Challenges

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara left the safety of the mountain first. It was easier since the pace was slower and the cloak blended in with the night sky better. There were some random hunters and scattered shacks in the area and Kimara knew that this would be a tough test of their fortitude. There were still a few hours before dawn and the Selkia was still a few miles away. Kimara had chosen here for a couple of reasons: One due to the small amount of people around; two because it offered the densest level of forest to hide Sarora in if necessary.

Kimara strode wearily through the open field, senses alert to any potential dangers. A few minutes later, Kimara motioned and the other two stealthily started making their way across. By dawn, they were hidden in a grove of trees that was concealed even more with the magic of Kimara. After that was done, Kimara turned to Saira.

"It is probably best you start in the daylight to travel. Challenges come at all times...regardless of when people sleep."

[WolfEnchantress]

They made their way down the mountain...volcano...stealthily, and not once did anyone notice them, even in the huts scattered about.

"I can go now," Saira said when Kimara urged her to wait until the daytime.

Saira, he is right. You will wait here until it is first light out, then you may go, Sarora said. I don't want you in any more danger than I am alread putting you into.
Saira nodded, glad that she didn't really have to go. Most of all she just wanted to prove to Sarora she didn't need to depend on her anymore, to give the dragon some peace of mind.

"Is there anywhere specific I should go?" Saira asked. Sarora thought for a moment.

Probably somewhere that is far eough away to not end up here by mistake, but close enough I can touch your mind to check on you. The dragon turned to Kimara. Will that be all right with you? She asked.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara stood looking out over the expanse of the open field back towards Blaze Mountain while the other two were getting some rest. Sarora would have the time, but it would help ease the tension in the girl, Kimara knew. The light was beginning to rise in the east, casting shadows on the small grassland plain. Nothing was moving at the moment.

Kimara turned when the sun had risen above the rim of the Selkia. "It is time to go. You should head due east of here. There is a small village about three days walk. It is called Orlin. The people are shy, but friendly."

Kimara walked over to her and handed her a small whistle. "This will alert us whenever you blow the whistle. It is just a precaution in case you are outside the range of Sarora's mind speak. You still have several hours of daylight left. Good luck." Kimara smiled and watched as the girl prepared herself to leave.

[WolfEnchantress]

Saira and her Dragon nodded in unison.

"Of course," Saira said. "I can go now." She turned to Sarora.
"You won't talk to me?" She asked, masking the fear in her voice. The massive beast shook her head.

No. I wil have access to your mind, but you will not have to mine, She said. Again nodding, Saira turned to head out east, towards the village Kimara had spoken of.

((Sorry for the short post...She is going to the village, right?))

[Omio]

He was within the forest's bornes, but moderately far from the forest - however, he was within their plausible path. He had set up a small station, having already plucked a few herbs and mushrooms to make into other drugs and chemicals. A slight amount of Nightshade... And he tossed in a couple of petals into the mix ...neutrealize it with Wolfsbane... the mixture then ended up ...add a touch of Phlegm, and another of Chole... He seemed to be making a combination of a sedative and an illusory, having an idea in mind for a medicine - thinking he might have grand use of it rather soon; especially with the way this area was. If drama that was grave erupted, He had almost every single fix possible.

(( I'm here, but if you don't want me in, you can just avoid me. ))

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara watched until Saira was out of sight and then sat down tiredly. A watchful eye looked over at Sarora. "I know you want her to be safe, but watching her mind will only worry you, you know." Kimara smiled and sat back against one of the many trees surrounding their current abode. "It will take her roughly a week all things told to get there and back. Hopefully she will be okay with that when she realizes she has to return to us as well."

Kimara closed the milky eyes and leaned the grizzled head back against the oak tree. "What shall we do for the next few days, Sarora?"

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora watched Saira go, and blocked her mind from Saira. She'd done it only once before, and hated to do it. It left her mind rather empty feeling.
She heard Kimara's question and thought for a few moments, fighting the urge to watch-or rather, sense-Saira's progress, even through the girl had only been gone for about seven minutes. She shook her head in agitation-she didn't know what they were going to do for the next week. She let off a small puff of frots, watching it drift lazily away and disappear.
I do not know. I never have had nothing to do-it is a rather strange feeling, She told Kimara.

***

Saira tromped through the forest. It was rather spooky with the shroud of trees cutting off her view of the campsite in seconds. It was even more so when Sarora cut off their mindspeak. Sha gasped-it was a horrible feeling, like their was a hole in her being that she couldn't fill. Sarora's absence terrifeid her.
Still, she kept going, singing softly to herself. As she went along, she realised thta she was being extremely loud. With all the leaf crnuching and twig snapping, anything nearby at all could hear her loud progress. She tried to pick carefully through the leaves, but found it harder than it looked. Puzzled, she stopped. She'd always flown, or had no reason to be quiet with a dragon to protect her. FInally, seeing no other option, she went on, not caring who or what head her.

[Omio]

Len wasn't quite in earshot of Saira's traveling, but if she kept her routa, she'd soon be able to smell the chemistry he was doing, and then probably hear him. Nonetheless, he took the concoction he made, and poured it into a small vial, soon placing the vial on the leather vial crib on his belt - going to need to use it later. Now he was going to make a potion he learned from his father. However, this began to haunt him with past images of verbal abuse. "You're not ready yet." "You think you can get away with mixing that?" "Ha, you think you can best me?" "You need to be orignal." However, he began, despite his hands shaking some.

Wolfsbane. "Wrong amount!" Phlegm. "Not going to cut it!" Fire Dust. "Not that dust..." And then he made a small cut upon himself, adding a drop of his own blood into the mix. Human's blood. "Don't speak baby-like now!" And this would be the likely point he would be heard. "To the one whom absolves this apocathary, I beseech thee; relieve the user from physical pain!" And the mixture bubbled, before changing from a dark red to a brighter one - though still a dark red. He had succeeded in creating the healing medicine his father was famous for. Now, father - as you were saying? Want to insult me more? No? Good. Rest in hell forever.Typo. -

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora boredly yawned, flashing silvery-white teeth.

Kimara, you have been to the Ularian Ridge more recently than I have. What is going on there? SHe asked him. Who is their leader, and how big has the colny grown, if any at all?
***

Sara kept walking, and soon was aware of an acrid smell in the air. She looked around in mild confusion. It wasn't a natural smell, that was for sure. Still, she ignored it, moving on. But as she walked, it grew stronger.

What is that? She wondered. Some kind of magic? Something burning? Quietly she crept around until she could hear something not fifteen feet in front of her. Leaning to the side, she saw someone sitting and mixing something vile-looking.

Who is he? She didn't rush out, studying the figure. Maybe he was hostile. Or maybe whatever it was he was mixing was deadly magic. Quietly she drew her dagger, though didn't think she was going to use it, being far beter with hand-to-hand combat. Even so, she hated fighting people. Usually, if it was needed, Saroa took care of things, proving painfully how often she actually depended on the dragon.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara turned to look at Sarora and the eyes told the tale that it would be story full of woe. "Many things have changed since you left the Ularian Ridge. Some of it you have already seen in the way they hunt you when you return to them time and again."

Kimara stretched and looked out towards the forest that could not be seen by the interlocking boughs. "Samrow is the leader of the ice dragons now. He took over from the last elder about three years ago. A very competent leader, but in a very difficult position. He got the job because of his honor and his duty to the ice dragons. Sadly, he has been failing."

Kimara turned to look at Sarora again. "As you know, for years the hunters have not gone there, fearing for their lives from the invisible threat they have felt. That was the ice dragons protecting their own land, made possible by me all those years ago. That is no longer the case. The spell has been broken. All of the ice dragons are visible to everyone now and the hunters have gone back to the hills. The population is actually decreasing, Sarora. The ice dragons will be extinct in ten years if the current hunting goes on unchecked."

Kimara let that thought sit a minute before going on. "Samrow has tried different things to make it work, but to no avail. There are rumblings of an internal war and schism among the ice dragons." Another intense pause. "It would mean the end of the ice dragons as a species, Sarora."

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora listened with increasing alarm, kneading her claws into the dirt to prevent a roar of outrage. She remembered Samrow-he was young, naive.

Samrow? That is rediculous! he is young and stupid, not fit for the position of leader! She fumed. He will get them all killed! Why do they not appoint a new leader? She growled, so low it was impossible for human ears to percieve, though the slight vibration in the ground gave it away.

If the hunting is the issue, perhaps Saira and I could station ourselves hidden at the base of the mountain and aid in protecting them. We could deterr the hunters, and if that fails, I could kill them. She bared her teeth. Usually kiling was a last resort, and she hated doing it. But despite the fact that her own race wanted her dead, she couldn't let them go extinct. She would be willing to do anything to prevent it, even intantionally killing humans.
**

Saira took a step out of the hidden underbrush into the small clearing.

"Hello...?" She called to whoever it was sitting there. He seemed to be mixing something a dark raddish color. Maybe he could help her find where she needed to go.

"Do you happen to know how I could get to a town called Orlin?" She called to the person again, hoping he wasn't hostile.

[HoudiniDerek]

Kimara thingyed an eyebrow at the dismay Sarora was feeling and smiled. "Who would you have them pick, Sarora? Most of the older dragons have died fighting the hunters that have renewed their attacks. An invisible dragon is much harder to fight than a visible one. Samrow was chosen because he knew the way to lead was to keep the ice dragons together. They are a much more formidable force."

Kimara let the eyebrow fall and a sad look crept upon the face. "You know that you cannot do what you claim, Sarora. You would be in a worse situation than the ice dragons. The hunters would attack you...and so would your kin. You are an outcast for your actions. Your effort to help save them would only serve to show them you still live...and that would be unacceptable. Besides, one dragon against all the hunters in the Ularian Ridge and Selkia Forest would be a mismatch for you...even with the help of Saira."

Kimara sighed heavily and laid back again with eyes closed against the tree. Sarora would not welcome this news anymore than she had the previous bit, but she needed to hear it...and more.

[Omio]

He stumbled; Quickly, at that. He was too busy within his own alchemy to notice the newcomer. Before he could even get a dirk out to ensure the other person wasn't hostile, she seemed to speak - a question, in fact. Sadly, he had little clue as to where this 'Orlin' was precisely. "No, though if it helps you any, I didn't hear any commotion or anything, and I came from--" And then he turned, facing about 45 degrees to the right of the direction Saira was facing. "-- That way, so your village is probably..." And he turned left. 80 degrees left. "...that way, generally speaking."

"Though this does give me a reason to follow you to said village - perhaps they have new herbs and other goodies for me to mix, or an interest in my skills..." He went on. He turned to face Saira. "Mind if I followed you along? It might take me a moment to pack the chemistry lab setup here, but what potions and poisons I have are bound to prove useful.

[WolfEnchantress]

Sarora growled mournfully.

The elders are gone? She repeated the statement, almost to herself. And I cannot help them...It's my fault they won't accept my help, I should never have even killed those bandits, much less tale in a human. Even as she said it, she knew it was a lie. No matter what, of she could do it over, she would have taken the small infant human, even if she had known the consequences.

How long? She said, quietly. How long before I am the only one left? The hope hid in the back of her mind behind the fear, the hope that all was not lost.

**

Saira listened to his startled reaction and his request.
"I...I guess notm though I don't know if i'm really supposed to get help...|" She replied. "We don't have to tell anyone though, right?" She took a hesitant step forewards, muscles tensed for a surprise attack.

"Who exactly are you? I would preferr to know who I travell with, even if it's only for a week," She told him.

[Omio]

He blushed slightly when Saira stepped closer, knowing what precisely she was doing - though he soon managed to get enough self-control to drop the blush. "My name is Len - I'm an alchemist." And he began to fold the small bars of his lab. "Chemistry and alchemy are my specialties." After folding the hinges and joints and fixing them all into a compact form, he began to slip it into his backpack. "Be it a healthy potion to fix something up, or a nasty poison to make some moron cringe... I'm probably the best one to turn to. As to the secrecy, you needn't say anything; I have none to turn to right now as is."

He was terribly true. No friends because of his reputation within the town, and almost as good of a vagabond as he was as a chemist. He settled his backpack properly on his back so it wouldn't be painful later on. "Alright, are we ready to roll?" Len looked at Saira with greater detail for the first time, and was soon blushing once again - not even knowing it, this time. It was apparent his lack of values in romance were about to become a complete novel.