Heaven and Earth United [Shiva & Jokers]

[Shiva_Goddess]

Varianna

As Varianna began walking towards where the springs were, she kept trying to wake herself up. She heard the complaint from the human behind her and she had to bite her tongue to keep herself from flicking him out of her cave with her tail. She had to remind herself that he wasn't a dragon and humans don't have wings. She looked back at him as she watched him catch up to her, "I will be honest, I want you to bathe for other reasons. Not just because of the wyvern blood, but because of your human scent and that of others you carry with you. There are hatchlings here, and to smell a slayers scent so close to home will unsettle them. I wish to give them a life of peace for as long as I can..."

When those hatchlings came into the world, she felt that it was a new chapter of their lives starting. That their people still had a chance. It also meant that she would have to rise soon, she couldn't let the little hatchlings learn the real truth about the outside world. They deserved to lead a peaceful and she would make sure that it happened. Looking over at the slayer and thinking about what she had done to join them, perhaps one of their options would be to bring back the Riders. She hesitated on that though, there was a reason why they weren't around today, she didn't know what, but if she were to bring them back, she would have to figure out why. The risk was too great for her to be wrong.

When she heard Ashur comment on a dragon dwelling on the human anatomy, she gave him a sidelong glance, "So says the human who was ogling me earlier..." then she heard him ask her what she had in mind for the day and that she would be returning the favor of her learning about humans, "I have already lived among humans before slayer, but to humor you, I will return the favor. As for today, I plan to slowly introduce you to my clan. Starting with Brand, he is the least likely to overreact in this situation. Renard and Talia would no doubt go for your throat the second they saw you. Do not blame them though, they are only trying to protect the hatchlings. Like how a human Mother is protective of her children, every dragon is protective of the young like they were their own children. Also, if you prove to be trustworthy, perhaps I will show you our hatchlings. They may be young, but they are the best judges of a persons character."

Soon, they came upon the springs hidden deep within the cave. There were small holes in the top that allowed light into the area. The water was sparkling clean and in large amounts. Giving a soft sigh, she took a few steps into the water, "Ahh, very nice..." she turned to him, "Come on, the water won't hurt you."

XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX

 

[XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX]

Ashur Morril

A brow rose up inquisitively at her reasons for having him bathe. Slayers had a specific scent? Mindful that a human's nose was hardly any tool worthy of sniffing anything outside from food, he tried to keep his thoughts open ended. Perhaps the scent of death clung to a person tighter than he suspected. If that was the case he had to agree that trying to rid himself of the aroma of decay would be best if he were to come in contact with these hatchlings she spoke of. “..perhaps a cleansing wouldn't be so bad an idea after all,” he admitted softly. Varianna's next comment came like a slap to the face, however; Ashur ceased his pace with a flustered noise emphasizing the incredulous look he returned her.

“I-I was NOT ogling you, dragon!” he said quickly, perhaps too quickly to seem truthful despite his efforts, “..and what's with that look?! I was simply studying the latent power coiled within your form!” Even as he spoke he knew his words could be further misconstrued. With a resigned sigh he waved his hand dismissively and moved to catch up with her, hoping to put the awkward moment behind them. He had never been good with women. This curse seemed to haunt him even amongst females of other species, apparently! Glad the conversation moved forward with her dry acceptance of his offer to have her experience life amongst humans, he focused on the topic. Except, he had left out a tiny little detail on purpose to get her to agree first.

“You misunderstand me again, but I will hold you to your words. You may have lived amongst humans for some time, but what of other slayers, or other aptly dangerous humans? Consider it a cultural exchange of sorts! Besides, there may be someone who might be able to shed some light on this peculiar treaty you keep mentioning. Or at least the dubious circumstances that caused it to collapse, at least.” While he gave her a moment to ponder over his words, he weighed her own words regarding the plan for the day. Ashur didn't know how he felt about having this Renard or Talia dragon anywhere near him if they would try to kill him on sight, and his hand clenched lightly at the handle of the sword on his belt at the thought. Parental instincts or not, he would defend himself if he had to!

The prospect of seeing a hatchling intrigued him of course. Amongst themselves, slayers had a saying: 'kill them while they're small, or they'll kill us when they're bigger.' The saying was rarely put to practice, though; it was almost unheard of for a slayer to come across a hatchling, dispose of it and its guardians, and live to tell about it. Personally he harbored no ill will towards these fledgelings at the moment, reminding himself to keep an open mind as they came across the springs. The scene held a wild beauty about it, especially with the rays of light shining in from above. Ashur's sense of adventure perked up at the thought of being the first human to lay eyes on the curious spectacle of nature.

At Varianna's insistence, he began to remove his clothing, thinking to wash them as well. The man paused for a moment as he undid his belt, eying his sword with caution. His instincts warned him to keep it near him, but logic argued against such a rash display of mistrust. He left his sword at the water's edge, taking the rest of his clothes with him as he waded into the shallows. Having nothing else, he scrubbed with the palm of his hands, trying to clean his attire and his body. His light green eyes made a point of avoiding the golden dragon, his ego still conscious of the teasing jab she had delivered unto him earlier. Wondering why he even cared, the slayer frowned and scrubbed his coat harder under the water.

A rust colored cloud formed in the water as he worked to remove the dried blood and dirt from his body and clothes. He also took the time to inspect the injuries he had sustained from the previous day's fight. As he had expected, they had fully healed thanks to whatever was in the drink he was given the night before. Several times he submerged himself fully to make sure he cleaned himself thoroughly. Every now and then he would eye his sword, still on the dry bank of the spring just to be sure it was still there. He had noticed the other cave openings leading away from the spring too, guessing that those tunnels led to other dragon dens similar to Varianna's. Despite the situation, Ashur couldn't help but chuckle to himself. “If only Artemis could see me now. He'd never let me hear the end of it..”

OOC:

Shiva_Goddess

 

[Shiva_Goddess]

Varianna

Varianna was glad that he accepted to get himself cleaned up in the springs. Even though humans couldn't smell it, especially him, he had killed dragons before. Whether they were monsters or not, the smell of dragon blood and death clung to him. It would upset the hatchlings if they caught his scent. "I do appreciate this. And being in this spring will help get rid of that scent and cover you in the scent of living dragons. Granted, with my mark you should be safe to be around them. Still, I don't want to take any unnecessary risks around them..."

As she got herself to move further into the water, she chortled at his retort to her stating that he was ogling her. It was so easy to tease him. "Oh really? That still sounds like ogling to me. If you had been a dragon, I would think that you were courting me. Unless you truly are, then that truly is disconcerting. Or perhaps you are imagining my human form? So many options to consider..." If she could manage to get him flustered at least once a day, then that would make his stay more tolerable. Then she heard him speak about the time when she would be living among his kind. There was a piece of information that could come from that, that made her consider it. "I will be fair to you Ashur, I will go with you. Perhaps if there is someone there who remembers the treaty, could shed some light on things for me. I am willing to give the benefit of the doubt to you humans, to prove to me the real reason why my clan was attacked. It will not restore the lives lost, but maybe it will give the other dragons some sense of peace."

As he undressed to clean himself up, she continued to speak with him, "All we dragons want is peace again. Peace for the hatchlings who have finally come into this world. We had feared that no other dragons would be born, and the day those little ones hatched...I have never seen my clan so happy. I want that happiness to continue. Very soon, slayer, I will rise to claim the title of Dragon Lord and will attempt to make peace again. The dragons...are tired of this fighting. We will fight the wyverns and the other creatures out there that would take over, but fighting a one-sided battle against humans? It is a fight we can never win..." she then dived under the water. While under there, she changed her shape to that of the woman she had before, only this time, she kept her wings and her tail and no armor. Breaking through the surface, she looked at him again, "That is part of the reason why I accepted, Ashur. To show you this world, so you understand dragons and why we exist. And to help us get back the peace we lost all those years ago..."

Sighing a bit, she swam over to him and noticed how he was looking at his sword, "I would stop being paranoid. You should be safe so long as I am nearby. Renard and Talia both know not to raise their claws against me. But, if you are ever caught alone with them, use my mark to call on me. I will be there as soon as I am able..." she swam out of the spring and stood up on the ground there with no clothing. Chuckling lightly to herself, "I think I am understanding why you humans like being on just two feet..." just then she heard a roar sound through the spring, vibrating off of the walls, "Sounds like Brand is awake."

XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX

 

[XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX]

Ashur Morril

The dragon had definitely given the slayer some food for thought with her words. Again, the more he learned from her, the more questions sprouted within his thoughts. Ashur put his muddled thinking aside as something else caught his attention within the spring. A splash. A particularly small splash for a dragon... Instincts demanded he rush to his sword, but the human held his ground as he turned his head to identify the source of the sound. Lime green eyes narrowed at the other humanoid in the water with him, not in hostility, but silent indignation. She was teasing him again he was sure. He had a sinking feeling that this would be a regular occurrence as well, knowing that she took great pleasure in his own displeasure. Curiosity stalled his temper, though; he was positive that she hadn't had wings the first time he had seen this form. And beneath the water, which was a bit too clear for his liking as he studied her, Ashur noticed the golden strand behind her. A tail? Quickly he adverted his gaze lest she pounce on him with another ribbing!

“I came bearing an open mind, not open arms,” he declared firmly as she got closer, commenting on his precarious looks towards his weapon. “Your companions have enough reason and motivation to kill me, just as I might do the same to them if put in a similar position. I will defend myself it I must; that is all.” The words had left his mouth long before he could reign his stubborn pride back under control. His harsh words only made Varianna's wish for peace more pronounced. At times he too felt jaded by all the violence, and felt his sword weigh heavier than usual in his uncertainty. Humans did not have the longevity to sit in contemplation for long, though. They were creatures of action.

His gaze still consciously avoided Varianna's naked form as she moved onto dry land. He himself had already started to get dressed in the spring, knowing that after washing his clothes he'd get wet after putting them on anyways. As he finished shoving his arms through the sleeves of his brown coat, a distant roar echoed into the chamber from one of the side passages. The woman on the shore labeled the perpetrator as Brand. “..he's a big one,” remarked the slayer softly, all too familiar with sizing up a dragon by its throaty call. It was with a forced calm that he marched out of the spring. Ignoring the wet squishing noises from his boots he stooped over to retrieve his sword and place it back in his sheath.

“Have I met this Brand before?” It was a realization that he hadn't thought of till now. It wasn't until last night did he learn of Varianna's name, though their relationship had begun a long, long time ago. With that in mind it was entirely possible that he had crossed paths with other dragons from this area without knowing it. A sense of dread welled up within him. He had never met a dragon that he hadn't tried to kill on sight. Then he remembered two other names that he had been warned of: Renard and Talia, the supposedly more ornery ones of the group. Fate would have a cruel sense of humor indeed if he had met them all at one point or another. At least introductions would be shorter. He just hoped it would have no influence on shortening his own life.

OOC:

Shiva_Goddess

 

[Shiva_Goddess]

Varianna

Varianna noticed how her sudden change in appearance caught his attention. It did seem to fluster him, so perhaps appearing to him in her human like form was the way to go. She didn't mind the form, the only time it annoyed her was when her tail and wings were constricted. Since they were out now, she felt more comfortable. She would change back once Brand came to the springs, or if any other dragon came by. She needed to make herself a bigger shield to protect the human from any attack that might occur.

She listened to him as he spoke about defending himself if any of the dragons here attacked him. Narrowing her eyes at him, which seemed less threatening now that she was in a human form, "I promised that I would protect you, even from my own kind, Ashur. Brand is a dear friend to me, I owe him my life several times over. If I am with you, you have no cause to fear my kind. So please, sheath the sword while around them and keep all hands away from it. Brand is not as jumpy, but he is protective of me..." she watched him as he got out of the water and proceeded to get dressed.

When she heard his comment on Brand's roar, she laughed loudly, "Do not say that to his face. He may be aged, but he is very sensitive about his appearance..." then he asked her if he might have met Brand before. She shook her head, "No. You wouldn't have. Brand would have told me. Since our many encounters, I have told Brand of you, in great detail. Kind of hard not to know after having you in my mouth that one time," she laughed again before she heard the roar get louder. "Oh, looks like he's heading this way. And from the sounds of it, his back is acting up again," she placed her hand on her hips as she looked towards the cave the sound came from. She then looked at him and she ran her fingers through her hair, "Remember, you bare the mark of the Shield on you. I will protect you, you have my word."

XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX

 

[XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX]

Ashur Morril

The woman's scolding made him feel like a child who's hand had just been slapped away before it could pilfer a sweet roll before supper started. So far, neither of them had betrayed each others hesitant trust yet, and he'd be damned if he were the one to initiate treachery. A part of him hadn't even expected to wake up this morning! Taking the verbal slap on the wrist as stoically as possible the man simply nodded in reply. Sword in the sheath, hands far from its hilt. A simple enough instruction.

The echoing of sudden laughter caught him off guard, though Varianna's following explanation for her mirth was less surprising. 'Like humans, we are individuals,' she had told him just last night; a thought that would be proven to him eventually, it seemed. Perhaps even sooner than later. She then mentioned having told this Brand dragon a lot about the slayer. “I see,” was all his budding curiosity stammered out, bluntly pretending to not have noticed the quip which landed her in another fit of laughter. Again, the unseen Brand roared. There was a difference of inflection in the sound, but not speaking 'roar' himself, it was only with Varianna's explanation did he understand the shift in meaning. It seemed like old age hit dragons just as hard as it hit humans.

His lime green eyes came to rest upon the marking the dragon had given him as she tried to reassure his safety. Ashur believed that he would be mildly tolerated at best by the other dragons. Not a friend, but not an immediate threat, either. He supposed that would be as good as it would get. Ashur couldn't entirely blame them if they felt that way, too. In an attempt to meet her halfway in the spirit of trust, his gaze drifted away as he made an offhanded remark, “..at least I don't have to worry about being eaten, right?”

OOC:

Shiva_Goddess

 

[Shiva_Goddess]

Varianna

Varianna had to admit that she was a little concerned by how Brand would react to seeing a human in their safe home. She knew it wouldn't go over too smoothly, but Brand was wise and rational, she trusted that he would jump to conclusions. Knowing that though, she knew it wouldn't save her from getting a tongue lashing from the older dragon. To him, she may as well still be a hatchling with how he treated her. She looked at Ashur again knowing that he was going to try to behave while he was there. He had already passed the first test, she hoped that he would pass the many others that came with partnering with a dragon.

She noticed that he was eying the mark that she had given him, that paranoid part of her was still regretting the decision to brand him with her mark. But, if there was anything she remembered from her Father was that he was fair and didn't pass judgement unless the person proved to truly be distrusting. She sighed a bit before replying to the human, "You won't be eaten, at least, not without a piece of me going down with you. While I am young to rise to the title of Dragon Lord, the other dragons have learned to respect me as they did my Father. They won't attack unless you give them good reason too...if you can get Brand to trust you, you should do fine."

The roar had gotten close that she knew he was only a few steps away. She gave her own roar to let him know that she was there as well. The next thing that was heard was a deep, throaty chuckle, followed by, "Training already, little Princess..." then out from a cave came a large deep red dragon. The tips of the scales were tinted grey to show their age. He was an older dragon, he even had a short mane of grey hair for a beard on his face. He was almost twice the size of Varianna in her dragon form. It only proved how young she truly was in comparison to the aged dragon. His face was showing pride as he came out, but the pride vanished and was replaced by a cold stare. Varianna knew the stare well. Brand was an old warrior, and that stare meant that he was thinking up a way to take out the human that was near her.

Sighing, Varianna took a step forward, "Mentor, you are not fighting anyone this day," she spread her wings to help shield Ashur from Brand, at least until she could get him to calm down. Brand wouldn't strike automatically, and that was what made him deadly. He was a calculated fighter. Old age had not changed that. "I brought him here. If we are to one day co-exist with them again, we need to start now."

"He is a Slayer, Princess!"

"I know! An even better approach. There is no going back on this decision Brand. I made this final."

"And what is to stop me from charring him alive?"

She knew Brand wouldn't do it. It was an empty threat, but it told her how concerned he was. She wasn't going to say this out loud, but it would stop Brand in his tracks, "Because I made him a Rider!"

XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX

 

[XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX]

Ashur Morril

From what she was telling him, Ashur assumed this 'Brand' to be second in command as far as any hierarchy the dragons had set amongst themselves. Making a good impression with this dragon would be important! The man was pulled from his thoughts when Varianna roared back to their unseen visitor.The sound was definitely not something a human could make, and its volume was startling. He didn't have time to ask her about it, though; Brand had entered the wide bathing chamber. The first thing the slayer was quick to note was the dragon's size. Brand had to be the biggest dragon he had ever seen in his life! The human's wide eyes narrowed to mirror the older being's glare when their eyes met, however.

Ashur recognized that look. It was a stare he himself used quite often on the battlefield. But this was not a war zone, he had to remind himself silently. Varianna was the one to break the quiet tension by speaking first. He felt that the act of shielding him with her wing was unnecessary, but the sentiment was appreciated. The two dragons had a short debate that left Brand questioning what would stop him from killing Ashur. Reaching out with one hand Ashur gently brushed aside the golden wing blocking his view.

"..you would have torched me on sight if you were going to do it at all," spoke the slayer boldly, his words chosen with great care. "..just as I would have charged you on sight had I no sense of self preservation." He stepped forward to stand beside Varianna, and raised his hand up to show Brand the symbol imprinted upon it. "Ashur Morril; a career slayer, as you pointed out." Showing weakness here would be detrimental to his credibility, and he didn't think he needed to hide behind Varianna's lineage to protect himself here. If the other dragons were as reasonable, he felt that he would do fine with them as well. "If you want to discuss me being here, speak your thoughts. I'd like to do away with any misunderstandings as soon as possible, myself."

OOC:

Shiva_Goddess

 

[Shiva_Goddess]

Shiva_Goddess

Varianna

Varianna could tell from the look in her Mentor's eyes that she had dropped a bomb on the whole situation. She could see the conflict in the old dragon's eyes, a mixture of surprise, pride and naturally anger. She wasn't surprised that he was pissed, she couldn't blame him. After all, she had just done something that came at a high price if she was wrong in marking in this human. She knew that most of his anger spawned out of fear of the risk she was taking. The rest of the anger was probably because she hadn't consulted him before actually doing it.

She saw Brand getting ready to lay into her, but then, she felt Ashur touch her wing and then brush past her. This was not his smartest move. And of all the things to say to Brand first, that line was the worst one. Then he followed up with displaying her mark to her mentor. Was the slayer trying to provoke Brand? She watched between the two of them, her human legs twitching, readying for any possible attack that her mentor might push forward with. Even though Brand knew the consequences of her actions, an enraged dragon was something no one wanted to be on the receiving end for. She then heard Brand speak again, "I know you are a slayer, I have lived long enough to know your breed. I question the motives of our Princess, but..." he gave a heavy sigh, smoke coming out in the process. He was swallowing a lot of pride in this case, "It is her decision and I hope for all of our sakes it is the correct one. You are treading on dangerous ground slayer, but I will listen. A thing such as this has not been done in many years, not since the days of her Uncle, Lord Javir. For good reason. Already I can see the bond between the two of you forming with what Lady Varianna has done. If you look at her human, she knows that I could attack you at any moment I wish and she is already preparing herself to protect you from me."

Varianna stiffened when she heard him say that. So, that was why he didn't attack. He knew that he would be hurting and fighting her if he did so. "I understand her reasoning for this. I would have preferred it that she ascended to the throne before attempting something like this, but what is done is done...We dragons, have been leaning on hard times for a long time. We have been laying in waiting for a time when things have calmed down on the outside. However, from what Lady Varianna tells me, wyverns are now making themselves known. They are weak, but their numbers are overwhelming," Brand then looked at Ashur with serious eyes, "Perhaps what we need is a Rider. However...I will be watching you slayer..."

Varianna let a breath go that she hadn't realized she had been holding. She took a few steps forward before speaking to both Ashur and Brand, "I, as well. The main reason for this whole thing, is to prove to this human that we, as Dragons, are individuals that have the capacity for goodness. If we are to regain peace, then we should take the first step. I don't want to rise to the throne with there still being doubts about dragons. The same thing would happen again. Mentor, you and I both know that the wyverns are just the beginning. We've been vacant from the skies for too long..." she turned her head to Ashur, "There are many other things in this world that humans are unaware of. There is a reason that dragon co-existed with humans. To keep this world from falling into choas."

XxWild-Eyed_JokersxX