Thunder of Thanasis The Rage of Dragons

[Kaveh]

Malakath - Tre'keth Mountains - 300 Miles South of Thanasis

The slaying of a Dragon was a horrid thing.

It brought pain like a spiders web. Slowly crawling outward in distant fractures. The agony began with the Dragons bondmate, then extended to his family and House, and then splintered further and further throughout the city of Thanasis. It was an abhorred crime that rarely showed it's head, and yet when it did the reaction was a collective gasp which seemed to grip the whole of society.

Dying in battle was one thing, a mark of glory at least could be held there.

But to be slaughtered with your own roost? For a blade in the dark to find purchase?

The sickening thought made Kaveh's stomach churn as he leaned against the stone wall of the cavern. His eyes told of his lack of sleep, dark rings decorating his features as he stared out at the storm beyond. The Blizzard cut quite the scene, it's winds howling and snow piling up at a rate that most would have balked at. The storm had harrowed them for nearly a day, finally catching up after they had chased their query into the mountains.

It was a stroke of luck for the assassin, or perhaps part of some grander plan. The winds had been strong enough that even Rayvath had struggled within them, and thus they had made the pained decisions to shelter over night. Finding a cavern large enough for all the dragons had been difficult, though they had managed something close. His own bondmate remained outside, too large for even the greatest hollow they could find.

Through the bond, he could feel her displeasure. The Great Red Dragon did not like the cold, though she could suffer it better than most.

It had been a week now, since the slaying of the Dragon, the mar upon their society. Kaveh had not slept since, insisting within the great halls of the Palace that he would be the one to find the murderer. Their hunt had been arduous, but he knew that they were upon the trail. Even with this delay, they would catch up.

They had to, for his Oath would hold.

 

[Quintus Varro]

It was a crime unheard of in Thanasis, and for good reason. It was akin to slaying your own gods, and for such an act there could be no forgiveness, no relenting of the hunt. Quintus had for his part volunteered with an eager Vex to join the hunt south as they flew among the heavy white snow. Vex had seemed almost eager for it in fact after his poor showing in the agility tests. He seemed almost unaffected by the snow even as ice threatened to coat his broad wings they beat on effortlessly. In Quintus own single mindedness he hadn’t quite realized that he too should be quite frozen.

Of course all that good natured need to hunt down the assassin ended as soon as Vex realized he would be forced to stay inside a large cave structure with a dozen other dragons. Like a kitten that had been cornered he hissed unendingly at those who paid almost no attention to his hissing, or even his presence. He had just begun another growth spurt, but still he was still no more then a child really among dragons; and as such they seemed to put up with his silliness as best they could.

For Quintus though he spent most of the first hour just trying to calm the poor thing. Vex’s mother had found him to be an unworthy hunter. From the images he’d shown Quin he struggled as a babe with his great wings leaving his progress as a hunter stunted. Images of that fear-driven escape into a cave much, much lower then this filled Vex’s projections. As that fear seemed near overwhelming he squirmed backwards into a small opening the others couldn’t follow him through. It was difficult to tell a dragon the danger wasn’t there when he’d already found it at the hands of his own mother. All for the difficulty of a failed hunt.

”It’s fine now, I promise just listen to my voice and breath, Vex.” Quintus spoke in gentle soothing tones as one would to a small child. A great big child who could easily hurt their father without ever meaning to.

The images that came back were clear. Fear and death. Failure and feeding. They would feed on him one and all if he wasn’t careful. Always careful. But one day he would be mighty, and he would punish them. They weren’t clear words of course, but images and emotions. Sometimes even almost raw thought it seemed.

”No, my mighty one, we will not walk down that road. Not today. Not ever. We must not.” Mentally he tried to show him the sorrow of one dead dragon, of the loss this one had caused throughout the entire land of Thanasis. But of course the thought came back clearly, punish not kill. He just wanted them to feel his fear.

”So you would do as they do? Frighten those smaller then you because you can?”

A great hiss and a snap came at him then, but he could tell he’d gotten something through with that. ”Besides, this is not the time for that kind of talk now. For now we must focus on helping find this assassin. That is what brings us all here and binds us. You have nothing to fear here.”

 

[Satia Lyris]

Satia (and Lyraxis) were preening at being sent on this mission. Though once it had begun, the two had quickly sobered up. The death- no, murder- of a dragon was a serious and devastating matter. The sky seemed to think so as well, and it howled something fierce.

Their group was taking shelter in a cliff-side cavern, just barely big enough for everyone's dragons. Save the prince's- his was outside. Lyraxis himself almost didn't fit inside, but he was too stubborn to stay outside with Rayvath and so instead he hogged the entrance to the cavern. No one else inside complained, since the black dragon blocked most of the biting wind with his hulking figure.

Satia sat close to him, in the crook of his massive scaled front leg, his dark head on the cave ground beside her. His heat kept her warm, which she was grateful for. He let her press into him, which Satia thought only proved that he really was a teddy bear inside.

From the entrance of the cave, she could see everyone else within. The prince looked as if he hadn't slept in days, and Satia thought that that was quite likely.

Kaveh Quintus Varro

 

[Kaveh]

Kaveh seemed to linger at the entrance of the cave for a few more moments. Staring passed Lyraxis and into the snows beyond where Rayvath lay.

For a moment, he considered stepping outside and checking on her, but he knew it would be folly. The storm was raging, and the great red dragon would be more than fine. The fire within her kept her warm, even if she did not like being buried in the snow. After a moment more he took a deep breath, his head shaking as he pulled away from the wall.

Looking to Satia, he called out to her. ”Would you join me?”

The question was perhaps more polite than one would expect from someone of the Prince's reputation. Many at court called him a being of rage and anger, quick to snapper and faster even to letting his emotions show. A side-effect of the bond with his dragon. Rayvath had not the anger typical red dragons, for Kaveh had taken it from her.

But this mission was an important one, he knew it to his core. He had to control himself.

”Quintus.” He called the other man. ”We need to talk about our next steps.”

He would not be as his brothers and rule by decree, Kaveh knew better. It was likely that the Ascended knew more about the outer goings of the world and Malakath than he did. ”We know he has fled into the higher mountains, along the east. Is it possible he's heading for Corsik?”

A city down in the deep valleys. Officially an ally to Thanasis, but holding a long standing…freedom when it came to those of a more criminal nature.

 

[Arabella]

Arabella and Velocity raced through the mountains, Velocity barely missing trees and snow-covered rocks as they flew down the mountains ridge. Arabella kept her front half of her body pressed down onto Velocity's back, holding on tight as she curls her wings, allowing her body to rip through the air like an arrow just freed from its bow.

"Faster girl!" Arabella yelled over the wind ripping past them. The excitement coursing through Arabella as Velocity let out a screech of approval and pushed her wings faster.

As they came to the bottom of the mountain, Velocity never slowed, no, instead she opened her red and white feathered wings, causing her to propel upwards and snow to fly all around them just as they landed. The jolt spreading tingles throughout Arabella in excitement as they both stayed there catching their breaths.

She had been in these mountains for years, hasn't returned to Thanasis after her mother died in battle. The only entertainment she had was flying with Velocity. Whenever she was down or anxious, Velocity would always give her slight images in her head of racing. So that's what they did, and they both enjoy every bit of it. She was a fast dragon. One of the fastest in Thanasis. They had never been in any races as Arabella was a hunter just like her mother. But when her mother had died, she fled Thanasis and never returned.

Arabella pulled the hood from her head, allowing her bright red hair to fall and pulled down her mask to catch her breath. "That was great Velocity, thank you." Arabella sighed out as she hugged Velocity's neck earning a small purr.

Suddenly Arabella heard a low rumble to her left, only to see a giant red dragon covered in snow, snow she and Velocity dropped onto it as they were racing down the mountain. Velocity noticing the dragon as well stood in a fighting stance, ready to fight or move out of the way if the dragon were to attack. This wasn't good......

 

[Quintus Varro]

Deep in a recessed corner Quintus was far from the stage where the planning chase was occurring. Truth was he could not even see such a conversation happening behind a large black dragon who was doing an admirable job of blocking out the bitter winds. Still there was fire aplenty it seemed inside of the great cavern and enough body heat to edge out even the bitterest of colds.

"You flew well today, my friend. Strong and true. You should be proud of yourself."

The feelings of gratitude and pride that came through filled Quintus' mind as the dragon's still thin tail wrapped itself around it's rider. However young their bond it was strong and Quintus was truly proud of the dragon that choose him. The dragon that would one day be a great dragon indeed and he feared he would be unworthy of.

"Vex, while we are here in unity of purpose... perhaps this would be a good time to met another dragon. To just get to know one?"

The response was an immediate hiss and thorough rejection though he didn't push his rider away. If anything he seemed to pull him closer as though he feared for the man himself.

"What about another your age? Not a full grown adult perhaps or one of the great goldens, but a younger dragon? Surely you wish for some companionship of your own kind?"

It was an odd thought that came then. Half sad and half defiance of the idea itself. So he did wish for some kind of connection, he just feared it more then he was willing to risk. How to break such a fear? If he let Vex waited until he was truly large he'd be more comfortable, but he'd have missed too much by then. Surely there had to be some kind of natural way dragons interacted besides violence? Or at least in Thanasis the riders and their dragons must have some type of rules or settings? Perhaps he should have been more interactive in class.

"What if I go first? I'll try to find a rider with a young dragon himself and we find you some companionship that way?"

The idea was not met warmly, still there was some secret hope he felt buried in the response.

"Let me try this once... worst that can happen is I don't meet the right rider and I come back alone?"

The only response he got for that was as Vex pressed himself deeper into the crevice. At least it wasn't a no.

 

[General Khya'xss]

Why couldn't he just wait until tomorrow morning...?

Khya'xxs had only himself to blame in putting himself into this predictive, flying upon Ki though the raging of storm and the crashing of thunder. The cold water pouring down on the both of them in a never-ending shower, at least it was a heavy storm, the sun blocked by the clouds gave them more time to fly out in the wilderness.

Ki shuddered and growled, just audible enough to be heard though the crashing of rain drops. Khya'xxs had a... Strange, relationship with Ki. While he still simply sees it as a mindless beast, the way the Jarlax's touch work was too hard to explain. When he was bonded with his Screech Wing, it felt real and warm, as if close with a friend or even family.

But with Ki it was hollow and cold, artefactual. Khya'xss has never really thought too deeply on the effects of the Jarlax's Touch, the way it was able to be inflicted upon others and causing them to become... this.

A flash of lightning cause him to drift out of his pondering, he has to focus. Ki's wings flapped with more effort than usual, to keep pace in the air while the weight of the storm crashed down upon them. Khya'xss tried to make out a scent, only to be met with the same smell of mud, dirt and dew. The reason he was here specifically was because he had been informed by a pair of scouts.

They've told tale of siting of something that they knew only in myths, before they could retrieve it however, they were caught by surprise by a large, red Sky-Burner. They were lucky to have made it out, possibly blessed by the whims of Aghanaka.

This was why he was Khya'xss was here, flying in the middle of a storm, he has kept the info of this strange site in the back of his mind, but the main focus right now is killing the Sky-Burner. For now, it wasn't close to their home, but these flying parasites are relentless killing machines, and if there are any living outside of the Pink Skins precious border, then they're just willing to let themselves die in the wilds.