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 Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:34 pm
It was a bit interesting, needless to say, to see all of Zephyiote's eyes staring right back at him. Curious it made him, as he couldn't really imagine how she saw things with that many eyes. But he supposed it only meant she had excellent perspective vision because of them.
Articuno expected that he would surprise her somewhat with his offering, considering it was a bit... insane of an idea. But he was still up for the task, despite the hazards it posed to him.
"No, I'm serious. The Western Island's environment... is a bit out of my domain I have to admit, but I try to give aid to others when I can."
He realized that there was a degree of distrust in general with strangers, especially when it dealt with something as dangerous as going to the Western Isle.
"Of course, if you refuse, I won't try to force you to let me help."
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 4:46 pm
Zephyiote cracked a grin, and...she felt a bit relieved. She wasn't exactly trusting, but...his intentions were good. She just knew. Though it was hard to say how. It would be...interesting, to see what it was like, to have company. She could call it an experiment! How lovely!
"No, I...I think I should enjoy company. I appreciate it, Articuno..." She felt very strange inside. This...she...what was wrong with her? Accepting help and all? It was ridiculous but...she enjoyed it. Finally! Company! Someone who didn't shun her. It was too good to be true. She steeled herself for abandonment or betrayl, but was also willing to give this a shot. Hey, you never knew until you tried.
She smiled as she lay her head on her arms. "Though if what you say is true, and you do wish to come with, you will have to wait until nightfall. It is much easier to travel the desert without the sun bearing down on your back, as you probably know."
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Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 4:40 pm
A slight smile along with a nod came from the blue pan'avia. All in all, he was glad that she accepted his offer. He wasn't so sure why, but he just really enjoyed being able to help others. There was just something about aiding someone, especially with something that was rather arduous or possibly hazardous was quite fulfilling to him. At the mention of going at night fall, Articuno nodded once more.
"Indeed.. Not only would the air be considerably cooler but it'll give us time to rest up in the oasis before starting the journey. Though.. it would be nice if there were some prey about... I don't suppose you spotted anything around here lately have you?"
Going on an empty stomach really did not seem like a good idea to him, especially considering that there wasn't likely to be much food available in the western island if any at all.
"RAWK! Could always eat Pagos! Til raneik postyr..." blurted out Frio.
<> retorted the little salamander via thought-speech.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:27 am
Zephyiote lifted her head, nose tilting up to the sky, delicated scenting the air, for any trace of food. The air was hot and dry, with the smell of sand and dust, water, the trees near the oasis, cacti...but she didn't smell anything big enough to serve as food. Mice were out of the question, it was too much work to dig up such a small snack. "One moment..."
She turned and slipped noislessly into the pool of water, causing nary a ripple. After a few moments, she reappeared looking quite funny with her dripping mane and peacock feathers, and frowning a little. She stretched out again on the hot sand, knowing she would dry fast, what with the sun and all. At least the trees here provided shade. "There are no fish or anything edible in the water either...I guess we will go hungry..." Not that it was a terribly big deal. Missing a meal. They could get one later. Though there would still be a lot of desert to cross, with two sets of eyes, or...however many she counted for, surely they would spot some kind of food, or smell, it, or whatnot.
"How did you meet your little friends anyway? A lot of painter have mimicgryph etc. but...how do you become friends with them in the first place?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 2:13 pm
At the news that there weren't really any prey around, Articuno was slightly disheartened. Though, they'll manage without any food for now at least. And at least they had shade and water for the time being, which was a little more valuable right now.
"Hm... fair enough. Hopefully we'll find something along the way."
The pan'avia glanced at his two small companions as they were mentioned. It took him a moment or so to recall just how he met his familiars. Once he began his answer, he motioned to them lightly.
"I found Pagos first on the outskirts of the dessert. I'm not sure how rare it is to find one randomly in the wild so it may have belonged to someone else at some point in time. I sought out a familiar master so I could get him a communication enchantment of sorts... and that's when I got Frio. I think most painters get their familiars from familiar masters."
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 5:51 pm
}~{Next post I'm gonna do a time skip to the evening >.<}~{
Four ears flickered as Zephyiote listened intently. She'd heard about familar masters, There was one in the temple where she resided, even if she didn't consider it home. She never thought about asking for a familiar...though with her luck, it wouldn't even like her. She would try for a familiar after she had discovered more about herself...rather be sure of her own existence, before she jeopardized anothers.
A deep throated chuckle emanated from Zephyiote. "It is still odd...for me to imagine going anyway, not alone...t'is strange..." Zephyiote closed her eyes. "If I may ask...who is this friend you are going to meet? Will not he be upset if you never show up? Would you tell you you went on an escapade with a winged, four eared, fifteen eyed freak of nature?" she laughed again. "And that is putting it mildly..." Her voice was softer this time, almost a bit apologetic for acting a bit abrasive.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 8:22 pm
((Fair enough. XD))
Nodding lightly, Articuno gazed up at the clear blue skies for a moment or two before bringing his attention back to his new acquaintance. He couldn't help but tilt his head slightly at the way Zephyiote described herself. So she had fifteen eyes then... but that was aside the point.
"He's a common painter that likes to hang around the desert looking for various trinkets. I was just coming out here to visit and see how he was doing so he shouldn't mind if a feathered flowy bird-tailed hybrid doesn't stop by."
Then with a slight grin, he chuckled as he added that last bit. And with that said, he stretched out and lazed about in the shaded oasis.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:43 pm
Zephyiote didn't bother to close her eyes. She didn't 'sleep' in the normal sense...more of a state of half waking. In the same way as dolphins and whales. She could still react instantaneously to her enviroment, but as far as activity went, her mind was asleep. It wasn't until the yellow egg in the sky started to dip that she stirred. She yawned, expansively, fangs flashing in the last of the light, scratching her ear with a rear leg, and sitting up. They should get moving before too long. To dawdle would be just to waste time. No point in delaying the inevitable. If she was meant to die in the fires of the volcano, she would not be a coward, she would not avoid it. Fate was fate. And not even the gods could tamper with it.
Avoid her little waking routine, she turned to Articuno, sort of. She kept her head turned away, but her rear leg eyes swiveled to watch him. "We should be going soon. We do not want to waste moonlight." Her wings shivered a little, as in anticipation of tasting the air again.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 9:58 pm
As the day went on, Articuno, as well as his little companions, doze off for an hour or so to rest and restore their energy. When the sun set and the moon rose, the hybrid stirred from his little nap to see the darkened sky above them all now.
That, along with hearing Zephyiote address him, caused him to get up onto his feet to stretch out his limbs. When he did this, he accidentally knocked off Pagos onto the ground, as the little salamander had been resting on his side earlier. The fiery creature let out a small and strange squeak before scampering up Articuno's legs to his back.
"Yes... so then shall we take flight?"
As he spread his wings to get ready, he shook his body lightly to get rid of some of the sand that clung to him.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:10 pm
"Yes...let us go...the sky...it beckons..."
Zephyiote stood up, bipedaly. Her foot structure made this easier on her than normal, though her posture, as suspect, was still of a sloping back. Like a dinosaur, or a wyvern painter. Perhaps hinting at some kind of heritage on that side. Though Zephyiote denied it to the fullest. Her legs tensed under her, muscles tightening, and then relaxing as she jumped up, flinging herself into the air. Huge crimson wings unfurled, and beat at the air. She hung suspended for a moment, caught in some unseen force, before she broke free, and shot up.
After a moment, her wings returned to their place against her side. True to the P'an Lun ability, she need not wings to fly, though they were fully functional. Either method was usable, though the combined effect was interesting. Her wings coming into play to make turns, or to pull off complicated aerial manuevers, otherwise they were simply tucked up and folded. It was interesting to watch her fly to be sure, slithering through the air like some kind of magnificent, demonic serpent.
She shot down again, then came to flying circles in the airspace above the oasis. Making an almost perfect circle as she lazily chased her tail. "Come Articuno...fate awaits us..." She turned and started to fly off towards the northwest, in the direction of the infamous isle.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 10:40 pm
For a moment, he watched Zephyiote take to the skies. It most certainly was an interesting sight to behold, as her methods of flight were a bit different from his own. Watching her brought a slight grin to his face, as it made him want to get off the ground as well.
"Hehe.. very well."
Articuno glanced at his back to make sure that Pagos was clinging to him securely before beginning to take off. He took a few steps forward while beating his feathered wings down forcefully several times to generate his initial lift. And before much longer, he was flying after the winged pan'lun as they set for the Western Island.
While he glided through the skies, he took in a deep breath, enjoying the cool night air. It definitely was a much better temperature to deal with than the scorching days of the desert. And he wanted to enjoy his cool flight as much as he could, considering there really was no telling how hot their destination would be once they arrive.
"How long do you suppose it'll take us exactly?" he questioned as he sped up slightly to fly side-by-side with her.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 8:57 am
Zephyiote snorted and set a steady pace. No time now for slacking or idle flight, they had only the few hours of night to cover a lot of ground. She did some rough estimates of math in her head, trying to reckon exactly where they were in the desert, and recalling the short period when she'd taken interest in the geography of the island. "If the weather keeps clear like this, we will clear the desert an hour or two before sunrise. And if we keep flying through the day, we should reach our destination near nightfall. Of course, there is no rush, stopping to grab a snack would be advised, as well as a drink of water. I do not suppose there will be any sources of water where we will be going. If the weather gets bad though...this journey could take longer than a week. Let us hope it stays clear."
Zephyiote tried not to think about food. She hadn't eaten in over a week, and she was bound to get irritable when hungry. She reassured herself with thoughts that they would eat when they got out of the desert. Thankfully they hadn't ended up meeting right in the center, or their travels would be longer. Willing as he might be, Zephyiote felt bad to keep him too long from...whatever he did. Zephyiote never put much thought into the activities of other painters. What did they do all day? She knew that Chi'lin mined ore and whatnot, P'an Lun were scientist, she was a prime example...but...what did Mer'Drac do, and whatnot? It puzzled her.
The air was cold against her skin, not that it mattered terribly, of course. She didn't get 'cold'...or at least it didn't bother her. The air was dry, and the winds carried no scent, no promise of food. Oh well. That could wait. Travel. Travel was important.
Having eyes on her chest, she was given a constant view of the landscape below her, and it become monotonous to watch, the repitition of the rolling sand dunes. How bland. The only interesting thing about them were the monocromatic shadows cast about by the moon. Those were interesting to look at. Almost like art. Zephyiote made a note to herself to free up a little bit of time to do some more sculpting and painting. Often times she got so absorbed in research, it became hard to relax. Maybe having a companion would help her with that.
"I trust you are well?" she questioned after a while, content to let the moments pass in silence, but wanting to give him a chance to express some kind of discomfort, or to take a break and land, if he wanted to.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 9:29 am
"No I don't think there'll be any sources of water there... but I have to wonder if we could possibly find a way to bring some with us. I don't have a waterskin or anything with me unfortunately... but maybe we could somehow bring a chunk of cacti and hope it doesn't dry up."
For Articuno, it had been awhile since he last ate as well, but he did manage to find a jackrabbit in the desert a couple days ago. While he knew he could go longer without food, he would rather hope they find some sort of prey as they would most likely need their energy to keep up with the journey. It was unfortunate that finding prey in the desert was a bit of a difficult task.
Though, as he thought about the trip, he mentally wished he had done some more training before. If he had better abilities with magic, he probably would be able to help keep their heads cool when they get there.
As they flew on, he let his mind drift from thought to thought. Though, when he was addressed again, he snapped out of them and glanced towards Zephyiote.
"That I am," he said with a grin. Having some aviadrachus in him did some good when it came to flight, as he was able to stay in the air for a good amount of time without really tiring out.
"What about you?"
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:06 am
Zephyiote found a way to shrug while flying. "I am fine. I do a lot of traveling, so...this is nothing new..." she trailed off, eyes blinking at different intervals. She found herself easily distracted from conversation. The sky was so impossibly clear...it was as if she went higher, she just might see the end of the world. The end of the world...there was no such thing, right? But...maybe, where they were going...She shook her head and dispelled the thought. Theories could be tested later.
The stars were so bright overhead, it was like looking at a piece of quarts, with impossible thousands of little gems imbedded in it. And the land below...it was dead to her. A monochrome landscape. This was a dream, this was beautiful. Zephyiote loved to fly. And loved to fly on nights like these, only second to stormy ones. Frolicing 'mongst blades of light, fighting in vain against the darkness. Those savage battles...where one might be rent in two, should you be hit. That was Zephyiote's paradise. Frolicing in that twilight. In that between. Where impossible things could happen, and it was still accepted. Who would think, those flashes of light...were just electricity, just enormous static charges...imagine Zephyiote's suprise when she figured that out.
She glanced up. Far, far away. On the distant horizon...a tree. That was good. Soon the sand would be clearing up, thinning out, giving way to forest briefly, before they would soar over the Painter Canyon. Maybe they could stop there for a little bit. The conditions were gorgeous, game plentiful, despite the numerous predators there.
"Do you see that?" she questioned of Articuno, gesturing to the distant tree with a jerk of her head.
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Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2008 10:37 am
Silence washed upon them once more as they soared through the cool night sky. Over all, he didn't have too much of a preference of night over day or vice versa. But, most of the time the night did end up being cooler than the day, which was something he enjoyed greatly. The stars and other features of the sky were nice too, but it was the chilly air that brought him the most joy.
Articuno stared ahead and down at the landscape below as Zephyiote seemed to have spotted something. It didn't take long at all for him to see the tree in the distance. With a smile, he gave a nod as the prospect of possible prey struck his mind once more.
"Yes! I do. This probably means we'll be able to find some decent game soon..."
There was a slight gleam in his expression before he began to work his wings a little more to pick up the pace some. As he did this, he glanced back at the Pan'lun, almost as if issuing a challenge of sorts as his speed began to increase.
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