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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 21, 2020 22:03:47 GMT -5
rp about dragons and vampires escaping a wizard that has captured them for their magical or biological capabilities; hijinks ensue. dragons are based on those from E.E Knight's Age of Fire series
definition of terms: foua - a product of a dragon's fire-bladder, the organ which produces the dragon's flame. When mixed with liquid fats stored within, and then exposed to oxygen, the foua ignites into oily flame.
griff - the armored fans descending from the forehead and jaw that cover the sensitive ear holes and throat pulse points of a dragon in battle.
prrum - the low thrumming sound a dragon makes when it is pleased or content.
saa - the rear legs of a dragon. The three rear toes are able to grip, but the fighting spur is little more than a decoration. sii - The front legs of a dragon. The claws are shorter and the fighting spur on the rear leg is closer to the other digits and is opposable. The digits are more elegantly formed for manipulation.
Ghost's Characters Ayndir - scaleless grey drake Tikeo - white drakka
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 21, 2020 22:12:27 GMT -5
Vampires:
- Can exist in daylight but not without being uncomfortable
- Younger vampires/newborns have insatiable thirst while older vampires rarely need to feed
- Abilities include inhuman speed, strength, and senses
- Invisible in reflections
- Can only be fully killed by wooden stakes or fire
Glow's characters:
Valteri: male, newborn vampire age 24 (blonde hair, once blue eyes now bright red, tall)
Keziah : female, 312 years old vampire, age 26 when bitten (dark hair, pale skin, dark red eyes, petite)
Jess: female, 367 year old vampire, age 48 when bitten (silver hair, pale skin, dark red eyes, muscular)
might introduce a dragon later in rp
Lil collage I made for Keziah and Bjorn:
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 21, 2020 23:14:11 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
Ayndirโs life hadnโt been off to the greatest start, he mused. From the moment heโd emerged from his egg, heโd been thrown into chaos. First, it had been the battle between the other male hatchlings of the nest, to win dominance. That was normal amongst dragons; males battled for control of the nest, while females were left alone. That wasnโt to say that female hatchlings were secondary, just that they werenโt nearly as aggressive when emerging from the egg. Ayndirโs clutch had contained five other eggs; two had been male, both red. Ayndir and the two reds had battled it out, and despite him being scaleless, heโd emerged victorious. Heโd been the smallest male in the clutch and had been gray to boot โ that meant heโd hatched without the hard, protective scales that most dragons were known for. Ayndir would never develop scales; instead, his hide was a smooth leather. It wouldnโt deflect any sort of weapon, but it meant he was far more aerodynamic and quicker to wiggle out of trouble than other hatchlings. โGrey snake,โ heโd been called before. His tail was longer than his siblingsโ and whip-thin; with his long, lean neck Ayndir did sometimes appear to resemble a snake. Heโd used that to his advantage during the battle for dominance.
For two seasons, Ayndir had been the champion of his nest and had grown quickly; heโd prowled about the caverns that heโd hatched in, thoroughly exploring every inch while hunting the small critters that tried to hide from him among the rocks. During these explorations, heโd learned of his ability to change the coloration of his skin, allowing him to camouflage himself. Heโd grown close to his siblings, and his parents, and had learned much about the world outside his nest. Still, it would seem all good things must come to an end; in the dead of winter his nest had been raided, and his parents, along with his siblings, had been killed. For some reason, Ayndir had been captured โ likely because he was scaleless, which was a rarity among dragons. Heโd overheard his captors talking, and it seemed like his rarity meant heโd fetch a high price. So theyโd piled on top of him, clamped his jaws shut, chained his legs and threw him in a cage. He couldnโt even spit his foua yet, but the muzzle about his jaws meant he wouldnโt be breathing fire any time soon. Heโd sooner just spit his foua in his own face and burn his skin.
The dark carriage rocked back and forth as it rumbled along what Ayndir assumed was a road; he wasnโt entirely sure, since he was stuck, hunkered down in a cage that was far too small for his form. His tail was pressed against his form, curled almost to the point of breaking; each of his sii and saa were individually chained, linked to top frame of the cage. Two metal bands were clamped around his snout, keeping his jaws shut painfully; a heavy iron collar was strapped around the base of his head, so tight that he could not even move his griff. He had barely enough room to breathe, let alone move around; as it was, he couldnโt even open his mouth enough to eat, and was instead fed through some tubing jammed between his jaws, which could be opened just enough in the muzzle. Every muscle in his body ached from misuse. In the dark, Ayndir watched as the various other creatures that lined the carriage with him slowly dwindled away as his captors traded them for coins. Heโd been among the first to be captured, and yet he was still here; what that boded for him, he could not tell.
The hatchling was relegated to watching and waiting โ searching for the perfect opportunity to escape. Heโd lost weight over the journey, and the chains around him were just that much lighter; he could breathe just that much easier. It wasnโt enough to launch an escape attempt yet, but it was encouraging โ to a degree. Without warning, the carriage lurched to a sudden stop; Ayndirโs was jolted in such a degree that his head was banged against the bars of his cage. He blinked several times to chase away the stars that danced across his vision. His eyes flickered shut at a sudden burst of light; the doors to the carriage had been opened. The silence was filled with several voices, chattering excitedly about some new beast theyโd captured. Ayndir watched, silent, as two of the men whoโd captured him drug in something โ it had the same shape as the other men, but smelled wrong โ it still had the normal smell of man, but there was an underlying rotten note to it, like death clung to its skin. The creature was moaning and thrashing about, but the others paid little mind as they chained it up to the walls of the cart. They left, but returned shortly after with yet another creature that smelled similar to the first, although it was significantly smaller in size.
Ayndirโs eyes followed the men as they took this second form and chained it to the cart as well; they paused and seemed to study their new find for a long moment, before laughing to each other. With that, they left the cart; once the doors swung shut, Ayndir and his new companions were left in the darkness again. It took his eyes a few beats of his hearts to adjust, but before long he found himself staring into the eyes of a female. There was something about her gaze that made his skin itch and made him want to rattle his griff, but they were still clamped down beneath his collar. He simply stared back, yellow eyes seeming to glow in the darkness of the cart. Only the faint trickle of sunlight breaking through the wooden slats of the cart illuminated the drake and his new companions.
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 21, 2020 23:47:05 GMT -5
Keziah -
She jostled manacles once more for good measure. For the tenth time, she heard the iron links clang against each other as she pulled them taut and then loose again. There was no use, not because she was too weak to break the chains(she wasnโt), but because every time she struggled against the manacles, a wooden spike jabbed painfully into her sternum. She looked down at where the tip had pricked a small gash in her pale skin. Blood the color and viscosity of melted gold trickled down her chest. She sat back, feeling the touch of wood through the thin fabric that covered her back. It burned dully.
Struggling was pointless. The cell which contained her was not designed to contain mere mortals; it was created specifically with her kind in mind. The wooden stake was positioned perfectly to prevent her from moving at all. Her captor was too smart to simply chain a vampire to a wall. Many men had died for making that mistake.
โAre you awake, boy?โ her voice rang out as clear as a bell through the dark wagon. Across the floor was another cell identical to her own. The body it contained mirrored her position: legs stretched out, back pinned against the wall. Though while her neck was straight, his was bent. His head hung limply, and she could see his chin brush against his collarbone each time the wagon jostled or lurched. Her dark eyes flicked back to his neck where two puncture holes were weeping red blood. Their captor had left, but she contemplated calling after them to get help. He can still be saved! She wanted to tell them. But this too was pointless.
His eyes were closed as if in sleep, though Keziah knew from experience he was anything but peaceful. Beads of sweat coated his chest in a clear sheen. From the reddened color of his skin, she guessed he was burning a dangerously high fever. Poor thing. A surge of guilt bolted through her. This was her fault.
Keziah considered her limited options. Bribery, seduction, blackmail. None were promising. She had seen it in her captorโs eyes from the first moment they met hers. They had been cold and intelligent, unreceptive to her own gaze. He had not seen her as a living thing but as an object. He would be impossible to trick without the curiosity or fear that most humans felt when encountering a vampire. Somehow he had been educated on how to deal with her in particular. He knew to avoid her glance, to shut his mind to her voice.
Therefore her escape would have to come when they moved her next.
In the meantime, she scanned the surrounding wagon. It was dark, but her superior eyes could make out every shape: cells with iron bars, hanging ropes, a canvas roof (too far above her head to reach), wooden benches, slumped shapes of other prisoners. The last shape might have escaped her notice had she not spotted it first in her periphery. Initially she thought the writhing motion in the corner of her eye was a swinging rope, but the tapered end was what gave her pause. She glanced up to examine it in more detail and confirmed it was not a rope, but a furless, scaleless tail. It belonged to a small, crouched creature whose eyes bore innocently into her own. It was caged in an aviary made of iron, and its slender neck was secured to the floor.
โA dragon,โ she whispered aloud, a twinge of awe in her clear tone. โHello, little thing,โ she greeted. For a moment, she forgot that she was in the process of being caged and carted to her death. She thought only of a century ago, when she first laid eyes on her first and only dragon. That one had been enormous, and it sailed across the sky as massive and unusual as an airborne ship until it disappeared beyond the horizon. Even to this day, that sight had elicited the most awe she ever experienced.
โYou donโt happen to have a plan for getting out of here, do you?โ she asked the small thing. It was not as magnificent and large as the one from her memory, but a baby. Barely more than a hatchling.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 22, 2020 15:33:31 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
Ayndirโs stark golden eyes scanned the face of the female creature before him. She was chained up in a cage too, but her chains were far different than his; somehow the chains had been rigged up so that when she tugged on them, they caused a chunk of wood resting against her chest to move forward. At one point, when sheโd tugged against the chains, the wood had been thrust forward a bit, and the scent of blood had filled the cart. His nostrils flared at the strange scent; it smelled like the blood of man, but was different. It had a more bitter note to it, one that had Ayndirโs instincts skittering in fear. She turned to peer at the other caged figure before her; this creature was male, and although he was chained up in the same style of cage, he was not alert. Instead, his head was bent, chin resting lightly on his sternum. She called out to him, and he did not respond. There was a strange sheen on his skin, and when Ayndir cracked his jaws open a little to flick out his tongue, he tasted the salty scent of human sweat. Again, though, there was something wrong with the manโs scent. He couldnโt place it, but it sent his instincts aquiver.
Ayndir switched his attention back to the female, watching her with one golden eye. He closed the other one, pretending as though he was asleep. She didnโt notice him immediately, for he had remained as still as he could be, save for the gentle swinging of the end of his tail with the motion of the cart. He watched as she scanned the other denizens of the dark little carriage โ the other caged animals, figures slumped over wooden benches. She glanced at him once, as though he was just another piece of the furniture in the cart, before doing a double take. โA dragon,โ she breathed. Her words were as garbled as the other humansโ, but had a softer, more musical tone to them. Ayndirโs grasp of their language was still in its infancy, and although he understood it well enough when spoken, he was not quite able to speak efficiently โ even with his mouth chained as it was. She peered at him with a strange gleam in her eye โ one of awe and wonder, like sheโd never seen a dragon before. Most people probably hadnโt; his mother had told him dragons were dwindling in number, after all. But there was also a twinge of recognition in her face that had Ayndir feeling confused. He flicked the tip of his tail. โHello, little thing.โ Her voice was soft and soothing, but Ayndir was still on edge.
โYou donโt happen to have a plan for getting out of here, do you?โ she asked him. For a long moment, the grey hatchling just watched her, peering at her from one eye that seemed to gleam in the darkness. He considered his options; he did indeed have a plan for escape, but it hadnโt factored in other denizens of the cart. He really had only considered his own freedom, but now he was faced with a choice. Leave this other creature behind, who seemed to be intelligent enough to speak and recognize him as a dragon. Including her in his plan added layers of risk that Ayndir wasnโt sure he could handle, and yet leaving her behind had a strange feeling swelling in his chest โ one that took him a moment to recognize as guilt. Finally, after another long moment, Ayndir dipped his chin a bit in a nod. Yes, he did indeed have a plan. His forked tongue flicked out from between a slight crack in his jaw. He settled down again to wait, the only motion of his body the gentle sway of his tail. He studied the female from hooded eyes.
Ayndir dozed lightly, almost rocked to sleep by the motion of the cart; when it rattled to a lurching stop, he was jolted awake. His golden eyes flickered, and he turned his muzzle to the side slightly, watching as the door to the carriage opened again. From beyond the doors he could see that it was now sunset โ and late sunset at that, if the heavily darkened sky was anything to go by. He closed one eye but kept the other half-open, again pretending to sleep; he watched as one of the captors stepped into the carriage and closed the door behind him with a grunt, sliding a lit torch into a sconce on the wall. The man also carried a basket that was filled with different cuts of meat and other foods, and some leather skin that sloshed with the sound of water as he walked. The man moved about the cart, throwing various items of food into the cages. On occasion heโd stop and let some animal drink water from the skin, before moving on. He stopped in front of the female and sneered at her, laughing. โNothing for you to eat,โ he taunted. He glanced at the other slumped figure. โOr him, for that matter. Buyer wants you nice and compliant.โ He leaned forward and tugged on the manacles around the femaleโs wrists, causing that piece of wood to press against her chest. Again, that strange blood-scent filled the air. He laughed at that, before turning around and heading over to Ayndirโs cage. He set that basket down and went to grab the tubing that was used to feed Ayndir, but the hatchling had other plans.
He released his bladder, and the acrid scent rapidly filled the cart. The man coughed and cursed, staggering back a few steps to glare at the hatchling with an arm over his nose and mouth. He muttered another curse and moved around the cage, opening the door. โDamn dragon,โ he hissed to himself. โYouโre lucking youโre catching such a high price, you useless grey snake. If it were up to me, Iโd skin you and be done with it.โ Roughly the man unlatched the locks that kept Ayndirโs sii and saa chained to the cage and went to pull the dragon out far enough to be able to clean it. In a flash, Ayndirโs tail arched up and slammed into the manโs head, sending him staggering away, dazed. The grey hatchling twisted and hooked the claws of his saa into the chain links that held his collar to the floor. Even though his back screamed in protest and pain assaulted him from every angle as he used muscles that had been complacent for far too long, he kicked and arched his body, pressing his full weight down onto his saa. The iron chains broke away with a loud crack, and Ayndir was finally free โ of a sort.
The man cursed and reached forward, grabbing at the hatchlingโs collar. In a blinding motion, Ayndir whip-sawed his body around, rotating so fast that he felt the swift release as his vertebrae popped in rapid succession. The man grunted in shock again as he was suddenly rolled beneath the dragon, knocking the breath from him. Ayndir whipped back to his feet and snaked his head forward, bashing his muzzle into the manโs skull. There was another sickening crack, followed by a thud as the back of the manโs head hit the wooden floor, and then he went lax, knocking out cold. There was a trickle of blood from his nose and ears, but Ayndir ignored him, turning his head to peer at the female. He watched her for a moment, looming over the unconscious man, tail swishing back and forth lazily. He prowled forward until he stood just outside of her cage, studying the mechanism. He climbed the bars of the cage with his sii and saa until he could reach where the manacles looping around her wrists were, and then he moved down a little bit more. With one sii he reached in between the bars of the cage, wrapped his claws around the piece of wood, and pulled with all he was worth. It broke away with a snap so suddenly that Ayndir was sent tumbling away. He got back on his legs, but before he could do anything else there was a shout outside the cart, followed by the sound of several pairs of feet thundering in their direction. Ayndir lowered his head and let out a low rattling growl, swaying his head back and forth.
The doors swung open, and two of the captors stepped in. One saw Ayndir free of his chains and let out a shout, diving for the hatchling. He hissed and dashed forward, lowering his head to slam into the manโs stomach with his bony crest. While he was tussling with the one human, more filled the carriage, and soon all descended into chaos.
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 22, 2020 17:31:00 GMT -5
Keziah -
It had taken over two centuries for Keziah to develop a maternal side. She had been bitten at the age of twenty-five, when most human girls begin to feel that aching desire to have a baby of their own. Perhaps she had felt that way too then, but her memories from that time had been revisited so many times that they were like a book that had been translated from language to language until it was no longer recognizable. She no longer trusted their content. Regardless, a vampire has no biological need to reproduce. For that reason, it took a long time for her to begin seeing other creatures as cute or innocent or deserving of sympathy. Everything with a beating heart was simply a vessel for blood and sustenance. But over the long years her hunger began to quell. She began to see living things as she once had, as beings with souls and fascinating internal lives. Only recently had she begun to remember the beauty in fragility. She found herself imagining holding a baby in her arms, feeling the softness of its cheek in her palm.
As strange as it was, the small dragon sparked a similar feeling in her. She wished to look after it, to protect it. This was intensified at the sight of the oppressive chains around its throat. This creature does not deserve to be in a cell, she thought angrily. But this impulse gave her pause as well. It was the same impulse that had compelled her to bite the boy, the man, who now sat unconscious across the floor. That same desire for companionship was what had condemned him to a cursed, painful fate. For that reason, Keziah tried to rein in her maternal instincts.
In any case, there was nothing to be done about it now. The hatchling had nodded when she asked if he had a plan but she was doubtful that this plan would be a successful one.
Eventually the wagon came to a lurching halt. If Keziah had been human, her pulse would have increased at the sound of her captor throwing open the door and climbing into the cabin. Instead her eyes sharpened and she leaned back against the wall, preparing for what was to come. She could taste his intentions on the air. He was power-drunk and violent, that much was clear in his lurching motions and his wicked eyes. He gained sick pleasure from seeing other beings hungry and caged. Perhaps I deserve it, she thought, but the dragon and the boy donโt.
The captor was carrying food and water to distribute to the captives. Scraps of meat, stale bread, and water contained in small baskets. Just enough to sustain life. The scraps were thrown into the cages of the other creatures. The grizzled lion in the corner snapped up his meal in one bite then released a low growl. The birds flapped in their cages, sending down a rain of feathers. Then the man turned his attention to Keziah. โNothing for you to eat,โ he purred. He had a cruel face made ugly by a permanent scowl. โOr him, for that matter. Buyer wants you nice and compliant.โ
Keziah pursed her lips defiantly and set her chin. โIโll be compliant. But I canโt guarantee Iโll be nice,โ she retorted.
A mocking laugh rumbled up from the captorโs throat. He did not reply (he wasnโt clever enough), instead he leaned forward and grabbed her chains before giving them a blunt yank. This pulled Keziah forward, for she had no traction, and pushed the tip of the stake deeper into her skin. At the sight of her wince, he released her again, laughing under his breath. She refrained from looking in his eyes, not wanting to provoke him further. Instead, she looked down and saw that stream of shimmering blood that trickled down her chest.
Her gaze remained trained downward even as the captorsโ footsteps clattered over to the cage of the dragon. Keziah listened intently as one of them coughed and staggered back. Only once the strong scent hit her nose did she realize that the small creature had emptied its bladder. She felt another pang of sympathy for it; it must have been frightened. โDamn dragon!โ hissed the captor. โYouโre lucky youโre catching such a high price, you useless grey snake. If it were up to me, Iโd skin you and be done with it.โ
There came the sound of clinking metal as he seemed to fiddle with the creatureโs chains. For a moment it seemed as though the commotion had ended, only for the man to release a shout. Something broke, and only then did Keziahโs gaze fly up to the action. The man was falling to the ground, the hatchling having escaped from the cage and latched onto his face. Keziahโs eyes widened. She twitched, inclined to help but incapable of doing so. Thankfully the little creature was more capable than she had given it credit for. The manโs head smacked against the ground with an effective thunk and soon the dragon was using its claws to pull the wooden stake away from Keziahโs chest.
As soon as she was free, it was as if a damn had broken. The sound of clattering footsteps did not scare her. She stood quickly and ripped the chain out of the wall with a sharp yank. It whipped against the bars of her cage with a clang as the door was thrown open and several captors flooded in to help their leader. Keziah had a split second to take stock of the situation. What were her priorities? Her gaze fell first onto the little dragon and then on the unconscious man in the identical cage. Then they slid over to the captors. One was instinctive enough to leap after the hatchling. The other stood frozen at the sight of the female vampire standing freely in her cage. She could see his eyes widen in slow motion as she flashed across the wagon floor and grabbed him by the shirt front, throwing him to the ground. Her hands were still chained together, but she overpowered him in a fluid motion, slamming the manacles into his temple with a solid thump. He went limp.
She reached then for the cage of the unconscious man. With some effort, she pulled the wooden stake out of its wedge in the bars and then tossed open the door. There was no time to unchain him, however for more captors were at their back. Keziahโs attention was split once again as she heard three more exclaim and clamber onto the back of the wagon. At the same time, the dragon hatchling was grappling with the second man, pinned under his superior weight. Keziah ran forward and grabbed the man by the back of his collar, lurching him backward so quickly that he released the hatchling. The captors shouted orders at each other. Some were smart enough to unsheathe their weapons and take defensive positions.
In a flash of motion, Keziah launched at them. She paralyzed the first man with a kick that sent him flying off the wagon into one of his companions, then narrowly dodged the swinging blade of another attacker. She ducked under his weapon and grabbed him by his outstretched hand, tugging him over her body in an abrupt barrel roll. When he hit the ground, she whipped him with her chains. The maneuver caused him to cry out in pain, but she knew he would redouble his attack as he scrambled to his feet. By this time, she was surrounded.
This would have been the moment to panic. The man who she had just thrown to the ground was now on his feet, a sword in his hand. Two more captors had flooded in the door, blocking the entrance. She looked down at her hands which were still bound together by a pair of iron manacles too strong to separate.
And perhaps she would have panicked had she not seen a motion in the corner of her eye. Behind the captors, who were focusing their attention on Keziah, two hands gripped the edges of the second cage. The figure who moments before had sat with his head pressed limply against his shoulder filled the open cage door. He was taller than any figure on the wagon, tall enough that his head bent to avoid the top of the cage. His bare chest was still covered in a sheen of sweat. Two puncture wounds still pierced his neck.
But his eyes, which once had been blue and innocent and clear, were blood red.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 22, 2020 18:15:42 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
Ayndir thrashed about, as slippery as a fish out of water. Although the man had initially been caught off-guard by Ayndir charging him, he recovered swiftly, and managed to get a grip on the collar around Ayndirโs neck. The hatchling writhed, twisting this way and that as the man tried to get control of him. He dropped his weight onto the hatchling, trying to pin him with his greater size. Ayndir let out a small squeaking grunt at the sudden weight on top of him, pinning him to the ground. When he could not breathe properly, he panicked, beginning to thrash about with greater fervor. Again, he whip-sawed his body, arching his tail around to lash at the man. Reflexively, his captor sat up a bit to escape the biting sting of Ayndirโs whipping tail, and the hatchling took his chance. Even with his head pinned to the ground, he rotated his lower half and lashed out with the claws of his saa, digging them into the manโs clothing. The tips of his claws pricked the manโs skin and he jerked away, giving Ayndir more room to move. The female ran over and grabbed the man, lifting him off Ayndir โ and Ayndir took advantage of it.
He twisted more and lashed out with sii and saa, rending his captor with his claws. When the manโs grip on his collar loosened, he whipped his head back, slamming his bony crest into the manโs nose, which gave way with a sickening crack and a spray of blood that covered Ayndirโs skin. Growling, the man reached forward and tried to grab Ayndir again, but the little dragon was able to slip away far enough that the manโs fingers closed over the metal band around his nose. Ayndir let out another squeak and planted his saa, pulling back even as the man tried to pull him forward. He felt more of the vertebrae in his neck pop beneath the strain, but he held firm. He utilized the muscles in his back to yank further away, although the man still held firm. This tug-of-war lasted for a moment, seeming to be at a perpetual stalemate, before something gave way. The metal bands around Ayndirโs nose bent and then snapped, sending the hatchling and the man tumbling away in opposite directions. For a moment, they both seemed confused; the man stared at the broken metal in his hand, while Ayndir opened and closed his jaw a few times, releasing the tension. Their eyes met, and Ayndir saw a flash of fear in the manโs gaze.
Had his griff been released, he would have flared them to their full span as he hunkered forward, arching his back. He lashed his tail and bared his teeth, opening his jaws to release a bellowing roar that was loud โ although not as loud as a full-grown dragonโs roar. All else faded away from Ayndirโs awareness, save for the man before him. He hissed at the man, gnashing his teeth. Behind his breastbone, a strange sensation was building, right where his fire-bladder was; a warmth was growing there โ a warmth that was rapidly turning to fire, burning hot. Instinct told Ayndir to spit, and he did. He cracked open his jaws and spat his first foua at the man; the oily substance caught flame the instant it touched oxygen and struck the manโs clothing, searing skin and flesh. The man cried out in pain and smacked at the small fire, trying to put it out. Ayndir worked his fire-bladder and spat the rest of his foua at the man again. Now well and truly on fire, the man staggered back and fell out of the cart, screaming in pain and fear. Unfortunately for Ayndir, his fire-bladder was now empty. Heโd been malnourished the last few months, and so he hadnโt the chance to store his foua properly. Still, the small amount of fire heโd been able to spit had chased his enemy away. With the immediate threat gone, Ayndir turned his attention back to the world around him.
The female had torn through several of their captors, knocking them down and about with the manacles still wrapped about her wrists. One man was sprawled on the ground, unconscious, and sheโd managed to remove the piece of offending wood from the other creatureโs cell. She was surrounded now, with one of the captors wielding a sword, and two others blocking the entrance. Ayndir drew himself to his full height (which wasnโt much, considering he was the size of a medium dog) and prepared to battle, but a new sound drew his attention.
There was a soft creak from behind him and Ayndir craned his neck around; the creature who had been unconscious was awake now, with eyes as red as fire. Heโd leaned forward to grasp the bars of his cage with such strength that Ayndir could hear the metal groaning. He was still covered in sweat and blood, but the maddened look in his eyes sent even Ayndir aquiver. He was massive, hunched over in the cage, lest the top of his head bang against the metal. Ayndir watched him with one golden eye, the other half-focused on the rest of the captors, who numbered five now. His tongue flicked out, licking away the blood on his muzzle, as he considered his options. Although it seemed to happen in slow motion, all of these decisions were occurring in an instant. The creature would need a moment to break out of his cage, before his rage could be unleashed. He wouldnโt get a chance to break out if the captors swarmed them. What they needed was a distraction, and what could be more distracting than a slippery, pissed off dragon hatchling?
Ayndir lowered his head again and lashed his tail, turning back to those guarding the door. He planted his sii and saa and released another bellow. He lunged forward into a dragon-dash, lowering his head so he could strike the targets before him with his bony crest. He slammed into one of the captors and knocked him clean out of the cart; as the man flew he let out a startled cry. Ayndir whipped himself around, scrabbling with sii and saa, but he wasnโt able to stop himself entirely. So he snaked his head forward and clamped his jaws around the leg of one of the other people guarding the door, dragging them out of the cart with him. They collapsed to the ground in a heap, before Ayndir wriggled and got his feet beneath him again. He launched himself back into the cart, wrapped his form around a third captor, and began to rip and tear with teeth and sii and saa. The man screamed in pain and staggered back, falling out of the cart again to join his compatriots in the mud. Outside the cart, the air was filled with shouts and screams.
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 22, 2020 19:07:33 GMT -5
Valteri -
He examined his hands. Palms white and somewhat clammy. Fingers long (he flexed them, testing their strength). His vision was blurry, or perhaps it was too sharp. His eyes seemed intent on flashing around the room, focusing on the tiny flecks of dust that floated through the air. Light filtered in, and he could pick out each individual beam although he judged it was nearly night. Arms aching, he rolled his shoulders and felt the muscles in his back loosen reluctantly. His hearing, well--
He tuned in to the sound of terrified screams, the clanging of metal. The sound of growling. All so loud that they rang painfully in his eardrum. Who am I? Valteri, that was his name. But how am I Valteri? The name seemed foreign to him, like a memory from long ago. He contemplated it amidst the sound of screams. He could not remember anything else. His mind was flooded with the present, with the chaos that whirled around him. He was in a wagon that he had no recollection of ever getting into. This wagon was filled with cages occupied by terrified animals, some lashing out and others attempting to retreat into protectionless corners.
A large reptile was crouched mere feet away, lips drawn back in a fierce snarl that was not directed at him, but at a terrified man across the wooden floor. Valteri watched the confrontation, unafraid. He had no urge to flee or scream. Only an intense, aching calm.
His eyes shifted to the doorway which let in the filtered light. There were many other men, some lying dead on the ground and others standing and brandishing weapons. They were crowded around a woman. No, not a woman, the woman. She was the only familiar thing beside his name. From her slim, elegant body to her fierce black eyes and her blanket of black hair. Her scent filled his nose, gushing through his lungs like a healing salve. His pupils dilated when he saw her. She was surrounded, in danger. Her feet were parted into a fighting stance, but Valteri could tell it was a losing battle. Their eyes met.
He went to her. His feet were weightless on the wooden floor boards as he glided across them. The men in his way crumpled and fell in slow motion as his fingers tore through their throats.
โMother,โ Valteri murmured as he looked down at the woman. The word flowed out of his mouth involuntarily and provoked a strange expression on her face. Her brows pinched.
โI--No. Iโm not your mother. We need to get out of here,โ she said. She stepped over the bodies of the dead men, taking no notice of the blood that pooled on the floor. Valteri followed her obediently. He was perplexed. His motherโs eyes had been distant and affectionless at the sight of him. Doesnโt she love me? He wondered forlornly.
They jumped down from the wagon. By now the dragon was fighting off the remaining men, and it was clear that the battle was over. They stood on a grassy hillside in the shadow of a larger mountain. The sky was painted by a brilliant gray and orange sunset tinged with red. The four horses that had been pulling the wagon danced anxiously in their harnesses on the abandoned dirt road. They were at the edge of a forest.
Valteri looked at the woman, awaiting instructions. She was looking at the dragon, gesturing for it to come closer. Her brunette hair pooled over her shoulder as she bent to look at it.
โWe should leave her quickly,โ she said, voice taut but kind. โI have a feeling these men worked for someone far more powerful.โ Then she looked back at Valteri. Again with the distant expression, with a twinge of something else. Pity?
โIโm sorry,โ she said to Valteri, and he realized she was holding back tears.
โFor what?โ he asked. He had no idea what she was talking about.
She shook her head, looking away. โNever mind, letโs go.โ She stood, back straightening, and scanned the road. โThis way,โ she said before leading the way into the dark of the forest.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 22, 2020 20:44:46 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
Ayndir unleashed all his fury at the months of confinement, his grief at the deaths of his family at the hands of these men, upon his captors. His claws rent through flesh to scrape bone; his teeth tore through skin and tendon until his grey skin was turned red by blood. The few captors that hadnโt immediately leapt into conflict turned tail and ran, upon seeing the dragon hatchling and the two vampires break free. Ayndirโs flanks heaved with each breath he drew in, nostrils flaring as he paused to peer down at his handiwork. The men werenโt even really recognizable as human anymore; their faces had been rent by claws until their features were gone. His teeth and jaws had broken bones and fingers, leaving the limbs mauled and mutilated. He hissed and raked his claws across one of the captors one more time, before he lifted himself away from the scene of the violence and padded a few feet away. His tongue flicked out, tasting the air; he watched the other captors flee dispassionately, almost robotically. Behind him stretched a vast forest, the trees black in the dark of night. He could hear the distant sounds of wildlife, although any sort of animals in the nearby vicinity had been scared off by the fighting. The firelight from the captorโs camp caused Ayndirโs grey skin to gleam. The scents of the horses, who were currently braying and prancing about in fear, were more interesting to him, and he felt his stomach clench with hunger. He was considering making a meal out of one of them when the sounds of carnage and death from the cart drew his attention again, and he craned his neck around to watch as the female and the other creature โ a male โ exited the cart.
They looked around, studying Ayndirโs handiwork, before the female began to move towards him. A low rumbling sound built in his chest, and a growl of warning slipped from between his jaws. He hissed at her, still covered in the blood of the captors, warning her not to come any closer. Theyโd been allies of sorts, but Ayndir didnโt particular trust them โ at least, not yet. He swept his tail back and forth as he watched them, gaze shifting between the pair and the horses. It was hard to pay attention to the female when the scent of horse was drawing his attention, and instincts rode him to hunt and fill his aching belly. Something in the corner of his eye drew his gaze; the female was gesturing for him to come closer. His golden eyes narrowed, but he prowled a few steps closer, watching her carefully. โWe should leave here quickly,โ she said, to both Ayndir and the other male. Her voice was tight, but still had that kind tenor that settled something deep within Ayndir. He relaxed a fraction. โI have a feeling these men worked for some far more powerful.โ She looked away, but her words had Ayndirโs mind racing. She was right โ the captors had mentioned some buyer, and had even mentioned that Ayndir was only kept alive because of this buyer.
โIโm sorry,โ the female said to the male. Another strange scent filled the air โ saltwater.
โFor what?โ the male asked her, but she shook her head and looked away.
โNever mind, letโs go.โ She looked about their environment, and then gestured towards the dark forest. โThis way,โ she said, and began to march off. The male followed her almost reflexively. For a moment, Ayndir lingered at the ruins of the cart, bathed in the blood of those who had slain his family, and in the firelight of the camp, undecided. He weighed his options. Clearly those creatures were strong, and able to protect themselves (if one ignored the fact that theyโd been captured). While Ayndir had his teeth and his claws and his foua, he was still young, still a hatch- no. Not a hatchling โ not anymore. Heโd breathed his first foua, and that made him a drake.
His chest puffed up a bit at that thought, before he deflated again. Even as a drake with his foua, he was vulnerable. He had no scales to protect his hide, no wings to carry him out of danger. Despite the fact that he didnโt trust them, he was better off with the male and the female human-things. Safety in numbers, of a sort.
With a chuff, Ayndir stood and awkwardly loped after the pair. Dragons werenโt made for running, but he caught up with them soon enough. Once they were safe in the darkness of the trees, he relaxed. He studied the pair for a moment again, before he opened his jaws to speak. โAyyyyyyyndiiiiiiir,โ he rumbled to them. The word was guttural and harsh, and spoken by a tongue not used to the language. โAyyyyyyndiiiiiir.โ
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โโะพฯ
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 22, 2020 23:41:14 GMT -5
Keziah -
Keziah led the way into the forest. The light was quickly fading, and she was grateful that she had the ability to see in the dark. The terrain itself proved to be difficult to navigate with thick undergrowth and thistles lining the base of every gnarled tree. She hoped they would find more flat ground quickly, but the priority was creating a difficult trail to follow than they would if they followed the road.
Soon they came to a small clearing and she stopped to look at her two companions. They were an odd group, she realized. One full vampire with manacled hands, one transitioning vampire with a glazed over look, and a dog-sized dragon. It was a stroke of luck that they had stopped in the wilderness rather than in a public place. It would have been impossible to go unnoticed with people around.
The newborn seemed to glide through the brambles like an animated corpse (which, in fairness, was not far off). He paid no mind to the thorns that tore at his ankles or the branches that stood in his way. He broke through them like a man made of iron. Heโll have to relearn how to blend in, she thought. She knew from experience that he would begin to remember what had happened soon. He was still in a state of confusion, which must have been why he called her โMother.โ Soon, however, he would begin to have memories of his former life, and that was when he would be the most dangerous. Once he realized what had happened, there was no knowing what he might do. Plus it was only a matter of time before he grew hungry. If she was as cold as her creator, she would leave him to reckon with his existence on his own. She was not, however, which meant he was her burden to bear, no matter how inconvenient.
The dragon, on the other hand, proved to be a bit more self-sufficient. She looked down to find him gazing at her with intelligent golden eyes. Only then did she realize he was trying to say something.
โAayyyndiiiirrr,โ he croaked. Then again, โAaayyynnnndiirrr.โ The sound was offensive to the ears, like rocks scraping against each other, but she could begin to understand him. Keziah scanned his reptilian face, curiosity blossoming within her.
โAyndir?โ she translated, though she said it like a question. โIs that your name?โ Smiling, she felt the urge to pat him on the head, but refrained after remembering the way he had snarled at her after the bloodbath. โMy name is Keziah. Itโs a pleasure to meet you...officially. This is--โ She glanced up to the newborn, who stood at the edge of the clearing like a statue. He could easily have been mistaken for one had his head not turned ever so slightly at the sound of her voice . His expression was cloudy and confused.
โWhatโs your name, darling?โ she asked him. Their encounter before had not included an introduction. She swallowed tightly at the thought of it. Was he imagining it now too? The two of them in a dark alley, her incisors buried in his throat? Would he remember the feeling of the blood draining from his body?
If so, he said nothing of it. Instead, he opened his mouth and replied promptly, โValteri.โ
Keziah smiled warmly, trying to hide her apprehension, and stood. A night breeze swept through the darkening forest, and everywhere small animals burrowed deeper into their nooks. Keziah felt no cold, despite wearing a dress made of light fabric that covered only half her arms. Valteri, however, had the telling indications of goosebumps on his pale skin. Though he seemed unbothered either by the night air or by the lacerations on his body, Keziah knew a newborn was as vulnerable to the elements as a human. He was not yet finished with his transition, as his blood still ran red, and that meant he could die of exposure. But that was not the only danger. Fevers, excruciating pain, hallucinations were all possible symptoms of transitioning into a vampire. She would have spared him from it if she could.
It was too late for that now.
โWe should find a safe place to stop.โ Brow furrowing, she looked down at Ayndir and inquired, โCan you fly? Perhaps it would be easier if you scouted ahead.โ
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 23, 2020 0:21:14 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
The male human-thing rapidly began to deteriorate mentally, from what Ayndir could see. There was a glazed, almost diseased look in his eyes, and Ayndir could feel the heat radiating from the manโs skin, even standing a few feet off. He smelled wrong, like sickness and death and pain, and it made Ayndir reflexively seal his nostrils and shake his head. As they walked, Ayndir watched the male out of the corner of his eye, ready to defend himself if necessary. Once theyโd reached a clearing, the female came to a stop and peered about at her companions. Ayndir kept moving, prowling along the edges of the clearing, nose to the ground as he attempted to search out anything to eat. Hunger pangs ripped through his stomach with such ferocity he was surprised he hadnโt yet curled up to die. But no โ he was far too stubborn for that.
Once he was satisfied that there was no sort of prey nearby, the drake turned his attention back to the female. โAyyyyynnnndiiiir,โ he gurgled at them, repeating his name a third time, when it took the female a bit longer to understand him. He understood her language well enough, but speaking it was another matter. Dragons were capable of speaking a variety of languages, but their native tongue was harsh and guttural and unlike any of the languages of man. He fixed his golden gaze on her, watching her face as she came to a realization.
โAyndir?โ she responded, inflection in her tone phrasing it as a question. โIs that your name?โ At that, Ayndir gave her a fierce nod, bobbing his head up and down a few times. She smiled at him before continuing. โMy name is Keziah. Itโs a pleasure to meet youโฆ officially. This is- โ she broke off, turning to face the male who was standing on the edge of the clearing, as still as a boulder. Again, Ayndir felt the urge to ruffle his griff, but the armored fans were still clamped down beneath the iron collar around his throat. He scraped at the metal with one of his saa. โWhat is your name, darling?โ she asked him.
โValteri,โ the male responded.
Ayndir flicked his tongue out. โKeeeeeezzzzzziiiiiiaaaaah,โ he gurgled, testing the femaleโs name out. โKeeeeezzziiaaah. Keziah. Vaaalterrrrriii.โ He pointed his nose at Keziah. โYou Keziah.โ He swung his snout around to point at the male. โYou Valteri. I Ayndir.โ He shook himself like a dog; the blood on his skin was beginning to dry and itch something fierce, and he scratched at it again with his saa as he continued to watch the two human-things. After a moment, he prowled forward so that he could sniff at the iron manacles around Keziahโs wrist. His tongue flicked out a few times to taste the metal, but he did nothing else
โWe should find a safe place to stop,โ Keziah said. She looked at Ayndir. โCan you fly? Perhaps it would be easier if you scouted ahead.โ
โNo fly,โ he responded, and the words came a bit easier this time. He turned in a circle, displaying the entirety of his form. โNo wings. No fly.โ He looked between Valteri, whose skin seemed even more pale than before, and Keziah. He shook his head and scratched at the collar again. โCollar off?โ he prompted. โCollar off I scout?โ
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 23, 2020 1:28:17 GMT -5
Keziah -
โNo fly,โ responded the little dragon in his rumbling voice. โNo wings. No fly.โ
Of course. Keziah had been too focused on running away to notice he was wingless. Well, that made things slightly more difficult. In any case, he was too small to carry them anywhere even if he did have wings. โOkay, weโll think of something else. I suppose this clearing will do, though perhaps we should find a more sheltered area.โ She scanned the surrounding trees, dread climbing in her throat. It was getting windy, which meant it was going to get much colder as the night stretched on.
โCollar off?โ the dragon inquired. โCollar off I scout?โ Keziahโs heart softened and she crouched before him, examining the metal clamp around his neck. She reached for it with her slender fingers and attempted to break it free, but her own manacles prevented her from doing so. She huffed in frustration and looked at the starless sky. She felt the urge to shiver at the sight of the treetops bending in unison. It would be many hours before the air warmed again, and then they would have an entirely new obstacle. Not to mention the fact that by now the wagon had surely been discovered and it was only a matter of time before their captorsโ associates began their pursuit. A deep longing for her home set in. None of this would have happened had she waited another day to feed. She could be sitting in her room now, a book in her lap and a soft rug under her feet. She released the collar and her shoulders sagged.
Just as she was about to say an unladylike word, a pair of hands reached down past her shoulders and gripped the iron collar. It broke free with a metallic snap.
Valteri stood over them with the same colorless face, though for a moment Keziah thought she saw a glint of kindness in his eerie red eyes. He tossed the broken collar onto the ground and promptly repeated the action with Keziahโs manacles. His mouth formed a straight, joyless line, and the bead of sweat on his brow indicated that he was in pain. Heat radiated from his body like a hearth. He has a fever, Keziah realized.
She stood and shook out her newly-freed hands. A fresh wave of resolve washed over her and she set her chin. โRight,โ she said firmly. โThereโs a gathering of pines over there.โ She put her hand on Valteriโs unnaturally warm arm and guided him in that direction. He followed without protest, eyes glazing over once again. She shepherded him to the cover of the trees, where he could be sheltered from the biting winds. โYou sit here,โ she instructed. Then she looked over at the dragon.
โWeโll have to keep him warm somehow. Iโll gather some branches to fortify the shelter. Perhaps you couldโฆโ she looked down at his thumbless feet and his lithe, eel-like body. Not exactly built for branch gathering or shelter-construction. โYou look after him while Iโm gone.โ
With that, she gave them one maternal look before setting off into the woods.
She was gone about half an hour before she returned with her arms full of branches. They were not dead, dried out sticks like the ones used to build a fire. These were needle-heavy boughs from living pines that could most easily be layered to form a rudimentary wall. She propped them up against the tree in hopes of capturing some of the warmth that was burning off of Valteri, who sat on his rock like a man possessed, eyes staring deep into the distance.
โThere. That's the most physical labor I've done in centuries,โ she announced at last, and she propped her hands on her hips, feeling rather proud of her achievement. In all her three hundred years, she had never needed to make a shelter. This one was as basic as they came, but it would have to do at least until morning.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 23, 2020 15:19:05 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
Much to Ayndirโs delight, Keziah kneeled next to him to inspect the collar around his neck. He felt her delicate fingers press against his skin an attempt to slide beneath the metallic ring, and he felt her tug at it, rattling the iron chains still around her wrists. He waited to here the telltale of iron breaking, but no sound came. Despair welled within Ayndirโs chest when she sat back, unsuccessful. Before he could do anything else, though, another pair of hands reached towards Ayndirโs neck. The drake tensed instinctively, ready to roll away to safety, but the hands seized the collar. And then the sound of iron breaking filled his ears, and the collar fell away. The drake backed up a few steps, snorting and chuffing and shaking his head. He flared his griff several times, the armored fans clinking together softly. He rattled the fans before he was satisfied and let them fold back into place. โThank,โ the drake gurgled. He watched as Valteri also broke the iron manacles around Keziahโs wrist. It seemed the male was stronger than the female. Ayndir filed that information away for later.
Keziah was studying Valteri again, and Ayndir was almost certain she knew something the other two didnโt about why the male was sick. Ayndir prowled forward and sniffed at the maleโs sweat-coated skin, flicking out his tongue like a snake would. The man was radiating heat like a dragonโs fire. Sickness clung to the man like a second air, and it set Ayndirโs insides a quiver. Snorting, the drake backed up a bit and turned back to Keziah when she began speaking. โRight,โ the female said, voice firm and determined. โThereโs a gathering of pines over there.โ She grasped Valteriโs arm and tugged him along as she headed for the pine grove. Ayndir trailed after them, occasionally dropping his griff just to remind himself that the collar was gone, and wasnโt coming back. After a moment or two of walking, they reached the pine grove, and Keziah moved to guide Valteri over to a large boulder. He sat down when ordered, almost robotically, or as if someone was pulling his strings. There was still a dazed look in his gaze, and Ayndir could see and smell the pain he was in. What sort of illness had struck him?
And just what were these two human-things, exactly?
They werenโt like the rest of the humans that Ayndir had encountered. For one, there was their strange smell. Valteriโs eyes were glowing red, and Ayndir had never met another human that had red eyes. Sure, heโd only met a few, but he had an inkling that red eyes werenโt a normal thing among their species. Well, whatever they were, it was a question for another time.
โWeโll have to keep him warm somehow,โ Keziah was saying. โIโll gather some branches to fortify the shelter. Perhaps you couldโฆโ she trailed off when she looked down at the drake. โYou look after him while I am gone.โ She gave them a stern look that was eerily similar to the looks his mother had given him, and then marched off, heading deeper into the woods.
Ayndir sat still for a moment, watching the woods where sheโd disappeared, before he turned back to watch Valteri. The man was utterly still โ so still that Ayndir may have mistaken him for a rock if he couldnโt hear the manโs slow heartbeat and shallow breathing. The drake moved to explore the grove, stopping to look back at Valteri every few moments or so. He prowled a bit deeper into the woods, and managed to find a burrow of rabbits. Thoroughly pleased with himself, he dug the rabbits up and snapped his jaws around them, carrying them back to Valteri, where he placed them at the base of the boulder. Two rather large hares sat at the manโs feet, but Valteri didnโt react. Ayndir sat there for a moment, but when Valteri didnโt move he prowled off again. He climbed a tree, and lucked upon a birdโs nest. He bolted the eggs down swiftly, easing the hunger pains in his stomach a bit. He climbed a few more trees, but wasnโt successful in finding another birdโs nest.
He heard Keziah return, and climbed out of the tree; his sii and saa were well used to scaling rocky surfaces, and so he was able to easily climb the dense pine trees. He padded towards Keziah, watching as she bore an armful of needle-filled branches. Valteri didnโt move an inch as she crafted a rudimentary sort of shelter, forming a leaning wall around the male on the branch. It wasnโt the best shelter, but it kept the wind mostly out, and kept the heat radiating off of Valteri in. Ayndir prowled around the shelter, using his more delicately shaped sii to fix a few of the holes he found. Once he was satisfied he moved around the shelter again and sat down next to Keziah. He nosed the rabbits heโd caught. โFood,โ he told Keziah. He looked quite pleased with himself.
In the distance, thunder boomed.
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โโะพฯ
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 24, 2020 1:09:29 GMT -5
Keziah -
Keziah smiled down at the little dragon, eyeing the prey he had dropped at her feet. โThanks for the offer,โ she said warmly, but she shook her head. โUnfortunately only human blood can sustain me. You should enjoy them, though. Weโll need to be strong for our journey tomorrow.โ Her face remained pleasant, but she felt a pang of jealousy that the creature could locate food so easily.
It was the curse of her kind. They were gifted with superhuman abilities and long lives, but only the blood of humans was sufficient to keep them alive. At her age, she was capable of going months, sometimes years without feeding at all. She was also strong enough to refrain from either killing her victims or from accidentally turning them. Unfortunately for Valteri, he was the exception to the rule, but that was only because she had been interrupted. Abandoning a victim after a feeding required removing the venom from their bloodstream immediately after, thereby preventing the turning process. She would have done so for him. Even still, she had a lingering sense of guilt every time she looked at the blonde-haired man. This was not only because she robbed him from his former life, but because she was selfishly glad that he might end her century of solitude. Perhaps they could become a unique, if somewhat dysfunctional, family. She had been mildly offended when he called her Mother. Now she found an odd satisfaction as she mulled over the moniker.
When she looked back at the dragon, he had begun digging into the food he had retrieved from the forest. She watched as he pulled apart the rabbit and emptied the contents of the eggs. They looked appetizing, though she knew a single bite would turn into ashes in her mouth. At one point in her life, she tried consuming only animal blood, but after only a few days, she was barely strong enough to move. Valteri looked over at the scent of blood, and Keziah cursed herself for not pausing long enough for him to feed back at the wagon. Though she could go a long time without sustenance, he was another matter entirely. Newborns often required feedings once every few days. Just one more thing to worry about.
โDonโt worry, Iโll look after you both,โ she said. Her words were met by a timely clap of thunder. โOnce thereโs some light in the sky, weโll find a more permanent place. I have some friends who live in a fort in this area. Perhaps they would be willing to offer us some protection.โ
Valteri rested his head in his hands. His breathing was shallow. Keziah hoped for his sake that the worst of the transition would be over by morning. For now, they would have to wait out the weather.
As the night crawled on, the forest grew colder and the threat of rain hung in the air ominously. Eventually Valteri moved several inches to the left, so his side was pressed against that of Ayndir. It was a small motion, barely noticeable, and a clear attempt to share what little warmth the small creature had to offer.
Keziah stood watch, arms crossed as she examined the surrounding trees.
When first she saw the strange glow, she thought it might be a trick of her weary mind. She narrowed her eyes at the very tops of the trees, where the subtlest of pink lights was shining. It was an unnatural color, one she had never seen in the natural world. Her eyes remained trained on it for several seconds as she watched it grow closer and more vibrant. It was almost iridescent looking, like edges of an enormous soap bubble. What is that? It was moving quickly. She looked back instinctively at her companions as it suddenly enveloped the tops of the surrounding trees, moving rapidly toward them like a wall of light. Magic.
โRun!โ she shouted back to the others. Valteri, who at this point had fallen into a sullen stupor, lifted his head sluggishly. He had to be pulled to his feet by Keziah, who struggled to drag his large body to its feet. โCome on, hurry!โ she said desperately, but it was too late. The the wall of light shimmered blindingly as it passed over the clearing and then halted sharply over the figures of the two vampires and the hatchling. And then it disappeared, and once again they were surrounded by darkness. It was as if the supernatural bubble had popped suddenly. But Keziah felt no sense of relief, only building dread.
She looked down at Ayndir, expression conveying that something very bad had just happened. โTheyโve been looking for us. And I think weโve been spotted. Quickly, we must leave this place as swiftly as we can. It seems we have a wizard on our tail.โ
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 24, 2020 21:36:26 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
Ayndir side-eyed Keziah for a moment, as if deeply confused by her refusal of the rabbits heโd caught. She claimed only human blood could sustain her โ that was the weirdest diet Ayndir had ever heard of. Still, the pain in his stomach didnโt let him ignore the rabbits for long, and after he battled with his morals for a brief moment, his stomach won out and he set down to swallow the rabbits, bolting the meat down swiftly. He even cracked the bones open to get at the marrow, and once his meal was done, he set to cleaning his skin. The blood that was still on his skin from the battle had dried and was itching something terrible. He was able to clean away the worst of it, but some still remained. Heโd have to keep an eye out for a stream or hope for rain.
Ayndir moved about the little pine grove, exploring and searching a bit more. He wanted to make sure there was no sort of threat โ that no more of those captors were going to sneak up on him. There was no scent of humans in the woods, and that settled him a good deal. The drake padded back towards Keziah and Valteri, and after a moment of hesitation entered the little pine shelter and leapt up onto the rock that Valteri was still sitting on, motionless as ever. He spun in a circle a few times, scrapping the claws of his sii along the rock to get rid of a few nuisance pieces of leaves. Satisfied with his sleeping spot, he laid down, wrapped his tail around body, and then tucked his nose against his flank. Within a few moments, heโd drifted off into a light sleep; one of his golden eyes remained cracked open, watching his surroundings. It was a trick heโd learned whilst caged: sleep with one eye open, and youโd know much faster if something was coming to hurt you.
Ayndirโs dreams were not pleasant, filled with death and sorrow and pain and fear; at some point he felt something press against his flank and he stirred awake a bit. His head snapped up and he swung his muzzle in the direction of the stimulus, nostrils flaring; once he realized it was only Valteri leaning against him, he settled down again, resting his snout on his tail. He drifted off again, and surprisingly his dreams were a bit more pleasant. Still, they were bizarre; a sort of hazy glow overwhelmed the edges of his dreaming mind, casting a pink light upon the figures in his dreams. He began to stir a bit, groggily opening his eyes, although they snapped shut at the bright light that burned his retina. His head snapped up and his blinked several times, confused. Keziahโs panicked voice cut through the fog and he jolted to full awareness, swinging his head around wildly to find the threat.
And there it was: aโฆ bubble? Was that the word humans used? A bubble of light, translucent at the center with a faint pink hue, was rapidly approaching, soaring over the tree-tops with mind-numbing speed. His nostrils burned with the metallic scent of the magic, and his griff dropped of their own accord, flaring outward to protect the pulse-points of his throat. โRun!โ Keziah shouted; she clearly recognized the threat as well, and as she lunged to grab Valteriโs arm and drag him to his feet, the orb of magic drew swiftly closer. Ayndir leapt off the rock and roared at the orb, though it did little to help. Keziah had succeeded in grabbing Valteri to his feet, and as the taller man lurched forward, stumbling as though heโd taken a blow to the head, the orb reached them.
It froze above their heads, and Ayndir craned his neck to hiss at it, rattling his griff in warning. In a blinding flash, the orb burst into a million sparkles that drifted through the air like fireflies, blinking rapidly. And then they, too, disappeared, and the trio was once again plunged into the darkness of night, with only the moon to light their way. Nostrils flaring, the drake turned to stare at Keziah. Her expression conveyed a deep sense of dread, and he felt worry building within him. โTheyโve been looking for us. And I think weโve been spotted. Quickly, we must leave this place as swiftly as we can. It seems we have a wizard on our tail.โ
Ayndir hissed, and then spat out a curse. โQuick-quick,โ he repeated. โRun-run. To mountain?โ In the distance, there was a mountain etched along the skyline. Ayndir had been hatched in a mountain, and it was underground that he felt the safest. It was understandable that heโd try and flee there, but he was reluctant to leave his companions behind.
Far off, he heard the braying of dogs, and the crack of thunder.
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 26, 2020 23:07:09 GMT -5
Keziah -
โTo mountain?โ Ayndir questioned.
Keziah looked to the horizon, where she could make out the dark edge of a towering mountain range. It was rough terrain, and she was unsure if she could keep the three of them alive in such an inhospitable place. Another option was heading back to civilization, which seemed like an even worse idea. Even under the cover of night, they would draw unwanted attention. So what were the other options? There was little time to weigh them. Keziah clung to the hope that the mysterious magic user did not have the power to teleport wherever they pleased. If that was the case, well, things were dire indeed.
โWeโll go to see my friends not far from here. If we move quickly, we can reach the fort by morning. With any luck, they can offer some protection and counsel.โ
She looked the small dragon up and down. As agile and powerful as he would be full-grown, he was somewhat of a burden with his short legs and awkward gait.
โValteri, youโll have to carry him,โ she said, gesturing for the larger vampire to pick up the hatchling. โWeโll be much faster if the two of us set the pace.โ Though Valteri himself was not in the best condition, his newborn strength would be enough to keep up with Keziah, even while carrying something the size of a dog. He did not question her instructions. He stepped forward and scooped up the dragon, slinging him over his shoulder without hesitation. His hair was damp from sweat, but lifting the creature seemed effortless. He looked to Keziah then, and she wondered if the fog of his transformation was beginning to lift. For the first time, she saw glints of a soul in his reddish eyes.
โRight. This way.โ If her memory served her, the fort sat under the shadow of the mountain range to the east. It had been many years since she last visited, but there was no time to rethink her plan. Before they left, she quickly dispersed the branches of the shelter to make the clearing seem less conspicuous. Then she guided Valteri, who carried Ayndir easily over one arm, deeper into the forest.
Vampires can run slightly faster than a sprinting mountain lion. Several times during their journey, a sleeping animal would feel a sudden, violent breeze rush by them. They would lift their heads, but before Keziah and Valteri could be spotted, they were gone. They maintained this speed for some time, their path drawing them through the thickest of the forest to the east. Several hours passed before the sky slowly began to lighten. Birds chirped and deer grazed in the meadows. Each time the vampires passed, however, the animals grew silent and anxious. They sensed that something was afoot.
Thankfully Keziahโs memory served her well. As the line of the horizon grew pale gray, she finally spotted a boxy stone fort wedged into an isolated valley. Valteri halted beside her, clinging to the dragon. He was not short of breath, though a different brand of exhaustion painted his face. Dark circles bulged under his eyes. Keziah did not have to be told to know he was hungry. Well, she thought, one thing at a time.
Their pace slowed to a gentle lope as they made their way to the gates of the fort. There Keziah halted and squinted as she searched the battlements for any movement. โHello?โ she called out. The gate was shut.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 27, 2020 15:06:48 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
โWeโll go to see my friends not far from here. If we move quickly, we can reach the fort by morning. With any luck, they can offer some protection and counsel.โ
Ayndir lashed his tail back and forth and rattled his griff, although he didnโt immediately say anything in response to Keziah. He swung his head between Keziah and Valteri and the mountain, as if he was struggling with indecision. Instinct told him to flee for the mountains, where there was doubtless numerous caves and caverns that he would burrow into to find safety. There was a reason that dragons sought out caves to lay their eggs, and although Ayndirโs nesting cave had been discovered and raided, that wasnโt to say there werenโt safer caves. Before he could make a decision, Keziah spoke again. โValteri, youโll have to carry him. Weโll be much faster if the two of us set the pace.โ Ayndir didnโt have a chance to protest before Valteri scooped him up, draping the dragon over his shoulder like he was some worn tapestry.
Ayndir hissed and then moved so that he was curled around Valteriโs neck. He dug his claws into the manโs clothing with just enough force to stay put, and wrapped his tail around the vampireโs neck. He grumbled and hissed the whole time, but after a moment settled down enough that he wasnโt actively moving about. Despite the fact that he was less than pleased about this new development, he understood its necessity. Ayndir was a dragon, and dragon werenโt made for long-distance sprinting. They could cover short distances rapidly, and could keep a steady, even pace that could eat up miles and miles. They were meant for flying, and the design of their form was clearly lent to that fact. Oh, if only he had his wings โ but alas, it would still be a while yet.
โRight,โ Keziah said. โThis way.โ She took a moment to deconstruct their little shelter, breaking the branches and spreading them about. Then she turned back to Valteri and Ayndir and nodded. In a flash, the two took off at a sprint that was so swift Ayndir felt as though he was going to be thrown off. He dug his claws in deeper and held on tighter with his sii and saa, clinging to Valteri with everything he had, just short of sinking his teeth into vampire. The world around him blurred to a mix of colors, although they were seriously muted in the darkness; occasionally heโd catch a whiff of some animal, but it faded rapidly as they swept by at a breakneck pace. He felt as though the rabbits heโd eaten were going to come back up as nauseous roiled through him. He tried to close his eyes against the sensation, but it only made it worse. They moved steadily to the east, into the rising sun; although Ayndir had no sense of the time passing, he knew it had to be quite a long period. When theyโd left, the moon had been at its zenith in the sky, and as theyโd traveled it had continued its arc across the horizon, setting somewhere behind them, and then it was replaced by the sun.
Finally, they began to slow, and Ayndir felt as though he could relax his grip. Slowly, he unhooked each of his claws from Valteri, although he remained prepared to drive them back into the man. Before them yawned a great wall, made of hewn wood. The scent of the air was thick with the strange odour of the dragonโs two companions, far more intense than heโd expected. The drake shook his head and snorted, as if trying to dislodge something from his nostrils. After a moment, he closed one of his nostrils. He flicked his tongue out a few times as they approached the gate, which was latched shut tightly. As soon as they stopped moving, Ayndir unlatched and unraveled himself from Valteri, leaping down to the ground. He shook himself fiercely, as dislodging something from his hide; he dropped his griff a few times and then sat down, peering at the gate before him.
โHello?โ Keziah called out. He did not hear a response and so he trotted forward, sniffing along the length of the barrier. He scraped the claws of one sii on the wood and glanced back at Keziah. โFire?โ he asked. The two rabbits heโd eaten had replenished his foua enough that he could likely set the gate aflame. They could force their way in then. Ayndir wasnโt keen on waiting much longer.
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 29, 2020 15:25:32 GMT -5
Keziah -
โFire?โ inquired Ayndir innocently. Keziah scoffed at the suggestion, but several long seconds of silence followed, and she eyed the wooden gate with her lips pursed. The trees shuddered in the cool morning breeze. She could hear the snapping sound of grasshoppers in the grass around her ankles. Even the sky seemed to emit a sound, like a soft, endless white noise. The fort, on the other hand, was utterly silent. Like the open mouth of a cave, it seemed to absorb everything. Light, sound, color.
Eventually she crossed her arms and looked back to her companions with a heavy sigh. โWell, perhaps theyโre not h--โ
A flash of movement in the edge of her vision cut her off. She looked up and there, as if on cue, stood a woman. She leaned on the battlements with her weight on her elbows, assessing them with dark red eyes. There was a boredom on her sculptural face and her lips were drawn into an amused smirk. Like Keziah, her skin appeared as flawless as porcelain. Her hair was swept back in a braided updo as if it had been touched up in the mirror for hours. It was clear that she was older, or at least she had been when she was bitten. Her hair was shining silver and inoffensive wrinkles pulled at the corners of her eyes. Like a bartender awaiting an order, she cocked an eyebrow.
โKeziah, I didnโt know you had a pet lizard,โ called down the woman. It was an odd greeting, but it was clear from the expression on her face and on Keziahโs that they had a long history together.
The corners of the brunetteโs mouth turned upwards as she fought back a smile. โJess,โ she greeted, relief in her voice. She could see the silver haired woman examining her companions with thinly veiled interest. โCan you let us in? Iโll explain everything.โ Before she was even finished speaking, the gate rumbled and then lifted to reveal the interior of the fort. With vampiric speed, Jess stood there waiting with her arms open and prepared for an embrace. She was larger in size, with strong shoulders and a square jaw. The set of Keziahโs shoulders relaxed as she was pulled into the older womanโs hug.
โThank God youโre here,โ she said softly. But Keziah had explaining to do. She looked back to Valteri, who stood like a pillar off to the side, and to the dragon who watched them with childlike curiosity. โWeโre running from a wizard,โ she said. โIโm sorry to bring trouble to your doorstep, but I didnโt know where else to go. Ayndir is barely more than a hatchling and Valteri is in the middle of his transformation. I think we are wanted for our blood, or perhaps other nefarious kinds of experimentation.โ Her voice had returned to its usual strength and her back straightened protectively as she spoke of the other two.
โDonโt worry,โ assured Jess. She walked over to pull the lever that would lower the gate. โYou always have a safe place to stay with us.โ A laugh rumbled out from her barrel-chest. โBesides, itโs been many years since the fort saw a good fight.โ She lowered the gate and then squeezed her balled fist as if to crack her knuckles.
Then Jess looked back to the sturdy structure she called home. โCome, you can fill me in after youโve all had time to settle in.โ
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 29, 2020 17:28:13 GMT -5
AYNDIR --
Ayndir lashed his tail back and forth, shooting a glare at Keziah when she scoffed at his suggestion of flame to break down the gate. Had she not seen him spit his foua back at the caravan? She didnโt seem to pay any more attention to him, instead focusing her gaze on the gate in front of them. He swallowed back his foua but let out a grumble, arching his neck so that he could glare at the slats of wood. The group was silent for a long time, surrounded only by the sounds of the insects in the grass about them, the gentle swaying of the forest that yawned behind them, the gentle birdsong that began to swell with the rising of the sun, and the whisper of the soft breeze that danced about them. With each passing beat of his hearts, Ayndirโs impatience began to swell, and he was losing the desire to hold back his flame. An instant before he decided to spit his foua at the wooden gate, Keziah spoke again.
โWell, perhaps theyโre not herโโ she cut off suddenly and Ayndir swung his head about to see what had drawn the womanโs attention.
There, upon the battlements, was another figure, leaning forward on her forearms. Her skin was the same coloration as Keziah, a pale, milky white like that of an eggโs shell. Her hair was a silvery gray, much lighter than Ayndirโs own hide. Instinctively, Ayndir lowered his head and flared his griff, letting out a low hiss of warning. Sheโd appeared out of nowhere, and it unsettled him. The figure spoke. โKeziah, I didnโt know you had a pet lizard.โ There was a familiarity in the womanโs tone, and the look on Keziahโs face โ and the womanโs โ let Ayndir know that they were known to each other. Her labeling of him as a lizard โ as if he were some common beast! โ set his teeth on edge, and he glared at her with molten golden eyes. Indignant woman!
โJess,โ Keziah breathed, clearly relieved. โCan you let us in? Iโll explain everything.โ With a loud, echoing rumble the gate before them began to life, clearing the entrance. Ayndir glanced about the interior of the fort, although he flared his griff again when Jess suddenly appeared and pulled Keziah into hug. They exchanged a quiet set of words, and Ayndir watched, curious. He settled his griff after a moment, returning the armored fans back to a flattened position along his neck and bony crest. He flicked the tip of his tail, and followed the pair into the safety of the fortโs walls, with Valteri closed behind, as Keziah rapidly explained their situation.
The silver-haired one laughed after a moment. โBesides, itโs been many years since the fort saw a good fight.โ Ayndir eyed her after that statement, feeling a bit more reassured. He wasnโt entirely convinced they wouldnโt sell him out to the wizard at the first opportunity, but if they were excited for a fight, maybe his chances were still looking good. He trusted Keziah and Valteriโฆ to an extent. Their loyalty had been forged by bonds of convenience and necessity, and it seemed only danger held them together at the moment. He wasnโt keen on being chained again, and it looked like this fortress was his safest bet โ for now.
โCome,โ the one called Jess continued. โYou can fill me in after youโve all had time to settle in.โ She gestured back to the wooden structure that must have served as her home. It was long, but sturdy looking; he saw smoke curling from a chimney.
โKeziah!โ another voice suddenly boomed, nearly as loud as a clap of thunder, and Ayndir instantly went on the defensive, whirling around with griff flared and foua prepared. Before him, striding rapidly towards the tetrad, as another tall creature that was similar in appearance to Keziah and Jess and Valteri, although he was even taller than the latter. Dark blonde hair had been pulled back into a braided pony-tail of sorts, decorated with various bits of bone and leather, although it looked strange to Ayndir. There was a thick coating of fur โ hair? โ around the manโs jawline, though it was braided into a similar fashion as that upon his skull. A wide smile was etched across his face and he strode forward to wrap Keziah in a hug, swinging her about in a dramatic fashion. His forearms and biceps were decorated with thick black designs, though Ayndir had no idea what they were supposed to depict. โLitli fugl, รพรบ ert kominn aftur รญ hreiรฐriรฐ!โ Ayndir narrowed his eyes at the manโs words. It was clearly some other language, and this vexed the drake; heโd only begun to grasp the more commonly spoken one, but this burly bear-mean was introducing another one. โWhere have you been all these years?โ the man continued. He glanced at Keziahโs companions, doing a double take at the sight of Ayndir. โDreki? Where did you find a dragon?โ
Well. At least this one knew what Ayndir was. That earned him a few points in the drakeโs book.
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 29, 2020 18:43:09 GMT -5
Keziah -
At the sight of Bjorn, Keziahโs face broke out into a smile. The burly Icelander scooped her up and swung her around, and announced in his native tongue, โLitli fugl, รพรบ ert kominn aftur รญ hreiรฐriรฐ.โ Her icelandic was poor, but she knew enough to piece together the meaning of the phrase: The little bird has returned to the nest. She squeezed her arms around his neck and brushed her cheek against the rough texture of his beard.
โWhere have you been all these years?โ asked his deep voice as he placed her gently back on the ground. She met his gaze, searching those eyes for anything unfamiliar, anything new, but they were just the same as they always had been, as warm as a well-tended hearth. Perhaps she ought to have felt guilty, for she knew it was her own fault that it had been nearly a decade since they had last been together. But for now, all she could feel was an enormous sense of relief. She was much better equipped to fight this battle with him by her side.
She looked away, suddenly flustered, as she realized she hadnโt answered his question. โIโve been...everywhere.โ The American colonies, Northern Africa, Japan, all of these were places she had traveled in the most recent years. She wished to tell him all about the vast deserts with dunes of fine sand, the crashing waves of the Mediterranean, the spices, the trees or lack thereof, the exotic creatures that she encounteredโฆ But she became very aware of the fact that there were others around, and there were more important matters to discuss. โEverywhere but home,โ she corrected.
Bjornโs eyes finally flicked past her and he exclaimed suddenly, โDreki? Where did you find a dragon?โ
โFate brought us together,โ answered Keziah, who dropped a hand to pat Ayndir lightly on the head. โApparently vampire and dragon parts are hot commodities on the black market. Thatโs why weโre here. A sorcerer is keen on using us for...something. Weโre not quite sure what.โ
At that, she felt Jessโ hand land lightly on her arm. โYou certainly look like youโve been through hell.โ
Only then was Keziahโs attention brought to her tattered dress, still stained with blood of gold and red. She brushed off the concern with a shrug. โNothing a change of clothes canโt fix,โ she replied before shooting a glance in Valteriโs direction. She was impressed with his poise. He had remained silent and still throughout the reunion, despite what must have been a gnawing hunger tearing at his insides. Keziah had not felt such a hunger since her own transformation, but the memory of it would be burned in her mind for the rest of her days. โIs there anything to eat?โ she asked.
Jess nodded and gestured broadly down a narrow hall. โYes. Come. Iโll take care of him while you catch up with Bjorn.โ She looked between the two of them meaningfully. Her face was always so easy to read. It was one of the things Keziah loved most about the silver-haired vampire.
Without another word, she guided the small posse into a large, simply furnished dining area. It was more of a hall, really, one fit for hundreds rather than the scarce few who occupied the fort. Keziah pictured dozens of others filling the benches, sharing a drink and meal. The family of vampires had been that large once, and Keziah had considered herself one of them. Things were different now, but she still felt the warmth of the memories permeate throughout the stone building.
โWe have a storeroom with live blood and something for Ayndir to eat as well,โ announced Jess. Keziah nodded, and flashed an encouraging smile toward her two former companions. The fort had created a method to avoid killing humans every time someone grew an appetite. Below the kitchens they kept a number of prisoners from the town, ones whose crimes were unforgivable. They were used for feedings, but were also provided an education and encouraged to change. Sometimes they were even let go, if a long enough time had passed and if they showed signs of positive growth.
โAlright, go on then,โ Keziah confirmed. As the two vampires and the dragon walked down the hall and disappeared, she looked back to Bjorn.
โAnd what of you, Bjorn?โ she asked. Her voice was not as tender as her heart felt. She wished to rest her head against his chest and to feel his strong arms wrapped around her again. But their relationship had always been complicated, and she was waiting for him to set the tone. "I..." her voice became suddenly soft and she took a half-step forward. Before finishing the sentence, however, she tucked a dark lock of hair behind her ear and asked: "Do you all still break wild horses for fun?"
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Aug 30, 2020 20:14:14 GMT -5
BJORN --
At the sight of Keziahโs slight frame, so contrasted against his big, burly one, a concoction of emotions so strong that he was almost certain he was drunk again (not that vampires can get drunk) rocketed through Bjorn so fast he was almost swept off his feet. He had the sudden urge to close his eyes for a moment, convinced he was dreaming, but when her scent filtered past him, he knew he was awake. That she was really here. Home. It had been over ten years since heโd seen her, and although heโd understood her reasoning for leaving it hadnโt lessened the pain or despair heโd felt. Heโd been unable to bear the sight of this fortress without her, so he followed in her footsteps โ and heโd gone wandering. In different directions, of course; back to his homeland, the distant island of รsland. Then Norway, and the surrounding areas. Heโd wanted some connection to his old life, although he hadnโt understood why. In the nearly fifteen-hundred years that Bjorn had walked this world โ human years excluded โ heโd never really considered his past life. After the fire of the transformation had passed, heโd left his old life behind him, where it belonged. Heโd held on to the memories of course, often looked back upon them fondly, but in a more abstract way โ like the person heโd been before his transformation had been completely different after.
Before heโd even become consciously aware of his actions, he was striding towards Keziah and scooping her up into a tight hug, swinging her about like she was a child (in size comparison, you could argue she was; Bjorn was nearly six-six in height). โLitli fuglinn er kominn aftur รญ hreiรฐriรฐ!โ he called in his booming voice. โWhere have you been all these years?โ he asked, placing her gently back on her feet. She was far from breakable, and yet Bjorn still handled her like she was made of glass.
โIโve beenโฆ everywhere,โ she replied, glancing away. Bjorn felt a pang in his chest, but didnโt mention it. Their relationship had been this strange dance for years, and he doubted it would be changing any time soon. Still, heโd hoped. And still did, it seemed. โEverywhere but home,โ she continued after a moment. Finally, Bjornโs awareness extended outward, encompassing his immediate surroundings and the world beyond the fortress. A strange scent filled his nose โ one he hadnโt encountered in many years. The reptilian creature smelled similar to a hearth โ warm flame and soft ash, but with a more wild edge to it; untamed and feral. It took another half-second for Bjornโs mind to catch up to his sense of smell. โDreki?โ he asked, incredulous. The little creature โ no larger than a medium-sized dog โ hung close to Keziahโs side and watched him from behind molten gold eyes. โWhere did you find a dragon?โ
Keziah dropped one hand to the dragonโs head, and although it didnโt appear like the dragon was entirely pleased with the gesture, he didnโt move away. He instead rattled those armored fans on his neck and continued to stare at Bjorn. โFate brought us together,โ Keziah told him. โApparently vampire and dragon parts are hot commodities on the black market. Thatโs why where here. A sorcerer is keen on using us forโฆ something. Weโre not quite sure what.โ A dark, dangerous look entered Bjornโs eyes, there and gone in an instant, but that astute dragon saw it, and hissed at him. He shifted a bit closer to Keziah, and thatโs when Bjorn understood.
He knelt a bit, to get on a more even level with the dragon. โI wonโt hurt her,โ he told him, although his words were not English โ or any language spoken by man. They were guttural and harsh, rough around the edges. Bjorn had learned the dragonโs language some time ago, and it was that language he was using now. Surprise flickered in the dragonโs eyes.
โShe helped me escape,โ the dragon replied, in his native tongue. He sat back on his haunches, tail swishing. โFor that, I owe her a debt. Someone is following us, and their intentions arenโt good.โ
Bjorn nodded. โI understand. I am Bjorn, son-of-Ragnar. May I know your name, sky-king?โ
โAyndir, son-of-Aynror, of Ayntorโs line.โ
โRest easy, Ayndir. I will keep her safe.โ
The two shared a quiet moment, understanding passing between them, before Bjorn stood again. While heโd been conversing quietly with the dragon, Jess had drifted closer. It was then that Bjorn noticed Keziahโs other companion, and it took all his self-control to suppress the growl that rattled in his chest. Keziah was traveling with another male; jealousy flashed through Bjorn, as hot as a knife, but he pushed it away. The male, by the looks of him, was in the middle of the transformation; his face, pallor and sallow, was drawn with pain. His breathing was shallow and rapid, his eyes as bright as fresh-spilled blood. Bjorn glanced between Keziah and the newborn, giving the former an incredulous look. โHave you decided to start a line?โ he queried. Heโd changed half a dozen humans over the years, although none of them would have survived without his intervention. Running a line was hard work, although the duties lessened over the years as his โchildrenโ grew more and more distant, spreading out over the world. He hadnโt spoken to the oldest in over a decade, although he knew their general whereabouts.
Keziah didnโt answer him. โIs there anything to eat?โ
โYes,โ Jess responded, waving towards a narrow hill. โCome. Iโll take care of him while you catch up with Bjorn.โ The silver-haired woman cast a glance at the pair, her meaning clear. Bjorn shelved that for a later time. He followed the group as they moved for the main building, where the dining room was. The coven โ although small โ kept a supply of humans on hand, composed of the criminals from the nearby towns. In Bjornโs opinion, theyโd drawn the good straw; although their blood was regularly taken to feed the resident vampires, they were supplied with an education, and on occasion even set free.
โWe have a storeroom with live blood and something for Ayndir to eat as well,โ Jess was saying. Bjorn shook off his thoughts.
โAlright, go on then,โ Keziah agreed, and the newborn (whose name Bjorn still did not know) and Ayndir followed after Jess, although the dragon shot a knowing look at Bjorn before he padded away, claws scraping against the floor.
โAnd what of you, Bjorn?โ Keziah asked rather suddenly. Bjorn blinked, and realized she was asking what heโd been up to for the past few years. โIโฆโ she trailed off and took a half-step forward before she caught herself. There was another pang in Bjornโs chest, and she pushed a lock of her hair away before continuing. โDo you all still break wild horses for fun?โ
Quite the subject change, Bjorn grumbled to himself. He shrugged. โAye, when the herds draw near,โ he told her. โBut Iโve not been here for many years.โ He didnโt specify when heโd left; Keziah was sharp, and sheโd know. โI went back to Iceland for a bit. Norway. Went to see how the old clans were doing.โ
โI suspect, however, that your journey has been a bit more exciting,โ he told her, voice soft with humor.
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Aug 31, 2020 22:49:55 GMT -5
Keziah -
โAye, when the herds draw near,โ he replied. โBut Iโve not been here for many years.โ Keziahโs brows pinched lightly at this admission. Before she left, it seemed as though he would never leave himself, which was part of why it had been so difficult for her to go. Was she the reason he had stayed in the first place?
Of course she had not realized this a decade prior when she left. The excuse for the trip was to study migration patterns of the supernatural beings. She distinctly remembered preparing for the journey, packing her books and clothes in one trunk, and feeling an immense wave of dread. Iโm only nervous about the unknown, she had thought firmly. But in retrospect, her feelings had been much more complicated. Mixed with questions about the future were also questions about the present and the past. As much as she had looked forward to seeing new things, she was afraid of what she was leaving behind. This was why her travels were ultimately unfulfilling. She had been searching for the exact thing that she abandoned.
โI went back to Iceland for a bit. Norway. Went to see how the old clans were doing. I suspect, however, that your journey has been a bit more exciting.โ His voice was tender, directed downward like a gentle rain. He always towered over her. She, on the other hand, was barely tall enough to reach the highest cupboards in her house.
โNot likely,โ Keziah found herself responding, chin tipped back so they could look each other in the eye. โI mean, they were exciting. I saw many places. But it didnโt take long to realize nothing compares to these hills.โ
At that, she reached for his hand, pulling it toward her palm up. She clutched it for a moment. Propping it up with it up with one of her own hands, she brushed against it lightly with her other, tracing from palm to fingertips. He was neither warm nor cold. The temperature of his skin matched hers perfectly, as if she was touching an extension of her own body. The motion had happened so naturally that a flash of surprise crossed her eyes they met his.
Her hands dropped to her sides, apologetic, as she said, โYou asked me earlier if I was thinking of starting my own line. To be candid, I have been thinking about it. As I traveled across the world, retracing the steps of people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago, my question was why. Why would they cross oceans and traverse mountains back when both those things were incredibly dangerous? Why would they undertake such monumental tasks if it meant they could get themselves killed?โ she laughed lightly, realizing she was rambling, and looked down.
If she were human, a touch of color would have risen to her cheeks. โBut looking back at my journals recently, I noticed that I had scribbled something in the margins. It was a note I intended to remember. From a story I heard from an old woman I met in Nepal. She told me that her first eight children all died, each under completely different and unusual circumstances from freak accidents to mysterious illnesses. When her ninth baby was born, he was so small that he could barely nurse. But eventually he grew. And once he was old enough to get solids down, she would walk ten miles to and from the village with the child strapped to her back. The only thing he could eat was fresh yogurt, otherwise he would be struck with terrible sickness. Anyway, as she was telling this story, the only thing I could feel was jealousy that she had been given the gift of loving someone so immensely.โ
She bit her lip shyly then looked up. Her eyes, like deep mahogany, were bare and vulnerable. It was not often that she spoke of her own feelings, at least not the ones that ebbed so deeply within her.
โI think why I waited so long to start my own line is that I never wanted to do it alone.โ
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Sept 1, 2020 19:30:06 GMT -5
BJORN --
Keziah had a strange look on her face as Bjorn spoke, but she didnโt interrupt him. She wrinkled her expression when he mentioned that her journey was probably a bit more exciting than his โ he was, of course, referring to the most recent hours in her decade-long journey, but she didnโt seem to catch his meaning immediately. โNot likely,โ she quipped in response. She tilted her face up so that she could meet his stare directly. Bjorn simply quirked one eyebrow very slowly, as if he was daring her to continue. โI mean, they were exciting. I saw many places. But it didnโt take long to realize nothing compares to these hills.โ
โHmm,โ Bjorn mused at that spoken thought. Before he could say anything else, Keziah reached forward to grasp his hands; he was struck by the odd dichotomy as she pulled at him so that his palm faced the ceiling. His own palms were massive, nearly swamping her small, delicate fingers, nails as neat as could be (save for the bit of dirt and blood that was stuck beneath them, but Bjorn chalked that up to the fact that sheโd been on the run for over twelve hours); in stark contrast was Bjornโs palm, rough and calloused after years of hard, grueling work before heโd become a vampire. Although being changed healed many injuries, it did not necessarily erase scars or the signs of the previous life. That was part of the reason Bjornโs tattoos had remained, along with his various other battle scars. His eyes โ once a blue as brilliant as the sea โ studied Keziahโs expression for a long moment as she held his hand, clinging to him as though he were the only thing keeping her steady. She ran the tips of her fingers across his palm; it sent a shudder through him, although he hid well. Then, as if she realized what she was doing, she dropped his hand and returned hers to her side. Bjorn let his own hand drop away.
โYou asked me earlier if I was thinking of starting my own line.โ Yes, he had, hadnโt he? Heโd framed it has a joke, though; Keziah had never seemed interested in changing any humans before. โTo be candid,โ she continued before he could respond, โI have been thinking about it.โ He was quite sure surprise flickered through his gaze briefly, but she didnโt mention it before continued. โAs I traveled across the world, retracing the steps of people who lived hundreds or thousands of years ago, my question was why. Why would they cross oceans and traverse mountains back when both those things were incredibly dangerous? Why would they undertake such monumental tasks if it meant they could get themselves killed?โ She let out a soft laugh, like the soft chiming of bells, and glanced down.
โBut looking back at my journals recently, I noticed that I had scribbled something in the margins,โ she went on. It was a note I intended to remember. From a story I heard from an old woman I met in Nepal. She told me that her first eight children all died, each under completely different and unusual circumstances from freak accidents to mysterious illnesses. When her ninth baby was born, he was so small that he could barely nurse. But eventually he grew. And once he was old enough to get solids down, she would walk ten miles to and from the village with the child strapped to her back. The only thing he could eat was fresh yogurt, otherwise he would be struck with terrible sickness. Anyway, as she was telling this story, the only thing I could feel was jealousy that she had been given the gift of loving someone so immensely.โ
She pressed her teeth into her lip and then looked up, her eyes searching his. โI think,โ she said softly, voice barely above a whisper, โwhy I waited so long to start my own line is that I never wanted to do it alone.โ Her eyes searched his again, almost peering into his soul.
For a moment, he was silent; it stretched between them, hovering like mist, as his own russet eyes regarded her face. If she was saying what Bjorn thought she was, then joy threatened to burst through him like the intensity of the sun. Theyโd danced around this issue for so long, he was almost afraid to believe that his dreams were coming true. He searched the lines of her face, gaze drifting across her expression. โIโve waited a long time for you, litli fuglinn minn,โ he told her, voice soft. โI can wait as long as it takes โ for you.โ He drifted a bit close, his gaze flicking towards her lips almost of their own accord. Her breath washed across him, bringing her soft scent with it. He drowned within it for a long moment, and he drew even closer. โI want to,โ he breathed, words almost inaudible. The air thrummed with tension, almost humming with energy. He drifted even closer โ only a few hairsโ breadth away now. โรg vilโฆโ
The moment was shattered was abruptly, the atmosphere around them cracking and breaking away like glass, by the sudden low, thrumming call of a horn. Bjornโs eyes snapped open and he froze, slowly turning to look at the entrance of the building theyโd entered. โIt seems weโll have to wait a bit anyway,โ he sighed, and straightened. โYour sorcerer friend is almost to the gate.โ
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Sept 2, 2020 1:06:34 GMT -5
Keziah -
โIโve waited a long time for you, litli fuglinn minn,โ he told her, voice soft. โI can wait as long as it takes โ for you.โ
Keziah felt him drawing closer. If she were human, her heart rate would have steadily increased until she heard the sound drumming in her ears. Even still, she imagined that same sound as if it were real. She felt human, then, and the rush of adrenalin when he leaned in toward her was just as visceral as it had been three hundred years ago. He was so damned tall that he had to bow his head. She watched as his gaze flicked down to her lips and she parted them instinctively.
โI want to,โ he murmured. He was even closer now. She tilted her head back ever so slightly, and the tip of her nose brushed lightly against his, and her breath caught. As many times as they had touched over their long relationship, never had they been close so intimately. So many years wasted on maintaining a platonic affection that could have been so much more. She was overwhelmed with the urge to collide, to bury her hands in his shirt and make up for lost time. Iโm so stupid, she thought. Heโs been here all along. On the other hand, she wanted to savor the feeling of each tiny motion that drew them together now: the angle of his head, the vibrations of his voice. His mouth was so close that she could feel his breath on her lips as he said, โรg vilโฆโ
โYes?โ she gasped softly.
But her vision grew suddenly wider as he pulled away. There came a sharp sound like something breaking loudly outside. Keziah looked instinctively in the direction of the cellar, where Valteri and Ayndir had disappeared minutes prior. Before she had even sorted out where the noise came from, her protective instincts kicked in. She looked back to Bjorn, gaze sharpening.
โIt seems weโll have to wait a bit anyway,โ he said, shoulders straightening and expression growing distant. โYour sorcerer friend is almost at the gate.โ
Keziah felt a surge of anger. Not only had this wizard captured her, thrown her in a cage, and threatened to harm her friends, but he had interrupted her first moment of true bliss in decades. Her delicate features twisted into an expression of vengeful determination. There was no time to gather weapons, or armor for that matter. Their confrontation could not wait a moment longer. It was time to settle things face to face.
Without another word, she set her shoulders and strode out of the room. Her heeled boots snapped furiously against the stone floor as she walked outside and then up the staircase to the battlements. The air outside was alive with magic. It felt similar to the atmosphere before a lightning storm; charge with electricity. Her torn skirts billowed around her legs and her fingertips flexed. Within moments she was standing above the gates, surveying the land out before her until they landed on a figure. Even from a distance, her dark eyes flared with rage. Her lips pulled back into a snarl as she stared down her newfound nemesis.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Sept 2, 2020 16:23:21 GMT -5
BJORN --
Keziah flitted away, anger burning in her gaze. Clearly, she was upset that their private moment had been interrupted, and Bjorn was as well, but as he watched her march away a slight smile curled at the edges of his mouth. Her temper was something to behold, he decided. He chuckled to himself, but didnโt immediately follow. Instead he cocked his head to the side and listened carefully, waiting for another horn blast. He heard the front doors swing open and slam shut and figured Keziah had made her way outside to confront the sorcerer. He shook his head and moved deeper into the fortressโ main building, to his own room. The first horn blast had alerted the fortress that potential danger was approaching, and the sentry equipped with that horn was ten miles to the west. Assuming the sorcerer wasnโt traveling as fast as vampires could, they still had a few moments to prepare. He wasnโt under the assumption that the sorcerer wasnโt moving swiftly, but he had a bit of knowledge into the inner workings of magic and knew that teleportation was extremely difficult; most magic users could only teleport a few miles at a time.
Bjorn moved towards a large trunk nestled in the far corner of his room and released the latches holding it closed; its top swung open soundlessly, and within was contained a near arsenal of various weaponry โ hatchets, axes, swords, daggers. You name it, and it was probably in there. Most of them were relatively crudely crafted, as Bjorn had forged them himself well before heโd become an even decent blacksmith, but their use wasnโt in their appearance. He hummed a soft tune to himself as he selected several weapons, including a pair of daggers, two hatchets and a short sword. With swift, practiced movements he attached the weaponry to his person, sliding the daggers and short sword into various sheaths. He slipped the handles of the hatches into rungs along his belt, and then closed the trunk, locking it again. Before he left his room, he took the massive circular shield from the wall. Its weight was as familiar to Bjorn as his own name; emblazoned on the front was a great black wolf leaping through the sky, jaws stretched wide to swallow the sun.
He left his room, and in his mind, he could almost hear the pounding of the drums and war chants that used to precede the battles heโd participated in. In the distance, he heard another horn blast; this one closer, signaling that the potential threat was three miles away. He left the main building to find Keziah standing at the gate, teeth bared, eyes afire with rage. The hatchling, Ayndir, had joined her and was glaring at the gate, griff flared wide, head dancing back and forth like a snake about to strike. He could hear the dragonโs furious hiss from even here. They made quite the sight; with a pang he was reminded of his own past. He turned to stare towards the north, staring into the sky as if searching for something. From the west, a storm broiled โ but this was no natural thundercloud. It roiled and thrashed with the influence of magic, its dark boundaries lashed together by a spell. Interesting, Bjorn thought; not many magic users could summon, let alone sustain, such a storm. Whoever was on Keziahโs tail was powerful. In a flash, Bjorn was at her side. He pulled one of his hatchets free, and tapped the hilt against the side of his shield, imitating a drum, and began to chant to himself, preparing for the battle that was almost inevitable.
โHljรณรฐs biรฐ ek allar helgar kindir,
meiri ok minni mรถgu Heimdallar;
viltu at ek, Valfรถรฐr, vel fyr telja
forn spjรถll fรญra, รพau er fremst um man.
รr var alda รพar er รmir bygรฐi,
vara sandr nรฉ sรฆr nรฉ svalar unnir,
jรถrรฐ fannsk รฆva nรฉ upphiminn,
gap var ginnunga, en gras hvergi.
Sรณl tรฉr sortna, sรญgr fold รญ mar,
hverfa af himni heiรฐar stjรถrnur;
geisar eimi ok aldrnari,
leikr hรกr hiti viรฐ himin sjalfan.
Brรฆรฐr munu berjask ok at bรถnum verรฐask,
munu systrungar sifjum spilla;
Skelfr Yggdrasils askr standandi,
ymr it aldna trรฉ, en jรถtunn losnar."
Geyr nรบ Garmr mjรถk fyr Gnipahelli,
festr mun slitna en freki renna,
fjรถlรฐ veit ek frรฆรฐa, fram sรฉ ek lengra
um ragna rรถk rรถmm sigtรญva.
Sรฉr hon upp koma รถรฐru sinni
jรถrรฐ รณr รฆgi iรฐjagrรฆna.
Falla fossar, flรฝgr รถrn yfir,
sรก er รก fjalli fiska veiรฐir.
Sal sรฉr hon standa sรณlu fegra,
gulli รพakรฐan รก Gimlรฉi.
รar skulu dyggvar drรณttir byggja
ok um aldrdaga ynรฐis njรณta.โ
His chant ended and all fell silent for a moment, save for the cracking thunder of the storm. There was another sound โ a low, cacophonous wail that seemed to rattle within Bjornโs very bones. The front gates shook, and then fell still. The sorcerer was here and judging by the magic that buzzed in the air, he was quite strong. Bjorn turned his head, without looking away from the gate, and nodded to Jess, who was standing near the gateโs controls. The wooden barrier raised with a low rattling, and then Bjorn was face to face with someone he never thought heโd see again.
Anger flashed through him, hot and violent, but he schooled his expression to remain calm. Instinctively he shifted to place himself before Keziah a half-step, ready to launch himself into battle to defend her at a momentโs notice. The sorcerer stood a few yards away from the front gate and for a long time, no words were exchanged; he only studied the fortress, looking at those guarding it. When his eyes fell on Ayndir, there was a flash of desire and greed and he took a half-step forward but froze when Bjorn mimicked his movements.
โHail,โ the sorcerer greeted. โI have come to retrieve a few companions of mine who was sadly lost when our caravan was attacked and destroyed. I have come long and far to find him and bring them home.โ
โHail, friend,โ Bjorn responded. โWe greet you. Of whom do you speak?โ
โOf the hatchling that stands with you, the female behind you, and another that I do not see.โ
โI do not think they desire to travel in your company again, friend,โ the Viking said. His voice remained calm and friendly, though the look in his eyes was anything but.
โCome now,โ the sorcerer said. โThere need not be violence. I only seek the safe return of my companions, and we will leave you in peace.โ
โNo,โ Bjorn agreed, โthere need not be violence. Return from whence you came and leave us in peace, and we will not come to blows.โ
The sorcererโs face hardened. โI have traveled fair to retrieve them, and I will not leave empty handed. Hand them over, sir, and I will depart.โ
Bjorn shook his head. โYou have changed much, old friend. Do you not recognize me?โ
โI do not know you, sir,โ the man responded coldly. Bjorn smiled.
โBut I know you, Torsten.โ
Shock flashed across Torstenโs face, and he searched Bjorn's face for a long moment. Recognition flickered in his eyes. โBjorn.โ
โIt has been many years.โ
โStep aside, Bjorn, and give me what I want.โ
โIn the name of the friendship we once shared, Torsten, turn around and leave. I will not ask again.โ
Torsten shook his head and sighed. โWe are at an impasse, then. Shame. I did not come here to kill you or your friends.โ
Bjorn only smiled, and the sight was enough to chill the very air. โOne of us will die,โ he agreed, voice as cold as ice, โbut I do not fear death. Come then.โ
Torsten lifted his hand, fingers sparkling with magic, and spoke a single word. There was a flash of light and an orb rocketed forward, heading for Bjorn. He held his ground and lifted his shield; the orb struck the wood with a blast as loud as the thundering sky, but he held firm. Bjorn struck the edge of his shield with his hatchet again and began to chant as Torsten stepped back, narrowed his eyes, and lifted both hands in preparation for another spell.
โHvem skal synge meg
i daudsvevna slynge meg
nรฅr eg pรฅ Helvegen gรฅr
og dei spora eg trรฅr
Er kalda, sรฅ kalda
Eg songane sรธkte
Eg songane sende
dรฅ den djupaste brunni
gav meg drรฅper sรฅ ramme
av Valfaders pant
Alt veit eg, Odin
var du gjรธmde ditt auge
Hvem skal synge meg
i daudsvevna slynge meg
nรฅr eg pรฅ Helvegen gรฅr
og dei spora eg trรฅr
Er kalda, sรฅ kalda
ร
rle ell i dagars hell
enn veit ravnen om eg fell
Nรฅr du ved helgrindi stรฅr
og nรฅr du laus deg mรฅ riva
skal eg fylgje deg
over Gjallarbrua med min song
Du blir lรธyst frรฅ banda som bind deg!
Du er lรธyst frรฅ banda som batt deg!
Dรธyr fe, dรธyr frender
Dรธyr sjรธlv det sama
men ordet om deg aldreg dรธyr
vinn du et gjetord gjevt
Dรธyr fe, dรธyr frender
Dรธyr sjรธlv det sama
Eg veit et som aldreg dรธyr
dom om daudan kvar.โ
As he chanted, Torsten continued to sling various spells at the Viking, but Bjorn stood firm, and began to move forward. Panic began to flash in the wizardโs eyes and he redoubled his efforts again, actions becoming desperate now. Still, he could not slow Bjornโs advance, and the Viking continued forward at a steady pace. The storm was over the fortress now, and rain pelted downward, soaking the ground. Bjorn ignored that, too; even as water blurred his vision and drowned him, he moved forward. Torsten had threatened Keziah, and that was unacceptable to Bjorn. He moved with furious purpose, and the look in his eyes seemed strong enough to set Torsten aflame where he stood.
Torsten shouted something, and pointed at Bjorn. The storm cracked and hissed, and an arc of lightning shot through the sky, striking the earth just before Bjorn. He didnโt even flinch, and instead kept his gaze focused on his enemy. Before he crossed the threshold of the gate, however, he paused and glanced over his shoulder. When he looked back at Torsten, he simply smiled.
A shadow sliced through the thunderstorm with a bellowing crack and rocketed towards the fortress.
With a roar that shook the very mountains, a dragon as black as the storm opened its maw, and exhaled flame at the sorcerer.
Torsten barely managed to fling up a shield, mouth agape in surprise.
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โโะพฯ
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Post by โโะพฯ on Sept 2, 2020 19:53:15 GMT -5
Keziah -
Keziah stood her ground as the rain pelted them from above. In the sudden chaos that broke out at the arrival of Bjorn, she managed to find a broadsword hanging on one of the fortressโ inner walls. She stood with it now, both hands around the hilt. It looked massive in her possession, but she would not hesitate to wield it. The tip of the blade scraped against the ground as she walked behind Bjorn, matching his pace.
The sorcerer was more powerful even than she expected. His attacks were rapid and unrelenting; lightning bolts that struck the ground before them with loud cracks and blinding flashes of light. Even with her vampiric vision, Keziah struggled at moments to see. Between the lashing rain and the lightning, she was constantly having to relocate the wizard who professed to know Bjorn. He stood a short distance away, power radiating from every inch of his being. Only then did she truly understand the weight of their situation. This sorcerer was no mere magician. He would be a challenging foe indeed, perhaps the strongest sheโd ever faced. In that moment, she worried far more for Bjornโs safety than her own. He seemed to be the target of the attacks, one or two of which he narrowly escaped with the help of his shield.
Feeling powerless, she stood behind him and waited for any sign of the sorcerer pausing his attack. By this point, she was soaked to the bone in rain water. The very ground beneath them was covered in a thin sheen, building too quickly to have a chance to sink into the dirt. Another massive bolt of lightning, even bigger than the last, struck the ground just before them. Keziah couldnโt help but flinch. When she looked up at Bjorn, however, he had an expression of amusement on his face. His mouth was pulled into a smile. Keziah felt a surge of annoyance at him. That damned viking has a deathwish, she thought to herself. Even as the sorcerer halted, seemingly dumbfounded by the vampireโs unexpected display of joy, she glared at him with a look that could easily be translated into, โWhat the hell are you doing?โ
All would immediately become clear. At that moment, a clap of thunder boomed overhead, shaking the ground they stood on. Keziah looked up just in time to see a pair of massive, outstretched wings descend from the sky. A wall of flame cascaded from the heavens, sending up a cloud of mud and smoke as it sliced toward the sorcerer. The dragonโs black underbelly narrowly missed the battlements as it flew in from overhead.
Keziah looked to Bjorn, eyes wide, but there was no time for explanations. She knew her chance to act was now. The sorcerer was distracted by the winged beast, he narrowly staved off its flames by use of a magical shield, but he was losing ground and his attention was momentarily directed away from the vampires. Even Bjornโs gaze was cast forward. Keziahโs fingers tightened around the broadsword. In a flash of speed, she lifted the blade and raced toward the trail of scorched earth left by the dragon. Even as she avoided the worst of the damage, she could feel the boiling air scorch the hems of her clothes. This did not slow her. She moved as quickly as a flash of light, raising her weapon more with every step until she was swinging it like an axe.
She was close enough to see the sorcererโs eyes widen as he saw the blade slicing through the air toward him.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Sept 2, 2020 22:02:50 GMT -5
BJORN --
Bjorn released a booming laugh as the black dragon cut through the sky like an arrow, wings trimmed to control his dive; the edges of his wings sliced through the rain, sending mist in all directions. When his maw cracked open, Bjorn watched the fire rise through the dragonโs throat and then strike the air, arcing forward in a wild plume. He was briefly disappointed when he saw that Torsten had managed to shield himself; the dragonโs flame swept around the magical shield, parting around it like a boat through water. Once the dragon snapped his jaws shut again, beating his wings to gain altitude again, Torsten went to drop the shield โ but the whistling of a blade through the air drew his attention again.
Bjorn cried out in fear when he realized that Keziah had moved from behind him to strike at the sorcerer; she wielded the great broadsword like an axe, swinging it over her head in a chopping motion. Torsten managed to lift one hand and strengthen the shield, but Keziahโs blow was strong enough to cause the magic to buckle inward, nearly cracking beneath the femaleโs fury. Torsten was driven to his knees, blood pouring from his mouth and nose, but the shield held. He coughed and lifted his head to glare at Keziah, shoving himself back to his feet. He shoved his hands forward, releasing a gust of wind that knocked Keziah back a few feet. Panicked, Bjorn began to move, racing forward in an attempt to reach them. He moved his shield in front of him, preparing to bowl the sorcerer over, but he wasnโt fast enough. Torsten dropped his own magic shield and spoke another spell, causing a golden whip to appear in his right hand. He shot Keziah a wicked, cruel grin and then lashed the whip in her direction. It snapped around her, binding her arms to her sides, and then snaked around her, binding her legs as well. It flickered a few times and when Torsten released his end, it became a length of steel chain holding Keziah captive again. He flicked his hand and Keziah was dragged by an invisible hand that much closer to him, nearly to his side now.
And then Bjorn reached them and unleashed his rage. Torsten was forced to abandon his attempt to get Keziah further under control to fight off the angry Viking, who lashed at him with that hatchet of his. Bjorn wielded his weapon with expert grace, managing to find breaks in Torstenโs defense to bite at skin and flesh. The blade didnโt cut very deep, because the damn sorcerer managed to dance out of the way, but the scent of Torstenโs blood and pain only served to heighten Bjornโs mania. The Viking drove Torsten back again and again, nearly pushing the sorcerer back to his knees; a well-placed air blast sent Bjorn skittering away, giving Torsten enough time to slam his shield back up โ and encompass it around Keziah as well. Bjorn hissed and thrashed against the wall of magic, slamming his body, weapon and shield into it repeatedly in an attempt to break it, desperate to get to Keziah. The rage in his gaze caused even Torsten to falter. He was panting now, exhausted and struggling to maintain his use of magic. The rain was nearly two-inches deep now.
Bjorn clawed at the shield, screaming wordlessly now โ so loud that his voice was going harsh. He was spitting curses at Torsten that would make even Hel wince; the shield flickered and retracted an inch, but the sorcerer and Keziah were still protected.
A gray blur shot by Bjorn, followed by a loud thud as it struck the shield. Ayndir had joined the fight, raking the claws of his sii across the shield. Beneath the onslaught of an angry Viking and a furious dragon, Torstenโs shield began to falter even more, retracting another inch. He was breathing heavily, mouth and nose still bleeding, and blood began to trickle out of his ears now.
โGive her back!โ Bjorn roared. Torsten spat at him in response and went to dredge up the last of his magic for a teleportation spell. It would be more difficult with Keziah, and although what he wanted more was the hatchling, he was certain that Bjorn โ judging by his wild reaction now โ would follow, and that would give him another chance at getting what he wanted. After all, what better bargaining chip existed than a vampireโs mate?
There was another sound behind him, and Torsten took a half instant to look over his shoulder. Prowling out of the woods, wings half-open and golden eyes ablaze, was that damn dragon. Its armored fans were flared and rattling so loud that Torsten could hear it over the thunderstorm. The dragon curled its upper lip back over his teeth, revealing row upon row of wickedly sharp, brilliant white fangs. Torsten cursed again and reached for Keziah. The dragon pounced, one sii slamming down on Torstenโs shield with enough force to shatter it at last. In the instant before he was crushed beneath the dragonโs weight, Torsten shot a glare as hot as the fires of Hel, and then disappeared.
The dragonโs paw slammed into the ground, sending mud flying everywhere. The magic chains holding Keziah flickered and vanished, turning into a mist that rapidly dissipated. The thunderstormโs fury began to decrease, and the rain lightened. Bjorn lunged forward and grabbed Keziah, swinging her up into the safety of his arms. Only when all her limbs were wrapped around him did the crushing panic heโd been swamped with drift away. Ayndir sat in the mud, tail thrashing, looking about for the sorcerer. Torsten wouldnโt have been able to go far, but both he and Bjorn were reluctant to leave Keziah (and the fort) undefended.
The black dragon raised his paw and flicked the mud away from it, turning to face Bjorn and Keziah. He rumbled something to the Viking, who nodded in response, but did not immediately speak.
Finally, he put Keziah back on her feet. โAre you okay?โ he demanded, voice gruff and hoarse.
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โโะพฯ
ษดแด แดแด
แดษชแดแดแดษดแดแด แดxแดแดแดแด แดษด แดแดสแดส สแดsษชษดแดss
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Post by โโะพฯ on Sept 2, 2020 23:43:32 GMT -5
Keziah -
The sorcererโs shield was stronger than she had hoped. It gave in like molten glass, smacking the man sharply in the face, but did not break. Keziahโs weapon was flung from her hands, and before her feet even hit the ground, the sorcerer was standing again. She paused, looking wildly between him and the sword which lay ten meters away. She lurched to grab it, but he was too fast. As she launched forward, she felt something wrap around her arms. The golden whip cracked in the air and Keziah was helpless to stop the magical rope that bound her limbs together, suspending her in the air. Her body wriggled, attempting to break the spell. Then she snarled despite knowing she was beaten.
Behind her, the sound of Bjornโs bellow broke through the wall of rain.
Keziah was determined not to be teleported to some cursed place in the company of the sorcerer. Without watching what was happening, she continued to struggle in hopes that splitting his attention would weaken the spell. At one point, she heard quick footsteps through the rain and looked up to see Ayndir racing toward the sorcerer. The small dragon bared his teeth and claws as he barreled into the shield. โAyndir, no!โ Keziah screamed. She knew he was the one who the sorcerer really wanted. Vampires were a prize indeed, but a dragon hatchling was worth more than any living thing. If the sorcerer were to get his hands on Ayndir, she had no doubt that he would teleport in the blink of an eye.
โBjorn!โ she yelped. But it was not the vampire who swooped in from her left. It was the grown dragon. A roar rumbled through the atmosphere like thunder and the beast reared onto its back feet then bore all its weight down on the sorcererโs shield. It popped like a bubble. Just before he was crushed under the enormous weight, Keziahโs gaze met the wicked stare of the sorcerer as he vanished into thin air. The dragonโs claws landed only on wet ground. With that, Keziahโs bindings disappeared and she fell to the ground on her hands and knees.
She crouched there for a moment, stunned. Then a desperate pair of strong hands hauled her up, and Bjornโs familiar arms folded in around her. He held her so tightly that she felt like she would shatter, but she didnโt care. She wrapped her limbs around him and returned the tight squeeze. Her eyes were violent red as they looked past his shoulder, relieved to find Ayndir stood a short distance away with his tail lashing.
โAre you okay?โ asked Bjorn gruffly as he placed Keziah on her feet.
She nodded mutely. She was in shock not from fear but from anger. The sorcerer had managed to put up a fight against two vampires and one and a half dragons. If they had been given a moment longer, however, they would have overpowered him for good. But that opportunity had passed. Their strike was wasted, and now he would have plenty of time to plan a second attack. โWe were so close,โ cursed the brunette vampire through her teeth. Ultimately, however, she was thankful that the battle had come to a draw and not something far, far worse.
She cast her wet hair out of her face and looked up at the male vampire, brows pinched. โAre you?โ she asked. Her eyes conveyed her level of concern. This isnโt over, her expression said as she shared Bjornโs gaze.
At that moment, splashing footsteps alerted them to the sound of Jess and Valteriโs approach. The silver haired female released a worried shout. โWhat happened?โ she demanded as she halted before them. Thankfully she and Valteri looked completely unharmed. They must have been in the cellar when the fight started, and they had missed the conflict altogether.
Keziah huffed softly and planted her hands on her hips. โHe got away, but not without putting up quite the fight,โ then in the same breath, โI think we should go. Weโve put you and the fort in grave danger just by coming here. Perhaps everyone will be safer if we just split up,โ she suggested without providing any more of an explanation. By now Keziahโs dress looked like it had been dragged through the seven layers of hell. The corset strings had been ripped through entirely, and she crossed her arms to keep it on her body. That was nothing compared to the damage done to the hillside, though. A deep trench had been torn up the middle of the road by the dragonโs fire. The rain, which by now had ceased, left deep puddles and mud. And the tops of the nearest trees were blackened and scorched. One tree still burned red at its hollowed core where it had been struck through by lightning.
โWell, letโs get you all cleaned up,โ proposed Jess. โIโm sure we have enough time to regroup and come up with a plan before he redoubles his attack. He is outnumbered, after all.โ She wrapped one arm around Keziahโs shoulders and shepherded her back in the direction of the fort.
As they walked, Keziah glanced suddenly over to Bjorn. "How did you know him?" she asked.
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Post by ๐พ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ on Sept 5, 2020 18:09:59 GMT -5
BJORN --
For a long moment, Bjorn refused to release Keziah; he clung to her as though she were the only bit of flotsam amidst the eye of a hurricane, as though she were his only chance to survive. Perhaps she was. Finally, the panic heโd been feeling began to ease; with Keziahโs limbs wrapped around him, he was reassured that she was safe โ that Torsten hadnโt taken her. That she was here, with him, where she belonged. He inhaled, pulling her scent into his lungs, to calm himself further. Finally, he was able to unlock his muscles and release Keziah, placing her gently on the ground. Almost immediate Ayndir prowled forward to sniff at Keziah, as if searching for any anomaly. The little dragonโs tongue flicked out several times, tasting the air; finally he prowled away, going to interact with the much larger black dragon, who had settled down in the soaked grass and mud. The black dragon watch, clearly amused as the grey dragon sat in front of him and began to chirp and growl, prattling on about something.
Keziah nodded in response to Bjornโs question. โWe were so close,โ she hissed, cursing from between clenched teeth. Bjorn quirked a brow at that but didnโt respond. True, theyโd been close to getting rid of Torsten, but the sorcerer had almost gotten Keziah. Odin knew that the damn sorcerer wanted Keziah for, but Bjorn wasnโt willing to find out. The relief at her still being here, within reach of him, was so overwhelming it nearly choked him. She shoved her soaked hair out of her face and then turned to face Bjorn again, brow furrowed. โAre you?โ she questioned. Bjorn blinked when he realized what she was asking; she was trying to determine if he was okay. He nodded after a moment, remaining mute. He didnโt trust himself to speak yet; the panic and fear was still too fresh and sickening.
He stiffened at the sound of approaching footsteps; he spun around in a blur, upper lip quivering with a snarl, and prepared to launch into the defense of Keziah again. When he saw it was only Jess and Valteri, he relaxed a bit, although he was still tense. โWhat happened?โ the silver-haired vampire demanded. Jess and Valteri were unharmed, although the latter was clearly still in the middle of transitioning. What he needed was peace and quiet, and yet heโd been thrust into this chaos.
Keziah huffed out a sigh, placing her hands on her hips. โHe got away, but not without putting up quite the fight.โ Before she could even draw in another breath, she blurted out, โI think we should go. Weโve put you and the fort in grave danger just by coming here. Perhaps everyone will be safer if we just split up.โ Bjorn let out a soft, nearly audible growl at that. She wasnโt going anywhere without him โ not anymore. Keziah looked like sheโd been in a battle; her dress was little more than ragged tatters now, barely held together, and the corset was only held up by Keziahโs arms that were crossed over her chest. He glanced about the field before the fortress; there was a massive, jagged trench that had been blasted into the earth by dragon fire, and the scent of flame was still hanging in the air. Numerous trees had been knocked down and were littered about, blackened and blasted into splinters. One tree was even still burning, glowing an eerie red as flames ravaged the tree trunk from the inside out. The ground was little more than a puddle of rain and mud and scorched grass. He glanced behind him to see the black dragon was standing now, shaking off bits of mud and ash. Ayndir danced about, keeping close to the older dragon, clearly relieved to be around another of his own kind. When the black dragonโs gaze met his, Bjorn jerked his chin in the direction of the fort. The black dragon lumbered forwards towards the wooden gate without another word.
โWell, letโs get you all cleaned up,โ Jess said, drawing Bjornโs attention again. โIโm sure we have enough time to regroup and come up with a plan before he redoubles his attack. He is outnumbered, after all.โ
Jess led Keziah back to the fort, and Bjorn trailed after them. As they walked, Keziah queried as to Bjornโs history with Torsten, and the old Viking sighed. โI knew him as a child,โ he told her. โWe were both born in the same village and grew up together. Even at a young age, Torsten was clearly more interested in magic than he was battle or the gods. He wasnโt much of a fighter โ in fact, he was quite terrible at it. Instead of trying to improve his skills โ to catch up to the other fighters, so that he could go on raids with us โ he spent his time trying to learn all he could about magic.โ He shook his head. โEventually, he left the village, and I didnโt think Iโd ever see him again.โ His eyes grew distant. โI donโt know how heโs managed to stay alive for so long. He should have died a long time ago.โ
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โโะพฯ
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Post by โโะพฯ on Sept 5, 2020 19:01:58 GMT -5
Keziah -
As Bjorn recounted his tale, Keziah chewed on the inside of her cheek. She was clearly troubled. โHeโs very powerful,โ she noted, stating the obvious. โLetโs just hope heโs as much of an outcast now as he was then. Even if he has no reinforcements, we could be in for the fight of our lives.โ
Jessโs arm gave her a light, fortifying squeeze. โDonโt worry about that now, love. Letโs get you into some fresh clothes and then weโll decide what to do,โ said the older vampire. She shot Bjorn a meaningful look, then shepherded Keziah up the stairs toward the bedrooms.
When the women were gone, Valteri stood statue-like in the hall. He glanced at Bjorn, then looked away, red eyes unblinking.
Upstairs, Jess sat Keziah down on a spare bed then went to raid the various closets of the fortress. Her own dresses would be far too big for the petite brunette. Thankfully Ysabella, another of their friends, had recently brought in a trunk of her own belongings. She was a cold woman, but in these types of situations, Jess found it was better to apologize than to ask permission. Regardless, Ysabeau would be gone for several days while hunting. Her wrath, then, was a problem for the future. Jess threw open the trunk and rifled through the colorful gowns. Most were too flimsy or formal, not to mention too long, but that was unavoidable.
While waiting, Keziah sighed and fell back on the mattress, closing her eyes. Instead of allowing the sights and sounds of the battle to re-enter her brain, she pictured Iceland. It was a strange place to think of now, given she had only been there once, decades ago. Even still, the icy waters and dark hills populated her thoughts and filled her with a strange calm. Her breathing had slowed by the time Jess returned with a few dresses piled over one arm.
โYou can put one of these on now, and the rest weโll put in your closet,โ said the silver-haired vampire.
Keziah stood, then took the top dress from the other woman. As she undressed and then pulled the stiff fabric up over her shoulders, she watched Jess walk over to the armoire to begin hanging them up.
โJess,โ Keziah said softly. โI donโt think Iโll be staying long.โ The tightness in her throat made her pitch slightly higher. She swallowed painfully as Jessโs shoulders sagged a fraction, and then the silver-haired female put on a half-smile.
โRight.โ She looked down at the dresses, hiding the sadness in her eyes, and then she said, โIโll get a bag for you. You can take these for your journey, wherever it is you decide to go.โ
The floorboards creaked under her bare feet as Keziah walked over and gave the other woman a long hug.
Minutes later, they came down to join the men in the dining area. Keziah had selected a structured riding gown of deep red. It was an inch or two too long, but it would serve her far better than what she was wearing before. Otherwise she filled it out nicely. The boned corset was almost armor-like in the way it hugged her ribs. Under her skirts, she wore leather boots with a pointed toe and a knife was strapped to her left leg. Jess, who stood next to her, carried a light traveling bag that contained a few other essentials.
Keziahโs expression was soft as she surveyed the others. โAlright, I think Iโve decided a few things. Firstly, we cannot stay at the fort. Not only are we endangering Jess and the others, but it would make it easy on Torsten if we remained in the same place for too long. Secondly, Valteri, you should stay here. Jess is better equipped to help you transition. Itโs only fair after all youโve been through.โ The pale-haired vampire nodded solemnly, though it was clear he was hesitant to be separated from his creator. Then Keziahโs gaze flicked over to Bjorn, scanning his features for any sign of emotion. โWhat do you think?โ she prompted, lilt of her voice drifting upward. She did not want to ask him to come explicitly for she knew he would be putting himself in incredible danger. Being parted from him now would be the hardest thing she had ever done, but it would be unfair to put him in that position. She resisted the urge to grab his hand out of fear it would make it harder for them both.
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