<font color='#00FF00'><font color=sienna face=tahoma><blockquote><font color=white>Day: 27 Month: Dyo Year: Year 2</font> A padded paw reached up to cover the crimson-lined eyes of a pendragon as the sun peeked over the peak of the mountain, and shed its jovial light over his form. Personally, Tuk could have done without the warm sunlight. If he had been given the choice at the beginning of the world, he would have decided to stick with moonlight, screw the whole daytime thing. Night was much more fun, anyways. But he hadn't been there at that time, nor had he been given the option. Sighing in a resigned fashion, Tuk pulled himself up into a sitting position, using that same paw that had been a shield for his eyes to boost him up. If his voice hadn't been ripped to shreds by some unknown monster, the male would have growled and hissed at the world in general, showing his displeasure at its decisions about light. However, he couldn't, so he didn't. Simple as that. Aerial appendages unfurled and stretched to ease them from their comfortable position lying against his back. Since they had been somewhat cramped, the wings shot pain down to his back, informing him that they were not to happy with their current positioning. Ignoring his body's warning, he flexed them into a stiffened position. Again, they creaked a protest that was completely lost on the pendragon. He didn't care if they didn't appreciate his actions, they were his tools, not his master. Finally, they gave in, and submissively became the flexible and ready members that he needed. Smiling and mentally thanking his wings, Tuk glanced about. Nothing out of the ordinary, nothing new. Mountain life as usual. This was his favorite place to hideaway, since it was secluded and not many enjoyed this portion of the mountain. More treacherous then the rest, it presented a real danger to the unknowing or the uncautious. Every step had to be monitored, until one got their footing, and knew where everything was positioned. As Tuk did now. That was the first thing he did, memorize the entirety of this place, so that swift escape was possible. Only if neccessary, of course. He would flee these lands if a Grader came up in search of him, for that meant danger. Death. Or worse, becoming the drone of the leaders, to obey their every wish. He didn't desire to meet up with a Dragyn, either. They had ambitions, of course, and his abilities would be helpful... besides, perhaps they suspected him of being in on their parents' deaths? He hadn't been. Too bad he didn't want to see one today, because fate had a funny way of messing with him...</font>
<font color='#FFFFFF'><font color=white>Lorax swooped. Losing altitude at an alarming rate. With a tilt of his purple tainted wings, he fell into a barrel-roll, startling a pair of yellow vemkh. They vocalized their displeasure as they sped off.</font> <font color=#19AAFF>"Beg pardon' friends."</font><font color=white> He cried after them while laughing quietly to himself. It wasn't that he purposely wanted to make a menace out of himself - these kinds of things just happened. It all came with the name. Lorax straightened out his headway. He wasn't particularily a great flier, but between him and his brother Draco, they had been able to pull off some rather dangerous aerial displays in their time. Now Draco was somewhere... doing something. Most likely off courting some (un)lucky lady. The air was a little colder at his current height, but not uncomfortable. The warmer spring currents were present and growing more frequent with the eventual onslaught of Tessera. Lorax's orange eyes wandered, slipping over the scene as he kept up his leisurely pace. All seemed well. Then again, it usually always seemed well. Right up until things decided to blow up in your face. Then things went from being well to catastrophic in under sixty seconds flat. The crimson pelted Dragyn then spotted something a little out of the ordinary. Well, ordinary in the sense that it was somewhat common to see at least someone travelling the wide expanses of mountain, but what striked him as odd, was the fact that this individual wasn't using his wings. Maybe he was injured? Or maybe he was just taking a breather? Curious. Lorax steered himself closer, morning sunlight bombarded his eyes. Squinting now, her came closer still. Not more than fifty feet away, Lorax landed. A flash of crimson, silver-tainted blue and violet in the growing light. Surely his approach hadn't gone unnoticed.</font></font>
<font color='#00FF00'><font color=sienna face=tahoma><blockquote>Dispassionate eyes laced with crimson glanced at the sky for a second as he shifted uncomfortably. Though his aerial appendages wanted to fly (now that he had woken them up), he was unsure of whether or not flight was on his agenda for the day. After all, he had much that needed doing. Tuk thoughtfully flicked his ears forward and listened carefully to the comings and goings of the natives. Nothing was out of the norm, and he was sorely tempted to flare his wings and rise into the inviting sky. To soar among the clouds and enjoy the luxury of having wings. Or, perhaps, he could go for a swim. There his wings were as helpful as they were in the sky, to propel and control his movements. However, the latter choice didn't seem like a good idea, with the cold that was even more frigid in the mountains. Shaking his head lightly, and rising to all four paws, he stretched again, then padded stealthily across the landscape, leaving padded prints behind for whatever creature may pass them. Tuk didn't care if a wanderer found what he left behind. After all, it was hardly anything out of the norm. Just another pendragon travelling the mountainous terrain. That hardly seemed like a crime to him, after all. There was no point in attempting to conceal his scent, either, for any searching for him would be able to find him. Though he did evade being seen by those two families, there was no way to stay away from them forever. If they got desperate enough to travel into the mountains and look for him, then obviously fate had plans that differed from his, and he had no say in the matter. Halting for a second, the male pendragon glanced, puzzled, at the sky. Something had alerted him to the prescense of another, but he could see no specks that suggested the form of another avian. How very irritating. What was going wrong with him, that he felt what was not there? Doing so could cost him his life, or worse, his freedom, on a job. Clicking his tongue in irritation at himself, he swung his head forward once more. Only then did he see the Dragyn. If he had been given a voice, Tuk would have cursed. As it was, he mentally chided himself for being so stupid. For looking at the sky and thinking he was wrong, instead of scanning the ground for a landing creature. Without a closer look, however, he couldn't even be sure who the other 'dragon was. He had obviously been spotted, however, so the Spy padded towards his fellow pendragon, seeking for some telltale sign of who it was. Or if he knew them at all.</font>
<font color='#FFFFFF'><font color=white>Lorax let his purple coloured wings cross over his back loosely. Having his feet set firmly on solid groung after such a long period of flight made him a bit unsteady. Yet this feeling quickly went away to his relief. He glanced up, spotting the unknown pendragon not too far away from his current position. Probably just out for a stroll... and I'm ruining it for him. He thought. Peace and quiet was always hard to find... and here he was, making a mess of it for someone else. As Lorax saw the stranger begin to close the distance between them, he did likewise. Walking forth without any hesitation. There was no harm in that. Only he felt a little ashamed. Feeling the great need to apologize for just dropping in. As soon as he had reached what he assumed was able hearing distance, Lorax lowered his gaze a little bit and spoke. </font><font color=#19AAFF>"Sorry about the intrusion and all. You just looked like you needed some help... although I was probably mistaken."</font></font>
<font color='#00FF00'><font color=sienna face=tahoma><blockquote>Help. Tuk silently scoffed at the mere idea of needing help. He was mostly self-sufficent. If he had needed someone else to be his crutch, then he would have rejoined society long ago. Whispers of his name could be erased as soon as they were started, and he could always mar his symbol in some way, to shift his alias entirely. He could even put word out on the street of his new name, and of his symbol, get rumors started of where he came from. Yet it hit some tender nerve when the other spoke of having considered assisting Tuk, since the male was mostly ignored, which, in truth, was how he cared to be viewed, seen but not noticed. Vaguely flicking his ears, the male mildly stared at the snowy ground for the flash of a second. Then his gaze returned to the space in front of him as he eased forward, closing the gap between the two. Uncaring of the fact that he was trying to keep his telepathic ability low, Tuk felt that it was neccessary to soothe the apologetic other... as of yet, he was unaware of the other's Dragyn lineage. <font color=gray>{No apology needed, friend, you are not intruding. I had only just woken up, perhaps that was what caused me to appear in need of assistance.}</font></font>
<font color='#FFFFFF'><font color=white>Lorax drew up his paws, falling into a fairly at-ease stance. Threatening was the last thing that he wanted to seem. As the stranger spoke telepathically, Lorax felt both relieved and put a little on edge. Still, this didn't take away from the front that he was building up. As it was, he took Tuk's explanation and nodded slightly in agreement. </font><font color=#19AAFF>{Perhaps. I'm usually a little hazy when I first wake up as well.}</font> <font color=white>Lorax telepathed, his front canines showing slightly as he smiled in good humour. And if he surely wasn't intruding,... then he could hang around for a time, right? He had the time to waste at the moment anyway.</font> <font color=#19AAFF>{My name's Lorax Dragyn. Who might you be?}</font><font color=white> He queried, eager to know this stranger's name. He was always meeting new faces, so why not add one more to the ever-growing list?</font></font>
<font color='#00FF00'><font color=sienna face=tahoma><blockquote>Tuk smiled and nodded in an amiable manner to the other pendragon, mild amusement and agreement flitting through his eyes. Yet the second set of words stopped his amusement cold in its tracks. Outwardly, he nodded once more, inclining his head softly at the other's introduction. Still, the male was wary about revealing his own name. Though he hadn't, thus far, been revealed as the Master Spy, perhaps the name would ring a bell in the Dragyn's mind. Which could or couldn't be a bad thing. However, it was about time that he faced a Dragyn or a Grader, and there was no point in hiding behind some alias. He needed to save those for when he was on a job, in any case, not give them away to a seemingly jovial Dragyn who had come to aide him. The male wasn't stiff with wariness, however he was inwardly prepared to protect himself if neccessary, from a verbal or physical attack. It was possible, and his always working mind quickly caught onto several possible ways to escape. Just in case. There was no point in being lax in preperation, and having no way to get out of a difficult situation. <font color=gray>{Ah, yes, many are groggy when they are first rousted from sleep. My name is Tukjelada Vusa, it is a pleasure to have met you, and to be in your company, Lorax.}</font> The 'dragon replied, gracefully inclining his head to finish the introduction and the plesantries.</font>
<font color='#FFFFFF'><font color=#19AAFF>{All the same to you Tukjelda.}</font><font color=white> Lorax said after the other's graceful nod, inclining his own head slightly as he telepathed. One new face, and one new name. Mark those ones down in the books. New faces were always interesting. More often than not, they hid stories that he had never heard before, or possessed dreams so unlike those of his own that they seemed almost impossible by his standards. There was only one thing in life that this Dragyn wanted, however, it was far from being attainable. Even as he stood, that very dream was slipping through his claws. Yet, always being the optimistic one, Lorax believed that there still was hope. No matter how thinly spread it was. His twin Draco, usually always the one with a joke, helped him steer a clean course on the bright side. But sometimes even Draco's moods faltered and fell into periods of longing and remorse... and then both would feel the terrible effects. As it was, Lorax was thinking of such things at the moment. And seeing as Tukjelda was feeling a little edgy, he decided that he would try his best to put this fellow at ease. Try anyway. Lorax was never all that great at keeping a conversation going. It seemed as if all the things needed in order to make an outgoing pendragon had been left to his brother. Still, he would try.</font><font color=#19AAFF> {You know, this place still holds it's magic.} </font><font color=white>Lorax said after a while, his eyes indicating not just the land which they were standing on, but the entire planet. </font><font color=#19AAFF>{I've seen many sights, and I once thought that by seeing them, this place would lose it's touch. It's feel. You know? Yet no matter where I go, no matter how many places that I see, nowhere has been comparable to the home I have here. Even just flying over these mountains feels new. There's always something different to experience and to see...}</font><font color=white> A slight frown fluttered at Lorax's muzzle. It seemed to him as if he was going off on a tangent. Would Tukjelda take him seriously, or seem him as a fool?</font></font>
<font color='#00FF00'><font color=sienna face=tahoma><blockquote>Dipping his head once more in acknowledgement of the other male's mental words. Tuk was a rather complex being. While he had emotions and the like, the male was hardly the type to reveal every layer of his existance, nor did he pay much attention to his feelings. After all, many spies from the past had died proving that obeying the mind's tendencies could result in a fatal mistake. Trust was something that was hard to earn from any spy, and yet could be lost in the brief flash of treachery. For Tuk never fully trusted anyone. Not a single pendragon on the face of Ramath-Lehi had proved that they were of the proper caliber to be someone his soul could always feel a deep, abiding love and loyalty to, the mixture that usually firmed trust into a hard bond. Never before had he been able to put his life in the paws of another, or truly love anyone so much he would give his own life for theirs. None had deserved such, nor had he given anyone the chance. Not when he was constantly on the go, and wary of everyone and everything. Earning Tuk's respect took a long time. Many years. Though Lorax was speaking in his mind, Tuk's ears instinctivelly swung forward, as if to hear what the pendragon had to say. The first sentence caused the Spy to hesitate in his former train of thoughts. Magic? What had brought on that subject? Perhaps the Dragyn hoped to ease the tension that remained within Tuk, despite his semi-relaxed stance. Tuk would always be wary. There was no way to unravel his many defenses that covered his mind and his body in preperation. He could never be too ready to defend or attack, if that became neccessary. Lorax continued, and Tuk listened with interest, smiling in a truly amiable manner. Though he wasn't sure why, Tuk was inclined to like the Dragyn, whether or not that feeling was mutual, or would be followed, was a 'nother matter. A response rose quickly to the pendragon's mind, but he hesitated for a second, checking through it to make sure what he was going to say didn't seem to chide or redirect the conversation. Because the subject was an interesting one, albeit one that rarely came up, in Tuk's experience. <font color=gray>{Never a dull moment, eh? I've been around this world, and seen a lot of things, yet even the slightest change, or even the same thing, can seem so very different when experienced a second time. Nothing is ever the same, nor can anyone experience everything the same way. New, fresh, invigorating. Magic is in the eye of the beholder, however, for even the slightest thing, such as the growth of a seed to a plant, can be magical. Yet some would trample the newborn plant as easily as they would any other, without realizing what strength the small sample of life had, to make it at all. The great struggle to breach the outer hull of their shell, and to break out into the soil, to fight off destruction.}</font> Tuk fell silent, figuring he had rambled off into something that only he had cared for. After all, who cared about a plant?</font>
<font color='#FFFFFF'><b style="color:#19AAFF">{Never a dull moment at all. }[/b] Lorax agreed, smiling faintly now. He had half expected to be laughed at actually. Yet it seemed as if Tuk had taken him seriously. It was difficult to find those that were even slightly considerate these days. Most often it was just 'dragons out looking for themselves and their families... and if you happened to get caught in the crossfire - well you could kiss your tail flame good bye. He had listened carefully to Tuk's words, turning them over in his head and digesting them one by one. Some may have passed off what had been said as folly, but to Lorax it held a certain significance. Unfortunately, the mention of the plant, struggling, struck a negative chord within him. Life was a constant struggle.<b style="color:#19AAFF"> { Aye... the plant's life is as honourable as any. And likewise us, it also returns to the ground... because nothing ever endures. Not life, not magic, nor love. } [/b]He telepathed, his tone taking on a more melancholy note.</font>
<font color='#00FF00'><font color=sienna face=tahoma><blockquote>Tuk smiled slightly, amiable enough around this relaxed pendragon. It seemed the Dragyn was, more or less, carefree. Or, at the very least, he didn't seem uneasy around Tuk. Which was, in and of itself, a good and bad thing. Relaxing the tensed muscles of his hindlegs, the male pendragon nodded mildly at the first reply that Lorax made. Good thing they agreed. Not that Tuk would have done anything if they hadn't. The second set of comments from the other 'dragon sobered Tukjelada's appeareance instantly. Yet there was no melancholy twinkling in his eyes, no held back tears at the thought. He had seen life come and go, it was inevitable that everyone was run into the ground. They had to make way for new life, after all. <font color=gray>{Everything must end, so that new life can begin again. Life and love are two things that are too often short, in this world of treachery.}</font></font>
