The Beginning of the End

[Nova Psycree]

At last...

Feuergeist. Psycree's lips curled in smug satisfaction. Mud spotted her calves and hands; smears ran along her neck, arms, and corners of her malleable, fitted shirt. All of the Fire Nation's prided Feuer-Bohrung swept out behind and below her. She had scaled it all, hand over hand, step after step. Her limbs burned with the pressed, recourring movement, but not nearly as much as they had after the first few weeks of climbing.
Nova simply sighed within her boundaries--a rush of accomplishment and finality mingling with Psycree's raging endorphins. She had done little more than jibe and watch throughout the journey, her eyes wandering at the edges of what Psycree showed her. Otherwise, Nova held on for the ride and tried to make something out of the nothing she was offered throughout the journey.

Winter had left without notice, the fires of the mountain melting away what winter snow could have clung to its surface near the burning nation's capitol. What stood before Psycree resembled a small city, or at least, the beginnings of a city. Its buildings had been carved directly from and into the mountain's stone facade, else they were made of the stone dug out of the other buildings. The secret to the Fire capitol, however, rested behind the mountain face. A riddling array of tunnels connected the other half of the city to the model above ground.
Somewhere within the twists and winds of the city, the Fire Lord breached the differences between fire manipulating humans and ancient, prideful fire dragons. Somewhere, the answer waited. And they could be free. Whole within their own bodies.

It was a grand scene when Psycree finally stepped foward on the stone shelf. All at once the wind pushed at her vibrant orange hair, shoving and pulling its lengths and curls, whipping it about her determined and proud eyes. Head held high, Psycree saw nothing more than the destination --Feuergeist-- and the man that could give her back her heritage--Kaji.

But Psycree had not been one to interact among humans. How she would fare in the busy city, well, that was something entirely different from fighting the likes of Zarr. Another test as far as Psycree was concerned.

... People!

[skyfire]

“Xar? Please answer me.” Desuma’s tracing circle widened over the capital city of Fire. “Say something,” she pleaded of her Rider below. His silence was making her nervous: however, it was the fading signal of his energy signature that made her very anxious. Continuing her search, the dragoness’ golden form changed its pattern to a figure-eight covering more area between the eye of Pyran and his pride Feuergeist. Her bronze scales reflecting Pyran’s golden rays of light and the deep red webbing of her wings taking on a partially translucent characteristic in the direct path of the sun.

The appearance of a dragon above the city almost invoked a sense of foreboding peace on the citizens who happened to look up. Fire dragons do not fly and yet this dragon was hovering high in the sky. Yet she was beautiful gliding up there.

Suddenly in a fiery rage, the reptilian creature plunged from the heavens pulling up swiftly to swoop right over the roofs of the exposed city.

"Xa'rion!" Her roar pierced through the air ringing with a high-pitched moan as Desuma panicked. He was gone. His presence had completely vanished from her mind. For the first time since they had met, she could no longer feel him. Large amber eyes searched the last area in which she had known him to be. It seemed a questionable environment full of narrow alleyways and shadowed doorways. She called again this time more pained than angry. It had not been long that they had known one another, and yet it felt as though her heart had ripped in two at his sudden absence. Her soul felt as if the ever-present void from early years had reopened consuming all happiness she had thought she had found… in her Rider.

She circled again her long neck stretching to see around corners. Xa’rion’s Mount reached out to those individuals on the streets. The dragoness, honest in intention but frantic in method, probed for any whisperer, dragon, or guardian who would understand her. Any who could help her.

A final cycle brought her to a young woman. In a quick descent, the smaller draconic figure landing before her shook the carts startling children and scaring mothers. Desuma stretched out her neck towards the young woman keeping her head near to the ground as if in a sign of submission. Her mind reached for hers in a gentle voice but still unable to keep the urgency and fear from her mental presence.

“Please, Sister. You look of human but smell of dragon. You must help me,” she begged. “I’ve lost my Rider. I cannot find my partner.” Desuma searched the woman’s eyes with large amber rustic eyes keeping her snout shut as to avoid a misconception of her intent. “I am Desuma Skyfire. Please. Help me.”

[Nova Psycree]

Psycree growled as yet another body jostled her elbow.
That won't help you so stop it.
Nova had the right of it, Psycree knew, but was loathe to admit. There were far too many faces here, each mulling around in their own business and yet Psycree could swear each watched her every step with a furtive glance more suspicious than Nova's father and brother that day she'd gotten herself into this mess. Nothing good had ever come of her pity for them.

Cities are no place for dragons.
Psycree had the right of it, Nova knew, and sighed helplessly within her mind. Nova called out what she could from her bodiless seat behind Psycree's eyes to keep the dragon soul from an outlash. She pointed out the names of vendors and told which way Psycree should turn to reach one of the tunnel openigs. Nova had only been to Feuergeist three times before, but the city was large enough and busy enough for her to remember every detail. Or so she pretended.

Psycree had even less knowledge of the human city having spent all her dragon years in the draconic caverns. She would not admit she needed Nova's help traversing the streets. Not now, not after she had gotten them all the way up the mountain without a lick of help from the high-pitched voice inside her head. Even so, she echoed Nova's words when conversing with a tavern owner and followed the directions the voice inside her head gave as he headed closer and closer to the heart of the city. To Kaji. To freedom. But that didn't mean Psycree didn't have a vile word or ten to snap back every time Nova chippered in with her useless chatter about the city.

Nova's quip about a golden dragon made Psycree look down more than up. Shut up already. Fire dragons cannot fly. We traded wings for flame long ago. But a prodd to her--their minds quickly succeeded in silencing Psycree's irritation. Wind whipped dirt into the air, forcing Psycree to shield her eyes, and her heart whispered 'no' as the earth boomed the landing of...

Please, Sister. You look of human but smell of dragon. You must help me.
Psycree could not hide from it and her eyes, found the large muzzle of the golden dragon as it begged. Nova squealed in some mixture of fear, astomishment and joy.
She's in our head! Can all dragons do that, Psy?
No matter how much Psycree hated the nickname, she kept her mind silent and her lips firmly shut. She could not close off her mind with Nova so willing to absorb anything, nor could she look away with the crowd parting for the dragon appealing to a random citizen in the middle of the city streets. The whispered to one another at the odd sight of such a renowned creature speaking with a travel ragged woman.
Stop looking at the crowd! She's talking to you!

Silence. Psycree did as she was bit and let her eyes slip back from the crowd to the dragon before her. Her scales glitted so brilliantly it made Psycree's heart ache for her own orange-red hide. She wanted to feel the mountain burning inside her and lick a tail. She wanted four legs and the sound of her claws scratching stone. But she had padded feet, soft hair, and no fangs to hide behind her maw.
Now that the link was made, she could feel Desuma lingering in their mind, and linger the dragon would until either she withdrew or Nova agreed to lock her out. Nova, however, was rare to do such things to those in need; Psycree didn't need to see the girl do anything to know that much of her pleading mentality.

I cannot help you Desuma Skyfire.

Psycree!
Nova shreiked right on cue. Psycree kept her eyes level with that of Desuma's. She would not cower or revolt. The worst part of it all had been how easily the dragon had picked her out of the crowd. It only proved how misplaced Psycree was.
My statement stands.

That's such a terrible thing to say-- Desuma? I'm sorry. She didn't mean to be so rude. I really dont know what's gotten into her. I'm Nova and that's Psycree. Of course we'll try and help you.

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[skyfire]

Immediately after the plea had been presented, the slender dragoness began to silently question the occupant of the young body before her. It had seemed this young woman was asking herself questions without responding with an acknowledged answer. Still the body responded accordingly to an apparently nagging order to stop staring at the crowd and give due attention to the creature in front of her.

Suddenly, though, Desuma understood when a lower perceptibly older voice answered her prominent request. There were two distinct voices. This body carried two separate personas – two individuals. How could that be without putting too much strain on the physical form? It took her a moment to recognize that an answer had been given. Confusion flickered across slightly narrowed amber eyes. My statement stands… She had been denied in cold fashion. Immediately upon recognizing her need of this woman’s help in finding Xa’rion, Desuma Skyfire whined, a mournful sound escaping from deep within her throat.

“But you are the only one who could translate. The dragons have withdrawn into their caverns and my Rider is in danger. Please you must…” Her repeated plea came instantly in a desperate last attempt. She was losing her dignity as a dragon but it had only recently happened that she became more. This dragon had a Rider. She had a partner who was destined to fight by her side for the rest of their lives.

Through her anxiety, a gentle voice, Nova’s voice, called her name. Desuma’s large eyes focused back on the woman a foot or so from the end of her snout. She listened intently gathering herself again within mental barriers as the quieter of personas sincerely apologized for her counterpart named Psycree.

She lifted her head from the street. “Thank you, Nova,” she paused so that they knew she understood their circumstances, “Psycree. I will not forget your kindness.”

Desuma stood spreading her wings half-way out to her sides the deep red webbing absorbing the warmth of the sun. “My Rider disappeared from my senses east of here not to far within the city. I can take you there. I need help looking, but I cannot speak to most the people in this sector of the city.” Her glittering body shifted offering her bare back in invitation. “His name is Xa’rion.” She looked back over her shoulder to the young woman wondering if the offer would be taken. After all, few within Fire have had the chance to experience Airos’s wonder.


ooc: bleh... feeling just a little bit out of it... see you around

[Nova Psycree]

Desuma turned, a grating sound of claws and scales up on stone that send the onlookers scurrying for safety and clamping their hands over their ears. Psycree, however, barely allowed herself to blink. The noise and motion was... nostalgic. This body she had now, with its pink limbs and fleshy outsides, she couldn't stand it. Psycree wanted her scales, her claws, the armour and sheen of her scales. Back, she wanted it back, and this dragon, this blasphemous excuse for a fire dragon was pleading, begging with the constant voice Psycree always found inside her head. Sometimes, Psycree wondered if it had all been a dream, to be a fire dragon of the mountain, and the voice that named itself Nova was simply just herself, a detrimental side-effect of the illness. It couldn't all be fantasy, though, not with everything Psycree ever was offering her easy access to the ridge upon her back where her rider once sat.

The offer, however, disgusted Psycree so palpably, she could feel Nova's consciousness squirming. Psycree frowned just as outwardly, for she found no need to hide her distaste.
"You offend me."
Amber eyes swirled like molten liquid. Even Nova knew to keep her silence.
"Pyran's dragons are creatures of the mountain, creatures of fire. We stalk the land and breathe fire. Our souls are are that of fire. We do not fly. I do not fly. Flying is for Airos and her birds."

Psycree could have spat, but she didn't. She held back that much to protect her fraying dignity. Lecture all she want, in the tongue everyong could hear, the fact still remained that Psycree stood on two human feet. Nova's feet. She couldn't change it, not one bit, but her clenched and jutting jaw held that pride of a dragon no human could ever, ever hope to understand.

For a long time, silence hung in Psycree's eyes. Then Nova stirred, a brushing of consciounesses. A stroke of pity, of comfort, or a plea, Psycree could not tell, but she felt the anger drain from her slowly, as if Nova had poked a hole in her to let it all seep out.

"Do not offer me such an insult again."
While the anger might have gone, Psycree would not let go of her pride. Her shoulders remained squared, her back straight, her eyes fixated on Desuma as she turned the slightest bit to the side.
We seek Lord Kaji.
Psycree tore her eyes away, turned her back and began walking. Where she was going, again, Psycree did not know, but she would not admit.

What she means... is that...
Nova sounded like a nervous girl and Psycree could almost picture her lingering, chewing a lip and glancing back at Psycree to be sure she didn't loose her. And then, all at once, it all spilled out before Nova had to run to catch up.
You can come, so long as we're going the samy way, and we'll help you look, but we really need to find the Lord of Fire. To get our bodies right. If anyone can do it he can.

[skyfire]

Amber eyes widened in surprise. Is this woman truly being so impudent as to say such overly rude things and then walk away? And then to say those things against her breed in a tongue all would understand? But then hide the fact she seeks the Fire Lord from the public?

In a blinding flash of rage and hurt, Desuma momentarily forgot when she had offered this woman the seat upon her back in the first place. Deadly, a snake of electricity raced across the ground finding release through a nearby barrel full of rain water. It hissed and died leaving the barrel dry and charred.

Having had enough, Desuma Skyfire slapped her powerful whip-like tail down in front of the overly prideful being inhabiting a human’s body. Electricity danced over her scales and across the deep red webbing of her spread wings. The liquid fire and pure heat trailed down her spine and over her sides to the tip of her tail. It drove into the ground not having enough power to track the few feet to the surrounding buildings and through the air to the people. She held tightly keeping the desired release from her fury.

“I am no bird,” she hissed in the draconic mental tongue adding a vocal growl to warn any others who would be foolish enough to test her currently waning patience. “Are you so blind and prideful to discredit a gift given by the gods?” asked the dragoness beginning to regain a hold on her temper. “Would you deny the sun simply because it resides in the sky?” she finished. Desuma had felt she needed to make the point that without the balance of the elements, the world would either be in chaos or dead. She hoped nothing more on the point would be required due to her uncertainty in keeping control.

Through her mixed rage, confusion, sorrow, and emptiness, the golden dragon was able to hear the young women of soft voice. “Do not take it in your responsibility to explain her actions and words, little one.” Desuma’s voice reclaimed its usual soft tone while addressing Nova’s sweet attempt to make peace between two differently proud dragons. However, it returned to its sharp edge when her attention returned to Psycree.

“Look at yourself. Can you not see you have been blessed by more than our great master Pyran?” She was of course referring to Borran’s blessings upon the humanoid body. There were other things she could say, other things she wanted to say, but she thought better of being so flippant to a stranger… even if this stranger was being quite rude herself.

The electrical energy dissipated from the air; however, Desuma would not let Psycree just walk away from this encounter. Her long tail, only with its natural armor of scales, slid closer around the woman’s feet. It moved slowly as to not seem overly threatening but steadily to show she was not playing around.

ooc: pm your way