Fall of the East: Chapter Eleven
Rem lay there on the side of the road for hours on end, tears streaming from his eyes as he watched the caravans disappear into the distance, and his chances of talking to his friend. The male shook as he scared off a raven that started to peck at him until he finally decided to cut himself free and walked along the path for a while before taking to the sky and flying over the group of caravans for a long while every now and then diving down and trying to contact his friend until one assassin fired a crossbow at him and forced the black dragon away. It took longer than expected, but at last he managed to find the outcropping and touched down before entering the small cave and curling up in a corner. Looking up at Ty, the male snarled and placed his head down. "You must think I am hopeless and useless too... everyone else in your little group does." he pretty much spat at the Anthro, his blue eyes glowing in the fading light, slivers of blue as they glared through the darkness.
Korasi looked up as Rem stormed inside and exchanged confused looks with Ty at his harsh words. Crystal, who had been waiting for Rem to return all morning, seemed hurt and scared by her brother's icy demeanour, and Korasi was quick to pick her up and hold her gently to stop her from crying. "You owe me one Rem..." Korasi thought, as Crystal tried to crawl onto the top of her head. It was hard to believe that she was still travelling with the dragon, much less playing with his baby sister, but oddly enough it felt nice to be travelling with them.
Crystal laughed and wriggled out of her grip, almost falling to the ground but Korasi caught her with steady hands, she was worried for the youngster, despite her better judgment. Could Rem really take care of this tiny creature on his own? Not to mention they had to get moving soon, and would Crystal be able to handle all of the travel? She shook her head, why was she even thinking about this? Looking back to Rem, Korasi saw that he was still whimpering quietly in the corner of the dark cave, what had happened to him out there? Well, at least he was calming down, but she wished he would just get up and start moving, how could this wreck of a dragon possess so much power anyways? She thought as her mind drifted back to the problem of the elite squad. That fire Rem had started last night would not hold them off forever; they couldn't remain here much longer.
She winced slightly as Crystal cried out, the child must be hungry, and a twinge shot through Korasi's stomach as she remembered she hadn't eaten herself in a day or so. She had received training for such occasions and could go without food for quite some time, but Crystal was a different manner, and Rem certainty wasn't about to go off hunting. With a sigh, she got to her feet and wandered over towards Ty, who had moved out of the cave and was sitting on one of the stones, watching the forest carefully with his golden eyes while he clutched onto the sword he had taken from the guard in Ridgewood.
"You have some skill with the blade?" she asked curiously and Ty looked up to her before glancing back at the sword. "Oh, no, I don't. I didn't even realize I still had it until this morning, but I don't think I'll keep it, it's too heavy" he muttered and looked at the weapon with a peculiar expression, was it anger? Korasi couldn't tell.
"Hmm…I see. Well, the child is getting hungry, Rem didn't bring any food back so I'll go in his stead, could you watch her?" she asked, raising her voice slightly as she glanced at the dark dragon, her voice slightly annoyed. He didn't move, but she was sure he heard her. Ty nodded and Reya dropped the kid into his lap, and the wolf was quick to toss away the sword before Crystal could grab onto it and hurt herself. Korasi sighed and took to the sky, flying off while Ty kept the tiny dragoness out of trouble, despite her attempts to scamper off.
As the black scaled dragon began to calm down, he looked around the small, cramped cave to see Crystal lying quietly in the wolfs lap. Collecting himself, the fire dragon slowly stood on his four paws and walked over to them. Nodding in thanks to Ty, Rem carefully picked up his young sister and walked back over to the other side of the room and held her in his front paws as he curled up, his head still facing the Anthro. "Don't worry. They are all alive and well. Your brother, Crow and that useless piece of trash Reya." informed the black fire dragon, muttering the part about Reya more to himself than anyone else. "I ran into them in the forest but before I could tell them anything about where we were, Reya shooed me away and said that I don't deserve to ever see my closest friend again."
Ty jumped to his feet and leapt off the rock, his face twisted into a snarl "You're lying! Reya would never do something like that, she wouldn't keep us apart..." he said, his voice trailing off as a terrible thought came into his head. Would she? Ty knew how much Reya loathed Rem, particularly after what he had put Crow through during the month they spent in Ridgewood, but would she really pass up the chance to bring the family back together? Ty couldn't stand the thought and got to his feet abruptly, dragging his claws against the stone before he stormed away, if he had just run into them, perhaps the wolf would have the same luck, and Ty started walking haphazardly through the surrounding forest, half-heartedly searching for his lost family.
Linwood Forest
Ocelot flew over the forest alongside his second in command, Pyre-Valor as they searched for the Eastern Dragons that had escaped from Ridgewood and set ablaze the surrounding forest. His team had spent the entire night protecting the village from the inferno that had threatened to burn down Ridgewood and the rest of Linwood Forest, but luckily, with the help of Valor, they had managed to douse the flames and get back to their primary mission. The handsome male now soared through the air, his brownish gold scales sported jet black markings that ran down the length of his neck and then fanned across his body. His build was strong and agile, and being near-adulthood, he was a fair bit larger than Rem, although still not quite as large as one of the Elders. Two, gleaming, curved horns crowned his head, while two smaller spikes jutted straight out beneath them. His wings and tail had been customized with metallic extensions to improve his speed and agility in the air, making him and Valour the two fastest members of the elite squadron.
Although young to be the captain of such a prestigious team, Ocelot had worked hard to earn the title. He has joined the Warfang's Combat Service when he was of age, wanting to protect the friend from Aeon he admired and loved so much, and after her death, and the destruction of the city he had grown to love, along with the fall of the East, he had fought harder to avenge her. That is when he applied to be the leader of Warfang's Elite Squad several months ago and turned out to be the most capable warrior they had ever seen. He was the best at stealth, with a good balance of hand to hand combat and long range weaponry and elemental skill.
That is when he first met Pyre, one of the few Pheonix's left in the world. He skin was covered in vibrant coloured feathers of brilliant red, orange and yellow, and she had a long, dark red mane that flowed all the way down her back. Her wings sprouted out behind her shoulder blades, and her arms ended in taloned hands, the same as her feet. Her face was flat with pure black eyes, a sharp nose and pointed teeth behind a full set of lips. She was a beautiful creature, and her very being seemed to glow with an mystic light, which was hidden only by her clothing, which was a long cloak and flame resistant armour, anything else would burn away at her touch. Strapped firmly across her back was a long, twisted staff, which Ocelot had seen her use time and time again. She was a creature of magic, and likewise used her mystical power to summon infernos stronger than any Fire Dragons flames. Together, Pyre and Ocelot made the perfect team, and now, they flew across the plains with agility and ease, scanning the forest for any sign of movement. After flying for a while, Pyre-Valor began a brief conversation with Ocelot.
"What did you assign Peacewalker to do?" She asked.
"I told him to get back to Warfang, brief the guardians on what has happened, they will send us news feeds from the transmission crystal, mine still needs to recharge though." Ocelot answered. "Next time, wake up earlier so I don't need to repeat myself."
"Hm. Sorry." Pyre-Valor replied sarcastically, but with a slight smile that turned into a shocked expression as she flared her wings and stopped mid-air.
"Wait!" She ordered and Odin banked to the side, careening back around to circle her.
"What is it?" he asked, his eyes alert.
Her black eyes scanned the forest below, until she spotted a path in the forest, the Saffron Road. "The one who lit the fire near Ridgewood…he was here" she said, looking over towards Ocelot.
"Let's get a move on then…" he replied and flew after Valor who dived down into the forest and weaved her way through the trees.
"He's lying...of course Reya wouldn't...just being stupid..." Ty muttered to himself as he strode through the forest, making his way further and further from the cave, his golden eyes scanning the woods for any sign of his brother and friends. The Anthro wolf's paws padded quietly over the dead needles that lay on the ground, and his paws brushed gently against the lower branches as he moved them aside. This forest seemed hopelessly large; there was no way he would find them out here, even if Rem had just moments ago. "Or so he says." snarled Ty, dragging his claws through a tree trunk in anger, but ending up with his fur coated in sap. Cursing, he tried to wipe the sticky mess away on his tunic but fell silent at the sound of voices, snapping his head around, he looked up into the air and spotted two figures in the distance, one looked like a dragon, but the other...he had no idea what it was. "Some new devilry from the Guardians no doubt." he hissed and started walking backwards carefully through the trees until they were out of sight, then turning around and rushing back towards the cave. With any luck, Korasi would have returned by now and they could leave as soon as he returned. The cave lay mere meters away and he scaled the hill quickly and slipped inside. Rem was still sitting with Crystal and the tiny dragon looked up in surprise as Ty approached them, his eyes wide with concern. "We've got to get moving, I think someone's picked up our trail, where is Korasi?"
Rem looked up in confusion as the Anthro walked back into the cave and warned him. Placing his sister into his bag, the black scaled fire dragon lightly handed the wolf his bag after licking the top of his sister's head "I need you to take her south towards the next mountain range. I will go and look for Korasi and meet up with you there." said the male black dragon with a serious expression. "Keep an eye out for Reya and their caravans. They were heading south as well when they prevented me from seeing Rem. I will try and find Korasi as quick as possible so that we can catch up to your friend's caravans and meet up." said the male before spreading hi leathery wings and flying out of the small cave in search of the other eastern dragoness
Ty, although hesitant about what was left of the group splitting up, took the bag and gently placed it around his shoulders before nodding towards Rem as he took off into the air. Leaving the cave, he glanced towards the distant mountain range and sighed "I hope you don't mind running kid." he said to Crystal before taking off, his feet carrying the wolf swiftly through the forest while the tiny dragon poked her head out of the bag and looked around with curiosity at the trees that flashed past. Ty kept his eyes peeled for the supposed Caravan, but in this thick forest, he knew they would never pass through here, no...they would go down the main roads through the dry fields that led to the desert. It suddenly became much darker and Ty looked around in confusion until he realized he had just entered the shadow of the mountains. Skidding to a halt, the wolf looked back over his shoulder to see if the others were following, but the sky was clear. Crystal babbled away happily and Ty couldn't help but grin as he turned back and started to scale the cliffs, his sharp talons gripping the jagged rocks as the accent became more and more treacherous, but he knew he had to reach high ground so the others could find him. At one point, he slipped on the loose gravel and hit the ground hard, his paws reaching out frantically to grab the nearest ledge before he went tumbling down to his demise. As he pulled himself up, Crystal suddenly started babbling loudly and pointing into the distance. He raised a brow and looked off into the distance, expecting to see Rem and Korasi, but instead, he spotted the edge of the forest, far away, at what appeared to be a large caravan, travelling down the main road. The distance was so great that the wagons looked like chips of wood, and the giant scorpions that were pulling them, mere ants. Heaving himself up onto the ledge, Ty stared out into the distance, it had to be them! He was about to leap back down when he suddenly froze. He couldn't leave now, not without taking Crystal with him, and he certainly just couldn't leave her here alone to fend for herself, Rem and Korasi might never find her. He snarled and slammed his paw down into the rock. If he left right now, he might just catch it, but from this distance, the Caravan was at least a day's run away, and already they were disappearing from sight! But he couldn't leave, not now. "I'm sorry Lee." he muttered and turned around before he started climbing again.
Korasi snuck up on a boar who was drinking from a lake, as soon as she was close enough to the creature she violently lunged for the throat and slashed at it once, killing the boar instantly. The warmer climate of the southern side of the forest showed more signs of wildlife so heading south was a smart move. She began to cut the boar and removed only the best pieces leaving a bloody mess and stain on the nearby grass and trees. When she was finished gutting the scent of blood was strong causing her to receive a headache. Korasi decided to take a drink from the lake as well as wash the blood from her paws and the chunks of meat. She lowered her head to take a gulp, as soon as she began her senses were itching. Someone was nearby.
Korasi spun around and saw that something has ducked behind a tree and leaves of another nearby tree shook unnaturally; confirming that there was someone there, maybe two.
"Who's there?" Korasi shouted into the direction of the movement slowly dropping into a combat stance. It could be other creatures who scent the raw meat and just wanted the meal. There was no response from the trees. Korasi stared in the general direction; a passive animal would never react so quickly when she looked. It had to be a creature of intelligence, therefore it can be tricked.
She looked back to the lake and pretended to take a sip of water, she heard a mechanical click of a metal spring and she quickly rolled to the side and back. The first thing she saw was a dusty yellow color at the treeline but her eyes direction changed and looked into the sky as a creature landed on top of her. Korasi jumped back a little but her reflexes were not fast enough and the creature who was camouflaged by the brightness of the sun and sky landed on top of her. The impact sent her hitting the ground on her back. The contact with the creature burned, it felt really warm, nearly like pressure being applied to a sunburn. Korasi grimaced at the slight pain and endured it, she mustered strength to whip her tail from underneath the creature and hit it on its legs and quickly following it with a head-butt forcing the creature to get off of her. She stood up and her eyes quickly adjusted, stings of the sunburn feeling turned into needles and quickly vanished. She saw the creature that she knocked down.
Korari's eyes widened at the creature, it was something she has never seen before, at least not in real life.
"A Phoenix!" she gasped, and clenched her teeth as she realized the Phoenix was wearing the insignia of the Elite Squadron, which could only mean one thing..
"Freeze!" a familiar male voice ordered. "We finally got you now… Oh… Look who it is…" The voice said ending with interest.
Korasi cursed in her thoughts and with reluctance she turned around. Ocelot was pointing a crossbow that was attached to his forearm directly at her, a smile on his face.
"Ocelot." Korasi said as casual as possible.
"I did not expect to see you here." Ocelot said lowering his foreleg.
"Neither did I." Korasi said flatly.
The female phoenix got up, and dusted herself and rubbing her chin a bit. "Friend of yours?" She asked. "Yes! She is a friend of mine!" Ocelot said with forced enthusiasm. The same enthusiasm that Korasi hated since she met Ocelot. He looked at Korasi. "Korasi, meet my second in command; Pyre-Valor." He looked at the Phoenix "Pyre-Valor, meet my old time friend: Korasi." The two females just simply stared at one another. Ocelot looked back and forth to the two females. "Well! Guess that's that for introductions." Ocelot began to move, Korasi turned her body to speak to Ocelot but in her surprise, he brought his tail blade up to her throat. Korasi froze and looked at him with her eyes instead. The male shook his head "I never told you to move." He lowered his tail blade and Valor took a staff from behind her cloak and at the sound of a short incantation, the head alighted in flames. Korasi breathed heavily as she waited to see what happens next. Ocelot walked to the boars carcass. "Hunting I see." he says as he kicked the carcass gently.
He looked at Korasi, "How have you been?" Ocelot asked her.
"Get to the point." Korasi growled.
"Looks like you have not changed at all." Ocelot said.
"Don't be too sure." Korasi quickly responded "Again. Get to the point."
Ocelot nodded and looked to the ground "If you have not heard, which I doubt, your beloved Eastern Region has been decimated. And there just so happens to be two Male Eastern Dragons to hang around Warfang a for a few months a while ago." He began, he also emphasized 'Male.'
"Of course, the Males have fled when they were to be executed for their ethnicity." He said coldly "And you are not a male Eastern Dragon."
"Surprise!" Korasi said sarcastically.
Pyre-Valor let out a chuckle in the background.
"And as of yesterday, a Female Eastern Dragon was reported to cause discord in the town of Ridgewood north of here as well as responsible of a forest fire last night." He explained.
"...And as the leader of the Warfang Elite Squadron, my squad and I are to track these three Eastern Dragons and bring them either dead or alive…" He concluded, and walked up to Korasi with a forced miserable expression.
"It's a shame that I have no idea about this Ridgewood incident." Korasi muttered, not looking at him. "Shame indeed." He responded flatly, and looked at Pyre-Valor and gave her a nod. The flakes of fire from her staff intensified and a fire orb at its head.
"Remember when we were young, and at the annual festival four years ago… I asked you dance with me?" Ocelot asked.
"I do, I immediately rejected you." Korasi responded
"Then I said I will catch you some day and you will let me dance with you"
"That you did."
"And here we are." Ocelot said "I have to bring you in even if you are the love of my life, I rather bring you in alive and attempt to make arrangements to omit your execution."
"So you're saying I'm responsible for the Ridgewood incident?" Korasi asked though she knew she was part of it.
"Who else would it be?"
Korasi glared at Ocelot coldly and his dull eyes stared back. "I don't want to kill you." He said quietly, but Korasi shoved him away and Pyre-Valor took aim, but before she could fire Ocelot raised a wing to tell her to stop "No, wait!" he ordered.
"You know what Ocelot? You may have caught me here, but I'm willing to fight to survive this. I don't care if you will try to omit my execution if you do bring me to Warfang, if they send the Elite Squad to find the Eastern Dragons, they will not have mercy on me. So today you will fulfill your wish that you said four years ago" Korasi hissed while Ocelot straightened his stance and he stared at Korasi with a deadly seriousness. He looked at Pyre-Valor and nodded for her to stand back as Korasi strapped on her claws, electricity jumping between the metal talons.
"Let's dance!"