Curses, Sins & Dark Revenge [o/a - 1m]

[Iribis]

open

[sinful whisper]

#EEB4B4

Zuri wrapped her thick woolen shawl more tightly around herself; bring it up to her nose as she looked out the window from her chambers. She couldn’t seem to get warm anymore. Since the news of her sister’s death she’d felt cold, alone and uncertain. Was this really worth it? Being here to help a dying breed live on at the risk of her and her sister’s lives? Not as far as she was concerned – the lizards could rot in hell. They’d brought her family nothing but death and destruction and if only she could find a way she would get her remaining sibling as far away from here as she could.

It would be the smart thing to do but she feared, she feared that now they would never let them go. Clutching them more tightly. Especially if they—

She glanced down at her flat stomach, her hand slipping down from the protective shawl and skimmed over the surface of her belly. Especially if any of them were already with child. She’d slept with Zhong countless times and undoubtedly his seed had rooted and soon she would be showing. There was no way the Fire Beast would relinquish her now. She let out a heavy sigh, her gaze returning to the window as her fingers once more twisted in the shawl, pulling it closer to her shoulders.

And then there was that thing, that…whatever it had been that had taken over her body. It had had talked to her. Spoken to her. She’d felt its cold twisted desires and they frightened her. Chilled her to the bone and left her weak in the knees and not in the good way. It had filled her so completely so fully and it was powerful. Far powerful than any human and any time she was near Zhong she could feel it skirting around the edges of her mind. It was lurking, waiting for the prime moment to strike and take control. She’d tried her best to keep her distance from the Drake but her body had proven to be far too weak for such a task. Any time he’d called for her, she’d answered.

The words echoing in her mind ‘I’ll do whatever you want as long as my sisters are safe—‘constantly on loop, a broken record that would never turn off.

She drew in a sharp breath. What was becoming of her, of her sisters. Heaven help them.

Zuri was just about to slip away from the window when something, caught her eye. In the southern corner down near a pile of rocks—she squinted. What was tha—a hand? Her heart dropped, finding more suitable room and board in her gut, as she spun from the window and fled out of her chambers. Something pulled her, guided her. That sick uneasy feeling that you just couldn’t ignore had taken up roost. Her feet no longer listened to her, leading her through the winding paths through the halls down, down the stairs, through the saloon and entry and out the door.

Her heart, now deciding it liked her throat better, hammered away till all she could hear was each of her labored breaths and her pulse.

The closer she got to the fallen structure the more she could see of that delicate hand, and the stench. She shifted her shawl up, pressing it against her nose to filter some of the smell but the scent of rotting flesh was potent. Her stomach rolled, flipped and at any moment, she was sure that she would be seeing once more what little contents she had placed in her stomach earlier. Kneeling she gripped the edge of the stone and jerked it to the side. It ground together, moving only an inch. It’s weight too much for her. She gagged glancing down at the hand.

“Please please don’t be. Don’t be.” She whispered under her breath before looking frantically over her sholders. “Help! Please someone help!”



***


ooc;; bad post is bad -sobs- wizard you can come and console her!~

[bespeckled_bookworm]

“Dahlia.” She choked on her sister’s name, her throat constricting as she tried to hold back the tears. No. Not again. Please gods no. She thought her trembling fingers frantically smoothed over her sisters brow, brushing back her bangs. She could barely see in her world of shadows, the tears swallowing her vision, clouding it more. It was like finding Alexis all over again. God why was there so much blood! She whimpered. “Please say something. Please.” She whispered.

She could hear voices behind her, but they were muffled and distorted. She couldn’t even focus on them over her pounding heart. Why did she keep having to find their dead? Why!?

Already they plagued her dreams, Alexis’ sweet face twisted by what ever creature who had stolen the light from her eyes, it was pure agony each time she closed her eyes. The blood. There was always blood, tones of it, more than one body could produce and it was everywhere. All over Alexis, all over her. And while in her living world was cast in shadows her dreams did not give her the same courtesy. She pulled back quickly from the preasure on her shoulder, her head whipping around to face whatever it was, her lips pulled back in a snarl as she clutched tightly to her sister.

A-asleep? The word barely registered in her frantic mind as she glanced up into the murky features of the figure. “Asleep?” She asked aloud this time, her tone quisical and unsure before she returned her gaze back toward Dahlia. Slowly, her trembling hand lowered to just below her nose and she felt the faint breath brush against her finger tips. A histerical laugh slipped from her lips as she leaned down and pressed her head against her sisters chest, sobbing harder than before. “She’s okay. She’s okay.”She murmured listening to the steady beat of her siblings heart beat before she pulled back long enough to press a kiss to her sister’s forehead.

Constance leaned back on her heals and rubbed at her eyes, whipping away the tears. “Thank the gods.” She whispered softly, hiccupping as she glanced up at the male dragon and before she could think more about it she threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly as she rose to her full height. Her arms snuggly enveloping his middle. She pulled back quickly from him as the distinctive metallic scent tickled her nose – it was him. She thought, her arms dropping to her sides as a faint blush crept into her cheeks.

“Eaten?” She asked and glanced back toward her sister who was now easily being lifted into the other males arms reminding her of a child rather than the woman her sister was. She bit her lower lip before returning her gaze back toward the tinman. “No. I haven’t…” She cleared her throat and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “I haven’t had much of an appetite.” She glanced toward the other male. “Are you sure she’s alright?” Her eyes were pleading, her voice soft much like a child who had just woken up from a nightmare and was uncertain if it was alright to go back to sleep or not.

He spoke at that moment to Aegis, so that was the male’s name. She supposed it sounded much better than the names that she’d called him and certainly better than Tinman. Aegis. She rolled the word around in her mind before returning her gaze back toward the other male spoke more so to her. She nodded. “Al-alright.” She gave a small smile then at the mention of clothing out of all the sisters Dahlia was more the…well she seemed to be more tomboyish than the others and if given the chance she was sure her sister would wear pantaloons over the general dress that they were suppose to wear. She cleared her throat again and tore her gaze from her sleeping sister and back toward Aegis.

“Might…” She wrapped her arms around herself. Her head tilting to the side, remembering their last encounter. “Might I ah… Speak with you alone?” She asked him.

[sinful whisper]

Jokull felt the change in the air. Heard the shifting in the fabric as the human woman slipped from his bed. Fool. He gritted his teeth together, she should stay where she was out of harms away not to mention he didn’t need a human woman to come to his aid. Tch. He didn’t need anything from her except for her to bare his offspring. But, he wasn’t about to let the weakness from the past four days do more damage to her than it already had. He didn’t spare her a glance, instead noticed her from his peripheral that she now stood next to him. He shifted, subtly, infront of her to shield her fry the eyes of the fire beast as well as protect her.

Then she unleashed her barbed tongue and Jokull didn’t even so much as blink at the comment ‘hot cakes’ instead finding the degrading comment toward the Fire Drake amusing. Albeit the predator with in was growing more and more impatient. Soon the beast would rise and there would be nothing he could do to contain his true nature. Then the topic turned toward the death of her sibling and how Zhong had failed in his part of protecting the woman. Not much the pathetic dragon could have done, a few seconds late and he would have lost his woman and unborn child. But he was too uppity to even realize that the fruit from his loins was growing within the human’s womb and in truth it hadn’t been he who had saved her anyway – but Lust who had intervened.

He probably thought himself the victory. He gave an internal snort. Worthless heap of Dragon flesh.

But as she went on, he found his amusement growing and it was then that he did grace her with his gaze. Meaningfully sweeping his gaze down her, even if he was repulsed by the blanket (finding it offending to his eyes) he was pleased that she’d covered her lush curves from the Fire Drake. They were his to view, his to learn and his to taste. He thought with amusement as she mentioned the wizard or one of his minions. Not even knowing how right they were and she would soon be with his child.

What the Ice Drake hadn’t expected was the laughter, that quickly grew in volume and vibrato. He slowly turned his gaze, crimson pools fixing upon the other Dragon looking on with boredom. Not even bothering to answer the other males…question. Clearly during the battle he had been dropped on his head and what ever whit he had before, though he doubted there had been much to begin with, was now damaged. Pity. It also appeared that the Fire Drake did not know how to stop whilst he was ahead and continued on. Ugh. He was gaining a head ache.

Zhong reminded him of one of those furry things that yapped at ones ankles. The things human’s were fond of and called them pets. He hardly understood why someone would keep something so annoying around, the smart thing to do would be to put it down and that was exactly what he would do with the Fire Drake if he insisted on his yapping.

However a firm boot up the arse would suffice for now.

His head inclined slightly to the side. “I would watch your tone with this woman in my presence, she is now under my protection and I do not take kindly to any threat – even if there is little proof that you will be able to back them up.” He added with a slight smile and flash of fang.

“And the point of the matter is, if you were as strong as you believe yourself to be none of the woman nor our brethren would have fallen to such a tragedy. You would have taken the steps needed to fortify the fortress instead you were too concerned with burying your manhood,” He cast a glance down toward Zhong’s groin.

“Or lack there of.” Before returning his gaze toward the males. “ In this, Zuri.” He replied cooly. Clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth he then smiled fully.

“I am Jokull, the last of the Ice Drakes, The Dödsbringaren.” He uttered, his chin lifting up higher as his power crackled out around him, pulsing in the air as the temperature slowly began to drop to freezing.

“And the offer would have been given kindly had you not barged into my chambers and insulted my woman. Now, I will give you one final warning before I will do just that.” He reached out with his hand and placed it gently upon the woman’s flat stomach sweeping her behind him with ease.



***

ooc;; dumdumduuuuum

[emotionally compromised]

Natalia slipped on a heavy coat and twined a thick wool scarf around her neck. Today, she was going to be leaving her family's house for an indefinite period of time. She left her blonde hair unbound to help protect her from the cold. She looked outside the window, the gray sky seemingly reflecting just how she was feeling. Dread, fear, and annoyance rolled into one. A disgruntled sigh escaped her lips, turning her back away from the dresser and exited her room.

Her family was waiting for her by the dining room and with all four of them standing around, the small dining room seemed even more cramped than usual. Natalia's blue eyes took in her mother's face - face scrunched up in an effort not to cry. Her father, meanwhile, had a fierce scowl on his face that he actually looked a bit menacing. As for her little brother - well, he was hardly little now that he was eighteen years old - had a small frown on his face, with his arms crossed against his chest.

Their body language spoke volumes about how they disapproved of her going away and god, Natalia would miss every single one of them fiercely. Unceremoniously, she stepped into their space and threw her arms around them and just held on for a while. "I hate that I'm leaving and hate the situation but I'll make the most of it." She tried reassuring her family, but mostly, she was trying hard to reassure herself. At her words, her mother didn't hesitate in wrapping her arms around her daughter; her dad patted her on her head; while her brother awkwardly patted her back, not used to being on the receiving end of such affection from his older sister.

The family stayed in that position for a while before all of them stepped back and reluctant smiles were on their faces. There was a messenger and a carriage assigned to bring her to the castle waiting just outside their house, signalling it was almost time to leave. "You take care of yourself, dear." Her mother said, straightening and adjusting Natalia's scarf. Her father huffed and ruffled her hair, much to her dismay and she let out a yelp at his treatment, "Now you come and visit us if you can." Natalia said nothing in reply to that; she didn't even know if she was still allowed to see her family once she entered the palace. "I'll take care of your flowers come spring, sis. So you better come back alive and well." Came the voice of her brother and oh it was just like him to reassure her in his brusque way.

Natalia playfully nudged her brother with enough force to make him take a step backward and sent him a smile. "You bet! Those flowers better be as beautiful just like I taught you how to grow them. Or else!" Natalia joked before she walked away from the dining room and made her way to the house's entrance where her three bags were. "Well, this is it." She whispered to herself, picking up one bag to carry and signalling for the messenger to help her with the other two. Together, they loaded her bags in the carriage and she faced her family who was standing by the doorway. Natalia was able to muster a huge smile and waved at them with vigor. "I'm off!"

Natalia clambered on the carriage none too gracefully and sat herself on the seat, waving one more time to her family before the carriage door closed. When the carriage started to move, her smile slipped off her face and she clamped a hand over her mouth to stifle the small sob that escaped her. She fought really hard not to look back at her house lest she do something risky like jump out of the carriage, run back to her family, and never leave. But alas, this was to be her destiny, it seemed, to be a replacement for a woman whose role was to bare a dragon's offspring. She briefly wondered if Natalia already had a replacement in waiting if she didn't survive this ordeal.

She forced herself to calm down, taking deep breaths and patting at her cheeks to wipe away the tears that rolled down her cheeks. "It won't do for me to be cowering from the get go!" She scolded herself, "I'm a strong woman who can adapt to most situations and this is no different." Natalia nodded to herself, feeling determined not to feel sorry for herself. Feeling much better after that bit of pep talk, she watched as they neared the castle. They soon entered the gates, making their way across the courtyard before coming to a complete stop.

Natalia would not be afraid. She would not show fear; weakness would just make her an easy target. Opening the carriage door herself, she stepped down and took in the castle with wide eyes. "Well, this is certainly much different than my house." She marveled a bit more at the size of the castle before helping the messenger carry one of her bags. Natalia shivered as a particular strong gust of wind swept across the courtyard. A servant seemingly materialized out of nowhere, making Natalia almost scream in shock. "This way, please." Was the only thing the servant said, beckoning Natalia to come inside. After a minute of hesitation, Natalia tightened her grip on her bag's handle before following the servant inside the castle. To her new life.

[Fanalis]

The woman was awfully panicked, despite the evident rising and falling motions of her sister's chest. In his attempts to pry her apart from the sleeping brunette, the redhead fiercely pulled away to further cling to her. Aegis was exasperated from her disillusions of death, beginning to care less and less for her loss. Gazing upon the whole picture, the dragons had far more losses than the women. He was not about to race to hold Luka's carcass, as though it would prevent him from entering the Afterlife.

Somehow through her frantic actions, the woman finally realized that her sister was not at all dead. After repeating what Aegis had informed her, she confirmed the statement by reaching over to Dahlia's nose, clearly feeling the warm air seeping out through her nostrils. Aegis inwardly sighed, raising his line of vision to the ceiling with clear irritability creasing lines into his expression. Before he could peel his eyes off the scorch marks of the wall, the next thing the dragon knew was that the woman was embracing him.

“F-For crying out loud." Aegis hissed, staggering back from the foreign gesture, but it was too difficult. She clung to him out of joy for her sister, and Aegis couldn't help but feel his face burn with unwanted feelings swirling in his mind. “Enough of this!" He muttered quickly, frustrated. Turning his own newly acquired distressed face toward the other dragon present in the room, Aegis began to grow embarrassed.

Once the woman finally reclined away from him, Aegis pinched his lips and exhaled forcefully through his nose. The woman began to explain that she hadn't eaten yet, but the Metal Dragon paid little attention to what she had to say now. With his brows pulling together, he smoothed out his clothes and glared at an opposing wall before turning to Zephyr again, who decided that out of all the inappropriate times to share an embarrassing recollection.

Aegis turned, whipping to face the Air Dragon head on as though preparing to battle an enemy to the death. “Please, Zephyr... no stories." His golden hues shifted side to side uncomfortably. Luckily for him, Zephyr began to direct his attention to the blind child, reassuring her of Dahlia's state.

After their brief exchange, the woman turned to Aegis and requested his audience... privately. Aegis narrowed his eyes but warily nodded his head, glancing back at Zephyr one last time. “As I said...we must speak later." Turning back to the still nameless woman, he turned to the corridor and began to slowly lead the way.

“Follow me."

Pausing mid-step, he glanced over his shoulder at the woman and noted that she had been empty-handed. Turning his eyes back to the hallway, he suppressed a relieved sigh. At least she has no weapon to attack me with, he thought, but realized their last encounter within the castle. Unless she pulls that...stunt...again...

Aegis eventually led the pair into a nearby room that was still fairly intact. The broken windows provided a slight chill, but ample light to cast a pale glow on ever surface of the bedroom. It had no door, but he would be able to fix that easily.

Once the woman was inside, Aegis turned toward the opening and extended a hand. A squirming glob of silver emerged from his palm, materializing into a disc. It hovered before his fingers until he flicked his wrist forward, stretching the disc wide enough to clasp over the perimeter of the wall. Forming a makeshift wall, he sighed and crossed his arms as he turned back to the woman.

“What is it that you wanted?"

[Channing Tatas]

Zephyr smiled sadly at this other cloud that had floated in. She had been clearly distressed at that possibility, so to see the relief cross over her features made him feel at ease. "Yes fair maiden, your sister is alright, that I am sure. She just needs some more rest is all. Fatigue just seems to have taken a hold on her, and judging by the current state of affairs I can see why. I'll be tending to her for now, so no harm will come to her under my watch. This I swear by the winds that carried me here." Zephyr said as she examined Dahlia resting in the Air Dragon's strong arms. Once she had stepped back he had decided to stand up again, his lithe form stood tall once again, re-positioning the one he deemed the Thundercloud so then he could carry her more effectively.

He tried his hardest to now not burst with laughter at Aegis' reaction to this girl suddenly hugging his waist. Personally Zephyr would have tried a more... subtly seductive approach, but he was not one to just take outright advantage of a girl who was in emotional distress. Oh no no, there were much more effective ways to a woman's heart, and eventually, in between their legs. Seeing the look Aegis gave him, he tried to hide a goofy smile however. OH he had ALL of the fun stories about the pre-story of The Shield, or rather, as he sometimes called him in his head, and back in the day, the adorable metal marble, baby Aegy. Oh how adorable he had been. And now he was all grown up and handsome! But not as handsome as the Air Dragon, but he was at least equal in his own ways. Zephyr himself was always vain, and always thought that at he could only be nearly perfect in beauty to always allow room for improvement.

Zephyr nodded to the metal dragon as he left out with the woman, leaving him with the tiny girl in his arms. The Western Wind decided the first thing would be to walk down the hallway, opposite of the two to first seek out a maid to hear his order, and then plant the seed of suggestion to charm her later on into his bed. He was also dead set on Dahlia having an outfit... or ten. Any girl Zephyr was planning on bedding would need to be properly dressed, and personally, he would NOT allow her to keep running around in black breeches with brown shoes. Not only was that a fashion faux-pas, but it was a travesty of justice in his book. He could imagine the eye roll the metal dragon would give them at their thought. He spotted a maid. "Good noon M'lord, is there something you desire?" the maid nodded and blushed.

"I need your finest tailors in contact to create a wardrobe for this girl. Use these for her measurements. I expect half of this task to be complete back on my arrival in the next couple of hours after I have properly eaten. The rest of the wardrobe will be completed tomorrow. She will need two cloaks; one light and one heavy, especially for this winter. bodices, over and undergowns, chemises; bring me the colors in style, it's winter after all, so darker would be preferred, but a couple of lighter outfits as well. The proper undergarments as well as fancier pieces of underclothing, the lacier, the better, and an abundance of that. I know this will also sound odd, but bring me two sets of breeches as well for her, some winter boots, and some other shoes, so I guess you will also need to contact your resident shoemaker . I know it can get colder in Ocena. If you could make sure this is done... beforehand..." he told her with a smile. With his free hand, he created a couple of cloud rings that would allow the proper measurements of everything; her inseams, her length, everything required. and a wink, gently pushing her chin up and getting close,"I will make sure you are rewarded properly, dear miss. And perhaps I will trust you with my other tasks." he told her, winking. The maid could only blush and nod profusely, muttering something before scurrying off. Perfect. The first maid in his backup plan was now nearly already in his grasp for the next to be bedded, and the first to soon carry his spawn would be properly dressed for herself, and for the occasion.

He decided that now would be a decent time to get some food. As he walked it seemed like he was walking on air, and in a sense, he literally was. However, it didn't take long to soon hear footsteps down the hallway, directly going straight for him. In his sight he then spotted a dragon, rather, a man, with long blonde hair and a crow. Or was that a raven? Zephyr was never really good with distinguishing between birds. He looked a bit lost as he came closer. "Are you alright friend?" the air dragon called out, looking at the man who was, in his mind, brilliantly dressed. He was almost jealous. The key word however was almost, for jealousy to Zephyr was an ugly sort of feeling, and he was too beautiful for that sort of emotion in his mind. This new person however had an air about him, as if he was a bit... new to the situation. That was fair, after all, Zephyr was quite new as well to this Palace.

[Fanalis]

Myron provided the exotic creature attention, keeping her eyes wide and attentive as the woman happily took upon her offer. She was polite to the Toran woman, and fairly sweet. It was odd to have a stranger act so friendly towards her, but it had gone by unnoticed. Myron simply shook her head and a smile nearly too wide for her face tugged on her cheeks. "Normally you would be permitted to do as you wish, madam, but our kitchen is terribly torn. You are one of the most honoured guests here in our masters' den, so you surely must allow me to tend to all you needs." By the time she had finished speaking, she was just a mere inch apart from the human. It took Myron a few moments to realize the close proximity of their bodies before she recoiled back, shuffling away uncomfortably.

"My apologies, madam. I'll return shortly."

Before escaping into the kitchen, Myron hesitantly approached the man who had also been present. "Sire! Is there anything that you--"

Myron was quickly cut short as the man turned to her, eyes scanning the castle curiously before training them back on the Toran woman. He asked her where exactly her had been, to which she responded, "The dragon's den of Ocena, Sire." She whispered, her thin brows rising further up her forehead as the man narrowed his eyes upon her. He muttered his apologies, suddenly whisking past Myron to the door.

A high-pitched squeal escaped her lips as the lizard scurried away from her grasp. "N-No!" she whispered beneath her breath, eyes wide and fearful of what Tlaloc might say now that she had allowed one to get away. She was told that it was far more important to remain incognito, but...

"Uh, I-- there...something warm!" Myron tightly clasped her fingers together before dodging out of the woman's way. Outside, she could see Mu accompanying two other men while a blonde woman was being escorted by another servant.

Widening her eyes at this strange woman, the Toran woman gasped excitedly as she grinned. "Blondie..." Elated from the momentary distraction, Myron felt her blood rush with the need to make the woman squirm in her grasp.



Mu's attention was cut nearly in half between the new guests, and his sister. His twin was unbearably close to one of the guests, nearly grazing her skin with her own. To his relief, however, it appeared as though Myron was undergoing one of her usual episodes of conflict before dodging away from the woman. Mu pursed his lips, an inaudible sign of relief painting his face before he turned back to the new lizard residents of the estate.

One of the two-- the darker fellow with a foreign appearance-- directed Mu to his instruction. The Toran man peered back at the dragon, arching a brow inquisitively as he listened. All he needed was a room, and a drink. Two things that would be hard to provide in the castle's current state. "Certainly, sire. I will do my best with our limited resources to provide as much a pleasant stay as possible for you." Mu bowed low, a soft smile on his lips appearing as he turned to the man's quivering servants. Offering them a subtle glance of superiority, Mu mentally scoffed before eyeing the dragon slip by into Myron's vicinity.

Sighing, he peered at the blonde woman who had been escorted by another servant into the castle. Is she another one of those stupid brides? he thought idly, reaching the woman in several long strides.

"I can show the madam to her room," Mu called from behind the pair. He glanced at the golden-tressed woman and grinned from ear to ear. "I'm about to search the quarters for something suitable, and I would not mind accompanying you upstairs."



"Sire." Myron lowered her head, bringing her torso close to her legs in a swift and sharp bow. The dragon that had been in Mu's charge was now warming himself up by the fire. Sneaking a closer peak at the dragon, Myron was taken aback by his size. There were some Toran men of his size, but they were brutal creatures that even Mu would struggle to defeat. However, this man was a dragon, not a Toran warrior. Myron had taken down many beasts far larger than him, and even as a dragon, she would not display any moment of hesitance. Still, dragons were fierce and there was no surprise as to why they ruled the lands...

Snapping her attention back to the matters at hand, Myron scanned the lobby hastily for the second woman when her eyes fell on Mu. He had been with her. "Blondie..." she giggled, sashaying towards the kitchen.

When she arrived, she began to make preparations for the only thing she knew how to put together: tea.

[Cataclypsa]

▄*~Deja~*▄
❤Her loves: Her sisters, and her frying pan.❤

The cook was extremely confused when Zhong had referred to them as 'you two.' Then, a chuckle rose up, and then complete laughter. Deja looked a bit confused at the fire dragon for once, her mean face that she normally gave him was replaced with a look that asked if she had missed something major. Well besides the look of confusion wondering why this other dragon was naked. So very. Neud. He reminded her of one of those sculptures the artists would draw, except she was pretty sure that had they drawn the ice dragon to accuracy, they would have to put a large leaf to preserve some sort of decency among the line between artistry and the perverse. "First of all, how do you not know you might be shooting blanks? Ever heard of being incompetent you stupid lizard?! Ever care to consider that option?! I mean you can supposedly beat up some creature but you can't even handle being force fed when you're a spoiled brat. But what do I know? I'm just the cook apparently..." she said it quietly but loudly enough for him to hear. Really it surprised her. She would have thought the lizards were more well versed in pregnancy and the options about it than this. Obviously they were just as ignorant as human men were.

However, she started to feel eyes on her person, and looked up for a bit, seeing that the naked snowy dragon was looking down at her. She said nothing to him, but she subconsciously covered herself more with the blanket. His gaze was quite piercing. The look of recognition had crossed her facial features as she started to remember his face more clearly from that day, even though nothing else stood out. Her eyes widened with shock however when he chose to question his manhood. Now, Deja had been around some burly types when it came to that, they often would have shows of macho-ness while she would peddle her recipes across the land. But this... would they actually fight? What was a dragon fight even like? Then she finally heard his name. However she wasn't going to even ATTEMPT to try and comprehend the rest of the alphabet that was this last name. Jokull. The ice drake. She guessed that's how dragons referred to themselves. His name even sounded strong and deadly. She could feel the temperature dropping more and she shivered a bit, wrapping herself tighter in the blanket burrito that she had already covered herself in. Now only just her face showed, with some of her hair sticking out. Thank goodness for this blanket, the fluffy down quilt was so warm.

Suddenly, Deja thought about what he said about her. 'Under my protection'. Wait. 'My woman.' What did that-- Whose woman? Was there another woman? Maybe he meant the maid. Maybe there was a maid hiding in the closet right now. No. There was no maid here. There was nobody here. There could only be one woman he was talking about. And that woman was currently wrapped up in his blanket after getting up from his bed in his den.That meant...

I've been.... hoarded? He... what?! Me?! What did I--

The small thoughts crossed her mind and she blinked slowly. Did he want her to-- no. There was no way she had been chosen by Mr. Ice-cheeks for carrying babies. Then she blinked again. And then his backside were in her line of vision as he pushed her ever so gently behind him. For somebody who sounded like they were going to murder the Earth, his touch on her had been so gentle and soft. She was trying her hardest to keep her eyes above the waistline to at least be somewhat respectful. The cook couldn't help it however; she was not only extremely confused and a bit bewildered, but she was extremely flustered. How else was she supposed to be? Why was she having these strange feelings? She couldn't even comprehend it right there. Deja thought of what Zuri had said to her the first day, about how these dragons were no joke. With the other dragons, they proved to be quite the farce. Zhong she hated and wanted to put in his place, but she couldn't seem to find the time to actually get to that point. But this... this new dragon with Zhong, she could feel the tensions rising quickly. This was what her sister warned.

She couldn't even escape either. Zhong and now, Jokull blocked the doorway. And she was hungry. Gluttony had not reared its ugly head, but being mostly catatonic for four days, minus some soup, left one pretty famished. A small, tiny growl emitted from her covered tummy. She looked out the window, towards the balcony. She decided to waddle her way away and towards the balcony, Deja instead being a leggy blanket burrito as she looked out without stepping outside. Damn! They were too high up. So no chance she could escape from there. With that, she only really had one option left. Maybe it was a crazy dream. Maybe if she laid back down, she can wake up, and nothing of this had ever happened. Yes, that had to be the solution.

With that, she waddled back over to the bed. She slipped back into the large bed and even covered herself with the sheets, the only thing sticking out was one of her crimson eyes peering out to check if she had woken up yet, and a bit of her hair, fluffed up.

[Iribis]

███▐│██████ ║ tlaloc

★ ⊰ DARK WIZARD


Naturally, Tlaloc couldn't allow Mu, Myron and Jokull to have all the fun.

Adopting the face and uniform of a nameless servant, Tlaloc circled the perimeter of the castle, pretending to clear rubble and recover bodies and material remains. In reality, he was familiarizing himself with the structure (or what remained of it), and eavesdropping on information concerning the reconstruction project. It was a tedious task, and remaining inconspicuous proved an occasional challenge, but it was nevertheless necessary, and it wasn't something he was comfortable assigning Mu and Myron to - he needed to discover the secrets of the dragon's den with his own eyes.

During his umpteenth inspection, the sound of panic captured his attention. Lifting his head, he noticed a woman just ahead, kneeling beside a cluster of stone. She seemed to be attempting to move some of the rocks, but clearly, she was unable, and had turned to crying for aid. Ah, Zuri... He purred internally; Lust, if he recalled correctly. She was moving along nicely with her curse, as was evident during the attack.

Feigning concern, Tlaloc quickened his pace, stopping to kneel beside the quivering woman. A pale, stiff hand protruded from between rocks, indicating a body rested beneath - though, with the smell of rotting flesh assaulting his nostrils, he could have guessed at that without the visual confirmation. Though the stench didn't particularly bother him, he wrinkled his nose, brow furrowed - putting on a believable act was essential.

"Miss, please, come away; you need not burden yourself with such a gruesome task." He placed a hand against her shoulder, his touch light and meant to be a comforting gesture. He would draw her away, if she permitted it. "Allow me to retrieve the body."

[emotionally compromised]

Taking the first step inside the castle, Natalia paused and took a good minute to look around and take in the interior. It was a bit anticlimactic, if she were to describe her first impression of the castle. Something had obviously taken place in the castle for there were some rubble present and there was an air of...she couldn't quite place it but she didn't like the atmosphere inside the castle. Natalia visibly shuddered at the ominous feeling she got and wondered if it was because she was in the dragon's territory or because of something else.

Trying to shake off the unpleasant feeling, Natalia let her eyes wander, stopping to stare quite unashamedly at two men a ways away from her and wondered if they were both dragons. They were easy to spot since their hair colors definitely stood out - one with white/silver hair while the other had blond hair. They looked...normal enough. Then again, I shouldn't be so hasty in judging one's appearance. She should probably introduce herself to them - she'll be staying here for an indefinite time, after all. Might as well get to know the occupants of this castle.

Gathering her wits about her and bravely taking a step in their direction, she was intercepted by a tall male, who had shockingly red hair. Natalia took a step back in surprise; she hadn't noticed his presence at all! He was much taller than her and easily dwarfed her shorter frame. Was he a dragon too? "I can show the madam to her room," No, a servant perhaps? "I'm about to search the quarters for something suitable, and I would not mind accompanying you upstairs." His huge smile made her somewhat nervous but she mustered an equally huge smile in response.

Natalia noticed that the servant who was helping her hastened to drop her bags by her feet and with a bow, immediately scurried away from the scene. "Weird." Natalia mumbled to herself, wondering is everyone around here had such unusual behaviors. A flash of red from her peripheral vision made her look towards the source and saw a lady disappearing into a room, her red hair as bright as the male's in front of her. Natalia wondered if they were possibly related. But well, she had all the time in the world to figure out who the occupants were inside the castle and what their relations to each other are. For now...

"Ah, your help would be greatly appreciated. I just arrived and I'm afraid that I might get lost in a castle as huge as this." Natalia unwound her scarf to drape loosely around her shoulders. Now that she was inside the castle, the temperature was a bit bearable and having a scarf around her neck made her feel a bit stuffy. She transferred her bag from her right hand to her left in order for her to extend her right hand for a handshake. "I'm Natalia, by the way. And you are...?"






Fanalis

[GyzmoGirl]

XXX
ＧＲＥＥＤ

What was it about instinct? Was it the nagging feeling of something going wrong? The hair-raising sensations that have your curiosity perked? Or maybe it was that bestial feeling to do what you could to protect your family or those around you. Every breath came slowly, very much... there. The petite women counted each one as they escaped shaky lips. Large emerald eyes glazed over, leaning back so the carriage seat's shrouded her in cheap velvet probably recycled. Said eyes rolled back and the girl hiked one leg up balancing it over the other in a very un-ladylike manor. The thought forced a giggle snort from the depths of her throat and she found herself covering her lips with dainty pale fingers.

Her eyelid's fluttered rapidly as they rounded the driveway, the sun ray's now peeking through various tree's flitting across her large green orbs. She straightening herself as through this were another cleaning job she needed to focus on. Anything but the truth. The tiny women followed behind another person drifting off on her own the second they hit the main hallway. She would only sneak off for one moment and be back for anyone had sniffed her out.


The thin figure of a women glided across the silky floor her metal platted boot's tapping gently every so often when one foot landed harder then the last. Long pale arm's outreached so she could run her frail finger's over the stone wall of a circular pillar the size of a small house. She pulled her hand beck expecting as least a few dust particles to stain the tips of her finger's but finding absolutely nothing she huffed under her breath and brought both hands behind her back where she clasped them gently and continued to check over the place thoroughly. This place is spotless, why am I even here. Oh yes that's why... Auburn swallowed hard trying to push the forbidden images from her mind, almost stumbling over her own feet in the process and then whispering to herself. Oh, how clumsy. She straightened herself out her face turning a periwinkle pink, large green eyes searching for anyone who may have caught the silly notion.

As if nothing had happened the women continued onward exploring the large home room by room. Many questioning looks were shot her way, but after so many years it was easier now. Her long ashen black hair was pulled to one side, the unruly curls braided weakly so long hairs stuck out in random places. She wore no make up, the natural pink tint to her cheeks being enough for glamour. She wandered the halls until a familiar smell rose forcing a gentle wiggle of her nose. She sighed and followed this feeling until she ended up in what appeared to be a garden. It looked purposely overgrown and sent a chill of familiarity down her spine sending her straight to the iron gate laced with vines where she leaned over to gaze. Large french door's opened up to the small square of nature a large oak tree nestled right in the middle, promising a great napping place.

Maybe this place wasn't so bad after all. Her thin brows dipped knowing she was only trying to reassure herself. This was more like the end of the line for her. She should have left, back to a life of normality where she would hide for the rest of her life. With a sad expression she moved her fingers around in the air letting them dance to their own tune as she traced along the iron gate bearing home to the plants. Auburn tilted her head to one side the braid falling apart a little more each time she did. She let the figures dance along with the rhythm of her fingers getting lost in her little antics. She pulled upward letting her tip toes take her away. A tune of unknown continued to play in her head, the fact that she should be getting back leaving her mind completely. Maybe....It wont be so bad here. Her grey dress, made from the lightest material whirled around her ankles the hem tugging against her pale bruised thigh's and resting again over her boots. A giggle forced its way from between plump lips shortly followed by a gasp as her boot tugged at a cracked brick sending her tumbling towards the ground.

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[Nanuk DuNord]

Lambrecht was still ambling idly down the hallway when this other gentleman addressed him. He looked up at him in mild surprise, followed by a warm smile. "Hello friend," he replied pleasantly. "Yes I'm quite all right, I'm just wandering around, admiring this castle."

When Edgar realized who was addressing them he glared at the stranger and whispered irritably, "Oh you've got to be kidding me."

Lambrecht rolled his eyes at Edgar's lack of tact. "What is it now, Edgar?" he asked quietly.

"THIS AIRHEAD," Edgar began,flying into a rage, "IS THE AIR DRAGON OF THE WESTERN WINDS. ZEPHYR LUFT."

Lambrecht turned to look at this young man in front of him. "Another dragon?" he thought to himself. "How many of these grand creatures could possibly be in this place?"

At this point, Edgar and Lambrecht took in the scene in front of them. Lambrecht noticed the maid this man, Zephyr seemed enamored with. But he also noticed the seemingly incapacitated young woman in his arms. That sight caused him to worry a bit. "I hope he hasn't harmed that young lady..." Lambrecht thought to himself, concerned.

"LOOK AT THIS WOMANIZING SLUT!" Edgar whispered in his ear, clearly scandalized by the questionable scene ahead of them. "In all the years I've known this fog-brained numskull I knew he was lecherous, but COME ON!"

"Edgar, if you can't get a hold of yourself whenever you get in a state like this," Lambrecht whispered serenely, "I will have to bake you into a pie. Am I clear?" Lambrecht uttered the latter half with an uncharacteristically dark edge to his voice. It seemed to have done the trick though. That seemed to shut Edgar right up, though he grumbled crankily to himself.

With that unpleasantness dealt with, Lambrecht finally addressed the stranger ahead of them, "Is that you then, Zephyr Luft?" He inquired politely. "In that case, I'm pleased to make your acquaintance." As he finished speaking, he bowed humbly before Zephyr, granting him another warm smile.

[Faded_pastel]

❀Dahlia❀

"You will not be punished for your anger...
___________________________________

"Lia! Lia, come here!" The voice was faint, far away, but Dahlia could recognize it anywhere. Picking up her head, she stood up to see over the tall grass and crops, almost reaching the same height as the girl caring for them. Her brown eyes twinkled as the sunlight reflected off them, a contented smile on her lips, and a glow on her sun-kissed cheeks. The farm was a lot of work, but she always seemed to enjoy it there. The wind blew from behind, rustling the leaves and plants around her and the mans far-away voice faded, and she could no longer hear it. As if the breeze pushed her along, she made her way toward the direction she'd heard the man, bouncing through the tall flora. As she went they seemed to grow in size until she could no longer see where she was going, and she was slowly being covered in their shadow.

Suddenly she came to the edge of the crop field, and she gasped as the ground ended in front of her, skidding to a halt. A cliff into darkness threatened her, as she took a frightened step back. Looking down into the darkness, she saw nothing but black. Her head turned to look behind her, at the tall crops and the bright blue sky, as grey clouds began to circle overhead as if trying to engulf everything. Blinking, Dahlia once more looked down into the abyss as two glowing lights appeared from below, peering at her with a hunger that was tangible. They grew closer, her own eyes unable to look away, as her insides boiled and churned. Her face distorted in pain. "Lia, come here!" came the voice from behind her, but the sound filled her with spite. Those glowing eyes were soon upon her, emerging from the darkness to show the power within them, now coursing through her veins. Wrapping her arms tightly around her middle, Dahlia dropped to her knees and screamed, just wanting to release the pressure from inside her chest. The creature stared as a low rumbling growl reverberated around her, as if it were enjoying her torment.

***

Meanwhile, Dahlia remained asleep, carried in the arms of the air dragon. She was relatively peaceful up until her dream took a turn for the worse. Her brows furrowed as her body tensed a bit, the images dancing in her head. The pain she felt in her dream was so real, she let out a tiny moan, as she buried her face in the crook of the man's neck, her fingers clenching the fabric of his clothes.

...You will be punished by it."

[Channing Tatas]

The Western Wind regarded the bird on the blonde man's shoulder. He felt that he had seen such a similar sort of thing once or twice on the battlefield, but why he could not recollect. He had all the features a light dragon in a human form would have, such as the bright hair and the flamboyant colors, but then again, one couldn't go by the human looks. Aegis had silver hair and worked with alloys and metals. If Zhong were to resemble his element, he might have had red hair to go along with those red eyes of his. But then again, his hair was black like coal, so maybe he resembled it more. "My my, I've seem to upset your feathered friend. What was my crime, fellow creature of the air? Might I have sent the wrong updraft upon on your flock?" He inquired curiously at first before he heard more of the birds angry chirping into the man's ear. My my, it seemed like this man's pet was quite upset with him. Or just in general.

"At least you are kind enough about admiring the structure. I can imagine it was probably more glorious without the massive amounts of damage done to the place." he mentioned to the man now. He seemed quite friendly! And maybe a bit new to the area as well. But he seemed almost as naive as a newborn babe in the world. Perhaps he was just overly nice. "Yes, good friend, you are right. Zephyr Luft is infact my name. And contrary to the scene before you, I don't mean harm much. Just had some... business to attend to, some food to search out, and some people to keep watch over. Exhaustion is a nasty beast when it finally takes form." he mentioned to the man. Was he a dragon as well? He had to be in Zephyr's mind, though what element he still couldn't be sure enough.

He felt a soft stirring in his arms, and for a moment he thought the Thundercloud had woken. Now THAT would have been an interesting, but yet inevitable, event. As she had buried her face deep into the crook of his neck, a soft moan had escaped her lips, causing the air dragon to flash a brilliant and deviant smile. Fingers clutched at his white robes, and he turned his head to check on her. It seemed that she was having some sort of dream. However, it took all his willpower to not react as she clutched him tighter. She needed the sleep more, and instead, his arm around her tightened a bit more firmly, yet gently, and his free hand pushed the stray hair from what little of her face that wasn't buried onto his nape. But had sleep not been a factor? Oh, he would have made sure to wake her, and give her a hundred more reasons to clutch onto the air dragon.. He said a silent blessing that she had not tugged his chain piercing, or else instead of waiting, he would have her impregnated by nightfall, easily. On his face however, he had shown a bit of concern, but if his thoughts could speak what he truly thought, they would call him the lecherous air dragon, all in the name of breeding for more air dragons.

He looked back at the man and nodded. "Forgive me for not asking, but do I know you friend? You seem so familiar. What is your name? he asked him first. "And if so, would you like to join me? I was headed for the kitchen to grab myself a meal. It's been a long day on the road. I assume you are also here because of the current circumstances." he mentioned to him. Either way, Zephyr had been famished and needed some real food to eat instead of the delicious tiny cloud in his arms. Or the maid. Either or would have been an acceptable choice, but he much preferred real food at the moment.