Retrieval of the Past [Open]

Something was stolen from her.

Azelf would briskly walk back to his home, his eyes unusually narrowed. He appeared to be in some kind of foul mood, as he did not reply with his usual witty humor like he usually did when an onlooker or friend of his would wave and offer a hello. He seemed.... distant. Perhaps it had been the fact that a certain someone from his past had been brought up at a recent meeting. Or maybe it was considering a disturbing report that the Valeterrene had received recently.

Apparently, a body had been discovered roughly twelve days ago. The dragons that had discovered the body said that they had discovered it buried underneath leaves and tree roots, as if a tree had suddenly grown there overnight. So far, no dragon had come forth to claim the body, but at the same time, the discovery hadn't really been made public yet. The adviser of the queen was worried. And tensions were high. In fact, he was the one who had been told about the discovery, and had, unfortunately, had to break the news to Prasi.

A meeting was then held. Afterwards, most were left uneasy. Most suspected the body to be a rogue, who died of natural causes, but it also didn't make sense. Azelf hadn't had a chance to see the body, and he didn't care to. It would likely gross him out too much.

As he entered his den, which also served as a blacksmith, he walked over to his room, digging through a variety of items. Once he spotted what he was looking for, he grabbed it with his talons, holding it up so the sunlight would shine on it.

It was a beautiful, handcrafted sword, one of his finest works. He marveled at its beauty, then put it into its sheath, heading outside.

And I must get it back.

His pace had slowed, as he made his way through the village. Azelf was thinking to himself mildly, so he didn't really notice his surroundings much. He had a goal in mind, a plan. But he would need some help, first.

Just outside the village a rather large blue male was skulking around. As a rogue, he had been to many places, and this territory was no exception. He even spoke Arretiz. So he was fully relaxed in the familiar area. Although he had a slightly odd feeling in his gut. It had been so long since his last visit...he wondered what had changed. Something felt off about the place, as if something bad had happened. Nah, probably not. He was sure it was just because he'd been away so long.

Hayate went back to skulking, trying to spot- ah, yes. There was one. A large deer. It had been a few days since his last meal, so he was quite determined to land this prey. Of course...being so large made it hard to hide. He used a gathering of trees to his advantage. As he crouched down he wondered if hunting this close to the village was a good idea...but he was too hungry to worry about it more. After waiting for the deer to come as close as possible with out spotting him, Hayate finally leaped forward. In a flash he caught the deer, much to his relief.

After his meal Hayate was on his back, belly up, looking quite pleased with himself. Not a care in the world now that he was fed. Other than cleaning up. He began licking his front paws, and cleaning his face, which left him fairly vulnerable. Though he made sure to keep his ears perked, just in case. He didn't really want to be caught covered in blood. That was never a good first impression.

((Hi! I hope this is a long enough reply, sorry if it's short! ^^; ))

(It’s fine, you’re good!)

Azelf would hurry briskly down the path, his eyes looking straight ahead, determined. He wasn’t entirely sure why he was doing this, but somebody had to find out these details. Where was he going, exactly? Well, he wanted to investigate the location where the body had been discovered. Maybe there was something hidden there that excavators had missed. But then why had he brought the sword? Potential protection, perhaps? He mostly brought it to make himself feel safer. He wasn’t a particularly strong dragon on his own. Sure, he had claws, but he couldn’t fly, and he wasn’t much experienced in fighting.

Speaking of not being able to fly, that was one of the things that annoyed him about this trip he was taking. The location was so absurd and out of the way. Not to mention how humid it was today. His body felt like it was sweating, even though reptiles don’t sweat. And then there was the soggy earth that lay underneath his paws. Azelf paused, feeling his paws sink into the ground. His serious demeanor was broken, and he growled in annoyance, lifting his once beautiful paws from the mud with a look of disdain.

“Oh, sweet mercy… this place is a mess!” Muttered Azelf, agitated. He wished he could just spread his wings and soar high above the ground. But alas, as a Drake, he was not blessed in such a way. Instead, he had to simply shake his head, and keep walking. He would lift his tail and head up high, so as not to get them dirty, even though his paws only sunk in about an inch. He would wear a look of dissatisfaction, as the mud made a popping and sucking noise underneath him.

The bright purple and yellow drake wasn’t exactly being discreet about his location. This was, after all, his territory, what did he have to be afraid of in his own home? Therefore, any other dragons nearby would likely hear the ruckus he was making.

Hayate continued licking his paws and face until he was sure he was spotless. He took pride in his appearance. After he was clean, the blue dragon rolled over onto his stomach and sighed contently. Now he was thinking he should find a good place to nap.

However, as he got up, he heard a very odd sound. Some kind of...popping noise. He lifted his head high and swirled his ears around until his eyes fell upon another, slightly larger, dragon, who was actually very close, and getting closer. The fur on his back bristled and Hayate laid his ears back, as he didn't like being caught off guard.

This purple drake didn't seem to notice him though, at least not immediately. Of course, it would be impossible for him not to now, with Hayate standing just yards from him. Hayate was always weary of new dragons, and was even more so this time as he noticed the sword, but at this point there was no way to avoid the crossing of paths. So, he decided he may as well make himself known. "Hey there," he spoke up, straightening his posture. The poor dragon had no idea how suspicious he must have seemed given what had happened recently in this territory.

Azelf continued silently cursing to himself, trying to find some ground that was less muddy, when he spotted something bright blue in between the undergrowth. He would make a hesitant step forward, readjusting his attention, when he realized it was actually another dragon. This made him take a step back in surprise. And to add on top of that, it was a strange dragon he had never even seen before! This, of course, caused the adviser to take a step back, his body arching a bit in surprise. Could it be a rogue? Likely. Geez, what was it with rogues always showing up inside tribal borders? Couldn’t they smell the border marking? Oh well. He would have to deal with this himself, seeing as the guards were clearly too incompetent to do it themselves!

“Ho, thee. Who are you, and what are you doing in this territory? Don’t you know that this belongs to the Valeterrene?” the male, purple drake would ask confidently, raising his head high, to examine the stranger. They certainly didn’t look like any dragon he’d seen before. They had a very unique appearance. He kind of looked like a long, feathered dog, colored bright blue. He kind of reminded Azelf of one of the native jungle parrots.

Azelf was on his toes, but he also greatly undermined the abilities this dragon might have. He wasn’t one for fighting, and his downfall was that he would always assume the other dragon would agree to talking, and leave peacefully. It didn’t occur to Azelf that this dragon would be linked to the body, though, he did find it strange how the dragon was so close to where the body was. Hmmm.

Hayate wasn't surprised by how this dragon reacted to him, watching the other as they arched their back in surprise. He had hoped to not startle the other, but it seems he had. Whoops. The blue dragon was praying that the purple one wasn't going to try and fight him. Hayate was confident in his skills, but this dragon was bigger, and he had no idea what power he possessed. Plus there was that sword. He tried to relax his posture and sat down, attempting to appear less threatening. Of course, when he was addressed he had to mentally become a bit defensive, otherwise he was going to get in trouble.

"My name is Hayate. I'm just a friendly visitor... I know this is Valeterrene land, I've actually been here before, a very long time ago. I mean no harm, I swear," he explained, hoping that he wouldn't be immediately kicked out of the territory. "I even learned Arretiz last time I was here, but I'm afraid I'm rusty." He chuckled lightly. "I was hoping to visit the village, maybe see a few familiar faces if they're still around..." With how long it had been, Hayate wasn't sure if anyone would remember him, or where those he had met were now. It wasn't like he had really gotten to know anyone that well, so he wouldn't be too upset if he'd been forgotten. It wouldn't be the first time.

For a moment, Azelf would eye the stranger, thinking to himself. So, this dragon had been here before, hmm? He knew the territory? Clearly the guards weren’t doing their job, then, he came to the conclusion of. Still, if this rogue had been here before, and had been to one of the villages as he claims, then maybe that meant he wasn’t dangerous? Still, Azelf couldn’t just trust a random dragon he’d never seen before, especially considering how skittish everyone had been lately. It would freak his poor citizens out too much. Besides, this dragon shouldn’t even be in the territory. But Azelf wasn’t one to just throw him out, even if that’s what his mind was telling him to do with the intruder.

Hesitantly, Azelf would look the dragon over once more. Darn it, Azelf, you have a mission you’re suppose to be completing right now! Granted, it was a mission no one in particular had assigned him, but still. It was very important, and he couldn’t waste his time escorting this young dragon to the village. If you start something, you have to finish it, after all, as Azelf would always say to himself. The purple dragon would let his body relax as he thought about what to do for a moment. Then, his eyes met Hayate’s, as he said in a calmer, more matter of fact.

“Alright, young dragon. My name is Azelf Agorani, royal adviser to the queen. I will escort you to the village. Once we’re there, I’ll let the guards keep an eye on you. If you don’t want to be escorted, I assume you can find your way out of the territory on your own?” Azelf would say, tilting his head some. His tail would hang lazily behind him, as he awaited what the rogue would say to his proclamation. He better be grateful. Azelf was going out of his way to accommodate him.

Hayate was getting nervous. This dragon sure was taking his time in deciding what to do with him. Perhaps coming back to this territory was a mistake. Who knew what the purple drake would decide! He could be imprisoned or worse. Of course, Hayate had no intention of going peacefully if that ended up being what happened. No, he would fight for his freedom if he had to, or run for it. He began to plan possible ways to escape in his head, juuust in case. In the mean time he sat there respectfully, praying that things wouldn't come to that. Mentally he noted that he would have to be much more careful approaching other territories from now on. Things seemed to have become more strict over time. Not that they were ever NOT strict...

It was with great relief he heard Azelf give him permission to stay. Though at the same time Hayate now realized he was in the presence of someone very high in authority. "Ah- thank you!" he spoke gratefully, bowing his head down for a moment, before looking back to Azelf. "I will gladly accept an escort." He sure was polite for a rouge. "That is, if it's not too much trouble for you?" he asked cautiously. "You did seem to be on your way to do something before running into me. I'd hate to interrupt you." Hayate had to admit he was curious as to what Azelf had been in such a hurry for, but felt it would be too dangerous to ask. His curiosity had gotten him in trouble before. The blue dragon scratched nervously at his own neck as he waited for Azelf to answer.

((I'm so sorry my posts keep ending up so short, I'm struggling a little >.<' Hopefully as I get more used to Hayate my posts will get longer. ))

(Lol, it’s fine, Hayate. :) You’ll get a hang of it eventually.)

The charismatic, smart talking purple drake would state his claim, watching with intense intrigue at the stranger. He wasn’t one to use brute force against strangers, even if they did present a possible threat, and that was probably one of the only reasons he was allowing this rogue to stay. There were a multitude of things the adviser wanted to send the rogue through, though. From the look on his face, it was obvious he seemed caught off guard by the appearance of Azelf, and for good reason! The dragon was right in being awed and afraid of a presence like himself! Who wouldn’t be? Even his own gorgeous Rossa admired him!

He wasn’t quite sure why, but for some reason, Azelf liked this young rogue. From the way he talked, he seemed humble and unassuming enough, which were always great qualities for an aspiring dragon to have. But, he had to remind himself, this was a rogue he was dealing with. Maybe it was all an act. You could never be too sure with a rogue. After all, the creatures were known for being untrustworthy! Why would any trustworthy, condemnable dragon want to live by himself, exposed to the elements? It simply made no sense to a sophisticated dragon like Azelf, who had always known nothing but tribe life.

Nonetheless, the dragon seemed enthusiastic enough at the aspect of being lead to the village. Azelf wasn’t sure which village the dragon wanted, so he’d just take him to the nearest one and let the guards have their way with him. It did, however, make the purple dragon raise an eyebrow when the other asked if he had interrupted something. Why would a random rogue care what he was up to, anyway? Ah, perhaps manners? That made sense. Hmm, who knows, maybe this rogue’s parents had been tribal dragons. Or at the very least outcasts, or something along the like. Well, if the rogue was asking questions, then Azelf might as well start asking them, too. He did have quite a few for the adventurous, feathered rogue.

“Ah, perhaps. I do have important business to attend to, you should be honored I’m taking time out of my busy schedule to escort you at all. But alas, I can’t just let you roam wild. You’re still a trespasser, after all. But, I do have a couple questions, before I lead you to the nearest village. Don’t worry, nothing too nosy, just some essentials to make sure you are who you claim to be,” the earthen drake would say with a dismissive wave of his paw, as he made his way over to a more comfortable place, so he could sit down. The questions weren’t long winded or anything, but he assumed he’d be here longer than he planned, so he might as well make himself comfortable while he interrogated the dragon.

Well, the first test had been that the rogue hadn’t attacked him, so that was a good sign. Always good when there’s no blood or teeth involved. The dragon would dip his head somewhat, then raise it up. The dragons weren’t very different in size, with Azelf being 30 feet tall, and Hayate being 25, there was only a small height difference. Still, Azelf enjoyed being taller than the rogue, since it gave him a sort of authority over him. And the adviser always enjoyed it when he felt dominate over a subordinate.

“Tell me, rogue. Who were your parents. Have you always been a rogue, or were you part of a tribe at one point. Were your parents part of a tribe?” Azelf would say lamentingly, flicking his tail somewhat, as flies would come near his tail. It wasn’t very hot today, for this part of the jungle, but it was still quite humid, and while dragons could sweat, they still somehow managed to end up covered in flies in these temperatures, which was always annoying. Luckily, there wasn’t too many, just a few annoying laggards that flew near Hayate and Azelf’s face.

"I am- I'm very grateful for you taking the time to do this. Thank you," Hayate expressed his gratitude once more, nodding his head down. If there was one thing he remembered his parents teaching him it was manners. The blue dragon shifted his position a little, and flicked an ear as a fly tried to land on it. "Questions? That...that sounds fine," he agreed. He watched the other dragon move and sit down, keeping his gaze on him the whole time. It wasn't really that he thought Azelf would try to attack him, but as a rouge Hayate could never be too careful. Sometimes he trusted other dragons, sometimes he didn't. So far he wasn't completely sure if he trusted Azelf, but if he wanted Azelf to trust him, he had to try. Although, he did notice the other looking him over, and couldn't help doing the same. Well, at least the purple one wasn't much bigger than him.

When the questions were finally asked, Hayate's heart sunk a little, and his ears fell. Looking away he hesitated for a moment before answering. "Mmhhh... I don't remember my parents much actually. I was separated from them when I was really young," he began, sighing, "I don't know if they're alive somewhere or not. I...think we belonged to a tribe? But I honestly can't say for sure."

He rubbed an arm absentmindedly. "...I've been a rogue ever since I lost them. I travel everywhere I can, trying to find them, or find where I come from...find other dragons like me," he explained with a certain weight in his voice, as if the words were heavy. He didn't really like pouring all this out to a stranger, but he had no choice. He wanted Azelf to trust him. Hopefully the other would believe him. Hayate's tail flicked harshly at the flies. He had fur and very much could sweat in some places, so the flies were annoying him quite a bit, especially since he was now in a low mood.

Considering how self centered Azelf tended to be, he didn’t really notice how uncomfortable Hayate seemed to get when he questioned him about his parents. He did find it interesting to learn that the rogue’s parents might have been tribesmen. After all, that made so many questions arise. Like, what tribe had they been a part of? Why had they left their tribe? Had they been exiled? Things like this would make Azelf wonder if he should question some of the nearby Xoyan officials about this. Of course, this rogue likely wouldn’t be around long, and Azelf had other, more important things to do than wonder about the life of a rogue.

That being said, of trouble did arise from this rogue, than guarantee, there would be no hesitation in asking the nearby leader. Who was the Xoya’s leader right now, anyway? It wasn’t Gemini, he knew that for sure. Apparently they had a coronation of some sort, or were about to, maybe, for the new leader? Wasn’t his name like…. Raven or something? Azelf wasn’t sure. Though, considering there was a new leader, he would have to make a mental check to go on a diplomatic visit to see them. After all, if they wanted to keep friendly diplomatic connections with the Xoya, they would have to get reacquainted with their ruler.

But this wasn’t important right now. What was important was talking to this young lad to get some details about him. He wasn’t really going to ask too many questions. As careful as he was, Azelf also was very busy. Afterall, he was the Rossa’s right hand dragon. So he’d let the guards hande Hayate once he was finished with just a brief overview of his character. That would only take him maybe another five minutes.

He straightened up, noticing that, Hayate, too, was annoyed by the flies. The purple drake flicked his tail, holding himself up high, as he prepared to ask the blue dragon the next set of questions. “Alright, thank you, Hayate. Now the next question. How old are you? And, how many times before have you visited the Valeterrene?” he would ask. Nothing that could make you upset about those sets of questions, now could they.

Man, these flies were bothersome. Hayate's tail swished and flicked around, but it was almost pointless. He hoped Azelf would be done interrogating him soon, so that they could move on and maybe get away from these annoying insects. However, it seemed Azelf wasn't quite done. Hayate couldn't blame the other for asking so many questions, but he was getting impatient- not that he would show it. He was trying to be on this dragon's good side, not offend him.

"I'm three hundred and twenty," he replied, before shaking his head a little at the flies. "Um..." He scrunched up his face as he tried to remember how many times he had actually visited the Valeterrene. It had been such a long time... "Well...I think about three times. I was fairly young each visit, which may be why I was allowed in? Who's gonna turn down a kid, right?" he said with a sheepish smile. Of course, he was no kid anymore, and he supposed that was why he no longer had easy access. Which he should have thought about, but he was impulsive. He was very lucky said impulsiveness didn't land him in trouble this time.

Azelf nodded. God, if only he had a notepad with him. That would make this so much easier, he thought to himself distantly. If he had that, he would be able to take quick notes and then send the dragon on his way. But alas, that wasn’t the case. So he would merely keep track of these details in his brain, he supposed. Okay, well to recount, this dragon’s name was Hayate, he was three hundred and twenty, he had visited the Valeterrene back when he was still young, and had the appearance of a child(Meaning he must have been below 12), and his parents had been either rogues or tribesmen. Interesting.

The purple dragon would nod, “Alright, I believe that is all the info I need. Though I do have one last question; Do you have a last name, by any chance?” the drake would question him. At this point, the adviser could tell that the flies were bugging the furred dragon, so he was planning on wrapping this up quickly, so he wouldn’t annoy him anymore. Though, part of him was silently grateful for the lack of flies on his part. Man, being scaled certainly had it’s advantages.