|
Post by Silver on Sept 12, 2012 2:45:10 GMT -5
Shayla jumped slightly as Mika put her hand on her shoulder. She was still incredibly nervous and her heart was still beating rapidly in her chest. She was rather relieved when he shifted to his semi-humanoid form. A giant dragon breathing smoke at them was not comforting no matter how nice he seemed.
“Oh... um-” She wasn’t really sure what to say. There was no way she could tell him the real reason for her travel. It didn’t matter how good of friends he was with Mika, he didn’t know anything about her. She needed to say something though. Oh, this was just a fine predicament!
When Mika spoke on her behalf, however, she was surprised to see him throw up his arms and back down from the question. Was he... really just going to let them march in like that? Mika must have known him very well. Wait! She had said something about being near his den... Wasn’t that like a dragon’s house? If Mika spent a lot of time there, maybe there was something.... romantic between them. Her face flushed red as the thought crossed her mind, and she immediately scooped up Halcy and buried her face in his fur to avoid having to look at anyone. Unfortunately, it only took him a second to wriggle away and run far from her immediate reach. ...Well, this was awkward. She should probably try and say something.
“So- L-Lyco. N-nice to meet you!” She forced, trying (and failing) to not stutter. She wasn’t sure what the proper protocol was for greeting a dragon, and she was terribly afraid that he would think her rude. She took a shaky step forward and reached out her hand, but withdrew it after only a split second. No- that wasn’t right. Maybe it was a bow? She leaned forward sharply and quickly, but ended up tripping over a small rock and nearly falling flat on her face. Oh... this was not going well.
“Uh-um... So you- you live around here.” She stated, echoing what he had just said. “Are you and Mika... together? Because I-I think that is great.” She continued to stammer, her face growing more and more red by the second. She was beginning to sweat now, and her clenched fists shook violently. “I mean I know p-p-people always say t-that.... t-that inter-species c-couples are bad. B-but I support it!”
Halcy looked up at her with a hint of worry. He hadn’t seen her so nervous since the guild master had asked her to assist him with private research. That sure ended in disaster.
“You k-know... T-there is a petition in M-mithras right n-now to make t-them officially r-r-recognized.” Her pulse continued to quicken, and she began to feel a strong anxiety about the subject. What if she had assumed wrong? What if they weren’t really together? Oh, this could be bad! “Um...” Her mouth had gone completely dry at this point, “S-sorry.” She grabbed Halcy again and pressed her face into his fur, despite his screams of protest and the fact that his claws were sunk so deep into her arms that there was no way it wouldn’t scar. This encounter would be over soon, and then they could just carry on.
|
|
|
Post by Kitten King on Sept 12, 2012 3:22:10 GMT -5
Oh my god, nononono Shayla was makingitworseohgod... She couldn't help turning as bright red as the other girl, and would have buried her own face if Xan wasn't way too tiny to do the job. The worst part was, the girl kept going and going and going..... and Lyco just smiled the whole time, though his eyes got a little sad.
"Oh, I agree, naturally," he said. Mika bit her lip, and hoped Shayla wouldn't contemplate the word 'naturally' too much. Damnit Lyco, she didn't know! "To sate your curiosity - at one point, yes. We were." How he kept his smile on, when she knew how much he hated the words he had to say, she didn't know. She wondered if he'd done it before. "It didn't last long." His eyes flicked to her, then, and she was ashamed to admit she couldn't meet them. She stared to the side, pretending to be watching Xan, but she looked right through him.
"...it's okay, Shayla," Mika said, reaching over again and giving her traveling companion's shoulder a squeeze again. Anything to distract them from this conversation topic... "Lycodemus isn't some stuck-up dragon who'll bite you if you don't say the right thing around him. He's actually kind of a wimp."
"Heyyyyy," he whined at her, and she rolled her eyes, beginning to relax already.
"He's an old friend of the family," she said, forcing a smile. "My dad knew one of his mothers." It was kind of a weird sentence to say, but Mika didn't even realize it at the time. "I doubt he even would've attacked if we'd been real trespassers, eh Lyco?" He pouted, looking displeased at this.
"I would've! I'm ferocious!" he objected. Mika raised an eyebrow at him, and he pouted right back for a minute before sighing. "Okay, fine. I'm a big smoke-blower. I couldn't barbecue a defenseless human if they asked me to... well. Maybe if they asked me to."
"Lyco."
"Hey, man, that's their masochistic problem, not mine."
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Sept 12, 2012 4:03:48 GMT -5
Shayla could feel her heart begin to slow slightly as Lyco and Mika spoke. Eventually, she even managed to lift her head from its position buried in Halcy’s ruffled fur. Her cheeks were still flushed with embarrassment, but at least she wasn’t in immediate danger of passing out.
She considered speaking, but decided after what had just happened that silence was probably the best course of action. She knew that if she opened her mouth she would just end up embarrassing herself again. Halcy seemed to agree, because he meowed approvingly at her silence.
Halcy flattened his ears as he scoped out the newcomer. Well, he seemed harmless enough. Still though, he was a full grown dragon capable of doing massive damage if it pleased him. They would need to keep an eye on him .
The mention of barbecuing humans made Shayla gulp a bit, even though it was meant to be a joke. She was still incredibly antsy about this whole situation, and was wondering how to get out of this confrontation without being rude or provoking wrath.
“Ask him about the volcano!” Shayla nearly screamed as Halcy leapt gracefully onto her shoulders and whispered softly into her ear.
“W-wouldn’t he get suspicious?” She glanced nervously at Mika and Lyco to make sure they weren’t watching Halcy’s brazen display, but they seemed rather absorbed in talking with one another.
“Hey, we have less than nothing to go on right now. Don’t you think this is a prime chance?”
“M-maybe but-”
“No arguing! Now do it!”
“O-okay...” She gulped once more, trying to work up the courage to actually speak to them again. “S-so Lyco. How have things b-been in the mountains recently? Anything... uh... interesting happening?”
|
|
|
Post by Kitten King on Sept 12, 2012 4:47:11 GMT -5
Lyco looked at Shayla as she spoke again, his smile fading into a frown. His eyes flicked to Mika, who shrugged. 'Your call', she mouthed subtly, which really didn't help him at all. Hmm.
"Things are okay," he said nonchalantly, running some fingers through white-lavender hair. "Could be better, but we're hardy critters. We'll make it just fine." He wouldn't outright lie, but he wasn't going to tell some human he'd just met that the volcanoes were failing, either. That was all the info humans would need to start bargaining for more land. Oh, your volcanoes aren't working? Pity, we'll take them from you... no way. Not on their watch. Their diggers and wrecking crews wouldn't set foot on their land as long as any dragon had breath in their body.
"Okay, Lyc," Mika said, lifting an arm for Xan to land on and perch. "It was nice talking to you, but-"
"Leaving already?" His expression fell further, frowning at her.
"I... we have to... get somewhere safe to camp before it gets too late." She stumbled over the words, the familiar guilt stabbing her right in the stomach. Oddly, though, he brightened a bit at her words. What was he thinking..?
"Oh. Well, you know, my den isn't far from here," he started, and then she understood. Oh, no, not this again. She didn't want to get into it.
"That's very generous of you, Lyco, but I don't think-"
"Oh nonsense, you're no trouble!" he said, pushing again and looking hopeful. "I'm sure you'd rather tuck up somewhere safe, what with all the trouble other dragons are giving outsiders and halfkins these days." AUGH why did he throw around that term, nonono she needed to talk to him about that, augh.
"I- well, I..." she took a deep breath, letting it out in a loud sigh. Why did she even try to fight it anymore? She knew better... "That's up to Shayla, I suppose." She glanced to the side at the other girl, golden eyes worried. There were pros and cons to either choice, honestly - but she'd rather deal with other dragons than Lycodemus, at this rate. He brought up too many questions that she just didn't want to answer...
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Sept 12, 2012 21:44:42 GMT -5
“Oh...” Her voice fell unintentionally. It was obvious he wasn’t being completely honest. Then again, maybe he was telling the absolute truth and things really were fine. Hopefully the rumors were wrong, but Halcy seemed pretty sure they weren’t.
Wait, was Mika asking for her input? That hardly seemed appropriate! She didn’t even know him! Then again... a dragon’s den would probably be much safer than camping out in the open and risking running into someone a bit more hostile. However, if they stuck around too long, he would probably want to know where they were headed.
She was really torn on the issue, but when she saw Mika’s face her mind was made up for her. She was uncomfortable going with him, and it looked like Mika was as well. Something was going on between those two. It sounded like they had been romantically involved. If that was the case, a night in his den would be full of awkwardness. Besides, he was bound to figure out eventually that they weren’t just going through the mountains.
“That is v-very kind of you.” She mumbled, barely audible. “But w-we wouldn’t want to be a b-bother. Besides, we still have a lot of ground to cover.”
Halcy meowed with approval. He didn’t trust this dragon not to sell them out to the guards at the first suspicion. He could be a wonderful help, but he could also be their worst nightmare. Better not to risk it.
|
|
|
Post by Kitten King on Sept 13, 2012 16:48:11 GMT -5
"Exactly," Mika said, cutting off Lyco before he could begin to say anything else. "Lots of ground to cover." The dragon frowned, not looking a hundred perfect convinced, but dipped his head in a small bow and stepped back.
"Understood," he said, forcing another smile. "Well... it has been wonderful to see you again. I wish you good luck on your journey, wherever it may take you."
"...thank you, Lyco," Mika responded, her voice softening. "These days, we'll need it." She turned back to Shayla, nodding her head in the direction of the barely-visible path that began to careen downwards now. "We better go so we can find a good spot to set up for the night." She moved past Lyco, fingering the straps on her bag and avoiding his eyes again.
"...Mika?" She stopped, but didn't turn around. "Just so you know, what I asked last time - the offer is always there." Another heartbeat of silence passed.
"...goodbye Lyco." She went back to moving, leaving Xan the job of making sure Shayla followed. There was the familiar blast of purple light from behind her, and she closed her eyes. Stupid dragons...
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Sept 13, 2012 22:11:56 GMT -5
The tension in the air was reaching a breaking point, and even Shayla could feel the unresolved emotion between Mika and Lyco. Whatever had gone on with them in the past, it must have ended bitterly. She wondered briefly what Lyco had asked- and what Mika had turned down. Whatever it was, the dryad didn’t seem to want to talk about it.
“Thank you.” Shayla bowed slightly as she walked past Lyco, still feeling unsure about the whole situation. She just hoped that they had made the right choice in refusing his companionship. A dragon would have been quite useful in navigating the mountains and getting past any guards. Of course, there was always the question of how they would manage to shake him when the time came to descend into the hatchery.
“Well, you handled that like a real professional...” Halcy growled once he was sure Mika was far enough ahead to be out of earshot. “We just lost our best source of inside information. I can’t believe you didn’t get anything out of him.”
“What was I supposed to do?” She shot back, a bit louder than intended.
“Well, what’s done is done.” Halcy mumbled, jumping off of her shoulders and running ahead. He needed to make sure Xan hadn’t told Mika anything about him. It didn’t seem like he had. The only thing to do now was make sure he didn’t.
|
|
|
Post by Kitten King on Sept 14, 2012 1:09:15 GMT -5
Mika kept glancing pack as they moved along the rocky path, making sure that Shayla was keeping up fine, but her mind wasn't really in it. Stupid, stupid, Lyco... of all people, she had to run into him? She guessed, taking this path, it was inevitable. She knew it went right near his den, but she also knew that after that she wouldn't see him for awhile. It'd hurt too bad.
She... didn't mean to hurt his feelings. He was a good friend. Good friend... and if things were different, she'd think about it again. She just had too much to do, too many places to go. There were other things on her mind. Her priorities were different than his. She hoped he understood that - but she always got the feeling that he didn't.
Behind her, between herself and Shayla, Xan fluttered in the air, a few feet off the ground. He frowned at his bonded's back, wishing he could say something, but he knew he didn't have any words for her now. It was just a plain pity... because he knew how much she wanted what Lyco had to offer. She might try to hide it from the other dragon, but she couldn't hide it from him. She couldn't hide anything from him for long.
Sighing, he lighted on the ground, folding his wings and padding slowly along, using his sharp talon-like claws to climb up any rough spots in the ground. It would be much easier to use his wings when he was so small, but he felt like working his body. It helped him think. He frowned at the dusty red rock beneath his paws. His tail flicked back at forth behind him, tuft going wild with his frustration. There was nothing that could be done. He just had to tell himself that.
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Sept 14, 2012 1:49:51 GMT -5
Shayla continued to trail behind Mika with uncertainty. She had half a mind to get closer to her travelling companion and offer her some sort of comfort, but she really didn’t know what to say. She had no experience when it came to love, and to offer advice on a subject she knew nothing about seemed disrespectful somehow. Still though, the least she could do was try and take her mind off of it.
“Hey, wait up!” She called lightheartedly, breaking into a soft jog to close the distance between her and Mika.
Halcy followed Xan closely for a few moments until he was ready to make his move. After a particularly steep climb, he padded lightly towards the smaller feline and let out a small yip, then proceeded to prance just beyond the path and into the thinly layered trees. Hopefully Xan would follow him.
“Um....” Shayla adjusted her glasses hastily when she finally reached Mika, searching for what to say. “So uh- um... How have things been in Stridel desert? Hopefully better than they have been here.”
|
|
|
Post by Kitten King on Sept 14, 2012 2:31:45 GMT -5
Xan's ears perked, and his eyes followed Halcy as the silver cat bounded over towards the thin trees that somehow clung to the dirt and rocks in the area. He gave it thought for a moment, and then decided it would be worth his while to at least see what the other feline was up to. Maybe he just wanted some teamwork catching early dinner! That'd be nice. He give a strong flap with his wings and glided over to hover over Halcy as he walked, blissfully unaware.
"Hmm?" Mika paused, resting a hand against a tall rock next to the path. She glanced over her shoulder, mildly surprised to see Shayla so readily approaching her. She guessed the girl was finally getting bold - it was refreshing.
"Oh, the desert is dry as ever," she responded, familiar images of shifting sands and fierce winds returning to her mind. "It's amazing how distinct the line is between the sands and the oasis though - it's literally a line where the plants just stop and the sand begins." Thinking about home was nice. She missed it a lot more than she liked to admit sometimes. The lush greens, the crystal waters, the sight of Mins and their bonded Dryads moving together... things were still fairly good there. The sands pushed at the borders, and she'd heard of some trouble in the southern end of the oasis. There were rumors of the lakes beginning to dry there, but in Ilden things were going okay. Mika hoped it stayed that way.
At least until she got back.
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Sept 14, 2012 2:55:36 GMT -5
Shayla nodded as relief filled her. It was good to hear that the crisis had not affected the dryads as much as it seemed to be affecting the dragons. She could only hope it stayed that way. Maybe there really was nothing to worry about, and the world would recover from this minor blip. Maybe all of the rumors she heard on the streets of Mithras were just that; rumors. Unfortunately, she couldn’t give up until she knew that for sure. Too much was at stake, and if no one was going to do anything about it then she was.
"I've never been to Oasis before... but I've seen pictures. It is so beautiful, I would love to see it one day!" Her eyes immediately brightened and her voice sped up considerably, all hint of hesitation gone.
“So...” Halcy began nonchalantly, sniffing at an odd looking plant and arching his back to yawn. “I figure it is time you and I got to know each other, considering we are going to be seeing quite a lot of each other for some time now.” He perched himself on his hind legs and began to scratch deeply into the tree he had situated himself next to, not even looking at Xan.
“After all, you seem like a feline worth getting to know!” He finished his scratching and sat on his haunches, licking his front paw and running it over his ear. “Tell me, what do dragon halfkin do for fun?”
|
|
|
Post by Kitten King on Sept 16, 2012 14:30:10 GMT -5
Mika was more than happy to talk about home. She really did miss it, and would be glad for when she got the chance to go back, even if it was just for a short while.
"It is beautiful," she said, smiling to herself. "Everything in the center is so green and earthy, and you'll never find clearer water." Well. Technically the clearest waters were supposed to be in the domain of the Nymphs, way down in the southern seas, but no one really knew for sure. No one went in and no one came out and they kept plenty to themselves. It didn't count. "I've heard the growth in the jungles are supposed to be thick as they come, but honestly it's hard to think about a place with more plant growth than home. It's everywhere."
*~*~*~*~*
At first, Xan was a little confused as to why the silver cat was suddenly so friendly - he supposed it was their bonding during the night before. After all, Halcy had saved his life, and he...... the Min froze. The fur down his spine rippled upwards, and his back arched unbidden. He snapped his ears back, and he growled, full anxiety setting in.
"...I knew you were too clever for your own good," he growled, eyes slit and tail thrashing. He flicked his gaze up and down Halcy, every hair on his body feeling his preparedness to fight. In his mind he knew the chances of physical danger were slim, but he didn't want to risk it. He was ready. "What do want? Why do you care?" He was just spitting questions out now, but he wasn't panicked. He wasn't.
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Sept 17, 2012 21:15:04 GMT -5
Shayla looked up at the sky as they continued to walk, trying to envision the place that Mika was describing. It sounded beautiful beyond measure. She hoped that someday she would get a chance to see it. Mika sounded as if she missed her home though, and it made her wonder why she wasn’t still there. She was about to ask, but something held her back. There was a time for everything, after all, and now was not the time for this.
Ah yes, the jungles. Apparently the canopy of trees was so thick there that the light from the sun never reached the floor. It was hard to imagine it as a real place. To her knowledge, none of the sentient races dared to call the inhospitable maze home. She had heard rumors about the nameless horrors that stalked through the darkest areas, although she doubted their authenticity. As far as she knew, no one had traveled a meaningful distance into the region and managed to make it back out.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Halcy’s innocent face slowly twisted into a smile as he continued to calmly groom himself. Well, this had gone much more smoothly than he had originally planned, that was for sure. He was sure he wouldn’t have any problem with getting Xan to agree to his terms now.
“I don’t care.” He replied innocently, his tail flicking for a moment as a small bird fluttered overhead. “That doesn’t mean that Shayla won’t, though. I propose a truce.” The bird landed on a low branch nearby, chirping happily and hopping towards a small nest situated in the crook of the branch. His tail flicked once more, this time more rapidly. Almost time... “You don’t tell Mika about me, and I won’t tell Shayla about her.”
Now. With one quick leap, Halcy knocked the mockingbird out of the tree and pinned it to the ground, the latter beginning to screech with panic. A quick bite to the neck, and then there was nothing but silence.
|
|
|
Post by Kitten King on Sept 18, 2012 1:03:50 GMT -5
Xan felt a strange sort of horror as the scene spread out in front of him. How in the world Halcy could be so calm and completely alert as he blackmailed someone for one of their best kept secrets... it was cold. Cold as ice.
"...fine," he growled, fur on his back settling but the tip of his tail kept twitching. He glanced up at the nest for a moment, then turned around and took a few steps back in the direction of the girls. He paused, a paw raised and glanced back to look at Halcy. "You know... I wasn't going to say anything. I understand some secrets are kept for a reason." He turned again and kept walking, letting the truth linger behind him. Besides, he wouldn't have to keep the secret for long. Anything one half knew had a way of coming to light to the other half before long - sometimes through the strangest of circumstances.
|
|
|
Post by Silver on Sept 18, 2012 2:09:14 GMT -5
The sun slowly began to disappear over the jagged mountain peaks, but the slope remained consistently difficult for the duration of their day. It felt like they had made good progress, but Shayla knew that they had probably only travelled a few miles since they departed from Lyco. She was beginning to regret not taking him up on his offer. The trees had thinned to a point that they didn’t really offer any real protection anymore, and the slope showed no sign of leveling out.
They managed to find a small area of flat ground long after the sun went down. It wasn’t ideal, and left them wide out in the open, but it was much too late to search for a more suitable location. Shayla was so tired that she didn’t even bother making a fire or eating dinner, she just set her tent up and practically passed out as soon as she crawled in.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Halcy, on the other hand, did not sleep that night. He knew that Xan had agreed to keep his secret, but he still had reservations about it. After all, dryads and their min were notoriously close. There was a chance she would be able to guess something was wrong without Xan even having to say anything. He was just going to have to keep a close eye on the two of them.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Shayla finally awoke to a weak ray of light penetrating the thin material of her tent. Was it really morning already? Her eyes felt so heavy she could hardly even open them, but nevertheless she forced herself out into the early morning light. They had to be getting close. There was no way that she could handle more than a few days of this.
Halcy looked down at Shayla from his position perched on the only nearby tree. It was gnarled and stunted, and really could only be called a tree for lack of a better word. He hopped down and trotted over to Shayla, sitting at her feet and looking up at her expectantly. He wanted to get moving as soon as possible. This place wasn’t safe. Something just didn’t feel right.
|
|