Brewing Storm [Open][Plot]

Gods are creatures believed to rule over the universe with an iron fist. Some believe in one, other believe in many. Some are believed to directly control many elements of life, while others merely observe from a distance. They are interesting beasts. For why would a cosmic entity granted so much power merely stand back and watch it's creations from a distance?

Some claim to receive messages from the gods. Shamans and seers do so all the time. But is this really a higher being,
or simply instinctual wants or feelings that are manifested into dreams and visions?

Storms are a natural part of life. But sometimes, they are perceived as the Gods' anger.

A storm is brewing now. Can you feel it?

(The following is a kickstarter for the sitewide plot. This will take place somewhere in the savanna, near a sparce jungle. Your character can be doing what ever you wish at that point, such as flying, hunting, etc. This roleplay takes place roughly 3 weeks to two months after the events of Black Snow. Takes place early morning, a couple hours after dawn.)

Senka spun through the air, dipping in and out of air currents. She had made the journey over the Regima Ocean to the land of Verula, where her adopted parents' tribe was. She made a mental note to visit it, and she dreaded that decision. It was dry, and hot. Luckily, she found a humid place. It wasn't any cooler, but it was better than the terrible, hot deserts that seemed to bake the thick and black scaled dragoness

The dragoness tilted her wings down, where she slowly floated towards the jungle she had made her temporary camp in. As her paws met the ash-covered ground, she winced and recoiled, before letting her talons completely touch the ground. Senka had known about a volcano on an island; her aunt, Sonus, told her about it when the fire wyvern first talked about her birthplace. She had never expected it to erupt, as Sonus told her it was dormant. 'Though, that was when I was a hatchling.' She thought as she cleared the ash by whipping her tail.

After the volcano, almost everywhere Senka would go, a foreboding feeling would be there. A feeling of something being wrong. She had hoped finding her family in the Tempest Ring would get rid of the feeling. As of now, the feeling still hung over, as if the ashes themselves carried it. Senka blew a plume of fire at the ashes, doing nothing but heating the ground below them. Letting out a sigh, the dragoness curled onto the warm earth, curling her tail around herself, tail-blade pointed and ready to attack if something harmed her as she rested.

Oddly enough, the volcano itself hadn't done much damage. Sure, it had wrecked the island on which it was located, but it wasn't like much life lived there anyway. The volcano had always possessed some kind of mythical air to it, and had always been foreboding, so very few draconiforms lived there. The aura of the island simply drove dragons away. However, what was mostly troublesome was the ashes. Many had flown across Layrian's beaches and some had even reached the mainland. A few had even managed to get to Verula and Shveki, despite the distance.

It was a sight like no other. No dragon alive had ever seen something quite as peculiar as this. While the feeling of unease was felt by many, most just dismissed it as confusion about the eruption. Nothing to worry about, right?

Of course, as soon as Scortia had heard of the ashes, she had flipped out. A curse from the gods, she had called it. Her outburst had caused the draconiforms of the Ki'sha to grow worrisome. But after about a month or so of the eruption, worry had pretty much died down, and everyone had moved on with their lives.

But now, worry had sliced through Scortia's heart once again, as she had recently been having terrible nightmares. She would wake up, gasping, clinging to her floor, panting. This had been going on ever since her run in with that cursed Stormcaller. Surely, it couldn't be more than a coincidence....

Shaking her head, panting, she got up, looking to go get some fresh air. She was greeted to the nice sight of seeing her soldiers preparing for a morning patrol. She gave them a nod of approval, before continuing on her way. They, of course, bowed on site of their Kuz'a, staying in that position until she left.

The leader of that patrol, Yk'skez, would be approached by Scortia, just as he turned the corner to go meet his troops. He immediately bowed upon seeing her.

"Your Greatness! It is a pleasant surprise, to see you up this early," he said, remaining in a bowed position, not daring to meet her in the eyes until she gave him permission to stand back up. Yk'skez was an earth wyvern, having lived in the sparse jungles of Verula. Nothing like the ones of Shveki, the earth wyverns from the two different continents often also looked different.

"Rise, Alugaan," she would order. He picked his head up, meeting her in the eyes respectfully, "Yes, a surprise indeed. Listen, I need you to reinforce guards at the border. Double what we have now."

"B-but, my Kuz'a, we already doubled the guards last week. We don't have enough warriors to triple them-" he was cut off by a growl from Scortia. He ducked his head, a defeated expression on his face, "Of course, your Fearlessness. I will prepare the order as soon as I finish this patrol..." seeing the satisfied expression from Scortia, he took it as his que to leave, quickly shuffling past her.

It was a bad idea to increase the guards, he thought silently to himself, but to voice his opinions out loud was suicide. He simply needed to suck in his breath and trust that Scortia knew what she was doing. That was the way of the Ki'sha.

The rest of the day went on as normal. Yk'skez flew out a barrage of about five other Ki'shan Ugaans and Ugfeis, heading out to the border of the tribe. They would make their way towards the small jungle part of the Ki'shan territory.

Senka's eyes opened wide as the sound of flapping wings filled her ears. Dragons. And lots of them. Her head whipping around as she tried to find a hiding place. Bushes were far too small and the jungle's scattered trees barely provided enough shadow to fit a dragon of Senka's size. Tucking her wings into her wings into her body and curling her long tail, she dissolved into the shadows. Since shadow energy only runs through the dragon body alone, Senka has to hide her tail blade under some low-growing shrubs. Her blue eyes scanned the sky, watching for dragons that the wingbeats belonged to. Between the tree tops, soldiers in armor watched the ground.

Fear struck through the dragoness, almost to the point of throwing herself out of hiding. She had forgotten about the other tribe of Verula. The Kiha. Or, was it Kisa? Whatever it was Senka knew they can be hostile. If she was near their territory, they'd blast her off.If she was on it, she might as well be dead. She needed to move. Now. The dragoness turned her head around, looking for where to go. The soldiers probably came from the tribe's center, so following them would lead her away from it. It was risky, but hopefully a good decision. Senka gulped, slowly standing up, her silver horns and claws sticking out of the small shadow. Since the jungle trees were so sparse, keeping her long limbs inside the shadow would prove to be a difficult task.

Her long tail was curled up into a tight coil, wrapped around her tail-blade to keep it from shining in the sun. Long wings were folded and pressed into Senka's bak, trying to take up as little space as possible. The dragoness started to hurry, knowing that her shadow energy might run out. She trotted towards where the dragons flew. They had to be from the tribe. They were going away from it. Senka hoped.

The collection of soldier dragons continued to fly on, their eyes focused as they scanned the surroundings. They were growing close to the borders now. Yk'skez raised his head high, eying the terrain. The sparse jungle grew even closer, and Yk’skez could see the beautifully lush trees that it held. He remembered those jungles well. Even if they were nothing like those of Shveki, the sight of them made him proud. They were still glorious in their own way. The border would be close soon, and dragons, no doubt, would be waiting for them.

Yk’skez wasn’t sure what had caused his Kuz’a to suddenly increase the guards so much. Was she planning an invasion? Did she plan on taking more territory? The thought made the Alugaan curious, but he likely wasn’t going to actually ask her. He would fly ahead of his fellow warriors, leading the way to the border. He would attempt to drain those thoughts from his head, as he had a job to do, and he couldn’t afford to waste it on pointless thoughts.

Afterall, the Kuz’a knew what was best for the tribe.

As they would continue, one of the youngest Ugfeis would begin to fall behind, panting heavily. He was resilient, though, and determined to prove that he had what it took to be a successful Ugaan. Because he was falling behind, though, he spotted something down below. Something that looked like it was moving. He paused, hovering a bit.

Not thinking, the ugfei decided to go check it out himself, not thinking about calling his group over to investigate with him. He was a bright red western dragon, and was about 30 to 35 years old. He was still only about 15-17, so he was far from mature yet, but he was determined to show his worth, so he wanted to check this out all by himself.

She gave a large yawn, scooting out of her cave that was located below the forest. Something she had been digging out since last week. It was comfortably warm in the cave, and her heat and the dampness of the underground soil make it humid. Perfect for her. The sun was slowly rising, the "cave's" entrance spewing steam. Her head and chest was still on the ground as she pushed herself out of the cave with her back legs, wings somewhat dragging behind her.She gave a large yawn, once again, a roar erupting from her throat. She screeched, flipping herself back, stepping on her own tail, her right back leg stepping into a hole, which entirely flipped the dragoness. She landed with a loud crash, slamming over trees as she roared with anger, flames lighting upon her back and forearms. She slashed her way out of some vines, tumbling still through the forest, leaving behind a small trail of ash.

She suddenly popped out into a clearing, nearly ramming right into... Senka. She was so shocked to see her niece she just... Stood there for a moment, looking around. Blinking ever so slowly, she suddenly smacked the littler dragon with her wingtip. "DO YOU KNOW YOU COULD BE KILLED OUT HERE?!" She roared, pushing her face right up to the little one's.

Senka crouched low to the ground, moving quickly while trying to make little sound. Her vision was focused on the jungle floor as to not step on any brush or any noisy prey. Blue eyes darted up to the sky before settling back the ground, watching the platoon's movements so she could follow them. Senka wasn't a great multitasker, as when she was focused on an odd rustling noise, she didn't notice a dragon start to slip away from the group and move towards her. She saw the red dragon in her peripheral vision and jumped, her wings sprawling out of their tucked position and her claws digging into the moss covered ground. 'Wow, good job, you dodo. Now they'll really see you, idiot.' Senka thought as she tried to compose herself back into the shadow. Though as she was attempting to fit all her limbs back into a tight ball, the strange sound that got her into this mess resonated even closer now. The dragoness forcefully revealed herself from the shadows, thrown out from fear and concern. The dragon that slipped away was sure to see a black dragon against the olive green foliage. Senka's eyes darted from the nearing dragon to the creature that was tearing vines and even some small trees down, not knowing which one to be afraid of. She watched as the vines that coiled against trees like snakes were ripped off by... by her aunt?

Well that makes Senka's trip shorter. She cringed at Sonus's loud voice, knowing well that there was no chance that the red dragon didn't hear that. Ignoring her aunt's words, the dragoness pushed the angry wyvern face with a silver claw, scanning the sky through the tall trees for a red splotch. "Be very quiet, Sonus," Senka whispered, eyes still set upward. "Do not move." Her tail coiled around her legs again as she sat down and tucked her legs under her body. She focused on hiding herself into the cramped shadows, then hiding Sonus into the shadows. Of course, Senka was only able to hide bits of the wyvern, as she wasn't fully in the shadows like her niece was.

Senka held her breath, hoping that the oncoming dragon didn't see her. Though, now she had some protection from Sonus.

The young dragon would continue flying in that direction, his eyes and ears perked. He could have sworn he saw something. As he would slowly catch himself on the wind, in a way to quiet his approach, his mind began to think of all the possible things it could be. Sure, there was a chance it was nothing more than a large… badger, or elephant, or something. But it could’ve been something else! Like a rogue! Or, better yet, an assassin from another tribe, sent to take out the queen! No, he didn’t want the Kuz’a to be killed. He adored the Kuz’a. She was so mighty and strong! But imagine the praise he would get if he was able to catch the culprit of such a scheme! It’d be amazing! He’d be honored as a hero! He might even be elevated to an Alugaan right then and there!

Caught up in his little fantasies, the young Ki’shan wasn’t brought back into reality until he heard a loud roar. He paused, blinking, and shaking his head to snap out of his visions. He had flown close enough that he spotted what appeared to be the form of… a very angry wyvern. The smaller dragon paused, staring at her hesitantly. He had never actually encountered a rogue before. He glanced up, looking to see if the rest of his entourage was still nearby. Unfortunately for him, they were nowhere to be seen. Perhaps it would have been in his best interests to have alerted them when he thought he saw something…

No! No. He could do this on his own. He was a proud member of the Ki’sha! He spread his wings out a little wider. He wondered if he should try to sneak up and attack. Of course not! This was his territory! He snarled, and shot down, letting the wind current carry him over to the jungle. He swooped past a nearby tree, ducked over a branch, and flew about twenty feet from the ground. He let out a loud, piercing roar, letting Senka and Sonus know he was there.

((OOC: Sonus Decessus 72 hour warning. If you do not post within the next 24 hours your turn will be skipped.))

((Do to negligence to post, and lack of overall activity on site, Sonus' post shall be voided, as well as the parts of Senka's post regarding Sonus' arrival. This is done so that there isn't any awkward interactions between characters, and so that the plot may continue forward. If you wish to jump back in, you may repost your reply.

@Senka it is now your turn.))

Senka shook her head. Surely that rustling sound was just a boar or something. Her mouth watered. A boar. Meat would get her energy back that she was losing from hiding. A sweet juicy boar. She could set up a fire and smoke the animal. Maybe there was some herbs around that could be prepared and stuffed into it. Senka could just imagine the taste. She shook her head, she had to focus on the group to follow them. Craning her head up, they were gone. She stumbled forward, desperately searching the skies for the troop, turning her neck to peer through the spaces between trees. Nothing. They were gone, leaving her in the middle of hostile territory. Senka stared hopelessly at the clouds, partly thinking that she could will them back.

A roar snapped her out of her wishful thinking. She jerked her head back down to see the red dragon from before, hovering a ways above the ground. Senka was still hidden in the shadows, but for how long? The dragoness's eyelids were growing heavy and soon she wouldn't be able to hide anymore, let alone fight with magic.

That left her with three options. Wait until her shadow energy ran out (Which was NOT happening), fly away now, or talk it out. The Ki'Sha didn't seem like the kind to talk it out, unless their talons were already on someone's throat, that left her with flying. Yet, terror gripped her body and wouldn't let go. Senka was frozen. That left talking it out. Preferably from the shadows. Maybe if the talk goes sour I can just dash.

Oh, what to say, what to say? Something intimidating. "W-what's your name?" Senka barked out. Wow, how intimidating. Bet he's shaking in his scales.

Sure enough, it seemed that the young Ki’shan’s roar had truly been enough to invoke fear in the hearts of whomever it was that was intruding. And a good thing, too. The Ugfei had began to wonder if the rustle in the bushes had been merely a desert hog or something, maybe in ibex. But as he listened, his wing beats getting softer as he approached the culprit, he thought he heard a soft voice, resonating through the darkness. A voice that seemed uncertain and nervous, yet demanded an answer.

How dare they? Invade Ki’sha territory and then ask him the questions? He would not stand for it. Of course, the stranger couldn't actually speak universal. He didn't know it. So he was only guessing what the words of the infiltrator had been. With a growl, he hissed out, in Ki'shan, “Reveal yourself! Speak your name now, and your death may be painless.”

Overhead, the distant sound of thunder roared.

(Bump for anyone who wants to experience some plot firsthand.)