OCC: All are free to join. I put this in "Other Adventures" because I plan to have it take place all over the map.

Ok, so I have a plot picked out for this RP. Basically, Fletcher knows Agatha is up to something and he fears that she may be close to curing her condition. If that is the case, he knows she will kill him because he knows too much about her. So now Fletcher is trying to find a way to break free of Agatha's control over him so he'll have a chance to escape from her grasp forever. He could use some help in his quest for freedom...

IC:
The winter in Du Weldenvarden was surprisingly harsh this year. Icy wind stung Fletcher's eyes as he trudged through the deep snow. The evergreen trees provided some protection from the raging blizzard but the cold wind still managed to find its way through the dense forest. The wind howled through the trees creating an eerie and downright frightening sound. This horrible place was far from any civilization. However, somewhere deep in the forests of Du Weldenvarden, Fletcher felt that the key to his freedom lay. The gryphon was in a race against time. The one thing he had feared above all else was possibly at hand. Fletcher had sneaked a peek at some of Agatha's notes and it appeared that she may have been on the verge of curing her illness. He knew that it would mean certain death for him unless he could somehow break her hold over him. Unfortunately Agatha knew his true name and could control him. However, as long as he stayed away from her he was safe. Fletcher had rarely ventured this far north as Agatha usually restricted his range to the Empire's territory. It did not matter anymore though. He was determined to leave her behind and free himself once and for all. He only hoped that the elves or whoever lived here could help him.

I will not die as her slave! the gryphon vowed to himself over and over again.

Another blast of wind hit him in the face, forcing the gryphon to squint as he slogged onward through the blizzard. It felt as if everything was working against him. However, he had vowed not to go without a fight.

Give me liberty or give me death! he exclaimed to himself as he continued onward, toward an unknown destination. The bitter cold did not bother Fletcher that much. He had plenty of warm fur and feathers. It as the dread in his heart and the specter of death that loomed ever closer that put the chill in his heart.

OOC:
On iPod. Bleh.

IC:
Samantha dipped her head to Fletcher. A pleasure. she said, chuckling lightly. She ruffled her wings, luxuriating in the cold wind that slid past it's flight membrane. Her iridescent-pearl-blue eyes glittered. If you had waited for summer time, you may have been more comfortable. she commented, smiling dryly. She stepped up beside him to partially shield him from the wind, lifting her wings up from her back so his head and face weren't continuously blasted with the freezing air. The scar that seethed from her chest, around her right foreleg, and partially her right side stung at the heat from his body, but she ignored it. I understand, and perhaps I will/can help you, but first let's get out of this cold, she said firmly. Come; Follow me. I made a shelter not too far from here. she padded forward away from the gryphon, not looking back to see if he followed.

OCC: I'm gonna explain how Agatha cured her illness in a different RP later on.

Fletcher padded toward a set of double doors that led inside the compound. The gryphon latched one of his talons onto the handle and pulled, but to no avail. It was locked. Unfortunately he knew that this is where things were going to get tricky.

"I'm going to have to break it down! There is no other way in!"

Fletcher looked at a bronze statue in the courtyard and focused his telekinetic powers on it. The statue lifted off the ground and an instant later was hurdled at the door. With a loud crash, the doors splintered and the statue crashed down on the stone floor inside.

"Come, someone would have heard that! We'll probably have to fight our way through from here!" The gryphon ran inside and almost immediately met by several guards with crossbows.

"What are you doing here?" Demanded one of the guards! "Agatha did not send for you!"

"I do not serve Agatha anymore!" Fletcher roared in reply.

Then the guards saw Sam and immediately fired their crossbows at her. Fletcher used his telekinesis to stop the arrows in mid air and then he launched them right back at the guards.

Then all hell broke loose. Guards began flooding from everywhere, firing everything from arrows to spears.

Fletcher kept using his telekinesis to block the projectiles from hitting him and Sam.


A guard rushed into Agatha's office and shouted, "Ma'am, that gryphon has gone mad! He's attacking us and he brought a dragon with him!"

"A dragon?" Agatha gasped in almost a whisper. "How could I have been such a fool... I should have known he'd do something like this if I let him round around unsupervised!"

Agatha said to the guard, "Do everything you can to hold them off! You have permission to kill the gryphon if you have to! I no longer need him!"

With that, she rushed over to a cabinate that contained her weapons.

OCC: This could get interesting.

Fletcher nodded and kept watch outside. He gleefully thought of the terror Agatha must be in right now, confronted with her worst fear. More guards came rushing down the hall toward the office and Fletcher rushed forward to meet them. Be blocked an arrow and lashed out with his talons at the guards, making sure none got past to Agatha's office.

Agatha was crouched behind a large potted plant in the corner. Fletcher moved back outside, leaving just the dragon in view. Agatha decided to seize the opportunity. Silently, she raised the reed blowgun to her mouth and gave a hard puff, launching a dart directly at the back of the dragon's neck. Although Agatha had been unable to produce a poison for her darts capable of killing dragons, she had been able to come up with a tranquilizing agent capable of subduing any large creature in a matter of seconds.

Sam only glanced behind her when Fletcher left the room before she returned to searching the office. Her sensitive rose-petal-shaped ears twitched back toward a corner of the room as she heard a sharp exhale of breath. She instinctively spun and ducked, letting the dart thud into the wood frame of a medium sized bookcase. That was a stupid move. she commented almost in a bored tone of voice. Now you've given away your position. She eyed the big plant pot. A bit to its left was a pitcher, presumably to water the plant. She sighed and sidled over, the tip of her tail ready to knock the pitcher over and freeze Agatha motionless. I say again. Come out and talk. The next time you attack, I will not warn you again. I will retaliate. she threatened evenly, stopping just four feet from plant.

OOC:
4444th post. Whoo. ^.^

OCC: Dang, I'm disappointed. The Social Network somehow managed to beat How to Train Your Dragon for best original score. And of course, Toy Story 3, being a Pixar film, was automatically given the Oscar for best animated feature.

IC:
Fletcher descended and landed gracefully on the river bank.

I think I'll pass on the swim, thanks. I'm half eagle and half lion, neither of which is very fond of water.

He walked to the edge of the river and began to drink. The cold water felt surprisingly good. Maybe he would have gone for a swim if it had been warmer but his plumage and fur offered no protected from the cold water.

As Fletcher finished his drink, he backed up from the edge of the water and sat down, preening his plumage. After flying through the turbulent skies all day, his feathers were now a disorganized hodgepodge. Being a gryphon, in was in his nature to keep himself neat and orderly looking. It was a matter of pride really.

OOC:
What?! Your kidding me. How To Train Your Dragon beat The Social Network hands down. *growls*

Ugh. Typical.

IC:
Sam smiled smugly as she twisted around, luxuriating in the water flowing by her scales. She snorted, sending bubbles floating peacefully to the surface. With a surge of her powerful wings, she thrust her body up toward the bank. Her head, neck, chest and shoulders broke the otherwise still surface, smooth and silent, with the grace of a mermaid, were such a creature real. Her expression was playful and a bit serious, though it was lost in the gentle glittering of her sea-green-translucent-fish-scales. She watched him for a moment before snorting quietly to announce her presence. At least dip one of your feet or even the end of your tail into the water, then. If you were hurt at all in Gilead, I can heal you, but only if your in or touching the water. she explained calmly. She tilted her head toward the scars on his forelegs. I can even soothe those scars a bit so their not as noticeable and not as uncomfortable. she offered.

Sam smiled. Thank you. she murmured to the gryphon. She tilted her head to the side at his mention of a land across the sea. Instantly her curiosity got the better of her. I wonder if I might come from there. I..I remember nothing from my time in the egg, so I suppose it's possible. she mused, more to herself than to Fletcher. She looked up at him, for even when he was laying down he towered over her. What is the name of the place you speak of? Maybe if I recognize it I could tag along with you. she said. Anything that might get me even a tiny bit closer to my past is worth a shot.

Sam pondered over the name of the land. Danthuania. It didn't spark anything in her memory. She sighed to herself and listened to Fletcher speak about the lightning dragons that originated from Danthuania. She hesitated at his mention of it perhaps being warm there. But if she had her water packs..Technically I'm not strictly an Ice Dragon. My abilities are too weak from whatever other blood flows through my veins. My parents probably weren't Water/Ice Dragons at all. she frowned. I will go, but I would need to be careful. I don't do well in a warm climate. she commented. Sure, if you could call becoming extremely sluggish before slipping into a coma 'well'. We can rest here for a day or two before setting out. she said. She looked again at the shard remains of her egg and sighed, wishing for the hundredth thousandth time that she could remember something, anything, from her time in the egg.

Sam nodded in silent agreement, twitching her ears as she lowered her head to her paws. She was a bit drained after her large use of energy in her race with Fletcher. She yawned once, closing her eyes. She would take a short nap then go hunting at nightfall.

OOC:
Shortness.

OCC: 700th post! Yay!

Fletcher spent the rest of the afternoon exploring the countryside of Surda. He was a little apprehensive about having to cross the ocean but he was sure that with enough energy and determination he could pull it off.

Fletcher landed at the top of a cliff overlooking the sea as the sun began to set over the ocean. It was a beautiful sunset like he had never seen before. In some ways Fletcher was glad to be putting Alagaesia behind him for now. It would be a heck of a lot harder for Agatha to find him if she decided to go back on her word. Fletcher was also excited at the prospect of visiting a new land beyond Alagaesia but he was worried about Sam. What if it was too hot in Danthuania for her? They would have gone all that way for nothing.

OOC:
Nice.

IC:
Sam dozed for several hours and woke near sunset, from the color change in the lighting of the cave. It was more of an orange-gold now than blue-white. She stood and stretched, yawning widely. She shook, then padded to the water pool. She dove into the pool, pausing a moment to accustom herself to the colder water of the sea. A shiver went down her spine, then she swam forward to the tunnel. It only took a few moments of swift navigation and she was out in the open. Instantly she saw a school of bass. She lifted her wings and darted forward, opening her jaws to swallow one fish whole. She went for another, and then a third, but she was more hungry than a few fish could satisfy. She sped away, scenting the water carefully for a killer whale. Luck of luck, she found one. It was close to the shore, so either a stupid calf or an old senior. Mother's were naturally protective of their calves, so she doubted it was the former. She hoped it was the latter. She didn't like hunting the calves or the young adults. She darted after the scent, following it with uncanny precision that came from being forced to survive from hatching. She found the orca swimming lazily southeast. Scars seethed over its face, showing it to be an older adult. She darted in to it and struck at its side. The killer whale whirled and lashed out with its teeth. She swam away, leading further inland. It followed after her, angry at her attack. She twisted her head back and spat a breath of ice. The orca squealed as the ice struck it in the eye, making first blood. The killer whale swam forward with power belaying its age. Sam, being close to the surface, surged up and out of the water. With a flap of her wings she was airborne and gazing down at the water, waiting. Abruptly the orca exploded out, its great mouth open. She dove and slashed at its nose, then wheeled about and lashed her tail like a whip. Going with the momentum of her attack, she dove back into the water and sped inland, the orca hot on her heels.

OCC: Careful killing whales. If you wipe them all out then a space probe will show up in the 23rd century and try to destroy the world. Then William Shatner will have to save us.

Something caught Fletcher's attention as he stood on the cliff. A large object was moving toward the water toward the shore at high speed. Curiosity getting the better of him, Fletcher leaped into the air and flapped out over the water toward the object. The gryphon's eyesight was excellent and he could make out what it was. It was an old beat-up orca swimming just below the surface. Fletcher almost chuckled when he saw what it was after.

Bit off more than you could chew didn't you? he said to Sam mentally.

FLetcher grinned and focused his attention on the large beast. His mental screech ability was ineffective against dragons so he did not have to worry about it having adverse effects on Sam. The gryphon let out a mental screech that targeted the whale's mind and stunned it, which would render the beast immobile for several seconds.

OOC:
lol Precisely why I sent her after an older whale that was probably going to beach itself anyway.

IC:
Sam glanced up and saw Fletcher's blurry form above the surface of the water. She grinned. Most certainly not. I'm hunting. she said and laughed. She glanced back at the orca as she heard a high pitched screech, faint but present. It gave her a slight headache, then disappeared. But the screech had done its main job; stunning the killer whale. Unwilling to expend much more energy, and also from her savage hunger, she darted in and slashed the orca's throat. The body went limp. Now dead, the carcass floated up and bobbed at the surface of the water. Her head popped out next to it. The water around her was stained slightly red from the blood of the sea hunter. The sea-green dragoness looked up at the gryphon. Thanks for the help. Once I get this onto the beach, you and I can dig in. There's plenty of meat here for the both of us. she said to him before turning and, placing her head firmly against the killer whale, pushing her prey toward the shore.

Sam pushed the whale to the beach, shoving just once more before the huge sea creature was finally on dry land. She watched Fletcher slice into it and take a bite, and almost chuckled at the expression of disgust that crossed his face. It's alright. Whale meat does have a peculiar taste. I really only hunt orca's when I'm very hungry or I need the protein. she said, nibbling at her own piece of meat. Is there anything that I can get you? Without your help I would have been tiring out that orca for hours. You shortened it to maybe fifteen minutes. she said with a good natured chuckle. Have you ever tried crab meat? Scallops, maybe oysters or clams? I can find any of those if you want me to. she offered, swallowing the slab of meat she'd torn from a rib.

Sam shrugged. As you wish. she said, and turned to her meal. She was half finished with the carcass when she finally felt full. She dragged the whale back into the ocean and hide it so unless a predator was specifically seeking it, the orca would be left unseen. The sun had gone down an hour ago and she assumed that Fletcher had returned to the cave for the night. She swam down the tunnel to her cave and peered her head out of the water pool. Sure enough, there was the gryphon, curled up and sleeping peacefully. She slithered soundlessly from the pool onto the rock, her short needle-like claws making no sound on the ground. She padded quickly past the sleeping form of Fletcher to her nest, where she circled around once to pat down the moss before laying down in a tight ball. She gazed at the shards of her egg as she did from time to time at this hour, then settled her tail over her nose like a cat and went to sleep.

Fletcher made his way into the cave and saw that Sam had not returned yet. He curled up on the floor of the cave and rested his head on his front legs. It didn't take long for him to drift off to sleep and before long Fletcher was dreaming of the adventures that lay ahead.

Most of the next day was spent resting up for the big trip. Fletcher told Samantha of his previous adventures and of the friends he had made, few as they were. He was excited and could hardly wait to begin the trip south across the sea. From what Fletcher had seen on the map, Danthuania did not appear to be too far away. However there was still a lot of open water with no place to land. Nevertheless, he looked forward to the beginning of the new adventure. It would be too late to start out now though. It would have to wait until morning.


OCC: Violeta made the trip in under a day so it shouldn't be too much of a problem for these guys.

Sam listened raptly to Fletcher as he told of his many adventures and of the few friends he'd made. Now that he was free he could have more friends, she was sure of it. Other than listening to the gryphon, mostly that day was spent recuperating lost energy for the big trip. She could tell that Fletcher was excited about going to Danthuania, and she was excited for him, but her worry about her own ability to go with him dragged her chipper spirit down. In a forest jungle habitat she'd be worse than useless. She hoped that the weather was chilly winter like here so she could go inland. Around mid-day she decided to push such thoughts from her mind and just focus on being excited. That much she could do. As she listened to Fletcher she absently wove a thin yet surprisingly strong cord made of whale sinew. Her abnormally small claws and slender 'fingers' made for perfect weaving. By the time she had finished she had a thin, leather-like cord that was just large enough to slip over her head and wedge around her neck at the hollow of her throat. On this she strung a piece of her eggshell and sharp talon she'd found by her egg when she hatched. Once it was in place around her neck and wedged between two slightly parted sides of her spine, she looked up at Fletcher. The glow of the cave was orange-gold once more, signifying that the sun was setting. How early do you want to get up tomorrow? she asked the gryphon.

Sam nodded. Very well. she replied. With an impatient sigh she settled down for the night, curling into a ball on her nest of moss.

At dawn, when Sam usually woke, she was indeed awake. The glow of the cave was a pale rosy pink with a hint of gold. Time to go, Fletcher. she said quietly, lifting her head up to look at the gryphon. She got to her paws and stretched luxuriously, yawning so widely her jaw hurt. She padded forward toward him, watching him as he slept, then playfully butted his shoulder with her head. Before he stirred she had leapt away from him, diving into the water pool and out of sight. Though she was underwater, her laugh was as warm, burbling, and audible as if she were on dry land.