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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 17, 2017 14:54:21 GMT -6
Preceded by Sparks. I recommend that be read first. Succeeded by Burn. I recommend that be read next.
Shara really hadn't expected her little recruitment mission to go so well. Given the isolation that Ragnis wanted to maintain for both his home and his village, Shara was going to have to be picky with what mercenaries she could hre. Most wouldn't give a damn about maintaining any sort of discretion, or worse they'd try to charge extra for it. So despite her determination in regards to the job, she had not exactly been optimistic in regards to what her results would have been. Oh, if only she had known. In the first two she had visited she happened upon two people she believed she could trust, partially because neither one claimed to be a mercenary. One of them was Morrigan, the raven haired woman from the Western Isles. Shara had met her during her visit to Aquleia, and the two had carried out an...interesting discussion. It had been the first instance that really began to get Shara thinking about her life. About her actions and motives...and about her future. Fortunately Shara had met Morrigan first, and discussed the details of the job with her before she met her second partner. Having to explain to Morrigan her own true nature was a difficult enough task in its own right. Having Nayru right there with her so that, immediately, she would have had to explain that Morrigan had come across TWO members of a species believed to be extinct...well, that wouldn't exactly have made for a “fun time”. Ah, yes, the other she had met was Nayru. A fellow dragoness who boasted power the likes of which Shara had never seen before. The two had also carried out a fascinating conversation, and even held a small spar as well. If Morrigan had lit the kindling for the soul-searching fire that had grown in Shara's heart, then Nayru had been the one to stoke the flames to a blaze. “I know we've been walking quite a ways...” Shara began. It was the truth. Unfortunately the village was rather far out into the woods. It was already afternoon, but Ragnis had said the monsters were more active during nightfall as it was. The extermination would have to occur after sundown either way. Still, Shara looked to her two companions and gave a small, but reassuring smile. “But we are close, honestly. We just have to meet with Ragnis, and then he can lead us to the hunting grounds these monsters have staked their claim on.”Morrigan tilted her head a bit, purple eyes studying the blonde dragoness. Nayru and Shara were roughly the same height, but poor Morrigan stood about half a foot shorter than both of them, so she had to look up JUST a bit to make proper eye contact with them. “I appreciate the reassurance, and though I can't speak for Nayru, this walk doesn't bother me.” Morrigan's eyes turned to the trees and brush around the trio. There was a fond smile on her face as she continued. “My home is similar. Tucked away, deep into the wilderness of the Isles.” “The Convent, yes?”“Yes. This walk, and this village too, from what you've told me, reminds me a bit of home. It's...nice.” Morrigan had been on the mainland for quite some time now. No doubt she was homesick. Most people had a tendency to get that way after a while. It was only natural. Shara, however, was not among them. She couldn't speak for Nayru, though. Last time they had met the bronzed dragoness had spoken of going to Nabata. Arcadia, at that. Shara hadn't exactly had the time to ask Nayru about that journey...and she wasn't certain how open to sharing Nayru would be with Morrigan present. Another time would be best. “I see. Well, if either of you have any questions to ask, regarding this job, I'll do my best to answer. I was...admittedly surprised and excited to run into each of you, let alone both. I can't recall just how good a job I did at laying out the facts. I can answer some questions about the village and Ragnis, as well, but not the extent that he can, obviously.”They had a good few minutes before the farms would be in sight. Shara could recognize the stretch of woods they were in, they path they walked, so that much was good. Reassuring. Best they optimized the time before they caught up with Ragnis. He was uncomfortable enough with more strangers coming to his home already, probably didn't want to spend extra time explaining everything to them.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 17, 2017 20:12:39 GMT -6
"Meh." Nayru shrugged, not in the least perturbed. She'd walked for days on end with no rest and no more companionship than her own diseased mind - by comparison, this was at worst an afternoon stroll in pleasant company. "I'd drown a puppy for one of those fancy Warp staves, though. The convenience of instant travel is worth the disorientation."
She was, of course, a bit more perturbed than she wanted to let on. Not in a bad way per se. Just... overwhelmed. The last month overall had been filled with more events than the last 300 years of her life, in terms of how much there was to handle. The Vinland expedition, her talks with Kenshin, her meeting with Shara, her heart to heart with Remus, and of course, the Arcadia visit. She still wasn't entirely sure what to make of it, honestly. She had made a choice - but it remained to be seen what that choice would make of her.
Oh yeah and Shara had told Morrigan they were both dragons. So that was a thing.
But none of that was bad, really. A lot to take in, a lot to handle, and a LOT to think about - but not bad. And what better way to get out of your funk than to punch the crap out of some bad guys? Er, monsters. Whatever. Point was, when Shara had offered to take her along Nayru had jumped at the chance like a drowning man in a sea of titties, just trying not to be too obvious about it. At least Morrigan seemed nice, even if Nayru didn't totally get her, they hadn't spoken much yet. No better way to have a girl moment than murdering monsters together right?
...Dammit that WAS becoming her solution to everything, wasn't it? So much for character depth. "Been a while since I've been to the Isles," the distracted dragoness stated instead, trying to take refuge from the maelstrom of her mind in the dalliances of the dauntless. Well, dauntless, or too stupid to know better than to not fight monsters. ANYWAYS. "Doesn't matter much to me, honestly. Bad guys go boom, good guys go home happy, village is safe. I do want to meet this Ragnis guy, though. Met a few dragons who found happiness that way. Sounds pretty fairy tail." At least until a few decades had passed, Nayru thought, but had the presence of mind not to say. Aerious had been an example of just how wrong that could go.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 17, 2017 22:29:42 GMT -6
“I've never seen a Warp staff in action, nor have I had the privilege of being Warped to my destination.” Shara commented, a bit amused at the thought. Of all the types of magic that she had bothered to study during her...hundreds of years of accomplishing nothing, staff magic had been what she had studied the least. That Sacaen priestess, Midori, was a medic of sorts, and she was positive she had carried a type of staff, but she hadn't used it.
“As for the Isles, them and Vinland are the only stops I have left to hit before I've visited every nation.” A bit more fuel for that horrible realization. She had been from Nabata to Ilia, from Etruria to Bern, and...she had nothing to show for it. A couple of tales, perhaps, but nothing like Nayru. Her past was not as intriguing nor as...heart-wrenching as Ragnis', and she barely got on well with her own parents let alone become part of a new family.
She had laughed when the realization dawned upon her, that first night after meeting Ragnis, because it had honestly been amusing. How hypocritical, or perhaps just poetic, that a woman who had once refused to take an interest in someone if they didn't appear “interesting”...was uninteresting. Aside from the whole being a dragon thing, but to Shara that didn't quite make up for it. Her entire life had been spent in books and brushing other people aside. Some humans had accomplished amazing things in a mere few years. She had accomplished nothing in over four centuries.
Suddenly, it wasn't so funny anymore.
“Ragnis is...interesting. For sure. Both himself and his story. It's the first time I've ever seen or heard anything like it, though. His situation. Honestly I...would have thought it to be impossible, had I not met his family personally.” Shara responded to Nayru, but her gaze was fixed forwards. The farms were in sight, it'd be a matter of minutes before they reached their first destination. Then the hunt was on.
And honestly? Shara could really use the chance to vent some frustration. This wasn't the same mental block that her first talk with Nayru had dug up. Shara could think clearly, and she knew what she felt. It's just that this was the problem.
“I wouldn't have thought any of this to be possible until...well, today. But I suppose that's obvious.” Morrigan stated sheepishly. The sorceress was...a bit odd, as she always had been, but aside from Nayru, Shara felt that she was the only person she'd met in her travels that she could trust with such information. Still, there was always a chance that it hadn't been the wisest decision to make, but really what choice did she have? There were going to be more dragons than humans involved in this extermination, and Morrigan was no fool. Sometime, during the combat, she would have figured out that something was amiss.
“Mhm...only a little bit.” Shara didn't really know what to add to Morrigan's comment, though she couldn't help but smirk a tad as the sorceress shrank in embarrassment. If nothing else it seemed that the burden of this new information didn't seem to torture her mind. Morrigan had hardly made a comment on it at all, perhaps a result of a remarkable display of tact. Whatever the case, Shara was grateful for it.
Though as the front gates to the village came into view Shara cast a gaze over to Nayru. “And, Nayru, you had mentioned...others.” Too close to the humans now, Shara preferred to air on the side of caution in such an occasion. “What were their stories?”
Shara thought Ragnis and Tess were truly unique, but it did make sense for other dragons to have settled well into modern Elibe. If one could do it then so could others, in a sense.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 17, 2017 22:59:27 GMT -6
"Remus picked one up recently - I think he'd marry the damn thing if he could." Nayru scoffed at the thought, but had to admit she wasn't actually sure, he REALLY liked that new fancy staff of his. Not that she blamed him! "Priest friend of mine," she added as an aside to Morrigan, realizing that while she had mentioned him to Shara during their... second meeting, she thought, Morrigan obviously wouldn't have any frame of reference to recognize it. "But boy howdy, let me tell you about Vinland. The air there TASTES like magic. It's akin to pre-Scouring Elibe, like the Winter never happened. I had heard stories, but..." The dragon trailed off, still impressed and a little overwhelmed what the wild lands had been like. She truly hoped that they were never marred, by man or dragon. If she ever retired, that was the place she wanted to live. "The monsters there are different than Elibe's, too. Bigger, stronger, but not fouled by dark magic. The Taguel use Mauthe Doogs as hunting dogs. Hunting dogs! Try that here and you'd be dead before you could say 'good boy.'"
Nayru had... trusted Morrigan with her secret, based on Shara's judgement, and she would try to honor it. Even if it felt a little strange. Even if she was a little worried. But she had to... try to trust humans, at least, or her own ideals would ring hollower than ever. The desert had taught her that much. She couldn't run forever, but... that was easier said than done. "Word of advice, Morrigan. The more you know, the more you realize you don't know. I didn't even know Taguel existed until recently. It's just a matter of perspective, and hey, now you get to be in the super secret club, right?"
If it'd been Remus she woulda lightly slapped her on the back, but, uh, without knowing Morrigan well enough to be certain how the dark haired woman felt about personal space, and also being TECHNICALLY kinda sorta punched by a dragon even if it was really only a love tap, she refrained out of a sort of rare wisdom that probably wouldn't last two more pos-minutes. Two more minutes. And Shara had brought up the dragonphant in the room, too. Nayru didn't like sharing too much information about the dragons she met, even to other dragons - centuries of life in Arcadia could do that to a girl - but the vague summaries wouldn't hurt anyone. "One runs a nice little inn in Ilia. They seem happy. The other..." That was always the downside of talking about Aerious; she wasn't sure how to describe him without just saying 'he was an asshole.' "...He took losing his family pretty hard."
She decided not to mention the part where Aerious had gone berserk, killed every human there, and spent another millennium nursing a grudge.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 18, 2017 0:24:55 GMT -6
Both Morrigan and Shara alike listened to Nayru with interest. Morrigan was likely a little more lost as a whole, but Shara kept up just fine. She DID recall mention of a “Remus” by Nayru before, though admittedly her mind had been firmly rattled and fixed on other things during that time. If she had told Shara that he had been a priest, she had most certainly forgotten. “Instantaneous transportation at the cost of some magic and a little disorientation? I can't think of a more suitable spouse.”
Shara chuckled a bit. Was probably more charming if she DIDN'T laugh at her own jokes, but it felt good to laugh at something other than herself. Really, when was the last time she had a decent chuckle? With Nayru, most likely, but again, internal crisis and so forth. Distracted one from remembering the little jests that had been made. Still, Morrigan at least giggled a touch, so she had done something right.
“Though you've made Vinland sound incredibly appealing. The air here across Elibe is...stifling.” Really she didn't notice it much at all when she was in her human form. Upon fully shifting, though, it was almost as if her body was left starved of magic. No...more that it felt like the world itself fought back against her efforts to shift. As if to tell her “she didn't belong”. There was some grim, depressing symbolism in there, but Shara opted not to look into it any deeper.
“I agree. I'm sure any experience there would be wonderful to report back home to. I'd only heard off-hand about Vinland from a...sailor.” Strange, for a woman so accustomed to discretion, subtlety was not Morrigan's strong suit. Already Shara could imagine this “sailor” was anything but, yet she held her tongue. “Perhaps I should try to find passage, before I return home...”
“I'd certainly like to experience it for myself. Mauthe Doogs would likely be fascinating to behold. A shame we don't have some with us, to hunt their not-so-obedient brethren here on the mainland.” Shara mused. Granted she had never even seen the mainland's Mauthe Doogs yet, merely heard of them, but ideally she'd get to see them both. Well, the former was agiven by this point. It was quite literally only a matter of time.
While Shara mused aloud, though, Nayru had offered some sage wisdom to Morrigan. From the sounds of it, though, it was more along the lines of encouragement or acceptance rather than actual wisdom. Perspective, certainly. Morrigan followed along with what Nayru said, nodding in understanding while she spoke. Once the bronzed dragoness finished, though, she tilted her head to the side and furrowed her brow.
“...Taguel?”
“Ah, another time, Morrigan.”
"But...okay. Oh, and um...thank you, Nayru. It's an honor to be in your 'super secret club." Oh phew, that was a close call.. The poor woman had just been forced to accept the fact that history had lied to her and that dragons were not actually extinct. The last thing she needed was to have the existence of another species forced upon her. Unfortunately Shara had little comment towards Nayru's explanation. She'd kept it brief, likely for the best, but all she could really gather was that there...were middling results.
In two examples given: two very different endings existed.
“Well, Ragnis and Tess are the former. Kara's a charming girl as...” Shara slowed to a halt. The trio had just begun to approach the house, a few minutes past the gates of the village. Tess was just in front of the steps, a woven basket in hand. Yet she stared down a man that was not Ragnis. He looked a bit similar, dressed plain and with dark and grey hair, but he lacked the beard of the dragon. “Wait a moment...”
“Leave, Bran.” Tess stated firmly. She held her basket in one hand, with the other set on her hip. “We've no trouble with you, and you've no business with us.”
“Oh I've got business with you...” The other man, Bran, practically spat. Upon closer inspection Shara could see dark circles beneath his eye, and his skin tone had a waxy tone to it. Was he sleep deprived? “I'm tellin' you. My boy saw what he saw, and he ain't...he wasn't no liar.”
The hitch in his tone, the pain that could be felt in that pause, spoke volumes. Ragnis had...told Shara that the villagers had been attacked by the doogs as well, hence why he had become so desperate to be rid of them all. This man's son...how else would he have died? Why else would he refer to him that way? Worse still, though, was what Bran had begun to imply...
“And neither am I when I say that I'm sorry for your loss. We ALL are. But you know full well what monster is responsible for this.” There was a strained patience in Tess' voice, yet her expression stayed strong. The entire time Shara had known her, admittedly not all THAT long, she had been naught but gentle and kind. To see this sort of strength...well, the woman was committed to a dragon. Shara supposed she shouldn't be surprised.
“Monsters...” This time Bran literally spat and shot Tess a glare. He was about to open his mouth before he glanced over to the trio of women. He paused before he shot the three of them a withering sneer, “Careful now, strangers. Monsters be lurking here...” Without another word Bran stormed off, headed back towards the gates of the village.
Tess watched him leave and let out a heavy sigh once he was a safe distance away. The dirty blonde then turned to look at the three women briefly, shot them an apologetic smile, and then called out over her shoulder, towards the door of her house.
“All clear hun, and Shara's back!”
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 18, 2017 15:01:48 GMT -6
Nayru tried to envision the two women riding hunting dogs. Morrigan was pretty easy; she'd just ride gracefully, like a proper lady, sidesaddle and all that crap, or maybe just really awkwardly while screaming the entire time. It was 50 50 as to which was more accurate. Shara though, she honestly just couldn't envision it at all. Too prickly, too independent, and the idea of her riding it properly just created the mental image of a normal sized Shara hunching over a tiny Doog, kicking her feet into its sides as it struggled to move...
She grumbled when Shara shot down the whole Taguel thing like a cruel huntsman, but kept her tongue in her mouth for once rather than argue the point. She was here to hunt monsters and maybe help Shara out a little, not to say she didn't care about Morrigan, but arguing about being interrupted wouldn't really solve anything. Oh god, was this what being mature was like? Maybe she should just start screaming fart jokes instead, it'd be much more natural; she could feel the icy hands of Normal creeping up her thighs, caressing her with a heavy musk of perfume and sanity. It wasn't right is what it was, next thing you knew she was going to be wearing petticoats and talking all fancy-like.
The exchange between man and woman certainly added a sense of gravity to the situation though; Nayru didn't recognize either of them (obviously) but neither did it take an incredible degree of thought to get the gist of the disagreement... nor the implications buried deeper within his words, specters of meaning dancing madly around the funeral pyre of possibility. Shara had explained the basics of the situation, but little in regards to the specifics, and so the dragon was a little hesitant to jump to conclusions. It could just be that this Bran guy thought Tess or Ragnis hadn't protected his son well enough, but... well, three hundred and fifty years of fearing for her own secret certainly led Nayru to assume the worst.
"...That's not a good sign," she muttered to herself more to her compatriots, wanting to help but unable to DO much. What was she going to do, anyways, follow Bran and ask him to be nice? Murder him in cold blood? For some reason, Nayru had a feeling neither solution would end well, and without any information whatsoever on the circumstances she couldn't offer much more. So instead she just filed it away for future reference, focusing more on the events at hand. Turning her voice up a little to be more clearly heard on a conversational level, Nayru continued. "You alright, ma'am?"
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 18, 2017 16:59:28 GMT -6
Nayru was right: that hadn't been a good sign. Ragnis had mentioned that he'd been caught drawing on his power before, usually when helping out around the village. He was big, and built like...a brick crap house, frankly, so he usually got away with feats of strength. Yet, all the same, if he drew too much on his stone then...
“Oh I'll be fine. Ain't nothing I haven't had to put up with before.” Tess said, her tone softening a bit now that the toxic presence of that 'Bran' fellow was gone. Behind her the house door was pushed open, and Ragnis stepped out. His bearded face was set firm as always, but Shara could see the extra bit of frustration in his eyes. Tess turned to face Ragnis as well and smiled. “What about you? Are YOU all right?”
“Wasn't me I was worried about. He ought to know I wouldn't...do that to his boy, regardless of what he knows, or thinks he knows.” Ragnis stated with a grunt, descending down the front steps of his house to stand beside Tess. The height difference between the two was rather extreme. Tess was about Morrigan's modest height, and Ragnis was...bordering on giant. Easily a full foot's difference between the two, yet they seemed so comfortable beside each other all the same.
Tess reached up and touched Ragnis' shoulder, a reassuring smile on her lips. A silent acknowledgement of Ragnis' frustrations. She didn't let it linger, though, before she stepped forward to introduce herself.
“I'm sorry the three of you had to see that. Especially you two. Shara brought you to help with our village's current problem, yes?” Tess set her basket, full of apples and other fruits, down by her feet before she extended a hand out to Morrigan. “My name is Tess. The big oaf behind me is Ragnis.”
“Morrigan. It's a pleasure to meet you both,” Morrigan said, returning Tess' smile with a small one of her own as she clasped the woman's hand. They shook before Tess extended the same gesture to Nayru, likely eager to hear the dragoness' name as well. Shara would let Nayru be the one to introduce herself, and instead walked past Tess over to Ragnis. The dragon had been eyeing her carefully, likely wary of the two women she had brought with her.
“Those two are mercenaries?” Ragnis grunted.
“Ah, not exactly, but...trust me, they're far better.” It was the honest truth, but Shara didn't really need to delve into details on why. Needless to say she'd take a skilled elder magic user and a fellow dragon over some hired blades any day.
“They don't look that impressive.”
“Neither do you. Do you own ANYTHING that isn't farmer's garb?” Shara jabbed back. Ragnis' lips curled into a reluctant smirk. He was a tough one, but not quite as stoic as he looked. Shara had learned that, watching him with Kara and Tess. She briefly wondered where the little ball of energy and curiosity was, for that matter...
“I'll give ye that point, fair enough...” Ragnis trailed off before he let out a sigh, gaze flicking out to Morrigan and Nayru. “How much do they know, Shara?”
Shara was about to answer, but then she paused. It...wouldn't do, if the four of them were going to work together, only for Ragnis to trust just her. He was going to be the one leading this mission, since he knew the area better than either of them. He'd...okay, Shara saw the irony in encouraging a fellow dragon to open up a bit, but it was a necessary step. It was also admittedly easier to encourage another to do so then it was to force herself to do so.
“Ask them yourself, Ragnis.” Shara said firmly, walking back towards the other ladies. Ragnis hesitated behind her, but only for a few seconds. It was when Tess glanced back at him that he began to walk forward.
“Name's Ragnis, though Tess already told you that. If you're both here to help then...thank you.” Ragnis shifted from foot to foot as he spoke, almost as if he were a bit shy, and turned his gaze up to the sky. "We'll want to be leaving soon. Sun's starting to set. If you've got any questions...now's the time to ask. We'll want to be quieter on the trail."
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 18, 2017 18:45:15 GMT -6
Well crap, this Ragnis guy was like a walking mountain. Nayru almost missed being tall again, at least tall enough to not look like a midget compared to him. Buuuut this probably wasn't the best time for height envy was it? Nayru managed to keep her mouth shut (an impressive feat, for her) as she accepted Tess's handshake with a smaller smile of her own before retracting the hand and steping back, still slightly worried about Bran's little spectacle but doing her best to push it off for later. "Nayru." She nodded, but didn't add more to it... she didn't like giving out her last name, Erim's last name, if she could help it, and she wasn't the diplomat of the group anyways. That role apparently fell to Shara, while Morrigan took her role of being the awkward one, which left Nayru as the... one who made bad jokes, she guessed. Eh, not the worst job she'd ever had.
Keeping her silence was harder when Ragnis commented on exactly how impressive she did or didn't look, but it wasn't a battle worth fighting. If he was a dragon, he knew better than to judge too much from appearances. Instead she just let Shara handle the situation as the two bickered back and forth a bit, obviously already acquainted on more than just an entirely casual level. That was good, though. Meant less awkwardness. That was Morrigan's job after all! Blissfully unaware of how mean that might sound outside her head, Nayru continued blithely on mentally as Ragnis finally deigned to treat her and Morrigan as actual people, explaining the work a bit more.
...Well, not THAT much... or at all, really, but at least he was trying? Nayru could respect the effort at least, so she tried to meet it in kind. "I'm a monster hunter. It's what I do. I'm just happy to help." Amid other things, but she didn't quite plan on sharing her life story here regardless of how little anyone present cared that she was a dragon. "Just point me at the bad guys and I start punchin' em." She grinned, trying to exude an aura of confidence after this whole meeting had started off on such a bad foot, and turned to Tess as the grin just brightened. "Don't worry, we'll bring him back safe and sound."
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 18, 2017 19:49:27 GMT -6
Shara appreciated the simplicity...no, the honesty, in Nayru's answer. She was certain Ragnis would as well, given the nature of the dragon. Tess seemed to blinked at Nayru's sudden burst of confidence, but it seemed to do just the trick, easing her mind a bit before she nodded. “Never thought I'd have to worry about the big oaf, but I appreciate it all the same.”
“Mhm, all the better if you're a monster hunter.” Ragnis added with a simple nod, arms folded across his chest. Well at least he seemed less apprehensive. Shara may know how Ragnis is, but neither Morrigan nor Nayru did. While Shara wanted to elaborate further, and summarize some of the tales Nayru had shared with her, facing down gigantic spiders and so forth, but if Nayru wanted to talk about that then she likely would.
Of course Ragnis didn't meet Shara's challenge, though, and ask them outright if what they know. More specifically: if they knew what he was. Good. It...really wasn't important, in the grand scheme of things. Besides, Ragnis didn't even know that only one of the two ladies Shara had brought was actually human.
“Papa! Mama!” Ah, there she was. Shara stepped closer to her comrades as Kara came bounding down the steps. Perhaps she'd been napping, because she seemed to have a bit of a bedhead. Didn't slow her down one bit of course, for all she was concerned with was rushing right up to Ragnis. “Papa, are you leaving now?”
“That's right.” Ragnis' voice softened, as it always did. It was...amazing, the effect that Kara had on him. The strongest effect most children have ever had on Shara was...usually nausea, really. Just went to show what manner of person she had been for the vast majority of her life. Shara understood why, though, Ragnis was so thoroughly moved by the small girl. She was still grateful that Ragnis had shared as much of his past with her as he had.
“Aww...but who's going to read me a bedtime story?” There was an innocent curiosity in Kara's big, green eyes. She was a child, through and through, but Shara had learned that Kara played it up more than she let on. Sharper and more intuitive than any would think. The girl had the option of figuring out her Papa's secret, and yet she...chose not to.
“I think your Mama'll have to take over for tonight.” Ragnis spoke as he knelt down in an...attempt to bring himself to Kara's level. Of course, even knelt down and hunched over, he was still a good head taller than the young girl, but he was making proper eye-contact all the same.
“Mmh.” Kara pouted and shot Tess a...humorous look. “I like your stories better. Mama's are all boring.”
Tess gave a mock frown, but she couldn't hold it as well as she would have liked. Ragnis chuckled and tussled Kara's hair lightly. “Give Mama a chance now. Practice makes perfect, right? Same goes for grown ups.”
...Hm. That was true, wasn't it? Advice given to a child, but sincere and accurate all the same. Yet...
“Hee hee, that's right. Mama! I'll help you practice telling stories!”
“I tell stories just fine, thank you.”
“Don't look a gift horse in the mouth now, hun.”
Shara's mind did not dwell on such matters as it usually did. She...couldn't take herself out of the scene before them. This somewhat long farewell continued on with Kara, Tess, and Ragnis all chuckling by the end of it. Morrigan herself giggled, likely touched by the scene.
Shara took the opportunity to walk beside Nayru, and whisper, hoping her voice was low enough that only she would hear. “It's like a little slice of Arcadia, isn't it?”
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 18, 2017 20:50:16 GMT -6
Of course she wasn't trying to beat down Ragnis in his family's eyes or really imply that he NEEDED the help, so Nayru didn't push the subject further aside from nodding at Tess's commentary. Her goal had been to offer a little quiet of mind to Tess, that was all; saying much more would ruin that very quickly. Besides, they had a new guest, a bounding bundle of energy that reminded her of a more socially adept Amelia... or maybe a less manipulative Amelia. Hard to tell. Nayru had always liked kids though, not that she could explain why. The nice version was that maybe she just liked cute things; the less nice version was that she could empathize better with them mentally than some adults on account of her own immaturity. She tried not to think about which was more accurate too often; they both sounded terrible.
The story discussion did give her an idea though. While she didn't know the family overall well enough to gauge everything about them - for example, if she could tousle the kid's hair without creating an issue - she did have enough practice with families throughout her long experience living the peasant life of Elibe that she was surprisingly comfortable with the subject, more so than she was with many more 'adult' ones in fact. Taking Ragnis's example as well as her own knowledge, Nayru knelt down as well to get on the little girl's level, a feat made easier by the fact that she was uh, a lot less... tall than Ragnis, and piped in with a smile when there was a pause in the conversation. "Tell ya what, Kara. We'll bring back some even more exciting stories for you guys to practice with."
Rising and backing out of the conversation from there for the most part, Nayru excused herself as best she could, not eager to leave them but aware of the value of time. The longer they spent faffing around here, the more chances the monsters would have to attack and cost people's lives. Nayru had seen too many times what happened when the beasts were left to run free, and again too many times she had seen what happened when she didn't deal with them as soon as she could. Lives were lost, livelihoods ruined, families destroyed. Despite her thoughts, though, she was only marginally surprised when Shara sidled up to her and offered some commentary of her own.
"No," the bronzed dragon responded surprisingly quickly and evenly, perhaps less surprising than her decision to argue head-on with Shara where usually she was somewhat more pliable. "It's better." Because that was the catch, wasn't it? Arcadia was an example of what Elibe could be, sure, but it also had the advantage of absolute secrecy and none of the downsides of the real world. It was a utopia, sure - but a bubble utopia, an imperfect model that could not truly be applied to the rest of Elibe has-is. To change how dragons were seen required they start from the bottom, not the top. The heart of society. The people. "This is what Elibe could be."
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 18, 2017 21:30:21 GMT -6
Shara had quirked her brow at Nayru. She didn't know the other dragoness had a way with children. Shara usually flounded or tripped over her words around them, never quite sure how to handle them. Perhaps she thought them TOO vulnerable, but Kara had taught her they were not to be underestimated. When she glanced at Morrigan she saw that the sorceress looked like she wanted to add something, but instead she simply smiled. Shara wasn't sure what was on her mind, but whatever it was, Morrigan had probably correctly decided that then was NOT the time to discuss it.
As for Nayru's comments...Shara hadn't expected that. By all counts she was right, though. The issue with Arcadia is just how isolated and fragile it is. Dragons and humans co-existing is a marvelous, beautiful thing...that she had failed to appreciate during her time there...but in Arcadia if they were to expand at all it would be threatened. Arcadia could join a modern day Elibe, one day, but Elibe would have be changed for their arrival.
It was little things like this. A small family who cared not for the differences between them. Even friends or acquaintances, like Shara could consider Morrigan and Nayru to be, who were not divided over species or race. Little things like this that would have to add up...
Shara kept those thoughts to herself, though, and merely nodded her agreement with Nayru. She didn't know how to build off of that. She didn't know if she needed to. But they both understand the hidden beauty behind what they had witnessed. That right there...that's what was important.
Either way, little Kara had nodded at Nayru, smiling with excitement at the prospect of new stories. It was endearing, truly, as she giggled with joy. However as always her gaze turned up to her parents, to Tess and Ragnis. “Is that right, Papa? You'll bring more stories?!”
Ragnis hesitated just a moment, before he cast a small smile at Nayru. His own quiet way of showing appreciation. “That's right, little one.” He stood up to his full height once again and rolled his shoulders. That was as good a sign as any: the hunt was about to begin. "You just be good to Mama now. We'll be back tomorrow, I promise.”
“Take care, hun.” Tess strode up to Ragnis and got up on her tip toes. It uh, wasn't quite enough to cover the distance she wanted, so Ragnis knelt down just a touch so her lips could meet his cheek in an affectionate kiss. After which Tess looked to Shara, Morrigan, and Nayru before she added. “Take care all of you, and thank you again.”
“Think nothing of it.” Morrigan piped in with a smile. Shara nodded before giving a small wave to Kara and Tess, while Ragnis walked over to the trio. Morrigan's gaze turned to Shara and Ragnis. “So...what's the plan?”
“For now, just follow me. I'll explain on the trail.” Ragnis didn't really wait for any agreement and just began to walk. Time WAS of the essence, so Shara was quick to follow his stride. At least she had opted to NOT wear a dress for this venture. Unfortunately she lacked clothes of any real taste outside of her numerous dresses, so she looked about as plain as Ragnis did. Simple cloth shirt and pants that were easy to move in. The blonde dragoness was...well, as ready as she would ever be.
Ragnis began to lead them down the same trail they had taken to the village. For the first half a minute or so they could hear Kara calling back to them, yelling her goodbyes and well wishes. Once they were out of her voice range, though, Ragnis spoke up. “No one's found the den of the beast's yet, if they've got one. I've gone looking a few times, found one or two of them away from the others, but they always took off before I could try and kill them.”
“They have a sense of self-preservation, then?”
“As far as I know they just think I'm another human.” Well, cat was out of the bag now. Shara supposed that Ragnis just assumed Nayru and Morrigan knew. Well, if they hadn't known already, they would have found out sooner or later. It was likely a good call to just be forward. Though that was a good point.
“Nayru.” Shara turned her head to look at her bronzed counterpart. “This is a strange question, but, CAN monsters tell? Have any ever treated you differently from a human, even before you've drawn on any of your power?”
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 18, 2017 23:37:56 GMT -6
And walk they did, out of civilization and into the frenzied wilds of Elibe. Or at least a nice little forest trail, anyways, sometimes the two overlapped to an embarrassing degree. Anyways, it didn't take long for them to leave the village behind and move back into untamed territory, at which point Nayru couldn't help but relax a little, though perhaps not for quite the same reasons as the rest of her counterparts. It wasn't just the earshot thing for her; she just still wasn't that comfortable around larger groups of people. And she DEFINITELY wasn't comfortable with people saying nice things about her so after they finished the job she would probably dip as soon as possible.
For now, though, they had a job to do, and she was NOT planning on giving it anything less than her best. She wasn't exactly a scholarly expert on the beasts, but Nayru did happen to be one of the more experienced monster hunters on Elibe, she was fairly sure. And Shara had mentioned great beastly dogs. "Your Mauthe Doog problem, right? They don't burrow out massive underground nests like Baels tend to, they're usually more mobile, but they may very well have found an abandoned den or other hiding spot." Turning to Ragnis, she continued. "I hope you haven't found any sign of Gwyllgi, for your own sake."
Nayru could only hope that these creatures were nothing like the gigantic monsters plaguing Vinland - they'd nearly killed her and Zahhak, and while they did have an extra dragon here, creatures like that were best not trifled with. Protecting one person was hard enough, to say nothing of three - but she fully intended to keep her promise to Tess and ENSURE that everyone came home alive.
"As for power... that's a good question, Shara." Nayru had to stop (not, like, literally) and think about that one for a moment as she put together her myriad memories on the subject. The Arum, the random beasts she'd met, and everything in between. "...It depends heavily on the level of halfshift," she stated after a moment of composing her thoughts, speaking with a calm clarity that was somewhat unusual to those who may not have seen Great Teacher Nayru before, also known as the only time she didn't talk like a brain damaged teenager. "Elibe's Nethertainted creatures can sense stronger dragons when they start drawing on their powers, but I don't think they understand it as much more than simply strong magic. Arum..." She recalled the Hunger, the sword-wielding madman who had wielded power that could cut through even her body, and how he fled. She recalled the Guardian, his speed, his unbelievable power. "They - know."
There was a weight in her words that spoke of what she had faced, with none of the 'casual business' flavor of her discussion of normal monster species. Nayru had fought some pretty gnarly crap in her time, probably pretty close to culminating in those damn scorpions in Nabata and of course the monstrous Chimera in Bern, but nothing came close to the feeling of absolute helplessness of knowing something was actually, legitimately, no holds barred strong than her. Not just bigger. Not just more evil. But possessed of a power she could not stand against. If it... he... hadn't spared her, she wouldn't be here right now to talk about it.
And she didn't know how much stronger specimens there might be in the Nether.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 19, 2017 0:12:06 GMT -6
Mhm, Mauthe Doogs. Shara had remembered the term for them, and upon mention of the name Bael she remembered that they were those large spider creatures. The ones Nayru had so badly wanted to punch. Yet the difference between Nayru casually talking about punching monsters versus how she spoke of them in a situation such as theirs...there was a difference. Nayru had gone out of her way to make it clear that monsters were not to be trifled with: but even this felt as though there was a new level of seriousness to be had.
...As for Gwyllgi, though. Shara wasn't certain she'd heard of the term before. Morrigan's eyes widened a bit at the mention of it, though, but she kept silent. Perhaps she had some idea as to what it could be?
“Mauthe Doogs, yeah.” Ragnis confirmed as he continued to lead them farther from the village. The trail took them past the treeline, deeper and deeper still into the forest proper. Between the tall trees blocking the light above and the setting of the sun, their surroundings had grown a fair bit darker rather swiftly. “Ain't got the faintest clue what a Gwyllgi is. What would the signs be?”
“Likewise. The term is unfamiliar to me. But if they don't use burrows, we may simply have better look finding them in a more...general territory?” Shara suggested with a small shrug. There was usually a great deal of excitement to be had when thrust into a completely new experience, but Shara had never hunted an animal before, let alone a beast twisted by the nether.
“Regular wolves tend to stay out in the open, but claim territories. They're also nomadic and ambitious, expanding that territory when they can.” Morrigan, apparently, did have experience with wild animals. It made sense, she even had natural furs and feathers woven into her apparel. A real woman of the wilderness, albeit with much nicer hair than most. Must be a right pain to maintain it, truly. “Maybe Mauthe Doogs are similar?”
“If they cannot tell the difference between a dragon and a human then...hm. If they were human foes I'd say we have an advantage, but I'm not sure the difference matters to much to a beast. They'd likely attack us the same, regardless.” Shara concluded. Ah, look at that. There is that rare, coveted mindset that all of Elibe should have. Bonus points to Mauthe Doogs for being progressive and unbiased. Sarcasm aside there was a...chilling thought, when Shara mentioned the Arum. Morrigan seemed to have gotten the hint that questions ought best be reserved to mission specific only, or did not hear Nayru, but Shara did.
Those creatures of the Nether could honestly tell the difference between a human and a dragon. Just on sight? That...could make them a very serious threat. Even more so than Shara had been led to believe.
“Maybe they don't have a den then, but I do know where they were first spotted. Couple of hunters from the village saw one a good thirty minutes north.” Ragnis began as he adjusted their path accordingly, officially going off-trail and into the brush proper. “First one was spotted in a clearing, tearing apart some poor animal. Didn't even look to be eating it, from what I heard, just...rippin' it to shreds 'cause it could.”
That...was a bit chilling. Shara wasn't one to get frightened all that much, but much of that had been that, worse came to worst, she could just shift into a dragon and force her problems away. The more and more she learned about Elibe, though, the more she was faced to realize just how WRONG she was.
“The second sighting was by a big tree. Old as hell, stands taller than most around these parts. They're not far away from one another, but I don't know where we'd have the most luck.” Ragnis continued on. Shara was struck with an idea, but she was not certain just...how good of an idea it could be. She brought a hand beneath her chin and decided to put it forth for judgement.
“Perhaps we ought to split up, then? If the locations aren't too far, we could look for traces of the Doogs in less time. Alternatively, being seen in smaller numbers could lure the Doogs out, thinking the odds would be in their favour. That line of logic is...heavily flawed and risky, I am aware, but it's a thought I have all the same.”
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 19, 2017 3:07:42 GMT -6
"Coordination." Nayru's response to Ragnis's question was swift and merciless in its absoluteness. "Mauthe Doogs always work in packs, but a Gwyllgi acts as the brains of the entire pack, coordinating them on a level of a human tactician. They're force multipliers; they increase the effectiveness of the whole pack. Burn marks in their territory is a good sign too, they're firebreathers." By all that was holy she wished she DIDN'T know this stuff, but the Gwyllgi she and Zahhak had fought had been a foe far more canny than she had expected, and she'd paid a price for underestimating it. She hated fighting stuff that was faster than her.
Shara did make a good point, though and it was why Nayru had never really thought about the subject all that much. The end result was that most monsters attacked anyways. They didn't really care who you were, what you were; they seemed to have an unstoppable hatred of life regardless of the kind. The presence of strong magic seemed to be the only consistent qualifier. The Arum were the one exception that she knew.
Then Shara spoke up again, and Nayru had to try REALLY hard not to make a stupid joke. She failed. "Yanno, that's how everyone dies in horror plays. Splitting up. Just a thought." She grinned anyways. "Fortunately, I like a challenge. And you're right. We need to solve this problem as soon as possible, or they might attack the village tonight and claim more innocent lives. Splitting up lets us cover more ground faster. Only thing is..." The dragon trailed off, momentarily uncertain how to even broach the subject. Were that it actually so simple as listing off their levels! "Look, I don't know how strong y'all are, to put it bluntly." Yeah, that was an AMAZING subject to bring up with three dragons, creatures who were definitely not at all known for their pride. 'Hey whoever's a punk bitch should probably travel with me so I can protect them' would probably go over about as well as resounding applause for the Scouring and vocal admiration of the genocide of dragonkind.
"-But Shara thinks you're all hot crap, and I trust that judgement. I'll defer to her on team assignments; I'm just here to make sure we all get home alive." That hadn't been the most diplomatically worded and carefully thought out rousing inspirational speech in the history of mankind, but Nayru hoped that at least some of it got through the muck that was her mouth understandably. She'd just wanted them to realize what they were getting into and end it on a high note. If there was ANY chance of a Gwyllgi, she sure as hell didn't want to be the one explaining to a crying Kara why daddy wasn't coming home tonight, or ever again - or even just why that nice short lady with the pretty black hair came back missing an arm.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 19, 2017 12:41:39 GMT -6
“The beasts do seem co-ordinated.” Ragnis admitted, having heard out Nayru's explanation. Seriously, Shara was incredibly grateful and fascinated that she had been fortunate enough to happen upon her fellow dragoness. She was the only one here with any expertise on these monsters, and Shara doubted any mercenaries she would have otherwise hired would have had the the same. “Haven't seen any signs of burn marks...”
“Ah, but you have.” Shara chimed in, recalling her first meeting with Ragnis. “Remember the tree that nearly fell on top of me? I thought it had been struck by lightning, with the cracks and burns the trunk suffered, but the damage was focused on too strange a spot to really consider.” Well, at least that mystery had been solved. There was...undoubtedly a Gwyllgi involved with the pack. The Doogs operated with coordination, and Shara had stumbled across the territory markings left behind by one.
As for splitting up, well, Nayru kept the decision fairly light with her usual humor. As a whole, though, she brought up a good point: none of them really knew how strong the rest were. Shara and Nayru had sparred, but they had done so without tapping into any of their draconic power. Shara knew that Nayru was stronger than her, probably stronger than Ragnis, but she didn't actually know how powerful Ragnis was. She wasn't even sure how powerful Morrigan was.
Still, Morrigan didn't seem to be a novice, and no matter how the teams were broken down she was paired with a dragon. Shara appreciated that Nayru trusted her judgement on this matter, but she wasn't entirely sure how to break down the two pairings...
“I like the idea of covering more ground quickly.” Ragnis said with a small grunt. He glanced between the three ladies before nodding his head at Morrigan. “All right. You're with me.”
“Huh?” The raven haired woman asked with a blink. Shara was also a bit confused by Ragnis' choice. If anything she had expected him to choose her. “I mean, that's fine, but...may I ask why?”
“Out of the four of us here, I know the area the best. Only one who comes second to me is Shara.” Ragnis explained with a shrug. That...line of thinking did actually make a fair bit of sense. Shara didn't know the area nearly as well as Ragnis did, but she certainly knew it better than Morrigan or Nayru. Made sense that the two ought not be paired up, then, lest Nayru and Morrigan wind up lost or worse. “What do you think, Shara?”
“I think your logic is sound.” Shara added in with a small smile. “All right. Nayru and I can head for the tree, and you two can head for the clearing, then?”
“Mhm...” Ragnis had gazed up at the sky once again. The sun had almost set entirely. Aside from the faint, dull orange in the sky, just around the sun proper, the sky had grown quite dark indeed. No doubt the Doogs would be stirring if they were not already active. “Sounds good. Don't spend too much time there now. The tree's a bit west of the clearing, so head right over if you don't find anything.”
“And if we DO find something? Perhaps something more than just a clue?” Shara asked. Was there some manner of signal the pairs could use?
“Oh! I know for Ragnis and I, I can shoot anima magic into the sky. Maybe...lightning if we find something, fire if there are enemies?” Morrigan suggested. Shara crossed her arms beneath her chest and pondered. Well, realistically she and Nayru could match those elements, but Shara knew she couldn't exactly fire hers into the sky. Not outside of a flatout breath attack, but that was...a bit overkill.
“We'll...think of something. You'll know if we're in trouble.” Shara wasn't sure WHAT that something was. Perhaps Nayru would have something to add before the pairs split up, so Shara gave her a quick, curious glance before she shrugged her shoulders. “Otherwise I think we're good to go, then.”
“Good luck, then.” Ragnis stated with a nod. He then proceeded to head north-east of their current location, Morrigan falling in line behind him. Shara returned the nod with one of her own before she gave Nayru a small smile.
“Well then. Shall we?”
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