ORIGIN - King of the Dragons

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He had rested for a time. The earthquake hadn't hit yet; it would be a day or more before this happened.

The alligator rumbled deep in his chest, eyeing the Spire. It had reacted to his magic--not vastly, but he'd felt the faint chill. He hadn't engulfed it or the like, only... tickled it, he hoped, but it had only gotten cold. Or maybe he'd imagined it?

The alligator drew closer to the crystal again, briefly rubbing his jaw on the edge in an almost friendly fashion, before clambering slowly up onto the base stone below once more. It was time to try to climb, again; he was sore, but determined. He only hoped that he didn't ruin himself, again. Where was Eve...? She hadn't returned, hadn't come back to give him guidance on a safer path. Oh, well.

He leaned up, placing his clawed forelegs on the lip of the crystal ahead. He'd try to haul himself up; if he didn't feel too much pain, he'd assume he was healthy enough to make the attempt. If it hurt too badly, though, he'd drop back down, and allow himself more time to heal.

He could feel the bruising, the soreness, but his ribs didn't snap or ache too badly. The wounds at his back were near fully-closed, and though his hind right leg was still near useless, it didn't fill him with agony as it scratched weakly at the crystal.

Using his powerful tail as a rising stool, of sorts, he pushed himself up the edge and onto the first lip of the Spire. He lay there for a time, resting, the vague triumph filling him once more--laced by fear.

The next ledge was the one he'd fallen from before, injuring himself. He'd have to be very, very careful.

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The alligator rested for a time, chin on the pulsing glow of the Spire. It felt like... energy, and for some reason, he liked this. Maybe it was energizing him, somehow--or maybe this, too, he was imagining.

With a rumbling growl, he looked up at the next ledge of crystals--the one he hoped had some other climbing-route on the other side. Dread filled him. This was where he'd failed before, at a rather critical moment, toppling sideways and sliding off the Spire altogether. He was still only a few feet up, but such a fall for a heavy-bodied alligator, and onto hard stone, was--well, bad.

He'd lean the other way this time, he decided--so that if he did fall, he'd fall only back to where he'd begun. With a grunt, Dragon pushed himself up and forward all at once, surging onto the smooth, sheer face upward like a python, clawing at the edge to try and gain purchase.

He scrabbled for awhile, clinging, then realized he hadn't had enough momentum. With a disappointed grunt he slid backward, flopping back down to the first ledge and grumbling to himself as he rested, taking deep breaths. He'd have to regain his breath, and try again.

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Eve had awoken with a start, perched on top of the oynx gemstone, with a sudden realisation that only dawned on her after a few days. With a sharp "OH," the crow leaned down to nuzzle the stone before she quickly fluttered off back through tunnel H and into Polaris.

Dragon was pretty much where she left him, though he seemed to be preparing to climbing the Spire again. It was odd - when she met him he was trying to do the exact same thing. He hadn't changed all that much, even - maybe he was... a little fatter, and a lot bigger. And fatter, but either way it didn't matter much now.

She waited quietly for Dragon to either succeed or fail as she landed on the cave floor behind him, folding her wings up quietly. He was pretty fat.

@Dragon

He rested for awhile, staring up at the crystal ledge.

He could do this. He could. It was the only thing standing between him, and Cetus. Or--well, not at all, really, he reflected, and he had to chuckle at his own strange thoughts. He was getting a little obsessive over this, really, his grasp on reality slipping just a little. He seized back down on his sanity, biting, clinging, reminding himself that the Spire was only a rock. Just--a rock. Something he wanted to conquer, to prove himself, to prove his strength--to prove that he didn't need wings to get where Raheerah had gotten. He only needed his own determination.

With a grumble--and wholly unaware of the LOUD crow that had landed behind him, and was watching--he started upward again. This time he picked up speed, rushing, remembering to lean right just in case he failed so badly at climbing as he had a few days previous. Up he went with a sinuous S-shaped wiggle, snakelike, gripping to the edge and hauling himself up with a few grunts and squeaks of claws-on-crystal.

At length he managed to haul himself over, and here he lay, triumphantly gasping for breath. His jaws hung open, but he turned to look down, glittering eyes bright with the perceived glory of having managed this not-very-magnificent feat.

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@Eve

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Miraculously, that fat alligator had somehow managed to climb up a section of the spire. Eve was rather impressed as she unfolded her wings again to flitter up the spire and settle down next to Dragon. "How's it going?" the crow squawked before she looked around.

"I'll try help you get up," she said - apparently deciding not to mention how long it had been as she turned and hobbled before lifting herself up into the air. "The swamp's been quiet, but that's okay. It's calm."

She fluttered around the spire, briefly. "Try over here," she croaked, trying to see what parts of the spire would be easiest for Dragon to climb onto.

@Dragon

Dragon looked up, surprised, as Eve's raucous voice came from behind him. She flitted overhead, looking over the Spire, and he rumbled a greeting.

"Eve! Excellent timing." He crawled closer, then paused again to rest, panting a little. She was talking about Cetus--it was good, then. A spike of guilt hit him. He really should get back. But...

"Thank you. Is Bog all right? Have you seen him?" he asked. Then he tried to follow her instructions, creeping in the direction she was indicating. He wouldn't have guessed it--the crystal seemed too steep, there, but perhaps if he'd gone the way he'd intended, he'd have found a steep dropoff instead of another ledge. He couldn't actually see over the next lip, not yet, so he'd trust the crow to be his guide.

He rested for another long moment before giving it a go, shoving himself up with another wriggling of his serpentine body, rushing in that sudden, brief but powerful burst of motion for the edge she'd pointed him toward. Unfortunately for the heavy alligator, he again failed, struggling comically for a moment before simply slipping back down the side.

"I'll just... catch my breath," he muttered, laying there gasping, steeling himself for another go.

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Too fat for that way, the crow made a mental note as she flew back down next to Dragon's face. She winced a little, remembering the boar's wounds.

"I haven't seen him in a while. The last I did, he was hurt pretty bad but he seemed okay. Still wandering and talking-.. or, well, as much as he can. He's learned some new words, I think," chirped the crow. "He's probably okay, now. Have you eaten the thing yet?"

She nestled down a little, looking around and then finally up at the spire as she waited for a reply.

@Dragon

Dragon listened to the crow speak as he caught his breath, huffing softly in relief as a response. After a moment, he spoke.

"Good! Good. That is good. I am surprised he has not come himself, but if he is as badly wounded as you say. I hope he is recovering. The moth was--... It does not taste very good, unless I burn it. I burned some, ate some, but there is still much left," he finished. The memory of the taste made him shudder, a little; it hadn't been good by any stretch, though he wasn't sure if that was because it had been rotting even farther than he himself was comfortable with, or if moths just didn't taste very good. The furry, scaly carapace hadn't helped matters, much, so most of the rotting giant insect was open and strewn putrid over the rock floor some distance away.

Dragon prepared himself for another attempt, eyeing the next ledge first one way, then the other. "I took the wings. They are just below." He'd pried the moth's wings off, dragging them along with him, as if somehow they would help him fly. Even he wasn't quite sure why he'd done it--only that he wanted wings.

With a grumble, Dragon gathered himself, tensing--then surged into motion once more, his massive bulk powering toward the ledge and up, up along its smooth, sheer surface. This time, propelled mostly by his powerful tail, he managed; he hooked his forelimbs over the edge, hauling himself, growling. It took effort and for a moment, his burning muscles wanted to simply let go, to slide back down, but he forced himself on. His tail thrust up, he teetered for a moment--badly imbalanced--then flopped forward onto the third ledge of the Spire. Here he lay, panting, for awhile; then he turned, dragging himself again to the edge and peering down.

He was getting rather high, now--fifteen feet up, maybe? Each ledge had only been a few feet, but he'd started from the back, which was a little higher, or at least he thought so. All he knew was, he really didn't want to fall from this high. He inched back to the safety of the not-very-edge, and turned to Eve, again, eyeing the crow with one eye.

"I cannot see which way is best, from here--can you?"

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The crow was quiet for a moment, peering evenly at Dragon. She only half-listened however, mind drifting off. She wondered herself if the boar was alright - though she was rather quick to imagine him squealing something like "baby" with a tiny, relatively adorable newly-hatched on his snout. She quickly decided he would be fine as she tuned back in to listen to Dragon. "It's probably rotted a little, so I'd imagine it'd taste like any rotting carcass. The rot just makes it easier to chew up, I think, or maybe I just have no standards of taste...

The crow spoke half-considerately, before she blinked, beak hanging a little open before she watched the (fat) alligator leap into action. She was quick to flutter after him, blinking before she circled the spire again. Hesitantly, she looked between the spire and Dragon. "This way, I think. Be careful."

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@Dragon

Dragon lay quietly listening for a time, only moving to shift his injured hind leg a little more out to one side. He lifted his head, at length, to peer at the path Eve was suggesting for him. Again the route wasn't one he'd have seen, himself; it involved looping back to his right, back and up over a ledge he'd sort of already passed by. At least if he fell from this one, he wouldn't tumble all the way to the bottom.

Probably.

He rested awhile longer; this climb was taxing him a lot more than he'd like to admit. His injured ribs ached, and his muscles burned. The wounds along his tail and back, while mostly healed, throbbed. At least his burns had healed up well enough, he thought, with some grim satisfaction. He was used enough to fire, and his time spent in the cold river had soothed his armored skin well enough.

"Catch me if I fall," he joked, and then--glancing up sidelong at Eve, added--"That's a joke. Don't crush yourself." He doubted she'd have misunderstood, but--... best to be safe.

He readied himself, taking a deep breath, eyeing the crystal ledge--then tensing and rushing forward, webbed clawed feet hauling himself over the Spire's surface with speed. If he fell, here... He didn't want to think about it.

So he didn't. He just charged onward, eyes on the prize--the ledge ahead of him--leaping up and shoving himself forward with his powerful tail, aiming forefeet for the edge to get a hold on it.

He had it! He had the edge! He--

Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit oh shit oh shit OH SHIT--

He didn't have it at all! He felt his claws hit the edge, felt himself slide sideways, the stomach-dropping sensation of lost balance overwhelming him. For an instant he seemed to hang vertically in space, wriggling frantically--then he toppled, still holding on with one clawed foot to avoid a nasty fall all the way down the Spire.

That worked, at least, but he still fell, still tumbled back to where he'd started a moment ago. Except now, he was on his back.

Dragon flailed for a moment, three strong legs raking thin air. He started to flip himself over with his tail, then realized that he'd flip himself right off the ledge of the Spire and down to the bottom, which--well, would likely kill him. For a moment longer the alligator wriggled on his back, then went still, a strange languid exhaustion overcoming him.

"Uh. ...Eve? ...I think I'm stuck."

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@Eve

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