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Ryudo's senses picked up the incredible level of arcana being pulled into the physical plane, but in his current position there was little he would be able to do to stop it. There was just too much power. He was built for close range, speed, and strength. His more powerful energetic abilities had been cast aside to keep this form up. He couldn't hope to release enough energy in his current form to completely protect himself from that kind of harm. He was going to get hit...



As soon as the buildup of arcane energies erupted, Ryudo shot forwards with such speed and force that dust was blasted into the air, and a sonic boom thundered across the plains. What Death Knight would see would not be the form of the merged dragon. What he would see would be a blur as Ryudo pushed his body's speed and psychic skills to the limit and charged at the Death Knight at over the speed of sound. At his current velocity, Ryudo would reach the Death Knight's position in under half a second, but not before getting blasted by one of the massive explosions from the Arc Flare.

The detonation would actually explode behind Ryudo due to the speed at which he was traveling, but that kind of expanding force would still slam into him, his armor taking a massive blow, cracks forming on the back of it as he burst from the cloud of energy to literally slam into the Death Knight and tackle him at terrible speed as he forced himself to slow just before impact to drop his kinetic force to just less than a lethal level...for himself of course.

By now, a second explosion would erupt right on Ryudo's position, which, coincidentally, would also happen to be the position of the Death Knight himself. The attack would erupt with the insane level of lethality that had been mentioned in the caster's post. Of course, all that power would now be hitting the Death Knight as well. If simply casting the spell was draining the Death Knight's vitality, and all that tremendous power was exploding directly onto him, as well as Ryudo, then BOTH of them were going to take a massive amount of damage from the chaotic, and explosive, nature of the attacks. It was also likely that the negative energies, no matter how numerous, would still inflict more harm than good on the Death Knight. After all, they were exploding. He might have been immune or in fact healed by negative energies, but an explosion was physical force, and nobody was immune to that, as the bleeding from Ryudo's mouth would show. The g-forces from his physical acceleration and deceleration had managed to burst a few blood vessels, and cause internal bleeding. And the wear and tear on his armor was beginning to show as well.

He could only hope his actions would pay off as the thunderous attacks continued to echo across the plain... Time was running out...

[5/7]

And off the stately shadow went. There was a bit of a perk to his step, as he made his way forth.

Now most of these scrolls and books were in draconic, but that didnt seem to dissuade the Shadow. Truth be told, the eldest races were always the closest to the magic and recorded it for themselves, and it spread to others. Elves, Dragons, almost all magical text was written in a dialect of either races language. Over years, over use, over copying the text changes and adjusts to become something different, and yet of course to preserve function the same. Now Max had not studied up on his spoken Dragonic, but he definitely understood the base magical language.

Ryugi might take note of Maximos asking about a certain kind of paper or a certain topic, then lifting a scroll and eyeing it sideways and either putting it back down or purchasing it. You see the magical language was not about reading, it was about formation of the letters. Penmanship counts! Where it says is more important than what it says. So he need only take in the whole equation.

Enough of that. Max, while able to pick and choose spell effects would occasionally call his dragon companion over for assistance with certain characters, letters, even words he couldnt understand. It was through those glimpses, or if he peered over Max' shoulder Ryugi might notice the repeateded mention of Shadow Dragon's in the texts Maximos picked up. They were all about the shadowy drakes, but a good portion were. In the end, Max left with a bundle of scrolls spilling over a shadow crafted backpack, and several books which shadowy silhouettes trailed behind him to carry the excess.

Max was really open with the magic today, perhaps because he was finally settling into the nature of the civilization he was amongst. No need to hide ones self like among humans.

When the shopping was done, Maximos proceeded to draw an array in the sand and set each of the books and good portion of the scrolls down on it, admonishing that those were for later. Then watched as they disappeared, it was almost like watching them burn in violet flame, the books broke into ashey flakes and blew away harmlessly into the sky, toward Shadow Island.

Max stood, he dusted his pants, he turned to Ryugi and said.

Whew. Thanks Ryugi, I'll be set for months. Shall we continue?

Max cocked his head to the side somewhat surprised. Another stop? It couldnt be shopping, it had to be something else....but...

Then Ryugi purchased two canteens. Canteens! Water! The even better way of holding water.

Sure thing!

Max said with a smile, a nod, following Ryugi with gusto, his eyes occasionally darting to the bottles, the runes, and way in front of them. Curiosity covered him about as thoroughly as black did.

Max caught the canteen with a look of simple amazement on his face. Amazement at how very simple it was. Part of him feared a small elemental creature slipping through and being drank, but not enough to stop him from using it.

A decanter of endless water...

He said with the brightest smile on his face. Max of course had to then tip the bottle over and try it for himself. He was just fascinated. In a few moments, he had a hole puddle around his feet, a few seconds later, and his finger was caught in the bottle opening and Max was trying to flail it off, with no avail! Until he lifted his finger up, the water gushed down, and his finger went "bloop" and slipped out.

The Shadow then eyed the canteen as a worthy adversary, and tied it to his side, it had earned his respect and usage.

Max nodded sternly, and stoutly.

Indeed.

He said, his feet and arms feeling the wear of extensive shopping. In the back of his mind a headache rolled and tumbled like the cycles of a washing machine preparing to start, he'd used alot of magic today. He did need a sort of rest.

He took a few steps after Ryugi, pausing only to give the canteen a slanted gaze, it was a tricky devil.

Lead the way Ryugi.

He said, smiling and coming up along side his friend.

Indeed, its gorgeous. Suhalla, is a real, honest to Nocturne, beauty.

Maximos said, using a gloved hand to pull his hood closer leaving only the barely visible white glow of his right eye to peer from the black hood. With every step, he felt the shifting sands enrapture his foot, offering so very sweetly to steal him away into its dry embrace. Of course, despite her beauty Maximos declined the deserts warm proposal and kept a pace with his companion.

He turned to face the dragon as he continued. The sand and burning sun were never, and would never be his element. But in this heat he found a memory, and in these seemingly eternal waves he found a peace that defied words.

He'd look over to Ryugi, offering the dragon a bright smile.

Excellent!

He said, tugging again at the hood, holding it in place against the wind.

Being lost here...

His words trailed off as he beheld the massive mountains they had just traversed reaching up for the sky on the horizon. The gorgeous tans and browns cascading against the snowy white rock...it left him speechless, except to say below his breath...

...Wow...

Then redirecting his away previous statement entirely he would say, with a smile.

...it might not be so bad.

It was a shame, but true, Max had started off careful but the trip had been so peaceful so far that he hadnt looked back there in quite some time. No, instead he burst into laughter along side his companion.

No, we've got plenty of that!

He said, unhooking the canteen from his hip with a grin. He'd give it something of a cautious look as if wary that it might try and attack again, and then took a long drink from it.

Motion? What motion? All the sights in the world couldnt help if he wasnt looking.

This was really good stuff. It was some of the purest water he'd ever tasted, and it was always cool!

He was really enjoying his water and he didnt even get a chance to finish it. Here was was idly sipping when explosion burst out, and the ground gave beneath him. His head immediately whipped to the side catching sight of nothing but a cloud of sand a life force just behind it, a hunger one. A large one.

With no center the sand just slid down the incline, the effect was similar to a trap door behind opened. And in the sudden drop, to his backside Max dropped his canteen.

No. Here in the desert no water was a death warrant. Not to mention that water was simply too good, he leaned back entirely oblivious as to what they were sliding towards as he dug his hands into the sand behind him. They fished, searched thrashed and even flailed through the sand until he finally found his target. With one single pull he ripped it free of the sand, and spun round just in time to catch sight of the Ironhide Scorpion already entirely too close for his liking. He immediately flicked the canteen over and began pouring, wet sand does not roll, it sticks!

Bugs! Why is it always bugs!

In quick motion he brought his right hand back, grabbing a quick grip of Ankokuko and plunging it into the sand. Sure, there was no shadow above the sand but below...there may have been enough to form a blade, and then a grip to hold the sword in its place and stop the Shadow before he found himself in the clutches of a wanting scorpion.

He'd learned a lesson from the last creature they came across, and took that lesson into consideration here as he shouted out to his traveling companion.

What is that?!

Something told him there was more here than met the eye, though what met the eye was more than enough to be cautious above. Nocturne help them if all he could say was, "A big scorpion."