Sand Castles (Aeos/PM for entry)

[Locke]

Nabata. A land of sand and sky, of desert sun and desert wind. A harsh environment, where only the tough and strong could survive, and where few, if any, could thrive. The relentless heat cast shimmering waves over the gently shifting sands, and the breeze felt not cooling or refreshing but scorching, like a blast of flame from a furnace.

Locke was as happy as could be. The manakete loved the earth, loved his connections to his earth, and loved the land of his birth. The harsh elements had no effect on the disguised dragon... Rather, they filled him with a frenzy of free passion.

"I must return to the Sanctuary... But it is too early to fly. It is dangerous with all these humans about..."

Indeed, the manakete stood on the top of a shop in a small Nabatan village, watching the passersby come and go below him. Wrapped in his cloak and shrouded in his human garb, Locke felt safe. His dragonstone felt warm against his humanesque skin, and he smiled as he allowed power to surge into his hands, feeling their skin gently crinkle and turn mottled, burnished gold.

Releasing his energy, Locke looked down and saw a small crowd gathering in the village square.

That was right. The wrestling tournament was today... Locke smiled. Perhaps he ought to join in the fun?

As he made his way down the back stairs, Locke took his dragonstone pouch off of his neck and secured the cord high around his right thing. The wrestlers went shirtless, so undoubtedly it would seem unusual for a man to wrestle in clothes. But if he were to keep his stone on his leg, he could wrestle with impunity.

It had been a while since he'd last had fun.

[Aeos]

Aeos smiled. It had been some time since he left his homeland and was glad to be back. He wanted to surprise his parents with a quick visit but he hadn't found them yet. He knew that eventually he would have to run into them at some point. But for now the dragon was content in this village. He had managed to order himself a fine mug of proper Nabatan drink and was enjoying it. He felt the warm sun grace his tanned skin and felt the sand between his toes.

The village in question was hosting a tournament of sorts. A wrestling tournament for the men. The man watched through the crowd as the men from various origins wrestled one another shirtless. He loved village tournaments. The last one he partook was in Lycia, which involved him eating several pies. YOU.WANT.IN? The voice of his dragon stone asked the man in a voice only he could hear. The dragon man had a bit of a devilish smirk on his face. He was fond of these mild tests of strength. Perhaps it was the drink talking. His human form wasn't much to boast about. He lacked the Herculean muscles of some of the other men, but he wasn't a stick either. The man was in a nice middle ground between buff and average. With a slight lean towards buff. WELL.MEAT.SACK.GO!I.WILL.BE.ROOTING. What he lacked in muscles he can make up for with his speed and endurance.

The dragon finished his drink and slowly started to prepare himself. He took off his tunic and stuffed it into his plan bag. The stone which he kept around his neck was moved into his pant pockets. Aeos quickly pulled his long hair back and made a quick braid. So it wouldn't interfere with his eyes. He tied the end of it with a small band. When the current winner asked who else would take up the challenge, Aeos raised his hand.

[Locke]

"I challenge you..."

The manakete took off his cloak and shirt, revealing his muscles and the many dark 'tattoos' he sported. Too bad nobody could see his dragonhide in its full glory... It was quite beautiful. But anyway.

Locke grabbed handfuls of sand and threw it over himself, rubbing the grit on his skin and then smiling as he grabbed onto his opponent. The man facing Locke smiled incredulously as the manakete assumed a strong stance. The challenger was slight of build, had green hair, and was tattooed. No doubt some sort of tribal mystic, in the eyes of the current 'champion,' a burly man whose bulging muscles served him well.

"Oi, you sure...?"

Locke slammed his weight forward, twisting to apply force to the large man's weak stance. As he stumbled, Locke continued his pressure, but the large man quickly moved, spinning Locke and then attempting to slam him down to the earth. But the manakete drew a bit of his power, and forcibly repulsed the attack, his eyes closed so that the human wouldn't see how his eyes had narrowed or the third lid that had momentarily formed.

As the large man fell, Locke released the power and dropped upon him, pinning the man. There was a brief hush as the count was called, and then a roar as the smaller man stood up, victorious. Locke was about to gracefully allow the large man his place back as 'champion' when he saw another man... A man with his hand raised and his hair braided. A man who seemed ready.

"Do you challenge me, you who salute the sun? I am Locke... Guardian of the Sanctuary... And I accept your challenge!"

Locke waited, ready for the match.

[Aeos]

Aeos watched as the former champion was defeated. The green haired man with many tattoo’s had defeated him. But how? The man with the larger muscles clearly had the advantage, up until the point of the slam. Aeos felt a small spark of power from the green haired one. Something familiar. Aeos knew that his spirit usually gave snarky tidbit of info whenever they both sensed anything remotely “off” but this time it was silent. The dragon man was called out from the crowd, the green haired one had accepted his challenge.

"Do you challenge me, you who salute the sun? I am Locke... Guardian of the Sanctuary... And I accept your challenge!" The champion spoke. Salute the sun? Doth a hand in the air truly look like that fromth the outside? STOP.WONDERING.GET.IN.THERE! It was strange. The voice of the stone felt kind of muffled. As if it had taken into consideration how it would speak if it were actually stuffed inside his pocket. Even though this is a voice he could only hear, it should not matter how loud it sounded if it was all mental. Aeos made his way to the ring.

“Well met Lock. I be called Aeos. A wanderer born oft the sands. I shall strive to be a worthy opponent, sir.” His voice was full of polite respect. YOU.ARE.AWFUL.AT.TAUNTING. Hush. I must concentrate. He mentally told the spirit. Aeos took a moment to brush the sand onto his shoulders like the green haired one had done previously. Aeos took a long breath then released it as a long sigh through his nose. He then placed his arms in the air as was the traditional wrestling stance. His feet however were parted slightly in a manner similar to his martial arts training. He was ready.
--
OOc-Pretend stony's bold font is smaller then it actually is.

[Locke]

"Aeos of Nabata... Let us begin."

Locke smiled. A wanderer born of the sands. A human driven by a sense of necessity... The compulsion to explore. What a familiar feeling. It was a satisfying feeling, to wander and search for something unknown.

But he would show no mercy to this human. It was too fun to be able to use his strength in these small, innocuous ways. Soon, he had to return to the Sanctuary. But for now, he would enjoy pitting his strength against this Aeos. It had been a long time since he had last had significant contact with humans. After the shipwreck that had separated him from Kyle, the young man with the bow, Locke had simply avoided the species while making his way back to Nabata. He had to guard the Sanctuary, no matter how unlikely it was that any human would be able to navigate to it or survive the trip. The temple was a central part of his culture, and so he would go great lengths to protect it.

But a few minutes' delay surely would not hurt, hmm?

Locke moved forward and grasped the man, reciprocating his classic grip. Then, he shoved forward, stepping to the left with his left foot, bringing his weight along, and then simultaneously swinging his right foot backwards to sweep the other man off of his feet. A common maneuver, but effective. Whether or not it worked had yet to be determined, but Locke sent his whole effort through the follow-through, refraining from drawing upon his dragonstone.

[Aeos]

Aeos engaged Locke in wrestling. The green haired one had plans to try and sweep Aeos off of his feet with a common maneuver. The dragon had seen it before, Locke was using his right leg to try and disrupt his balance. The young dragon would not have any of that though. He knew how to avoid the hit while still maintaining contact with his opponent. We can simply move out of the way or… He grasped Locke’s shoulders firmly. We can spoil ourselves a little. In what can be described as a quick burst of athleticism by Aeos he jumped. In reality the young dragon had channeled a small portion of his power into his legs.

If he did not have pants on one could see his desert skin gain the outline of several small scales. He put some pressure on Locke’s body with his arms and proceeded to flip over the green haired man. This display was something that is seen with acrobats of the traveling circus. Aeos was not a gymnast by profession, but he had honed his body enough through his training to perform the act.

The black haired dragon was now behind the green haired human. Once his feet were back on the ground the silhouette of scales under his clothes became skin once more. He moved one arm to his opponent’s side in an attempt to grab him and slam him to the sandy floor. There was plenty of opportunity for Locke to avoid being slammed to the sandy ground, but the question was if he quick enough to do so.

[Locke]

There was a quick burst of force as Locke's charge was halted, and then the foe simply jumped over him. He needed no running start, no exaggerated bends - he simply vaulted as if he was a bird. Beautiful agility, this human had. Absolutely beautiful. But that agility would also be his downfall. One who moved quickly and delicately could not be bulky or very strong, or the weight of his own muscle would slow him down. So if this Aeos was quick and light, Locke would be slow and heavy. Sturdy. Forceful.

As the other man tried to slam Locke down, the manakete smiled, allowed the arm to grab him, and then rooted himself, lowering his stance as Aeos pressed his weight in.

Then Locke pushed. With a small smile, the manakete closed his eyes as they narrowed, feeling his third lids slide over each eyeball.

The push was not a large motion or one designed to ground the challenger. Locke simply let out a strong push. A berserker, or one who had been working in a harbor for many years, loading huge crates, might be able to equal the feat. But Locke was no hired hand. His power surged from his stone and then ebbed away as the green-haired man opened his eyes to see if he'd had a strong effect on the agile man.

This wrestling match was interesting. Locke was excited to see just how good this Aeos human was. He seemed skilled, but not arrogant. A dangerous mix.

[Aeos]

Aeos felt something. He wasn't sure what it was it was an odd familiar feeling. He soon found himself pushed in some manner, his body heading to the gritty sand below. He fell on his back. After taking a small moment to realize he had hit the floor he quickly got up. He arched his head back, and pushed of the ground back onto his feet.

This man has strength. The young dragon thought as he tried to figure out his next movement. Perhaps if I knock him off his feet like he did to me. The black haired man wondered hos he had such a strong push. From what he could see Locke wasn't well build as other humans he had encountered. He made an instinctive move, he got on his hands and made a sweeping motion with his legs. The motion was something akin to the street dancers he had seen preforming on the outskirts of Nabata. Aeos tapped into the power of his stone and channeled it into his legs. They were now harder then most human flesh hopefully enough to knock the man off his feet. He balanced himself on his hands, once the motion was over he got back up.

He charged forward hoping to pin Locke either as he fell to the ground due to his kick. Or if he moved out of the way Locke would have to watch out for the follow up. Aeos kept the power of his stone channeled to his legs. The scaly bits concealed under his pants. They scraped against the cloth. The spirit of his stone cautioned him to ease up once the follow throw as through. His human eyes had a slightly reptilian look to them. He kept his eyes squinted slightly to mask the appearance of his changed pupil.

[Locke]

"Mm."

Locke watched Aeos fall and recover his balance with a look that was a combination of amusement, respect, and uneasiness. The dark-haired one had reacted well to his attack, and seemed to be attuned to the flow of the match. How remarkable for a young human. Even Kyle was not that observant.

But Locke did not expect the swirling legs, which slammed into his and sent him hurtling towards the sand. Only reflexes honed over centuries allowed him to tuck and avoid smashing his face into the grit. As he quickly rose into a crouch, he was assaulted by the form of Aeos hurling forward in a great charge.

Locke had no time to move aside, no time to dodge, no time to duck out of the way or divert the oncoming blow.

So the manakete pushed off and rose fully, using a surge of power to slam into Aeos with great force, probably equal to that of the oncoming man (if he were a man) with a little extra added. Locke hoped it would send the man sprawling, but as they made contact, Locke realized he had misjudged. For some reason, this man seemed to be incredibly strong as well. The two hit each other, and shock waves briefly jolted Locke as he realized, his eyes open in quizzical astonishment, that they had almost exactly neutralized each other's momentum.

Locke did not even notice that his third eyelid was visible if Aeos were to look very closely. He simply grabbed the man and firmly pulled him in until they were in a tight wrestling stance. With his mouth obscured from view, Locke hissed what to a normal human would seem like a guttural grunt of exertion, but to any other being would be a probing question.

"هل أنت واحد منا؟"



OOC: "Are you one of us?"

[Aeos]

Ooc- text in bold and purple is Dragon speak. Reg purple is common tounge.
---

Aeos wasn't sure what was happening. Locke was matching him in strength. The two were in equal strength as they engaged in a wrestlers position. Trying to shove the other to the floor. But when the man leaned on close and whispered something in a voice only he could hear; in a language he knew. Aeos stopped channeling the power of his stone letting Locke get the upper hand. While the green haired Dragon was still close Aeos whispered back in the same language.

You? Are one too?

Suddenly Locke's movements and strengths made sense to Aeos. No normal human would have been able to withstand his scaley kick from before. The young Dragon felt that he had given enough of a display of his prowess to the human spectators.

Soon, Aeos was pinned on the ground while the referee started to count down. Again Locke was close enough for Aeos to whispher to.

"We should speak." He hoped that Locke would agree. It was not everyday he gets the chance to meet other dragons. The count down was over and Locke declaared the winner. Aeos got up and dusted the sand off of himself. The sounds of the crowd cheering filled the air. He quietly gathered his belongings. He put his tunic back on and sighed. He turned to look over at Locke.

"Good match Locke." He spoke with a smile. He offered Locke his hand.

"Perhaps you can join me for a drink?" He asked curious to know more about his fellow dragon.

[Locke]

OOC: Dragontongue will be italicized.

Suddenly, the human stopped resisting, and Locke crashed to the ground on top of Aeos. But then soft words, spoken in a language Locke had long given up hope hearing spoken back to him...

"Yes... I know a secluded place."

Then there was a roar, and the green-haired manakete rose up, the 'champion' over his fellow dragon. How strong was Aeos? He appeared younger than Locke, but... There was no way of telling for sure without talking.

The manakete bowed, smiling humbly, and then dressed quickly.

"I would be honored, friend Aeos. Please, allow me to lead you - I know just the place."

The manakete left through the streets, and soon they found themselves securely at a corner table in a quiet, sleepy bar. Locke moved to the bar, ordering and receiving two bowls, and then returning to place one in front of Aeos.

"My treat. It is a specialty of mine that I taught the bartender. I hope you enjoy."

The bowls were hewn stone, and the liquid inside gave off the heady aroma of a desert night. It was a strong drink, one with flavor and nuance that could be attributed only to Nabatan spices, desert moss, and the delicate fruit of shrub cacti.

Locke took a great gulp, his frame visibly relaxing as the drink coursed through him. It was nice to be able to drink with a friend, and, to be quite frank, he was intensely curious about Aeos and his story.

"This drink... I call it the Arcadia."

The manakete smirked, his eyes dancing at the subtle joke.

"To be honest, I am quite glad I met you. I thought I was the last one outside of the citadel for a while... I met one other, named Smoke in the human tongue. He made his residence in the mountains of the Western Isles. But I left Smoke a while ago. I cannot stay away from Nabata for long. I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary.

Say, Aeos... You are not of my kind, are you? I am a manakete of the Earth Tribe. I have lived long... Not through the Scouring, but for many years afterward... I have seen the Sanctuary crumble and fade into memory, left with none but me to guard it and hold its secret.

It's so... Lonely. Sometimes I feel great rage, and sometimes I feel great sorrow. I do not understand why we must hide, hide like robbers and thieves in our own birthright. Why?"

[Aeos]

Aeos was glad that Locke agreed to the drink. His former opponent led the way. Away from the crowds and commercial streets into a small quiet bar. Aeos took his seat by the bar as Locke ordered for them both.

"I accept your generosity." He spoke with a casual tone of voice. Aeos took a whiff of the bowl's contents and smiled. He knew of the ingredients in the concoction. He was especially fond of the fruit from the cacti. He knew it was a bit of a delicacy as the fruit only lingers on the prickly plant for a short time. He took a sip. The flavors were warm in his mouth. It was as if he was drinking the good parts of the sun drenched desert.

"Mmh. Arcadia is a good drink." He finished the rest of the bowls contents. We. Might regret that later. He exhaled through his nose then let out a satisfactory sigh.

"I'm afraid I.. do not know what you speak of. This citadel? Sanctuary? This is all new to me." He tilted his head quizzically.

"I was raised in Nabata yes, but as a nomad. I've mother and father but they lost their stones ages ago during the war. We are of the Air dragon uh.. clan? I suppose you can count 3 people as a clan. I know mother would say she may have also been part water dragon but it's been so long she does not remember." He stared at the empty bowl in quiet thought.

"The era of our kin on this continent is over. Now it is the era of the people. I for one am glad to be alive and a part of it. But, I understand the frustration. I've been raised not to dwell on it. I have been told to focus my ideas in the future and forget the past. Sometimes.. keeping that mentality is hard. I met another a large man whom I believed to have been an earth dragon. He allowed me to call him "mountain" and he seemed to share the same frustrations. I do not know his age.. but he lacked a stone. Claimed to have been living as a human until he bumped into me." He reflected softly on Jabal. He had only met the large man a few weeks ago. But the thought of the "mountains" ambitions sent a chill down his spine.

"The past is a different country with different customs and we cannot ever go. Or at least I think.. that's how the saying goes." He turned to look at Locke with a smirk.

"As for my age.. hmm.. I suppose.. half a millennium? I do not honestly know. Years tend to lump together after a certain point. I know the Scouring was over long before my conception."

[Locke]

"Hmm. You are of the Sky.

Aeos... I am the Guardian of the Sanctuary. In times before the Scouring, the Earth dragons had a mighty Sanctuary. It was a great temple, build of marble and sandstone, that celebrated the Great Earth Dragon and the earth itself. But the Scouring left the halls of the Sanctuary empty, and centuries of looting and erosion without anyone to defend and maintain it left the proud building a ruin. Only the innermost sanctum has been left pristine. I guard the Sanctuary from any who might defile it. In this time, though, no one even knows of its existence, much less its location. I am the only Earth manakete I have met outside of the citadel - Arcadia. And even there our numbers are small. It is truly strange... We, the proudest race, the mightiest of creatures, are now hidden, speckled throughout this great mess of humans."

As Aeos shared his feelings - he was in a way like Locke - the Earth manakete's eyes widened. Another one? Were there more of his kind still remaining?

"A man called mountain... I would call him Jalan. And good Aeos, I understand your views, but I must disagree on one point - it need not be solely the era of the people.

Why should we not coexist, our two groups? Can the Dragon and the Manakete not aid the human? Can we not mutually benefit? Why must we live in a culture dominated by senseless fear and hysterical bigotry? Could there not be peace? Peace and understanding?"

[Aeos]

"Co-existing would be difficult. Humans... do not like to share." He replied with a bit of sadness in his voice. He had been one to witness the greed of humans first hand. He put a small pile of coins on the table and ordered another drink.

"Not to mention the internal strife between dragons. The "mountain" scared me. His intentions for human kind scared me. The way he spoke it was very clear to me that he wanted vengeance on humanity for the wrongs they have committed to our kin. How can we co-exist if both sides are flawed." He shook his head. Perhaps the drink was affecting him. He was not used to being so open with these thoughts. Perhaps it was Locke's nature. He did not sense as much hostility from him as he did from Jabal.

"I have been told dragons did terrible things to other dragons during the war. Rumors that they turned other members of our kin into weapons. And even with all that power all of that pride behind our kind we still lost. Humans and their will power proved to be the better. And we lost. Perhaps this... is the price we pay for our pride. For our greed. Although they were committed by the dragons before my existence we still suffer for those actions. Perhaps... there will be a time in the future where we can rise again. In an era where both man and dragon are less bitter and more humble." He took a sip of his second drink. The word dragons was spoken in the old language.

"Though I do not think that will come peacefully. I don't know what it is.. but I just cannot shake this feeling that more blood will be shed before peace talks begin. Even then.. I think humans will only be satisfied when we are all dead." He shook his head again.

"I.. am sorry. I did not mean to get so dark. I never knew of this citadel.. or this Arcadia. I wish I could have seen this temple in it's prime. To witness a physical piece of our culture. Does this Arcadia still stand? I would like to see it. To learn from it. If I am permitted." He spoke in the old tongue to deter any would be listeners.

[Locke]

"Wrongs have been committed... But violence is not the answer. I agree with you. It will be difficult to shift opinions and attitudes that have been forged over these centuries.

Still, I find it sad that we cannot try... That our two great races cannot learn from each other, support each other, and share with each other our own talents. What a shame it is."

As Aeos spoke of the indescribable crimes that had been committed during the Scouring, Locke grew more mournful, and he nodded slowly, his face crestfallen and melancholy. It was terrible, the things that had happened.

"If it becomes that bad... I will flee to the Sanctuary. And if that falls... Arcadia. I will not die alone, swarmed by humans... No, if I die, I will die in splendor. I will show them the beauty and grace of the dragons."

The Earth manakete sighed. It was awful, what the world had come to. What a horrid existence. He hoped someday the human race would begin to understand again. It was just despicable, how closed their minds were.

"Aeos... If you would like to see the Sanctuary and the citadel of our kin... I can bring you there. By night, it is only a short flight. If we walk, it will take about a week. Ordinary humans would get lost and perish, but we do not tire as easily. Would you like to go?"

The manakete downed the last of his drink, sighing and running his hands through his green hair. It would be nice to visit the Sanctuary again.