The Coming Catastrophe: The Search For The Guardians.(We were a bunch of idiots!

[Rayleonarde]

Ray stayed close to Spyra, but he still wandered as far as he dared. He understood very little of what the glyphs and carvings meant, and understood the temple’s importance even less. The shadows were what held the young raccoon’s attention the most. Monsters hid in them, brigands used them for cover, the unknowns and evils of the world lived there. In a moment of total focus, Ray failed to see the solid stone brick laying haphazardly on the floor and stumbled. He yelped, loud and high, before disappearing into a decently sized hole in the floor, obscured by the ceiling’s shadow and the bits of rubble nearby.


When Ray came to his senses, he was lost and confused. His eyes were open, yet he could not see. He turned around slowly, trying to get his bearings. He was in them now, once merely wary of the dark, now terrified of the oppressive inky black surrounding him. After a few moments though, ray adjusted enough to shuffle his way to the entrance, and stood shaking beneath it. He attempted to yell, but fear gripped his tongue. A pitiful, hoarse whisper was all he could manage, as terror gripped him ever tighter. He could feel the monsters closing around him, their glass-like teeth and razor claws. Their blood-shot eyes leering out, hungrily studying their next meal. Swinging his arms like a madman, Ray hoped someone would catch on and find him.

[Tristan Foxalot]

After his observations of the dragon, Tristan was now content once more to have the dragon close by, stashing away his leather journal into the satchel again and dismounting from Midnight, looking at Atauri with a grin, "The pleasure of observing the powerful creature as a dragon conquer his enemies in such a raw and brutal fashion as they do. It provides much inspiration, you know."

"I mean, just look at him," Tristan would tell her, turning to look at Jofan standing over the corpses of his enemies, "Is he not a most magnificant specimen you ever did see? All that strength and raw draconic power rolling off of him in waves. It's... almost intoxicating, just to be in his presence. So, if I were you..." Tristan said, stepping closer to Atauri, his voice taking on a dangerous whisper, "...I would enjoy the dragon for all the nights that are still his own. After all, in such dangerous times as these, there is no telling... what might happen to him next."

With a laugh, Tristan steps away from Atauri and leads his horse over towards the ruins of the temple where the vulpine knight fixes the reins to the wall before deciding to venture inside the structure, leaving the others outside to their whims.

Throughout his hunts for dragons, Tristan has had the great pleasure of traveling the land and coming to some of the most incredible places, both in his homeland of the Emerald Empire as well as throughout the lands of these strange countries far from his birthplace. And, in those travels, he takes the time to appreciate such places, when hunting is not an immediate concern. So Tristan finds himself here, stepping into the ruined hall of the temple, looking at the elegant architecture and elaborate glyphs when he came upon shards on the floor. Looking up, he spots Spyra and Ray wondering around further on, before he bows his head again and kneels down. And his eyes light up with delight. Shards, but not just any shards, dragon egg shards. Even through all of his travels and hunts, finding a true dragon egg has yet to happen for him, and he thinks of how incredible it would be to actually find an egg intact, or even to find the young dragon that might have come from this egg.

As his hand moves down, picking up a shard, he lifts it up and watches it closely as he applies pressure to it in his hand, looking on with a mixed expression as he sees the egg shard crumble between his leather-bound fingers of his gauntlet. The shards are still soft, meaning that a young one was born here not so long ago. Tristan mind races at the possibilities should he find the young one, of having a real baby dragon of his own and even raising it. A dragonslayer with his own baby dragon to take care of and nurture. Strangely, his heart swells at the idea, before he unconsciously looks up again to see Ray, the boy inquisitively looking around the temple not far from Spyra, who is doing much the same.

Then, an idea came to Tristan before he looked down at the shards. There is not enough here for himself, but there is enough here for someone small, for a child. Of course, the shards are soft, but that can be easily remedied with a bit of divine intervention. Of course, for forging dragon egg shards into a vest of protection, it would not be the Divine's power that would be needed, but the Defilers. Tristan lets the broken shards fall from his hand before he hovers his hand over the shards, palm down, closes his eyes as the words come to him, words to call forth a great evil.

"Lord Defiler, hear these words, for they are an offer." Tristan speaks, his voice low, but a God hears all, and the ground beneath the shards shudders, "You know for what I offer, and you know for what I seek. Grant upon me my desires, and the power of the greatest beasts to walk this world, of the dragon itself, shall be yours to command."

At these words, the ground beneath the shards quickly grows black and tar-like, a sticky viscous substance that soon swallows up the shards entirely before something starts to rise out of the blackness, a vest of ebony black dragon shards formed in perfect scales, a masterwork of smithing if there ever was one. Once the vest had emerged out of the pit, the blackness reformed back into the same aged stone that the floor was before, leaving just the vest in it's wake. The scales of the vest are indeed the shards of the dragon egg, now blackened by the Defilers poisonous touch, drained of their draconic qualities and filled instead with the corruptive protections of a Dark God. With a smile, Tristan reaches down and picks up the vest, happy that the Defiler approved of the exchange. This vest is strong, stronger than most plate armors in the whole world, and it would certainly protect young Ray from almost anything.

As Tristan stands, looking up to find Ray creeping towards the darkness, Tristan starts striding over to the boy before, as Tristan's eyes went wide in horror, Ray falls and vanishes downward, the knight quickly turning his striding into a racing sprint, coming upon the dark hole Ray fell into moments later, dropping to his knees just at the hole's edge and yelling down into the darkness, "Kid! Kid! Can you hear me?! Are you alright?!"

[Sohdakin]

The large Battledragon's nostrils flared out as he breathed heavily from the combat, his gaze slowly turning towards the armored Vulpine as he heard the small knight speak. Jofan would flick the blood from his sword before sheathing it and facing the group as they approached, a bright smile soon appearing beneath his half helm. "Ah! Crazy Bear correct, this Dragon find group!" he rumbled and then looked back to Tristan with a curious brow "Mmmm, Ogres tough, yes, but dumb, clumsy." he said then nodded his head towards Spyra with her comment about it hardly being a challenge and he couldn't agree more.  Jofan gave Atauri a curt nod when the elf walked up. "Dragon come look for group, find Ogre, Ogre attack dragon....dragon win" came a chuckle.  When Spyra and Ray passed by, he would turn to follow Spyra and grin down at Ray as the little raccoon boy rode on her shoulders. 

Jofan mostly ignored the others when the scent of the goblins wafted through the air and he did not like it one bit. He moved ahead of the group again as he sniffed the air, hoping that the foul creatures kept their distance. He would not wander too far ahead as a group of well trained goblins could easily overwhelm him and take even him down. As he looked around he felt the scales at the base of his neck tingle...someone or something was using dark magic! A low guttural growl emanated from the dragon, his eyes narrowing as he peered and sniffed about.  A familiar tug was felt when the dragon looked back towards the group and more importantly towards the Vulpine knight as he saw him pull a strange, black object out of the ground. "Put down NOW!" he roared and ran towards Tristan, his feet thundering against the stone path. He did not witness Tristan making the vest but thought that some dark lord had placed it there. 

Jofan came up to where Tristan was kneeling before a large hole and screaming down at someone. Before he would inquire as to what had happened he reached out to rip the vest from Tristan and toss it aside "No pick up foul object!" he hissed as he looked back to where it lay on the ground then back to Tristan "Vest evil, no touch!" He was about to say more when he heard the pitiful cries of the young raccoon boy and would go over to peer down the hole in which Ray had fallen.

[XIII]

Even though Atauri had understood Tristan' sarcasm, her suspicions toward the vulpine had remained. However, now, they were less. Of course, she has purely wanted that, that her suspicions were nothing more, but just a couple of negative thoughts about him and the vulpine is only a knight. A freelancer of many and a guy in search of adventures in a good company. But his words about the Guardians didn't want to go out of her head quickly. So the elf decided to not pay attention to the fact that the fox could be a dragonslayer. So the smirk was her only response on the fox' speech. Because for most of her life, she was a serious person and rarely had moments in her life for any kind of humor. Before she finished her study, and elements start to change her personality significantly, she was a different person. And sometimes, Atauri wished to change it.

Then the sorceress had heard Viktor' words, and once the wolf has ended his speech, Atauri sensed energy, comes somewhere from inside the ruins. The magic flow was steady, yet not too enough for the purple-skinned one to enter to a spiritual contact with its owner. The latter one should be someone who possessed an immersive, sheer amount of irrepressible power. Such energy could belong only to archmages or creatures with unlimited abilities. Like Guardians. But the energy the elf sensed was enough to enter a spiritual trance, where Atauri could see only the road, led to the energy owner. There, inside the ruins, where Ray had fallen. The elf could see nothing, but a thin thread which serves as a guide seeing by her only. Without any hesitation, the sharp-eared female has followed the road ignoring everyone around her. For others, she looked a somewhat transparent, a weak white light shine outside of her.

And so, inside the ruins, she followed by the same road as Ray, playing the role of a magical lantern. But the raccoon wasn't her target, even though he could notice her. Atauri ended up in a big, stone hall, with a ledge where the spiritual road ends. But now the energy source was stronger in times. On the opposite side was a standing silhouette of a creature. But it was impossible to say who or what it was. The same was about the distance - even though the night elf sees the spirit not too far, the latter one could be somewhere else. But apparently, the owner of the spirit wanted to be found; otherwise, he would hide his energy aura, which leaves traces in places of its usage. And magic-sensitive creatures can easily see it. Thus, the sorceress decided to start the dialogue first.

"Vulkest, is that you? Does the one Viktor whisper about like a cursed? Reveal yourself, Guardian, angel, or demon. The highest priestess of Darnassus, daughter of Cenarius the Forest Lord wants to see you!". Atauri said, and her voice echoed over the hall.

[Alessia Starfurr]

 Once Ray fell through the floor Spyra turned around then jumped down into the hole from the cracked floor, with seemingly no afterthought, no consideration that she wouldn't find a way out, her action almost seemed foolhardy, at least to those around her.

Spyra could hear Atauri's voice from within the temple's basment 'Hmph, Like he would listen to you.'   she thought returning to her own reasons for being down here, finding Ray, using her sense of smell and not her sense of sensing energy signatures she walked to Ray to find the boy, once she did she'd look upon him to first make sure he was okay "Please tell me this isn't a regular occurrence with you." She grumbled. "This is not a place for you to die." She added offering her hand to help the boy up.

[Rayleonarde]

Ray didn’t say anything, but instead clung to Spyra’s leg, as a child would it’s mother, and buried his face in her hip, glad to be free of the dark. Or, at least, from the horror. Tears would stain her pant-leg, just as they had the young raccoon’s face. It was obvious he wouldn’t let go of her until they were free of the pit.

[Romulan_Furry]

When Ray fell into that hole, Viktor heard it, but was too late to jump in after him. Instead, he waited for the child and his protectors to return topside. Looking around to the others, Viktor said, "He was here. And he knows we're after him."

"Such arrogance, to think you could command a Dovah," came a draconic voice. In spirit, invisible to all but Atauri, a black dragon with a blue underbelly approached her. "Just who are you? And what makes you think you can travel among dragons? What makes you think yourself fit to travel with a man who can become one of us?"

[Tristan Foxalot]

Tristan's attentions would be forced away from the hole as the vest he so carefully traded with the Defiler is torn from his grip, the fox knight turning to find Jofan had taken it and even threw it away, but the words that would come from the great drake's mouth could not do anything other than make the fox chuckle a little in a good natured way. The idea of this dragon taking to protecting Tristan from something he considered evil is rather endearing, and it was almost enough to make the knight feel some measure of guilt at the inevitable confrontation to come.

"My friend, you have no need to try to protect me from this artefact." Tristan said, rising and turning to the dragon, "The vest you took and threw over there is in fact something I created, and it is meant for the small one that fell into this hole. You should not worry, it cannot do me or him any harm, it is in fact meant for him. It will keep him safe from... what dangers lie ahead for him."

Tristan then walked over to pick up the vest, stooping down and pulling it from the floor before standing straight again and turning to look at the dragon with a smile. "Still, I am... touched that you would think to protect me." Tristan says, before looking down at the vest, still shining in it's ebony blackness, "Intentions not so different to my own for making this vest."

[Alessia Starfurr]

Spyra sighed. "Do I need to give you courage as well?" The She-wolf went on, holding her hand to the side of her head as she thought,  the boys tears, staining her pants and getting to her digit grade legs  fur, she thought it wouldn't be too much as she grabbed the boy, picking him up off the ground, as she slowly started to walk away, finding the hole the boy had fallen through then crouching down for a second her emerald green eyes glowing, just before she leapt up into the air landing just outside the Hole back on the main level of the temple. 
 Looking  around  to make sure the ground was stable she set the boy down. "Do stay out of trouble." she sighed, shutting her eyes.... as she seemd to go into a trance.

[Rayleonarde]

Ray sniffled, glad to be free of the dark basement. Still, he clutched Spyra’s leg like his life depended on it. He looked up at Spyra, confused by the trance she slipped into, and simply waited for her to come around.

[Sohdakin]

Jofan would snort at the chuckle Tristan made "What funny" he rumbled as he was confused as to what was so funny.  Though when the Vulpine explained that he had made the vest, Jofan would pull his head back as he eyed the Knight for a moment.  "Knight serve dark lords?" he asked simply, getting straight to the point. Any trust that was formed between the two was now being called into question.  "Bah, nothing from dark lord is safe" he grumbled, while he did not like it, it was not his choice nore his place to tell the young raccoon what to do.

The large Battledragon was about to say more when he sensed the presence of another dragon though the smell is faint....he could tell that either there is another dragon here or was here recently.  For now, he would say nothing and just keep an eye out as he wasnt sure if the dragon was friendly or not. 

"Bah, even fool need protection" he would grumble and look at Tristan again with an eye of distrust. 

[XIII]

"Arrogance is to think that you're capable of everything while it is not true. You're trying to control the chaos alone, and now you may witness the cost of your attempts to control the chaos by yourself only.". Ori started, knowing that the Guardian was in front of her. The majestic as all of them. That's why she spoke in inherent her calm as the only one who can raise his voice between their two was the spirit. Elven arrogance is a known thing, and even for Katmai sometimes was hard to suppress this bad quality for which she curses her ancestors. But the sorceress was able to deal with it during the talk with the Guardian. The respect toward them was higher than the feeling of her self-importance. "For centuries, my family, including my father, served to Dovah with the soul and passion. And now it's my time to serve you, Guardians. And it will be an honor for me to be your voice and hand. Speaking about Viktor... I'm the one who won't let his mind to fall into the darkness completely. I know his pain, his sorrow, willing to bring the light in the darkest place of his soul. I'm not asking for a right to walk among you, but I'm begging you to trust me as to your kind. For only by trusting each other, it is possible to restore the balance of power."

[Romulan_Furry]

"Control the Chaos?" Vulkest scoffed. "Already, you presume much. I never claimed to control Chaos - I am quite content to let it ravage this world for what it has wrought, while I seek to spark Viktor's memory, remind him of who he is - and leave this world with him when he does. You think you know Viktor? You haven't even scratched the surface. You may know his pain and sorrow... but it goes much deeper than that." Vulkest looked to Viktor. "Ever wonder why Viktor has been on the run all these centuries? Ask him. And ask him why his Pandaren lover screamed so painfully before she died. And when you have answers, well... Viktor knows where to find me. If you are serious about what you said, Viktor will lead you to me." And with that, Vulkest broke contact and vanished.

Viktor was before Atauri, staring at her with a look of concern. "Atauri? Are you alright?"

[Tristan Foxalot]

"Honestly, I very much would prefer to serve no Gods at all, but that is simply not possible." Tristan would tell Jofan, giving the dragon a reassuring smile, "But I do not serve the Defiler, no. He is, as some might say, a force a nature that cannot be avoided. It's... rather complicated. But rest assured, I know what I am doing."

With that said, Tristan turned his attention to the small raccoon boy, now safely above ground as he looks up at, Tristan assumes, his mother. The fox knight would turn away from Jofan to approach Ray and Spyra, looking down the vest and brushing off any dust that clung to it from the floor, and he spoke as Tristan drew close, "Considering the danger that is all too present in places such as this, I thought that--" Tristan said, stopping as he looked up at Spyra, and her vacant, distant expression gave Tristan some concern, to which the knight turned his attention down to the boy, "Is your mother alright, one young?"

[Rayleonarde]

Ray shrugged. “I-I think she’s tired. She jumped all the way out of the hole in one jump.” He looked up at Tristan. “I-I’m Ray.” He offered his free paw, the one not currently locked in a death-grip with Spyra’s pant-leg. “W-Who’re you?”