35 Tria 81382 Del had been traveling for days. Just a few weeks ago he was causing trouble in the city of Aurius, and when there he did a rare thing. He went to a library and read. Reading wasn't his strong point but he had to do something to stay low for awhile. When he was in the library he had found an old book on his favorite subject, fire and fire elementals. It wasn't really a book but and old diary. Del read and read for the first time in his life and continued to be intrigued by the diary. The diary mentioned something called the Supreme Elemental. Which was a god like figure of the elementals. They were all powerful in their craft and no one on this world had yet to control or even summon one of these great beings. But Del wanted to be the first. So he had left the city in quite a rush. He had been traveling for a day or so when he met Ragnoth. Ragnoth was a hulking mass of muscles and black scales. After a tense moment or two Del discovered that Ragnoth was no threat but just a lonely Lukuo. So Del befriended the brute and told him what he was doing and Ragnoth agreed to join him. Del "So here we are Ragnoth all the clues have led us here." Del said "Next..." Del pulled out and opened an old leather bound book and scanned through it. "We have to find 'the stream the glitters green' Idon't know what that is. This is the first time I've been to this jungle." Ragnoth Ragnoth shook his head. We start with water he sent in thought speech. Del "Indeed so lets go find us some water. But this jungles so damn big it'll take us forever I wish I had some help about now."
Fautal was angry with himself that he could not stop Xavius. The battle that they had resulted in Fautal running for his life, considering that Xavius was one to brutally torture his enemies. He had lost for one apparent reason, though Fautal was skilled in the Dark Arts he could not match Xavius who had mastered the craft in every way imaginable. He had run, wounded, into the Manik Swamplands before getting to where he stayed and then collapsed. After he recovered he decided that he'd need to stop Xavius in any way so that he could not cause any harm. He then went out into Gyakusatsu because it offered seclusion and since many gangs and thugs were here he'd defend himself with his magic. This offered practice to strengthen himself and to prepare him for his next battle against Xavius. Now Fautal camped by a river being alone to his thoughts, reviewing that fight thouroughly. Taking note of every move that he made and his enemy made. After this he calmed down and decided to go out for more wood for his fire. After an hour of collecting he heard someone talking a few feet away from where he was. "...I wish I had some help about now." What he saw surprised Fautal. He saw a large hulking figure with a little Feydragon on its shoulder. He wanted to go out and help but he had to make sure that there was no one else in the area to bother him except for the pair he saw. He quickly noted all the possible ways that an ambush could happen. Since he had fended off several raids on his camp, he was quite infamous with the local gangs. He saw that there was no threat and he then went out into the open. "What do you need help with? I could be of some assistance," Fautal said in a friendly way.
Wyvrn Suliman stayed as well hidden as she could in the shadows of the trees. She sniffed the air twice to confirm her suspicions. She nodded to herself grimly. There was someone just beyond the border of the forest.<span style='color:red'> Or something, </span>She thought to herself, <span style='color:red'>now there is a pleasant thought.</span> She moved slowly into hearing range. The trees were thin; making it hard for her to remain in the shadows, by that time two figures came into her view. "So here we are Ragnoth all the clues have led us here. Next... We have to find 'the stream the glitters green' I don't know what that is. This is the first time I've been to this jungle." There was a pause. "Indeed so lets go find us some water. But this jungles so damn big it'll take us forever I wish I had some help about now." Suliman covered her eye with a paw and shook her head. <span style='color:red'>Careful what you wish for, you just might get it.</span> She was not sure how such a wish could go wrong, but she knew that there was always a clause, a loop-hole that could always come back and bite you. "What do you need help with? I could be of some assistance," her head snapped up as the newcomers voice met her ears. Her eyes narrowed as she recognized the features of a pendragon. <span style='color:red'>This just keeps getting better, doesn’t it?</span> She glanced down at her feet and stared thoughtfully for a few moments. “Maybe I should offer my assistance." She said quietly. She shook her head. “What am I supposed to do? Walk up to them and say ‘Hi, my name is Wyvrn Suliman, can I help you?’ What if they are trying to kill me?" <span style='color:red'>Suliman!</span> A voice yelled in her head. <span style='color:red'>Stop being so paranoid!</span> “Well," she replied. “Just because you’re paranoid that doesn’t mean that there isn’t an invisible demon in front of you about to eat your face off." She turned to look at the three figures again and muttered “Fine. I’ll help" After cloaking her black wings around her, she approached the three figures, leaving the shadows of the forest. “Perhaps I too," she called “can humbly offer my assistance"
Silence. There was nothing but silence. Troubling it was, for it should be packed with outlaws. No one was in sight. Something is wrong. One Pendragon was walking through the forest, unescorted. He was at a young age though, like only 14, and he had his Solar Eclipse Halberd equipped. The orange pelted nioti was being cautious about where he was going, for the air was still and there was nothing but silence. It was too quiet. Pendzez looked up at the sky, at trees, through the trees, and even at the roots, but nothing. The outlaws wouldn't be this quiet, and this well hidden. Something was wrong. Pendzez came to a pause, for this awkward silence was very disturbing. He was expecting outlaws to come out of nowhere and attack, but no. "Something strange is happening. There seems to be no outlaw in sight." Then something came to Pendzez. The air he felt was different. It was stail. Also, he could smell blood in the air. Pendzez ran at a speed. He ran and ran until he stopped to find that he confronted a small group of pendragons. He readied his halberd. "Are you outlaws?"
Del The little red and yellow fey jumped at the sound of not one but three different voices. Del and Ragnoth turned to see the newcomers. "Ok ok ok" Del said patting the air "Your answers are yes I need help, yes you can help too, and no we're not outlaws. Now that was a mouthful." Del looked over the three who had just popped up out of nowhere. "Alright then I'm Del'Trabrokkenliz, or Del for short I am a master of the fire, and my large, black, four armed friend is Ragnoth." Putting a paw to the side of his snout he whispered in an exaggerated fashion "He doesn't have a tongue so he can't speak just don't talk to him about it he's very sensitive." Ragnoth As Del yammered on Ragnoth studied the newcomers with the eye of a practiced war vet. Although Ragnoth stood in a casual stance any who have had basic combat training could see that the four armed beast was ready to pounce at a moments notice. Ragnoths eyes fell on the teal pendragon. Your here why? His eyes moved to the gray furred female. Your here why? Ragnoth eyed the last, the outlaw hunter. Your here why? Ragnoth smiled at the three revealing large dagger sharp fangs that were mish-mashed inside his mouth at a hundred different angles. Ragnoth never took his eyes from the newcomers. Del "Soooo.... anywho. Who are you and why are you here? Anything special?
"My name is Fautal. I was over gathering firewood when I heard you needed help. So I came to offer assistance," Fautal said after. He was a little unnerved by Ragnoth's smile and posture though. Fautal had combat experience since he knew a lot about the Dark Arts and his recent battle with Xavius. He was also surprised at the fact that two other 'dragons had appeared at the same time he had. Fautal made a mental note to be wary of all of them, including Del and Ragnoth
Suliman could not help but be amused at the small Feydragons surprise. She often loved to scare others as a youth. She savored this as a small victory as she looked at Ragnoths smile and shrugged. She did, however, pull a dark vial out of the pouch at her waist in case of emergency, hoping that he didn’t see it below her wings. “My name," she said calmly, “is Suliman. I was in the forest looking for…" she paused, “a certain acquisition that aroused my interest."
Pendzez examined the group. Seeing that their clothes were not of an outlaw, Pendzez thought before he took action. He then unreadied himself. "You look like outlaws, but the way you talk are of the innocent. One must be cautious in this area, for outlaws occupy this area. I'm Pendzez, by the way." He still gripped his pike, for they may be tricking him with cheap words.
Del "Well then since everyone is searching for something then would you mind helping us find 'the stream that glitters green' If your learned in this area you might know of this. I search for the Supreme Elemental as advancement of my training have you heard of this and the stream that glitters green." Del waited to see if any knew of this phenominon.
"It might be talking about the river nearby. It will often have th reflection of all the plants and vegetation. That might be what you are looking for," Fautal reasoned. He then motioned for the rest to follow him to near where his camp was. He calculated the risk in his head of revealing the camp to others, but he decided that he could risk it.
"It's right this way," Fautal said. He then lead the group in the direction of his camp which was situated right near the river he was speaking of.
Del flapped up to Ragnoths shoulder. "Follow him." Del said. The party made thier way through the jungle to Fautal's camp. As they got closer they heard the sound of running water and when they reached the camp they saw that indeed there was a river there. "Nice camp you got here." Del said. Del flapped off of Ragnoths shoulderand glided over to the river. "Well helloooooooooo river. I think this is it. It;s so green it glows. HA ha ha." Ragnoth too went and examined the river. *Del what to we do now?* Ragnoth sent in thought speech "Well" Del spoke aloud as he pulled out the book. "This says that we must follow 'the stream that glitters green' until we find something called 'the earth dragons maw.' Damn the dragon that wrote this book is not making this easy. Any thoughts on what or where the this 'earth dragons maw is." Del rubbed his head. "How about we sit and refresh ourselves while we ponder this new mystery." Del and Ragnoth sat on some fallen logs and pulled out some dried jerky and a waterskin to pass around as they contemplated this new puzzle.
Fautal sat for a minute or two thinking about this new part of the riddle that Del had just recently reavealed. An idead came to him, "It could mean a cave that the river comes out of. That is my best guess. It'd be pretty easy to find it if it says to follow the stream to it. The worst that could happen is we wander in one direction for a couple of days."
"Perhaps you are right." Del said *There are mountains to the south of the jungle perhaps it's where we should look. Caves can be found in mountains* Ragnoth provided. "Yeah that sounds logical. What say you all? South it is if your all up for it." Del looked about at the assembled pendragons.
Pendzez didn't find these people very welcoming. Pendragons in Gyakusatsu, that should have meant that they were outlaws, but the way they were clothed, that was wierd. He didn't think on this for long, for he was going with them to this river that was mentioned. Upon arriving at the camp there, Pendzez examined the river, seeing it glow green. It was impossible, how could a commom river glow green? This question troubled him. It wasn't long after that the Sol Crest gave a quick shine. Pendzez looked into the trees and the bushes, for he could smell other beings there. During this, Del said that south was the destination. Pendzez looked around in the trees and bushes then to Del. "Well that will be fine, but... We're surrounded."
Fautal turned in the direction of Pendzes and said quietly, "There are always bandits trying to steal my supplies. It's best that they don't know we know that they are here. I suggest we let them make the first move."
"Bandits?" Del whispered "I've never met a bandit before." *You don't* Ragnoth sent. To the others he sent. *I say kill them all* Ragnoth stood and spread his four arms wide and let out a blood cruddling roar. He searched the trees. Some of the bandits seemed to move away while others stayed in position hoping they weren't spotted. But Ragnoth was a warrior and a hunter. He was going to have fun with this. Without warning Ragnoth charged into the trees. Sounds of ripping and tearing came from the underbrush followed immediatly by a horrified death scream. Ragnoth stepped back into sight covered in blood and let out another primal roar as he searched for a new target. "Damnation!" Del screeched "They're coming out of the wood work..... get it woodwork........ never mind. Time to fight."
