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A Bargain for Bonding; [Kura - Septys]
Topic Started: Jan 9 2013, 03:09 PM (1,201 Views)
Nherva
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There was only one stirring in the deathly silent manse that night, for evil never truly slept. Perhaps by some primal stirring, or the consciousness of the inevitable, the dark mistress of the Tainted Legion had been forced to concoct a plan which only she could see from start to finish. Even Lascariel, her bonded human servant, could not aid her in her nation’s dark hour. Even she did not like the conclusion to which she had come in the past months. Her own biological clock was ticking away with the passing of days and she knew that soon she would rise to find a consort and continue her own line, producing her own heirs to bolster her twisted kind. Soon there would be eggs, and without the Dark Lord to create bonds for their occupants, they would be weak, or worse. A solution would need to be found. Even she, for all her accomplishments, did not know the secret to creating the crystals that would bond the tainted young to their first puppets or slaves. For as prophetical as she could sometimes speak of the future, she could not see into unhatched eggs and match even her own dark children to their humans.

There was only one being left, to her knowledge, on all of Sekkai that could do what she needed to be done, but she was the enemy. Kazuko would never concede to create crystals for tainted young for her. Not for the barely four year old Toxic that had usurped the throne of her Dark Lord. Even if Asara had been willing to meet with them on neutral ground to discuss terms of reassigning land—a meeting that had been inconclusive at best—there was no chance in hell the Celestial crystal maker would just bond the Legion’s children with no strings attached. There was only one she knew she could go to that had a chance at convincing the Celestial to do what needed to be done. Augari could afford no more strings to tie her to obligation to the Sekkaians. As it was, her kind was either comprised of those who were ambivalent to the cause, or preferred to lead them in her place. She could trust none of her own, and they could not trust her. Perhaps, though, if she managed to somehow pull them up from the mire of defeat into which they’d sunk by provided them crystals for their young, she could prove herself a worthy leader.

It had taken Augari weeks of interrogation and inside intelligence to find out where the haven was where her treacherous sire had been exiled to. Now, on this night, the Toxic left her stronghold and her rider along with every ally and bodyguard she had at her disposal and flew alone in the direction of the Nightmare Isle, the one place she disdained to go perhaps even more than the Murks where she’d been shelled. It was Septys’ name that soiled her own, his visage that the eldest of the Legion saw when they looked upon her. It was her relation to his lineage that made her less than filth to the Dark Lord’s former Sheathe’s. Some of her greatest enemies on her own side were her enemies because of him. However, by some twisted turn of fate, it seemed Septys’ precarious position in exile would be the key to Augari’s plans. If he even agreed in the first place. It was one of the reasons she’d opted to come alone. If she were to be refused, or die, she would rather do it without witnesses, even her rider.

The flight to Nightmare Island gave her far too much time to think about just how wrong this meeting could go, and also allowed her seeds of doubt to grow further. Even if Kazuko did concede to making crystals for their children, who was to say she couldn’t implant them with some hive-minded loyalty to Sekkai? If Nidhogg had been able to control the entire Legion with his crystals, could Kazuko do the same? Augari had to push these thoughts from her mind, for it was already too late, and if she did nothing she risked everything.

Her dark form glided over the landmass her intelligence had directed her to. How even to call him out if he was even on the island in the first place? In all honesty, she hadn’t thought that far ahead, so preoccupied had she been with the task at hand. Whether or not her sire would know her at all, or see her as friend or foe was still yet to be seen if she could even find him in the first place. She flew around the island, over the shadows of the deepest forest, her quintet of eyes searching the depths of the shadows for any sign of brilliant glowing green or movement that would otherwise betray the dragon she sought. She might even be attacked, if not by Septys himself then by some other creature, but by the foolhardiness of her actions, she hoped to draw out the exile one way or another. If she didn’t find him here, she would have to search elsewhere. They had a few months at best before the first female’s heated cries would fill the sky. She had only that long to attempt to put her plan into action to be sure there could be crystals when there were eggs. If she failed, even she could not foresee the kind of future that was in store for her kind, let alone that of the Sekkaians.
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Kuralyst
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the banana.
For one so old as the gnarled Toxic dragon, time seemed to pass seamlessly, slipping by in a misty haze disrupted only by certain events, often those of the earth-shattering variety. Days and seasons melded into one, a muddled mess where every moment was indistinguishable from the next. Even night and day seemed irrelevant, six eyes capable of seeing in the silvery light of the moon as they were the fiery glare of the sun, whether through snow, rain, or clear skies. It was both a blessing and a curse, the twisted wyrm had long ago decided, only leaving his lair whenever whim struck him, or the desire to eat. It would have been easy for one to say that the jet-black creature had fallen into a rut, but in truth, Septys was only biding his time, waiting for the next event to drag the world out from under the feet of the unsuspecting, waiting for his chance to rise once more and regain a seat of power. He missed the rank scent of fear, the delicate tang of blood, the feel of flesh puling beneath his talons. Time, though, time he would spend waiting, watching, letting his agents do their work while he plotted his.

One such agent was before him, cowering, debasing herself in supplication to his might. He was surprised she had stayed so long, truthfully, and continued to toy with her even as her eyes watered and breath came in shorter and shorter gasps, afflicted by the toxic miasma that hung around his coiled form like a cloud, lit green by the glow of the tubes and pustules that coated his form. The human was growing weak, though, that he could see as her shoulders sagged and shook, eyes darting furtively towards the exit. Not just yet, not yet. She had yet to finish her report, her tale of what transpired in the Sekkaian lands both transfixing and boring him. He cared little for politics, though perhaps at one point he had; either way, he could not recall and it was irrelevant. What mattered now was the present and the fact that although the human spy before him was a blithering idiot, she also had intelligence to relay to him and so he listened.

He stiffened suddenly, the action going unnoticed by the woman before him as she continued to rasp on, her explanations falling on deaf ears as the Toxic dragon's nostrils flared, the fog about him swirling as he began to stir. A new scent wafted on the air, one that was not of his Isle, so similar to his own but not. A low rumble began in his chest, so deep that it at first went unheard, only rocks and pebbles skittering across the pitted and scored floor of the chamber he conducted business in until the human realized something was happening and wisely shut her maw. Leathery black lips drew back over pale fangs, all six of his eyes narrowing slowly, claws digging deep furrows in the ground while the stone shrieked in protest. "Wait without," he commanded, the savagery in his voice cowing the human as she hurried back out whence she had came, swiftly disappearing from both Septys' line of sight and his mind. He had something much larger to attend to, oh yes.

He did not slip out after her, instead launching himself upward, through the twisting mess of stone and metal of the once-proud ceiling, whipping past the bits of broken, colored glass that stretched out for him like so many thorns. It was a path that he had taken many times and even in his haste he managed to bypass all the hazards that blocked his way, moving with a surety that belied his haggard form. Up into the open air he jetted, launching himself off the final lip of stone with a great heave, twirling before massive wings snapped open to catch the air, drawing in a sibilant hiss of breath, nostrils flaring once more. Yes, it was there, so close. Strange to think that his own blood and kin would come here, to this island. Wasn't she supposed to be off ruling in the stead of his former master? He let out a broken laugh, tilting his body towards her as he did so, both disgusted and proud of the fact that one of his own would attempt to reign in the aftermath of the Tainted lord. That took guts, yes, but stupidity also, both of which he was well acquainted with.

His long jaws gaped as he let forth a bellow that was both a welcome and a threat, gliding swiftly towards her, wide bat-like wings eating up the miles with practiced ease even despite the many holes and tears that marred them. "Augari," he rumbled as he neared, slowing his pace considerably as he drew closer, keeping his distance. While she had apparently come alone he was unsure as of the purpose of her visit. To trick him, try to steal away his lands, what? Always distrustful and paranoid, he glowered at the other Toxic, fangs barred in a parody of a smile as he began to circle sedately. "To what do I owe this...honored visit, O Great Tainted Lord?" he asked, the derision and distaste thick in his mangled voice, something like a laugh bubbling just beneath the surface.
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Nherva
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It had been desperation that made her finally swallow her pride and realize the only course of action was this. If she were monumentally stupid, she’d perhaps have used the information available to her to motivate the Legion to get back their fallen Lord and crystal maker. All that lay in that future, however, was only more embarrassing defeat. Even if they did manage to succeed against all odds, they would only be instantly under Nidhogg’s control again. Her rule would abruptly end and her vision for true, chosen glory would be forfeit. Now she just needed to find him, the one dragon that had been the bane of her existence when she was a wyrmling and even now, despite what she’d proven of herself already. She hated that he was the single creature alive that could tip the scales in her favor, even if only slightly, but she accepted it. There was always that small possibility that the elder Toxic might not despise her as she’d been honed to despise him. After all, she had only gotten one half of the story. Without Nidhogg’s dark presence in her mind and soul, she at least had the capacity to understand that one cold hard fact. It was the only understanding that made her journey remotely bearable and kept her from turning back.

Dipping low over the forest, she continued to search, beginning to feel as though she’d chosen the wrong place. Drawing attention to herself was something she’d learned a long time ago was a bad idea in territory like this, so she remained silent in her search. If Septys was the Lord of this island the way she’d heard tell that he was when she was gathering information on where to find him and he wasn’t a complete simpleton, he would know she was there. He would have eyes all over the island and her presence would not go undetected. At least, that was her hope, but whether or not it was fortune that smiled upon her or something entirely different would be left to be seen as the air stirred below and an equally inky figure burst through the treetops. Instantly aware of the presence not her own, the Toxic dragoness whirled in the air to see him as he bellowed in her direction, a sound that could have been interpreted in several different ways. As it was, Augari was well on her guard and assumed it a warning, one she would gladly heed on this turf that was not her own. Her newfound position had certainly given her no expectation that she would be received with respect wherever she went.

She shuddered to hear her own name roll off her sire’s tongue, but she began to circle slowly to speak to him. She’d come too far now to let her own personal prejudices get the best of her. Besides, what did she really know of Septys? She could only assume the same of him as the rest of the Legion. After all, treachery was something excelled at by most. Had his not been detected, or even not with the white Celestial, he might have been praised rather than exiled to this place. For the purpose which she needed him, Augari was prepared to let bygones be bygones, but she wasn’t about to trust him. Her life had begun without trust, the rest of it would be the same. Besides, if things worked toward a more positive angle, and Septys were at all a self-respecting Taint, this could become a strategic move that could potentially benefit her in the long run. Nidhogg may have seen fit to exile his Sheathe for his treachery, but the details by which that had happened she did not know nor really care. She had much bigger problems at the present moment than dealing with past transgressions.

“Septys,” her own voice echoed the decency he’d at least had in naming her. “I would say long time no see, however, we have never met face to face.” Keeping her distance, Augari watched the other Toxic’s movements carefully. He was larger than she and if the need arose, her speed thanks to her size might be the only thing that saved her. “But there’s no need to stand on ceremony, I am simply here to request a favor, but I do not come without recompense. Are you willing to hear me out?” If he refused, she would leave and never bother with him again, but it would be a massive and blacker mark against her than what already was. For all intents and purposes, all was already lost, his agreement and follow through would be the only factor that would change that. So it was time to play her cards right and hope it turned out better than her last attempt at civility.
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Kuralyst
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the banana.
"That we have not, my child," he replied with a throaty chuckle, words gravelly and hoarse, yet bubbling strangely at the same time. His wings beat a slow, methodical pace, keeping himself aloft as he circled counterpoint to his daughter, regarding her dubiously, green eyes narrowed, calculating. It was not often that visitors came to to his island and those that did were often like himself, vagrants seeking asylum, runaways and cutthroats, often with blood upon hand and claw. He was not picky in those he accepted, caring little for species and age, gender or mentality, only making sure that they would not betray him at the drop of a hat. It was, of course, impossible to ask for complete fealty, but most of those dwelling under his watchful six-eyed gaze knew better than to cross him and in fact sought to please him when at all possible. That was all he could ask for, and, for the time being, he had been content with that. Times were changing, of course, but he would have to wait to act, unless Augari was here to provide him with some mechanism for the seizing of power.

He listened to her quietly as she spoke, lips pulling back in a wider leer at her words. "But of course. How often is it that one of my blood comes to see me, after all?" Yes, she wanted something, that much was obvious, but what? It was likely not council, of that Septys was well aware, especially given his standing with the Tainted legion, a throbbing ache shooting through his nub at the thought of his banishment and the methods by which is had gone about. "Yes, we shall speak, but not here. Somewhere more...private." Without waiting for a reply he snapped his wings shut, plummeting towards the ground like an inky arrow shots through with lances of green light, wings bursting open at the last second to arrest his fall, belly just barely brushing the tops of the scraggly trees grasping for the sky. He glided like that only for a short while before drifting to the ground through an opening in the trees, settling upon a group of broken stones that had at one point been a shrine of sorts, winding about the ruins in the clearing and settling in to wait for Augari.

There was no one besides them present, at least that his senses could tell and he trusted his subjects to keep their distance. He alone was intimidating enough to usually dissuade their interest, but two Toxics would strike more than double the fear, though also that much curiosity, especially considering that he had sired Augari. Even though family meant little to him others may not see it as such, meaning that it was best that they keep away from prying eyes. "Well?" he asked impatiently once she was settled, tip of his tail twitching slowly like an uneasy cat, propping himself up on his one remaining foreleg, wings half-folded over his back like a deathly veil. Together, their glow cast a strange, unearthly light over the stones, colors blending together, similar to the magic that the Hybrids used. "It is a simple assumption that you want something from me, but be aware, I do not give out of the kindness of my heart, though that you should already know," he hissed, drawing his massive coils tighter around his form, waiting for both answer and explanation.
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Nherva
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Relieved that he at least didn’t chase her off the moment he saw her gave Augari some hope that her plans might see fruition yet. She only hoped that what she had to offer him would be tantalizing enough for his cooperation. Where Nidhogg had seen treason and shame, she saw boundless opportunity, though much of that would depend on Septys himself. The female Toxic bobbed her head once when he said they shouldn’t talk there, but somewhere else. She followed his movements like a mirror image gilded in molten gold, her wings folding to follow him. Her own wings snapped open at the last moment to skim over the treetops and then descend after him. Settling down on a perch of her own, she folded her gold-veined wings and faced Septys in the dim light of his chosen meeting grounds.

“As I said,” she responded, “I do not come without due restitution for what I ask of you, though I realize this request may be of a rather tall order,” her forked tongue slipped out between her needle-point fangs as she spoke, her words hissing ever so slightly. “As you are well aware, it was our former Lord that bonded us to our human slaves. Without his…expertise in that field, I find us at a grievous loss. Of late I have been made well aware that females of our persuasion will rise, meaning inevitably that there will be eggs once again,” she paused for a moment, for her request was on the tip of her tongue, though it was possible he might know where she was going with it already. Her slender maw opened again and she continued, “There is only one creature left in this world that can bind them before they weaken and wither, but she will not hear me. You…on the other hand, she may be more apt accommodate,” a sly, purposeful tone colored her voice as her eyes glanced over the gnarled creature before her.

“I ask not for myself, so much for the young, that you be relieved of your status of exile in exchange for your help in acquiring crystals from Kazuko for our hatchlings,” even though it left a sour taste in her mouth, Augari stood firm on her decision to ask this of Septys. “Appeal to her better nature for their sakes, and you will no longer be an exile in my Legion. You will be free to roam as you please, seek out your own power, even if at the cost of avoiding our former Sheathes,” she hissed, almost in amusement. Ingrot, Corrioth, and Hellmouth might try to rip Septys apart if they saw him, which she couldn’t exactly be responsible for since they all seemed to take very badly to her own reign. However, if Septys was as crafty as she hoped, if she’d gotten as much from him in her own genetics, she had no worry for the elder Toxic. Though, by offering him his freedom, she knew she would have to watch her own back as she already did, for that power lust that made her Tainted Lord after Nidhogg’s fall could very well turn itself upon her. In a perfect world, it would be nice to know she could count on her own flesh and blood to support her, but it was far from a perfect world, and she would remain vigilant.

“What say you?” she inquired after posing her plan to him. Shifting uncomfortably, she awaited his answer, knowing that if he refused, all would be as well as lost. He was the only way to get at Kazuko short of holding knives at the throats of her children and threatening, which the Legion was currently in no cohesive state to do.
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Kuralyst
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the banana.
He listened quietly, tail twitching from side to side in an almost rhythmic pendulum, watching her without blinking, feline-esque. Sure enough, as she continued speaking, a slow smile crept along his jaws, curling up at the corners of his rear eyes in a devious manner. He had suspected that something like this would happen eventually, or had at least hoped. His former Lord had been a secretive one and loathe to share his specific skills and talents with those around him, even those he supposedly trusted. Thus, it came as no surprise to the weathered Toxic that they now needed assistance from that which they had so vehemently denied for so long. Not unexpected, and ironic, he mused, lowering his head, eyes hooded, to regard her with something akin to a glower as she continued once more.

"You assume we left each other on amicable terms," he rumbled, the phrase both true and untrue. While he wouldn't say there was any animosity between the two of them, they weren't quite as friendly as they had once been. He shook his massive head slowly a second later. "I do not wish to be a part of the Tainted Legion, no longer. Those many years of my life are past, as with those before them. Free passage upon occasion would be welcome, but there are far larger pursuits I have my eyes upon." His gaze shifted slowly out to the sea, to the vast expanse away from Sekkai, where surely more land must exist. "I will do it, but under another condition. I shall be present at the Hatching," he said sharply, eyes snapping back to hers, blazing with a determination borne so many years and lifetimes ago. "I know the Tainted as well as you and I have no doubt your rule is not quite so cemented as you hope for it to be. Kazuko is the representation of all they once opposed, a purity that they can never hope to regain. Such animosities are slow to die, especially for those as long-lived as ourselves."

He had alternative reason as well, though he did not speak it, unsure as to whether the other Toxic would understand or not. Unlike himself, she was born Tainted and had known only that life. It was a very real possibility that she would not understand the bonds that still tied him and Kazuko to each other, a love that had transcended many years and the corrosive power of the Taint itself, even if it had weakened considerably. Perhaps she would hear his plea, perhaps not. With the current peace, he suspected she would consent, if only to further banish the hatred between the two warring factions. It was in everyone's best interest. "Very well," he finally sighed after a few more moments of contemplation, "I will do this, however reluctantly, if you agree to my term."
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Nherva
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Augari finished her plea and awaited his answer, even if a few revelations turned out to be somewhat disappointing. The younger Toxic knew that her hold on the fractured Legion was tentative at best, as this was an attempt to further solidify it, but she had no expectations that it would. She had already learned that some problems needed to be solved from several different angles if they were to be solved at all. She could not control them as Nidhogg had. No, she would have to gain her following by the choices of those beneath her. She would have to gain support. It was already a more difficult task than she’d wanted to undertake in the first place, but the power vacuum left behind had been too tantalizing at the time. Lascariel had had no qualms about it, that had been sure, and she had plenty of people at least willing to follow her. Rather than put her tail between her legs and crawl into some gods forsaken hole at her current failure to make an actual strong following, however, Augari persevered, even to the point of this ludicrous idea to get crystals for the hatchlings. She still had her pride, after all.

“I assume nothing about whatever current relationship you have with Kazuko,” she responded. “I just know that of the two of us and anyone else left, you are the one she’d be most willing perhaps to accept an audience with, let alone hear out.” Asara and Dhruva had deigned speak with her over one matter, but she could not expect that Kazuko herself would allow an audience with her after so many of her own were slaughtered in the war. Of all the information she did have about the white Celestial, it was her overbearing attachment to all of the dragons and riders hatched and bonded on Sekkaian sands. She was also aware at this point that despite the facts, she was now effectively leading the Tainted faction and therefore took responsibility for all of its actions, good or bad, even those under Nidhogg’s recent reign.

The hood retracted against her inky neck twitched suspiciously when Septys claimed he wished to be a part of the Legion no longer. It wasn’t so much that she cared what he wanted as she hadn’t expected it. Maybe she should have, though one would think he might use ties of blood to climb the ranking ladder once more. But Septys was old, much older than she, born in a time when war had hardly been on the periphery of anyone’s memory. If there was some other goal he wished to pursue, he’d be free to do so, even if he became her enemy. As it was, aside from total obliteration, the outlook for what was left wasn’t all that positive. “Be of whatever group you wish. Be alone if that is your preference. I’ve not the time to care for allegiances aside from those to me. My rule will be quite different than His.” She admitted it openly. Forcing dragons and riders to obey her was utterly impossible. Her reign could not be the same as it had been.

Augari actually cocked her head to the side curiously at his final request. She had just offered him freedom to go where he pleased, but that he asked for attendance there made her wonder why. Her five eyes darkened to slits and she nodded her slender head once. It wasn’t as though she would not be there herself. “For this, if you succeed, I see no reason why you should be barred a place to watch.” Her claws clicked on the stone beneath her. “You have my thanks, whether you want it or not,” she concluded, her wings unfurling at her sides to take flight again. “Send word to me when you find out whether or not she will concede. I suppose I shall see you again very soon.”
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Kuralyst
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the banana.
The larger Toxic's head dipped slowly in acquiescence, pushing himself to his feet as he did so in one fluid motion. "Our business is then concluded," he rumbled, a note of finality working its way into his voice, wings snapping open audibly. "It shall take some time, but I will notify you as soon as I have convinced Kazuko to be crystal-bearer to the Tainted offspring." There was no doubt in voice, for of all the dragons, the pale Celestial cared the most for life out of any he had encountered. If any were willing to go against years of animosity and hatred, it was she. If she didn't, well, then the Tainted were truly doomed. "Farewell, my child," he said, the shreds of distaste from earlier now absent. With that final parting, he launched himself skyward, swiftly tracing his path back towards where he had been earlier, though all desire to hear the latest gossip had vanished from his mind.

It was not necessarily an easy task he had been charged with, but he was dreading it for different reasons. While he suspected it wouldn't necessarily be difficult to convince Kazuko to aid the Tainted and further the spread of peace between the two factions, he had to take into accoutn feelings that he now preferred to keep buried. Ancient grudges and blood feuds were something that fueled him, a constant reminder of what he now was but this attachment was something that burned. His blackened heart sought to reject it but was unable, instead withering away as he steadily drew in upon himself, a pain that was not physical and no balm could heal. It was weakness, that was what it was, he thought to himself with a snarl, even though the truth was plain to see. Cursing the past and the future, the Toxic swept down to where the human still cowered waiting.

"Begone, wretch," he snarled, acid flecking from his jaws, the sizzling specks nearly hitting her as she back-peddled frantically. Dark mood already soured further, Septys crept back through the opening that was almost too narrow for his bulky form, curling his glistening coils in a pile upon the dilapidated dais as he settled in to brood and plan. It would not be as difficult to reach Kazuko as it once had been, but he would have to tread carefully nonetheless. People were slow to trust and even slower to let go of old hatreds, especially against one such as himself. At least if he succeeded he would have the Hatching to look forward to, a grim sneer working its way across his jaws. He almost hoped some of the underlings would attempt to oppose him, if only for the pleasure of beating them into submission and leaving their corpses for the crows. Yes, it would be interesting to say the least, the Toxic letting his mind wander to the far more appealing subject of maiming and killing in the stead of peace negotiations.
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