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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 19, 2017 20:03:20 GMT -6
"Fuckin' wonderful," Nayru groused after Shara's counter to Ragnis's dismissal. She wasn't afraid of them per se, she'd fought them before - but it was because of that fact that she knew not to look forwards to it... much. Because the truth was... she kinda was, a little, too. Not that she wanted to fight one intellectually, she recognized that it would pose a severe danger to the others and her promise to Kara, and yet inner Nayru, the would-be warrior, was desperate to prove herself against another of the creatures. To show that she had grown. That her time in Vinland, in Sacae, in Nabata, hadn't been wasted. She had more tricks up her sleeve now than she'd ever had before. She was more experienced. Maybe even wiser, though the jury was out on that one. She could fight it. She could WIN.
The discussion of... signals did surprise her a little, though. Not in a bad way per se, just she honest to Gaea hadn't even considered it. Nayru was so used to HAVING to be self sufficient, and usually while keeping an eye on Veigue or Remus in the process, that the idea of... asking for help just didn't register as a thing that you could actually do. That was, um, probably something she should work on. Even if Shara wasn't as strong as her, she was still a dragon, she could take care of herself to some degree or another, and she would NOT want to be coddled. Nayru was pretty sure of that.
"If there's lightning, I'm fighting the Gwyllgi. If everything is lightning..." The dragon shrugged. Fighting something of the caliber that could force her to transform, in a forest no less, she didn't even want to think about. At that point, the village was likely already gone and the rest of the forest wouldn't be far behind.
"Run."
Without much else to say or interest in elaborating, Nayru just started walking towards the direction Ragnis had indicated the tree lay in, since everyone else seemed eager to get moving and the other group was already about to.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 19, 2017 20:42:12 GMT -6
The two groups were off, then. Shara briefly worried a bit for Morrigan and Ragnis. Again, she was not entirely certain just how capable either of them were. Given that Ragnis hadn't even struggled under the weight of that tree trunk, with nearly no signs of drawing from his stone, Shara had to imagine he was at least physically stronger than her. How much, though, was the unknown factor. He had no history of fighting Baels or Gwyllgi or Arum, though, like Nayru did, so it was safe to assume he wasn't on her level.
As for Morrigan, all she knew was that Morrigan claimed to be a relatively experienced sorceress. She never got to see her in action for herself. At least with Nayru, well, Shara had seen the end results of some of Nayru's power. As such there was...infinitely less worry when it came to Nayru. Hah, perhaps she had to focus on herself. To see if SHE was ready.
“I haven't actually been to this tree, myself, and I'm sure it is easier to see during the day...but I do believe we're headed in the right direction.” Ugh, walking through the forest was a bit of a pain. Not “Ilian Tundra” level pain, or “Nabatan Desert” level, thankfully. Shara kept blinking as leaves and spines from low hanging tree branches brushed against her face and eyes.
Hm, it was odd. Shara had a few questions to ask Nayru. Namely how her journey had fared. Last she heard the dragoness had been headed to Nabata, Arcadia at that. She remembered that she truly did want to ask how that went, but their current situation was...too serious. Just as Shara had dissuaded Morrigan from asking about Taguel, thankfully the woman hadn't done the same about the mention of Arum, Shara knew there was a time and place for those questions to be asked.
If she had to ask Nayru ANYTHING, it ought to be pertinent. Related to the current objective. There was also the fact that her senses and mind were best focused outward. On their surroundings. The last thing they needed was to be jumped by the Doogs. Or worse: the Gwyllgi.
“Do you have any sort of idea what tactics we can expect? Any other signs of imminent Mauthe Doogs, or Gwyllgi, beyond territory markings? Are they odious, do they let out specific sounds?” Shara rifled off questions, and to her credit only some small part of them were from nerves. Hah, ancestors look at her. Shara couldn't remember the last time she felt any sort of fear. Marching into the den of brigands, dehydrated in Sacae...watching the light in an ex-lover's eyes die. She had felt no fear in either situation. In fact, she...was certain she had felt nothing.
Had she really begun to change so much? Or was this who she always was?
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 19, 2017 22:47:44 GMT -6
"As romantic as a moonlit walk with a pretty lady like you can be," Nayru began shamelessly, only slightly obviously teasing... probably, "I do generally prefer punching things." Was it a joke if it was true? More critically, if she kept on acting like all she was good for was punching, would she reduce herself to a two-dimensional cartoon cutout of a character, the kind of comic muscle that the heroes (or villains, depending on the book) casually disposed of in the first ten pages of the novel and never got mentioned again? Hm. Intelligent questions for intelligent people. Not interested in repeating the hellish nightmare that her early treks through Vinland's forests had been, Nayru just raised her right arm before her, forearm parallel to the ground, channeling enough power to just plow through hanging foliage with the nigh-invulnerable appendage. Kept her vision clear at least even if she felt a little silly walking like that.
"-And if there's really a Gwyllgi out here, we need to find it before the other two do. They're a mage's worst enemy and can easily kill a weaker dragon to boot." Feeling a little clearer to speak freely without worry of unintentionally insulting the competence of the other two, Nayru continued seriously. "Phenomenal sense of smell. Howls. They communicate best vocally. Doogs also tend to stalk or hunt their prey, at least in my experience they tend to try to assert dominance rather than actual assassination. I don't think it really matters if we keep talking, they'll find us by smell regardless, and hey, we're looking for a fight anyways."
The older dragon chuckled, though there wasn't a whole lot of humor in her tone. Arcadia had fucked her up a bit, left her with a great deal to think about, and if nothing else she was... trying to live up to her ideals here. Her promise to Kara. The desire to protect those close to her. Maybe not the most highfalutin' ideals ever, but starting small sure felt a lot less overwhelming than going hard on everything right from the start. The attempt at humor was partway just from her usual tendencies and partially because something felt... very slightly off about Shara; she didn't know the other dragon well enough to actually read her, but she had enough experience with people to suspect that much. WHAT it meant, she wasn't sure. The other dragon could be spoiling for a fight, she could be terrified, she could be worried about the others, she could just be having an attack of nerves - Shara did say she hadn't fought much, especially in human form - there was a laundry list of possibilities and all of them were bad.
"...I meant what I said, though," Nayru continued abruptly after a moment. "I'm bringing all of you gits home alive. If we run into that thing, let me take the brunt of it, I've tangled with their kind before." Some of those kinds of foes she had mostly survived thanks to Remus healing her, her mind helpfully supplied; another part of it gleefully noted that he wasn't here right now and that she was about to find out if she really had gotten too reliant on the blueberry. Pleasant thoughts eh?
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 19, 2017 23:17:19 GMT -6
Nayru opened things off with one of her trademark jokes. Er, well, Shara supposed she didn't know Nayru well enough to label her jokes as "trademark", but she made them often enough...
...Wait, was it a joke? She uh, delivered it with some fair bit of ease all the same. Perhaps she just wanted to relieve the pressure and stress of the situation. Shara was loathe to admit that it had actually gotten to her a bit. Again, her confidence had come with the knowledge that the average human or beast was no match for her. She had never anticipated these...monsters...when she left Nabata.
Nor did she ever imagine herself about to battle such things.
So rather than be surprised at herself when she let out a giggle, hand raised to stifle it but to no avail, she was actually grateful. The last thing she needed was to get worked up over the matter. That wouldn't help her at all. It wouldn't help any of them.
“I didn't know Gwyllgi would be so threatening to a mage. I suppose it makes sense. You said they can breathe fire, but they are also agile and cunning. That goes for the Doogs as well, most likely. Morrigan will need to be protected.” Shara concluded, her eyes scanning the area. She actually took some small relief in how easily they would be found by their targets. “Though...I agree. If the Gwyllgi is real, I entrust it to you. I'll watch your back.” It was the smart decision to roll with. Nayru was the only one with any experience fighting them, and she was almost undoubtedly the strongest among them, to the point where Shara could assume without insult to Morrigan or Ragnis.
Though beyond the reassurance of her own power came some reassuring words as well. Nayru had said earlier she intended to bring everyone alive, but that had been a promise made to Kara. Not that Shara hadn't believed her then, it was just...“You're...so determined.”
She wasn't used to that. She wasn't used to...appreciating that. Shara was more accustomed to accusing others of being too stubborn, not too determined. There was a fine line one could draw between the two, and Shara had never seen the other. Not like this, in a way where she could appreciate it on a personal level. It helped loosen her muscles and focus her mind.
“I'll be honest I've...got a bit of the jitters right now. This is the first time I've ever gone looking for a fight. My first time seeing a monster, let alone battling one.” Shara wasn't even sure why the confession started to come out. Perhaps it was just the last of her nerves, forcing themselves out into the world so that she could calm herself. Or...perhaps she was trying to put some trust in her comrade. That was another first.
“But you're not the only one who made a promise." Her voice was far more even, now. Less of the "self-aware" amusement or shaky "jitters". Her gaze was fixed forward as a small break in the trees and brush expanded out before them, a bit of pure green, illuminated by the moonlight, before an especially massive tree stood tall. Higher than any others in the immediate area. "And I intend to keep mine, too.”
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 20, 2017 3:01:50 GMT -6
Nayru had been about to make some joke about Shara being too busy f**k**g up Mauthe Doogs to be bored while she punched the Gwyllgi in the dick repeatedly, but the other dragon had said something suspiciously close to complimentary and that was just so fundamentally wrong and unholy and not right that it kinda took Nayru's train of thought, took it out back, and put a fist into it forty or fifty times until it stopped spasming. Not least because her entire history was being an overly emotional wussbag who couldn't even face herself much less anyone else, but also because Shara... didn't really show vulnerability if she could help it, at least from what Nayru had observed. Not to say that the other dragon was incapable of it. But to be so, ah, free and open about it was definitely unusal, and must have taken some degree of stress and strength alike to come out.
The funny thing about it was that in some ways she could relate, and in others, she couldn't. Her first experiences with monsters had been very, very different - and yet they had in a way been similar. She had had Aerious to back her up, or, er, do most of the work honestly, heh. Similarly Shara had... her. And that meant, to Nayru, that she couldn't afford to f**k this up, or betray Shara's trust. A bit of incentive to take this all seriously, to say the least. In a strange way though, it also sorta felt like a way to pay back what Aerious had done for her. Because, as much as she hated his viewpoints on humans and now would fight to defend them from him if she had to, he had helped give her purpose when she was trying to navigate the confusing divide between wandering weirdo into... whatever she was now, Nayru wasn't really sure how to even begin describing that. Warrior? Wanderer? Hero? Ha, much as Remus wanted it, that last one wasn't likely.
It was an interesting weight to add on to the generally good sensation, though. The idea that maybe she could do something good, help people as they had helped her. Not that she needed a reason to help Shara, but it added extra incentive. "I ever tell you about my first experience with monsters?" Nayru started up a little more subdued after a moment of silence, not cautious so much as thinking through her words as she spoke. She hadn't, of course. Her memory ensured she knew that. But it was a conversational opener. "I had no f**k**g idea what I was getting into until I was already fighting a literal tide of baby Baels, the start of a true swarm, and the Elder Bael leading them. Way over my head. But you know what? I was too busy fighting to really think about it 'til after, and by then, well, problem solved."
That probably hadn't been QUITE as motivational as she had hoped, and definitely hadn't tied into this situation quite as naturally as she'd hoped, but, uh, she wasn't exactly Inspiration Queen 1295. f**k, this would be so much easier if she was actually reliable and intelligent. But really, she was just a blunt hammer to be pointed at the bad guy, not a scalpel to cut out the bad. "Look. Just focus on the fight and you'll realize those jitters disappear real fast. And uh..." The elder dragon trailed off a bit, caught by the realization of the seriousness of what she was about to say, trying to decide if it was actually something she could commit to. What Erim had said about seeing things through to completion... if she said this now, there was no going back.
"...I'll burn this forest down to protect you, if I have to. I'd prefer not to transform, but - I'm not going to f**k this up." Welp, that cat was out of the bag and she had actually managed to insert her foot so far down her throat it was coming out her asshole. But she had said it, so she had god damn well better mean it. Perhaps slightly buoyed by a sense of 'eh fuckit' and partially by the knowledge that she actually couldn't screw this up any worse than failing to live up to those words, she rested her left hand on Shara's shoulder gently for a brief moment before pushing out to the clearing, lowering her forward arm to restore her full field of vision. It was just a last ditch effort if everything else went to crap, but Nayru was deadly serious about what she'd said. If she really had to, she would transform, then try to deal with the inevitable forest fire after the fact. Thunderstorms made rain, right? Maybe she could figure out how to turn that on somehow...
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 20, 2017 12:33:07 GMT -6
Nayru once again had a point, an almost amusing one at that. Her first experience with monsters was basically overcome by just...fighting. Not that she didn't think during that fighting, but that she was so engaged int he act that she didn't have the time to actually worry about it. During Shara's spar that sort of mentality had actually helped to clear her mind. From that perspective she could completely see how it would actually help.
Then came something unexpected. A statement of pure resolve on Nayru's end, reassurance without a story or a joke to me. The sheer sincerity behind it was...Shara hadn't expected that from her. In fact, now she had begun to feel guilty about her expectations. Despite their first two meetings, Shara was more or less positive Nayru had agreed to the job solely because she would enjoy fighting monsters. Or at least mostly.
But now here she was, placing a gentle hand on Shara's shoulder, even briefly, and swearing that she'd burn a forest down to protect her. That was...no one, and Shara truly meant NO ONE, had ever said anything like that to her before. Even back home those who had cared for her would not risk the isolated status of the tribe or a true battle over protecting her. And Shara certainly hadn't done anything to truly make or earn friends across Elibe. Yet despite Nayru's clear reluctance over full-shifting, and her fears over what could happen when she does, she was willing to compromise all the same. For her.
What...what had she done to deserve this? How was she, a dragon who had spent centuries learning and complaining, but doing NOTHING, worth that level of effort from another? It overwhelmed her, moved her beyond the point that Shara could convey with words. At least for that moment. Maybe...maybe one day she'd be able to. Shara could recall this very moment and express just how much it had meant to her.
All she could do was turn her gaze away from Nayru and fail to hide a small, genuinely sincere smile from the other dragoness. “...Thank you, Nayru.”
For now, that would have to do.
The tree was just before them, and Shara pushed forward with Nayru over to it. It truly was a rather massive tree, in both height and thickness. It stood out quite obviously and, in Shara's eyes, made for a perfect area to mark territory. In just this instance she was thankful the beasts they hunted for were not regular wolves. Shara ah, did not fancy searching out the stains of canine urine.
Though that did not mean she was at all pleased when she circled the tree and found very similar markings to the one that had nearly fell upon her arrival to the area. A large crack and gash in the bark of the tree, coated by heavy black burn marks that stretch well above the gash as well. “This...these are the same markings I saw on a tree before. Not a good sign for us, I'm afraid.”
An even worse sign, though, was an unmistakable sound. Low growls, too deep and loud to be from a standard wolf. They almost sounded as though they'd fit a bear better, yet what approached from the shadows of the trees and brush was undoubtedly canine. There were two of them, appearing wolf-like yet absolutely not, and their hungry eyes were fixed on the two dragonesses. They had sought to defend the territory of their alpha, and happened upon a potential meal as well. Already they salivated at the prospect.
It was time.
Shara sucked in a breath, a faint reddish-orange glow emanating from eyes as her irises themselves seemed to change to the colour of fire. If one looked closely enough her pupils had turned to slits, and she felt a slight surge of power flow through her body, reinforcing her flesh and muscle. “These just look to be Doogs, but there is definitely a Gwyllgi.”
She just hoped it hadn't found Morrigan and Ragnis.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 20, 2017 14:47:43 GMT -6
The only response that Nayru could offer Shara's heartfelt words was silence, not that of ignoring but of acceptance. She was so bad at actually dealing with gratitude and trust that there was just nothing she COULD say without ruining the moment, and if only for Shara's sensibilities, the bronzed dragon decided it was probably better to keep her tongue tied for the time being. Better in her mouth than exploring all the ways she could f**k the situation anyways. Hm. Something about that sounded wrong but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Or her tongue. Eh, anyways.
On the bright side, they were all going to die by Gwyllgi savagery, so at least she wouldn't have to worry about it much longer! Nayru's usual smile was creased into a harder turn of her lips as she followed Shara's inspection of the tree, saw the scratch and burn marks that were definitely not from lightning strikes; she was most assuredly displeased with what she saw on one level - but at the same time... she was also a bit grateful, honestly. Simply for the reason that if it was here, that meant it wouldn't be attacking Morrigan and Ragnis. She wasn't extremely excited about the prospect of it attacking Shara, either, but at least if it was here she could handle it.
For the time being, however, the beast hadn't revealed itself, merely two of its minions. Probably for the best honestly, this way she could get a better idea of what Shara was capable of in a fight and thus how to account for her when they actually ran into the Gwyllgi. Yes, Nayru had absolutely meant what she said - but she was going to try everything else first, because any large scale thunder magic and the ensuing forest fire would hurt the livelihoods of a lot of people, possibly kill some, and that was not a choice to be made lightly. Hm. That was a good thought actually. She would have to be limited with even breath and elemental shifting abilities - not entirely blocked from her, just... cautious. The heat and (indirectly) ignition of her element was just as capable of starting a fire as shifting, only on a smaller scale.
Still, as she slowly began walking towards the coming beasts, the air around her curdled with the copper scent of burning ozone, tiny flecks of electricity crackling in her wake. It was only a lower form of halfshift, but after what Erim had done, controlling even the subtleties of her abilities was harder... not impossible, it was simply something else she had to learn, but bereft of the last vestiges of aid she had received, she had to master her power absolutely on her own. No more shortcuts. No more handicaps. Only her.
"...Then let's give him a reason to come say hello."
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 20, 2017 16:08:56 GMT -6
Nayru's determination faltered not in the face of this adversary. She could begin to see and even smell the electricity that she unleashed. Shara was not entirely certain how hard Nayru intended to fight these first opponents, nor was she...entriely confident about pushing her abilities to the absolute maximum. Instead she would stay at her basic level of shifting, her increase in raw physical might ought to be sufficient.
Besides, Nayru was right: this could be the chance to lure the Gwyllgi to them. Nerves be damned, she would rather face the monster down with Nayru than leave it to Morrigan and Ragnis. The beasts before her snapped their jaws at the air, fangs bared at the two dragonesses as they stalked ever closer. It seemed they would wait until the last second to lunge at their supposed “prey”.
Shara had no intention on being the victims of these beasts.
“I'll take the one on the right.” There was no confidence in her voice, but neither was it shaky. Right then, all that mattered was that they accomplished their mission. Shara brought her fists up and steadily approached the doog. Given how lithe and agile the beast likely was, there was no reason for Shara to take the offensive. She locked her gaze on her chosen target, though, and it met hers. The other Doog seemed to hesitate slightly as Nayru unlocked some of her own power.
But the one on the right dashed right for Shara. It bounded across the grass with speed far beyond what the average wolf could accomplish, but luckily for Shara, she was more durable than the average human. The beast let out a vicious snarl as it lunged at her, maw opened wide, poised to dig its impressive fangs into her throat. Shara planted her feet into the ground and braced her body as best she could, her hands catching the top and bottom jaws of the creature.
It landed on its rear legs, claws tearing at Shara's torso all whilst it attempted to clamp its jaws shut on her hands. Shara grunted, the weight and might of the beast nearly forcing her back. Her boots dug into the dirt as she pushed back against the weight of the Doog, it's hot, rancid breath against her throat. Once Shara's footing stuck sher twisted her torso, hurling the beast towards the ground. It's claws had managed to tear at her shirt a bit, but thankfully she didn't have to test her reinforced flesh against it.
The beast struggled on the ground, claws slashing her arms and hands, which forced Shara to release the beast's jaws. Not wanting to let up her current offensive, though, her eyes flashed red as she brought a fist down into the beast's sides. Hard bone struggled against the force of her blows, might equivalent to that of peak human capabilities. Yet still it was not enough to do more than force another fierce snarl from the beast.
It flailed it's large body, hind legs kicking out at Shara's own. She winced, her footing thrown off as her left leg was forced back, and suddenly the tables were turned. The Doog flipped onto its feet with remarkable agility and, once again, lunged at Shara. This time she didn't have the proper footing to hold off the assault, however, and was forced onto her back as she caught the beast's jaws once more. Large fangs dug into her skin, past her reinforcement and even drawing blood, as pain throbbed through her arms.
Damn it...she'd need to draw on more...or she wasn't going to overcome this beast.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 20, 2017 16:46:52 GMT -6
Since the Mauthe Doog facing her didn't seem interested in launching itself into suicide, which was probably the smartest thing she'd seen all day, Nayru allowed herself a moment to observe Shara's own fight. Not that she distrusted Shara per se, simply that she hadn't seen what the other dragon was capable of and wanted to be sure she could at least be left safely alone to play with the puppies. Outside of wincing a bit when the reature bowled into and over the other dragon, though, it seemed like Shara was holding her own to at least some degree. Part of Nayru wanted to help, but... she forcibly held herself back with one last longing look. If there was anything Nayru had learned recently, it was that people had to earn their passage forward themselves, or it was cheapened. It was only AFTER she had moved away from Aerious's protection that her growth had accelerated through countless near death experiences, bereft of the knowledge that he would be there to save her if all went wrong.
Of course... if push came to shove, she would save Shara. But at the same time, the other woman had to know that she could only truly rely on herself for most things. Nayru just hoped that knowing she was the final option didn't lull Shara into too much of a false sense of security and slow down her growth, as it had for her. For now though, she had a more pressing problem... sort of. On one hand it was kind of hard to take one Mauthe Doog seriously after she'd fought a pack of them that were literally twice this one's height and more, on the other hand she could use a bit of stress relief and help make some noise to attract the Gwyllgi. Hmm. Not like she needed to shift any further than this to handle it anyways, probably. "Right," she said, conversationally to the beast that loked back at her in a moment of uncertainty. "Sorry ta keep ya waiting, Fido. Doggy want a bone?"
She still wasn't sure if Nethertainted monsters were truly intelligent, but this one actually seemed confused enough that she could almost envision it as an actual dog, just that happened to be a good four-five feet tall, covered in mattered fur that felt more like armor than fur, and capable of ripping a human being in half in one bite. Basically the same thing right? Grinning, she lowered her body and charged it, drawing a response of its own from the creature as it was faced with two options - fight or flight - and picked fight as the twisted monsters of Elibe always did. It was an interesting comparison to those of Vinland, who had the intelligence to back off when injured, to flee from fights they realized they could not win - which simultaneously made them far more dangerous but was also the main reason she and Zahhak had survived that battle.
The damn thing was fast as hell, though she had kinda seen that one coming given her past experience with the creatures, but it never quite got to the point of being comfortable to deal with. Still, she made a solid effort. As it approached she dropped low, shoulder checking it just beneath its head to stop its motion. Almost felt unsporting to just kill it at this point and it was good practice fighting fast stuff anyways. The creature's bounding snarl shrank to a confused yelp as it found its motion suddenly arrested, but recovered extremely quicker, as fast as her, biting down on her upper arm as she tried to move away, though its fangs found only steel unyielding in their path.
Nayru smacked it off of her with her free hand, scolding it with a low "bad dog!" before turning back towards the creature head on, it chewing its jaws experimentally out of some level of confusion for what had just happened. It was completely uninjured of course, the damn things were tough as a nail and she hadn't been at a good angle to hit it that hard anyways, but it would be more cautious now. More intelligent. It would think about what it did, fight rather than just kill. Maybe it'd even pull off something surprising.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 20, 2017 17:12:57 GMT -6
Shara really couldn't afford to to pay much attention to Nayru's own fight, however she wasn't all too concerned over Nayru's well being. Not just because she, you know, had the large jaws of the Mauthe Doog hovering just over her face. Unfortunately Shara's hands were still occupied with keeping the monstrosity's fangs away from her face and neck, regardless of how badly they dug into her hands and arms. Blood ran down her fair skin, slowly staining her clothes along with the dirt and grass.
With a grunt she tried to draw in her right leg. As the beast's forelegs and claws pushed into her chest she knew it was only a matter of time before her body would be worn down. Her basic reinforcement could only withstand so much pressure. In fact an ordinary human would likely already be dead in her position, warrior or not. Her muscles burned and strained against the the beast, her gut clenching as it was forced in by the beast's girth. If she could just get a leg under it, relieve some of that pressure...
But the Doog was clever. It knew it had Shara right where it wanted, and kept its body low. There was No room for Shara to draw a knee, instead her leg got caught on one of it's hind legs. Inch by inch her arms were forced down, closer to her sides, as the beast's jaws slowly closed in on her neck.
...Really. Was she this pathetic? She, a dragon, was about to be killed by a Mauthe Doog? Why, because she was afraid? Because she didn't have confidence? After all that talk she and Nayru just had, she was going to just hold back until she died?
Shara's eyes fixed on what she could make of the beast's maw, yet its shape seemed to shimmer and change. The visage of the Doog warped and shifted until it became a more...familiar face. More human. The face of a man she had once begun to truly care for. The face of a man who had been utterly smitten with her...yet there was no love in his eyes. No soft expression. His features were twisted, contorted, and coated in blood. The blood of his enemies, the blood of his friends, as he raised his weapon against the monster who had bewitched him.
Was that how she was going to die? A monster?
...
Shara's stone, still tucked into her breast, began to glow and pulsate. The red glow of her eyes only strengthened, and her pupils slitted fully, taking on an utterly reptillian appearance. Blazing tatoos began to spread along her exposed forearms, dividing and spreading into the shapes of scales and, within the maw of the beast, her hands changed the most. White flecks of energy gathered and coagulated until they were able to expand and envelop her hands completely. Slim, gentle human digits were covered in hard scales, and long, ivory claws.
With a roar unbefitting a woman of her otherwise gentle, even beautiful appearance, erupted from her throat as power she had not allowed herself to feel for centuries coursed through her veins. It burned like fire, and yet the sheer pleasure and adrenaline that followed could only be matched by her full shift. Shara dug her new claws into the roof and tongue of the Doog, forcing out a cry of shock and agony from the creature.
Inch by inch, Shara's arms hefted the beast up, pushing back against it's weight and force. The glow in her eyes blazed, like an inferno awoken, as the tattoos began to spread along her collarbone and up to her face. They ran deep, like rivers of lava through the molten rock of a volcano. Finally she had forced the beast up, with enough room to fit her leg beneath it.
“HRAH!” With a mighty cry she kicked the beast off of her body, sending its massive frame flying back through the air about five feet.
Maybe she was a monster. Maybe...maybe she had to accept that. But Ragnis had shown her. Morrigan had shown her. Nayru had shown her that...that she had more to learn about her. That she could rise above, to become something better. SOMEONE better.
She would not die a monster. Shara would not die at all. Not until she knew just what she could become.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 21, 2017 15:46:05 GMT -6
It was actually rather interesting to try to split her attention between Shara's fight and her own foe, a handicap if nothing else. She couldn't just ignore it of course. Nayru knew she was pretty tough, but as the scorpions of the desert had taught her, she was FAR from invincible - and further, anywhere she wasn't actively reinforcing was essentially just human flesh, and the doog could most assuredly kill her in a heartbeat if her attention waned too completely. But at the same time, watching Shara struggle did admittedly sit unpleasantly in her mind, uncertain at what point she would actually know to step in. Too early and it would only cement in Shara's mind that she didn't have to struggle to rise to the occasion; too late and it would only take an instant for the beast to rip out the other dragon's throat.
But as she slapped the experimentally charging doog down to the ground, fist meeting head with a force that sent it down so hard its body rebounded off the solid ground, Shara revealed her ace in the hole, transforming further than Nayru had realized she could - not to say she had, er, assumed Shara was helpless, but... well in all honesty given Shara's lack of transforming further during their previous meetings, even in the wake of her own partial shifting, she had ah kinda assumed Shara didn't have a strong grasp of halfshifting, or... at all. As it turned out though, she did recall what happened when one made assumptions. Not that she had any trouble making an ass of herself on a regular basis anyways.
Well, ol buddy ol pal, my little doggy friend, seems your time is limited. She didn't want to finish it off too quickly, so... yeah, probably after Shara finished off her little problem. Alright then! A minor stay of execution. Time for some old fashioned master-puppy bonding then. As the doog came at her again, Nayru noted with some satisfaction that it at least had the sense not to charge directly this time... almost reminded her of the scorpion battle, with the f**k**g laser tail bullshit, when she'd had to learn the hard way that running straight at something stronger than you tended to end really really badly.
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 21, 2017 16:10:15 GMT -6
This was it, then. No more holding back. Shara hadn't half-shifted like this in centuries, and she could feel that disassociation. What would have once felt natural felt foreign, only vaguely familiar at best. All the same she continued to focus, black scales flaking down to her eblows until her forearms resembled a smaller, mock version of her true form.
Shara pushed herself to her feet, a glare fixed on the beast that had pushed her this far. It wasn't down and out yet, still snarling and able to move. Shara's half-shift had definitely surprised the beast, however, and the damage her claws had done showed as blood spilled out the sides of its mouth. The Doog got to all fours just as Shara got to her feet as well.
It did not lunge this time. The beast had to reconsider the capabilities of Shara, and it began to try and move around her in a slow circle. Shara's focus remained fixed on it. Given it was undoubtedly able to move faster than she could, it essentially dictated the offensive flow of the battle. The only chance Shara had to adjust that was for her to catch it when it attempted to strike. If she could pin IT down this time, then she could win.
The Doog's circle around Shara began to tighten as it scouted for anything it could deem an opening. Perhaps it was weary from the ah...lack of success its partner seemed to have when it came to Nayru. Yet it did not consider fleeing an option. It still thought that it could take out Shara.
When it snapped its jaws at her shins, only to bite at air, it began to realize too late just how mistaken it was. Shara had slid her leg back and punched down before the beast's jaws could close. Hard ebony scales cracked into the skull of the Doog, the impact nearly enough to force the beast's entire head to the ground. It yelped and backpedalled quickly before that was an option, though the damage to its head was plain to see. Flesh had been impacted and forced off in a crude laceration, as blood seeped over its eyes now.
Enraged and desperate it tried once more to lunge at Shara. Instead of catching its jaws with her hand like she had the first two times, though, she was in the position to utilize an ability she previously had witheld from: her scales. Rather than try to stop the Doog she crossed a forearm over her chest, placing it in the path of the Doog's jaws. The tainted beast clamped it's fangs down on the hard scales, but they could barely pierce them. Oh Shara felt the fang's, the pain still fired through her body, but it was not enough to draw blood like before.
And what was that pain to the raw power and fire that coursed through every fiber of her being?
Swiftly Shara began to turn her body towards the right and down. The Doog was still lock-jawed onto her forearm and thus was forced off sure footing, nearly hovering parallel to the ground. Once Shara had turned her body just low enough she brought her knee up. Scales began to flake off her free arm as she reinforced her lower leg. Hidden beneath her pants more fiery tattoos likely began to spread as she dropped her knee down onto the beast's neck.
There was a sickening crack and one last yelp as Shara pinned the beast to the ground beneath her. The blow had shattered several of the beast's ribs, along with its equivalent collarbone. With a roar Shara wrenched her arm free from the maw of the beast and lifted it into the air. This time came not a punch, for Shara led with her ivory claws as she forced them as deep into the beast's skull as she could.
It struggled beneath her strength and weight, but not in the manner of a mighty beast. No, instead it convulsed and shook as its tainted life began to ebb to nothing. Shara kept her claws deep through the bone and meat of the Doog, her instincts so flared up that she nearly snarled at the creature beneath her, until at last it struggled no more.
Breathing hard now, from a mixture of pain and adrenaline alike, Shara shifted her leg off of the creature and glanced over at Nayru. The scales along her arms began to flake away, dissipating like sparks lost in the wind, as her tattoos began to recede as well.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 22, 2017 3:51:45 GMT -6
The creature's growls did certainly command a certain level of interest; the ferocity, the... almost hatred in its defiance, she thought, if it was even possible for the creature to feel that emotion, if it was truly possible to convey through mere growls. But nonetheless, it seemed that the beast had some inkling of its inability to effectually damage her... but rather than the beasts of Vinland, rather than flee and regroup, it was only trying to think of ways to approach her and kill her all the more nonetheless. It was... sad, in a way. In all honesty, if it had been more like a dog, Nayru wouldn't have minded trying to tame it, if only to see if it was possible. If possible, she might have even let it flee out of respect for its valiant effort - but she knew that could never happen, even if it was a beast, simply out of practicality. It would hunt and kill again, and the blood it shed would be on her hands.
There was never any other way this could have ended, and yet rather than gloating or relief, all she felt was some degree of regret. A desire that there had been a chance for another ending, a better ending. Instead... as the Mauthe Doog charged one last time, Nayru found that she honestly did wish there was another way. She almost wished she had a choice, but recalled the fallacy of that in time. One always had a choice. But she had made hers back in the sands of Arcadia. Her motion was very fast, fingers like pillars of iron arresting the creature's momentum instantly as they wrapped around its throat without mercy. The dragon stared it in the eye for a moment as she lifted the unfortunate creature off the ground bodily, it staring back at her in relentless defiance, and smiled sadly at it for an instant.
The massive surge of electricity struck at the creature simultaneously from within and without, bleeding the red from its fur into charred and blackened grey, driving the life from its eyes in an instant. In its wake, the golden scales that had covered her arm for a moment evaporated into golden dust that trailed lazily upwards, and she dropped the smoking corpse on the ground unceremoniously, turning back to Shara as she finished her own battle. A good fight. One that had severely increased Nayru's level of respect for the other dragon - as a... she didn't now. Nayru hadn't actually thought about it that hard initially; she had seen Shara as a friend of sorts, an ally, but in some ways also as... she hesitated to use the word lesser, but... weaker?
"A good fight," she said, not quite able to feel as happy as she wanted to, but honest in her judgement nonetheless, her voice filled with what remaining warmth she had to share. Nayru smiled wryly at the heaving dragoness, noticing with some pleasure that the other dragon didn't seem to be struggling with any particular hesitation or regret. Good. Fighting for your life was a good solution to many problems. The bronze dragon chuckled, as much at that thought as the notion that it was also a good solution to being alive, if one happened to view that as a problem. "Still worried about nerves?"
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Post by Shara Tiinedra on Jan 22, 2017 12:52:00 GMT -6
As time passed Shara grew accustomed to this enhanced sensation. An adrenaline high beyond what the average human would be able to experience. It wasn't quite as powerful as the raw energy unleashed in her true form, but it was actually more exhausting. Half-shifting required quite a bit more concentration than full-shifting. It was strenuous to continually redirect energy from her stone to various points of her body as well as maintain that energy, but it least it didn't feel like the world fought against her to do so, like it did her true form. Half-shifting required significantly less magic, and thus the lack of magic in Elibe's air was actually not a great hurdle.
All the same Shara was more fatigued than she could be proud of. In fact, beyond survival, there had been little to take pride in. Her arms still had some blood streaking down them, but it seemed as though half-shifting had helped to stem the flow. Shara's clothes were torn, particularly around her torso, revealing a plain white shirt that she wore beneath her somewhat heavier, longer sleeved red shirt. Though in some grass and dirt in her hair and...frankly, she was left a mess. Battle was not meant to be pretty but...Nayru hardly looked as though she had a hair out of place. The difference in power and experience between them was even more than Shara had already gathered.
Yet she couldn't help but send a small smile up at Nayru all the same. “Thank you...and no. Adrenaline and magic have a way of working wonders to remove nerves.” It was true. Any sort of shaking Shara felt was from the rush of energy half-shifting had filled her with. Any fears she had were pushed thoroughly to the wayside. “Half-shifting just feels so foreign to me now.”
Shara got to her feet and glanced at Nayru's felled Doog. The bronzed dragoness had literally shocked the life out of the creature, but her eyes lingered not. Rather Shara's gaze flit to the treeline and brush, where the beasts had come from. “Though now that instincts no longer dominate my conscious thought...I'm left with a few questions.” As she spoke she walked towards where the two Doogs had entered the area. “If Gwyllgi command Doogs, what were these two doing out here alone? Were the scouting their territory? If so why engage us? And what...”
As the realization dawned on Shara's face, it seemed their primary target decided to confirm her suspicion. An unearthly howl echoed out through the forest. The mere sound alone sent birds and bats from their perches on tree branches and to the skies as they immediately sought to re-locate. It was the kind of sound that sent chills straight through one's spine, and filled men with the sort of horror that had them telling only the most unbelievable of stories to their mates in taverns. Yet this was no fantasy creature, nor was it a simple wolf.
That sound had to belong to the Gwyllgi. The chorus of smaller, weaker howls that seemed to follow it only served to solidify her conclusion. Of course the howls themselves were not what filled Shara with dread: it was that none of them sounded imminent. They echoed out from a distance and, if Shara and Nayru listened carefully, the source sounded as thought it come from the right of them.
Where Morrigan and Ragnis were.
“Nayru, we need to go to them!” The adrenaline that had just begun to subside flared up as fire filled Shara's eyes once more. She turned to her right and made a dash for the tree line. Perhaps a reckless move, but she figured Nayru would be able to keep up well enough. If they both sprinted as fast as they could then maybe...no, they WOULD make it in time.
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Post by Nayru Al-Saiduq on Jan 22, 2017 16:16:52 GMT -6
Good questions, all. And by good, she actually meant bad, really bad, because Nayru had most definitely been hoping that the fight here would serve to attract the Gwyllgi's attention, and that... didn't seem to have worked out quite as planned. Or, um, at all really. Not that she'd been feeling particularly good about her own fight in general, but Shara's comments followed by the sound of howls from a distance was more than enough to dash any small lingering satisfaction of the events so far.
She'd only actually heard that sound once before, back on Vinland, and the threat it embodied was something she could remember all too well. Had she and Zahhak not fought them off, the creatures would have at least savaged the first Elibean settlement on Vinland, if not destroyed it utterly - they'd come close enough to killing two aware dragons that a few more unsuspecting humans wouldn't have stood a chance. At least Vinland had included a mix of adventurers, warriors, and fighters; the nearby village they were protecting didn't even have that. If they were attacked, they WOULD die, to the last man woman and child. Tess, Kara, even that mouthy fool who didn't get along with them. None of them deserved that kind of death.
And while she had to believe that Ragnis and Morrigan could hold them off as well... it only took one mistake. And if Morrigan was indeed a mage of some sort, that would be quite easy to do against creatures who moved like lightning and struck like thunder. "Dammit!" She swore to release some level of frustration, but rather than dwell on it Nayru was already charging after Shara at fast as she could manage without shifting - it was possible, but, well, as she'd learned in Nabata, she absolutely did have limits. Or rather, she had always known that, she had just been unwilling to accept them. She'd be no good to the other two if she showed up already exhausted from calling on too much power; the dragon already regretted wasting any on the Mauthe Doog a moment ago. Coming up closer to the other dragon, she considered trying to think up a pep talk of some sort but realized it would be a waste of breath almost immediately, instead opting for a simple "Let's move."
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