Tears leaked out of her eyes as a very familiar metal weapon dug into her back. Her mouth opened as if to let out a scream, See'r had never hit her this hard with his whip, that just wouldn't form. His grip around her neck tightened cutting off all sound and air. It wasn't just the metal tearing at her back or the Zealot's hand cutting off her air supply that hurt, it was staring into Abel's face through it.

The blackness in her vision went from creeping around the edges taking over the majority of her sight. When the blade cut across another part of her body her vision came rushing back in a blur. It dimmed once again as she heard Abel saying something, taunting See'r. It was too much It was all just to much her body felt like it was shutting down then her best friend would unknowingly slice off more of her flesh ever nerve ending in her body woke up.

The only comfort through all of it was that every time the blackness would creep up on her again it would take more of her vision. When the pain and her vision returned so did Abel's eyes. If she lived through this she would see those eyes for the rest of her life. And she would live through this because if not then Abel would win and See'r would live with the knowledge that he had killed her.

Then she felt it, dimly though the pain but she was sure that he had shifted her in an od...oh god. Something cold tore through her chest. She felt every bit of it. The tearing of her flesh and muscles and a coppery taste invaded her mouth. But she wasn't looking at Abel anymore, just over his shoulder she stared at the face of the person who had just...just killed her.

His face was just like how she had last seen him. pale skin, a mouth that warmed her when it twisted up into a smile, blindfold tied tightly over his eyes covering just a bit of his nose as well.His silver hair caught the light like it always did.His hair really was getting too long. She had to remember to bug him about cutting it later.

The blackness ate up all of her vision and she would have found it peaceful if it hadn't been for the hard surface she collided with and something warm but loud that was keeping her from enjoying her blackness. She wished it would stop.

((Well, shoot, lol, that was what I was aiming for (zealot dragon) before it would be revealed to not be a dragon at all. Anyways, gotta run. Post later.))

((Oh noooooo! I am sorry! ;-; I never knew)

[ *LE GASP!* So the plot thickens! Does Alchemy survive? How will See'r cope with what he's done? What business do the fem-Zealot duo have with Abel, and what will Byron do about going to see Rayeth? Will Jake and Aesh continue to enjoy their freedom? And lastly, when is my character coming in?? XD Find out next week on a new episode of "Lies", Wednesdays at 8/7 central, only on the Menewsha Channel! ]

((:sweat: Evil dragons and what not . . . *shudder* THey are a good idea, and since Abel is such a bad guy, he can have control over them through some evil means.

@April: Hahah!! :3 Drama everywhere! LOL

I think I may give Minty a chance to post before replying here. . . . *dies*))

Skin’s mask suddenly came to life upon Abel’s appearance. From completely black to a foggy white, it had two sections, one for each socket, and they moved individually. Both were slightly oblong, aside from an abrupt and odd dip at the outer end, with an array of lines dissecting through the shortest medium, fading to finer strips as they travelled to the sides. It gave the illusion of multiple irises, but was not quite bug-eyed. Developed from a particular dragon, they allowed her to see in sixteen hues compared to a regular human’s three, giving her the ability to see ultra-violet, polarized light, infrared and far more, including binocular in one part alone. The best by far was aura and it became quite useful in tagging large lizards.
Right now they set squarely like crosshairs on Abel and the construction he exited. “Meeting adjourned,” she murmured, turning toward Abel respectfully. She did not bow—she was so used to the field; giving away the commanding officer was just ignorant—and instead, she remained perfectly still and in quiet wait for him. Her presence alone said success on part of their last catch, remains sold off or stored, such as on the other girl’s clothing. She personally kept hers more hidden so that only a trained zealot gaze could spot her markers. She was only human; any dragon could kill her.
Her compatriot, however, took a little more to injure. Still, like the perfect mini-me she was, her collaborator mimicked the taller woman, but took two whiffs of the air. Not a word did she speak on the blood that floated on it or around Abel, but it was not Rayeth’s for certain. She scented that enough to know it anywhere. However, she did fidget with her top, covering up the scar on her chest more carefully, not that he did not already know. She had not learned the discipline of the elder zealots.

(((dragonjake: lol, that was the point, but it actually works. She can start to assume that she is a dragon even more; she is terrified by that thought. She will probably start following around the zealot dragon just to be sure; she already admires Abel because he is the closest thing to her in her mind. They were about to suggest that Ghowe act like a captured dragon and "escape" with Rayeth, both to lure in other dragons and to scare the devil out of people at the show that there is a sudden surge of new zealots because of it. Up to Abel of course (and his master, Esmme) and would that mean Byron gets to go chasing them or join for the ride? I do not want to sound like a fangirl here, but I LOVE everyone's writing. Maybe I should expect this from thread-RPers compared to InstantM-RPers.)))

((Well you can still do that plan because I have no idea how to add my new character in yet, but I am sure if there was to be a commotion, he would come to see what it was all about. :rofl: And for those wondering, his first name will be Dante. =3)

[*sees all the new posts*

*finishes reading all the new posts*

Come on brain! Think of something to post!
Don't let all of these awesome posts intimidate you!! :illgetu: ]

Standing with the small group was now starting to get awkward. It was clear that Byron did not fit in and the seriousness emanating from the other three made her feel even more so. Despite the length of time she spent in their company, the only things she found out were that the two strangers also sought an audience with the skilled narrator and that the boy's name was Devan. Briefly she pondered why the tall lady addressed Mister Abel as 'Lord'. To Byron's knowledge, that was a title reserved for people in a position of great social status or people who lived in large mansions and castles. She still has to learn that it could also pertain to people of great wealth or power.

The young one was not sure if she should call it a blessing, but strange sounds followed by a sharp, yet stifled, howl of pain cut through the uncomfortable silence. They were coming from where Rayeth stayed. This gave Byron something else to pay attention to, but it also made her worry.
'What's going on?', she thought.

Byron raised a hand up to check on Knox before taking a few steps towards the source of the muffled commotion. She hadn't gone far from where she originally stood when she saw someone cloaked in black enter the structure. The acrobat didn't get to make out much of the man's features, save for his silver hair, before he moved out of sight.

Sounds of a struggle only increased afterwards, alarming Byron. The possibility that her friend could be in danger was quickly beginning to fill her thoughts. She turned back to look at the other three, searching for a sign that they noticed the distant noise. However, the reaction they had was not what Byron was expecting. While they looked like they acknowledged it, none of them appeared concerned or interested.

Since it didn't seem like they would be of any help, the girl felt it was time to take matters into her own hands. Already forgetting what Devan had advised, Byron started for the entrance to the back of the stage. But her sprint was a short lived one. The emergence of a tall, familiar figure shocked Byron and caused her to stop in her tracks. It was the Rayeth's 'employer', Abel.

Though his expression was calm, or maybe because it was, Byron found it disconcerting. "Uhmm...", she began, but never continued. What was she to say? There was too much she wanted to ask now. About Rayeth, about the two women, about whatever the source of the noise was. As she attempted to sort her thoughts, another voice called out from where the great silver cage resided. Muffled as it was by the stage and the distance, there was no mistaking that it was a cry for help.

The young one reflexively began moving towards the stage again, although not without some difficulty. Uncertainty still plagued her. Once she was about to pass by the owner of the troupe she slowed her pace. She glanced at him warily before moving on. Soon she disappeared into the stage.

Darkness was once again what greeted her. The place was even more dimly lit than when she first stumbled into it weeks ago. As before, Byron could only take two more steps before tripping on something. With this, Knox found it wise to seek safety within Byron's purple and black jacket. Even though it had been half a month since he'd been here, he still remembered whose territory this was.
Unlike the pale girl outside, it was only once she had gotten this close that Byron could smell the distinct scent of blood. "Hello...?", she called out meekly. "Rayeth?"

[@ Kri: Byron shall be like Velcro! Or a magnet! :D She will follow whoever wherever! Probably!]

((*dies* I want to reply so BAD!!! :headdesk: Es will do so ASAP!!! :squee:))

((You should do Esmme! :eager:))

[ Yup, totally. That way I can get Ezand into the fray soon too~ XD ]

((Es . . . will . . . post . . . as soon as she can! :headdesk: Sorry!))

See'r's cheeks were wet with tears as he desperately tried to keep Alchemy from slipping away from him. "Please!" He felt like a child again; everything he did was completely useless. He wasn't sure what else he could do. "Say something! I need to hear you!" Anything. A reprimand, a plea, a reassurance . . . anything.

Instead, there was nothing. No laughter, no warm smile that he could hear in her joking words. She wasn't even moving.

"Alchemy!" See'r's silvered blue eyes turned away, wishing he could block out the sound of her labored breath. It was weakening. With every breath, she was dying. I would trade places with you if I could. His trembling hands continued to press against the wound, and he cried out for aid once more. No one would hear him in the crowded streets. It's my fault.

The quiet voice from the tent entrance made See'r's head lift slightly. "Please. . . ." He couldn't force himself to say anything further. The feel of Alchemy's blood on his hands made him feel dirty, as though he had committed an act far darker than ever before. He'd just murdered his best friend. If she died, it was because of him. See'r's blind eyes locked on a distant point, and he swallowed thickly. "Help," he was hardly able to get the word out. It was hardly a whisper. "She needs help."

Rayeth's blue eyes lingered on the two Outlaws, his expression hidden. Poor things. He'd seen so many similar scenes. Abel was always using situations to his benefit. This was just what the Zealot leader craved: betrayal and darkness being shoved into the face of those who claimed to be light.
When Byron appeared, the dragon forced himself to sit up. "Come," he hissed urgently, motioning her closer. "Unlatch the door." The blond looked from Byron to Alchemy, and then back to his little friend. "Quickly, girl!"
-

Abel stepped up beside his servant, his red eyes curious. Skin had always been one of the more devoted, and far more interesting, Zealots. "The eastern nest has been taken care of, then?" He knew it had been. Just by seeing the woman here meant that the entire den had been wiped out. It had only been a mother and two children, but it meant the female would be angry. Abel had sent more experienced Zealots to destroy them.

Abel looked from one Zealot to the other slowly, a slight smile still on his lips. "Skin. Have the two of you returned for more assignments, or are you merely checking in?" He disregarded the faint, desperate cry from the stage behind him. His crimson eyes flickered with a strange kind of pleasure before he chuckled.
-

"I am a small dragon." Aesh's serpentine features filled with mock hurt. "And you are abnormally large, Jake." She stuck her slithering tongue out just as he had, and then spread her wings. "A race, or just a warm up?" She'd almost forgotten that he still had not recovered from his broken wing. Yes, the bones were mended . . . but he needed to build himself up to the state he used to have.

"I am proud of being abnormally large." He said raising his head up before chuckling a little before looking back down to Aesh. "Just as you should be proud of being small." He said with a large smile, but seeing her open her wings, he chose to do the same. "Hmmmmmm... Well. Considering this is the first time I have flown since I broke my wing, I would say that we should just do a warm up this time." He said before carefully crouching down and then pushing up with both his legs and wings, he took off and started to slowly accend. "But I'm not going to stop you from enjoying this and flaying fast." He said smiling a little.

Although her eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness, upon hearing the feeble appeal for assistance Byron was able to discern which direction she should be heading towards. Once she saw the two figures on the ground and the blood dripping quickly onto the floor a renewed sense of distress overcame her.

'What do I do?!', she thought, panic-stricken and frozen in place. However, a familiar voice soon snapped her out of it. Rayeth instructed her to hurry and open his cage. "Yes sir!", she immediately replied, not needing to be told twice. In a split second, the girl was lifting the heavy silver latch. Its weight could never adequately represent the true burden it posed to who it contained. Soon the sturdy metal gate was open.

"Hurry!", exclaimed Byron, even though she was sure there was no need to remind the tall blond how desperate the situation was. "We-! We have to get her to a doctor!" The young one looked back to the injured woman. Her wound was terrible. Even Byron knew there was a good chance she wouldn't make it...

No! She wouldn't let herself think that way! This wasn't anything like what happened to her family a year ago! 'There's still hope-!!'

Abruptly, her thoughts were interrupted by a queasy feeling. This forced her to put her hands to her mouth as a precaution. 'There's still hope! There's...there's still...!!!'

“For more assignments, of course,” she replied with a smooth, deep voice for a woman. “That was easier than we expected, considering how overwhelm the dragon was over her children. Quite easy to manipulate and throw off. We managed to retrieve information from them as well. That is actually why we have an idea to purpose for the next respective missions, which may or may not involve you, depending on your view on how it should be performed. It has much to do with your invention of this show,” she gestured toward Rayeth’s tent.

“While Ghowe may not enjoy this reference, she does have some draconic-resembling abilities.” Just the mention of it made the lightly colored girl squirm. “Perhaps we could use that to lure out other dragons in another travelling performance or incorporate it into yours, although they surely would recognize the head of their destruction.” She would not be surprised if every lizard quaked at the sight of Abel. “So, if she could somehow move into their ranks or even ‘escape’ from your show, so that others believe her in need of help or of help to them. You might stir up more recruits, if the event is frightful enough to scare them into joining.”

Dragons were a present threat, but, because Abel’s zealots were so good at their duties, the masses were too lax. If they would wake up, dragons would already be extinct. However, Rayeth might blow their cover, if Abel did not keep a hand on that gem. “Ghowe could perform feats of fire and appear to be under your jewel’s power as well. You have taught us very well in the art of acting.” Her smile remained covered, but the humor could not be missed from an otherwise flat tone.

"I didn't think you could stop me," Aesh laughed, tossing her serpentine head as she flew along with Jake. She wouldn't leave him in the dust - that wasn't her kind of thing. The red dragon looped around her friend, swirling a few times before coming up to join him at a more leisurely flight pace.
"Where would you go if you left?"
-

"She may not make it," Rayeth said, swiftly moving from the cage. He felt so much better just being free of the silver prison . . . but his thoughts weren't on freedom. Everything swirled around the wounded woman a few feet away. The dragon stood, ignoring the pain in his chest as he reached out to See'r. "I will take her," he said, blinking in mild surprise as he saw the boy's eyes. They were scarred, and a far paler blue than humanly possible.

See'r could hardly register what was happening. His breath was quiet as he heard the other male lift Alchemy. She didn't have much time left. "I'm so sorry," he breathed, standing as well. See'r's legs would hardly carry him.

"Follow me." Rayeth cast a glance back to Byron, and his gaze softened. "All of you. Come." He headed for the front part of the stage, knowing that Abel would see them if they headed through the real entrance. They were on the stage moments later. The dragon ignored the crowds, focusing instead on the dying woman in his arms.

There was a hideous snap, and wings burst from Rayeth's shoulders. He cried out, but it was lost in the noise of the crowd as voices began to rise in surprise and horror. He hadn't shifted forms in a few days, so it was bound to be painful. In a flash of white scales and leathery wings, Rayeth changed himself to his true form: a dragon. Gently cradling Alchemy in one clawed hand, he motioned to his back. "We ride. Now."

See'r seemed to know what was happening, despite his lack of vision. A dragon. If the situation had been different, the Outlaw might have said something to Alchemy about it. Instead, he blinked away tears that fell away from his features. See'r moved close, feeling along the dragon's shoulder and wing. He hesitated, unsure if he wanted to suddenly lift away from the ground.

"Your friend is dying, boy."

See'r was on Rayeth's back moments later. He offered his arm down to the other person he'd heard. His hands were still shaking. He was trembling as they lifted from the ground. First, See'r was blind, and hated heights. Second, everything was far worse knowing that he didn't have Alchemy with him. Or . . . he did, but. . . .

Wrapping his arms about the cold creature beneath him, See'r grit his teeth and waited for the inevitable rush of air as they rose. Look, Alchemy. It's a dragon. But she couldn't see. She could hardly breathe.
-

Abel smiled slightly. "She would be useful in that way," he said quietly, reaching up to touch Ghowe's cheek lightly. "I believe we can create a situation in which-" His red eyes shot to the tent. Rayeth was escaping - he could hear the crowd now. The Zealot's gaze flickered to the white creature that launched itself into the sky. "He has the girl," he said quietly, lifting an eyebrow. That meant she might live.

His fingers lifted, touching the blue stone that hung from a chain about his neck. He would bring them down - at the right moment. He wanted Alchemy dead . . . and he wasn't about to let a rebellious animal keep that satisfaction from him. "Are you prepared to start your next mission?" Abel's red eyes moved back to Ghowe, and the smile on his pale features was far more threatening than ever before. "Rayeth needs to be recovered."

Jake chuckled a little as he watched his friend looping around him, what she said was true, he would have no way of catching up to her if she did wish to fly off. As the two flew, he began to enjoy the scene below, but when she asked the question on where he would go, he looked to her with a little bit of a chuckle. "Good question... I don't know the answer either." With a sigh he looked back down to the ground. "I can't exactly go back to my home town because of them guys we fought."

With much anxiety, she kept her purple eyes locked on the wounded one as Rayeth carefully took her from the arms of her silver haired companion. Her hands still covered her mouth even though the sudden churn in her stomach had already abated. When they started to move, Byron quickly followed right behind the tallest of them. She shot a brief glance towards the place she had entered through as soon as it appeared they wouldn't be going that way. It felt novel to be heading out through the top of the stage and, if things weren't so bleak at the moment, she would have been thrilled to be on it. What kept Byron's attention more than the the openness of the wide platform, however, was how the man in black moved. Up until the time they got out, the girl thought that he only walked in an odd manner because his friend was in an awful condition. He was distraught. Weakened, perhaps, by sorrow and fear. With the night lights now illuminating his face, Byron realized he had been holding on to the walls and the wooden railing of the stairs as a means of guiding himself. He was blind.

She gasped, unconsciously lowering her hands. But it was good to breathe in the cool, night air. The aroma of blood had become a suffocating haze in the enclosed area beneath the wooden structure. An excruciating bellow from the dragon's metamorphosis became the only thing that kept her from staring so rudely at the blind. Through the shows, she knew the manner in which her friend took on his reptilian form. Yet ironically, without the metal bars to hinder him this time, his change seemed a little more violent.

Byron waited patiently as the blind male cautiously made his way onto the dragon's large, white back before approaching for her turn to ascend. The small acrobat took the man's quivering hand as he offered her assistance and clambered up behind him with ease. She gripped tightly onto his dark, hooded robe as Rayeth kicked off of the ground. Through squinted eyes, Byron watched as the stage, the people, and the town grew distant. Then she looked to the front before her eyes succumbed to the speeding winds.

The blond woman looked more like a crimson stained rag doll now, limp in the great dragon's arm.

Ghowe mirrored a very twisted, playful grin, like an inside joke. Even in the heat of battle against opponents both weaker and stronger than Rayeth, she did not display such glee. It was just Rayeth; they had been…acquaintances for years and behaved more like squabbling siblings, but the fights were far more ferocious. The only reason neither had killed each other yet was because Daddy Abel controlled the both of them one way or another. Mommy Skin just let them go at it while she worked, milled or relaxed somewhere. As far as she was concerned, it tuckered the tiny girl out enough so that she did not chatter so much on their trips.

“How would you like me to bring Rayeth back?” she inquired, careful not to assume too much. He could easily crash Rayeth to the ground and she could shoot him out of the sky. Did he want something more interesting or what it for better shock value? She did not see anyone in particular to audience their event. Peering narrowed eyes at Rayeth, she noted that his shape was off. Her eyes shifted between the lashes and she spotted two people on his back and let out a laugh, oblivious to his other cargo, “Is he allowing humans to ride him?”

Skin rolled her scopes onto Abel’s lizard, and her goggles danced with colors and shapes as she analyzed the situation. “There is an injured girl in his grasp,” she confirmed and Ghowe’s mirth lost its joy. “Is that one of our own? He is not so high up yet that she cannot reach him,” Skin both questioned and proffered, though she did not see why he would take one of their own rather than kill her. Perhaps she would be tortured for information, which might mean a slight revamp on some current procedures. Of course, if she was too far gone, the easier option would be putting the girl out of her misery.

((Dear goodness. I apologize for the lengthy delay! *cry* Finals are finally over (save art, but that's easy)! :boogie:))

Abel glanced at Ghowe, and then focused on Skin. He offered a smile that was both calm and unrevealing before speaking to the girl beside the strangely-adorned woman. "I will bring them down." The tall male didn't seem worried about the "cargo" in the dragon's grasp, nor the passengers. "The humans are expendable." He figured that Alchemy would die - and See'r, the blind teen, would not be able to reach land. The Zealot leader had no clue that there was a third passenger.

He blinked slowly, his fingers gently tracing the pale blue stone that hung from the chain about his neck. With a flicker of light, the stone seemed to pulse with power. Immediately there was a response. Rayeth's wings seemed to collapse. Watching the beast fight against the heartstone, Abel sighed quietly.

"Act as a friend. Bring Rayeth back." Abel sent another pulse of energy at Rayeth. "When he's back in his cage, he will be . . . aided in his release. You will need to be his friend, Ghowe."
-

With a snort, Aesh nodded. "Perhaps a new town, then? Start over somewhere?" Then again, the Zealots were growing more desperate to find the dragons. Who knew how far they would go to find the serpents? Was it possible to start over? Or . . . even stay in one place?

The thought made Aesh's eyes narrow. Her human family, Da Vinci's household, was in danger with her around. She'd known it for years, but was unwilling to leave. Now, though . . . now she had Jake. Perhaps it was time to leave the estate.

"I should go with you, Jake. When you leave."
-

Rayeth was flying as fast as he could. It had been a long while since he'd had such freedom. His single evening of semi-freedom with Byron had been pleasant, but not this . . . intense. The white-scaled creature was keenly aware of Alchemy's weakening pulse. He was finely attuned to his two passengers as they gripped tight - especially See'r.

They rose over the town. The dragon lifted them over the docks, heading toward the distant shore that was near the docks. His pale wings flashed in the darkness like sheets of ivory. Rayeth felt the cool air like waves of salvation washing over him . . . and then the leash snapped taut once more.

Agony. Searing pain that he'd come to know as Abel's hand shrieking through his veins. Rayeth's flight halted, and he stubbornly kept himself in the air. I need to let them down gently. From this height they would die. Unless they hit the water. . . .

Wave after wave of pain made the dragon stumble. His wings wouldn't beat properly - instead, they locked. Then, Rayeth bellowed in anger. Just as he got them over the sea, Abel's power wrenched his heart more thoroughly. This time, it was deep enough to stop his breath.
-

See'r's mind went blank with fear as the dragon beneath him began to fight against the pain. His pale hand subconsciously gripped the arm that wrapped about his waist. If they fell now. . . .

The male held his breath as Rayeth fought against falling. It was sudden, really. They were flying, struggling . . . and then the dragon went limp. They plummeted. And they hit the water with the force of a speeding rocket. See'r couldn't tell up from down. Cold water suddenly invaded his lungs and nose, dragging him this way and that as the others plunged into the sea.

Alchemy! The blind male hated water. He hated walking in the ocean waves when he could touch the ground, let alone when he was out in the middle of it. See'r felt Byron tear away from him as the force of the water broke them apart. Everything was cold, dark, and suffocating.

How many times he'd dreamed of this. This was his own personal nightmare. It was worse than what he'd remembered. Alchemy would surely die. Not only was See'r fighting the water, but his own mind. His lungs cried out for breath. No matter where he reached, there was only pressure and darkness. The absence of sound left him more blind than ever.

Just as he broke the surface with one hand, something pulled him down. Rayeth's tail unwillingly swept the male farther down. See'r choked with the sheer need for air. There were lights flashing through his senses. After he stopped spinning, tossed about by his meeting with the scaly tail, See'r felt weight continue to drag him farther down. Reaching out, he prayed that Alchemy would live. If he should die, she should live.

Slowly, he fell still and continued to sink. It was so easy to just give in.

Originally Posted by Esmme

((Dear goodness. I apologize for the lengthy delay! *cry* Finals are finally over (save art, but that's easy)! :boogie:))

Abel glanced at Ghowe, and then focused on Skin. He offered a smile that was both calm and unrevealing before speaking to the girl beside the strangely-adorned woman. "I will bring them down." The tall male didn't seem worried about the "cargo" in the dragon's grasp, nor the passengers. "The humans are expendable." He figured that Alchemy would die - and See'r, the blind teen, would not be able to reach land. The Zealot leader had no clue that there was a third passenger.

He blinked slowly, his fingers gently tracing the pale blue stone that hung from the chain about his neck. With a flicker of light, the stone seemed to pulse with power. Immediately there was a response. Rayeth's wings seemed to collapse. Watching the beast fight against the heartstone, Abel sighed quietly.

"Act as a friend. Bring Rayeth back." Abel sent another pulse of energy at Rayeth. "When he's back in his cage, he will be . . . aided in his release. You will need to be his friend, Ghowe."
-

With a snort, Aesh nodded. "Perhaps a new town, then? Start over somewhere?" Then again, the Zealots were growing more desperate to find the dragons. Who knew how far they would go to find the serpents? Was it possible to start over? Or . . . even stay in one place?

The thought made Aesh's eyes narrow. Her human family, Da Vinci's household, was in danger with her around. She'd known it for years, but was unwilling to leave. Now, though . . . now she had Jake. Perhaps it was time to leave the estate.

"I should go with you, Jake. When you leave."
-

Rayeth was flying as fast as he could. It had been a long while since he'd had such freedom. His single evening of semi-freedom with Byron had been pleasant, but not this . . . intense. The white-scaled creature was keenly aware of Alchemy's weakening pulse. He was finely attuned to his two passengers as they gripped tight - especially See'r.

They rose over the town. The dragon lifted them over the docks, heading toward the distant shore that was near the docks. His pale wings flashed in the darkness like sheets of ivory. Rayeth felt the cool air like waves of salvation washing over him . . . and then the leash snapped taut once more.

Agony. Searing pain that he'd come to know as Abel's hand shrieking through his veins. Rayeth's flight halted, and he stubbornly kept himself in the air. I need to let them down gently. From this height they would die. Unless they hit the water. . . .

Wave after wave of pain made the dragon stumble. His wings wouldn't beat properly - instead, they locked. Then, Rayeth bellowed in anger. Just as he got them over the sea, Abel's power wrenched his heart more thoroughly. This time, it was deep enough to stop his breath.
-

See'r's mind went blank with fear as the dragon beneath him began to fight against the pain. His pale hand subconsciously gripped the arm that wrapped about his waist. If they fell now. . . .

The male held his breath as Rayeth fought against falling. It was sudden, really. They were flying, struggling . . . and then the dragon went limp. They plummeted. And they hit the water with the force of a speeding rocket. See'r couldn't tell up from down. Cold water suddenly invaded his lungs and nose, dragging him this way and that as the others plunged into the sea.

Alchemy! The blind male hated water. He hated walking in the ocean waves when he could touch the ground, let alone when he was out in the middle of it. See'r felt Byron tear away from him as the force of the water broke them apart. Everything was cold, dark, and suffocating.

How many times he'd dreamed of this. This was his own personal nightmare. It was worse than what he'd remembered. Alchemy would surely die. Not only was See'r fighting the water, but his own mind. His lungs cried out for breath. No matter where he reached, there was only pressure and darkness. The absence of sound left him more blind than ever.

Just as he broke the surface with one hand, something pulled him down. Rayeth's tail unwillingly swept the male farther down. See'r choked with the sheer need for air. There were lights flashing through his senses. After he stopped spinning, tossed about by his meeting with the scaly tail, See'r felt weight continue to drag him farther down. Reaching out, he prayed that Alchemy would live. If he should die, she should live.

Slowly, he fell still and continued to sink. It was so easy to just give in.

((Heya Esmme! :glomp: :3))

Jake listened to her suggestion and nodded a little with a small chuckle. "You're right... I think a nice little village by the sea would be nice enough to stay at for the remainder of my long life... Unless the people around me get too suspicious." He replied, though he knew this would never happen due to the fact the Zealots wouldn't be far off and would soon find him.

Jake looked back to the ground in thought as he remembered to what happened in the last town where he had fought the Zealots, the inn ended up burning badly and he did not want to put another town or village to go through that. But what other choice did he have? He needed somewhere to rest and recover.
(I will bring Dante in, sorry if Someone has already brought him in, I have not been paying much attention :cry:)

In the Zealot headquarters sat a male, he had his eyes shut and appeared to be unconcious. But this wasn't for long as the male growled a little and opened his eyes which started as a dark red colour before turning to a light blue. He looked around the empty room and grumbled a little as atempted to stand, but found he had been strapped down.

The male could easily escape the chair he had been strapped too, but knew that would only get him killed, plus he didn't want to leave the chair to escape, but instead he wanted to leave the chair to hunt down the dragons who had been causing trouble for his master and the Zealot. "Come on!..." He growled out, hoping someone would hear his growl. "... When do I get to hunt?"

[Dante's profile doesn't seem to be on the first page, even though at least his name and pictures are. XD Hope you don't mind I'm going to use this chance to finally bring in Ezand, but it will be short and lame-ish.]


"Always so impatient, Dante.." sighed a young boy standing guard at the doorway into the Zealot dragon's room. The twelve-year-old's curious eyes gazed over the older man in the chair. In the first place he wasn't even tied properly, though he probably knew it. "I'm sure Abel will have something for you to do.. Erm.. Some time soon, I guess?"

Being the temporary new-addition to the Zealot group, the dark-haired boy didn't have much to do either. Well, not like he cared.. He was only here to repay the Life Debt he owed, nothing more. He didn't really care about their ideals, and he found it rather hypocritical that they actually kept a dragon. Nonetheless Abel left him in charge of this particular one.

"What's it like to fly?"

[And so everybody drowned and died. The End :XD

But seriously, nuuuuuuuu!!! Nuuu, it can't end like this :squee:]

For a while as they flew, Byron felt that the worst was behind them. That, with Rayeth's speed, they would find help for the woman in time and that she would be alright. Had she been able to open her eyes, she would have been delighted to find that they were once again soaring over the large mass of water that Pay'Tions bordered. But then brief calm that the child had mustered was shattered by the their erratic, diminished pace and the unexpected fall.

Byron had never before feared heights. Since she was an acrobat by profession, having spent most of her childhood balancing precariously above the heads of everyone, high places were to her as chairs were to ordinary people. Falling was also not an issue. She has had her share of stumbles, bruises, scrapes, sprains, and even a broken bone when she was even smaller. But she lived after each fall and healed well with the love and care of her parents.

Despite all that she had been through that tempered her heart to steel, this terrible drop filled her with terror like never before. Opening her eyes once more for a moment out of fear, Byron realized that what awaited below to swallow them whole was the dark expanse of the sea. Even if the water cushioned their fall, their survival was uncertain at best. All the girl could do now was hold on tighter to the robed figure in front of her and hope the white and blue dragon regained consciousness. But he didn't and the group crashed into the waves.

Byron lost her grip on the silver haired man immediately after the water rushed between them. The shock of it all forced her to cough up some of the air that was left in her lungs and forced her to struggle for the surface. She was oblivious to the fact that the blind one did not know how to swim and expected him to already be afloat on the water's surface. Perhaps the two of them could figure out how to help the others, forgetting the fact that Rayeth was currently a gigantic dragon. But once she reached the surface and her eyes adjusted to the dark, she only saw the tip of a reptilian tail sink into the sea.

Knox, who had been hiding in Byron's jacket, now found a good reason to leave it. Unless he wished to drown, the monkey saw it was opportune to clamber up onto his owner's head. But his time out of the water would be short-lived. The girl quickly dived back into the water, unfortunately leaving her beloved pet to fend for itself. Luckily Knox could swim, but who knew for how long?

Byron, in the meantime, was preoccupied with searching for the others. She saw Rayeth go down so the others might be underneath as well. Everything was murky and dark but the dragon's silvery hide reflected enough light for her to spot him. He was sinking slowly, but was sinking nonetheless and Byron could not think of how she would be able to pull him up. Another thing that managed to break the blackness of the briny water was someone's pale hair. 'The blind man!' As quickly as she could, Byron swam down to him, hoping she could at least try to help him. Though she was completely determined to reach him, her small lungs could only afford her so much time underwater. She reached out but dismally only managed to graze the fingertips of his outstretched hand before the need to breath started to pain her. 'No! Come on! Reach!'

Originally Posted by April

[Dante's profile doesn't seem to be on the first page, even though at least his name and pictures are. XD Hope you don't mind I'm going to use this chance to finally bring in Ezand, but it will be short and lame-ish.]


"Always so impatient, Dante.." sighed a young boy standing guard at the doorway into the Zealot dragon's room. The twelve-year-old's curious eyes gazed over the older man in the chair. In the first place he wasn't even tied properly, though he probably knew it. "I'm sure Abel will have something for you to do.. Erm.. Some time soon, I guess?"

Being the temporary new-addition to the Zealot group, the dark-haired boy didn't have much to do either. Well, not like he cared.. He was only here to repay the Life Debt he owed, nothing more. He didn't really care about their ideals, and he found it rather hypocritical that they actually kept a dragon. Nonetheless Abel left him in charge of this particular one.

"What's it like to fly?"

((The easy answer to that is because me and Esmme agree to only put his name and picture up so rest could be mystical and not give anything away :eager: And Minty, What can't end this way? :shock:)

Dante's eyes darted to the young male that had been ordered to keep a eye on him, he chuckled a little bit and nodded in agreement. "You might be right boy... After all, I must have my chance to prove to our leader that I can do the thing you human Zealots fail to do." He said with a small grin on his face knowing that he would easily be able to follow the sent of the dragons, seeing how he was one of them.

"You know... I don't see why they have left a small human like you to gaurd my room... If I wanted to betray my master and break free of this room, it would be like breaking through wet mud." The dragon said with another chuckle. "Sometimes I get the impression that no-one trusts me just because of what I am... Well... I don't blame them. But I will prove I am a Zealot dragon and not one of them maggots out there."

Once he had finished talking, he heard the boy's question about flying and laughed loudly. "What is it like to fly?... You know, That is the first time someone has asked me that and the easy answer is... It is like... jumping from a cliff, but instead of hitting the ground, you soar above it... If you're a dragon that is." he said with a slight grin on his face