OOC: Between DS4 and I only, for now. PM for details.


IC:

"Harder, Irlais."

He wasn't sure how he could go any harder. He was already pushing himself to the limit. His favorite clothes were burned, torn, and dirtied; he was covered from head to toe in scratches, bruises, and dust; and he was pretty sure his old mentor, Aikul, was enjoying this way more than he should've been. "What am I supposed to do.. will your sword to miss me?" He said angrily, between panting breaths. His mentor simply chuckled.

"If need be, yes."

"This is bull.."

"This is training."

"I need a break!"

"Then you will die!" That shut Irlais up. He straightened slightly, lowering his borrowed sword until the tip rested on the ground. He looked completely warn out, breathing heavily with burning lungs and droopy eyes. He clenched his jaw. "Do you think Lukia will let you sit down and catch your breath once he tires you out?" Irlais shifted his gaze away from his mentor, instead choosing a nice, grey rock to torture with his glare. Then he glanced upward to the sky, hopeful.

"If you're waiting for Xelin to come intervene, don't even think about it. I expressed the significance of your lesson today to him and sent him off to do an errand for me." Irlais turned his glare back on his mentor and raised his sword.

"He's not your errand dragon."

"I didn't want any distractions. You need to focus." Without warning, the older male sent a shock wave flying towards him and Irlais raised his sword to deflect it successfully, but it made him waver. "You have no idea of the power you hold, Irlais. Get it together!" Another shock wave came spiraling at him, and he blocked it once again with his sword, but this time he shakily stumbled back a few steps.

"You haven't let me sleep in two days.."

"The war may last a week - a month. What will you do then?" His mentor sounded angry, but he was purposefully being this way. He slammed another shock wave Irlais' way, and this time he was tossed backward, back skidding across the rocky ground until he dropped his sword and used his momentum to roll and stand, sliding for a moment more until he stilled. His mentor walked closer.

"How long did you study the power of the runestones under me? How quickly you were to jump into your own demise, despite my warnings. I told you playing with magic as an Allatik would end up killing you, but you didn't care. Now look at you."

He stood tall for only a moment before he buckled and fell to a knee, hands on the ground as he shook from fatigue. His mentor was standing before him not a moment later.

"Get up." Irlais didn't move, but he felt the cool chill of a blade to the back of his neck. "I said, get up, Irlais."

Irlais' fingers dug at the ground until his hands balled into fists. He trembled violently before suddenly reaching up with lightening fast reflexes and gripping his mentor's blade with ferocity. He moved it away as he stood and lifted his head to reveal eyes illuminated brightly in white. He was glowing with power, the blood trickling from his hand not phasing him in the slightest, because it healed the instantaneously.

His mentor grinned. "There's your true power."

Irlais snarled and bellowed like some otherworldly beast, but the sound that escaped him caused something simliar to a shock wave to shake the earth around them, but ten times worse. It was so tremendously fierce, that his mentor was sent flying like a rag doll. When the sound died, the air around Irlais seemed to be spiraling. His mentor, skilled enough to not be killed by an attack that severe, stood stall. He'd lost his sword, but it didn't matter.

"Now it's time for some real training."

Irlais was growling audibly, sounding eerily similar to a furious dragon. He cocked his head and raised his hands, both beginning to glow with fire. With a roar, he began lunging fireball after fireball Aikul's way.

"Fire isn't even your element. You've already progressed so far, Irlais. It's astounding." In a flash, Aikul was above Irlais, landing on him and pinning him to the ground from behind. He thrashed, but even in this state, Aikul was still stronger. And he would be.. at least until Irlais learned to control it.

"Time to revert. Come on now, Irlais, I know you can hear me." Irlais roared, eyes glowing brighter as he just about knocked Aikul off of him. "I said, revert, boy! Show me you're going to be the legend everyone says you are!" After a moment more of struggling, Aikul let out a sigh of irritated disappointment.

"You're not ready for this, yet, then." With a swift blow to the back of the neck, Irlais animalistic cry of pain echoed the mountains until it became more human-like and faded. He was out cold. Aikul slipped off him and sighed, wiping his hands on his clothes. Then he lifted Irlais into his arms and carried him to his hut.

"Lad... pray to the gods.. because you're going to need a lot of help..."

It was a while before Irlais came to. His eyes fluttered open painfully and he realized with dread he couldn't move. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to remember. But he couldn't. Aikul had told him to get up.. he'd fallen. And that was it. He opened his eyes again and Aikul was suddenly standing over him.

"It's about time. I was weary of letting you sleep for too long. We don't have time to waste." Irlais wrinkled his nose, about the only part of him he could move. He realized they were back in Aikul's hut, a small lantern filled with fire lit the small shack.

His croaked, "Why does the hut smell like morbidly decaying cheese..." He made a face and swallowed hard, tilting his head to the side just slightly. Aikul just laughed, as if it was a stupid question. Irlais heard him move away then come back and shake a small vial under his nose. Irlais almost puked. "Ugh, get that away from me!" He raised his hand and swatted, then stopped and gazed at his skin as he realize he was practically black and blue from head to toe, few areas clear of any wounds. He glared after Aikul, who ignored it while observing the vial.

"This vial is what's helping you move right now. The scent is sending chemicals into your brain, telling it to heal you faster." Irlais was able to lift his head just enough to look at his mentor skeptically. "Don't give me that. You're moving aren't you? What would you do without me?"

Irlais groaned and let his head fall back against his pillow.

They sat in silence for a while, Aikul at his mini desk filling out his mysterious little journal that he never let Irlais see or know about. Irlais asked him constantly what he kept in there - notes, dreams, secret fantasies - but every time, Aikul shot him down with the same thing.

"If we were meant to know everything, we wouldn't have a reason to exist." Usually followed by a hardcore workout. He'd learned to ask less over the years, but it still slipped now and again. To be perfectly honest, he hadn't quite learned what his mentor had meant when he said that.

He watched the older male and observed him from behind, gazing over the long dread-like black hair that reached down his back. His skin was dark, like an Allatik's, but Irlais had never seen more evidence of him being one than just his skin, and his powers were unlike anything he'd ever seen or learned about before - nothing like what the Allatik's he knew wielded. But then again, there was a lot he didn't know.

Especially about his mentor, he was now learning. He realized as he sat there staring at the male that he knew next to nothing about the guy, except that he was ridiculously powerful and, from Irlais' point of view, a madman.

He found himself able to move with a sudden wave of adrenaline and began to sit up. He felt Xelin's presence, in his heart, and he poured what he could into a thank you back to him. He was sore, but he could move now. As if on cue, Aikul turned around and sprung to his feet.

"Oh, good! You can move now.. let's get back to training! Next up is the Obstacle Course of Doom!" Irlais' eyes widened, pupils shrinking in fear.

"Uh! Aikul, I feel sick!" His mentor laughed.

"Nonsense, you look fine!"

"I won't be in a few seconds.." He muttered, remembering all too well Aikul's Obstacle Course of Doom. Stupid name, deadly game. His mentor grabbed him by the wrist and pulled him out the door as he screamed. "You're going to kill me, old man!"

Not five minutes later, Irlais was standing at the starting point of Aikul's course. The tips of his fingers were buzzing, every nerve in his body telling him not to do this.

The obstacle course was inside the mountain. Large caverns of flaming vats of lava or poisonous gases, caves where stalagmites and stalactites propelled themselves at you like trajectory missiles, hallways where it trapped you on either side and you had to find a way out. And if you didn't, the room caved in on itself and you were buried alive. Being an Allatik and with his element being the opposite of earth, this was one of his most feared scenarios.
Last time he'd done the course, he was younger. And almost died. Now he was probably going to lose a limb, or something.
He gulped hard and stared over the ledge he was standing on, gazing unnervingly down at the never-ending chasm of darkness as strange animal noises wafted up to him. A chill went down his spine before he suddenly lost his nerve and turned away, walking past Aikul and back toward the hundred foot tall entrance into the cavern. "Okay, this is insane. You're insane!"

"Irlais, you did fine the last time you did the obstacle."

"I almost died! Death by cannibalistic bunny rabbits! Fluffy, bloodthirsty bunnies, Ai. I'm not doing this!" His hand had been raised to point at the other male, his eyes wide with seriousness, despite the ludicrousness of his words. Then he turned around and stomped out, Aikul arching a brow.

"Well... I thought they were a nice touch.. Obviously our tastes differ." He said defiantly, smirking suddenly.


--------------

"AIkul, I'm going to kill you!!" Huffing, Irlais ran down the long, rock walled hallway, being chased by a dozen humungous scrambling/slithering half-snake, half-dog creatures. Irlais' yell could be heard echoing all the way back to the entrance of the cave, where Aikul sat with his journal and pen in hand. Nonchalantly, he lifted his head, then after a moment, shrugged and went back to writing in his book.


OOC: (Gotta go to work.. yuck) I'll reply when I get home, about eight hours from now at midnight.)

OOC:
Ew, okay. Stay safe.

IC:
Thank the shadows. he murmured to himself as he began the flight back to Irlais, one sack in each paw and the third between his jaws. The stuff tasted horrible. He snorted and pushed that to the back of his mind, focusing right now on getting back to his Rider. He slipped another stream of energy to Irlais, just in case he was doing something strenuous and needed a little kick start.

OOC:
Ew shortness...

OOC: Hahaa, it's fine. It happens. Plus I'm not giving you much to go on.



IC:


Irlais felt another adrenaline rush, like earlier. He felt one of the creatures snap at his heel, but he was gone, practically flying down the hall way. When he got a little further down, he jumped, spun around with a kick, and a gigantic, ear shattering wind rippled through the hallway, pushing the creatures back and even killing some of them on impact.

He didn't stop, turning to run the rest of the way down the hallway with frantic murmurs escaping under his breath. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!" And then suddenly he was falling. His heart stopped as he fell like a giant weight, which he pretty much was. He hadn't even seen the end of the tunnel. It had been a mirage!

He was way far up.. way further up than he realized he could even be. He screamed on the way down to the black pit of darkness, swearing he saw something reaching up for him out of it. With frantic whines, he righted himself best he could and ended up growing closer to the wall. Not what he wanted, but it would work..

He grabbed at the wall, placed his hands and feet against the solid, semi-smooth rock as he fell, and left a trail of dust in his path that didn't even slow him down. But that was alright. He suddenly pushed from the wall, kicking with all his strength while at the same time summoning the strongest wind he could. And he rode it downward, toward where Aikul hadn't even looked up from his journal.

Irlais suddenly realized he wasn't sure how to stop and he yelped, crashing into the solid flooring of the cave and grunting as he tumbled head over heels. He finally stilled, lying on his back as the dust settled around him and he panted. His body felt like jello.. he groaned. And it was only then that Aikul looked up from his journal and turned slightly to see Irlais. "Ah, there you are. You're done already? Did you find the Room of Lamenting Kittens?"

Irlais just lifted his head slightly, looking at the man as if he'd lost his mind. Then his head dropped again and he sighed.


----------------------------

After a thirty second break, which Aikul said was all he needed, irlais found himself on the same mountain top he'd been on before he'd blacked out earlier. Aikul was pacing back and forth in front of him, giving him a lecture about hard work and responsibility. Irlais stood there half slumped and dozing off.

"ENDURANCE TRAINING." A deafening horn blew in Irlais' ear and his eyes flew open, his entire body growing rigid as he trembled at the sound. When it finally stopped, his eyes were wide, stuck that way, and he looked at Aikul with a twitch. One of these days, he'd strangle the old man.

Two-hundred lateral squats, seven laps around the top of the mountain, and an hour of an extremely painful one-armed Pillar Bridge later, he was collapsed on the ground, spread eagle-wide. Aikul was giving him feedback on how badly he did today. Irlais was too tired to even blink an eyelash his way. He was so tired.. he could just... drift off and-

"TIME FOR AERIAL WOMBAT TRAINING."

Irlais shook awake and blinked a few times. He sighed, thinking about correcting Aikul, but knowing fully that there may very well be a wombat involved. Irlais just groaned and closed his eyes again. "Forget it Aikul... I can't move anymore.. I'm done for today.."

"Can't move?! Hah! Let me go get that vial of chemicals..."

"GODS, NO! I'm up!" Irlais had rolled over and sprung to his feet in a flash, huffing. He was bent over, hand on his knee. He glared at Aikul, who just grinned at him knowingly.

"Fine. Let's do some simple sparring. Nothing but physical contact, no elements, no anything." Irlais huffed a moment more, surprised to hear logic from the man, then nodded slightly. Simple he could do.

Or so he thought.

Another half hour had gone by and Irlais hadn't landed a single hit on Aikul, which if he were to be completely honest, would have been very satisfying. But Irlais was fatigued - pushed to his limit. His lungs burning, he swung his fist toward Aikul as if in slow motion. Aikul grimaced and merely had to move an inch for it to miss. Irlais went stumbling, catching himself, but unbalanced. Aikul didn't look happy, but he wasn't angry.

"Your body feels heavy?" Irlais could only nod as he trembled. He was about to drop. "You're dizzy?" He nodded again, wavering. Aikul grunted, as if acknowledging something. "Good. Then today's lesson has been completed."

He suddenly glanced to the sky and smiled. "Just in time. Xelin has returned. Tell him to leave the requested items by my hut, please. You two should rest. I'll be training you as a team tomorrow." And then he disappeared into his hut, leaving Irlais staring after him with empty, dead tired eyes. With shaky knees, he wobbled over to Xelin as he landed.

Xelin... you have no idea how happy I am to see you.. He collapsed onto the great dragon's neck in a weak embrace, closing his eyes. ... and leave the items by his hut, he said..

OOC:
lol

IC:
Xelin rumbled gently in his chest and nuzzled his Rider carefully, aware of how exhausted he was. Alright, I'll be right back. he murmured, and slipped away carefully from Irlais. He stopped by the hut, pausing to glare at the door before turning and padding quickly back Irlais. He laid down and gently nudged the boy to sit beside his warm belly, giving him a small stream of energy so he wasn't quite as exhausted. [i]Are you sure it is wise to remain here? If he continues at this pace in training you, and us, he could hurt us. It is not good for you to be this exhausted and pushed to your limits." he said worriedly, his tone anxious as he gently nudged Irlais's stomach.

He didn't hesitate in the slightest when Xelin returned and nudged him to sit. He collapsed against the black dragon and inhaled a deep breath as he felt energy pouring into him once again. He'd complain of Xelin giving too much of his own energy, but there was no point in doing so, he knew.

Irlais opened his eyes slightly and yawned so hard, he shuddered. He rested against Xelin, grateful for the warmth. They'd only been there a week. At first, Aikul had been lean with his training, probably thinking he just wanted some tips and tricks to know. Irlais thought about it.. and realized it wasn't until he told Aikul about everything going on that he started pushing him so hard. He laughed slightly when Xelin nuzzled his stomach, causing it to tickle. Irlais smiled, placing his hand on the dragon's snout to lightly stroke the scales. But then he grimaced.

"It's not that simple.. Aikul is the only person alive who can prepare me for what's to come. His tactics may be..." He hesitated a moment, thinking hard. ".. a tad off kiltered, but he's not as crazy as he acts. He's wise, and knows more than I ever could." Speaking of the male as if he held the highest of respects for him made Irlais feel odd, considering not long ago, he'd wanted to murder the man.

"I dunno.. he says to always follow my instinct. And I just feel like my instinct is saying we should stay. It hasn't been wrong yet, anyway." He smiled at Xelin slightly, eyes half-lidded. He traced some of Xelin's scales, staying silent a moment before he continued quietly.

"Besides.. this is nothing compared to what Lukia is going to put me through - us through." He corrected, glancing at Xelin again before looking away. "We have to be at our best.. we're the only one's who can destroy him for good, that's why it's our mission."

OOC: at work still, so short reply while at lunch.

IC:

Irlais sighed heavily as Xelin nudged him. The release of air quickly turn into a gaping yawn, as if Xelin's words reminded him of just how tired he really was. He made himself comfortable against Xelin and closed his eyes. "You're probably right... I can definitely wait for tomorrow.. not.. looking forward to fluffy..cannibalistic bunnies..." And then he was out like a light.

The pain was engulfing him. The tendrils of darkness that reached out for him and wrapped around his wrists and throat grew tighter. Slowly losing his vision, his eyes wandered over his newfound allies in the distance as Tyleek was penetrated with the sixth spear. He watched as he stumbled. He watched as he fell. His companion, Theldor, fought bravely, but burned alive under a fiery demise.

A male he didn't recognize, but new to be Allatik summoned a great tsunami to wipe out their enemy's forces, but he was struck by lightening from behind. He fell. He didn't move. A wolf-sized fox bounded to his aid in a blur, but was stopped short when a huge area of the earth shot up and slammed into the fox's head. It shot the poor creature back yards, where he skidded to a halt and didn't move.

And then a female he didn't recognize, with a Leopard and Jaguar by her side. As they fought the one known as Malaktai fiercely, they were overwhelmed by his power and crushed by a blast of energy that shattered them all into a stone wall with one blow.

Far to the right, Cy Ara was captured by armored men and forced to kneel in front of the monster Lukia, who restrained her and threatened... unspeakable things. With a flash, Lukia was before Irlais, his face filling his vision, along with blinding light behind him. His lips moved and no sound came, but Irlais' heartbeat quickened in fear as he saw the reflection of his and Xelin's death in the merciless eyes of Lukia.

Caged, like wild animals, Lukia forced what looked like a metal collar onto Irlais and he began to scream and spasm in pain, the connection between rider and dragon forcing Xelin to feel the electrifying pulses course through his rider's body and slowly kill him.



Irlais awoke with a start, eyes wide and heart bruising the inside of his chest from its frantic beating. It took him a moment to catch his bearings and he realized he was under Xelin's wing. They'd been sleeping. It was just a dream.

Just a dream... He said it over and over again in his head but it didn't help. Trembling slightly, he pulled his knees to his chest and became as small as possible against Xelin, closing his eyes again. But he quickly opened them, finding that every time he closed his eyes, Lukia's demonic face, along with the death of his allies, haunted him.

"Come on princesses, you've got work to do. Sleeping in past eight won't get you any closer to defeating Lord Loki." Slightly grateful for the distraction, Irlais lifted his hand to move Xelin's wing to the side just enough to arch a brow at his mentor.

"You mean 'Lukia'."

"Same difference." Irlais sat up as Xelin awoke and removed his wing. Aikul tossed the boy a small package and he caught it in his lap. He furrowed his brow, glancing at Aikul.

"What is this..?"

"A present." Aikul said simply. He wasn't his usual joking self this morning. It made Irlais weary.

"A rabid squirrel isn't going to tear off my face when I open it, is it?" Aikul responded with a small smile.

"Happy fifteenth birthday, kid." Irlais' eyes widened as realization dawned on him. Aikul turned to walk away from them. "Don't think this gets you off the hook though. Training starts in ten." He disappeared into his hut, leaving Irlais staring after him. Then his eyes fell to the little brown package in his lap. He didn't move.

With everything that had been going on, he'd completely forgotten. But besides that, how had Aikul known? Because he knows everything, it seems. Irlais lifted his eyes slightly to look at Xelin, an unsure look in his eyes.



OOC: Ha.. haha. See what I did there with Lukia's name? It made me giggle. -o-

"I'm still caught on the fact that he might be trying to kill me. I haven't celebrated my birthday in almost.. three years. Long before I ever knew Aikul." He lifted the small package with one hand, twisting and turning it. But it didn't look like anything special. Just brown paper.

He slipped his finger into a crack and tore at the wrapping before it fell off to reveal a white box. Irlais slipped off the lid, only to reveal another, smaller box. His eyes narrowed in suspicion. He proceeded to tear off the lid of three other boxes, each growing progressively smaller and Irlais growing ever more frustrated, eventually just tossing the empty boxes aside. When he finally came down to the smallest box he lifted it up and shook it, a small rattling emitting from inside.

He tore the lid off and dumped out a tiny white-gold ring into his hand, the amethyst eyes of a shimmering dragon gleaming in the morning light. He tossed the box, examining the ring thoroughly. He felt his heart swell, but he wasn't sure why. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a thin chain, slipping the ring onto it. Then he linked it around his neck.

"This is a nice surprise," he said, feeling oddly connected to it already. He fingered it as he glanced at Xelin, a sudden thought occurring to him. Do dragons have birthdays?"

He giggled like a little kid as he at Xelin, nudging the black dragon with his elbow. "Geez, you're old. How do you stay looking so young, Xelin? What's your secret?" His little chuckles were still welling up inside him as he leaned towards the dragon, as if actually wanting to know. But just then Aikul returned holding a woven basket with a lid.

Irlais turned his attention to his mentor and tilted his head. "What, are we going berry picking?"

"Close, but even better, actually. You're going Anthurium picking." He stopped about a foot away from Irlais and held out the basket. Irlais looked at him with a raised brow as he took the thing hesitantly and stood, brushing himself off with his free hand.

"Anta-whatta?"

"Anthurium is the name for a very common flower, also known as the "Flamingo Rose". The most common colors are red and pink. But you two will be collecting the white ones."

"And let me guess..."

"They have long stems, tend to climb vertical surfaces, and normally grow in clusters of three."

"And.."

"And?" It was Aikul's turn to raise a brow, tilting his head. Irlais stared at him suspiciously.

"What' the deal? There's a catch, there's always a catch." Aikul shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"Nothing. I simply need three clusters. They're not seen as often as the red ones but can be found, most commonly, at the base of waterfalls or along the edge of bodies of water. And also, it's a very heavily vegetated island, jungle-like. Flying won't be much of an option once you land."

Irlais stood and let out a deep sigh. "I'm tired of running errands for you."

"Trust me. This will benefit you both. The island closest to here is large and has the most waterfalls of all the islands. You should be able to find plenty there." He turned away, hands locked behind his back as he walked back toward his hut. "I expect you back by noon. That's when the real training starts."

Irlais stretched slightly, raising his arms up high, before dropping them with a great escape of air. He shook his head and made a face before he leaped up onto Xelin's back with a small burst of air to give him a boost. "Come on... let's get this over with."

Irlais held onto the saddle's horn tightly with one hand, the other resting on the saddle in front of him. The basket was looped around his arm as they flew. Irlais tried to figure out where they were, before he pointed to their right.

There, that island. It looks just like a jungle, and it looks pretty big. The beach looks like the only clear place to land. Irlais leaped off of Xelin right before his paws touched the ground, landing in a crouch and stumbling slightly over the crystalized white sand. He scurried up a dune and quickly found a gap in the thick trees big enough for Xelin to fit through. But he hesitated, looking back at the dragon.

"We could try shadow porting.. or I could go in on my own.. unless you're okay with walking through this tight space."

"Hey. It's not my fault I attract crazy like a nutcase magnet." Irlais muttered as he examined the entrance to the jungle a moment longer. He pursed his lips, tilting his head, and then retreated slowly backward toward Xelin.

"Fine.. we'll shadow port. But it always gives me the chills." With a kick of his heel, he lifted into the air and fell gently down into the saddle on Xelin's back. He gripped the leather's horn again and raised his hand to place over his eyes. The sun was suddenly becoming brighter as morning grew. "Perfect.. Let's start with the center of the island and work our way out. I think I saw a heavily vegetated mountain.. waterfalls have falling water, so high places would be a good place to start."

It made perfect since in his head, but he didn't realize how ridiculous he sounded. And that tiny nagging at the back of his skull kept telling him it was too easy. Which, unbeknownst to him, was why he was stating the obvious.

Xelin snorted softly at the boy but smiled a bit. It is called shadow porting for a reason. he chuckled. Once Irlais was on his back, he slid into the shadows. He flew from shadow to shadow, aiming for the ones that were at an angle and above him. He neared an area where there were no shadows in a big circular shape. He stuck his head out of a shadow to check it out, and was immensely pleased to see a lake. A slid completely out of the shadow and shook himself. That was easy. he commented warily, glancing around them instinctively.

He loathed shadow porting. Every single time, a feeling of cold death chilled his spine and this time was no exception. His clammy, white-knuckled fists tightened their hold on the horn and he clamped his jaw shut. And he screwed his eyes shut. He loved speed, but the underworld of shadows simply made him queasy.

As they breached the surface through a shadow, he breathed in the fresh air as if he'd been holding his breath, which he sort of had been despite not needing to. He looked around hesitantly at the tiny clearing cut off by the bank of a small-ish lake. He hopped off Xelin's back and nodded a little, taking a few steps toward the water.

"Yeah," he muttered, "Very easy." Irlais was suspicious of just about everything there was. Again, this time was no exception. When he reached the edge of the grass that overhung the water, he kneeled and gingerly swept his fingers across the water, causing tiny ripples through his reflection. Then he saw something else that made him cry out and fall backwards onto his back. He kicked backwards, stumbling into a run as he turned heel and scampered back over to Xelin.

"FISH!" He squeaked, skidding to a halt behind Xelin, who despite his small size was much bigger and able to defend against bigger creatures. And this fish.. was big.

As if on cue, the water boiled up as a scaly dragon head, embroidered with every hue between sea green and deep ocean blue, lifted the upper half of its giant body out of the water. Its head blocked out the sun, causing an even bigger shadow, and it's golden eyes gleamed with curiosity. Its heavy and deep voice echoed in Irlais' head.

What is your purpose here? Unfortunately, Irlais was barely paying attention, his lips pursed shut as he craned his neck back to look at the ginormous water dragon. His focus was elsewhere as he blurted out.

"How do you even fit in the lake?" The sea dragon's head tilted tot he side just slightly, as if unsure what to think about the two leg. He turned his attention toward the dragon, hoping for an answer.

Xelin raised his eyeridge when Irlais scampered away from the waters edge, squeaking about a fish. He snorted softly and watched warily as the 'fish' rose up from the lake. He glanced at the boy and huffed. It's no bigger than Lean, really. his heart stuttered as he remembered the giant black female dragon, how her deep black scales caught and reflected the light, her deep navy blue eyes....he shook himself and focused, the water dragon was gazing upon him now. He growled softly in warning. We are here on an errand for a friend of ours. We were told to pick three clusters of white flamingo rose. he said carefully, positioning his body carefully so if the had to Irlais could jump into the saddle in moments and then Xelin could disappear into a shadow.

The sea dragon's eye glinted, observing the two before him with great speculation. He lowered his head closer to them, causing Irlais to shrink back slightly, and looked Xelin in the eye. His tone was hard, almost defensive.

Then your friend has sent you on a never ending chase. Flamingo Rose does not exist. The great dragon looked away, his voice saddening. At least, not anymore..

Irlais furrowed his brow and inched out from behind Xelin's hind leg slightly. "Where'd it all go?"

The dragon turned his eyes back onto Irlais sharply, as if he held something personal against the boy. That is none of your concern. Now leave. What you are looking for is not here. His sea-hued scales rippled as he began to turn away and sink back into the lagoon.

"You're lying.." Irlais said suddenly, causing the dragon to stop his retreat and narrow his gleaming eyes at the pest before him. "You have a connection with the Flamingo Rose somehow. I can feel it. Why are you so unwilling to aid us? Is there nothing we can do in return for any information you might have?"

For a moment, there was silence. Reluctantly, the dragon spoke, his eyes falling closed. The Flamingo Rose was a fragile flower. It would waken early in the morning at the suns rise and close itself before it fully set. Its scent would attract any and all who were lucky enough to witness the sensation. She was mesmerizing.

Irlais stole a glance Xelin's way, furrowing his brow. "You said 'she'." He mumbled. The dragon's eyes opened and focused on the boy again, before he nodded once grimly. He continued hesitantly.

The flower was named in memory of my mate, who.. was the victim in an accident.

Xelin eyed the water dragon warily, huffing softly. He glanced back at Irlais as the boy spoke, and remained silent. The thing he had learned was you sometimes found out more if you listened rather than spoke. He tilted his head slightly and narrowed his eyes curiously.

OOC:
Shoooooort. >.>

Irlais was now standing directly in front of the giant dragon by the edge of the lagoon. He had his neck craned back so he could examine the dragon thoroughly. "What was the accident?" Irlais said interestedly.

The dragon was silent for another short moment before his lip vibrated in slight annoyance. As I have said, that is none of your concern. You are nosey, and have no business here. It was Irlais' turn to be wary and he took a few steps back at the dragon's anger. Leave this island, or there will be consequences.

"I can't leave without the Anthurium..!" Irlais said defiantly, but warily. He took another step back as the dragon lifted itself even further out of the water. Lower down on its neck where its bulky body began, it not only had ginormous flippers made for the water, but giant, muscular arms like most dragons, his claws long, gleaming, and deadly. He was like a centaur, but the cross between a dragon and the Loch Ness monster instead.

Irlais was too mesmerized by the dragons shimmering scales and the true size of the beast to do anything but stand there with his jaw dropped. He cried out when the dragon, with surprising speed for a dragon his size, snatched him up in his paw and held him high in the air.

I warned you, puny twoleg. Irlais had to think quickly, because he didn't want a fight and he knew Xelin well enough to know he was about to go berserk.

"Wait!" He suddenly shouted, resisting the urge to groan at how tightly he was being squeezed. "I've lost someone I care about, too." Irlais said hesitantly, lifting his own stormy grey eyes to the dragons, which were now attentive. "I did something bad.. and by doing that, I left her and everyone else behind. She's probably forgotten me by now, or.. dare I think, something bad might've happened to her. I have no idea how she is, or if she's doing well. And I don't know if I'll ever see her again.."

The dragon's lowly growl was solemn as he lowered his head to get a better look at the boy. He had loosened his grip just a little. Irlais felt something stirring inside his body, and he didn't like it. It didn't feel good. It was like a dark sickness, harboring in his chest. He shoved down his ever growing fear and continued on. "I'm sorry about your mate.. I know what it feels like to find somebody you want to be with forever and then having them torn away from you.. It hurts.. worse than anything you could ever express or explain to anyone else. But trust me when I say having blood on your hands only makes things worse.. that anger and sadness you're harboring inside? It's poisoning you; eating away at you.."

]Irlais seemed out of breath. Pain twisted his face, but it wasn't from the dragon's grip. The dragon's silence was unnerving Irlais, until his paw opened irritatedly and he let Irlais fall. He'd of screamed, but he knew Xelin would catch him. When he landed, he clutched at his chest, right over his heart and sat up painfully. The Dragon had done something to him, he knew. But he couldn't figure out what...

Xelin, He murmured to the dragon through their connection. My Chest..

The sea dragon merely raised a brow at Xelin's words, staying silent for a long moment after he'd returned from placing the boy some place safer, he presumed. He observed Xelin in that time, as if calculating what to say and what to do. The Flamingo Rose has powerful properties. It reaches inside the soul and smothers what little light is left, replacing it with wretched darkness. Or vice versa.

The dragon suddenly raised his giant paw and swung it around, but over Xelin, not at him.

He reached over and set his giant paw on the ground near Xelin, where his muscles rippled from him setting pressure on the grass and earth. As he lifted his hand, the earth not only looked healthier, but a bundles of white flowers sprung up in the shape of the sea dragon's paw, revealing themselves flamboyantly. I create poisonous darkness that infects the soul and body, but I also create the healing Anthurium that counteracts it. Even still, consuming too much of either will be fatal, no exceptions.

As if feeling like there wasn't much left to say, the giant dragon began retreating into its lagoon slowly. If your friend held interest in these, he must know their properties. Take as much as you can to him, quickly. Or your twoleg will not see another sunset. Right before he completely disappeared, with only his eyes visible, he added as an afterthought, Good luck to you both.. you will need it.

Irlais was barely conscious when Xelin returned to him in the Shadow plan, eyes closed and breathing faintly through slightly parted lips. And by the time they returned to Aikul, those lips had started turning purple.

Aikul rushed out of his hut, grimacing deeply as he immediately went to Xelin and took Irlais into his arms. His words were quiet, and even worried. "Oh dear.. not quite what I was expecting."

Reaching into his pocket, Aikul pulled out a tiny wooden bowl to fill it with water from a small water sack he carried. "Take three Anthuriums and burn them to ash, Xelin. Get as much into the bowl as you can."

As the dragon did so, Aikul would lean over Irlais to listen to his heart beat. "Too slow." He muttered angrily, reaching out for the bowl after Xelin finished. He crammed his thumb into the bowl to mash the flower into a thin liquid together, creating a thin, watery paste. Then he pulled Irlais against him so he was sitting up and lifted the bowl to his lips.

"Come on, kid.. you're not one to go down that easily. Swallow it." After no response, Aikul growled and set the bowl aside for the moment. He grasped Irlais under his chin, his hand beginning to glow a warm redish-orange color. The glow seemed to seep into Irlais' skin around his face. Irlais suddenly gasped and reached up to grip Aikul's arm with white knuckled fists, eyes opening wide and face pained.

Aikul lifted the bowl to his lips again, as Irlais fought back tears and outcries. "Quickly.." Irlais drank haphazardly, but he got it into his system. And after a long moment of feeling like his inside was on fire, the pain mostly faded and Irlais was simply breathing heavily, eyes half-lidded. His heart was racing painfully and a sharp pang throbbed right over his heart.

Aikul slowly raised himself, supporting Irlais as he stood as well with just one of his arms. The question was more toward Xelin since Irlais looked ready to pass out any second. "I'm going to assume you found Fetalis (Fay-taal-his)."

If by Fetalis you mean a large sea dragon in the lagoon we were at, then yes. Xelin's tail snapped from side to side, and the look in his eye that he shot at Aikul was not a pleasant one. You knew something would happen, and you sent us anyway. Irlais could have died because of you. the words were filled with a dark venom that promised retribution. For now, however, he was more worried about the boy than anything. He lowered his head and gently snuffled Irlais's chest, humming softly in his throat. Xelin laid down on his side, showing his warm underbelly. Lay him beside me, the fire within me can keep him warmer than any blanket you use. he said calmly. He actually just wanted Aikul away from Irlais. His Rider was hurt and weak, and damn if he didn't even feel a little tiny bit possessive.

Irlais gingerly raised his hand to rest on Xelin's snout as he nuzzled his chest. The pain only slightly faded, but Xelin's closeness comforted him more than Aikul's, especially at that moment.

"Yes, I admit I knew about Fetalis and his powers.." Aikul murmured quietly, leading Irlais over to the dragon and gently setting him down with his back against Xelin's belly. "But I asure you I had no intention of it affecting him this badly."

And before Xelin could say anything more, he turned his back on them and headed back to the hut. "Just beware of the side effects.. that pain in his chest won't ever go away, now. But more importantly.. well.. you'll see." And then he disappeared into his hut.

Irlais had a hand draped over his abdomen as he slouched against Xelin, knees slightly raised. His eyes fell closed heavily. He could still feel the disgusting slime of the anthurium paste coating his throat. Even his thoughts to Xelin were slow and weak sounding. What would happen, I wonder, if I were to die, Xelin.. how would it effect you, the others, the war, and Lukia.. He paused a moment, lidded eyes opening just slightly to gaze out over the rolling hills far below. What if I fail...

Irlais' hand raised again to rest on Xelin's snout when he nudged it. His fingers traced his scales absentmindedly as he listened to his friend.

"Ow..!" He muttered, his arm flinching away when Xelin nipped at him. He ran his arm numbly over the bite with a little grin at the dragon. He set his arm back down to wrap around Xelin's head and he slumped over to rest against him, his eyes closing again. He sat silent a long moment, knowing that of course Xelin was right. Right now, the only thing I don't wanna let go of is you. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't with me, Xelin. I definitely wouldn't be able to do this without you.

OOC:
I....cannot think of anything to post that is worthwhile....so...pass. .-.