Ancient Secrets Call (Open)

Wheeling through the sky, so far above he must have looked like a dot to any one on the ground, Rihzome had a broad smile on his maw. In the last few months, a combination of sandstorms, illness and a twisted ankle had kept him firmly grounded in the twilight palace, but finally, none of those could stop him. Letting out a roar that quickly faded to nothing in the largely empty sky, he seemed almost as joyous as a hatchling. Spiralling around, letting himself by carried by winds and the occasional loop-de-loop, the large, black scaled dragon cut through the air far more easily than a creature his size should have.

And what, pray tell, had him in such a good mood? Adventure, of course! He had finally deciphered the location of an ancient temple, around from the dawn of the Ki'Sha, if not predating it, built by a race, a civilisation, long since wiped from the face of the earth. What waited to be found? Ancient magic? Artefacts? Texts? Any of the three would be a treasure in its own right, and the thought of finding even a single one sent shivers of anticipation up his spine.

Curling downwards after a few hours, the sun nearing its zenith, he landed softly on the shore of a large oasis, one of the largest in the Muh'az desert, and cast his gaze about. It was one of the most frequented as well, due to the large size of the oasis, and the density of plants and animals that lived close. Hmmm. Rest here for the day, and continue on this evening…  He mused to himself, glancing around, finding a rather nice spot between two large trees, which would block out most of the sun's rays during the latter afternoon. Setting down, he pulled out journal and a pencil from a satchel that had been tightly bound to his side (to stop the loss of anything in his flighty antics), and jotted down a few details about the place he was staying, before closing the book and tucking it safely back away. Stretching his wings, he glanced upwards at the sun bleached sky, before diving into the surprisingly deep and clear oasis, content to spend a few hours, if not more, in the warmed water.

Slicing through the air, Vortex was not happy, nor was he upset in any way. He was simply calm... And a little bit bored. There were still plenty of things he had to learn and find out about his new home in the Ectan Mountains, and his neighbors, but he being himself, was apt to disappear every now and then. He wasn't lost, but he sure had no clue as to where he was going. He continued and a level pace, about what one would expect of him.

The masked dragon's mind was scattered at the moment, as it commonly was. He couldn't shake the feeling that there were more of his kind out there, and yet he couldn't shake the feeling that he was the last of his kind. The thoughts had been troubling him for the past couple days, and he was becoming desperate for an answer, thus being his primary reason to commit to the isolation of the sky.

He had been flying over the ocean for quite some time, and, was a bit sore to begin with. Land was not so difficult to spot, and in a quick dive, he skidded to a halt on his paws, barely making a sound. It was a rather large oasis, probably somewhere in Verula. Taking a glance around, spotted a much larger black dragon in the water, unidentifiable from Vortex's angle. If He did know this dragon, it certainly wasn't identifiable due to the water covering most of their features, as well as the fact that he was behind them. Not knowing if it were hostile or not, he moved a little closer, staying still as he contemplated getting it's attention.

With his eyes closed, and his belly towards the sky, Rihzome floated, quite peacefully, on his back, wings spread widely to either side, as he enjoyed the sun. He didn’t like that warmth, not at all… but it was almost enjoyable with a cool pool to soak in. Not as good as a hot spring in the depths of a Ectan winter… but pretty close. Drifting in an area between sleep and waking, it was trivial for the black dragon to sense the approaching being. Normally others were easy enough to see when he looked, but this individual… well. He didn’t seem to be thinking… clearly. It was like a large, dark blotch on a white background, easy to see, even without looking for it. Cracking open a single eye, he watched approaching dragon for a minute or so, as he drew nearer, before he dived down, out of his line of sight, more than likely landing at the edge of the oasis. He hadn’t been able to discern much, but he seemed to have… something metallic on his head, that had been glinting in the sunlight, and smaller than himself, how small was hard to tell. Might have been ¾ his size, might have been a ¼, but he was smaller.

Relaxing for several more long minutes, in which he heard no shuffling, nor any splashes, he called out without moving. “I do know you’re there.” Stretching his wings out a little further, he simply enjoyed the water. “It’s a bit warm, to be honest, but it’s quite a nice reprieve from the sand. Feel free to join me.” He added, lifting his right paw to show the silver and sapphire anklet, just in case this dragon was from the Stormcallers, or knew what the silver and blue piece of appeal meant.

A small smile lit up on Vortex's maw as he heard the response to his presence. He did not know what the silver and blue anklet meant, so he mostly ignored it. He didn't know either if the other black dragon was hostile, but it gave off the impression that it wasn't. His tail flicked back and fourth a few times as he thought for a moment, slowly padding forwards and into the water. He wasn't surprised by how warm the water was, and simply kept still, floating atop the surface. His mind wasn't any clearer, if anything, it was more scattered. Without any splash, he dove beneath the surface of the water, the warm liquid coating his scales. Surfacing quickly, he looked over at the larger dragon, water dripping off of his mask. "And how did you know that?" He asked, genuinely curious. "Either way, thank you."

(A bit short, but meh)

Letting out a low, and slightly amused chuckle, Rihzome replied, not completely truthfully. “I was just lazing about here, and I saw you off in the distance, before you dived. I just naturally assumed you landed quite near here, and judging by the fact that you didn’t enter the water or go hunt or something of the ilk, I simply guessed that you were… watching. More than likely sizing me up as a possible threat. I can’t blame you of course, perfectly logical thing to do. Can’t be sure of anyone out here, this close to Ki’Sha borders.” He muttered the last part, as he continued to float and enjoy the water. “Of course, I have no guarantee that you aren’t Ki’Sha, with scale colour like that. So tell me, what brings a dragon of your… colouration out this far? Black isn’t exactly the best colour for surviving in the middle of a sundrenched wasteland.”

Nodding a bit nonchalantly, Vortex was still a bit suspicious, but brushed off the feeling. It was a natural instinct of his to be cautious of larger dragons. "Ah, I see. Well, I am not Ki'Sha, if that is what you are asking. I don't belong to any tribe." He answered calmly, not motivated to move from his spot. "I, well, I was a bit lost in thought, and flying usually helps me clear my mind..." He trailed off, shaking his head a little bit in attempt to shake the excess water off. The sunlight was nice and warm against his scales, but he preferred colder temperatures. "No, black is not the best colour for surviving out in the desert, but I do enjoy how peaceful it is. Also, if you don't mind me asking, what brings you out here?"

That, however, was question Rihzome had no trouble answering truthfully. “An adventure.” He stated simply, at first, before smiling up towards the sky. “My job is to study, catalogue and preserve the ancient world, be it in artefacts, writings or spells. And that, my friend, is why I am out here. I recently got my hands on a rather old scroll, which documents the location of a temple somewhere out in the desert, near a place cheerfully called Death’s Maze, which predates even the Ki’Sha.” He sounded extremely excited, like a child on their hatchday.

The afternoon sun finally getting to the black scaled male, he rolled himself over in the water, pushing himself to standing as his paws touched the bottom. Careful to move slow, as to not startle the smaller dragon, he unfurled his large wings and lightly beat them, sending waves and droplets of water across the surface of the water. As he did this, he finally got his first good look at his… companion. Simple black scales, 40, maybe 45 feet tall, and wearing an odd, metal mask. Raising an eye-ridge, it quickly lowered. Probably some facial injury… poor thing. And he doesn’t look half bad. He mused. Slowly making his way towards the shore, he shook his paws off, quickly stepping across the hot sand, and flopping into the shade, where he had left his satchel, still watching Vortex, just quietly watching his movements and body language, as if trying to already memorise the small dragon.

Vortex couldn't help but think he had heard the name Death's Maze before, so he kept it in the back of his mind. Shifting a little in the water, the masked dragon stayed completely still for the moment. He watched the larger dragon exit, keeping a watchful eye on them. They were much larger than he was, and had little nicks along his nearly identical black scales. He noticed the raised eye ridge, most likely because of  his mask. It was quite common for others to wonder about his mask upon first glance, and he didn't blame them for it. "Sounds like fun." He chuckled lightly, moving towards the shore a little bit after Rihzome did. Pulling himself up, he let the water drip off of him, instead of shaking it off. Personally, he wished he had something adventurous to do, but didn't say anything. Nothing stopped him from approaching the shade and sitting on his haunches, minding the larger dragon. "It isn't every day you come across something like that."

A quick judge of character, in most cases a good one as well, Rihzome determined that this dragon didn't seem all too dangerous… and even if he was hiding it, the fact that he was closing in in half his size would make any conflict quickly resolvable. Shuffling sideways a little, he offered a spot of shaded and vegetation covered ground to Vortex. "It's a far cry better than sitting on sand." He chuckled. "As for fun… Well. If you think it is, feel free to join me. Another set of paws wouldn't go astray on something like this, and you will be handsomely rewarded upon our return to the Twilight palace." He told the black dragon, smiling warmly.

"It really isn't is it? I will admit though, I've had the scroll that tells of the location of this temple for… ohhh… 100 years now? Of course, something this old wasn't just written in a known language. Some now dead dialect I believe was called Holder… Keeper… Something that involves taking something and looking after it. Translations without at least a few sources to cross-check are sketchy at best, and as far as I could find, it was the only viable scroll I had. I mean, I only found the location of the temple. There was still a solid several hundred words on it." Rihzome shared with the other dragon, before glancing up. "I don't believe we ever exchanged names. How rude of my… My name is Rihzome, Scholar of the Stormcallers. A pleasure to meet you…?"

Smiling a little more, Vortex shifted over onto the vegetation next to Rihzome, silently agreeing that it was better than sitting on the sand. "I'd be delighted to join you." He replied, his eyes flicking from the other dragon to the sky. He did not care for reward, as it would have little to no meaning to a rogue like him. Twilight Palace... It sounded familiar.


It took quite a bit of willpower not to react upon hearing the term Keeper be used in such a context. He almost blurted out a question, but stayed silent for the moment. He knew Keeper better than he did Universal, and the language tied directly to the Kor-Maroth; his species. The very reminder of them set his mind racing, his original thought process coming back to mind. Maybe, just maybe, He thought, I could find an answer. If there were really more out there, and he hoped there were, that he could find some sort of indicator at this temple. Snapping back to reality as he realized he had been so lost in thought, his tail snaked around himself, running over his forepaws as he tried to act like nothing was wrong. "I'm Vortex."

With a smile on his maw, Rihzome curled up, resting as the heat slowly grew, his energy leeching from him. "And I'd be just as delighted to have you join me, Vortex." He replied with a smile, and oddly enough, a yawn. "Terribly sorry, but the warmth… well. It always makes me a little tired." He admitted, glancing up at the sky. "I plan to set off shortly before the sun sets, and make my way to the Maze tonight, seeing as I know roughly where it is already. Would that be agreeable with you?" He asked, knowing that some were… unused to the cold temperatures the desert could reach under the cover of darkness, which, for one like himself, was little more than comfortable. "And... if this temperature isn't to your liking, I could lower it a few degrees... only if you would be okay with that, of course."

Spending a few more minutes curled, the larger dragon eventually rolled onto his back, stretching out and going limp, rubbing his back against the ground. "So… have you eaten lately Vortex?" He asked, knowing how easy it was to miss meals when so deeply lost in thoughts.

Shrugging a little, his shoulders rising and falling, Vortex looked over at Rihzome. "That's a good time for me; I already slept a few hours ago." He said affirmatively, noticing the yawn that escaped the larger dragon. He knew the temperatures that the desert nights could drop to, and was perfectly okay with them. "The temperature is fine by me." He couldn't flush the thought that of this temple was only a hundered or so years old, perhaps there were more, hiding somewhere; only time would tell. The heat was a tad bothersome, but nothing unbearable.

Watching Rihzome roll over, he contemplated it himself, his tail uncurling and flicking back and fourth. "I've eaten lately for my standards." He replied with a chuckle. "Which, if you need to know, is last night." He spoke truthfully, as he wasn't usually hungry except at night.

Shaking his head, Rihzome tutted. “Last night? That simply won’t do!” He replied, as he picked up his satchel, the bag easily large enough to fit… well, anything really. Rummaging through it, he pulled out a large, greaseproof parcel, setting it in front of the smaller male, as close as he could reach without getting up, but not so close as that he was up in his face. “Roasted lamb with thyme and rosemary.” He told him, gesturing to the parcel. “Feel free to eat as much as you want. Not like I don’t have more than enough in here…” He chuckled.

Leaning back down again, Rihzome reached once more into the satchel, pulling out a leather-bound journal and a quill, probably from some feathered species of dragon, that the only logical thing that could produce a feather large enough for him to hold properly. Putting pen to paper, he glanced every now and then over at Vortex, as he seemed to write, every now and then pausing, and seeming to sketch something instead. “You asked me earlier how I knew you were there. Telepathy.” He answered simply, without looking up from whatever he was working on. “But I didn’t technically lie. I did see you flying overhead and landing, and that was the reason I assumed you were waiting off on the shore.”

Sighing quietly, Vortex bent his neck down and took a whiff of the parcel. It smelled exactly like what Rihzome had described, lamb with thyme and rosemary. He wasn't particularly hungry at the moment, but figured it would be rude to reject the offer, so, carefully removing the exterior packaging, He picked up the edge of the large slice of meat and took a bite, savouring the taste. It had a bit more rosemary than he would have liked, but he didn't complain. Taking a few more bites, he finished chewing before responding, "Thank you."

Glancing between his food and Rihzome, Vortex noticed the dragon writing something. He didn't care much what it was about, he wasn't too nosy... sometimes. Nodding as he listened to the explanation, it made a bit more sense than before. They were a Telepath. Vortex himself was a partial Telepath, and had met a few before. Most of them were a bit more... Stand-offish than this one though.

Flashing Vortex a smile, Rihzome inclined his head. "That fact that you're eating it is thanks enough. I enjoy cooking it just as much as I enjoy knowing someone is eating it, and possibly enjoying it." He replied, before returning to his journal. "I mean, it's useful and all, telepathy, but honestly, it's kind of a pain sometimes. Always knowing where people are, the scattered thoughts that make their way to you, feeling how others are feeling… Out here, largely alone, it's bearable. But even in the Twilight Palace, it's sometimes painful. Figuratively, of course. Not physically or mentally." He prattled on, having a tendency to simply… speak to those who would listen.

Blinking, as if surprised, Rihzome looked up from his journal, at Vortex, and then back to the journal, holding it up as if to compare something. "Good enough." He shrugged, closing it and placing it back in the satchel. "You never told me much about yourself, Vortex. Surely you must have something you don't mind sharing? A story to pass the time mayhap?"