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(Tag: Sen) Living Shadows
Topic Started: Nov 7 2010, 06:28 PM (441 Views)
Aero
Unregistered

Zeleth wasn't sure if he absolutely hated this or not. He didn't much like having to be in enemy territory just to figure out if there were any escapees nearby. He wasn't sure how incompetent captors were when it came to charges and whatnot, since a few of these candidates had somehow gotten out of the heart of the Desolation. Zeleth furrowed his eye ridges.

He was crouched like a cat waiting for its prey to get too close. Hidden amidst the trees just outside the outer portion of the city, Zeleth watched. He thought he was patient enough to tolerate this agonizing wait. The Gravity had gone through the trouble of even killing a few dragons who had found him, quickly and silently. Zeleth was hoping they wouldn't trace back to him.

His tail twitched in agitation, his lip pulling up ever so slightly. The black dragon's eye narrowed, and he shifted, his shoulders moving up and down. Talons scraped against the dirt. Zeleth's neck stretched forward. His head then drooped, the dragon moving languidly about his hiding place, but still with purpose. He would almost rather kill these obnoxious candidates over bringing them back for timeout. It was ludicrous.
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Senaru
Unregistered

Oh, how marvelous the skies were, to be up here again! The young, but not too young, gravity flexed his wings in the air, aided by his own gravity and half floating along. True, he was here for a reason, he and his rider had already picked up a few rejected tainted candidates lucky enough to escape with their lives. They had been tasked with returning to look for any others with the rest of the wing, though so far he hadn't seen any others about yet.

He sniffed the air, picking up a scent he thought he recognized...There was a definite stench of the Taint nearby, he was certain of it. Though, the escapees had smelled this way too so he had to investigate. Fanning his wings out suddenly, he caught a gust upwards, and tilting forward through the winds, folding his wings up like a diving falcon- Sen leaning into the dive with him in her saddle.

This bit of aerial play wasn't necessary, but it was still fun anyway. Lagrange twisted about as he neared the trees, slowing himself with a wing flick here, a leg outstretched there, till he landed. The scent was a lot stronger now- His scales raised, rattling a little as he backed up, looking around, white-blue eyes wide and cautious. The scent couldn't be from a human, it was a dragon, tainted with a scent like his own hiding under it. A gravity- And he could guess who it might be. He hadn't seen or heard of the events that had happened to his father, to be sure he avoided his dark lineage when he could.

Creeping through the underbrush, the scars on his forelimb were clear, a limp in his step, closely hidden as much as he could bear it, a deep scar in his chest...One set looked old with new rips, freshly healing and the other was entirely new. Sen peered around in the shadows of the trees...Anything could conceal the dragon Lagrange was sensing. "Lag, maybe we should go back,..." The dragon's reply was a short snort. He wouldn't retreat like a coward... "Perhaps we should see what he's up to, why he's here..."

Sen didn't know who 'he' was, and was currently wishing Lag didn't always run headlong into trouble... "They're going to be sore with us if we go back bleeding..." Lag hissed, his long tail coiling about.. "Well, we didn't have a choice last time...Besides, Denkou should have left, three to one?...P'ah!" Sure, it had been three on one, after Lithia showed up. It had almost killed both of them, only because lag was already hurt when he got there from an old wound. The star-spotted dragon stood his ground, whiskers flowing about him loosely. "I know you're there, why not show yourself?"
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Aero
Unregistered

There was a familiar scent wafting in the air. Zeleth became tense, his muscles starting to lock together in anticipation. There always seemed to be some confrontation between him and someone else he was related to or knew in some other way. Zeleth gave a low hiss, the spines on his neck flexing. Smelled like a Sekkaian, unfortunately. There would not be much friendliness to be had, he was sure. At least it wasn't that damnable Ghost. He recognized that Sonic's odor; it was clear as crystal to him. This one was different. It smelled like a relation.

He had tried to retreat into the jungle, but it seemed that the Sekkaian had caught up to him. Zeleth twisted and coiled in the leaves and branches, laying himself low in an effort to remain unseen. His own smell, however, betrayed his presence. That much was obvious. His lip curled even higher in agitation, but he remained still, crouched and ready to flee at a moment's notice. Zeleth's back leg ached and protested, but he could tolerate it.

He observed the fellow Gravity, noticing the neck spines (an oddity among normal Sekkaian gravities, but then again, this one could have been cured of Taint) and scars that laced his front limb. Zeleth had to resist giving a low growl in warning. How funny, that they would both have lame limbs for some reason or another. He frowned, deciding to speak out, but still remain visibly hidden as much as he could.

"Well, you do know I'm here, yes, but I prefer to remain hidden," he said. His ears twitched. Before he had spoken, he had heard something of "Denkou." That Bone dragon was one he had seen before. Not exactly one he was acquainted with, though. So, could that have been the dragon who hurt his own blood relative?

"Who gave you that injury?"

In the back of his head, there was a raging, shrieking voice telling him to attack. But, he resisted. Even though this Sekkaian dragon may have been an enemy, he was not going to attack him. This other Gravity could have been his own son, or another relative, such as a nephew or grandson of some sort. Zeleth narrowed his eye, trying to resist the voice.
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Senaru
Unregistered

Lagrange's own spines rose as he was spoken to, and focused on where the voice had come from. Sen was quietly urging him to retreat, but he would have none of it. He had never been asked a question before like that from a tainted and he wasn't sure if it was a taunt or something else. He snorted again, tail curling loosly...

"Some time ago, I was attacked while looking for my friend after she went down in battle. I do not know if it was one or more, but what hit me was a devilish breed, one I'd not seen before or since, reeking of disease. I, and my rider, almost died. A few months ago, on another routine flight, still looking for Ionos, I was attacked by a bone dragon who's name I didn't catch. That one probably didn't live after I broke its wings in flight...Soon enough, I succeeded in finding Ionos, the dragon Denkou was attacking her and I fought him. My old wounds split, but he took full advantage of it and made things worse."

Sen prodded at her dragon, the taint, not that she cared, hadn't asked for a story, he'd asked for a name. Lag sniffed indignantly and folded his wings elegantly. "It was Bone Denkou. I let him live, if only that he might know the shame of loosing to a wounded dragon..." Sen coughed. Denkou had done serious damage with his bone spurs...And Lag hated him for it, and would strike again at full health if he got the chance.

Lagrange murred... "I'm Lagrange, by the way, son of the Karma Veris..." He'd been told his fathers, more than one, were tainted. He only remembered seeing his mother at hatching, so he believed it too. It was probably why he had such traits. The taint was not in him, but sometimes he did lash out for no reason. Given his mothers unique sort, Zeleth could have guessed his own relation to the spined Gravity before him.
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Aero
Unregistered

Diseased dragon. More than likely, it was those infernal Influenza dragons, which he despised. Zeleth couldn't care less if the rest of his breed died out. He figured he himself would evolve into a superior dragon thanks to the Taint and all of its remarkable abilities. But, those bastards made him unable to pass on his own legacy. Zeleth moved a little nervously. Damned things were so incompetent as to strike their own!

"I see," he muttered.

Karma Veris. Well, there was one dragon he knew of that was unlike any other on the Sekkaian side. A silvery creature with golden wings, a beak, and a long crest. Zeleth remembered her visage clearly, and he and another Tainted had. . . had their way with her. A grin started to tug at his lips. The Gravity cocked his head, then raised himself up, allowing Lagrange to see him.

"Well, this would be the first time we have finally met, my son," he purred. His long, sinuous tail coiled like a serpent, cutting through a tree that it had wrapped around. Zeleth's leg throbbed, causing him to wince as he got up. It quaked under his weight, and he instinctively lowered gravity around him again, but it did little to ease the pain.
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Senaru
Unregistered

The albino astride the night sky dragon shuddered as she saw the great tainted Gravity rise up, though Lagrange didn't seem the least bit concerned. Truth was, he was very concerned, and focused. If Zeleth decided to attack, he was ready to flee. His father far older, and more skilled in elements and probably had tainted skills too...Though he did notice, how could he not, the wounds and scarring on Zeleth that might have been healed, maybe not. It was actually not as hard to look at his face, despite the missing eye. His own rider, Sen, had a blind eye that was a different color. He'd gotten used to it. Flexing his wings a little, he tilted his neck to the side, sensing the pain his tainted father was in.

Lagrange let out a breath in simpathy, somewhere deeply feeling a loss. He could never truely be a friend to this creature, whos cracked crystal would likely be forever black. "You asked me what placed these old wounds on me, allow me to ask you the same. What did this to you?" Sen had to wonder if he meant everything, or did he mean the taint too?
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Aero
Unregistered

So far, it was a civil conversation. One between a Tainted and a Sekkaian, not something that was terribly common. Zeleth listened to Lagrange, nodding quietly. Oh, he remembered that event. It changed his life forever. He would, and never could, be the same again. Zeleth's claws drummed against the ground. The Taint may have morphed him into something a little different, but battle was the culprit for many of the most horrific changes.

"I never caught their names," he said, waving a claw. His tail started to lash violently. "I'd been on the receiving end of a fire's attack, outnumbered by other dragons and unable to escape. Then my leg was caught in another dragon's jaws."

Zeleth sighed and took a deep breath. But, he was looking at Lagrange and his rider warily.

"Of course, I escaped, but not without the scarring and losing an eye."

His mind was beginning to be consumed with the need to attack his own son. But not yet. He could bide his time, maybe even try to convince Lagrange to join the Tainted, an ally. Then, Zeleth would have no need to fight him.
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Senaru
Unregistered

The dark scaled andstar-streaked dragon dipped his head in some respect, listening to this all. Why did there have to be so much fighting? Was there no peace? no, it didn't seem likely... He could see the wariness of Zeleth, and perhaps he didn't look much better. He pitied his father, wishing that perhaps he could be saved. Flicking his tail tip like a cat, he sighed... "You do not have need to worry about me attacking you, I don't strike family. I will not engage you in combat later, or any day. If it came to it, I might...be able to aid you in escaping at some point, but in war I cannot help you openly, or risk treason...."

What he said made Sen uneasy, it was already bad enough being here, but this was stating something else. She spoke to him, whispering carefully. "You mustn't be tempted,..." He snorted, holding himself high. He would never bow down to the taint himself. To Zeleth he looked on in sympathy... "I know many of my wing are out here, looking for surviving escapees from your home, and if you were any other I would have to call for them, but...I will not tell them I saw you."

Lagrange had such a large heart, he wanted to make everyone happy, he hated the war but wanted the world clean again. He was no weakling, but he had his own agenda. Perhaps he would have been proud to know his father was once so high in the rankings.
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Aero
Unregistered

Zeleth was surprised at what Lagrange had to say, but. . . it didn't change the fact that his son was an enemy to the Taint. And it didn't change the instinctual need to spread the Taint and to kill the Tainted's enemies. Zeleth twitched, his front claws tapping against the ground more agitatedly than before. The feeling was overwhelming, a shrieking, terrible beast that demanded to be freed from its cage. The Gravity knew it would be unwise to attack here, and he didn't want to, anyway.

"I will not attack you if I can help it." The words seemed forced. Indeed, with the Taint having gripped his mind for so many years, it was hard to resist the Taint's orders and wishes. Zeleth's lip twitched.

"Why not come to the Tainted's side?" he asked. He hated that at least one of his children was on the losing side, destined to die. Zeleth thought he could try to spare Lagrange of this fate, convince him to join him. He wasn't sure how willing Lagrange would be, though. Zeleth could only try and hope.

"Sekkai is bound to lose at this rate. I can teach you everything I know. I was once in the Shadowguarde. I know much that can be passed on to you."

He waved a claw, but dared not demonstrate his power here. There were too many eyes that could find him. Too many people who could see the Gravity. He retreated a bit farther back into the shadows, bright blue eyes narrowed.
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Senaru
Unregistered

It was Sen's quiet whine that caught Lagrange's attention first...She didn't like this one bit, and He was mostly ignoring her words. Here, he had some connection, a blood relative- his /father/. Something inside of him, that tiny hint of malice that existed so rarely under that dark hide's surface showed. "Hush, I'm busy..." He hissed, then turned his attention back on Zeleth as he retreaded a little. "You were in the shadowgaurde?...but father," He spoke carefully that word...

"How could I ever be as grand as you were? I was broken in my prime...As for joining you,...I must think about this, I hope you understand. It is no easy answer. My people still have hope, still struggle..." Sen was dead-silent at his words,...Thinking about it?! How could he! The dark, star-lit dragon tilted his head at where Zeleth was now.. "Are you..Happy? with your life? with the taint? You, yourself, not the ire burning in your heart- what trace of your true self, if any, is still there, are /you/ happy?"
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Aero
Unregistered

Zeleth had half-expected Lagrange to simply decline, or flee, or even attack. He gave a low rumble in surprise. He curled his neck somewhat, head tilted completely to the side before moving it back to a normal position. Zeleth's tongue flicked, one claw tapping at the ground. He turned his head to look down, thinking. Lagrange did have a lot to say. A lot for Zeleth to think about. . . He lifted his head back up.

"Broken? Giving up will only cause you to slip back."

He remembered that incident in which he was so brutally scarred. The memory was so clear, so vivid. The sound of roaring and shrieking, the smell of blood hanging thickly in the air, the unbearable pain. Zeleth growled. That twist of fate had caused him to be like this. He would be like this for the rest of his life. Zeleth knew he could bear it, however. He knew that he could rise back up and ascend to greater power than he ever had before, so long as he survived the passage of time.

"I don't know," he murmured. He shook his head. Zeleth's nostrils flared. What of his life as a Sekkaian? He was every bit as brutal as a Tainted, filled with hatred and a desire for his twisted sense of justice, want for revenge, want for blood.

"I never felt any real change, but I don't think the Tainted really notice whatever change happens to them, mentally. I just remember fighting my entire life. That's what dragons are bred to do now. They have little other purpose."

Just the thought made him seethe with rage. The instinct to attack was buried by a new focus. Dragons only had one purpose. They were merely massive war dogs created to fight. That was all they did anymore! Zeleth's scales bristled. To humans, what were dragons? Just nice companions to defend them and to hide them. They were forced under humanity's will, brought up to do battle against their enemies.
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Senaru
Unregistered

By now, Sen had been reduced to silence, listening. She felt Zeleth was wrong, so very wrong. Dragons she saw had lives, there was more than fighting. There was still true happiness for them. They found it in each other, in friends. In time spent lounging on great sunning rocks. In the joys of flying, in the dreams they all shared for a better tomorrow.

Lagrange was thinking this too, but his version lacked love. There was no love for he, not as he was. Without the ability to breed, he was nothing to any female. He growled a little, feeling some of what Sen was thinking... "I will think about your offer,..But I still wish to see how high I can go in our ranks, I still have things I may want to do..."

He had friends who cared for him, but perhaps he could learn from Zeleth, despite things... "Perhaps I could meet you sometime when I've thought about it? Or maybe you could teach me what I must know to ascend the ranks..." It was all Sen could do to hold back her inner whine, for she felt at any minute, the shadowy dragon might let loose and take them by force. She didn't want their life, out there, she had no purpose. The tainted dragons had little use for the humans they bonded with...
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Aero
Unregistered

Oh.... So it seemed that Lagrange still had ambition. That wasn't bad. Ambition was what got some people where they were, high in the hierarchy, looming over others below them. That, and luck. Zeleth cocked his head. He would not have minded if he had gotten to the very top of the Shadowguarde himself.... But no matter. Having been a Sheathe and a Shadowguarde was a satisfying achievement. If only he could get back up again....

"I see. Take what time you need. Though... I do not think Sekkai has much time left." The last sentence had dropped to a murmur. Here he was, so close to Lihn, one of the last places for the Sekkaians to hide. Zeleth could see what a sorry state it was in, with people ambling around with nowhere to go. Weak.

"Training and making yourself stand out amongst the rest, really," he said, waving his unburned claw. "Perhaps a bit of luck, too. And yes, you could meet me when you've thought about it. Of course, I can not stay past the border for too long."
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Senaru
Unregistered

There was a bit of pride burning in the night strewn dragon, his great heart pounded in his chest as thoughts burned through him. e felt as if his father actualy cared about his well being, wanted to protect him from the war. At least, save him from the losing side. He purred a little, tail flicking... "I will do my best to shine, no one will be able to miss me.

There is an obstacle course on the grounds now, it is challenging in every way...Perhaps I could run it more, when there are spectators? Its become sort of an improvised game...Maybe to keep warriors on their toes or just less bored..." Oh lag, Sen thought to herself, You're telling the enemy our training secrets.... He piped up a little, "Its too bad you can't see it....it's really amazing." Yes, if he could win the competitions there, he'd be noticed by the Talon. Maybe he'd even get a promotion! "Where could we meet, anyway? Maybe the dead plains?"

Senaru, for all she was worth, felt deeply uneased. That was tainted territory- if anyone besides Zeleth found them, they'd be worse than dead, no questions asked...Or maybe blessedly dead, that would be better than the hell before them now.
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Aero
Unregistered

Zeleth seemed more at ease. So far, it seemed Lagrange trusted him, more so than Zeleth thought he would. After all, Lagrange was telling him of one of their training methods. Or, perhaps it was just a ruse? He quirked an eye ridge. The older Gravity could seek him out, or even wait if he did not choose quickly enough. Inwardly, Zeleth thought of how he could not let Lagrange have a choice. For both their sakes, really. Why let his own son be at such great risk? Zeleth frowned at the thought.

"Do what you must. You could ascend the ranks of the Tainted forces, as well. Being a Sheathe isn't bad." There was roiling anger for a brief second, fury at the thought of having been cast down from that rank. But, Zeleth tried to pay more attention to Lagrange.

"Here," he said, "or nearer the border is better. The Desolation is too dangerous."
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