Completed Death’s Gaze

[Ashieron]

Dragon Keepers

Ambient Jungle Sounds​

Ash walked along the river of the Ixchel Wilds carrying what dry firewood he could find. The elf and his group found a small clearing at the edge of the forest to camp out for the night. He had resorted to not taking his thick clothing with him, instead he opted for a tank top like shirt and long pants with his boots.

Half of him was on edge, as they were not at their full strength as the dragon keepers decided to split up to make the move. Mostly to help mini gate the risk of attracting unwanted attention. Since after all about five dragons traveling together would’ve raised some alarms if they were spotted by spies of Molthal or other groups. Still the elf did wish they could stay in the peaceful mountains of the Spine. He missed the wind and the chilling breeze that came with it. Not to mention the snow, by the gods he loved the snow.

Once he got back to camp he’d set down the fire wood and start to pile it up lit it with some magic. Looking over at his friend, Kaelan, Iliris and her dragon, and the smaller horse sized white dragon Stella he’d settle down, “Ill take the watch.” He tells them, he did not really need to sleep as the younger ones had. He guessed it came from his magic. “You guys try to get some rest.” The elf waves a hand and the air around them cooled off to a comfortable temperature as compared to the humid jungle they were in. “I’ll wake you in the morning and if something pops up through the night.” He smiles looking like he was happy and wondering what creatures there were in such an unexplored wilderness.

“In the meantime,” He looks out over the horizon, the sun was still setting, “We got some time for some stories! Anyone have any they want to share?” He asks them. Ash himself had seen so many things but he always wondered the younger ones version of stories and what they entailed. It was a good way to find out stuff about someone also.

 

[Stella]

This had been a fair distance of travel for the spectre, spent in the higher altitudes following the current of clouds and wind. Her wings weren't meant for long distance, so the effort had been a great deal more than that of the other, larger dragons. Stella had made a point to trail them, riding their draft to save on energy.

When finally Ash had chosen a spot to make camp for the evening, she was relieved to settle on the ground and quite weary from the day. Pearly scales glowing warmly within the light of the campfire, Stella chose a sheltered spot within the underbrush to hunker down just a few feet away from where Ash sat. She passed a wary glance around at those surrounding the camp at his suggestion of a story, a glimmer of anxious yellow trailing the scales along her spine. She was not a public speaker or a story teller and so promptly averted her gaze to peer at a very pretty vine flower growing on tree nearby.

 

[Iliris]

They had traveled far, but they would need to cross even more land and sky to get to their destination. Iliris could feel how tiredness was starting to wrap around their little group, wariness of the unknown landscape around them. At least she herself felt that. She had lived in the Spine for her whole life, and leaving it if not forever then for a long while for sure felt... surreal. Was she really doing it?
Yes. For the sake of the dragon keepers, for the sake of Umno, who, being a younger dragon as well got tired even more than her, and for the sake of herself. There was too much familiar blood on the slopes of the Spine.

Iliris was thankful to Ash for taking the watch, him seeming to handle this journey better than the most of them. His words about sharing stories also got her eyebrows raised. She had grown up to stories like these, told around fire, to soothe the ache in the muscles and strengthen the collective spirit.
Perhaps a story would do them all good.
"I don't think that I have ever told anyone here about my first hunt for an amarok," she spoke up, enjoying slipping into the tone of storytelling she hadn't forgotten after all. "The great and vicious wolf of the Spine," Iliris tried to pull a fitting grimace over her face.
It was a good story. Even more so because it was one of the few she wasn't ashamed to tell. Amaroks were bloodthirsty beasts, and they often attacked first.

 

[Kaelan]

This had been an arduous and...interesting trip thus far. Kaelan was unfamiliar with environments that were quite this humid and wet, the air of Ixchel suffocatingly warm even in the night time. This group was much smaller than the summoner had anticipated, but he was glad to have been paired off with Ashieron; the ghostly Stella, capable Illiris, and young Umno were not folk that he was greatly familiar with.

Kaelan plopped down on a log by the fire and groaned, wringing water from his long locks. The leaves on his branches had practically turned to mush at this point. Still, he was thankful for the opportunity to rest, even if he felt like he might drown on dry land at this point. It took only a few moments of sitting drearily under a large leaf for him to suddenly feel a powerful draw on his magic, see a familiar warm glow behind him, and suddenly have a less than comfortable amount of weight on his head.

A luminous, white-gold moth with a ten-foot wingspan had landed on the back of his head, cooing softly to announce her arrival from the elemental plane.
"Oh, hello Taiyo...thank you for the shelter!"

The cover and light was well appreciated, though the pressure on his neck was perhaps less so. He smiled at the motherly creature and offered her a bit of nectar from a container he carried.

"I don't think that I have ever told anyone here about my first hunt for an amarok,"

Now that sounded interesting! That would take his mind off of all of this sogginess, to be sure.

"Ooo, a hunting story? Please, share!" He leaned in eagerly, the moth on his head mimicking his motion.

 

[Ashieron]

Ash smiles listening to Iliris’ story about her hunting such a wolf. “They aren’t the brightest unfortunately. Im happy if that creature was someone before hand, you freed them.” He’d say looking at the others and stifled a laugh at Taiyo mimicking Kaelan.

“I have one, it’s the story of an elven king. Probably a story to scare children back home before it got dark out again now. Sadly the story told now is just branded with lies and does not account for my dear friend’s whole life.” Ash says getting comfortable and he started to move his hands in weird ways and the fire would start to move in images almost l, “There was an elven king named Azirwën and his lover Gwëndolen. He was the kindest and fairest of the kings I’ve known...” The ancient elf would go into how the King would spend time with the lower classed elves, with humans even and other races. Often giving them aid when they needed it, even if a dragon was attacking a town the king would send some of his men, and even himself to assist. Unfortunately for the King, his story ended too soon, even for an elf. As he was betrayed by his own elven kin with twisted words of false truths and schemes. Falling to the fire of a dragon as his lover tried in vain to save him as Gwën was held back and forced into service of the new King. Cursed with the dark elven magic Gwën forgotten all about the King, of their adventures and lives together. Gwën along with many other elves were used as war machines and as experiments.

It was then Ash got quiet, “So I guess the moral of the story is do not let friendship blind you, for the consequences of one foul act could stain the earth for centuries.”

Then the elf would stop and look over his shoulder casting out the fire with a wave of his hand, as the trees rustled and sprang forth two huge skulls burst from the trees snapping at the air, Ash stood there frozen in place, with his glaive in hand, as they attacked the others. One would try to bite Stella and the other would try to bowl Kaelan over and aim a bite for Iliris. Laughter coming from their mou

 

[Iliris]

"Well then," Iliris cleared her throat, sitting upright, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. "It was my first spring as a proper hunter, and we had just noted that the forest was being unusually quiet..." and so she went on, telling the tale of how they tracked the wolf for days, laid in cover for two nights straight, before the amarok finally appeared to them. It was a vicious fight, five of them against the wolf, who was toying with them more than anything. But, oh, they were shrewd, as any hunters should be, and they fought for hours while taking it closer and closer to a nearby lake. The secret was, they had a mage among them, one that drew power from water. When the wolf stepped in the lake, the fight was as good as over.
"Still, I carry this from the time we met," she finally concluded, drawing her sleeve up, revealing a long, pale scar. Iliris had a collection of those, gathered throughout the years. "I do hope that our hunt brought peace," she nodded at Ash, him showing his knowledge of this world once more.

Iliris listened to the story the elf told next carefully, compelled by the tale of events that seemed like they came from a different world. Obviously, elves and dragons, betrayal and death were all familiar to her, but there was always something fleeting in them, just as in all of human nature. At times Iliris wondered what it would be like, to live for centuries, and know that your life would, perhaps, never truly end. And what it would be like to think that and still die.

Alas, she didn't get a lot of time to ponder upon that, as suddenly the previously peaceful forest around them erupted with action. And not the friendly sort of it.
Iliris acted even before her mind could fully register the skulls and everything else, drawing out her sword, aiming a sharp blow to counter the bite that was coming for her.
"Down!" a voice came from behind her, and she obeyed, again, without thinking. That's how her trust looked. In the next moment a highly dense spray of water shot at the same skull. Umno had reacted almost as fast as Iliris had.

 

[Stella]

A low thrumming sounded from the smallest of the collected dragons - Stella, now quickly asleep to the murmuring voices of story and fable was gently purring under the cover of heady jungle ferns. Tuckered as she was, she would not remember most of the tales shared, but she would certainly remember the wake-up call.

Just not quick enough on the gun, unfortunately.

Those hideous skulls came crashing through the canopy and before she knew what's what she felt a sudden surging PAIN in her back right leg. Stella let loose a shrieking bay, scrambling to get away, her hide flashing all colors of fright, but the thing had a grip on her and bit down even harder.

CRUNCH.

 

[Kaelan]

Kaelan listened intently to the stories told by his companions, one a fable of times long past, the other of a thrilling hunt for a vicious beast. Iliris' story had the elf on the edge of his seat, eyes wide with wonder. He felt like he was right back at home again, listening to the tales spun by travelers who frequented his village. When the story came to its crescendo and Iliris shared her memento of the hunt, Kaelan clapped politely, the elemental moth atop his head cooing in acknowledgement.

Ashieron's fable hit different notes. It was more of a fairy tale than anything, complete with a moral at the end. The summoner spent much of it trying to place himself within the story and gain meaning out of the lesson it was intended to teach, but by the end he found that his eyes felt heavy. He'd likely be off to raise his tent and get some shuteye shortly.

That was what he wanted, anyway, but fate had other things planned for the night, it seemed. Kaelan's senses picked up on the disturbance just in time for him to whip around and see the cyclopean skulls barreling into camp. Taiyo screeched and took flight immediately, but the elf just didn't have enough time to get out of the way. The fiend slammed into him and continued rocketing past...directly towards the little spectre dragon. His heart sank when he heard the sounds of her pain and injury, that sickening sound of shattered bone.

Kaelan tumbled backwards, end over end, and landed on his knees in the muddy jungle floor. He was disoriented, but no worse for wear. His first concern was keeping Stella safe.
"Taiyo! Don't worry about me, help Stella!" He cried, scrambling for his bow.

It was fortunate that the light moth had been the one to come to Kaelan's side. If there was one thing he had learned about undead in his travels, it was that light was anathema to them. Taiyo knew this well. Another otherworldly screech pierced the air as the elemental swooped down on the giant skull. Motes of light gathered on her wing spots and quickly coalesced into fountains of radiant energy, each of which seared into the back of the monster.

The skull shrieked and twisted in the air to face Taiyo, only to be greeted with a trio of arrows punching into the bony surface of its face. Kaelan had found his bow, and his shots had found purchase.
"Get away from her!"

 

[Ashieron]

Ash through gritted teeth finally broke free of the paralyzing spell and heard the yelling coming from Stella as well as the crunch in her leg. He'd look up seeing a shadow loom over him and saw the other skull behind a current of water. This is going to suck and be wet. He thinks for a second

The two of them crash against the tree dazed. The paralyzed elf just slumps to the forest floor and onto his side like a ragdoll, soaked to the bone in water and what felt like a few broken bones. The wet skull shakes its head and snaps its gaze back at the dragon and its rider. Its eye glows a pale yellow in color and it shoots a Paralyzing Ray at both of them, and remains at a distance.

The second death tyrant with arrows in its face lunges at Kaelan, with its eye glowing blue, it shoots a Petrification ray at it as it opens its mouth to bite the elf.

 

[Iliris]

The events were quickly slipping out of her control, and Iliris did not like it the slightest. Although it wasn't time for emotions now. They were in the middle of a battle, and the dry facts were all that mattered.
Fact number one: the were two of the skulls and one had gotten to Stella. She heard the crunch, almost felt it in her own body, her senses having heightened almost impossibly, as always when she was caught off guard. However, this one wasn't that bad, because she noted Kaelan leaping to the rescue. Iliris trusted him. Not that there was much of a choice.
Nevertheless, this led to the second fact: her and Umno's attack's didn't seem to have done a lot, as did whatever Ash attempted. That was the truly bad part.

This was an unknown enemy, one that Iliris had never seen before, and it made her lose precious seconds, trying to decide what could happen next. What should she anticipate?

The odd magical ray flying at her wasn't one of those things, but she wouldn't be Iliris Karion to let it catch her off guard completely. As it hit her, the woman's skin had already hardened into stone, ready to withstand any blow. And... she felt nothing. Well, almost nothing, mind the slightly ticklish sensation.
She had also managed to mostly shield Umno, who let out a slightly distressed sound, but, in the next instant, a new spray of water followed it, albeit weaker than before.

This was her chance, to turn back and try attacking again, maybe with a new strategy. She concentrated on letting the spell fall... and felt nothing again. Nothing happened. Not in the slightest bit.
Something cold grasped her mind as she understood. She was stuck.

 

[Stella]

Dropped from the heinous grip of the giant skull, Stella quickly attempted to get away only to have her right hind leg crumple beneath her weight, leaking viscous, iridescent blood. A rattled screech echoed from the dragon as she pushed herself along on three limbs, the broken dragging uselessly behind her, and beat her wings in a frantic attempt to take flight and escape.

Within moments she was airborn, crashing through nearby trees and disappearing through the canopy.

 

[Kaelan]

"Oh no. Oh gods."
Ashieron was out. Illiris was not moving. Umno was not particularly effective, nor was he much bigger than Stella. The spectral dragon, for her part, was at least free and clear from the danger. That was a relief in its own right, but...that just left Kaelan by himself to deal with two of these monstrosities. He'd never had to fight for his life like this before, and arrows barely scratched the thing.

"Oh no, no, no."
The death tyrant in front of him hardly seemed fazed by the damage it had taken thus far. Judging by the energy that was forming in its eye sockets he had only managed to make it angry. There wasn't much he could do to support Taiyo either...Taiyo. Of course. Kaelan was never alone. He had an army of companions just a call away. A serene calm suddenly flushed over him.

The elf didn't even flinch at the sight of the petrifying beams or the gaping, skeletal jaws of the creature. He didn't have to. A two ton wall of stone in the shape of a massive reptile instantly pulled itself from the aether and stood between him and the death tyrant, blocking the ray. The undead creature smashed its teeth on rock trying to bite into Kaelan where now there was an elemental's shoulder.

"Hello, Ishi." A simple greeting to another old friend. The giant stone lizard groaned out a growl which shook the ground around him. "Crush these things, won't you please?"

Ishi uttered a much angrier sounding grumble. Massive stone claws immediately grabbed hold of the death tyrant and began to squeeze. A terrible cracking could be heard from all around as the death tyrant began to shriek, firing bolt after petrifying bolt into that which was already petrified. Ishi did not relent. It took only seconds for the behemoth to annihilate the enormous skull, sending broken shards of bone through the air like shrapnel.

Kaelan was thankful that he was already behind the mobile cover that was Ishi. He was also thankful that her tail was immediately in front of him and able to catch him as he slumped over. He had never summoned more than one of his friends at a time before, especially not Ishi. She was hard enough to summon by herself.

"One...down..." He panted, barely conscious. He could feel magic draining out of him very rapidly. He wouldn't be able to maintain the link at this rate.

Taiyo, meanwhile was caught up exchanging beams of energy with the other death tyrant. She was holding her own, but likely wouldn't be able to keep up the pace for long...

 

[Ashieron]

Clicking its teeth the last death tyrant spine towards Kaelan at the sound of its brother being smashed to bits. Some could say that some drool could be flowing from its if it still had a body to call its own. But as it turned it ducks out of the way of Taiyo’s magic beam, returning the shots.

After a few blows being missed and some almost hitting the others. Until. It made a mkstake and it takes the full brunt of Taiyo’s spell. It took the hit to its eye, causing it to shatter almost. But still the blinded death tyrant clacked its jaw a few more times and quickly disappeared into the jungle.

Ash managed to roll onto his side in the fight and groans pointing at Kaelan then pointing at himself with a shake in his hand. As the world was spinning and fading in and out some. He did the motions quickly - meaning to try to get his ass to where Ash laid as fast as he bloody well could.

The the elf realized, Where did Stella run off to? Oh gods... they might have to go hunt the young dragon down. And in the state they were in for the most part it’ll probably be Iliris and Umno doing that while he and Kaelan recovered from what occured. No matter, that spell they were under should be waring off soon, but he was more concerned about Kaelan at the moment as the young elf was barely keeping to his feet.

If they did go Ash couldn’t let both he and Kaelan be downed. He still felt the dark magic affecting him and it would be doing so for a while. He knew all too well, but in the very least he could give Kaelan a much needed magical boost that should restore his magic and energy.

Regardless if Kaelan did manage to make it to him he’d stay say as loud as he could for them to find Stella. Stating she should not be alone with an injury no less as small and as young as she was in this foreign land. Oh how badly he wanted to go to his little hatchling who he rescued himself years upon years ago and to comfort her again but he was not able to this time. It’ll have to be someone else.

 

[Iliris]

Iliris had known before that any magic could go askew, any spell fall a prey to another or a faulty event, but she had never experienced it on her own skin like that. When she first learned her only magical skill, only trouble she ever had, had come from not being able to go all in. Stepping back, dissipating it, those had always been the easier steps, ones that came almost too naturally.
And now she couldn't. For a collection of terrifying moments she couldn't.

So she was left to simply watch as Ash went down, Stella fled in panic, and Kaelan, skies be bless for sending him to join them, fought the skulls alone, and fought remarkably well. She could feel Umno getting still, not wanting to cause more trouble than good, but also catching his own breath. Her dragon friends was, after all, very young and not used to battles.
Finally, as the first skull went down and the other disappeared in the forest, she felt the odd magic stepping away. With the last effort, Iliris was flesh and blood again, although barely managing to stay on her feet, head still dizzy from it. Whatever it had been.

She heard Ashe's just as her head started to clear, and it was obvious enough that Umno and her where the two best suited for going after Stella. Iliris could hear and see far, while Umno would carry them a lot faster, following the path that a dragon might go. If only she could get her head to stop spinning...
"We'll go," Iliris called back, because even weakened she was stubborn. And assured that no little after effects of some spell would hinder her for long. She had gone on with worse than being a little dizzy.

"Can you fly?" the question was directed at Umno, who now looked better than a few moments ago. He had a steel rod in him as well.
"Yes, let's hurry," the dragon motioned with his head at his back, and Iliris didn't waste time getting on it. In the next instant they were already off into the direction Stella had gone.

And if there would be more skulls in their way... Well, this time she would be ready.

 

[Kaelan]

It was well that Taiyo was holding her own against the second monstrosity, even forcing the thing to retreat. Kaelan was barely clinging to consciousness at this point, his eyelids feeling increasingly heavy as the seconds dragged on. The elf wearily watched as Illiris and Umno broke their paralysis and got on after Stella. Good, she would need her wounds tended to.

Loud rumbling and the sound of shifting stone could be heard all about as Ishi began to lumber over towards Ashieron. Kaelan had neither the energy nor the presence of mind to do so himself, but the great stone behemoth was intelligent enough to understand what was needed.

Kaelan only needed to keep himself awake now, hard as that was. If he slipped into the comfort of sleep then Taiyo and Ishi wouldn't be able to stay anchored to reality. If that happened, well...things would be even more dire than they currently were without the group's otherworldly protectors.

 

[Ashieron]

Ash watches Kaelan struggling to stay awake, he prayed quietly that he would not fall asleep. Iliris and Umno fly off in the distance following the radiant glowing trail of blood.

They would then be two rabbits on a snare, waiting for the hunter to come by. Ash lifts his hand and signs, "Don't sit down, don't lean on anything." It was the easier thing he could sign with just a few finger movements before his arm goes limp and the elf takes a deep breath. One. Two. Then it gets lighter as a few moments pass as if he was sleeping.

Hopefully, they'd find Stella soon, otherwise, Kaelan would definitely crash also. And he knew it as he slipped into unconsciousness.