exsiliumlogs | There’s nothing you can say, nothing you can do, nothing in between; you know the truth

Entry tags:

There’s nothing you can say, nothing you can do, nothing in between; you know the truth

Date & Time: January 14; probably in the afternoon
Location: A little ways into the Northern Highlands
Characters: Crucible, Aurican, and Kang
Summary: The inevitable revelation of family, loyalty, and what happens when Aurican utterly and completely lose his shit.
Warnings: family drama? also: violence toward yetis

Aurican is used to the sounds of construction by now. Down in the little charming town they now call home, all Transports are working their blessed hearts out to make extra accommodations. Originally, Aurican wasn't one of them, but eventually Kang and Crucible roped him into a project that needs desperate help, for this little ruin of a castle is to be another station for all the non-humans who need refuge from the glares of the natives.

Aurican doesn't mind. He figures he and Crucible can tear down trees in the privacy of the secluded wild for supplies with greater ease in their natural forms than a human can with an ax.

The winter snow starts to ease off, thankfully, and by the time Aurican was in Crucible and Kang's company, it became almost bearable again - indeed, it started to feel like the chilly winters that take hold of the Valley of Paladine back home. It made Aurican almost nostalgic for home. Almost, until a blizzard just came out of nowhere (Aurican suspects the Abyss) and literally pinning the three shape shifted dragons and draconian. It is enough for Aurican to almost lose his charitable mood, despite the cave nearby that saves them from the blasted cold.

When enough firewood was gathered, the gold dragon in human form let loose a stream of fire from his human mouth, warming up the damp cave. "I hope this blizzard won't last as long as the previous one did," Aurican remarks, prodding a stubborn stick into being lighted by fire. "I don't think the natives will enjoy the sight of a dragon crashing into their village in an attempt to escape the cold."

The blizzard screeches in its whisper-howls in response.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Crucible was not far behind after Kang as he pushed forwards, his massive snout lunging forward to catch one of the yetis around the midsection with fangs as long as swords before tossing the torn body of the Yeti aside even before it even got a chance to yell, its blood splattered the wall it struck with a sickening thud.

With a mighty twist of his jaws, the yeti's neck made a horrible snap and its body went suddenly lax, like a doll. Tossing the corpse aside with equal disdain as the yeti threw Aurican. One yeti, with an axe stilling out of its back stared it two dead and dying comrades before letting out an ear-splitting howl before Aurican turned around and smacked it on the head hard with his tail, hard enough to bring it to its knees.

The yeti's body slid off of Kang's axe with a thump, aided by his foot pushing it. He snorted, and leaned down to slice its neck open as well, just in case. With only one left alive, and about to be finished off by a dragon, he backed up a few steps, muttering another curse.

"We'll have to set a watch for the rest of the night. There might be others."

The Yeti was not on his knees for long as Crucible's snout snapped forward, silencing the stunned yeti and removing its head in a single swift bite. The body slumping to the ground even as he drew back to allow the gold fully back within the cavern.

"That would be wise, lest they catch us unawares," He dips his head reasonably as moves further into the cave to one side of the fire to give the Kang and Aurican room to settle in, "I shall take first watch,"

Aurican was just irritated over the whole scene. Such waste, he thought. Such needless violence. The ambush honestly reminded him a little too closely to the time when Blayze, Burll, and Smelt died: without warning and without provocation. He grunted in his affirmative, changing back to his human form, to better protect himself from the cold.

"Just once," he couldn't help but grumble. "I wish that this world would stop trying to rip my head off when I am sent here to save it. That's all I ask."

Edited 2014-01-20 04:08 (UTC)

"We should get these bodies out of the entrance, as well," Kang snorted, wiping the blood off of his axe in the snow drift that had blown in before putting it back in the harness between his wings. "The mess outside should be covered up quickly, at least."

At Aurican's grumbling, he couldn't help a short, dry laugh. "I don't think it likes us much more than it likes you." He grabbed one of the yetis under the arms and started dragging it to a far corner in the cave, away from the fire.

Crucible dipped his head in acknowledgement to Kang's suggestion, remaining for now in his true form. Regarding the entrance with a wry snort, "Much longer and the entrance itself may be buried let alone the mess,"

"Agreed, it certainly doesn't offer those such as us the warmest of welcomes," giving another snort before picking up one of the yetis that had fallen by the entrance way with his large jaws. Picking up the other he had thrown earlier in a fore along the way to deposit them were Kang was headed with his own.

Aurican watched Kang and Crucible carrying the dead Yetis inside, it left him only one body and one removed head by Crucible himself. Sighing, he kicked the head with all of the draconic strength he had within this small form, sending it tumbling down the steep hillside of the cave. He grabbed the hand of the one remaining corpse and dragged it along, with a disgusted expression settling in his face.

It looked like Aurican will be in one of those moods where he will be perfectly polite as well as being perfectly annoyed.

Edited 2014-01-20 16:26 (UTC)

Once the bodies were moved and placed out of view, hidden by a pile of rocks, Kang returned to the fire to get comfortable, shifting back to his human form with a sigh. He pulled out his tablet to message the others about their situation, muttering a couple of curses under his breath when there was no signal. He should have figured.

"Well, we're stuck here for about another twelve or thirteen hours."

Crucible played his part in burrying the bodies beneath a mix of larger and smaller rocks arranged to look natural upon first inspection. While the others returned to their human forms Crucible opted to remain in his true form, fortunately not sharing the same weakness to the cold that the other two seemed to share though he still did not enjoy its bite. Placing himself down to act as a breaker for the cold wind that blue in through the now partially buried entrance way.

"We have shelter, that is something. Let us hope that it goes uninterrupted," He casts a glance to the entrance way before sweeping his gaze about the extent of the cavern and the various entrances, "Rest if you wish, I shall remain on watch for now,"

Aurican was, for the most part, in a state what he heard to be referred as "high strung". Combined with his disgust at this world and still suffering from a battle high, he couldn't bring himself to talk other than giving an affirmative grunt.

It was then he took a time to wonder how much he had changed in this world. If the Aurican of Krynn was here, he would be polite and considerate, thinking clearly and without prejudice. He would be obsessed with the beauty of the world and grieve the loss of civilization, not concerned with the thoughts and opinions of creatures and races that would die within decades of time - a mere blimp of time for a dragon.

Aurican sat down next to the fire, feeling weariness sinking into his bones like cold water absorbing into a sponge. He rubbed his face absently and realized the entire lower half of his face was smeared with the blood of the Yeti whose throat he had ripped out in his indignant anger. He wiped his sleeves at his face furtively, smearing dark red into the sleeves of his robes.

"It might have been a scouting party. It didn't look like they were expecting us to be there."

Maybe.

"But who knows what these Yeti do. I sure don't."

Kang handed Aurican a rag to clean up with, unfazed by the sight of that much blood. The smell was far from pleasant, though, and he wrinkled his nose slightly. "Most likely. Would have been nice if it were a hunting party with a fresh kill for us."

An hour or two passed with idle conversation about their lives in Exsilium and everything they'd been up to. Just as he was adding another log to the fire, he heard a faint noise from the back of the cave; his head immediately shot, and he peered into the darkness, unable to see any heat signatures with his proximity to the light from the fire.

It was probably nothing.

Crucible gave a wry snort to Kang's comment, "Now that would have been to easy, and we can't have that now can we here?"

During that time Crucible spoke up and matters here and there, listening with some interest as to what this world had held for the other two. The moment that faint noise came from the back of the cave however Kang was not the only one to take notice.

Gazing into the dark with his sharp vision, his snout raised high above the fire, nostrils flaring as he scented the air. A low growl echoing in his chest as he drew himself to his feet, Yeti's and not in small numbers if the strength of scent and vibrations in the ground beneath him gave any indication.

"We are not alone, ready yourselves,"

Aurican has noticed Kang's curious staring at the end of the cave, but he thought nothing of it. It is only when Crucible stirs and stiffens does he realize there is something amiss. Giving out a small sigh, Aurican put his rag down and stood up, looking at the end of the cave.

The dragons and the draconian didn't have to wait long. Several more Yetis emerged from the darkness, clearly displeased when they saw their dead comrades in a shameless pile, tossed away like nothing. They bared their teeth in clenched fury.

Not wanting another episode of being thrown again, Aurican never gave them the chance to act on their unsaid threats.

In a golden blur, Aurican changed shape once more and became a snarling, hissing serpent with fire kissing his fangs, reaching out with his forepaws with the nearest Yeti, claws ripping and heated teeth sizzling fur and flesh, worrying it like a dog worries a bone.

With an exasperated roll of his eyes (of course there were more, and they wouldn't catch a goddamn break), Kang quickly stood up and dropped his spell again. Battle-axe in hand, he waited for the handful of yetis that managed to get past the two dragons, wary of being crushed by accident in the fighting.

Their weapons were reminiscent of goblins', but he knew from experience that a pitted, rust-covered blade could do more than enough damage. He hissed, and ducked a spear, slicing open the gut of a large male so that its intestines began spilling out. One of its companions snarled and swung at him with its claws, and promptly lost its entire hand.

Crucible stalked around the fire with deliberate intent, even as Aurican leaped passed the large bronze moved to watch his flank. His growl echoing through the cavern.

Even as one Yeti attempted to get past the Gold they found themselves swatted hard against the stone wall with a sickening crunch, the large bronze's head rearing back as he drew in breath drawing on his breath. A glow at the back of his throat the only warning the yetis had before a beam of searing light burst from his maw, cutting the foremost down in an instant.

More yet continued to spill from the rear of the cavern, the group clearly larger and more intent than the first group that had stumbled upon them.

A great plume of flame erupted from Aurican's maw, ensnaring one Yeti in a terrible cloak of fire; its brethren immediately backing away from the fire. Untouched by fire, Aurican snaps his jaws against the throat of the dying Yeti's throat and snuffed its life out.

But in his merciful killing one Yeti manages to slip past Aurican and Crucible and hit the old gold mightily with a heavy fist. Aurican stumbled, dazed, taking a step back but is struck again, blood and spittle flying from his heated gums.

Another punch and Aurican fell, his head barely missing Kang as it bounced against the hard stone floor. Two more Yetis rose up, crude bronze weapons raised to give the killing blow on Aurican's neck.

For one bewildering moment, Kang tried to process the fact that a yeti had just taken a full-grown gold dragon down by punching him. It was short-lived, though, as he barely managed to behead his last yeti and realized that he wouldn't be able to kill both yetis in time with blade or magic to save Aurican.

He had one other option, though, and he had a sinking feeling what it would lead to.

The scent of ozone filled the air as sparks formed around his mouth, and he aimed a blast of lightning at the yetis. It wasn't quite as powerful as a dragon's, but it was more than enough to do the trick.

Crucible's eyes narrow with anger, the fire within his eyes flaring. That the yeti's such a potent foe as Aurican down with but bare fists was a shock, but one that turned to a burning rage. The two currently facing him suddenly crushed beneath his paws as he readied to push past them to get to the Yetis that were poised above Aurican's neck.

The bolt of lightning that struck both of them caught Crucible somewhat off guard at that moment, that was no spell, that was a breath weapon. One that he had not been aware that Kang had possessed. A thought that would have to wait however.

Any hope of mercy that the yetis might have received was gone the moment they had moved to kill Aurican. A deafening roar driving the yetis back a few steps before drawing himself up to his full height. Fuelling his magic burning rage he reached into the foundations of the rock in the caverns beyond. The ground rumbling as chanted draconic syllables echoed through the chamber, the very roof above the yetis' heads falling in upon them, crushing them even as they tried to flee, leaving them no hope of escape. The rock and cavern around the three of them however held steady, unaffected by the bronze's geomancy.

Aurican turns his head in time to see Kang's lightning breath, and for a moment, he couldn't take his eyes off Kang. Despite having Burll's descendant fighting right beside him, it is Kang that forces Aurican to be reminded the most of Burll.

Burll, the ever steady, the stoic, the ever concerned and always needed to have his lessons repeated in order to truly understand them. Burll, who was nothing like Kang, except the color of bronze, and the lightning breath that erupts from not just from the mouth, but from the power that makes dragons dragons. Burll, a dragon of water who had died in a tornado of fire, slain with a wordless cry as his final goodbye.

The secret words that came with unbidden thoughts that haunt Aurican's mind reveal themselves in full force. His suspicions, his denial, his loss: they all hail dark waters that is Aurican's sea of sorrow and guilt and emerged as a terrible dark creature, far more sinuous and treacherous than Crematia can ever aspire to be.

The sudden shaking of the ground rips Aurican from his thoughts, and he lifts his head to see Crucible to do some kind of spell, something that involves the earth, he's not sure what it is. However, whatever it is, it dealt with the Yetis very neatly, if you can call crushing them to death with giant boulders as neat.

(Even so, it was a very unpleasant sight even for Aurican.)

The strikes the Yetis had given to Aurican were great, despite their smaller size, which took him by total surprise. In some ways he would rather be bitten than punched, but he will keep that to himself until the end of time. Aurican manages to get to his feet, head hung low as a terrible pain started to lance into his skull. A tooth might have been knocked loose as well.

This is possibly the worst night Aurican has ever had.

Aurican lets out a mighty sigh as he sits on his haunches, watching blood from his jaws dripping down into a small puddle, a mixture of both his and his Yeti victims. "Well, that was just awful."

"That's a much more polite way of putting it than I would," Kang's wings rustled a bit as he looked at Aurican. He'd seen the expression on the gold's face. "How the hell did you let yetis take you down?"

He didn't want to be the one to bring up the inevitable. He hoped Aurican would breach the subject.

Crucible lowered himself down with an almost weary look, it was no unpleasant sight for anyone but it was efficient in its results. "As far from a pleasant encounter as one can get here," He shook his head with a snort. His gaze resting on Aurican for a moment, offering after that moment, "I have a measure of healing should you require it, dull the pain at least," Whether or not Aurican would accept as much was another matter, a dragon's pride after all.

It is then that Crucible's gaze comes to rest on Kang, the barest hint of curiosity and confusion in his expression as he worked over what he had seen. He had yet to encounter a Draconian that had openly exhibited the ability to utilize a breath weapon. He dare not bring it up immediately however knowing well the link it would draw, that was a matter for Kang himself to broach.

"Their punches took me by surprise," Aurican replied, half drolly and half annoyed. "They are smaller than me but their fists are like boulders, which I wasn't expecting."

Aurican's face aches greatly and he is greatly tempted to take up on Crucible's offer, but he also wants to refuse. (Pride is its own pain as well.) Besides, something else is nagging Aurican's attention.

"I never knew you had a breath weapon, Kang. Is it magic?"

Kang glanced at Crucible for a long moment before drawing himself up and facing Aurican again. It was time.

"You must have noticed by now how similar Crucible's and I's scales are. It's not a coincidence. Neither is my ability to breathe lightning like a bronze dragon." He paused. "My kind were created from the eggs of metallic dragons by dark magic, under the orders of Takhisis."

Crucible remained silent as Kang drew himself up, the truth of the matter was to be revealed, so be it. Aurican of all should know what had happened.

His expression taking on a grim, somber look as he inclined his head as Kang spoke of the origins of his kind, "What Kang says is truth, eggs stolen away by Takhisis's minions while many of our kind slept," he comfirms and expands, leaving it to Kang himself to explain what he would.

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject