Mar 27 — [Quest] EMERGENT INFLUENCE (READ MORE) Mar 8 — [Event] Spring Regrowth! (READ MORE) Feb 6 — Domain Migration Complete! (READ MORE)
CAVE STATUS
QUESTS/EVENTS
Torrential downpours cause localized flooding and many upset cats. Along with these frequent rain, from gentle drizzles to heavy rainfall, there seems to be a flux of Magicka drawn in particular to water sources. Occasional jet streams of warm air make narrower tunnels harder to navigate. On occasion, the rain intensifies, becoming howling storms with sleet or large hail. However, the temperatures overall are a little warmer, with snow and ice in temperate caves somewhat receding.
Tuck was sad to see the dragon go. He couldn’t believe he’d made a friend of the gigantic beast, and he would have preferred Baratheon to stick around because, honestly, Tuck just thought the Gembound was cool. And then the fluffy guy asked him the most amazing question anyone had ever asked him before. “Me?” he repeated incredulously. “Fly with you? Gods, yes! That would be sooo cool! Thank you!” Tuck had never meant the words Thank You so much in his life. To be able to go flying with Baratheon would… well, it would do nothing short of helping him fulfill one of his oldest dreams since coming into the world.
“So, uh… Do I just… climb on, or what?” This was the only awkward part. Tuck wasn’t quite sure how this was gonna work…
Baratheon couldn't help but chuckle at Tuck's surprise in his offer. Was it really so outrageous that he wanted a little companion along with him? It wasn't the first time he'd taken someone on a flight. In fact, he could think of a particular small creature from his past that he'd flown around with before.... He shook the thought away and focused on the present and the little one's enthusiasm.
The white dragon made his way back over to the marmoset's branch and extended his muzzle to it, creating a path straight up to his head with the gesture. "You do just that. You can sit on my head or my muzzle, either way, make sure you hold on tight for when we get in the air." The last thing he wanted was for the primate to slide off of him.
Even at his excitement of riding on the head of a dragon, Tuck suddenly remembered a few minutes before, when he’d tried to hold onto Baratheon and had failed miserably, nearly killing himself. And the dragon hadn’t even been in the air at the time. No one — let alone Tuck — would survive a fall from the back of a flying dragon. It was a looong way down, after all. The little marmoset swallowed hard, looking down at the ground from his tree branch. Even if he fell from a tree it could kill him — not that he ever about that, as moving on and around trees was an easy, instinctual thing.
Still, he would do it! He would be brave! With shaky arms and legs, he crawled up onto Baratheon’s head, trying to dig his claws into the dragon’s fur as much as he could and thankful that it was thick. “Sorry if I scratch you,” he said in a quavery voice. “I just don’t wanna fall off again. Especially not while you’re flying.” He was silent for a moment, and then admitted for the first time in his life, “I’m scared.” It was said in a whisper, as if he was afraid someone else might be eavesdropping on their conversation.
The dragon waited patiently while the tiny primate worked up the courage to crawl onto his muzzle. Truth be told he couldn't even feel the monkey sitting on him, he could hardly even see him there to be honest. So, when Tuck apologized for possibly scratching him the dragon simply smiled. "You needn't worry. You aren't hurting me, hold as tight as you need to." Even if the marmoset was hurting him he'd rather suffer a little pain to keep the monkey alive.
When he was sure that Tuck was firmly in place the dragon moved forward, heading straight towards the Monarch which was always his starting point.
"I'm scared."
The tiny voice just barely reached his ears and he had to double-check to make sure that the monkey was actually speaking. "Then that is good. Fear is not something to be ashamed of. The only ones who are never afraid are those who are foolish or insane, or both." Even he, despite his size, was afraid of some things. "But, you are trying something new despite your fear which shows bravery. You should be proud of yourself." Now, they'd reached their destination. The Monarch stood high in front of them and Baratheon could already feel the adrenaline coursing through his veins.
His massive pink wings unfurled from his sides and raised into the air, muscles in his wing shoulders tensed as he prepared for flight. "Are you ready?" In case the monkey had a panic attack and a sudden surge of acrophobia, he would check one last time before taking off.
Tuck had never thought of fear that way before — as something smart, instead of just a way to show how cowardly you were. Tuck was still young. He wasn’t quite wise enough yet to believe the dragon’s words. He was pretty mature in some ways, especially compared to how he had been when he’d first hatched, but… he wasn’t quite old enough to understand how important fear was. Fear kept you alive. Fear told you not to do stupid things like get into fights with Gembounds a lot bigger than you. Fear told you not to drink water that smelled wrong. But right now, for Tuck, all fear did was prove to the world that he was useless, and there was no good in that. No. He should not have admitted that he was afraid.
Tukluk felt Baratheon shift his stance and spread his wings. When he rumbled out in his deep voice, asking if the marmoset was ready, Tuck nodded — before realizing that the dragon couldn’t see him — and said in a shaky voice, “I’m ready.” Still, despite the tremors in the words, there was a sense of strength and determination. Tuck held on tightly, waiting to start the ride of his life…
The dragon waited until he received the confirmation from Tuck that he was ready and then he said one last, "Then hold on tight." His wings raised high into the air right before he gave a huge leap. At the apex of his jump he pumped his wings downward, gaining more air as he lifted towards the sky. He raised them again and flapped down again, lifting himself even further. Now, he had a steady beat going and he steadily rose upwards towards the top of Eridanus.
The feeling of lifting into the sky wasn't something he often thought about now, he took it for granted that he was able to fly. There was a time that he wasn't able to properly use his wings but that was a long while ago and he was so used to the sensation now. It didn't occur to him how the tiny creature on his muzzle might feel about flight, whether he would like it or find it terrifying.
The dragon angled off towards the Fern Trench, the ferns which sliced straight through the center of the room. From the height they were at the gigantic ferns looked tiny from their vantage point from a few tens of feet into the air. The Monarch was easily ten feet below them. Baratheon straightened out, wings straight out beside him as used them to glide. "Are you doing alright?" He asked the tiny primate, concern littering his voice. If he so wished he could take them back to the ground.
Tuck clutched onto the fur of Baratheon’s head like his life depended on it — because it did. When the giant Gembound leaped into the air, the marmoset felt his stomach lurch and tried not to vomit pumpkin all over the place. The constant bobbing up and down of the dragon’s wings made it hard to Tuck to hold on, or to think of anything but throwing up his lunch. Eventually, though, they reached a point in which Baratheon was gliding, and the whole thing became a bit more bearable to the poor marmoset. This whole time, he’d been burying his face into the dragon’s fur out of fear, but he finally lifted his head and opened his burnt-orange eyes wide at the world below him, staring down at the trees and the ferns of Eridanus. He’d never seen his home this way, and while he was still terrified, there was some part of him that was… enthralled. He wanted to fly forever! To view things from high above like this. This was amazing!
His fear coursed adrenaline through his veins, but at the same time, he felt invigorated, invincible. He laughed and stared in wonder all around himself. Baratheon’s rumbling voice floated backwards towards him, asking him if he was okay. “This is amazing!” he shouted at him, trying to be heard over the sound of the wind roaring in his ears. Now he knew what he’d been missing all this time, without wings.
The dragon continued to soar, legs tucked into his fluffy body and pink scales of his belly while he let the air carry him. Every once in a while he had to flap his wings, there was only so long he could go without giving himself that extra push. After all, the caves were all but windless. His keen eyes kept watch on the ground for anything interesting or out of the ordinary. This wasn't just a fun-flight but a patrol as well.
One ear tilted backwards towards the primate as he listened for what his reply would be. When it returned to him an enthusiastic affirmative that he was doing fine the dragon let out a booming laugh. "This is nothing! Imagine diving or trying to outmaneuver an opponent midair. That's real flying." Both of those things he'd done before and while during the latter there was the threat of death... there was still nothing better.
He flapped his wings once, picking up a little speed as he looped back around towards the Monarch, wanting to make a lap around it before he moved on to a different sector.
Diving? Tuck thought about that for a few seconds. Diving sounded like it would be so fun! But not so much about fighting an opponent in midair. That sounded really dangerous and scary. What if you couldn’t get your wings out again in time? Then what? You’d crash to the ground and probably die! But… but diving sounded awesome! “Baratheon!” he called to the dragon, and then hesitated, feeling a little more frightened at the prospect. Still, he gathered his courage and pressed on. “Can you dive right now? I wanna know what that’s like! That sounds fun!” Ohhh, he might end up regretting this though…
Words: 106 @Baratheon -- short post is short I didn't know what else to say XD
The dragon continued to soar, enjoying the feel of the wind whipping past his face when he was distracted by the call of the primate. He grunted a "huh?" and listened to the request given by Tuck. Oh, he wanted to dive did he? The dargon's maw curved up into a mischievous grin, one reminiscent of the grins he gave as a youngling when he was up to no good. "There's nothing like it." He agreed with Tuck, then, he flapped his wings and began to climb the air currents.
He rose into the air a few hundred feet, enough to give the monkey a real ride. Then, he leveled out, hovering in the air as he let out a chuckle. "Now, then, make sure you're holding on tight." Really, he would hate for his young friend to get blown off at the high speeds they were going to be moving at.
Not giving his friend the opportunity to back out the dragon tucked his wings partway to his sides and proceeded to fall from the air nose first. The dive was somewhat like a controlled plummet to the earth as he angled towards the clearing near the Monarch. The wind whipped past his face while andrenaline coursed through his veins at the freefall. He loved the feeling he got when the only thing separating him from death was himself. At this moment he was the only one who could keep himself and his primate friend from splatting against the ground. Closer and closer it came as it seemed like they would certainly not be able to pull up in time.
But Baratheon had other plans besides being a white pancake beside the great mushroom.
At the last possible moment he spread his wings and with a great force that left pains dancing in his wing shoulders and chest, he pulled upwards and saved them from certain death. Back towards the sky they climbed with great pumps of his pink wings. The dragon laughed, invigorated by the sensation of the dive. "Ah ha ha! I love that! Gets the blood pumping!" Fighting and diving, the two things that made him feel truly alive! "How ya doin' up there?" Hopefully he didn't scare the monkey too badly... or worse, lose him in the dive.
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