Fable - Ask Expanding Beyond the Horizon

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Ashieron

Dragon Keeper Founder/“Leader”
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Looking out over the desolated village Ashieron couldn't help but feel a bit of sadness at the prospect of their new mission. To go to the Isle of Sheketh and to eliminate most of the threats on the Isles. This was not going to be an easy mission and a long one but they needed to do it. They needed to get out of the ruins of the old Keep and find a safer place for their expanding population of dragons and villagers.

Ever since the attacks of Aivrid and Zull, two ancient dragons who are too absorbed with their past to see the needs for the future. The Keep and its inhabitants have been trying to rebuild, but Ash did not let them go too far into rebuilding their homes and what they had lost. He instead decided to bring up to the other Keepers the idea of moving. Far away from The Empire's ever-expanding borders, far from the Blightland and Molthal. More importantly, a place where they could all start anew from their pasts. To a safer haven for their civilization.

With a few new keepers, namely Kaelan at their disposal also. Ash had a feeling that this will be an interesting trip.

Looking down at the few items he had packed, mostly new clothing, he sits down on the wall of the keep. His feet dangling over the edge he sighs as he waited for his companions. I hope this is going to be right. And not end in desolation again. He thinks as the wind blows through his hair. Truth be told the ancient elven figure felt a bit sad. Half of him did not want to leave the place in which he worked so hard to build up from the ruins it once was. But was it really for the best? Or for his own goals or someone else's?

No! It was for their own good, their own safety. Smiling Ash starts to waving his feet in the air, singing a beautiful toon in ancient elvish.
 
The scent of ash and death hung heavy in the air among the ruined village. Wooden pillars had been turned to all but dust, flickering embers still alive within the desolation as smoke continued to trail into the cloudy sky. Shapes that looked all too humanoid and draconic dotted the landscape, once vibrant skin and scales now covered in colorless soot.

Footsteps remained the sole companion to the otherwise silent vista of death as Freya walked amongst the scorched monuments. Her mind replayed the sounds she heard: The screams, the sound of falling pillars and homes, crackling fire, the screams. Somewhere in the midst of her recollection, the sounds she recalled weren't solely from the day of the dragon attack. No, it was from a much earlier time. She heard the screams of her family, of her friends, both old and new. She saw the axes of the raiders as well as she saw the teeth of the elder dragons, and in her sorrow, they felt like one and the same.

She fell to her knees in what was once the town square. The corpse of a dragon littered the stone floor, scales turned an ashy gray as its eyes fell to a porcelain glaze. Freya ran a hand through its scales. It was one of the older dragons, who had tried to help protect some of the younger during the attack.

Her hand retracted from the deceased creature, falling to her side once more. Solemnly, she put a hand into her pouch, pulling out an odd collection of bones, rocks, and a few dragondew leaves. She began to hum, an old Nordic funeral song, as she arranged the rocks into a spire-like shape. The bones were placed around the stones in a circular pattern, pushed a thin layer into the ashen ground. Finally, she placed the leaves around the monument, watching them slowly glide down onto the scorched dirt.

She sat quietly for a moment, continuing to hum the ritual song as she continued to disperse the leaves. As the last of the dragondew hit the bones, she sang in Fiirevik. "Leig le do sgiathan do stiùireadh, agus leig le do chasan do chumail. Leig leis na Dea'roh do shlighe a shealltainn dhut." A tear found its way down her cheek, staining the gray dirt below her.

"I'll do better next time," she murmured quietly, same as she had said all those years ago. "I promise."
 
Jormodo walked about what remained of the keep. The destruction was extensive but that wasn't an issue in his eyes. The issue was the fact that such damage took place at all, that the death and destruction couldn't have been avoided. While originally the spine seemed like an ideal place to operate it seemed it also drew far too much attention. They had to do something to protect their work, and this was not the place.

He wandered around the exterior of the keep around the walls, reflecting silently on the things that happened.
He was pulled out of his revere by the familiar sound of elvish singing from the wall. He followed the singing to its source, for his size he hardly made a single sound as he approached and came up beside the wall, his head level with the rampart.
He looked down at ash while he sat singing, he was only a blurry silhouette to Jormodo's farsightedness, but through his other senses he felt he could see the elf clearly. He could hear his pulse and heartbeat, the sound of his breathing and how the air reacted around him. From these subtle hints he could discern much.

"Your song is beautiful, my friend. But you've let sadness stain its beauty. What is bothering you?"
 
Was it doomed to be like this? When she found her true place somewhere, when she discovered new purpose, shield brothers and sisters, a faith worth salvaging no matter what, when it all came to her, only to be crushed by something once more, something she couldn't help.
First time it had been because of her ignorance. And while it wasn't fully her own fault, Iliris still couldn't bring herself to lay all of the blame on her upbringing. It was still her who had raised the blade, channeled her magic and brought death after death. She was weak in mind, weak in spirit, and it had brought the first grand sorrow into her life.
This time it was different but all the same at the same time. She had been weak again, but this time in her wisdom of foreseeing what could come, weak in her powerlessness to protect those she had made an oath to save from any harm.

There were corpses or her family around her once more, and once more it was because of her weakness.

A faint voice whispered to her as she walked through the ruin, telling that it was far from her sole fault. Their collective defenses had failed. Above all, it was the two attacking giants who had brought the desolation, not any of them, and it was their doing above all.
All of it mattered very little. She had failed too. Iliris had failed to protect her family once more.

She heard Freya even before she saw her, not meaning to disturb the mourning of her fellow keeper, but, once the sorrowful notes streamed down her ears, she couldn't help but step through the ash and over the scorched bones of those they had lost, towards what once was the heart of their little, happy home.
Iliris also couldn't help but hear Freya's words, even if she stood well outside the normal hearing range that a human might have. Those words cut into her soul, suddenly, painfully, making her eyes sting with tears she hadn't allowed herself to shed after those first moments of shock.
She wasn't the only one tormenting herself.

"We will all do better," Iliris spoke barely loud enough to be possibly audible for the other woman, yet her quiet voice carried more rage and determination than a shout ever could.
As she looked down, blinking away the tears, her fists clenched at the sight of the burned ground below her feet.
She would rather die than fail her family like this again.
 
For all the beauty that Kaelan had come to know of this place in recent days, the air of sorrow that hung over it was tangible, the ruin that had swept through it an ever present reminder of the carnage that he had been fortunate enough to miss. Dragons and people alike seemed to hang their heads in despair this day. Great misfortune had fallen upon the keep...perhaps, even if it could be rebuilt and made safe it would be best to move on. The stain of such negative emotions and memories might never leave the humble village.

Kaelan cursed his timing. Maybe...if he'd only been faster, arrived sooner, he would've been able to make a difference. To save lives. Seeing the remorse on his new allies' faces was soul crushing. He felt for them...and still, he felt like an outsider, unable to share in their loss and pain. The summoner remained quiet and held his own arm awkwardly, unsure what to do or say.

He felt the draw of magic and a familiar warm presence make itself known behind him. Ever in tune with the elf's emotions, Netsu pulled himself from the aether and came to rest upon Kaelan's shoulder. The little firebird nuzzled against Kaelan and puffed his feathers up, exuding a comfortable heat. The warmth and attention was a welcome in this cold environment.

"Hello again, old friend. Thank you for coming," He chimed to Netsu, stroking the elemental's neck with his finger. "I only wish there was more we could do here."
 
Time went by quickly as Izerth played and hunted around the outpost where Oris had left her behind. At first she had been a little bit frightened, but soon enough she had found her way of life to be enjoyable and even made a couple of friends both in the outpost and around it. The waterfall had become her favorite play and hunting ground. There she climbed through the foliage of the ancients old trees, across the sides of the waterfall, and fed on the fish she brought to the cave behind the curtain of roaring water.

Having had a successful hunt where a bird had fallen to her flames and then her claws, the earth seemed to shake. That’s when the curious dragon left her meal and flew up to the top of the waterfall in order to seek out the danger. Even from such a distance she could not believe her eyes. There, miles and miles and miles away, mountains were fighting one another. The direction was the one where her saviour had gone to, where the main part of her newfound ‘home’ and ‘friends’ should be gathered. Unsure what the earth cracking battle was about she did feel the need to go find Oris and Freya, as they were the closest to family she had.

There her adventure started.

Having grown quite a bit Izerth was still a fairly small dragon. About 2.5m from snout to tail, she couldn’t fly miles on end, especially when the wind was in her face. Being forced to rest now and then, to find food and regain some of her energy before further her journey, it took her quite some time to get to the ruins of a place she might have called her home in the near future. By the time of her arrival there were only ruins and ashes to meet the eye.

Both cautious and curious she flew around the area to try to see what had happened here. The destruction was enormous. Gargantuan creatures she had seen from so far away had caused this madness, this nightmare. She didn’t know why though. What she did know, however, was the panic clawing at her throat as she hurriedly tried to find the two familiar faces.

It was Freya’s voice that brought relief and large tears to Izerth’s ruby colored eyes. Carefully she landed next to the human, large tears falling into the ash next to the body of someone she had never known and would never get to greet. One of her kind. She rubbed her cheek against Freya. Unsure what to say or do, but wanting to comfort her somehow.

Others gathered, but Izerth stayed silent.


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Ash would smile, “Just sad that all we worked for here has been ruined. If we had just kept quieter somehow then maybe this would not have happened.” He’d turn to look at the white dragon, he’d sigh, “Also I can’t get the images and memories of the Battle of Ninagal out of my head now.” He’d look over the village, “Kind of silly isn’t it? I’ve seen this carnage many times, so many time. And it still shatters my soul a little bit. The gods know I will be around much more longer and I will still see the same carnage and destruction many times over.”

Ash shrugs, maybe he wasn’t as wise as he thought he was. Maybe he spent too much time around humans, around others who did not live to see as much as he had. Standing up the elf walks past Jormodo, “We should gather the others and head out. We all need a break from this place. Can you do me a favor and summon the others?” He asks the dragon, still feeling a bit weak from trying to heal so many people and dragons from their i juries, for once. The elf lets out a happy laugh, “Then we get to go on more adventures!” With that he would run off to find Kaelan, since he had a feeling that the new keeper did not have a grasp on draconic yet.

When he did find him Ash lets out a cheer and tries to give Kaelan a hug seeing him and the fire bird snuggling.
“Kaelan, cheer up. We’re about to head out to the Isles.” He tells him looking like a little child on Christmas.
 
The spiteful murmurings were barely heard, but Freya's head turned all the same to her companion. The trails of tears still marked their passage down her cheek, reminders of her weakness. A part of her felt almost embarrassed that she had allowed herself to show such emotion. She was meant to be calm, to be rational, to be the one that always kept a level head.

She sighed. Looking at Illiris, she gave a nod with a forced smile on her lips. "We'll make sure of it." They had to. Her shoulders quivered, tears being bitten back before they could reveal themselves. She soon felt the sensation of scales, small and young, rubbing against her cheek. The Nord let out a shaky laugh, raising a hand to stroke Izerth's wings. "It's nice to see you too, Izzy." She was glad she had managed to escape the chaos of the attack.

A moment of silent mourning passed, interrupted by Freya getting up to her feet once more. She wiped her cheek, dispersing the salty tears which stained them before they could be easily seen by her new family. In the distance, she saw Kaelan, one of the newer Dragon Keepers. He hadn't been around for the attack, but grief still hung about him despite it. She hadn't had much of a chance to speak with him amidst the rush to locate a new site for the Keep, but she gave him a welcoming nod regardless.

A shadow fell over the ruins and the rubble, its heavy form landing against the debris with a degree of care so as not to disturb it too much. Oris stretched his wings, his draconic gaze swinging over the destruction. The sight struck him like a blade, the corpses plaguing his vision. It was only after a few seconds of quiet that he saw the youngling standing beneath him, comforting his lifelong companion. "Hello, youngling," he said, a solemn tone tinged with pride permeating his words. "I see you've grown since I've seen you."
 
“I’m sorry,” was all the little dragon told Freya telepathically as she always communicated for she had no other way of speaking. The touch on her wing was somewhat reassuring. It warmed Izerth’s heart a little,however, what made it jump with joy was Oris’ voice. Turning to the older, larger dragon, she felt quite proud about him noticing that she had grown. He dwarfed her still, but at least she was no longer the size of one of his scales.

“Oris, what happened here?” she wondered. Clearly her mind found this scene frightening and sad. “I wasn’t fast enough, I saw them fight, but it took me a long time to get here. Too long..”

Bowing her head to show her sorrow, she wondered if there could have been anything she might have done to help out. Perhaps only carrying away a smaller dragon, or some of the eggs. Otherwise, she would have been useless. Perhaps even be one of the bodies in the ashes.

“What now?” she wondered, allowing others to hear her gently put question. No longer was it only Oris she spoke to. Her silky voice reached out to the minds around her. Of course, she could not read them, so if they had something to share with her they would have to actually speak up.



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There was only so much observing of others being sad that the hunter could take. Netsu was a welcome distraction, and Kaelan quickly found all his focus on the elemental instead of any of his surroundings. Until Oris came swooping in, that is. Kaelan found himself gawking at the much older dragon, easily the largest he'd seen thus far. Izerth's soft question entered his mind moments later. While he was amazed that dragons, even one so young, could perform such a feat of telepathy, the question itself echoed sadly in his head.

“Kaelan, cheer up. We’re about to head out to the Isles.”
Kaelan was startled at first, but the hug certainly came at an opportune time. Ash's cheery disposition was a refreshing break from the gloom which clung to his surroundings.

"Um...where are we going, exactly? It feels like I just got here and now we're packing up and leaving." A heavy sigh escaped the elf's lips. "I still feel like a bit of an outsider here, too."
 
”We all feel like outsiders my friend, and we go wherever the wind takes us, I suppose.” Stepping through the ash-covered plaza was a face that was not fairly well-known amongst the keepers - a more recent addition to the entourage of the guild of the Keepers, albeit one who was never without a light in the hearth of his belly. Cyyrin moved through the embers as gently as he could, trying best to avoid the smoldering piles of rubble and the bodies of the fallen, while keeping his long tail in check as he approached the small gathering of Ash and Kaelan, offering a small smile that did little to hide the true feelings of sadness that filled the golden wyrm’s mind. Splotches of ash stained his scales and caked his face and horns, embers still winking in and out over his body as he moved slowly, gently, creeping almost like a serpent with his chest brushing against the ground. He didn’t want to disturb anything, lest he accidentally harm somebody who was already suffering enough.

Cyyrin’s own home had been destroyed in the attack on the Keep, and with it a lot of the tools he had been using - it was a miracle in his miracle that he had been able to grab his journals and throw them into a bag before rushing out - a bag that now hung around his neck and sat on the crest of his back, filled also with what supplies he was able to salvage. There was no music in the Keep, only the sounds of fires dying, the collapsing of weakened supports beneath the weight of buildings now blackened with soot, and the various sounds of mourning over the lost that won’t be forgotten. Such an attack was a grim reminder to Cyyrin - not all of his kind were born with the true spark of good that he felt burn within his own chest, kindled by nurture and a life led under a steady, protecting hand. He had failed to be here to protect the Keep, and he felt a sting in his eyes that wasn’t just from the smoke that spiraled upwards all around the plaza.

Cyyrin wanted to find the words to speak some hope into the hearts of those around him, but for now they escaped him, and all he could do was lie down, and offer his broad wing to Kaelan as the elf sighed heavily. It was a small gesture, and if the elf accepted it the golden dragon would attempt to pull him a bit closer, despite the fact that they were strangers to one another. It was a brief moment, and it would last as long as Kaelan allowed the moment to, but as soon as it passed, the dragon would rise up once more, stretching his back and looking about as best as he could. ”I know I wasn’t here long, but… this place must’ve been good to you and yours. With everything in my heart… I am sorry that this happened. It shouldn’t have ever happened.”

With a look beyond the pair, Cyyrin saw the forms of Oris and Izerth speaking none too far off, nodding and finding a bit of relief that one of the younger wyrmlings had survived the attack. With the memory of Freya’s hum still in the air, Cyyrin turned to Ash, a new sense of resolve filling his spirit that danced with the sorrow still resting deep within his core. ”If there is any way in which I can help, I promise, I will do anything to ensure that the relocation of the Keepers is as swift as possible. Any way I can, please, let me help to repay for me not being able to help before.”

Cyyrin felt a new sense of duty on his shoulders. While he hadn’t been able to fight against the fray, he was able to help clear out some of the wreckage during the fight prior to ensure that not all who were caught in the flames were destined to be ash. It still left him feeling remorseful - there were no stories to be told of this but tragedies and ballads of lost lives by the hands of wrathful nature. Such stories were not what he needed or wanted to write, but they were all that filled his mind as he looked out, seeing the same corpse of the elder dragon that Freya had first looked upon. Cyyrin’s morality, for a moment, set in, and he wondered just how easily it could’ve been anybody - or everybody - that was around him now that had ended up dead as well. It scared him beyond measure, and for a moment he let his voice fail him.
 
Jormodo nodded at Ash's response. He wasn't nearly the oldest one here, this elf was his elder by a good few centuries. But it wasn't his age that the dragon respected, it was his knowledge that only those centuries could bring.
Ash brightened up a bit before he left and that made Jormodo happy. This was indeed a grim time, but the time of mourning was gone, now was the time for action and you couldn't do that if you couldn't control your tears.

Jormodo hadn't been present when the keep was destroyed, he didn't witness the carnage, only the horrifying aftermath. He heard what happened which enraged him even more, had he been present he could have put a stop to the violence. He was larger than both the dragons involved even if they exceeded his power in their age and experience. He wasn't the White Flame of House Armon for no reason, he had overcome insurmountable and overwhelming odds before and come out the victor.

But griping about what could have been was useless, and vengeance was just as futile. The evil will receive their just dues.
Now was the time for renewal, for finding a new place to rest and operate. He heard Ash say something about the Isles. That worked out excellent for him, he had yet to explore the wilds they lay between them and the Isles, let alone the islands themselves. What he would learn about the creatures that live there could only work to strengthen the roots of House Armon in this land.

He left to help gather the others, approaching those still gathered in the courtyard.
"Our leader says it will be time to head out soon. Dry your tears little ones, the dead now watch from above excited for what lays ahead of us and they cheer us on, telling us to do our best and stay strong. So let us not disappoint them now. Pack whatever belongings you have left and gather anything in the storerooms that may have survived and bring them out here to the courtyard."
 
Their faith had been cruel. And they had been not worthy of carrying it properly, not before, but, Ilirs thought as she looked at more and more keepers gathering around, maybe they would be in the future.
There were new faces all around, dragons, elves, humans, all sorts of folk, all united by their goal and something more subtle, akin to a blood bound. Many had been lost, more than they could ever afford, but through the ashes and suffering some had been gained, and it was more than any of them could ask after the massacre.

She stepped a bit back, watching Freya, Oris and Izerth, and something warm spread its wings in her. Iliris was still furious at herself, still full of sorrow for those who would now remain here, under the ashes made from their own skin, but perhaps these feelings weren't the only thing that could live in her. Maybe they truly could carry on.
"We will carry on and rebuild," she spoke again, finally approaching the little group in front of her properly.

Not long after that Jormodo joined them, passing on the words from Ash.
Ash.
The thought of him was almost enough to lift her worries, even if for the shortest moment. The elf was not only the true founder of dragon keepers, not only one of the oldest and wisest of them, but also probably the most cheerful, with childlike glee all around him. Iliris couldn't help but wonder how he managed to have so much in his character, both cruelty and kindness, wisdom and carelessness, but she was thankful to have such a friend and leader.
She could raise her blade whenever it was needed to protect those close to her, but she was far less skilled with keeping up their spirits.

And just as Jormodo spoke, another pair of wings made a soft sound in the air, as another dragon landed carefully not too far away from them. Umno. She smiled at him softly, and her blue-scaled friend huffed in acknowledgement. He had been aloof since the tragedy, also having lost his home and family not for the first time, and Iliris had started to worry about him. Perhaps their new home would do him the most good. Something fresh, close to the water, something they both needed.
"We'll go check the storerooms," she finally stated, walking towards Umno. Together they could probably manage to carry most of the valuable items left there. It wasn't much, after all.
 
"Um...where are we going, exactly? It feels like I just got here and now we're packing up and leaving." A heavy sigh escaped the elf's lips. "I still feel like a bit of an outsider here, too."

Ash smiles, “We, my friend, we are going to The Sheketh Isles. West of hear. It’ll take us a while, but imagine,” The elf waves a hand and a little image made of stars appears in the aid in the rough geography and map of the way to the Isle, “All the adventures we will have together along the way.” He says in a wondering tone, “Its been centuries since I was that way.” He mumbles lost in thought for a moment.

His ears would perk at the sound of Kaelan still feeling like an outside, his ears would droop some with worry, “Just give it time okay?” He asks his elf friend, “This long trip should be a good.... for all of us. Strengthen the team you know.” Ash chuckles his ears perking up again some as he made a flexing pose.

He’d look at a gold wyrm as he approached seemingly affected by the fire just as any of them. He’d take a deep breath, his gold scales were smothered by the ashes and ember. Those beautiful scales under that blanket of ash. He’d stand silently as the wyrm spoke, giving it respect.

Smiling Ash give the wyrm a bow, “Thank you kind wyrm.” He says, “Any help will be greatly appreciated.” Lifting his hand he waves it, “If you do not mind, I can wash the soot and ash off of your scales.“ He offers the wyrm when he heard the sound of liquid drop onto the ground, looking down he’d realize that the white flow of his blood was there and his nose was bleeding. Quickly casting the spell regardless, he would quickly wipe it away he’d cough, “Im fine.” He says between coughs. Ash was probably working himself too hard trying to save all he could.

“If you guys can, please go help the others with packing what you can for the journey.” The elf says with a smile. All this smoke in the air was probably acting up his injury from the Battle of Ninagal, just when he thought it had healed. He’d look at his two companions looking a bit tired, “Then we can get onto the road and start this new adventure!” Ash sounded excited again, and nudges them along with a nod and would follow them with a but of wheezing still but it would subside in a few moments. Truth be told he was excited to leave this ash so he too would help gather all the stuff they could for the journey, even lifting some of the heavier stuff that Freya or Ilris couldn’t for them, if they asked for the help. Soon he would be back in clean air and his breathing and coughing should get better. As should his sleep.
 
The Nord stood, brushing away the soot from her knees as she shifted her gaze across the landscape. She saw keepers, new and old, discussing and conversing amongst themselves. She saw Umno descend next to Iliris, giving the young dragon a nod of greeting. Even as chaos threatened to break them, they still stood strong. Unyielding against the flames and unwilling to let themselves be consumed by hatred, the Dragon Keepers still stood. Though their home was ash and rubble, they could build another. They could rebuild and continue to survive - no, thrive - so long as they refused to yield to the fire that threatened them.

Oris lowered his head to be closer to Izerth's height, a solemn expression hanging over his face. "Dragons, ancient ones, embittered by their age. They thought themselves to be wise and believed us to be fools. They burned the village, without discrimination, and tried to steal portions of our brood for themselves." His voice took on a distasteful tone as he spoke, for slowly fading into his typical, caring intonation. "Don't worry, little one. The fact that you're still safe and sound is good enough."

The duo turned towards Jormodo, listening to him intently as he relayed Ash's message. She grew a slight smile as he mentioned 'leader.' Ash; he was always a force of nature when he set his mind on something. If it wasn't for him and his determination, the Keepers would have never come together. While some who lived so long grew passive and turned into mere observers of the world around them, the elf remained as active as ever, refusing to be pushed to the sidelines.

Still, she felt a bit of doubt at the title. While Ash proved an excellent motivator and had helped propel the Keepers to where they are now, he was sometimes too kind for his own good. Freya glanced at Izzy, recalling when they had met. Ash had tried to convince her to come to him, but when she refused, he had accepted it without much in the way of challenge. If she had followed his example, the young dragon would still be kept within a cage in a black market. However, despite their conflicting views on certain matters, Ash was a capable leader for the Dragon Keepers, if he wished to hold such a position.

"Thanks for the heads up, Jormodo," Freya nodded at the dragon. Looking to Izerth, she informed her, "We're traveling to a place known as the Isles of Sheketh. We'll be setting up a new Keep there, where we'll be far away from those ancient dragons if they came for us again."

Oris chimed in, saying, "If they do come, however, we will be ready for them."

Freya nodded, a slight laugh leaving her, though one more of nerves than humor. "We'll be splitting up into two groups on the way to the Isles, and meet up there. You can come with us if you want, Izzy. Oris and the rest can teach you a couple of things along the way, too."
 
”We all feel like outsiders my friend, and we go wherever the wind takes us, I suppose.”
Kaelan's eyes went wide. A positively enormous specimen of a dragon, coated in glorious, golden scales appeared and addressed Kaelan. It still amazed him how creatures so large could move so gracefully. It was an incredible experience just to be in his majestic presence, and then...and then the dragon lay down next to him.

A massive wing began to encircle Kaelan. He didn't understand what was happening at first and was too awestruck to move, but he knew that this was not an aggressive gesture. Then it dawned on him: this was a giant, draconic hug, one which Kaelan embraced and reciprocated readily. Days ago he had questioned whether such creatures really did exist, and now one was hugging him with its wing. Best. Day. Ever.

The moment passed all too soon, but the dragon had managed what Kaelan assumed to be his intended effect. He felt much, much better. Netsu trilled softly, keenly aware of Kaelan's emotions but also clearly curious about the interaction he just shared.
"I, um...thank you." Was all he could manage at the golden beast's kind words and actions. He was going to have to spend more time with that one.

“This long trip should be a good.... for all of us. Strengthen the team you know.”
Kaelan nodded in agreement, his firebird shifting excitedly on his shoulder.
"I will. A little adventure is just what everyone needs, I think. I don't really have much of my own, but I'm going to go help the others pack."
 
Curious but cautious about the female approaching them, Izerth slowly peeked at her from behind Freya. It might be a bit comical for a small, still fairly long dragon to be somewhat afraid of a ordinary looking human in a peaceful setting, but if one knew what Izerth had been through, then they would probably understand the wariness.

“Ello,” she tried, mind directed at the stranger, but soon the woman left together with another dragon to check the storerooms, and then all of Izerth’s attention went back to Oris and Freya. There were too many faces she didn’t know and that’s why she stayed close to those she felt safe with.

“I don’t understand.” she honestly shared her thoughts with Oris regarding the bitterness of those old creatures. “What did they think to be unwise? What.. did they think?”

Carefully wrapping her mind around the facts she tried to understand how one could be driven so far as not to be able to communicate, but only use violence in a disagreement. Her young mind found no logic in it, but looking back at her fairly short but mostly unappealing fate, she realized that sometimes there was no logic in life. Like the flow of a river it ran its course and there was nothing one could do about it but going along. Standing still wouldn’t cause the water to stop, it would only carry away the opportunities and time you might otherwise have had.

“How can I help?”

Unfamiliar with the area and certainly unable to fight off a giant, Izerth patiently waited for Oris or Freya to give her any sense, a direction to follow.

In the meanwhile she could study the others, try to remember their faces and voices. All of them were supposed to be a large family. A strong, tied, group of beings about to take their future into their own hands.



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Ooc: she was trying to get to know Iliris ^_^​
 
Cyyrin would rumble deeply as he was cleaned of the soot and ash that had previously covered him and Kaelan accepted the hug, shaking a bit of the ground around him as he happily provided a bit of comfort and wonder to one person in the aftermath of all this. For a moment, the golden wyrm’s scales took on a light of their own, vibrant and beautiful and shimmering with an inner light from the dragon’s great hearth of a chest and belly. Then, the light faded, as Kaelan stepped away from the hug, not holding the elf back in any way, shape, or form.

”Please, there is no need to thank me - it was all my pleasure.” As he spoke, Cyyrin allowed his head and forelegs to dip, his eyes slowly closing in a humble bow to both of the elves right in front of him. It was, admittedly, a little hard for him to do with the cramped space due to the buildings all around him, but he still tried his best to fully bow, before rising up once again with a great smile on his face. One last look above the ruins of the destruction tugged a heavy sigh from the bard, as he thought back on the memories he’s had here. They were brief and recent memories, but memories nonetheless.

However, what laid ahead was the chance for new stories in the making, and the immediate prospect uplifted the sunlight wyrm immensely, to the point where the inner glow seemed to return in some manner, once more spreading throughout the entirety of his body. ”I will miss this place… but Sheketh will always be my first home, and I am excited to return! I have missed performing there: the friendly faces, the energy, the diversity, and the coin!” At the mention of the last object, Cyyrin’s eyes slightly lit up, though it was hard to read if he was being genuine or he was just really leaning into facetiously joking about the infamous draconic greed most dragons had.

”If we are going to be splitting our traveling parties, I think it might be best if I were to go with a full flight - to say I’m conspicuous even when trying to hide is…” Cyyrin would look away from Ash to the full of his form, looking at how he was still glowing from the rush of energy and excitement at the chance to chase the horizon once again. It would be a long journey, but Cyyrin was ready for it, and he had at least seven different stories that would be simply perfect for the road! ”Somewhat an understatement.”

With a booming chuckle, Cyyrin would look away towards the somewhat larger gathering of dragons around Freya: Jormodo, Oris, Umno, and of course little Izerth. He looked at them for a few moments, before back down to Ash and Kaelan, sitting back and doing his best to avoid the piles of cinders and ash that still remained in the street. ”A flight of dragons is far less suspicious than a party of humans and dragons mixed.” Sitting down, he somewhat now towered even more overhead the buildings designed for the humanoid keepers, and his eyes could pick out the breadth of the devastation. Though it was still so soon since the burning, there was a haunting beauty in the burnt landscape that Cyyrin couldn’t deny no matter how much he tried to focus on the evils of the attack.