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Post by Tiamat on Apr 25, 2018 19:17:34 GMT -6
Kesstril squirmed in the troll's fist, his hand wrapped uncomfortably around her lower legs. Occasionally she muttered and cussed, trying to keep up the act without actually drawing too much attention to herself. A sharp hiss escaped when Brai swung her through the air. This wasn't quite as humiliating as being captured by the gorgon -- at least no one was drooling on her, yet -- but the ignominy of her situation made her want to bite and claw and burn everything around her to so much ash.
Drake approached, appearing completely at ease around the creatures that were over twice his height and significantly stronger. She had no idea what he had in mind, but she reached back for his hand and clasped it. Moments later gravity reasserted itself and she cried out as she half-fell on top of the wizard. Pain flared in sharp, aching bursts across her body. Kesstril bared her teeth in defiance. Her eyes remained locked on the closer troll towering overhead, but she hissed to Drake, "You'd better have more up your sleeves than words, Wizard."
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Post by Deleted on Apr 26, 2018 15:55:22 GMT -6
Drake was not expecting for her to suddenly land on top of him, and he gasped with the sudden tackle. Force to the ground, he wheezed as she snarled a whisper at him. She may not weigh as much as a dragon, but she could easily pounce on him now. "I will if you get off me," He wheeze again, and whether she moved or not, he wiggled out from underneath her. He stood up and barked an orders to the trolls. "Okay! Now lock hands!to make sure no one is cheating, ill tie your wrists!"
The trolls did just that, and he used magic to tie the rope that once help him around their wrists. "Okay! Best two out of three wins!" The trolls tarred to grunt and pull against each other's muscular arm. It was an engrossing act, but he knew they wouldn't be stupid for much longer. He turned around and guided Kess away with a hand motion, close behind her. "Okay. Now move. Like fast sneaking speed." He gestured at a narrow portion of the canyons. "Into that, please. Chop,chop."
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Post by Tiamat on Apr 26, 2018 21:57:06 GMT -6
With Drake already squirming out from under her, Kesstril rolled over and pushed herself up into a low crouch. Muscles twinged with the movement. She was sure she would wake the next morning with disturbing discolorations splashed across her body, mottling the red-brown skin with bluish-black spots wherever she hurt.
Drake moved back to the two trolls, and all she could do was watch, agape, as they let him bind them together. Trolls were stupid, of course, but this was a level she never could have imagined. Only Drake shooing her along, reminding her that they were still in danger, got her to look away from the hairy creatures. They were so absorbed in their challenge that they didn't even notice the two travelers slipping away further into the canyon.
Kesstril kept glancing back, uneasy with how close the wizard was to her. In a way it was almost easier in crowds: at least then there were too many people moving too quickly, like streams of fish, there and gone and replaced by another at every turn. Here there was little to distract her from Drake's presence, particularly when the offshoot he'd chivvied her into was so narrow. The trolls would have a hard time fitting if they tried to follow, but... Kesstril wouldn't fit either, in her natural form.
Her free hand flexed, digging at the air at her side while she struggled to keep her breathing steady.
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Post by Deleted on Apr 29, 2018 23:05:43 GMT -6
The slightly uncoordinated breathing made him consider their closeness in the vast canyon, so he winced and wisely slowed a it farther behind her. He kept a watch out this way, and even managed to hear the faint growl of voices behind them. He gulped and hoped they didnt catch their scent. "Well...that was...unpleasant. They smelled like week old hogs." He said, swaying from his worried thoughts.
"Say...This makes for the second time I've saved you." Drake smirked behind her. This was even bette than the first time--saving a dragon twice could be very rewarding in the future. The wizard decided not to poke fun at this feat, for once in his life; the fact that he'd saved her twice was satisfying enough and there was still the sting from earlier when he'd hurt her. "Cant wait for your turn to save me. " He laughed quietly. "Maybe ill finally show you some respect?"
Hoping she at least found that the slightest bit, he followed her as the space became slightly narrower. He knew this spot, and there was a brief, tight spot before it dissolved into a clearing. In seconds, she'd have to angle herself sideways to get through and--
"I see them! Over here!
" We'll tear you limb from limb!!!"
Drake cringed; he could hear the sound of heavy footsteps scrambling up behind him. He swallowed nervousy and lightly pushed her towards the narrow space. "Yeeeeah, now is the time to save my life. Yknow, like, move just a liiiiittle bit faster. Just a little. "
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Post by Tiamat on May 1, 2018 18:18:51 GMT -6
Kesstril glanced over her shoulder at Drake. "That's what bothered you about them? Their smell?" An incredulous laugh rose in her throat, only to stall out at the wizard's next comments. She turned away with a frown. Would it literally take saving his life to receive more than infrequent decency from him? She huffed in irritation, hardly noticing that in her distraction her breathing had evened out. Kesstril was still tense, her arms almost rigid and held close to her sides as she tried to make herself smaller to fit. The canyon walls weren't quite touching her, but the gap up ahead was tiny and it was difficult to imagine how she could possibly squeeze through. Her heart pounded in her chest, forceful enough to shake the ground beneath her -- no, wait, that was the trolls.
She jerked around, one clawed hand rising instinctively against the unexpected touch to her back. When had Drake gotten so close again? Her gaze slid past him to the trolls. When had they gotten so close? Her lips peeled back, locking her features into a furious snarl that rivaled their own. For the briefest instant she locked eyes with Drake to say, "Don't push me," and then she shoved herself through the crevice before she had any time to think about it. Rock scraped at her hands, her cheek, and she coughed as her passage raised dust off the cragged wall.
Then she was through, the space opening up in a way that had her catching her breath in relief. The tension eased from her frame. She took several steps to the side, clearing the way for Drake, and peered past him at the trolls.
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Post by Deleted on May 2, 2018 17:42:45 GMT -6
"Then move faster!" Drake urged, and followed close behind until she'd moved out of the tight space. He turned sideways himself, glad his cloak was unable to be scathed. With a huff of straining breath, the wizard finally broke free from the narrow trapping. He felt air from the snap of teeth behind him and sighed in relief. Judging by the warm temperature they were in now, the trolls wouldn't be able to chase anyone without facing heat exposure.
Wordlessly, the troll snarled and broke off a chunk of the canyon, a good sized piece that could flatten three ox with no problem. He whirled his cloak around from his neck just as the boulder was lobbed at them. The object would have crushed them if it had not come near the cloak. Within centimeters, it shattered into small, harmless pebbles that quickly pooled around them. He slapped them away from around his legs and held up the cloak for Kess to see. "And that's the power of another great wizard: Kel the great runemaster. You might have heard of him--he helped the northern dragons fend off the invading giants of Elmor! Anyway, Before his disappearance, he enchanted a cloak with the shillings of a rune so powerful that nothing could penetrate it."
He smirked at the troll and added, "That means you can throw as many rocks as you want, hairy!"
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Post by Tiamat on May 3, 2018 22:29:09 GMT -6
One of the trolls reached through the gap after them. Kesstril reared back in alarm, her eyes wide and a deep breath held in her chest for all the good it would do her in human form. The beast ripped a truly impressive boulder from the wall and Kesstril jerked, a full-bodied lurch of aborted movement as she started to dive away and then froze. Drake simply... held up his cloak, completely unconcerned. She had no idea what he was doing but she knew he was a wizard, he had power, and an instant later she was proven right as the rock crumbled, untouched.
She was thoroughly impressed for all of two seconds before Drake opened his mouth and attributed the feat to some other great wizard. While his attention was on taunting the troll, her stare was fixed squarely on him, flabbergasted. When her queries had led her to seek out the Great Wizard Drake, the last person she'd expected to find was this ridiculous, arrogant jerk who refused to treat anything -- or anyone -- seriously.
"How about we don't taunt the big powerful creature who'd like to eat us while it's standing less than ten feet away?" She said, and sidled back with careful sideways steps to keep an eye on the troll. Trolls might not like the heat, or the sun, but if it decided it absolutely had to have them it might just tear its way through the canyon and bear the exposure for the few seconds it would take to grab Drake and her and retreat back to its lair.
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2018 8:49:28 GMT -6
"Oh, you worry too much...Kess!" Drake rolled his eyes at her warning but followed her away just the same. They had better things to do than taunt trolls anyway. Keeping the thing in his peripheral view, he smiled broadly and took out the scepter he'd managed to grab from the pile earlier. Ooh, he could cast a lot of spells with this bad boy! "Loood like we came out of this better than I thought we would. I got me a new staff thingy, and you have a pretty ring! Blending in with human girls will be a cinch now!"
He held up a hand suddenly, palm facing out to her in preparation for a high five. "Up high, partner!" He gesture to it, before rembering :She's a dragon, dummy! She won't know what that is! He faltered a little, but he stand was still up. "Uh, you do know what a high five is, right?"
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Post by Tiamat on May 4, 2018 10:00:06 GMT -6
Startled at hearing her own name for once, Kesstril froze and stared at Drake. A blinding smile lit her features. This time the glint of teeth was coincidental, rather than purposeful. Her humor obvious, she grinned and watched Drake crow over the scepter like a fledgling with new treasure. At least some traits seemed to be universal.
The last of her tension fell away as they put distance between themselves and the trolls. She looked at Drake, and then his upraised hand. "A high five?" She rolled the unfamiliar phrase over her tongue and took in the way Drake was clearly waiting for some sort of response from her. His position clicked, reminding her of something she'd spotted a pair of humans do once. Quickly she raised her free hand and struck her palm to his, watching him closely for his reaction. "Is that what it's called?" She asked.
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2018 10:24:07 GMT -6
Well, at least she was smiling now, as opposed to her usual grimly state or just her emotionless look. He grinned in satisfaction as she followed though with his movement and gave his hand a quick sort ofl slap, which left a slight sting. He flexed his hand to rid himself of the pain, but he otherwise kelt up his good spirits. The new scepter put him in a good mood. "Ah, that's it!"
When she asked he nodded. "Yes. It's used to convey mutual joy or contentment! Though nowadays people bump knuckles for some reason. Not sure why exactly, given that high fives are just fine the way they are. " Curious, he looked at her with a quizzical look. " When you are around each other, and if you've accomplished something, do Dragons...do anything like a handshake? Do you like, breathe fire at the same time or...?"
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Post by Tiamat on May 4, 2018 12:53:41 GMT -6
Nodding, Kesstril took note of his explanation. She quietly repeated, "High five," to herself with a pleased curl of her lips. Abruptly her attention sharpened on Drake and she sputtered with laughter, surprised. "What? No!" Breathe fire at the same time, what on earth? What purpose would that serve? She snorted and then wrestled herself under control, though she still had a wide grin. "If we accomplish something, we roar. Announce it to the world." A triumph and warning both: a dragon was successful here. Venture forth at your own peril.
Speaking of triumphs... she brought her other hand up, palm raised, to display the smooth colorful rock that had caught her eye in that sad example of a treasure pile. Swirls of color continued to blend their way across the surface, pinks and greens and blues, an aurora borealis contained within the palm of her hand. "You recognized this," she asked Drake without looking away from it. "Huemagic, you said?"
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Post by Deleted on May 4, 2018 16:12:20 GMT -6
"Oh." Duh. Of course they would just roar, as opposed to just wasting flames. The wizard nodded and imagined the scensrio--it would be both awesome and terrifying to see, for sure! He blinked as she revealed the colorfully glowing stone and he gently took it from her, eyeing it and nodding. "Yes! It's odd for its type, but its definitely huemagic. Hmmm, I wonder..."
With an empty space in the crook of the scepter, he fit it into the space and watched as it hovered in place and glowed brighter than before, with an intense similarity to the colors of the Gorgon. The sudden brightness made him shield his eyes with an arm, but even the rays he could see in his peripheral were mesmerizing.
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Post by Tiamat on May 4, 2018 19:16:28 GMT -6
Too late, she realized he was reaching for the stone -- her stone -- and taking it away. Her fist clenched down on nothing in a belated attempt to stop him. "Hey!" Frowning, she pivoted towards Drake, her eyes following the prismatic rock as he brought it up to the scepter. "Give it back. What are you--"
Light blazed forth, no longer constrained to the stone. Kesstril inhaled sharply and whipped an arm up, only for it to freeze halfway to covering her face. Piercing colors seared into her brain, scorching away her thoughts like water flicked into a hot pan. Her pupils shrank to pinpricks and still she stared, unable to blink or turn away. "What -- what did... you...?" The thought bubbled away and evaporated. She was pinned in place, a hatchling in the face of an irate elder whose power was practically a tangible force in the air around her. It was too much, chaotic and insurmountable, and she could do nothing as color after color flashed before her eyes.
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Post by Deleted on May 6, 2018 23:31:05 GMT -6
Drake was able to realize that he'd been pointing the scepter at Kess and partially at himself, so he angle it away from him to keep himself from slipping into the same odd trance as the rag on woman. He blinked at her as she tared with the fascination of a child, and he wondered jut how vulnerable her cursed eyed were given that she fell so quickly to a mere Gorgon. He really should be taking the stone out of the scepter now...
"Kess..." Grinning like a mad child,Drake waved the scepter closer to her eyes. If she really was hypnotized, then this should work. "Say 'Drake is the greatest wizard of all time and I'm so lucky to be his friend!"
Regardless of whether she said it or not, he waited a minute and slowly removed the stone from its place. "Here! I think it works like a charm!" He tossed it towards her hands and gave a playful nod. "Heads up!"
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Post by Tiamat on May 7, 2018 15:46:01 GMT -6
Her head twitched at the sound of her name, but Kesstril could no more look away from the blazing scepter than she could breathe underwater. It was like looking into the sun without her inner eyelids. The vibrant colors grew larger, closer, and her jaw dropped as her muscles went slack. In a vacant drone her voice said, "Drake is the greatest wizard of all time and I'm so lucky to be his friend." The lights continued to shine, strobing across her face and washing her mind clean of all thoughts and emotions.
Then, without warning, it stopped. Kesstril immediately began blinking, her arm finishing its rise to her face so she could press her eyes into it. Afterimages of swirling color darted across her vision, leaving her disoriented. "Hmm? W-what?" She peered at Drake, her eyes a little unfocused, just in time to see a colorful blur collide with her stomach. "Ow!" She gave a half-hearted swipe at it to try to catch it. It slipped over the edge of her hand and thunked to the ground. For a long moment she stared at it with a flat expression on her face, then she released a heavy breath and leaned over to pick it up. Tucking it against her side, she glanced sidelong at Drake, half expecting him to make some sort of comment. He always did. Then she did a double-take and stared past him, then back at the empty gap in the canyon wall. "Wizard... where's the rest of that deer?"
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