Life Stone

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Kiana listened to the explanation of the dragon den and the story of the construction of the kingdom. It was unfortunate that a lot of people were killed by the dragon that took over the castle, but such was the way of the world. During their two day journey to their destination, she noticed that Korius had paired up the members of the group that had alike skills but he never suggested that she and Karina talk to each other. She didn't really have any problems with Karina. Yes, Kiana wanted to be the best archer, but it didn't make her hate Karina because she was another archer. Would Kiana feel competitive? Most likely, but it's not like she wouldn't speak to Karina. Either way, the first time they rested, she found some berries and rubbed them on her new arrows to tint the wood red. Every other time they rested after that, she spent some of that time practicing her archery skills by shooting at trees and such.

[tangletail]

Leo frowned as he listened to the explanation of the story. The dragon to him wasn't the problem. The real problem was that the berserker had, quite possibly, deliberately made it sound as if it would not even be worth the while. The treasure could all be there... or possibly not if the Dragon already has his horde located in some off remote area in the middle of a cave on the side of a volcano. "Well," Leo thought to himself dully, "Maybe there is some kind of scrap lying around. Or, the prince is one of those, I am so rich I have money for paintings sort of guy. Then the paintings would possibly still be there, in near mint condition depending on how they were framed."

It wasn't until they began walking had Leo began, forced of course, talking to the new thief in the party. Though they did exchange some information about their own talents, the cat found the scrappy girl to be quite likeable under her trouble maker appearance. Quite possibly it may be from two like minded individuals connecting. When ever they got the moment to rest, the cat would offer out one of the dried meats from a pouch on his belt to his fellow thief. The herbs had done their job well to keep them fresh and the smell hidden till it was out of the container. He'd take one for himself before closing it up, regardless if she had taken one or not, "Where did you come from, and what's the story between you and the panda girl?"

[Vosur Aekira]

Karina kept listening intently as he was giving the story of the origin of the castle and what information he knew on it, but also keeping in looking around as if out of instinct. She had been surprised on hunts before, so it was quite possibly an understandable habit for her. Karina wasn't really competitive, but she would practice every now and then just to make sure she was not getting rusty in her aim since the travel was quiet. For the first few times, she would fire an arrow at a target she made but she would frown and shift the bow a bit in her hands, as if trying to get used to the feel of it from the tempering. Backing up a bit to make sure she would not get anyone, she started to practice in using the bow as a melee weapon. "It feels a little heavier..." she thought out-loud as she was trying to figure out why it felt a little off while going to retrieve her arrows, a bit of a wider-grouping than when she was back in her town.

[ShiroTenshiRyu]

The time spent on the road was enjoyable yet hard. Korius had seen fit to help him get into better shape and train him even more. Helios had never been as sore as that first night after training. His first teacher may have made a fighter out of Helios, but Korius would surely turn him into a true warrior on the battlefield. When Korius wasn't teaching him how to properly swing a blade or helpping him adjust to the shock of impact on his shield, he was hanging with Leo and by extent Keio. Helios had remained fairly silent over the two day journey far too sore to be bothered with much beyond thanking Korius for his help.

[EllieDragon]

Anoi did not like the idea of journeying into a dragons lair but she supposed that if it got her closer to the life stone it would be worth the risk.  She traveled along with the group, trying to stay as close to Keio as she could but she was soon separated and forced to speak with the woman whom her mate had stolen from just the night before.  The first thing she did was apologize, again and then she introduced herself formally, for the first time to someone in the group.


"Hello, my name is Anoi.  I am told that you are a mage as well?  Or at least you have some sort of magical talent?"  It felt strange to Anoi being forced to talk to someone by another.  The normally shy, reserved Red Panda Kin did not find it to her liking.  She tapped her staff against the ground as they traveled, the sapphire on top glowing softly from the magical energies within.  Those who had any knowledge of the mages college would recognize it as being a sign that Anoi was skilled in water magic.


"Do.. Do you not have a focus?  How are you able to cast magic without a staff?"  It was a question that in Anoi's mind needed to be answered for if there was a way to cast magic without a focus it would make that wizard very powerful indeed.

[Rosanna Foxfire]

Keio stared sullenly at One-Arm when he'd 'ordered' her to talk to the cat.  Not that she wouldn't have talked to him anyway, perhaps even be friendly, but now that she was being told to do so-  It was stupid, yes, but most sullen rebellion is.


She was eventually pulled out of her silent glare by said cat.  Who decided to offer her a bite to eat.  Without so much as a word of introduction he held out a slice of dried and salted jerky, and started asking questions while he fished another out of his specially prepared bag for himself.  After a moment's consideration, she accepted the bite, and scarfed down the chewy stale meat.  Anger could only sustain a body as small as hers for so long.


And it wouldn't do to actually make friends with someone other than Anoi.  They couldn't all be like One-Arm-  And besides, the cat had fed her.


Once she'd swallowed, she nodded. "Anoi?  She helped me out a while ago after I got caught trying to steal from her school.  I owe her everything I have right now."  An ear twitched, and mismatched eyes turned up towards the cat. "We're together."  She hoped that'd be enough for him, so she wouldn't have to answer many more questions like that.  "What's your name anyhow?  I can't keep calling you 'Cat.'"

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Suzumi didn't exactly know what to say to her new red panda companion, especially since it was her mate that stole her gloves only the night before. "Well... I've been studying under a special master since he adopted me years ago. I don't need a staff or wand like most mages. My focus is wind right now. I'm hoping to do mix magic later, but these gloves are what allow me to channel my magic." She held up her hand so that the topazes glistened in the moonlight.


The group reached their destination just before high noon on the third day. The kingdom was in ruins, though it technically was never fully built. "I've heard that about 2/3 of the prince's treasure still remains in there, and no one has attempted it for the last 60 years because of the dragons breeding. No matter what species you are, you don't ever want to mess with a pregnant mother." Suzumi stared at the castle with shaking knees and couldn't help but take a step back as she heard the low rumbling of a dragon's snoring rise up for a second. She had been psyching herself up for the moment where she would be on a real adventure, but the realization that it was now real almost snapped her mind. Korius didn't feel any nervousness from the sound like the rest of the group, but looked back at Suzumi, feeling her constitution being the weakest. "You going to be alright?"

Suzumi was shaking all over, taking another step back as her instincts started to kick in. "I... I'm sorry! I can't do this! I don't want to die!" She turned and ran to the closest tree, crouched down and trembling. Her species was closely related to dragons, and she could feel their aura. It overwhelmed her, and she couldn't stand it anymore. "Just... go on without me. I'm sorry I wasted your time." Korius wanted to say something, but he saw what it was already doing to her just being here. "I understand. It's better if you head back home. Forcing yourself through your fears during a quest like this will get you killed. Go train yourself some more and maybe someday, we'll see you again." Suzumi merely nodded as she kept her head dug in her knees.

Korius sighed and unholstered his sword, "Let's go. She can find her way back. We have only 5 hours before the mother is going to wake up to forage for food. Just remember to stay calm and collected, and do anything unnecessary. If the tales were correct and the dragon did start breeding 60 years ago, it will be sleeping more and gathering more food. The average Ice Dragon egg takes about 62 years to hatch. Remember one basic thing. Don't take anything unnecessarily. Our main objective is to see if the Life Stone was among the prince's treasure. His wealth is nothing to laugh at." The castle wasn't nearly as big as castles these days, being no more than 3 stories tall with only 1 guest wing and it still had servant's quarters instead of a wing. It was obvious that the treasury had been underneath the throne room since the center of the castle had its roof completely broken away and was pretty much the only part that was clearly wearing down from weather exposure.

[Vee Katame: His Wolfy]

Kiana watched what happened with Suzumi after they all heard the low rumbling of the dragon's snore. In a way, she felt bad for Suzumi but she was also a little glad that that was one person out of the way. While Korius was dealing with Suzumi, Kiana was thinking about her arrows and their effectiveness, or lack thereof, against a dragon. She couldn't help but be worried about it. It wasn't going to stop her though and she refocused her attention on Korius when he addressed the group as a whole. The idea of the treasure in the castle intrigued her but she was sure it wasn't as much as it interested the two thieves in the group.

[tangletail]

The cat's gaze became rather lazy as he looked up to the fox. HIs brows going flat and his head tilted, it was almost as if she restated the obvious to him. "I am quite aware," the cat said, now letting his expression return to normal, "The two of you tend to hold each other closer than a friend normally would. I tend to watch and study people. Don't quite understand why I do it, it's just a habit. Almost instinct." he'd then clear his throat, "I am Leo. But you can keep calling me cat if you'd like. It's a little faster to say than my name."
------

Leo's eyes danced over the ruined kingdom that left only ruins, or partially built buildings, scattered around the field. His eyes slowly shifted over each rooftop, ever cracked brick, and charred wood that lead way to the castle ahead of them. He found the size, disappointing, the cities size abysmal, and even the rumbling of the dragon's snore a successful message of, "Stay the hell away. It's not worth it."

His lips pursed as he too began to contemplate whether or not it would be wise to walk in. Though he didn't spend long on pondering as an internal sense of fear had easily answered his question. His eyes shifting to Suzumi, who he swore had been one of the braver ones, suddenly crack under the heat of the furnace. He frowned as he watched her suddenly, leave. It didn't please him to see her go. Instead, a bit of disappointment showed as he looked back to the castle. The idea of the treasure sounded nice. But it belonged to a dragon now. And he's heard stories of thieves being hunted down for just a single coin of gold. But the treasure indeed was a tempting lure, and possibly worth the risk to take.

But then finally came the last bit of advice from the seasoned adventurer. Leo's eyes widening for a bit as he quickly turned to look to him. "Wait... and..." the cat began. He originally wished to say something different, mostly second guess the reasoning behind the thought of searching the place for a stone that may or may not be there... with a dragon that had evidence of it's existence. Snoring over the air in fact. "...what about the loot.... and the dragon. Especially... if the dragon wakes up."

[Vosur Aekira]

Karina shrugs and puts the bow over her shoulder as she would normally carry it while they continued to walk. Seeing Suzumi's sudden show of fear and nervousness, she raised an eyebrow and looked in the direction of the castle, the sounds of snoring having been caught in her ears. She shivered a bit but it was not out of nervousness, she felt a cold wind coming from the castle that just reaffirmed Korius's mention of what type of dragon it was, so she shifted her cloak to shield her body a bit from it. "Man, I'm glad we didn't do this during the winter." she spoke while she was using her hooded-cloak to try to keep herself warmer.

[EllieDragon]

"Oh.. I see." The fact that the other mage had such a small focus made Anoi incredibly curious.  It certainly helped her hide who she was and what her power was.  Anoi's staff on the other hand made her stand out like a sore thumb.  She looked away, still feeling awkward forcing herself to talk to the woman whom she honestly felt was inferior to her in talent.  Special master or not she never had to go through the rigors of the academy and that made Anoi a little bit upset.


For the rest of the journey Anoi did as she was told and talked to the mage but returned to Keio's side whenever she could.  It was safe there, and familiar.  It disturbed her when she first heard the low rumble of a dragons snoring but she was not afraid.  Afterall, she had the entity and her mate with her as well as her magic.  Shy as she maybe she was nothing but brave at heart.  She looked back at the other mage as she started to quiver in fear.  She couldn't blame the woman, this was not a quest for the light of heart at all.


She listened to the wolf man explain the history of the area and the lore behind the dragon within.  She had studied dragons in school but never had the chance to see one up close.  Maybe she could nick a scale for research while they were within the castle. "Don't think it will be needing its discarded scales.. Do you Keio?"  She asked her mate.  Not only would they provide excellent research materials but also could fetch them quite a few gold..

[Rosanna Foxfire]

Keio twisted around, glancing back at the retreating form before turning to face the castle.  She gave a small nod to Anoi's question, narrowed her mismatched eyes only slightly as she searched over the exterior of the castle.


"Five hours?  How can you be so certain?"  She asked, one of her ears twitching slightly as she sniffed the air, shivering a bit subconsciously from the scent of the dragon that lay heavy in the air.  Even if he hadn't mentioned the loot, Keio wouldn't have thought twice about nicking a few small more liquid objects for herself.  She certainly planned on doing so, unless it came from directly beneath the dragon itself, or involved similar risks.


As for the item that they were there for, she doubted it actually lay inside, if it did, someone else would've come at a safer time and found it, surely.

But other than that one question, she remained silent, if less sullen than she was for most of the hike out here.  It was time to pay attention and put on her focus face.

[ShiroTenshiRyu]

Helios listened to Korius intensely enjoying the history of the ruined area. To think they would be with in mere inches of a dragon brought both fear and excitement to Helios's mind. Dragons had always given him a mix of emotions. Still Korius had set forth a mission and he would make sure it got done.


The low rumble of the sleeping Dragon was all it took. Suzumi cracked and left in a panic. Helios was sad to see her go ecspecially since they were about to enter the lair of a dragon. What ever happens now, it's all to find the Life Stone. Helios looked to the rest of his companions who seemed calm and composed for the most part. Shaking off his fears he waited for Korius to lead the way into the ruins.

[Shinzuu Katame: Her Tolfy]

Korius saw the looks on some people's faces as he was about to lead them into the ruins, "Don't hold it against her. Like you, she has no experience in something like this, but she also has something you all don't. That's a kinship connection. She can sense the power and even the prowess of the dragon inside. It's something that takes years to develop when going against something that has no kinship to you. If you all felt what she did, I wouldn't be surprised if you all left, too." The wolf also gave a stern look at the newer thief in the group, "Because dragon gather food at night when they're pregnant, sleeping with their eggs all day to protect them. But they're heavy sleepers, and their eggs are usually bunched in her tail. As long as you don't snatch her eggs, you won't wake her." He then proceeded into the broken city. Luckily, since it was barely even started when attacked, it only took a minute or two to actually get to the castle. Korius led the group to the right, towards the shore-side tower which was the servant's quarters. He slowly and quietly opened the partially unhinged door, whispering in a hushed voice before going inside, "From here on, no unnecessary talking, and nothing above a whisper. During this time in its breeding cycle, all other dragons leave the keep for 3-4 months so every little noise echoes extremely high. On the up side, the worst case scenario is we fight only one dragon. Downside of that, it's a mother." Korius led the group through the servants' quarters, through the kitchen, around the servants' pathways, which were to make them invisible to guests while they do their duties. It took several wrong turns before finally making it to the stairs that head down to what used to be the dungeons. Like most castles that became dragon keeps, all the dungeons were either mostly or completely destroyed. The ceiling and several meters of stone were also destroyed, making the dungeons, grand hall, treasury and throne room into one giant atrium.

It had taken them just over an hour to get there because of the labyrinth of servant halls, though it won't be as much of a hassle leaving now that Korius knows its layout. The temperature dropped exceptionally low the second they came through the opening in the wall, their breath more than apparent in front of them, and ice in patches all over the place. The treasure stacked thick and high, but also in one place, underneath and on top of the unusually large dragon. It was no grand dragon, but this one was at least 20 meters in length, a little over 50% larger than the average adult. The dragon was partially covered in the treasure, as were her 30 eggs. Korius felt a shiver down his spine, and it wasn't from the cold. Despite his years of experience and his ability to perceive others' strength and prowess, even he didn't fully know how dangerous this dragon was until they were in here. No wonder Suzumi ended up breaking down so much. And I thought it was only due to her lack of experience."

The black wolf waited a few seconds to survey any other possible exits and for the party to take in the sight. This was going to be harder than expected. It's rare that a dragon would lay in the treasure with its eggs. They normally only do that when they didn't have eggs to watch over. That could only mean that someone had either stolen or attempted to steal an egg to sell, and now she had to cover them in the treasure. The problem is that now if they get too close, the treasure can potentially make more noise against the eggs, and also, the dragon could feel movement easier. Korius looked around for a possible route to search without the dragon noticing and saw a few collapsed cells that seemed to go under the treasure. From the sight on the side, the cells seemed to be mostly intact underneath the pile. He then lightly tapped the two thieves with his hand, "I'm going to need you two to recon the cells and pick their locks. Try to find a path to those cells over there. We'll follow closely, but don't be afraid to leave us behind a little. Your skills should allow you to be faster and quieter than the rest of us." When the two headed out, he motioned for the others that they all had to follow, but to stay quiet and be ready to fight.

[Vosur Aekira]

Karina was following carefully behind Korius, shivering even more so due to the drop in temperature but trying to remain quiet and calm despite this. It was obvious that she was not used to cold temperatures due to her home but she was trying her best to make sure she did not draw unnecessary attention to herself through her actions. As they got into the cell-ridden room, she carefully put one hand on the fletching of one of her arrows, ready to draw one quickly in case if it was needed as she held her bladed bow in her left hand. This was mostly nerve-racking on how quiet they had to be in a cold environment that she was not used to, but also a bit troublesome to keep still if she needed to take aim due to her shivering, so she had to do this in a quick-draw manner instead of a carefully-aimed arrow if she needed to fire one.