion will kindle into a fire, and he'll rush in to defend and protect without thinking. He's very good at taking charge and getting things done, and is driven to make a difference in the world around him. He'll only fight if absolutely necessary, but is quite skilled when he does.
Familiar (optional, include gender): A female Dunhoof Ambassador name Madesa (Desa for short), who came to the clan as an ambassador and has stayed ever since, becoming close to Domax, as the clan's leader. She's unsure of the ripples of discontent going throughout the world, and longs for peace as much as Domax. She'll do whatever she can to keep the peace that once was so prominent, back when she actually had a role as an ambassador. Loyal to a fault, she's very kind and friendly, and has seen much.
Other: N/A


Name/Nickname: Diabella
Link to Dragon's Page: Click
Gender: Female
Personality (brief description): Diabella is a dark and mysterious dragon, who says little and always watches from the shadows. She's very reserved, confiding in no one. She's silent and stealthy, a trained assassin. Ever cautious, she never trusts others, though she is very slowly starting to trust Domax. She lives for herself, rarely defending or offering aid to the others. She's stubborn and head-strong. Deep down, though, she's very kind, it's just hidden by a dark and difficult past, which has caused her to become cold and calculating. In the rare situation where she'll feel allegiance to someone, she'll rush in to defend with no thought to herself or her well-being. She really doesn't care all that much for herself. Diabella won't hesitate to take a life, especially if it means surviving or not, and prefers to fight up close.
Familiar (optional, include gender): A male Swift Lumen, who Diabella has never bothered learning the name of (it's Ricin). The familiar has taken a fancy to her and now won't leave her alone, much to her annoyance, though she may secretly enjoy the company. Ricin is quite curious, often getting himself into trouble, from which Diabella always rescues him, unable to leave the poor creature, especially when he looks at her with his wide, pleading eyes.
Other: Diabella holds no allegiance to any flight, constantly traveling. Plague would be where her deepest allegiance lies, as that's where she spent most of her life, being cared for and raised, but it's more out of duty and owing them something rather than anything deeper.

OOC: I'm a day late, but oh well! Let's start this RP, shall we? (As of now, the peace conference hasn't started, but it will soon)



"When is this damned conference going to begin?" thought Teldryn, fighting back the urge to let out a yawn.

He folded his golden wings to his side and sprawled on the hard, rocky earth. The ground of the Shattered Plain was hardly comfortable for his stomach, but it would have to do. He quietly observed the other dragons who were also attending the meeting, chattering amongst themselves or with other clans. Never had he seen so many dragons of so many different elements and breeds in one spot!

Beside him lay Winterspell, furiously digging through his scroll cases, where he'd written down many of the strange occurrences he had witnessed the past few months. Despite being a Lightning dragon, the young Skydancer was definitely Arcane at heart.

Meanwhile, Spite, the only dragon who actually represented their clan's element of Plague, paced back and forth in front of his associates. The beige Mirror was muttering to himself rapidly, probably practicing his speech for the upcoming gathering. Now and then he'd pause and sit down for a moment, watching the other dragons with his signature frown.

OOC: Because everyone has Skydancers and Nocturnes and such, Regulus and Denebola are the biggest dragons in this RP. Like, I don't think anyone else here is much more than 5M long but they are Ridgebacks. I love it.

As the clans were waiting, a slight wind began to pick up, coating quite a few dragons in a very fine layer of dust and soil from the dry ground. The leader of one clan, a gold-coloured Tundra, chuckled as he shook it out of his mane. The blue-and-gold Skydancer at his side was far less pleased- he scraped at his head feathers furiously, trying to rid them of every speck of dirt that had landed on them.

"Shouldn't be too long now, Avenriel. Looks like the rest of them are here anyway." The Tundra commented, glacing upwards at the two dark Ridgebacks on either side of them. With three smaller dragons sitting between the pair of giants, they made an odd formation, but Regulus and Denebola wouldn't dare let any clan member leave their territory without bodyguards in times like these.

Avenriel continued preening himself. "I wouldn't mind the wait so much if they'd at least provided us with proper shelter. This desert filth is getting in my feathers. I can't go into a meeting looking like this..." Beside him, a smaller, darker Skydancer was lying down, waving his claws in the air and playing with the passing winds. After a few minutes of looking bored, he stood up and leaned over towards a dragon from another clan standing nearby, initiating a conversation to pass the time.

Denebola, one of the towering Ridgebacks, glanced across at her mate. He nodded reassuringly. All seemed well.

OOC: haha i probably would've had an imperial but look at the things their heads are probably the size of nearly everything else

Namyra shifted her wings impatiently, her tail sweeping through the dust slowly and steadily. She didn't care for the dirt that was settling in her feathers, the matriarch was more concerned about the heat. Even sitting in the shade of a boulder did very little for Namyra, much to her irritation.

Of course, there was time later to be concerned with the dust that settled over her. As long as her dear silks were fine, there was no need for immediate action.

"Why did we come?" she hissed to her companion. "You know I hate the heat. It's the only thing worse than sunlight."

"It's a necessary evil." Lepidus replied quietly, though he shared his mate's views on the heat. At least the Sunbeam Ruins were more temperate.

"Ah! But this is enjoyable, no?" Maatsheptra laughed, her snakish tongue flicking as she did so. The coatl had spent the last while sunning herself, and flaunting her shining feathers to the general populace. Wheatley had seemed especially uncomfortable at his clanmate's clearly flirtatious manner, sinking into a sullen silence as he half-dozed atop the boulder.

OOC: Denebola's size compared to everyone else is honestly pretty scary

As Winterspell squirmed around, trying to find a particular item in his bag, one of his scroll cases suddenly managed to free itself from the confines of its cage and rolled away. Winterspell looked up and cursed quietly, then berated himself for using such foul language in public, and then finally stood up and began stalking over to the runaway scroll case.
However, as he stepped forward, his back leg got caught in his bag and he tripped, landing square onto his face. Meanwhile, the contents of his bag spilled forwards from being accidentally kicked by him, sending even more missives, tomes, and even food onto the cold ground. Winterspell could only stand up and look hopelessly at the mess he'd created, while pawing at his bloody nose.

Teldryn stared at the magnificent spectacle in silent amusement, before turning to his Mirror companion. "So tell me, Spite," he said, "why all the notes and speeches? I don't see anyone else being quite so stressed out."

Spite looked up at the taller dragon. "Plaguelings aren't fond of leaving their home territory," he explained slowly, "especially when a meeting is located somewhere so close to the Viridian Labyrinth. Thus, we are one of the only Plague clans to be attending, and we should be able to give as much information as possible."

As he spoke, Spite then turned his head over to Winterspell, who was trying to pick up his scattered items and cover his bleeding nose at the same time. "Not to mention that Winterspell is so fond of keeping notes of everything. Speaking of, perhaps you should lend him some aid, Teldryn." Spite hissed at the last word, clearly meaning this to be an order rather than a suggestion.

Teldryn's shoulders slumped a little bit as he shuffled off to help his frazzled clanmate.

OOC: Yes I'm using dragons I didn't list in my sheets. This is meant to be a gathering of clan leaders and these are my leaders. It is Shoushi, Higure, & Akatsuki who were noted for cameos in the sheet post. I plan for the main focus to be around the 3 Nocturnes, but these 3 are here for the meeting.

Shoushi rolled his eyes as he looked around the room at the other dragons chatting away, waiting for the event to begin. "Why are we here again...?" He asked, knowing the answer and just annoyed and impatient.

"We're here to discuss why all these strange things are occurring throughout the land and hopefully fix it. You do want the light to quit coming through the Tangled Wood, don't you?" Akatsuki replied, most wishing Shoushi would shut up and relax.

"Yes, I do; though at least it's darker there than it is here. How anyone can stand the brightness of this place is beyond me." He scoffed.

Higure let out a sigh, wishing the two would just get along. Although there constant bickering is what kept things interesting and she knew they were still more or less friends in spite of it.

Lazulo's brief conversation with a neighbouring dragon had ended pretty quickly- the other participant clearly wasn't that interested in keeping it up. Instead, he turned back to Avenriel. He was about to say something when a clatter alarmed him- some dragon nearby had dropped a load of items- but as he looked towards the source of the fuss, he saw a few larger dragons making their way towards a stone podium at the centre. They must have been some of the clan elders who had called the meeting together, so it looked like things were about to start.

OOC: I don't know how this meeting works so I'm just gonna start it like that.

"Oh, finally." Namyra shifted again, drawing herself into a quiet sitting position with wings tucked along her back. She noticed out of the corner of a violet eye as Maatsheptra did something similar and began to preen, and Wheatley coiling on the rock.

She could've brought someone more suitable, she realised now. Someone more... dignified.

"Why did I have to come again?" Diabella asked, keeping her voice low. "You know I'm not really a peace keeper like you."

"I know," Domax replied, trying not to get annoyed, though the constant questions had been going on since they'd left their home, and hadn't stopped since they'd arrived.

"You and Potok could have easily dealt with this."

"I know."

"Or better yet, why didn't you bring Aria? She likes to keep the peace."

"Yes, and she's very good at it. But none are as observant as you. I need you to watch, keep an eye on things as this conference takes place. You can read a lot about what's going on from more than just mere words spoken."

Diabella turned to him. "Isn't that your area of expertise - seeing beyond what's there?"

"Yes. But I'll be busy with the conference. I am the leader of our clan, after all."

"I thought that's what you dragged Thymus along for."

"I heard that," Thymus growled quietly from his perch on a nearby rock. He was already doing as Domax had suggested - watching those gathered around them.

Domax nodded. "Yes, Thymus will be my voice, but I am still expected to pay attention to what's going on. You, on the other hand, don't have to." He paused to grin. "You can stay in the shadows, not missed by the others.

Diabella couldn't help but smile. She liked the sound of that.

"It's starting," Potok alerted them, and Diabella turned with the others to see several dragons making their way toward a stone podium.

Teldryn was picking up one of the few remaining items off the ground when he heard a loud, bellowing noise. It lasted for about three seconds before being dying out. It was the sound of one of the Wildclaw elders blowing a horn, no doubt signifying the start of the meeting.

He smiled to himself. "Ah, good! It seems that it's finally about to begin!" And with that, he pranced off to the podium at the center, where the conference was to take place.

Winterspell blinked as the other Skydancer simply upped and left. Shaking his head, he gathered up his remaining items and hurried after the others.

Spite wormed his way through the crowd, eventually finding himself beside the stone podium. His two Skydancer companions soon appeared at his side, one glancing around nervously and the other watching the clan elders with a neutral expression. Meanwhile, Spite surveyed the area, carefully studying the faces of the other dragons with a calculating gaze. Eventually, his four eyes rested on the Wildclaw elder who had blown the horn, an Earth dragon who was fittingly stone-colored.

The Wildclaw raised his hand, and soon, all (or at least most) of the dragons had gone quiet.

"My friends," he began with a deep, smooth voice, "as you all know, we have gathered here in light of the recent events that have been plaguing our lands and our homes. You may have heard of the incident with one of the Centaur ambassadors from the Wintermane clan, who..."

Teldryn felt a nagging sensation at the back of the head. It was the feeling that this was going to be one long, boring, and pointless conference.

"Bout damn time this thing started." Shoushi grumbled.

Akatsuki gave him a nudge in the upper arm and whispered for him to hush so she could hear. He replied with a low growl. Higure, who was standing to Shoushi's other side looked over and growled at them both, her eyes temporarily turning a shade of red as opposed to the usual Shadow-purple. The two quieted down. Even though they knew she couldn't control her inner darkness, they knew she could be scary if she wanted to be despite her usual calm demeanor.

As the Wildclaw continued his speech, Winterspell looked around warily. He never really felt comfortable in such large crowds. As his gaze fixated on a random Guardian across from him, he swore he could see her eyes flash red for a moment. He quickly turned his head away, hoping she didn't notice him.

Spite pawed at the ground. Even the introduction to this meeting was taking time. 'The Archdemon is not going to be pleased if we take all day...'

"...and so it has come down to this. Though you may feel uncomfortable around dragons of so many different flights, it is time that we set aside our differences and decide on our course of action. For we are all of the same species, and we must unite if we are to defeat this unknown foe." The Wildclaw smiled softly. "Does anyone wish to speak first?"

Spite began to move forward, when he was stopped by the sound of approaching... hoofsteps? He looked around, confused. Was there a wild animal running loose? A familiar? No, they didn't permit familiars to attend the conference... In fact, his own familiar was waiting for him outside. And yet he soon spotted a lone Rambra entering the circle, walking with a slow, but purposeful gait. Spite noticed a Nocturne dragon raising his brow - it was most definitely his bonded animal.

"I told you, stay outside!" the dragon barked, but the Rambra didn't listen for once. Its eyes were clouded black. It began to convulse, and dark energy poured from its writhing body.

Winterspell stepped backwards, fear and uncertainty in his blue eyes. Even Teldryn started backing away. Spite just stood and watched as the Rambra stomped one of its hooves with such force that the earth cracked. It reared up with a flourish, and black tendrils with maws lined with teeth erupted from its back, rising into the sky. There were so many that they almost completely enveloped the sky with darkness.

Then the tendrils turned downwards, and rained down on the dragons.

"Now things are getting interesting..." Shoushi smirked, watching as the dark tendrils engulfed the room.

"The wretched darkness...." Akatsuki said with fear in her voice. "I've heard tales of this. We need to get out of here! Now!"

"Oh relax, it's just a little darkness. Besides, that thing is blocking the exit." Shoushi rolled his eyes at Akatsuki's panicked tone. The screams of other dragons soon filled the room as the tendrils began their attack. The threat this force posed finally settled in causing Shoushi to tense up a bit. "Alright... so getting out of here?"

"We'll need to make a new way out." Akatsuki placed a paw against the wall nearest her. Vines flowed from her hand and began burrowing through the stone wall. The process was long, but was working slowly to crack through the wall.

The two had been so pre-occupied with the task at hand, they barely noticed as Higure fell over, only hearing the thud as she hit the ground. They looked over and saw she had collapsed, one of the tendrils piercing through one of her front legs. "Higure!" Akatsuki called out, rushing to her side.

Auride's eyes widened when he saw them. He hadn't even seen the Rambra go in- they'd been stuck at the back of the crowd and could hardly hear any of what was being said near the front- so when thick, black tendrils were suddenly climbing above everyone's heads, he had no idea what was happening.

Regulus and Denebola, thankfully, had seen the entire thing. Immediately they jumped into action- opening out their massive wings like umbrellas and holding them right over their three smaller clan members, leaving Auride, Avenriel and Lazulo even more alarmed and bewildered. "Turn around and start moving the other way," Denebola demanded, and the three followed her instructions right away. Even Avenriel was completely silent.

But the crowd quickly reached a state of mass panic. Dragons were running wild, some almost tripping the Ridgeback pair up as they shot past. Others were climbing over the smaller dragons as they tried to get away. One minute, they were all side-by-side, and the next second Auride was alone with Regulus; Denebola was some way away, with her mate only able to catch a glimpse of her across the stampede, and Auride unable to spot her at all. Avenriel was virtually clinging to her leg for safety when he realised Lazulo wasn't with him.

Lazulo was trying to run, but larger dragons crashed past his smaller frame as if he wasn't there. A rushing guardian kicked him over without realising, and when he tried to get up, other dragons trampling above him prevented him from doing so. If he tried to stand, he was at risk of being knocked forcefully in the head by the ginormous leg of a bigger dragon, or scratched with frenzied claws. Not to mention that his side was hurting quite badly. He could only mutter a feeble "help" hoping somebody would hear him.

"So it seems the darkness will win in the end after all..." Higure's breathing had grown rather soft and shallow. For such a small wound, it seemed to be taking a deeper toll on her than would be expected.

Akatsuki moved to her forearm to try to bandage the wound a bit. "Don't talk like that, you'll be fine." Inspecting the wound told a different story however. Inky black markings were stretching from the wound and spreading across Higure's arm like a rapidly growing rash. It wasn't like anything Akatsuki had ever seen. There wasn't even any blood.

Pure terror overtook Winterspell's mind for a moment. The bleak tendrils were extending at such a rapid speed that they soon touched everywhere, and it seemed that there was no escape. Amidst all the chaos and all the dragons fleeing around him, he felt someones shoulder bump his, and a familiar voice near his ear saying, "Do you want to die here? Come on, hurry up, we have to go!"

Snapping back to reality, Winterspell turned to see Teldryn beside him, and Spite only a few paces away, trying to fight off the crowd. He nodded to them and began rushing away - but first, he couldn't help but turn back to see the scene. The Rambra was lying still on its side, the shadowy presence having left it. Its eyes were no longer shrouded, but the poor thing was likely dead anyways.

They kept moving on. Winterspell felt a great desire to simply take off the ground and fly away as far as possible, but the number of dragons around him and the darkness overhead made it impossible. Suddenly, as if realizing something, he stopped. Teldryn bumped into him from behind. "Winterspell!"

"Wait!" Winterspell scanned the area, as if searching for someone. Finally he cried out, "Where's Spite?"

Teldryn blinked, and turned around. There was no sight of the Mirror dragon. "We lost him. It's no matter, he can handle himself."

"But aren't you supposed to be in his service?" said Winterspell. Usually Teldryn was left to his own devices, but Spite had hired the mercenary in case things went a little wrong in the conference. In this case, things went very wrong.

"Look," Teldryn growled, "I don't even care about the money anymore. What's more important is that we get out of here alive!"

Winterspell hesitated. He didn't want to leave one of the clan's leaders behind, even though he technically wasn't his leader, but he didn't see any way that they could find him in these conditions. He let out a sigh, and continued moving on, hoping that the darkness wouldn't find the two in the crowd.



The sky had turned pitch black. He'd seen such darkness before, but it was never as intense as this. This was a whole new level of evil. It was utterly terrifying, and it would probably plague his dreams for a while afterwards - if he made it out alive, that is.

Sezareth wanted nothing more than to turn around and flee like the rest, but he could hardly see what with all the larger dragons surrounding him. He didn't even want to come to the conference. He didn't even know there was one! He just happened to be in the area when the tendrils appeared, and now he was trapped. And about to die, he was sure of it. So much for proving himself. 'I guess I'll be meat for the wolves after all.'

As the Pearlcatcher crouched down and covered his face with his wings, hoping to not get attacked by either the tendrils or the larger dragons, he swore he could hear someone beside him, muttering for help. Cautiously he called out, "Who's there?"

"How's she doing..." Shoushi asked. Even though he put up the tough guy act, seeming like he never cared to have anyone else around, the 2 there with him were still his friends.

Akatsuki merely looked up at him with sad eyes, unwilling to admit it herself. Shoushi closed his eyes and let out a sigh, anger filling him. He looked up at the darkness looming overhead and shot a ball of shadow energy from his mouth straight into the dark force. Of course this did little other than tick off the evil entity hanging over them. A number of tendrils shot down and struck Shoushi at once.

"Shoushi!" Akatsuki called out, moving over to him.

He collapsed once the tendrils retracted, the multiple hits accelerating the affects with the black rash-like infection spreading from each wound. "Get out of here.... Take Higure with you and get help..." His voice was weak. With the last of his energy he fired another Dark Bolt at the wall Akatsuki had been burrowing through. The already weakened wall crumbled upon impact. The dark rash consumed him not long afterward; his body turning to black dust.

Akatsuki shed a tear before turning to Higure. Shoushi was gone, but she could still try to save her. She lifted her up and tried to fly out through the hole in the wall, though Higure's weight staggered her movement. Higure's arm turned to dust upon being lifted, the infection continuing to spread. Almost at the wall, a tendril truck Akatsuki through her wing, going through and cutting Higure along her side. Akatsuki fell to the ground, unable to stay airborne and attempted to crawl her way out. She now understood why Higure seemed so drained. As the infection spread it felt as if it was stealing her life-force, absorbing it and feeding it back to the entity above.

She managed to crawl her way outside, though knew she wouldn't make it far. Higure had been lost to the infection not long before she'd made it outside and she knew she wasn't going to last much longer, the infection already covering most of her body. Using the little power she could muster, she spit out a seed that grew into Snowsquall Floracat. "Return home... Warn the others...." The cat scampered off, returning to the Tangled Wood. Her warning sent, Akatsuki laid down her head and accepted death, her body being reduced to dust like her friends.

OOC: And this is reason 2 as to why I used these 3 and not the one's I signed up with.

Lazulo was lying on his side still, trying to stay as low as possible. If he couldn't run, it was his only defence against both the stampede and the mysterious blackness, now that it was starting to strike down on the crowd. He couldn't see much of what was going on- only the screams of panicking dragons, the bangs as some braver souls stayed behind spitting fire and ice and magical energy at the darkness, trying to weaken it to no avail. In a feeble attempt to keep safe, Lazulo whipped up a small air current over his body, deflecting any misfires from other dragons that came crashing back down on them instead.

While protecting himself, he sent a small air current away, through the crowd and to the edge of the meeting site. As it travelled further, the air current changed its nature. It had become a small, shrill whistle by the time it reached its destination. There, a silvery Clouddancer twitched his feathery ears anxiously as he listened to the sound.

The dust being kicked up was starting to make Lazulo cough- thankfully his wind-shield alleviated the issue a little. After lying for what must have been only minutes, but felt like hours, he heard a voice among the other sounds. Up ahead of him, he could see a crouched Pearlcatcher. He called back in desperation, "Can you help me? Please!"

---

By now, the other four were quite far from the epicentre of the calamity, at least out of range of the dark entity's attacks. They still had to get further away, but Avenriel stood his ground. "If you think that I am leaving before we get him-"
"It's dangerous for any of us to go back," Denebola told the Skydancer, "You must leave with Auride and Regulus. I will see if I can find him." Regulus immediately looked concerned, but he knew better than to try and question his mate. Instead, he gave her neck a quick nuzzle out of concern, then started to move away with Avenriel while she fought her way against the swarming crowd.

"This looks like the clearest way out," Regulus informed the two dragons below him. Avenriel gave a hurried nod and began to move that way. Auride, however, didn't move. He stood watching the disaster, horrified but... fixated. As if it completely fascinated him.
"We need to get going!" Regulus barked. Auride nodded slowly. He was aware of the impending danger, and he wasn't going to put Regulus or Avenriel at risk, but that darkness... It was alive. Pulsating with the strangest energy... Like nothing he'd ever seen or felt before.

Domax watched in horror as the tendrils rained down upon the dragons surrounding him. He'd been near the front of the crowd, so had a good view of all that was going on. In a fit of rage, he lashed out at the tendrils with his plague magic. It did little good. Hearing a squeal of panic, he turned in time to see Potok getting shoved out of the way by other dragons, scrambling for an exit. "Potok!"

He was by the small Fae's side in an instant, standing guard over him, regretting immediately bringing him. Bringing any of them. He'd put them all in danger. He should have known he was walking into a trap. Peace conferences were unheard of in recent years.

A tendril smashed down on top of a dragon next to him. Furious, he turned toward it, lashing out at it with his claws. A force of plague magic hit the tendril before he could touch it, causing it to explode. It reformed again instantly, but Domax turned toward the approaching Thymus, who had been the one to strike the tendril.

"Don't touch it," Thymus warned. "Anyone - anything - it touches slowly fades to dust."

Domax could feel his worry rising at the thought. "Then we have to stop it!"

"There is no stopping it!" Diabella's voice floated down to them as she'd somehow managed to make her way against the scrambling crowd to get to them. "I've been watching. No amount of magic, no sort of magic, can stop it. Don't waste your reserves."

"But we have to help!"

Beside him, Potok nodded his agreement, though he stayed quiet. Diabella was about to answer when a tendril shot toward them. Without thinking, Domax used his magic to throw a reflective barrier up around all of them. The tendril hit the barrier as they all watched, wide-eyed. It tried to penetrate, shaking violently when it couldn't get through.

Sighing in relief, though trying to hide it, Diabella turned to him. "We have to get out of here!"

Domax nodded. He didn't agree. He'd much rather stay and help the other dragons, but he knew that getting out and forming a plan was a much better solution.

"I saw an opening over there," Diabella said, pointing.

"Lead the way."

She did as he said, and he followed, keeping the barrier up around all four of them. As he moved toward the opening, he glanced around at all the panicked, fearful dragons he passed by. How he wished he could help them all.

They were getting farther away. Even better, it didn't seem like the evil entity overhead had noticed the two Skydancers yet. Winterspell trudged forwards. It was easier to do so now, as they were now in a less concentrated place... but still, it seemed to him that there should be more dragons. Had they all escaped, or were they dead? He didn't see any corpses nearby. It was only him, Teldryn, and the darkness behind them.

Winterspell accidentally stepped into a pile of dust. Suddenly, his curiosity was piqued. These strange ashes were scattered all around, occasionally being picked up and carried away by the winds, but he had no idea where they came from. Tentatively, he grasped a handful in his front paw and held it up. Tiny black tendrils suddenly flickered in the ashes, then died down. Winterspell examined the dust more closely, and then he experimentally breathed sparks onto them. The pile of dust began to glow in reaction to his Lightning breath.

That could only mean one thing. These were the ashes of a Light dragon.

Winterspell stared at his paws in shock. He was holding the ashes of a dead dragon. He began quivering. Now he realized why he hadn't seen any corpses so far. The dust on the ground around them... they were surrounded by death. By the gods, it was everywhere.

Teldryn stared at Winterspell. Though he was quite unhappy with the delay, he was concerned with Winterspell's reaction. What was so bothersome to him? Did he even want to know?
Deciding not to inquire for now, the white Skydancer turned around. Someone had managed to break through the wall, though whoever that was didn't bother to stick around. He could still see remnants of Shadow magic surrounding the remains of the wall.
Teldryn smiled. "How convenient. So, Winterspell, are you ready to get out of here?"

"Am I ever," moaned Winterspell, who was glad that he never decided to study necromancy. The fact that he and Teldryn were coated in dead dragons was making him feel nauseous.

"Good! Let's go, quickly now."



Sezareth flattened his ears and sunk low for a moment, hoping that eventually the crowd would dissipate. Within a few minutes, there was almost nobody save for himself and the other dragon. He staggered to his feet and turned to see a black Skydancer lying on his side, most likely the one that was calling for his help. Hesitantly, Sezareth stepped forwards and stood over him, wings folded at his sides. Now that the crowd was gone, he felt utterly bare and vulnerable to the tendrils, and it was visibly making him nervous.

Sezareth looked over the Skydancer's form. It was hard to make out any black scars on his dark colors. "You weren't hit by the tendrils, were you?" he asked, knowing full well what happened to those unfortunate to be attacked. "Because if you were, I don't want to go near you. I-it might be contagious."

Behind Sezareth, a Squall Rasa was nipping at his feet. The familiar had a satchel on a band secured around his waist, with many potions and antidotes sticking out of it, though the Rasa was obviously displeased at this addition to his wardrobe and kept giving it disdainful looks.

So, uh, I'm sorry for vanishing off the face of the earth, but I'm gonna post these guys if that's okay.


Name/Nickname: Link
Link to Dragon's Page: Click this...link.
Gender: Female
Personality: She's generally quiet, but yet incredibly energetic and passionate. While often playful and cheerful most of the time, she can easily become very grim when faced with something horrible, causing her usual silence to become rather worrying. Has a strong belief in justice and will do anything, no matter how ridiculous, to help those in need. Not very bright, all told. Or maybe she's just pretending.
Familiar: A female Black Dwarf Unicorn named Epona. Tends to look down on pretty much everyone (including Link), and is also quite fond of making food mysteriously disappear. Nonetheless, is loyal to Link and is adored by her.
Other: As the leader of the Storm Morrigi clan, she is in charge of all that goes on inside it and rarely leaves their home. Her charitable nature is probably why very...questionable Dragons were even allowed into the clan to begin with. Loves her mate and her children above all else.


Name/Nickname: Midna
Link to Dragon's Page: Don't have a link, but here's a Midna.
Gender: Female
Personality: Cold, but not exactly emotionless. She spends most of her time being depressed for some reason or another, and tends to be easily annoyed. Perhaps a bit bossy on occasion, but does try to keep everyone's best interest to heart even if she happens to dislike everyone present.
Familiar: A male Umbra Wolf named Zephyr. He spends nearly all of his time near Midna, and growling at anyone who at looks her funny.
Other: Plagued by nightmares of death and destruction and all that good stuff. Was found by Link as a hatchling, and raised by her. Their relationship is not very good, however.


Name/Nickname: Thor
Link to Dragon's Page: wow look at this dragon who isn't named link
Gender: Female
Personality: Thor is a loud, over-confident, and downright annoying warrior. But yet somehow, lovable. But one's mileage may vary. Arrogant, but shares Link's sense for justice. But her idea of justice means smashing the 'bad guy' in glorious combat. Dislikes liars...but is easy to trick regardless.
Familiar: A female Livewire Grizzly named Tyra. About as battle-hungry and confident as Thor. Which is a totally great personality for a gods-forsaken bear to have.
Other: Considers Loki a sister for some reason. Also really wants a hammer to smack things with.


Name/Nickname: Loki
Link to Dragon's Page: have a loki instead
Gender: Female
Personality: Mischievous and haughty, Loki spends her time manipulating and pulling pranks on other dragons for her own amusement. She thinks herself above any and all rules, and indeed likely thinks herself above all other dragons. Apathetic to the suffering of others for the most part, only taking concern if their pain can cause problems for her. If she has any redeeming qualities whatsoever, they're buried underneath all that is her.
Familiar: A male Ethereal Trickster named Reynard. One of the few beings on the planet that Loki actually loves, and is just as manipulative and mischievous as her.
Other: Okay, Loki at least cares for her mate and children. We...think. She also strongly dislikes Thor more than anyone else.

if i need to change anything tell meeeeeee

i'm thinking of a fifth dragon but idk who yet

i will read the posts again and make my own post eventually

feel free to poke me if i forget

"Left! Left! Go left!" Wheatley was screaming, leading the way in front of his fellow clan representatives. His armour provided some protection for the lithe figure, snaking his way through the crowds with practiced ease, avoiding both tendrils and other dragons. All the while, between instructions and dodging about, he was ranting back at them.

"Warned you, didn't I? Look what happened to me! Thought I was lyin', didn't you? Yeah."

--

Maatsheptra had deigned to ignore him, concentrating on avoiding the masses of other dragons. She had noticed that a curious dust coated her feathers, and with a quick glance, noted that Lepidus' fur, Wheatley's scales, and Namyra's feathers were too.

The cold feeling of abject horror formed in the pit of her stomach.

--

"Go! Go!" Lepidus yelled at some of the slower dragons, those who had been caught dumb in the uptake, displaying a rare aggression unbefitting of Tundras as he shunted them forwards. All kindliness was forgotten in those moments; all he cared about was getting everyone out, and safely.

Shadowy flames curled around his jaw as he lashed out at the tendrils, to little avail. It was clear that they weren't going to be deterred by such attacks. Not from a shadow elemental, at least.

And then he noticed what exactly was happening to those who weren't so lucky.

--

Namyra was almost excited.

Almost.

Everything was like a fun little game of tag. Don't get caught. Perhaps it was a little scary. Were dragons disappearing? It appeared to be the case. All the more to pressure her into not getting caught.

Good thing she was a good dancer. Dance dance dance. Don't get caught.

"Namyra!" Maatsheptra had screamed.

Oh.

She wasn't alone.

At the point where the crowd was starting to disperse and the panic was somewhat less, Regulus slowed down to a near-halt so that Denebola and Lazulo would hopefully catch up. Strange dust was blowing across the landscape, thicker and darker than before.

"Wonder if something's on fire." Auride said, innocently. Deep down he knew full well that nothing was on fire, but he couldn't rationalise the dust as anything else. Nothing that he was willing to accept anyway. It was better not to be honest about it right now- already, he could see Regulus's expression changing. The Ridgeback was stoic and serious as ever, but there was an undeniable hint of sadness lingering on his face. The other pair were lucky- trapped under two Ridgebacks and between the crowds, they hadn't seen what was actually happening- but he and Denebola had. Both he and Avenriel were quieter than normal.

--

Somewhere closer to the incident, Denebola was still scouting for Lazulo. With the area pretty much clear of living dragons, it should have been much easier to see Lazulo if he was still alive here. But somehow, perhaps due to the thick, unsettled dust in the air of just because he was such a small, dark dragon, he was not in sight.

She couldn't possibly bring herself to believe the worst, that she'd failed as his protector, that she'd have to go back and tell the others he'd been killed- no, destroyed. What would poor Avenriel be like after that? What about the rest of the clan, who said their goodbyes yesterday expecting everyone to come back safely after the meeting?

She lingered on the edge, trying to decide whether to do the noble thing and go after him or stay back. The black being was still shrouding the sky, casting its attacks when it could. Any closer and she'd be a target, being as large and strong as she was. There was no way she could combat that thing. It would be virtually a death sentence.

---

"Huh?"

Lazulo raised his head a little more and looked up towards the Pearlcatcher, cocking his head slightly to look at the Rasa for a moment, then replied, "No, no, I wasn't hit. I just... I think I got kicked by a Guardian." He rolled onto his front, letting the wind-shield die down. A layer of dust immediately dropped, covering his entire body. He tried to stand, only to stumble sideways and lose his footing. His back legs just slipped from underneath him. "Ow... My side..." He flopped pathetically down to the ground, then looked up at the other dragon again, his concern overriding his shame by now. "I don't think I can walk easily... Can you help me out at all? Is that thing in the sky still attacking?"

The Floracat bounded its way across the dusty plains. After reaching a safe distance, it turned and looked back at the hollowed dome building that was used as a meeting ground. Dragons were trampling one another to get out, black tendrils were visible stretching through the openings. The Floracat shuddered, shaking frost from its foliage like fur before turning and dashing back towards the Tangled Wood.

"Uh, Teldryn?"

"What?"

Winterspell and Teldryn had climbed out through the blasted wall and were now making their way southwards. As they were both out of breath from running for so long, they were going at a much slower pace. There didn't seem to be any rush, since the darkness was now far behind them.

Winterspell hesitated, but finally said, "Er... what do we do now?"

Teldryn froze upon hearing those words. After pondering for a bit, he slowly said, "I... don't really know. Well, I'm not going back to the Wasteland, that's for sure. Maybe I should just head back home. Get a nice, stiff drink along the way -"

"You're not going back to the Wasteland? Why not?"

Teldryn snorted. "We lost Spite, and I don't feel like dealing with an angry Guardian and her army right now."

Winterspell cocked his head. "Why would the Archdemon blame you?"

"Because I left Spite behind so that I could save my own hide. Oh, don't look at me like that, you came with me. You knew there was nothing we could do..."

Winterspell looked at the ground. The Archdemon would probably direct her anger toward him as well, so he supposed that the Scarred Wasteland was unsafe for him as well... but how could he just leave his clanmates without a chance to say goodbye? He sighed. 'At least I still have my life.'

"Actually, I just thought of a better idea," said Teldryn suddenly, snaking over to Winterspell and draping a wing over him. "You seem to have a knack for getting caught in adventures. How about I join you in your travels? Free of charge, for helping me get out of there!"

"Um, uh..." Winterspell blinked. Did he really have a knack for finding adventures? "W-well, I don't see why not."

"Excellent! So, any idea where we go next from here?"

Winterspell began to think. He thought long and hard. Finally, he came to a conclusion, and replied, "I think we need to go find Spite."

"Lead the - wait. You're joking."

"No. No, I'm not."



Sezareth watched the Skydancer for a moment, still quite wary. "Well," he started, "the... thing is still up there, but it's busy with everyone else. I think."

He looked back at his familiar, who didn't seem bothered by the situation at all. Nothing could distract that rotten thing from his own fur. Sezareth moved towards him and tried to grab at the satchel he put on him. The Rasa replied by biting down on his arm.

"Ouch! Telvora!" Sezareth yelped and clutched at his foreleg.
Telvora hissed and leaped away, then began to resume his grooming - but at least the satchel was off of him. Sezareth let out a sigh and picked it up from the ground, sorting through the tiny vials within, before finally taking out one that had a thin red liquid inside.

The Pearlcatcher turned back to the wounded dragon, potion in hand. "Here. It, um, isn't that much good for healing, but it might ease the pain." Sezareth looked around before continuing, "Are you here alone?"

Where had they gone? One moment, Winterspell and Teldryn had been beside him, and now they were gone. Spite was surrounded by panicked strangers, scrambling over each other like a herd of spooked cows, and there was no room to stretch his wings. Not that he'd even want to, what with the shade looming in the sky. Most dragons were trying to escape together, but Spite was alone. He doubted that his two confederates would bother looking for him, or even look for each other if they were separated as well. These were no conditions to be leading a search party in, and they all hardly knew one another, anyways.

Spite halted. There was no way he was going to get anywhere just blindly following the masses, and he was already feeling worn out. Instead, he watched as the other dragons dashed past him, sometimes observing a particular dragon or clan. He saw dragons looking for their separated kin, usually to no avail. He saw a Spiral ranting instructions to his clan-mates. He didn't see his two companions. Mostly, he just saw dragons running away in fright - but did they even know where they were going? They could be charging right into a trap for all they knew.

Then again, maybe that's all what this peace conference was. A trap.

'Peace conference. Hah. As if there ever was such a thing called 'peace'.'

The Mirror was too late to realize that a tendril had crept up behind him. Immediately, it coiled itself around his torso and began to tighten, burning and suffocating him. Spite fell to the ground and pawed at it weakly, but it was no use. All he could do was let out a bloodcurdling shriek.

"Oh, thank you very much." Lazulo took the red potion hastily, just wanting to get rid of the burning pain in his side as quickly as possible. "That's a relief anyway, I can't tell you what a nuisance this is. Hopefully I haven't fractured a rib. Oh, no, no, I'm here with my clan-mates... I lost them in the crowd but... Well, they we're pretty near to the back, they must've been some of the first to get out, I'm assuming." Hoping, more like, but he didn't want to even consider the worst. Not when he was injured and vulnerable as he was. It would only make him feel so much worse. "We had Regulus and Denebola to protect us- our clan guards- I just got held back in the rush... Avenriel must be worrying..." His eyes moved sideways, glancing at the destruction surrounding him. Just thinking about it was horrible, but actually seeing it sent a chill down his spine. "Are... are you here on your-" He stopped mid-sentence, his eyes widening a little. "Erm, all this dust... Is it what I... Well... Where did it come from?"

Domax followed the others through the opening, then paused. He couldn't just leave them all behind. Not when so many were already lost. He looked back once more at the destruction and chaos and frowned. If he could help, he would. He had to. Planting his legs and arms, he frowned, concentrating. Before the others knew what he was doing, before the could stop him, he created a reflective barrier once more. This time, however, it didn't form around him. Rather, it formed in front of him, small at first, then growing in size. Looking to the center of the area, he willed it forward. Once it was where he was focusing, he took a breath, readying himself for what he was about to do. It would take a lot out of him, and he was sure he'd use all his magic reserves. Still, he wasn't about to back out now. As he concentrated, the round barrier grew in size, larger and larger, surrounding shocked dragons as it did so. He smiled in relief as the barrier saved many from the tendrils, which could no longer reach them. He forced the barrier to keep growing, feeling his strength draining with each inch it grew, his magic stretching to it's breaking point. Pain started, first in his legs as his strength all but faded, then in his chest and head as his magic dimmed within him. Closing his eyes against the pain, he held on, concentrating not only on the expanding barrier, but on all the good it was doing.

Suddenly, he was pulled from his inner thoughts, a force pulling him backwards with such strength, he was caught off guard. "What?" He questioned, blinking.

Diabella stood over him, frowning fiercely, her arms crossed over her chest. "What were you thinking?! You could have been killed! Worse, you can barely stand now, look at you! How are you supposed to get out of harm's way like this?!"

She was furious, and for good reason, but Domax ignored her rage, looking back to the area behind him. "But I almost had the entire thing covered..."

"And how long would that have lasted?! This darkness is unlike anything we've ever seen or faced before. It's strong... much stronger than we are. It would have penetrated your barrier with ease, eventually. You would only have succeeded to delay the inevitable. And make it angry!"

Domax shook his head, not sure he agreed, yet feeling too cloudy and weak to make his point.

"Diabella's right, Domax. Our best defense against this dark... monstrosity, is to get as far away from it as possible, found shelter, and try to figure out a game plan."

"If such a thing is possible against it," Diabella said with a huff.

Domax nodded. "Fine. I see your point. I wouldn't be able to recreate the barrier even if I wanted to." With a sigh, he looked back one more time, then got to his feet, wobbling a bit before finding his balance. Diabella supported him, mumbling all the while about him being so foolish.

As they started off for safety, Domax looked back. Mustering what little strength was left, he shouted to those all around. "Let whoever needs shelter or aid hear me! Follow us if you can! You are all welcome in our lair!"

Diabella glanced over at him, lowering her voice. "Zolla's going to kill you for that!"

Domax couldn't help but smile as Diabella went back to her mutterings about his stupidity. How many would actually come, he didn't know, but it was worth Zolla's anger. Besides, once she heard the need, she'd give in. She always did. He knew exactly what to say to her to get her to see things his way, and though she was stubborn, she did have a soft side. Images of her flashed through his mind, and suddenly he was in agreement with Diabella. They had to hurry away from this devastation. Not only because it wasn't safe for them, but because no one knew what it meant for the rest of the world. He picked up his pace, still leaning on Diabella for support. He had to get home. He had to see his mate again!

Sezareth wasn't really listening to the Skydancer's rambling, even though he asked him a question in the first place. Instead, he was laboriously trying to put the satchel back on Telvora, who was only making the job harder by hissing and scratching at his owner. After manging to slip it back on and watching the little rat scurry off to who-knows-where, Sezareth finally turned back to Lazulo, who had by then finished talking.

"Uhh... what?" Sezareth's eyes darted around quickly as he tried to find a way to make it seem like he'd been paying attention after all. Eventually he recalled something about... dust? Oh, right! He must've been asking about all the 'dust' around here.

"Oh, well, this isn't actually normal dust," he said nonchalantly, picking up a small pile with his front paw and letting it run through his toes. "These are more like, um, ashes."

"Probably the ashes of dragons."



"I can't believe we're going back there!"

"I think it's a bit safer now. It looks like most of the darkness has gone away."

"I can't believe you think we're going to find Spite alive!"

"It's a possibility I can't ignore! He has access to the clan's knowledge, and I need to know what that thing was."

"Most of all, I can't believe I'm actually following you!"

Winterspell skidded to a halt, and then started walking again at a much slower pace. Despite having made their daring escape through the walls only minutes ago, they were now making their way back to the disastrous scene by using the same exit. "You know," Winterspell began, turning to face his companion, "you don't have to come with me. I don't have a lot of treasure, anyways..."

Teldryn just shrugged and said, "Well, I can't go back with both of you dead, can I? Your clan does some pretty good business, and I'd hate to lose the profit... but, point taken, I'll keep the complaints to a minimum." He suddenly growled, "Unless, of course, you want us to actually get up close and personal with those tendrils. If so, I'm leaving you to your fate."

Winterspell stopped, now considering the possibilties of actually investigating the dark entities at a much closer range. "Huh... that'd be an interesting research experience," he thought out loud to himself.

The other dragon just gawked at him. Seeing the look on his face, Winterspell quickly turned around and continued walking. "O-okay, I suppose that was a bad idea. Never mind. Right, let's just find Spite and get out of here."

As the two made their way back, it seemed like the sky was getting gradually brighter by the minute. Was the darkness finally passing? Teldryn hoped so. Winterspell was still fascinated at the prospect of researching it up close, but he kept it to himself.
Eventually, the tendrils in the sky disappeared one by one, but what was worrisome was that instead of dissipating, they were actually flying off to other places, perhaps to wreak more havoc elsewhere. But now the sun could now shine more brightly upon Dragonhome, revealing all the ruin and destruction that the darkness caused. To Winterspell, it looked like one of those battlefields that he read about in the library books about his clan's history. Except that in this battle - if you could even call it one, as it was rather one-sided - there were no bodies. Only dust. Miles upon miles of dust. It was as if all the dragons had been swept away into non-existence.

"Is it still day?" marveled Teldryn, stretching out his wings and bathing in the light, "It felt like an eternity had passed."

Winterspell nodded absently, looking around the scene. Some ways off, he could see some surviving groups of dragons, although they didn't look like the Mirror he was looking for. "Maybe we should ask them..." he murmured to himself, although he doubted they'd have any answers, especially since it was impossible to tell apart the ashes from each other.

The Floracat eventually made its way home where it found Hinata busy hunting for food for the clan. A task Shoushi rarely allowed anyone but himself to do, but Hinata was a bit of an exception seeing as how he'd raised her and felt she was a suitable substitute. She started to pounce on the Floracat, thinking it food, but stopped mid-lunge realizing it to be one of Akatsuki's. "Oh, hey there." Hinata smiled to it. The Floracat stared blankly at her then scampered onward back to the clan. Hinata noticed something was odd about this and followed it eventually meeting up with Kazuto & Mizuho who were sitting about the cave they shared, talking about trivial things.

The Floracat stopped in the middle of the cave's entrance, Hinata not far behind. Its presence alerted Mizuho & Kazuto drawing them over. The blue and white frosted creature opened its mouth to speak, its voice mimicking that of Akatsuki's. "If you are hearing this message, then I regret to inform you that a dark ancient force has reawakened and attacked the meeting. While many were able to escape, many others were not. Unfortunately, your friends were among the unlucky." Horror and sorrow comes across the faces of the the listening to the message. "It is unlikely this is a one-time event. The attack on the meeting and the strange events across the lands are most assuredly connected. Keep your guard up, and watch your backs. If you can, find a way to stop this dark force from destroying everything, but be careful and don't take any risks. Good luck to you all in this, one of our darkest hours."

At the conclusion of its message, the Floracat scratched the back of its ear then ran off to join the wild.

Lazulo opened his mouth to say something. And then, for once, he shut it. Ashes... from dragons? Not that he hadn't guessed himself before, but he really, really didn't want to think about the fact that he was surrounded by the remains of the dead. And that they had turned into that.

Feeling a rising urge to be sick, Lazulo distracted himself in the best way he knew. "My goodness, that was like some monster from an old fairytale. Much more powerful than we could have imagined... And for something that could only just invade the body of a Rambra as well, you'd have never thought that... er... it could do all of this... Gosh, to all these dragons as well... I wonder how many... Oh, I don't want to think about it. All those clans who've lost valuable members tonight, it just seems so... Odd..." He trailed off. He didn't even care of Sezareth was listening, the talking was a good distraction. He felt like he was going to pass out. The whole ordeal was exhausting and processing that last bit of information was difficult.

Making himself feel ten times worse, Lazulo struggled to his feet. By now, the potion's effects had set in and he could keep himself upright, while holding his body slightly crooked. Looking up, he spotted a few other dragons in the distance, moving back towards this area. Where they coming to look for lost clan-mates? Through the blowing dust and smoke, he could just about make out the shape of a very large Ridgeback among the incoming group...

Sezareth nodded absently, glancing over the area. For his part, unlike Lazulo, he looked surprisingly unaffected by the situation with the dust. It seemed like he was quite desensitized to the whole thing. Still, he noted that the amount of it was quite impressive. He'd only arrived recently, so he had no idea just how many dragons had been attending the meeting. Judging by their remains, it must've been pretty crowded...

Snapping back to reality, he saw Lazulo beginning to stand up. Were his potions, which he brewed himself, really that effective? No, apparently not, he sort of looked like he was in pain. Sezareth walked over to his side and spread out a wing over him, just to make sure he didn't fall or anything. He knew how unreliable his own potions could be.

"So, um," started Sezareth, "it's not really important, but I didn't catch your name..." he trailed off when he saw just what Lazulo was looking at - a shape in the distance. A real live dragon, for that matter! It never occurred to Sezareth that anyone around here would even still be alive. Whoever that dragon was, they were huge... frighteningly huge. Sezareth couldn't help but shrink back a little.

Death wasn't something Lazulo had ever really experienced before. It was one of those things that he knew was bad, but he'd never felt it personally. Now he was sitting in the middle of a lot of dragons whose entire existences had been completely obliterated, he was quite overwhelmed.

Seeing the familiar sight of Denebola- hopefully it was Denebola- Lazulo took a step forward, testing whether the pain would come shooting back or not. It was uncomfortable, still quite painful, but not unbearable like before. Nothing the clan physicians couldn't put to right.

Realising that Sezareth had spoken, Lazulo's head feathers pricked up. "Oh, my name is Lazulo. I come from a clan in the Starfall Isles. The Ridgeback over there, I think that's my clan-mate... And you? What's your name? Where are you from?"

---

Denebola was stood among a few smaller dragons who had also come back to look for their clan-mates. It was horrible to think about, but she knew that most of them would be going back to their clans alone. It seemed so unfair that this monster had rained down from nowhere, taking everyone by surprise. She didn't know whether to respect the dark beast for its power or despise it: when it came down to it, the way of life was "survival of the fittest" and those dragons were simply not the fittest. But that dark mass had seemed so unnatural, so alien, she couldn't bring herself to accept that what had happened was fair or natural at all...

Relief swept over her as she spotted a tiny, dark shape in the middle of the dust, accompanied by another dragon. Still cautious, she began to move towards Lazulo.

Sezareth had to squint his eyes to get a better view of the approaching dragon. Even though Ridgebacks were massive, the storm of dust was making it hard to make out any details. The only thing he could tell at the moment was that it was a female, as her nose was nowhere near as long as a male's nose. He knew enough about Ridgebacks to know that they have very noticeable gender differences.

Sezareth wondered how such a big thing could live in the same clan as a petite Skydancer like Lazulo. Truth to be told, he was feeling rather uncomfortable... scared, even, to be around a Ridgeback. He'd never actually been up close to one in his life, since he grew up around more 'elegant' breeds like Pearlcatchers and Skydancers. He'd even known a few Imperials. They were big, but generally not so fearsome-looking. Unlike Ridgebacks. His nervousness was very clearly showing, as he was quivering quite a bit.

Eventually, Sezareth tore his eyes away from the approaching dragon and turned them to Lazulo instead, who looked much less frightening. Still, he couldn't help but stammer when he replied, "U-uh, I'm called Sezareth. And that's Telvora, I-I mean, that was my Rasa." He gulped. He could see the pitch-black scales of the Ridgeback now, and her massive, blood-red wings. "I, uh, come from the Southern Icefields... and, um..." How he wished he could remember those speech lessons his father gave him! "...yeah."



Winterspell let out a sigh at the desolate landscape. It was so strange, seeing the place look so empty, when only an hour or two ago it was bustling with life. Such a shame it had come to this, and at a peace conference, no less. This wasn't going to help with the flight relationships at all.

And even worse, they'd been searching for a while now and couldn't find Spite anywhere. For all he knew, the poor Mirror could've been turned to dust and his remains swept off to the Windswept Plateau. Teldryn was right; this was a stupid, stupid idea. They weren't going to find Spite alive. He was probably dead, and they'd be dead as well soon if they didn't find a safe place to hide before the Archdemon's rage subsides. Where's a safe place to hide from Plaguelings? He should probably move back to the Shifting Expanse. Say hi to Mom and Dad and maybe sleep at their place for a bit. Hopefully they wouldn't mind.

Winterspell was so caught up in his reveries, which from the outside of his mind looked like a pitiful Skydancer staring pitifully at the ground, that it took him a while to realize that Teldryn was trying to get his attention. "Winterspell, snap out of it! This is the worst time to start daydreaming!" Teldryn paused from shaking Winterspell around to reflect on that statement for a bit. "Well, actually, it'd be worse if it was an hour ago, but nonetheless this isn't a good time!"

Winterspell blinked. "Oh. Sorry. Did you find anything yet?"

"Does it look like I've found anything? Look, it's a shame about Spite, it really is, but I'm positive that we're just going to come out of this empty-handed."

"But we may as well..." Winterspell trailed off, staring behind Teldryn. Somebody was coming closer. He wasn't quite sure, but it looked like a Nocturne. Teldryn, unaware of anything happening behind him, let out an exasperated sigh when Winterspell didn't finish his sentence. "Don't tell me you're daydreaming again!"

Namyra wondered vaguely why things were dark.

Coughing, she crawled out of the ashes that she must've crashed in, shaking her head to dislodge the settled dust. Had she been hit by something? Pondering this theory, she glanced back at her wings and back as she got to her feet.

Clipped by something, clearly, she decided. But it was blood, not a dark rash, that marred her scales. Perhaps she had flown into another dragon. It was possible, of course. A little humiliating. Was she not a Goddess, beneath such damage?

No, no. That was quite a bit of blood. Oh! There it was, a long gash along a glittering wing, and back.

She was hardly aware that Maatsheptra was pulling at her leg, trying to coax the clan matriarch to follow the much larger female.

Wheatley stood by, tail flicking anxiously, looking quite uncomfortable at the proceeding events. Hadn't he run afoul of the darkness that had pervaded the place in years past? She wondered how the dear Announcer would react. He didn't like letting his puppets get cut free, true, and didn't want anything to do with those lucky survivors, but what of a former slave to get into this amount of trouble?

She knew that he hated that he knew exactly what the Imperial's reaction would be.

It was Lepidus that finally managed to make her move, pulling her onto his back. He didn't need use of his wings, if it was for her. He would walk the entire way back to the Lightbeam Ruins if it meant that she was safe, with him.

"Thank you," Namyra managed to wheeze, losing herself once more to the shadows.

"Ah, an Ice clan! There's actually quite a lot of dragons in my clan who came up north from the Icefield... Before all of this turmoil, obviously." Lazulo flicked his head feathers to get rid of a little dust. He then noticed how uncomfortable Sezareth looked. "Um, are you okay? Here, would you like me and Denebola to help you find your clan-mates? Once we get out of here and to safety I imagine it will be a bit chaotic, it might feel safer if you have Denebola standing over you in the crowd." He chuckled, quite oblivious to what was actually going on it Sezareth's mind.

Denebola's strides were massive. Even though she moved carefully, her eyes darting around all the time in case the darkness struck again, it took her barely any time to be at Lazulo's side. She was there just as he finished asking his question to Sezareth, giving the other dragon no time to answer.

"Thank goodness, Lazulo. You had all of us worried." She gazed down at the tiny Skydancer, and the slightly larger Pearlcatcher beside him. "And who might this be?"
"Oh, his name is Sezareth," Lazulo answered for him, "He's from a clan in the Icefields. He helped me with my injury. I thought, if he wanted, we might help him get back to his clan-mates?"
Denebola let out a puff of air from her nostrils. Her huge, maroon wings unfolded from her sides and expanded outwards. But the tips of her mouth were curled upward, not unkindly. "Of course. I'm sure Auride would be more than pleased if we were to offer this dragon help in such a difficult time." Her eyes shifted onto Sezareth, awaiting a response.

Sezareth's eyes widened and nearly rolled into the back of his head. "Her... standing over..." Images of him being in the shadow of Denebola came to his mind, her red eyes piercing into his own from above, lightning crashing in the dark sky behind her. When he came to his senses a few seconds later, she was standing right beside them with her massive wings spread out! By the Icewarden, his nightmares just came true!

The Pearlcatcher looked up at Denebola, dumbfounded. She didn't look that malevolent. Actually, it looked like she had a small smile on her face. Or... maybe she was just pretending to be friendly so that she could catch him off guard and eat him for dinner? Sezareth decided that he didn't really want to take that chance, even though he obviously knew nothing about a Ridgeback's diet or behavior.

He glanced between Lazulo and Denebola, processing what they just said. They were going to help him find his clan-mates? "But I don't have a..." He caught himself. Dragons without clans were known to be scavengers, sometimes even stealing from clan stores. Even worse, Sezareth was occasionally guilty of this, and it probably wouldn't be wise to reveal that he was a rogue... though it might be too late now because of his slip. "I mean, no. No, I'll be fine. I, uh, I can manage to find the way back on my own."

Without waiting for a response, he looked away and called out, "Telvora!" At the sound of his name, the Squall Rasa leaped out from his hiding place behind a rock and scampered over. He gave the newcomer, Denebola, a suspicious, almost derisive look, but eventually turned his attention elsewhere. Sezareth turned back to the two dragons. "I need to be leaving now, so um... I guess I should say goodbye." He bowed his head and turned around, beginning to trudge away, before he stopped suddenly. Wait... which way was south again?

"Oh, er... Goodbye! Good luck getting back home. And thanks again for the potion- and for keeping me company, it would've been awful if I'd been there on my own in the middle of all this-"
Denebola lightly nudged him with one finger. A little warning, perhaps it's better to stop now. Lazulo obliged and quietened. They were both a little surprised to see Sezareth stop again, but Lazulo didn't want to embarrass himself by talking again- it would make it look like he had no intention of leaving. So he and Denebola began to turn away, heading out towards their clan and the other dragons.