Dragon Ahsterra's Story

Dragon jumped, reaching for the nearest tree branch. This oak, tall, old, ancient limbs spider-webbing into the velvet night sky nearly touching stars hanging as if they were marionettes, dancing a long-worn dance whispered to them by bitter winds sweeping across darkened landscapes. Underneath gray storm clouds the moon beckoned her with its pale yellow fingers of light, calling out...Dragon felt herself slipping into a state of half-consciousness, she accepted the strange feeling with a miniscule amount of grace as she closed her eyes and leaned against the tree.
"This is an orphans' home," she thought out loud to herself.

Luka would say the same...if he were still alive. The thought of Luka Grace's body hanging in the town square, flesh burnt, blackened, and peeling, open wounds oozing maroon liquid made Dragon sick. Just...don't..think...about it... No matter how many times she ran this through her mind she couldn't think of anything but Luka. He was her only friend, companion...and now he was dead. Luka Grace had joined the endless bodies hanging in various places around the City but some total idiot with no respect for the dead had hung him in the exact spot where several boys poured gasoline all over him and lit a match...the result? Too horrifying to imagine. He was there, though, and that must have been good enough for Luka so Dragon, before curling into a small ball, banked on the fact that if anyone was good enough for Luka they were good enough for her.

He. Why did she always have to refer to Marc simply as "He" or "Him"? Dragon considered this for a moment and only that. Not really a topic worth wasting time on; not at - CRASH! Dragon shook her head. "MARC!" She yelled angrily. There was the reason for her not wasting her time - Marc the white tabby cat. It was always Marc. The reason for Luka's death stared at her directly, meowing his head off. I wish he would, she sighed. Closing her eyes once more Dragon braced herself for Marc's endless chatter...almost. Something about weapons?

Dragon felt her blood freeze as the man swept past her. She was used to being exposed to the extreme cold and bitter Spirit Winds of the Mountain but this made her double over in pain. ”S...so cold...” she stammered, hoping no one would notice how weak she'd become. Still, she was here for...something. Luka! Reality struck her hard. She was here for whatever Luka had left behind but Dragon highly doubted that anyone here would take their time to help an orphan? She was absolutely sure that no matter how hard she begged, not even the soldiers would step out of line.

Under the cover of a nearby tree Dragon couldn't help but laugh. Watching this boy, whoever he was, conversing with nothing more than a common pool of rainwater was amusing to say the least; she clamped her white paw over her mouth attempting to cease her laughter but all literal attempts were in vain. After everything she had struggled through she only wanted to have a little fun. Nothing would go wrong, really, unless the boy...pulled a knife. Shifting into the form of a small, slender silver-eyed white wolf she silently padded across the damp ground, hoping to startle the boy by rubbing against his legs and pawing at his shoe.

Lark peered farther into the puddle, not quite understanding the voice he heard. Was she in another dimension? Was this puddle some kind of portal?

The thought sent a subconscious shiver down his spine. Portal....he'd had had enough of that business....after everything with Sozo....after losing her....

His trauma had deafened him to the creature moving close to him, and when the wolf touched his leg Lark practically jumped, taking a quick step to the side as he spun his head to look down at whatever had surprised him. He was surprised when he was met with a wolf. He found it odd that one would simply approach him...even if he was good with animals.

Lark stared at the animal for a moment before stepping back to look down into the water. He kept his ears open.

"So...you think if I find this staff of yours it would help?"

Watching him jump, the reflection in the puddle quirked a brow. "Everything alright?" she asked, stooping down to try and get a better view. She just managed to see the wolf. "A wild animal! What's it doing acting like a dog? Is that your pet?" She moved on from the questions soon enough, shaking her head. He seemed fine.

"It might. I just know I didn't actually black out until after I let go of my staff. It might have been keeping whatever got me in here at bay. Do you think you can find it? It runs on electrical currents. Well, any currents, really. You could detect it with magic, if you have any of that."

Dragon kept at the small display of affection; whether or not the boy liked it was beyond her. Her old master would've retaliated...she drew back after this, with a sudden feeling that he would hit her or draw a knife. After giving the boy a quick, nervous glance she disappeared into the woods. It was better to not try her luck, she reasoned, than actually get hurt. When she was sure the boy and his puddle were out of sight and earshot she shifted into human form, clamoring up the only tree that seemed pleasant for...? Why she was watching the boy was, yet again, beyond her.

Lark looked down at the reflections in the puddle, allowing the wolf to continue rubbing against his leg as he thought.

"electrical currents..." Lark said absent mindedly as he brought a thumb to rest under his chin, holding it as he pondered about the possibilities and applications of his....gift.

"I might have something....but it's not magic, at least I don't think so. It's...something else. This staff, is it like a normal staff or does it have a specific shape?" The wolf's retreat drew Lark's attention and he watched the animal withdraw into the wood.

Well...that was odd. He thought silently as he turned back to the water.

"What are you doing here?" Dragon placed a gloved hand on the boy's shoulder. Looking down at the puddle she scowled, gritting her teeth. "I am not a wild animal," she hissed coldly. "Are you looking for something? I know every inch of this place..." Dragon moved her hand from the boy's shoulder to her side, where she shoved it into her jacket pocket. "I'm sorry I just...I'm not used to seeing anyone here but the animals," she muttered under her breath, lowering her head and blushing.

The woman gave him a flat look. "It's a staff," she said, hands on her hips. "It's made of bone. There's a device running through its center made of silver. There's gold and copper in there, too." She looked toward the... woman.

"Ah, so you aren't. If you're not a wild animal then you shouldn't pretend to be one," she snorted. "And as much as I love small talk, I would really love to get out of here before nightfall. I need that staff. I'm not sure how you'll get it to me, but that'll be the first step. If either of you can help me, if both of you could, I'd be thankful."

Lark had been prepared for the touch this time, his ears had been open after all. Rather than whirling to intercept however, he simply allowed it to happen. Lark could tell a lot about a person from the sound of their breath, and from what he could tell, this person meant him no harm.

He gave the woman who approached him a glance, noting her more...furry of features. Ah, a shapeshifter. That'd explain the odd behavior.

The amount of familiarity Lark had gained with the paranormal was....disconcerting.

He let the young shapeshifter and the puddle woman go on their little spiel, instead closing his eyes and letting loose a short, crisp, and sharp whistle. He waited several moments, silent and still.

He opened his eyes once what he was waiting for returned and began walking off to his right.

"It'll be right over there." He said plainly. "give me a second."

"Someone left a staff in the darker parts of the woods, I know where it is." Dragon paused for a moment, deep in thought. "I can get it for you," she offered, smiling. "I would hate to be stuck in your situation and would want help as well." Twisting a strand of her long, dark amber hair around her index finger she let out a long sigh. "Just give me thirteen minutes," she told the woman. Before padding off into the woods she stopped only for second. "Oh, and my name is Dragon." With that she was gone, vanished into the woods.

"Sanyu. That's my name," she said before they both rushed off. She folded her arms and huffed.

"Well, if you both know..." she mumbled, hands on her hips. She shook her head and waited. They would come soon, right? There was a snap. Some where on her end. She turned around. "Hello?"

When the two came back, whenever that was, Sanyu would not be in the reflection any longer. Something swam around in the puddle, leaking into it.

Blood.

Lark returned first, giving up halfway to let the eager girl handle it. Instead, Lark had decided to head back to the puddle to ask some more questions, just in case the staff hadn't work.

He was the first to discover the murky red stain floating in the water. He bent both knees to get a closer look, not daring to touch the water directly. who knew what it could trigger, and he did not want to wind up going down yet another rabbit hole.

"Well..." He muttered quietly. "that complicates things."

Intense hot white pain gripped at Dragon's chest, crushing her lungs and constricting her breathing. "What...happened...?" She panted, struggling to stay standing. This...does...really...complicate...things...doesn't it?" The moment she managed to stammer out the sentence she collapsed, her body hitting the ground. The staff slipped out of her hand as she fell, landing at Lark's feet.

Lark looked to his side where the girl collapsed, sighing again. "When it rains it pours..." He shook his head, picking up the staff and then kneeling beside Dragon.

"You gonna be ok?" Lark asked as he listened intently. While it was high, her rate didn't exactly seem dangerous....was she simply not used to running?

"Yeah...I think...so." Dragon attempted to stand but her attempt was in vain. "I have no idea what happened...I felt something happen to Sanyu...and whatever that was attacked me." She managed to pull herself up to a sitting position, giving Lark a curious look, her head tilted to the right only slightly, dark amber hair falling into her face obscuring her eyes until she brushed it back with her hand, which was covered in scratches and blood spots.

"At least you're not hurt," she said, smiling sheepisly. Several deep scratches marked her face, and a long, thin line still dripping with blood underneath her right eye. "Better you be okay...than me," she muttered, blushing.

Lark raised a brow at her injuries, staring at the girl for several moments before turning back to the puddle. "Those injuries don't look too bad. Should be fine with some disinfectant." He glared at the blood in the water, trying to figure out how it got there. Trying to guess where Sanyu had gone.

He thought about what Dragon just said.

"Either someone is trying to keep Sanyu where she is or..." Lark hated the way he thought sometimes.

"Or someone is trying to put us there."

Dragon shook her head. "No! I mean, I'll be fine without disinfectant...so what do you think we should do? I mean, I think I might know what happened to Sanyu..." Why did Lark have to remind her so much of Luka? This made her ask..."Have I met you before?"

"No." Lark said automatically without even glancing at her. "Hand me the staff. If Sanyu is still alive, something tells me she'll need it to stand a fighting chance."

Lark looked over his shoulder, into the wood.

"As for us, well, we'll have to see what we're up against first."

Dragon handed Lark Sanyu's staff. "Part of a legend originating from Elras, my hometown, has something to do with whatever we're facing," she explained. "Only part. As for the staff and everything else...well, that's beyond me, the staff has nothign to" Taking a deep breath she sighed, diverting her attention to the maroon puddle. "I don't remember anything about home except the name and the legend, if I knew anything else I would tell you."