The Dragon Riders Forum The Ruins

Rood: While scouting the area I crash into a girl with red hair, she looked like she was 15 and she looked up to me when I stretched my hand out: "Sorry for that, I'm Rood, who are you?"

Adrian: " First allow me to introduce us. I am Adrian, the shadow dragon rider and this is  Strygius." I say as he crawls out of my shadow. " When we were talking about eating you we ment the darkness if your heart. In other words your sin."

Einasze: After my wounds are treated and the wounds of my companions treated as well, I slowly roll over onto my side, groaning softly in pain. Then carefully sit up, shaking my head clear of the dizziness. Kasumi rushes to my side, standing protectively over me and glares at everyone around her, katana held ready to fight. Her stance and shoulders, though fluid, are tense. I lay a hand gently on her shoulder and shake my head. She looks back at everyone else a moment, then very slowly sheathes her weapons, but refuses to move from my side.

"Thank you, all of you," I whisper, smiling sadly. "I apologize if I startled any of you."

I take a slow sip of the water from the wooden tankard, my smile deepening. It had been almost three days since any of us had had fresh water. I hand the cup to Kasumi, but she refuses to take it, so I shrug and pass it over to Coat'l Attor.

Coat'l: "I'm Coat'l Attor service," he says with a wide grin. "Anyone know any good jokes?"

I simply roll my eyes in annoyance and soft growl at him. He sticks his forked tongue out at me, smiling as only a giant lizard can.

The young woman with the bright red hair looks like she's about to answer my dragon's question, but I quickly shake my head. "No, please, I don't mean to be rude, but once you get this one going on a string of jokes he won't stop," I say with a smile.

Coat'l gives us all his best, "who me?" face. Kasumi walks over to Styrgies and gently pulls him from the shadow of his human friend, scratching him tenderly under the jowels and at the hinge of his jaw lightly, much like one would do for a puppy.

Within moments, she seems to have completely tamed him and I look wide eyed at her. "Looks like Kasumi has made a new friend!" I say with a grin.

Adrian: I watch, silently waiting for Celeste's response, the blond girl petting Strygius. " Strygius, your the one that told me not to do anything stupid now it's my turn. Don't eat her." I tell him, and he looks disappointed and goes back into my shadow. I turn my attention back to Celeste. " I know. We usually consume the sin of the dying. So if you receive an injury you can't heal from We will be eating your sin."

Einasze: "I'm Einasze, by the way. I, uh, haven't much I can offer in payment for treating our injuries, but I'd be happy to share what few rations we've left, if anyone is interested?" I walk over to Coat'l and slowly pull a large pair of saddle bags from his back, then kneel down and poke through them. Finally, after several moments, I take out two slightly stale loafs of oven baked bread, a half empty waterskin, and a small leather pouch of dried raspberries. Kasumi nods to the shadow that the dark dragon has now become and walks back over to me, kneels down and looks me directly in the eyes, then nods, stands and runs off into the woods. Her footfalls are completely silent as she disappears into the thick underbrush.

Coat'l: "Ein, I do not mean to dent your generosity, but you've barely enough food there for you and Kasumi. Are you certain you wish to share it with people you don't know?"

I turn to him and say, "The babbling brooks in mountains bring life to the far off oceans and, so too, must I otherwise the river salmon will not have a path home, my friend."

Then I pull out a small flint and steel and build a small campfire, taking care not to harm the forests around me as I build it from dead leaves and twigs.

Rood: "Gee, I come back to see weir stuff I don't understand... Anyway, this area is forest for ten minutes of walking in any direction, no spring to be found yet and so I'll have to materialize some although I don't want to."

Carissa: I smile at Rood "I'm Carissa." I tell him, then hear Adalric huff and look up "What? I wasn't rude." I tell him. "We shouldn't be here." He says unhappily, and I sigh "Why not? There are other people and dragons here!" He gently but firmly pulls me away from the others "Exactly why we should leave." I stand my ground and cross my arms, manipulating the earth so I can talk with him eye to eye "But why? I thought you'd be excited! You're always complaining about needing 'Intelligent conversation' and all that stuff." I tell him "I don't see why we should leave."

Adrian: " I see...... An interesting pair aren't you? Well, just because I was transported to a strange place doesn't mean I can slake off." I say getting up and walking to the buddha statue that brought me here. I take a seat and begin reciting the mantra again.

Ethereal: " It is time child. Be prepared. Do not trust this man with your life."

Celeste Angelica: I nod and go back to the portal but it has disappeared. Suddenly, the earth begins to quake and fall apart. The entire forest including everyone in it, fall through. A few minutes later I open my eyes and see we are at a Ruins Temple.

Kasumi: I follow the one called "Rood" as if I were his very shadow, silent in everything I do, for a time. When he turns back, I keep going. Eventually I find a large raspberry bramble and dozens of wild mushrooms, which I pick along with other wild greens. I store the finds in a small knapsack slung over my shoulder that is designed to be hidden within the folds of my loose fitting cotton shirt. I inwardly wince, grinding my teeth with anger at myself for showing a sign of weakness, as a soft twinge of pain echoes across the muscles of my left shoulder in the back. Four circular scars adore the milky pale flesh, but I ignore the brief moment of pain and continue with my work. Finally, I have filled the knapsack with a treasure trove of wild berries, mushrooms, roots, and other greens. On my way back, I make sure to pick up a small supply of firewood. Something catches my eye about 100 yards from camp and I break a thick branch in my hands to alert the others. Bright yellow eyes scamper off into the shadows just as the branch makes it loud CRACK sound.

Adalric: I grab Carissa and shelter her from debris, then she looks around "Adalric, where the heck are we?" "Temple ruins." I tell her, then glare "And watch your tongue. Young ladies do not use the word 'heck'. Those nymphs are a bad influence." I scold.

Einasze: "AAAH! BY THE GODS!" I open the wings on my back and flap them hard, then dive after the nearest person, catching them by the wrists and guiding them safely to a soft landing as Coat'l Attor flies through the air, catching Rood, Celeste, Adrian, and Carissa and brings them all safely to the ground.

"Is everyone all right?" I ask.

Kasumi materializes out of the choking clouds of debris and dust and nods towards the entrance of the temple.

"What is that?" I ask breathlessly.

Adrian: I get off the Thunder dragon. " Looks like someones showing off." I say looking at the damage.

Good Gods, I so need to type faster or find a faster 'net connection! I can barely keep up!

Einasze: "I supposed you could say that, though I've little clue what I'm supposed to do, much less care right now."

Kasumi glares hard at me, her face stony and a mask of anger.

"What?" I say. "You know why I don't care, Kasumi and I'm not about to bring my problems on the heads of those that know nothing about them."

Kasumi breathes out a slowly, angry sigh and stalks up to the doors of the temple, examining it for traps. Finding none, she signals to the rest of us that it seems safe to enter.

Adrian: At the silent girls signal I walk towards the temple doors. Excited and curious about what lies behind the doors.