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Darkseeker
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Fathom Wind Class // Male // M: Whistler and Desmodus
It was clear that Whistler was coming with him, relief swept over Fathom when she made that valid point. Her elegant, yet now dirty feathers brushed softly against his scales as Whistler already began the search for the other dragons. He followed closely behind, ready to shove her away from anymore loose stones. His claws radiated with pain but he continued marching on with a heroic limp.
Occasionally Fathom would use a little of his wind breath to clear the dirt around, but he felt like he swallowed a cactus whole, or ate a basket of needles. The feeling was not pleasant at all, at this point Fathom would rather stick his talons into a bucket of boiling water than have a sore throat. A thought came to Fathom, "We could check the exit," he suggested nervously with a creaky voice, "maybe they all left?" He turned his head towards what he thinks is the direction of the exit, and lord behold there was a fluffy looking dragon standing next to what was supposed to be an exit hole. |
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Lightbringer
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Peter M. Evans || 17 || Rider || Male || M: Whistler (ind) In all of his life, lacking the ability to hear basic things, nothing had really seemed quite as terrifying as the moment that stood before him. It towered over and loomed, seeming to block everything from it's pathway and the only thing that this particular young man could even do was just hide. Shoved under the crumpled mattress and twisted metal of what might have once been a bed frame, with half the blankets pinned under the rubble of the ceiling and wall. In the darkness--with only the faintest of light from garish orange fires that had begun to flicker and lick at the shadows. The faintest light that came from a mere pin-prick hole just above his rusty, dusty, red hair. He didn't dare make a sound, covering his mouth with the blankets. If something had happened--oh. Oh what about Whistler? The sheer panic that enveloped his chest made itself known in a rising shril shriek of brief panic--only half muffled by awkwardly placed blankets. The more he shuffled and tried to free himself from the trapped cocoon of fabric, the more noise he really made. Particularly due to the silver bell attached to his side. If anyone else was nearby, the bell would be one of the few sources to hear the young man and tell he was still at least somewhat alive. |
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Darkseeker
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Seraphina Keswick Experienced Dragon Rider || Female || Mentions: Scirocco Seraphina was still awake in the middle of the night, with her duties requiring her full attention. Currently, she's dressed in a plain brown shirt over her torso and brown pants while her feet are bare. The woman isn't going to sleep so soon, especially with her wearing no sleepwear. Seraphina prefers to be comfortable while working, so her rider clothes it is. Her hands moved as she wrote words on the paper in exquisite cursive handwriting. The woman's dimmed eyes of auric trail each word she's writing, ensuring they sounded right to one's mind. The candle that was dimly brightening her room twitched so suddenly, making her focus shift. She sets down her pen gently and moves her gaze to the stack of completed papers. An exhausted sigh leaves her lips, and she pinches the bridge of her nose. "That dreaded feeling has returned." Her voice is barely a mutter, then rises from her chair, massaging the soreness in her wrist. On her left wrist was a hairband. One that she never seemed to remove. "I've finished 100 written essays, and it would be all for nothing." She mumbled bitterly, sauntering over to her dorm window and cracking it open. Sera shook her head, running her fingers through her hair, "A definite waste," she tied her hair up into a messy bun, caring little over its neatness. There's a time and place to appear decent to the eyes of others, and this wasn't the night. She peeks outside from her open window, squinting to see if there's anything suspicious going on. There's nothing out there. Let alone anyone, for that matter. Noises from the nightly animals didn't sing in her eyes. All of that was suspicious as can, making the pit-like feeling in her stomach intensified. It may sound peaceful, but those trained well in surviving the wilderness know that's unnormal. Not to mention, the moon wasn't even showing, making tonight even more unsettling. Sera moves away from her window, heading to her jewelry box on top of her wardrobe, and opens the fancy casing. Her eyes scanned the various pieces of jewelry, finding the one she always seemed to wear daily. Finally, her eyes met with a silver and garnet ring and were seemingly drawn toward it. She slips the ring on, twisting it around her finger to bring it down to the base of it. Her ring illuminates briefly when she moves her hand near the candle as the circlet reflects the light. Once secured on her finger, she sauntered swiftly to her bed and settled on her knees. Her hands slipped under her mattress, trying to find something under there. Her fingers brushed against a leathery texture, and she grabbed and then dragged them out from under her bed. Now in her hands was a leather pouch, and her eyes briefly expressed relief. At least the room inspection staff didn't check under her mattress. That would be horrendous. She flips the flap to open it. She looks inside to see if all six daggers are there, counting them in her head. Her weapons are appealing to the eye yet fatal to the body. A fashionable appearance while smithed to be sharp enough to slice one's flesh. The blade's silver in color with engravings of rose bushes within it. Her cross guards are designed to be two roses sticking out, with a black leather grip and a rosebud pommel. "Six. They're all there." Sera tosses the pouch full of weapons on her bed, dashing to every corner of her room to grab her equipment. Her brown tunic was covered by a heavy black leather vest, tying the straps firmly and double tying the strings. She sits on her bed, pulling heavy leather leg armor over her pants. Her next step was putting on her dragon rider boots, which she did with haste. Lastly, her fingerless gloves were worn and torn from overuse but not fully damaged. The daggers were settled on her left upper leg in a custom-made holster. After putting on her entire equipment, she rushes to her window to see if anything will appear, yet her eyes view nothing. "Tsk," scolding herself for overdoing it with preparations and was starting to doubt herself; nonetheless, her intuition was never wrong. The sickening feeling wasn't fading. As if to aid her in settling her skeptical mind, an explosion was heard and seen coming from her dorm building. The entirety of this place shook, nearly knocking the woman off balance. Seraphina climbs out her open window, scaling up her dorm building to reach the rooftops. She leaps from window to window, grabbing onto what little structure was giving to her. In this case, her dragon would be useless, considering her abilities, and her main goal is to find someplace to remain safe from the flames. "Scirocco, an explosion happened in one of the dorm buildings," she telepathically communicated with her dragon, "don't come near this place. Instead, find a place to lay low and remain safe. I'll meet up with you once I check on everyone." She cuts the telepathic connection with her dragon, her consciousness returning to the present. Finally, she reached the rooftops and pulled herself up. Taking a moment to breathe and create a plan, her eyes were on the lit-up building. She inspects it thoroughly, trying to find a safe way in and a route to help the students escape. Although, something else received her attention: the fire itself. The flames were spreading too quickly. That's peculiar. That fire wasn't normal, matching the heat intensity of an elder fire dragon. She sucks in her breath, knowing this wasn't an attack from a dragon. Nonetheless, she can't stand here and keep ogling the raging inferno. Her legs moved as she ran, moving closer to the flaming structure. A feeling in her mind called to her, demanding she stops. She came to a sliding stop, reaching for two daggers from the leg holster. A bolt of lightning intercepted erupted in front of her. Her lips pulled into a repulsed scowl while the dots finally connected. "Mages. Why does it gotta be mages?" She hissed under her breath, getting into her battle stance. Her daggers were in front of her face and stomach, her left leg in front of the other, her left foot pointing forward while the other raised behind her to give her a lunging boost. Seemingly appearing from a shroud of darkness, a hooded figure appeared in front of her, their face covered with a full mask. Yup, that wasn't unsettling at all. "I can't have you interfere." Their voice is neither man nor woman, being a mixture of both, probably using a potion to conceal their actual voice. Seraphina nods her head once, "Same with me." Her voice was emotion-free, and her eyes fixated on her opponent. After what felt like forever, Seraphina made the first advancement, dashing toward the attacker. She twisted her left wrist, attempting to slice them in the face to remove the mask. Unlucky for her, the mage conjured lightning in their hands, forming daggers of lightning and blocking her attack with their elemental blades. Seraphina's eyes dangerously narrowed, getting annoyed already. Lightning mages are known for their speed and fast magic summoning. This mage was personally assigned to attack her. It means the attackers were gaining intel on everyone here for some time: their strengths, weaknesses, social life, and schedule. This whole thing was a well-crafted attack. Sera blamed herself for not being thorough when it came to city patrols. She should've patrolled more at night, noticing anyone acting suspiciously. Still, it wasn't her fault entirely. Her daytime schedule was busier and drained her immensely, leaving her no time to patrol the city at night and catch up on homework for school. Her attacker lifted their leg to attempt to knee her in the stomach, but Seraphina was quick to defend herself. The mage took a swipe with their weapons, the red-head woman ducking swiftly. She uses their failed attack and availability to stab them in their side. She heard them hiss in pain, then moved their blades downwards to attempt to strike her head. Seraphina moved to the side, feeling the electric dagger cut her left cheek. A jolt of electricity entered her body, but not strong enough to kill her. Seraphina was stuck in place for a split second, then backflipped four times to distance herself. Finally, back on her feet, she shakes herself off to loosen her body from the shock, ignoring the wet feeling on her cheek as blood seeps from her wound. "This will be a pain for me to deal with." She huffed dramatically, then made another leap attack at her opponent. |
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Darkseeker
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Rhyhor Storm Dragon | Male | Mentions: Others at The Exit The low rumble in the ground brought almost a sense of comfort for the large male. It reminded him of the vibrating rumble of thunder, when the shockwave sounds and the world quietens for just a moment to listen to the resounding boom. It woke him, yes, but lulled him quicklly into a sense of security. Security he very quickly realized was false, and that the vibrations and booms were not, in fact, thunder. The storm dragon rose to his feet and wing-paws, only to be forced to take a step back and close his eyes against a second, much larger, and much closer blast. His lip curled, flashing his teeth in annoyance, before the large dragon dropped the slight height onto his actual forelegs and walked out of his cavern, towards the exit of the cave. There was no way it was a cave-in, not with that kind of blast, and not with the taste of ash and fire than the long, snake-like dragon was describing. It couldn't be a test, surely, not this early in their training and not destroying their own caverns. Which, naturally, left him with the only semi-plausible explanation: The academy had been attacked, and they'd hit the dragons first. Most likely, it was to stop them from helping their riders in the attack. Rhyhor's tail shifted behind him, and he went back up on his wings to study the blocked entrance. |
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Darkseeker
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Maisie Bennett
Dragon Rider | Female | Mentions: Jasper, Peter [ind.]
The sturdy young woman looked around nervously, though it only really showed in her eyes and clenched jaw. She wasn't really sure what exactly was going on, though she figured they were being attacked. Her arm throbbed from the wound torn into her arm, but paid little mind to it or the blood dripping down it.
"Huh?" She asked as her eyes flicked back to Jasper, and then glanced at her arm, and winced. "Yeah, I'll be fine, it's not bad. Just bleeding," she answered before almost getting slammed into the door frame she was standing in. She braced herself with her good arm, smearing blood on the wood, and waited out the lingering rumbling with clenched teeth.
When she looked up Jasper was offerng her a helmet and she nodded in thank before grabbing it and placing it on. It didn't fit the best but it was better than nothing to protect her head. She glanced up as the building groaned as more of it fell around them and she shifted her weight to the side before speaking. "We should get outside before the whole building comes down," as she spoke she began to lead the way out of the broken building, the glowing light of fire coming in through the new various opening.
Maze paused at Jasper's next question though and glanced at her in worry, torn between self preservation and wanting to help. "I don't know. We could get trapped if we stay... but.. if someone needs our help," just as she spoke she could hear a faint, odd sound, like a bell. "What is...?" She trailed off as she heard it more. |
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Lightbringer
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Xevioso Storm Dragon | Male | 250 | Mentions : Henry (indirect & attempted directly but failed ) K'issak & Scirocco A young male dragon lay slumbering in his cavern. Quite content to sleep for a good while, he was looking forward to seeing his Rider in the morning time - but it seemed the fates were against that idea as a whole. Because his slumber was interrupted by violent shakes of the earth and the feeling of dirt pouring against him as the earth was assaulted above. " What in the four seas ?" He muttered out loud as he slowly rose to figure out what was going on. And he slowly but surely tuned his ears to listen closely around him. The other dragons were in an upset and unsure about what was going on and he gave an annoyed frown at the ruckus. Henry, are you alright? It seems like there - and their was a piercing headache given to him. Hm, he wasn't close enough to ask his rider what was going on. But he knew that the older dragons could offer insight, as they'd been paired longer so they had the ability to speak over larger distances. And so he managed to get himself out of his cavern and he noted the blocked exits. And from the sounds of it some injured dragons. "K'issuk, Scirocco. Have either of you heard from your Riders? I can't contact mine as we're too far to be able to speak. But you both have been with your Riders longer, so they should be able to contact you, and you be able to contact them." He reasoned out loud. He wasn't one to immediately initiate conversation but this seemed too dire to not speak. " This isn't a random attack. This is a preemptive strike, to keep us at bay, from whatever forces are out there. As it seems our Keep was struck first, and I could hear other explosions as well - so the dorms must be damaged. " he said thoughtfully and continuing, "if we aren't being swarmed right now, it means we aren't the targets as of yet. Which means our Riders are in danger. And this wall is bloody blocked." He said growing agitated - his frills flaring out a bit, a slight rattling noise emitting from them as he rose his head a bit higher and frowned, frustration growing . And he walked next to blocked exit he stood quietly examining the wall. He looked around them, to see if there were any resources he could use - but it was lacking, maybe a good lightening strike? Nah, that be too obvious, if they wanted to save their riders they'd need to be stealthy and not let the enemy know they had escaped. But he wasn't in charge. The ones that were would be making then decisions would come up with a plan soon. |
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Darkseeker
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Sedna Nurul Seelen Dragon Rider | Male | Mentions: Fergus, Maisie, Jasper, Peter [Ind] Sedna had woken up with the first distant rumble, eyes wide in the darkness of his dorm room, his hands tangled together over his stomach. He hoped it was only thunder, that a storm was approaching them, maybe a storm dragon with a bad dream. But as it grew progressively, and very quickly, louder and closer, the pit in his stomach only grew, and when the walls shook, the dark-skinned male was on his feet and moving. He grabbed shoes first, moving quickly through seemingly practiced movements. He'd spent enough time on his own to have thought-out plans for most instances, and even if an attack on the school wasn't one of them, he figured he could apply basic knowledge to it. He'd just pulled a long-sleeve shirt over his head and was reaching for a dagger when he heard Fergus, his roommate, jolt awake. He's just gotten his fingers on the handle when their room exploded, sending Fergus to the ground, and knocking Sedna off course, the metal and beads in his hair clinking together with every sharp movement. Debris knocked into his body, and he quickly felt over his abdomen for any serious injuries. Nothing but scrapes and bruises so far, and he quickly slipped the dagger into the sheath, before turning to Fergus. "Yeah, I know," the man said, moving quickly across the room, stumbling at times before he finally reached the other. He reached out and grabbed the paler mans arm, hoping the contact would be at least somewhat calming. "I need your head in the game right now, man," he said, watching the redheads face for only a moment before getting a more solid grip on his arm. "I don't know where Kaia is, and I don't know for certain what's happening. I think the academy was attacked, by the sound of the explosions, I think they hit the dragons first." Kaia would be in his dorm, and hopefully okay and alive. Not that he could say that to Fergus, who seemed terrified. Did he have no survival instincts? "Keep up, I'm gonna take us on a round through our dorms, see if we can find any survivors of the explosions, and then we're heading outside. We'll make more plans from there, okay?" He tried to speak calmly, tried to speak clearly. If he started panicking, there was every chance it would only make Fergus worse. Using his grip on Fergus' arm, Sedna pulled them both out of the dorm, looking both ways down the hallway before heading in one direction. It wasn't long before he heard voices, and he slowed, pulling Fergus closer to him as he approached them. He got one look at their faces, and practically deflated with relief. "Maze, Jasper," he said to announce themselves, giving the two girls quick once-overs, eyes locking onto the blood spurting out of Maze's arm. Not that much could be done about it right now, but as soon as this was all over, it'd have to be looked at. "Are you guys heading outside?" He asked, keeping an eye out for anyone else, before frowning at a small jingling sound, kind of like a bell. |
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Darkseeker
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K'issuk Rán Water Class || Female || Mentions: Riezzyn (NPC), Deilo (NPC), Xevioso, Scirocco Indirectly Mentions: Kaia The rumbling came first. Then, the walls caved in. Finally, the ceiling collapsed. She had believed it to be a storm at first, the rumbling nothing more but thunder in the sky. The intense glow illuminating the cave? Well, she had believed it to be lightning. Instead, it was nothing she had witnessed before. An attack, and one upon them all nonetheless. It was nothing she would have ever suspected nor predicted. It was unheard of. And yet, it had happened. K'issuk had been deep in slumber when it began. To think, she had taken comfort at the thought of a storm brewing, having heard the faint sound. Oh, but she understood that something was wrong the moment the sound dragged on for several seconds. When it grew nearer, she arose from her position, head peering out of the exit with concern. She saw lighting then. For a moment, it was a beautiful sight. You should have seen the way the light highlighted the path to the mountain. The carved decals seemed to have sprung to life beneath the brightness. "Kaia would have loved the beauty of it," were her final thoughts before her cave exploded. Debris flung around her, throwing her to the ground as the walls surrounding began to crumble. A sound, so loud and harsh, had caused her ears to ring. For a few minutes, she had lost her hearing. Believing the worst to be over, she was forced to the ground once more as a series of explosions continued on a fixated path. Dust clouded, blinding her to the point where she was forced to await until it settled. "Kaia," she sounded, using her link, although weak at the moment. "There's been an attack." It was all she managed before being forced to focus. "Get out," she croaked, her voice hoarse from the dust surrounding the vicinity. "Get out!" Squeaking her words out, it was both a pathetic sight and sound. Once strong, her voice was now frail and weak. She doubted the others within the Eastern Keep could even hear her. Slowly, K'issuk advanced, using her body to crawl over small piles of rubble. Slowly, the dust began to settle, and when it did, she wished that it hadn't. Eyes widening, her gaze traveled up the walls and to the ceiling, where miniature cracks had formed. Quietly, she continued on her path, hardly even allowing a breath to escape her. Rock was a fragile thing. She had heard stories of it caving. It was unpredictable.. delicate to the touch. This was no different. "Riezzyn," she uttered huskily, having espied the physique of the lunar dragon, and a companion of hers, emerge from a neighboring cave. "What is the meaning of this, K'issuk?" Her friend had replied, head craning towards the exit, only to realize that it was blocked. "Attack. It's an attack," the water dragon managed to say. "We must lea-" A final, singular explosion was sounded, and that was all it took for the ceiling to crumble. K'issuk was swift to move, slithering towards Riezzyn and shoving her forwards with a singular wing. Where the two were headed, even she herself didn't know. She was a fool to think that they could outrun it. The ceiling collapsed after them, rubble smashing into the ground faster than they could move until, finally, it had caught up to them. Riezzyn was the first to be caught, a boulder barricading down onto her tail. Unable to move, she was yanked to a halt. "Keep going. I'll manage," she hissed, to which K'issuk ignored, gyrating. "K'issuk, don't." -- "Hush," she replied, talons already around the boulder that held Riezzyn's tail down. Grunting, the water dragon clenched her teeth in an attempt to move the stone. After what felt like too long, she managed to lift it an inch momentarily, giving the lunar dragon enough time to free herself. But by then, it was too late. The moment the boulder touched the ground, the ceiling caved in on them. K'issuk made eye contact with Riezzyn, who stared back at her in horror before they were buried. Pain surged through K'issuk's body as rubble fell upon her, burying her beneath it. Pressure built up upon her chest, preventing her from being able to breath properly as stone fell upon stone. There was so much darkness, and she couldn't move. Not even when the sound stopped and all was still, but by then, the water dragon's eyes had rolled back, a rock rendering her unconscious. When she awoke, she was delirious, hardly able to predict which way was up or down had it not been for a gentle flickering of a flame peeking through the gaps of rubble. Wincing, K'issuk forced her head to rise, pebbles and rocks falling from her sides as she moved. Suppressing a groan, the female felt warmth trickling down various parts of her body, the metallic smell of blood surrounding her senses. "Riezzyn," she murmured, blinking away the filth blocking her vision. The sound of heavy, rapid breathing could be heard. A sudden surge of adrenaline had coursed through her, allowing her enough strength to rise. "Riezzyn," she repeated, gazing around in a distraught manner before a soft voice was sounded. "I'm here," it whispered. Only the sound came from below. Gazing down, K'issuk wasted no time. Beginning to dig, she threw aside the remains of the ceiling until her fingers began to bleed. She continued digging, tossing aside any rubble until the face of Riezzyn was seen, a weakened smile gracing her features. K'issuk watched with soft eyes as her friend coughed faintly, blood splattering from her throat as she did so. "Oh, my sweet Riezzyn." Hand holding the other female's face, she smiled sadly. "How bad is it?" The lunar dragon spluttered, seemingly understanding her fate. K'issuk couldn't bear to inform her that she couldn't see her body, for it was too far buried beneath ruins. "It's not bad," she lied. "You'll be just fine." Riezzyn only nodded, her breathing growing shallow as she released a muffled sob of pain. She seemed to have stood there forever, watching as her friend's body struggled to survive, until at last, she could no longer witness the sight. Still holding the lunar female's face in the palm of her hand, K'issuk tilted it slightly. With a blank face, the female placed the talons of her other hand against her friend's throat. Stroking her cheek, she maneuvered her talons in a singular, swift action. It was quick, and it was painless. It was the way Riezzyn deserved to go, not suffocate in a slow manner. "It was an honour to know you." K'issuk murmured her words, lowering her friend's head. In the distance, another boulder could be heard falling, to which she managed to pick herself up in response. Somewhere, there must be a way out. Somehow, she needed to warn the others. She needed to tell Kaia and ensure that he was safe. Releasing a high-pitched sound that echoed throughout the path to let others, if any, know where she was before turning around. Limping, the female continued, weaving her way as quickly as she could in an attempt to head towards the exit before stumbling. Releasing a grunt as she hit the ground, a shaken gasp escaped her. "Deilo?" She croaked, crawling towards the male, who remained unresponsive. An admired seer, Deilo was a tall and bulky individual who was the first to welcome K'issuk all those years ago. Now, he, too, recieved the same fate as Riezzyn. A muffled noise sounded from her throat, her hands hovering over his figure. He wasn't breathing. She wouldn't have been able to save him if she could. Defeated, K'issuk lowered herself onto her haunches momentarily, closing her eyes. She would have sat there like that forever, but the sound of explosions in the distance jolted her awake. Blinking, the female's neck stretched upwards, her heart thumping against her chest. The attack wasn't over. The Western Keep. The others. Kaia. Picking herself up, K'issuk broke out into a limped run, continuing her earlier path towards the exit,. Throwing herself against it upon sight, she began to dig. The sudden sound of another jolted her, her head swinging to meet the form of Xevioso and Scirocco. "Oh, thank goodness!" A breath of relief escaped her as she took in their presence, standing to meet them. Her hand reached out to touch Xevioso's face gently, then Scirocco's, before falling to her side once more. "I warned Kaia earlier, but there's been no response." Pausing, she listened to Xevioso's words, scoffing. "Of course it's a preemptive strike. A bold one, but a preemptive strike nonetheless." -- "And of course we are the targets, Xevioso. Without us, our riders are easier to get to. Wounding and eliminating us was the plan, which is why we must be quick." Sighing, she returned to the rubble, shaking her head. Turning to the storm dragon, K'issuk motioned to the rubble. "I need you to strike the rocks," she announced. "They already know that we're here. It's either that, or we dig, and we cannot waste anymore time." She paused. "But be cautious of the blast, we don't want to cause a cave in." |
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Lightbringer
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Peter M. Evans || 17 || Rider || Male || M: The lack of being able to see and smell was terrifying. He couldn't hear anything. Just watching the shadows flicker, praying and hoping that it was okay. It has to be okay. That was the thought racing through his mind.
The problem was he didn't know how to alert the right people. All he could do was roll uselessly, jingling that same stupid bell that he couldn't hear.
Peter finally let out an awkward noise, half muffled by the blankets. |
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Neutral
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Scirocco Ice Dragon || Female || Mentions: Seraphina, Xevioso, K’issuk Sprawled throughout her cave in loops and coils of pale blue scales and white, feathery fur, Scirocco had been sleeping fitfully, if at all. She hadn’t been able to truly drop off into an actual, restful slumber yet that night, something that sent the length of her tail twitching in annoyance and frustration every time she opened her eyes. She hated how the aftereffects of a bad night’s rest overshadowed her entire day following. Sciro had just closed her eyes again with a huff, almost drifting, when something flickered over her senses. Her long whiskers, which had been floating idly around her, ever-moving, twitched and stuttered. Eyes flicking open, Sciro lifted her long serpentine neck, ears pricked. Wariness replaced the frustration in her body. A staccato of distant booms and impacts rumbled through her cave, and Sciro had barely shot to her feet when the shockwaves reached her. Then it was just noise. All around her was the deafening sound of crashing rock and the outcries of her fellow dragons, and all she could sense was shifting dust and rubble. A cracking fissure opened in the ceiling above, drawing Sciro’s wide eyes upwards. However this only kept her from noticing as the ground beneath her cracked, then crumbled into empty space below. Scirocco fell with a startled hiss, recovering after a couple seconds of shock in time to take flight before hitting the ground. But it was no use. Debris from what was previously the floor of her personal cave showered her in a wave of dirt and rock, obscuring the particularly larger pieces that caught her on the way down, dragging her down and pinning part of Sciro’s long tail to the floor before she could think to dodge. More followed, and she hit the ground hard. After a while, the initial chaos seemed to settle, though Scirocco could still hear some faint aftershocks and collapses in the distance. Mixed in were the faint whimpers of pain of those who were trapped. Too soon, some went silent. The faint iron smell of blood oozed between the cracks in the walls, mixing with the musty dirt. Sciro stirred, heart dropping at the cries (or lack thereof) of the others. She slowly lifted her head, shaking away the daze in her mind and sending dust and gravel sloughing off of her. ‘One thing at a time,’ she told herself before she could get derailed by shock, promising with an aching spirit to mourn later. First she evaluated her own state, relieved to find that the only thing seriously trapped was her tail. Growling low in her throat in pain she gingerly stood, shoving away the pieces of rock propped against her. She carefully curled her body around to her pinned tail. Drawing whatever moisture from the air that she could, Sciro quickly crafted a shard of ice to form under the debris trapping her, reinforcing it to lift the weight off just enough to slither her aching tail free. Successful, she sighed in relief, releasing the ice and leaving it to shatter. Nothing seemed broken, only bruised. It was then that her rider’s voice filtered into her mind, releasing a knot of tension in her chest Sciro wasn’t even fully aware was there yet. Seraphina! She replied, but her rider continued on. Scirocco scowled, ears pinned pack in agitation as she continued to listen. She hated that with danger everywhere, she couldn't easily reach her rider. Sciro huffed, the action turning into a cough as she unintentionally inhaled dust. Too late, she answered in regards to ‘staying safe’. There was an explosion here too. I don’t know anything else yet. A lot of us are hurt. Too soon, she could feel Seraphina’s attention shift away again. Be careful! Sciro emphatically urged before she departed entirely. Scirocco sighed, resolving to make contact again when she knew more. It was enough that she knew her rider was alright, for now. Sciro pressed forward, carefully weaving her long body over and around the rubble. She located again the hole through which she fell, and in one bound flew upwards, carefully tapping the floor to ensure it’s stability before landing in her stall again. She looked forward, glaring at the large slabs of rock that prevented her from leaving her space and entering the main tunnel. The crowding, suffocating feel of being underground and blocked from the exit started creeping in on Sciro’s mind, her scales bristling in unease. With a shuddering breath she forced herself to calm down. Lifting her front off the ground Sciro settled her foreclaws on the pile of massive rocks before her. A faint draft whistled down from the top left corner and Sciro pressed her nose to the opening, inhaling briefly before shifting to press her horns and forehead against the rock. With one mighty heave, she was lucky to send a large boulder tumbling down the other side, creating an opening. For a terrifying moment the rest of the rock pile shuttered and she froze. Besides a few smaller rocks skittering down the pile, nothing else moved and Sciro could breathe again. The space she had created was wide enough for her long, smaller body, and so she carefully slid her way through, trying to float as much as possible to avoid disturbing the rocks. Sciro had only taken a couple steps forward towards the main tunnel when she heard the rumbling tones of a male. Ears perked, she recognized Xevioso’s voice, echoing from somewhere before her. She bounded forward, rounding the corner to spot the storm dragon. She sighed, grateful to find he was alright. After a moment she actually processed what he had said and nodded. “It is as you surmised. Seraphina only said there was an explosion at the dorms and left to investigate.” Scirocco replied. “I haven’t heard from her since.” Soon after K’issuk joined them, and Sciro’s heart lifted that another of them had survived, though she did look a bit worse for wear. “Glad you’re okay.” She hummed in reply to the other’s touch. She then turned her attention to their main problem, analyzing the cracks and the fall of the rocks. Already she started analyzing places she could perhaps stabilize with her ice, and other places where she could possibly expand existing gaps. |
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Spring 
Night Weather: 
Clear Moon: 
