A Legend... or Destruction?

[Xenoxice]

As Zenithe soared higher and higher, he kept looking back to see where Jolene was and smiled widely as he watched her practice each and every movement. Pride swelled in his chest as he thought of how he had picked such a wonderful mate. A fast learner at that. He began following her every movement and even became a little surprised when she imitated a technique he had used before while she rode on his back to fly faster. "Very good, love!" He spoke to her with not only excitement, but playfulness as well in his voice. "But not good enough... yet!" He followed suit and quickly approached behind her before slowing himself down a bit to match her speed. "Good form, but not quite perfect. If you want to reach your maximum speed, go into that form after a short dive to build momentum and angle your wings a little further back. Think more of an acute angle. Manage your glide as long as possible and when you need to flap once or twice to keep your speed, flap your wings straight back into the angle, HARD. Think of shrugging your shoulders for the motion. Observe...." He gave a playful grin as he angled himself to gain a little height while maintaining the same speed so she could see the difference. Going into a quick angled dive and then as he came out of the dive, gave two powerful flaps that sent him soaring past her at a considerable rate. "The only thing faster than this is coming from the edge out of a nose dive.... you can go there now you know. Your wings are strong enough to counter the lower density atmosphere and you can breath normally. But you may feel a little heavier actually as your body adjusts and uses the oxygen more slowly to account for the decreased intake.  Aside from flying, the rest of your training is getting used to the shifting and movements of your form.  To stand a chance against Sidrith, you'll need to be able to do it very quickly, like so."  Slowing down a bit before throwing himself into a dive and shifting back into his human form in a free fall, Zenithe quickly shifted back into his dragon form in what seemed to be merely a second or two and resuming flight mid-air.  "You need to master your shift.  So, what do you want to work on the most?"  Zenithe maneuvered himself to fly beside of Jolene and turned himself to look at her.  To him, it didn't matter what she wished to do first.  He knew it would take Sidrith some time to rally his forces and they had some time to spare between then.

[Relairah]

Jolene quirked a brow at Zenithe as he gave her further instruction and then proceeded to demonstrate. She hadn't forgotten that aspect of his movement, but she had to admit she hadn't exactly proven that. As he took off she watched, a swell also within her own chest. She grinned as he soared past her, going into detail once more about flight. But soon, the conversation shifted once more to the real matter at hand and she slowed, her wings flapping powerfully as she began to descend. In truth, she wanted to continue flying. Perhaps even playfully spar with Zenithe in the skies. But he had brought up a point. And she knew she shouldn't be surprised he noticed. But at the same time she had been hoping to prolong it. Though perhaps it had already been long enough.

Carefully, Jolene lowered until she was in the same hovering position when they had first taken off. She stretched out her legs until she made contact with the ground and then began to tuck her wings into her body. She had to admit landing was much easier than initially struggling and learning how to fly.

"Yes. I need to master my shift. But I don't understand how that matters against Sidrith. My human form can do nothing. I could only push him back once I reached this form. And doing so much all at once was unbelievable. I am not sure if I can shift out of it... or back into it within any small amount of time." Jolene was confident. She had always been good at learning quickly and mastering skills with endurance and persistence in her training. But she still vividly remembered the transformation process. Initially, it had been meant for her to learn slowly. A part at a time. But given all that had happened, there had been no time for that. And now she was anxious. Perhaps even scared. She sighed slowly, resting backward. "We may have some time... but shouldn't we try to stop him before he rallies his forces? If he has more, it won't be like Xavelthius where you and your grandfather took on only one dragon. Who knows how many others will be with him?" She felt her fiery gaze soften, concern over both Zenithe and herself etched into it. What if they didn't make it out of this one? But she dared not speak the thought.

[Xenoxice]

Zenithe listened to Jolene's words intently before a gentle smile came over his face. "No my dear, it would hurt us more than help if we stopped him before he rallies his forces. Right now I cannot control my new form and needs to learn to control it myself. Without us properly trained, we'll only be defeated." Landing next to her as she finally touched the ground, he turned to face her, his bright crimson eyes gazing at her with what appeared to be confidence. "As for learning to shift between forms so quickly, think about it for a minute in detail. During a fight if you're in midair fighting, if you see your opponent coming at you and can predict their angle of attack, you can turn yourself away to a degree, but only so much to avoid their attack completely. But shifting into a much smaller form and allowing the momentum of your turn to throw your body much farther out of reach before shifting back, you can successfully manage to dodge an aerial attack that otherwise may have been a glancing blow or even direct hit. Several grazes bleeding over time will weaken far greater than many shifts will." Shifting back into his human form, Zenithe drew his blade and looked at it deeply, as if he were searching for something... be it on the blade or in his mind was unclear. In what seemed to be second nature, his instruction continued, but this phrase seemed more like a comment than anything. "Oh, and don't worry so much about shifting. That's both the beauty of dragonkin. If your first shift was fast and relatively painful, even if by accident, then the rest will start at the same speed as the first and actually be quite painless. If the first shift was slow and painless, the rest will be slow and painful. So you got the better end of the deal. If you don't believe me, just go ahead and try it. Shift out and back into form. It comes naturally even if the first time felt unnatural...."

His voice trailed off slowly as his pupils narrowed and eyes widened a bit. It seemed as though he found what he was searching for as he took his blade and sheathed it back once again. "It would be that way wouldn't it....." With a sigh he narrowed his eyes and his legs started to crack and change shape gradually as he squinted in pain. "I have to force it at first.... using the precise control of shifting..... to force the shift in the way I want it to go...." Gaps in his words formed as he took breaths between cracks and pops. "There's one thing the spirit spoke to me.... before it vanished when I broke from that box. It wasn't something it spoke.... aloud." His voice still tapering as his legs continually shifted into the new form. "I'm not the only one capable of this form it told me.... the founderS of the Twilight Guardians both are." He placed quite a bit of emphasis on the 's' at the end. "That mean's you, Jolene. I think that will be.... the key to beating him.... but you're a long ways from.... that form. And his followers, aren't nearly as strong as he or Xavelthius. They're mostly considered hatchlings.... significantly weaker by measure. This new form basically made my strength jump from a hatchlings level, to an ancients level." His thighs now cracking and popping loud enough to create echos in the trees nearby. "There are four levels of power in the world of Dragons... The strength a hatchling possesses, the strength an adult possesses, the strength an elder possesses and the strength an ancient possesses. An elder can rival an ancient but an ancient has the ability to push their power to their bodies breaking point to overcome the equality while an elder can only push their power until they're exhausted. That's the only difference and why I was able to beat Xavelthius who was an elder...." He paused his words to concentrate more on his shifting as he grunted and growled at every change occurring in his body and to give Jolene time to absorb the information.

[Relairah]

Jolene knew he was right as he talked about how if they weren't propery prepared, they would only be defeated. Especially given how much he had taken from Zenithe. She wondered what that would have become if Zenithe hadn't escaped from the prison. And once more, she knew he was right as he talked about using shifting as an advantage in a fight. She had already known his skill and abilities which far exceeded her own even given her amount of training. In truth... perhaps shifting to a dragon was not so unlike shifting back to her human form whilst she had been a mere cat. The size proportions were similar in essence... though the dragon form on a much larger scale. And she knew she could call on her experience there. Perhaps she could try it... But then he began explaining further, and immediately she turned her gaze away. She remained silent as he continued shifting once more, detailing its aspects and revealing even more about what it meant to be his mate.

He was joking. Right?

But she knew he wasn't. And she felt more uncertain than ever. She wasn't even sure how to handle it. It was so unlike her. She had always been the type to dive into things headfirst with fearlessness and certainty. But... it was what he had said about how the first shift affected the rest of her shifting for the rest of her life. How could she explain to him that her initial shift into this form had been more excruciating than anything she'd felt? That she had pressed on and ignored it, and her body had almost transformed out of mere emotion and will than anything? That she had been so overcome at the thought she'd lost him forever that the desire to become a dragon both to be connected with him in some way, and to be able to actually do something against Sidrith had been an undeniable and unstoppable driving force? In fact, it had been relatively fast and more than painful. It was not that she feared pain entirely. But to experience that level of it for every shift? It would take everything out of her. Being like this. With him. She wanted it. But what point would there be if she couldn't enjoy it with him also?

She felt emotion burning in her chest once more. Yes. She was a long way from his Twilight Guardian form. And she wasn't even sure if it was possible. She listened silently as he explained the varying levels of Draconian power and what he held now. She understood what he meant. She had seen for herself the destruction he'd been able to deal to Xavelthius. A being she had silently felt it would take an entire group of dragons to defeat much like it had to seal him so many years past.

Jolene lowered her head, putting her face near to his. No. She had to try. For him. And for defeating Sidrith. She at least had to try. She closed her eyes, focusing on her breath and how it felt to shift from her experiences in shifting for so many years now. It was not like shifting to a cat. And yet, in some ways it was. Everything in her body was the same except on a massive scale... and now she had wings. But she imagined them tucking into her back. Now ever a part of her only absorbed in her body the same as how Zenithe had taught her to shift her clothing along with everything else. Making them a part of her. But the shift was not smooth or easy. Tears welled and forced their way down her face and she cried, pain racking her body with each adjustment her bones and other parts made. It was no small amount of time either. She wasn't even sure how much it took. She just kept her eyes closed, forcing the image of her human form to remain at the front of her mind. And finally, after what felt like hours... though she wasn't certain, she crumbled to the earth. Her form was sweaty and she trembled, panting.

And then she couldn't help wondering just how much time before facing Sidrith they really had.

[Xenoxice]

At this point Zenithe's shift was only half complete. Everything from his waist down had become his new form but still so much left to go, and it was much harder than the lower half of his body as well. His clothing transitioned into his new armor and legs as he stood with a fairly labored breath now. Taking so much concentration to shift after only recovering a short period of time from being drained so much. His gaze fell upon Jolene who had now fell to the ground panting herself. A small smirk crossed his lips. "Good.... you passed the hard part. Shifting out the first time... is as bad as the first shift into the form....." He fell to one knee as he braced himself on his forearm and elbow on the knee that was off the ground. "I know you're tired.... Jolene and that took a lot out of you...." He paused with a gentle smile and pushed himself back up. "Now shift back into it again... You'll find this time should be... almost completely painless compared... to those first two... So you can... concentrate more on... the sensation of the shift... to make it faster." His breaths slowly catching back up as he closed his eyes and took a long, deep breath. Letting it out slowly, his brows furrowed as he continued the remainder of his shift. First his torso, growing and stretching as muscle and bone changed shape, size and position with his wings beginning to protrude outward. Then his arms, and neck. Finally his head after what felt like a good solid fifteen or twenty minutes and the shift was complete. Although his entire body throbbed from the forceful change. He was glad it was finally over as he memorized the feeling for each area of his body so the next time would be much faster. Zenithe decided to give the still quite new form a test run. He hadn't had time to really test his abilities in depth before. It all happened so quickly and then he was severely weakened after. Now was a better time.

Looking to the most distant tree line about twenty yards away or so, he decided to test mostly his strength with a little speed mixed in first. With a sharp and quick flap of his wings, he bolted towards the trees in a blur head first, letting his body pass over the ground and allowing just the force of the wing beat to carry him the distance. Just before impact with the closest tree, he twisted himself sideways a bit and curled his wing in front of him like a shield. The impact of his wing against the tree at such a speed causing it to shatter into small, razor sharp splinters. Before the splinters could even fall to the ground, another single twist of his body and a single powerful flap of his right wing sent the splinters flying forward like tiny knives, embedding themselves into the trees in front of him. He took a deep breath as he familiarized himself with every aspect of his new form. The feeling of each muscle as it moved, their strength, their ability and their limits. Now he wanted to test sheer speed. Looking up to the skies above, he crouched down slowly and extended his wings upward, readying for his quickest take off. With a jump from his legs and the strongest flap of his wings he could do in his current state, he shot skyward leaving behind a ring of dust flying outward in all directions with trees bending backward from the force of air. In mere seconds, the entire forest was visible below him and the mountains seemed like little hills in the distance. He smiled approvingly of how quickly, as well as how far, a single beat of his wings with a jump start allowed him to go. He allowed himself to free fall straight down back to where he was standing before, giving another single flap to stop his free-fall dead in its tracks, allowing for a fairly soft landing upon his feet.

With his practice runs over, he walked back to Jolene. "It seems even in a drained state, this new form is vastly superior to my regular dragon form for combat. But, each one has its pros and cons of course. Luckily we should have at the minimum a few months before Sidrith can rally the entirety of his forces. This will give us plenty of time to train, rest and relax, learn new skills and devise a plan. Personally, I can't wait to see what else we can do..." With a short pause, Zenithe continued with a look of pure excitement in his eyes. "When a dragonkin and non-dragon born are mated, an entirely new set of magical abilities is born from the bond. It has to be discovered, but both can use the powers independent of one another, without having to be close to each other. It doesn't matter what the original affinity of the individual mates are or if they even have any at all. And that is one of our biggest advantages over Sidrith! Dragons with mates are significantly harder to kill than those without because of the combined and cooperative powers they gain once perfected." He paused a moment with a grin. "I have seen a dragon-born with ice magic and a non-dragon born with fire magic gain poison magic abilities... The chain of attacks they could form was astounding to say the absolute least... For instance, the dragon-born would form spears of ice while the other imbued them a poisonous coating. If the spears missed the target, the non-dragon born would use their fire to melt the ice and the poison along with it, evaporating the water and poison so they combined into a poisonous mist. If the opponent held their breath, they would chain it back again by using the ice magic to condense the water in the air while concentrating and intensifying the poison to form an acidic fog... Another I have seen was a dragon-born with earth magic and a non-dragon born without magical abilities at all gain fire abilities. That one.... oh my that was quite an incredible display of power....." He shook his head as he gazed at Jolene with absolute joy. "The dragon-born used his original affinity of earth to create massive boulders and hurl them at opponents. While the non-dragon born combined the newly found fire magic they both gained to heat up and melt the core of the boulders.... it made the outside into a brittle shell from the heat and pressure inside and on impact exploded and flung molten lava from the melted rock everywhere. So even if they missed it went from being a concentrated attack to an area attack. Those were some of the most impressive chain and combination attacks I've seen mates perform. And there's no telling what it will allow us to do. Shadow magic is an exceptionally rare and powerful affinity as is... you've seen what one can do with it... and combining and mixing another affinity to it, regardless of what it is, makes for some of the most powerful and dangerous spells in the world. I'm very excited to see what we can do!"

[Relairah]

Jolene remained where she was, aware of Zenithe's movements and changes as he spoke and explained. She had to admit all of his knowledge was impressive and further what he had seen. She knew some of it from their mental bond... but clearly not quite everything. After all, memories and knowledge were somewhat like the grand libraries where information had to be searched for and plucked from the right place and she didn't yet have the experience to do so with his memories so readily. She slowly recollected herself. It made sense now. How quickly he was already recovering. She knew he was still weak. Still doing so. But if he truly possessed the power of an ancient like that he had described... it only made sense that whatever Sidrith thought he had done wasn't near enough.

But even so. Despite what he had said... that she now possessed her own power and that she would eventually also have the Twilight form. Despite her assumption that once she did reach that form she would gain some sort of increase as he had. She wasn't there now. And as he said they had months before their battle with Sidrith, she couldn't help closing her eyes and breathing a small sigh of relief. They needed months to recuperate and regain their power. With how much they had been drained of... perhaps it was a wonder they could even do what they could now.

Jolene slowly shook her head as Zenithe instructed her to transform to dragon form once more. She wasn't ready to put his word to the test. She focused inward, knowing that he wouldn't lie to her or intentionally try to upset or harm her. Trusting it. But also completely aware of her own limitations. Partially from her physical exhaustion, and partially from her emotional state, she knew she was near her breaking point. She felt nothing like her usual self. She remained on the ground, and instinctively reached for the dagger which had long before become a permanent part of her. She clutched the hilt, wishing it could do more than merely slow time for a few brief moments. She wanted to do everything Zenithe talked about. Everything that was promised they would find together. And she wanted to return his excitement and anticipation. But something else she hadn't told him was that she'd barely slept since he'd awoken after defeating Xavelthius. And then everything faded out of consciousness.

[Xenoxice]

OoC:  Since you left it kind of open ended, I hope you don't mind I changed the scenery up a bit

iC:

Zenithe watched as Jolene slipped out of consciousness and passed out.  He rushed over to catch her before she could fall to the ground with a small smirk on his face.  Poor thing.... I had nearly forgotten she hasn't rested in quite a long time.  Her stamina isn't quite up to par yet, but it will be soon enough... obtaining so much at one time from mating a dragon is hard enough on one not born of dragonkin... but taking on so much in addition to the events that have been happening, she's completely overloaded... a nice rest will do her good.  As Zenithe stood holding her from falling down, he picked her up in his arms and flared his wings out, getting ready for take-off.  Let's at least get you somewhere safe for now... the ocean isn't too far... it has some caves on the shore by the cliff faces that are quite secluded and solitary... perhaps the crashing waves will lull you into a nice dream, my love.  With his final thought, he gave a powerful beat of his wings and off he flew, away from the city, villages and high mountainous peaks nearby and toward the lands shoreline not too far by flight away.  Upon arriving he would set her down inside a cave that had skylight holes above letting the sunlight fill the cave enough to see clearly, but still be dim, with waves crashing directly on the other side of the wall.  Several small trickles of water running down one side of the cave wall merge into a larger stream and into a large clear, blue puddle.  The rocks filtering the water and the blue hue showing clear signs of the presence of minerals and it being fresh water.  A large enough supply being fed into it to maintain a steady drinking source.  Zenithe flew out of the cave and dove into the ocean just offshore to hunt for some larger fish to bring back to eat, using his wings as oversized fins almost.  Red meat was nice and easier to catch but this area of the ocean housed many exotic species of marine life that were wonderful for eating and tasted even better than they looked.

[Relairah]

OoC: Haha of course! XD I'm also going to skip a little time to give Jolene some to rest up ^^

iC:



Jolene stirred, groaning slightly as she began to ease back into consciousness. She blinked, realizing that she was somewhere entirely different. Slowly, her thoughts collected. 'Where am I?' The cave became more distinct, the dark stones and the sound of wind and sea somewhere nearby. 'What happened?' She looked around, searching for Zenithe. 'Oh yea... we were in the woods.' She sat up, looking over herself. She was still in human form. "Zenithe?" she called out with her mind. She had worked herself to the point of exhaustion. She remembered being at the end of herself. She felt much better and recuperated. And the sound of the sea was ever drawing her curiosity and attention.

She got to her feet, brushing herself off and looked around. Good. Everything was with her. She stepped toward the entrance, sucking in her breath slightly. The view was stunning and she couldn't help a smile. She hadn't really ever been much of a water-loving person. Perhaps due to her cat side. But it was still beautiful. And she probably needed a good dip. Still, she waited for Zenithe, hoping he was nearby.

[Xenoxice]

Zenithe had been underwater for what seemed to be a fair while now, but then again, being in his normal dragon form allowed him to hold his breath for much lengthier periods of time than he could otherwise do in his human form. Fishing again in the clear blue waters where even from the surface, one could see to the ocean floor where all the vibrant and colorful reefs dwell. As well as the many, many fish that were edible. Jolene's voice calling his name rang clearer than ever as underwater everything seemed to be magnified and resonate all around.  "I see you're finally awake. Hope you don't mind the view from the cave.  It's a small secluded beach surrounded by cliff faces and caves carved by the waves that I love to frequently visit.  The skylights add a nice touch I think.  It's the safest place I could think to bring you.  Nobody knows this area is here."  Wings tucked by his side, Zenithe slithered through the water like a water snake before spotting a rather abnormally large stingray and small shark.  Diving down to catch them both, he dug his claws into them before expanding his wings and beating them once, thrusting himself from deep under the surface to breaching the surface leaving a trail of blood with him from his kills.  Dripping with water as the sun glistened from his smooth scales, he quickly flew back to where the cave and Jolene were.  Landing on the small stretch of sand next to the cave, he dropped the kills and shifted back into his human form, the water running from his scales as he shifted back so his clothes would be dry.  "I found some lunch.  These stingrays are loaded with nutrients of all kinds.  It'll help you get back on track energy wise and feel better but it's rather bland.  The shark has tons of flavor but not really that great for nutrition.  So you have to eat both together."  He smiled softly as he walked over to a large rock by the save entrance and pulled several pieces of large wood and some smaller twigs out from behind it.  "Feel free to make a fire when it gets darker.  We have a good while to stay around here and rest before training."

[Relairah]

Jolene smiled at the sound of his voice in her mind. Good. They'd be undisturbed for a while. She hoped. It was certainly what they needed. She sat, watching as he surfaced and presented the kills. It was reminiscent of when he'd first found his Twilight form and passed out, waking up to her in a similar way. Only this time, the tables were turned. "Oh good. Thank you, Zenithe. I feel much better already... but this definitely won't hurt." She rose to her feet, but then paused as he moved toward the large rock. Jolene simply shrugged as he explained about eating them and the pros and cons. Her fiery gaze glanced at the wood as he pulled it out and he told her she was free to make a fire. She grinned. "So... do you remember that dagger I always have with me?" she asked coyly, a mischievous grin on her face.

"Admittedly, I wanted to tell you about it sooner. But... time really hasn't allowed given all that's happened." She paused, raising the dagger until it glistened in the sunlight. "We talked of it a little... but I never told you its full extent. I didn't just find it one day. It's almost like... it found me. Anyway, there are two very important things. One, this dagger and I are connected beyond my understanding. And two... I think it channels my magic. Or maybe I channel its magic. Either way... it's extremely important. And powerful. It has two magic forms. Watch this..." she said, her gaze moving from the dagger, to his face, to the wood.

With a flick of her wrist, the ruby in the hilt glimmered and fire suddenly burst to life around the wood. She waved the dagger slowly and the flames danced. "I think I'll cook the food..." she murmured softly to herself. She tucked the dagger away and began pushing the stingray and the shark until their bodies lay over the fire, roasting. She crouched down, nodding satisfactorily. "Part of me wants to wait till I eat to show you the other magic... but... I have to wait for the food to cook anyway."

She stood once more and drew the dagger. The ruby glimmered once more and in a blink of an eye, she disappeared from where she stood beside the fire, to right in front of Zenithe's body, staring up at him, the dagger held down at her side. "It's not teleportation. I stopped time for long enough to move from where I was, to where I am." She smiled, watching his face, waiting for his reaction. She wondered if he'd remember she'd done it once before... before Sidrith had taken him. "It's only for a few seconds. And I can't do it but for a few times. The dagger has to re-charge I think from my life-force before I can do it again once I've drained it. But... it's certainly useful." There was a glimmer in her eyes. This dagger had helped her on numerous occasions in the past with heists. It had been her trusted companion. At least before Zenithe had come along.

[Xenoxice]

OoC: Short and sweet to get the ball rolling .

iC:

Zenithe observed as Jolene had started using the magic of her dagger.  He had known about the fire aspect when she cooked the deer back in his grandfathers shop.  But the limited control of time, impressed him.  A raised brow with a smirk showed he was very interested in that particular ability.  "Well now, I'm sure we can come up with some very interesting combinations with that kind of magic!"  There was quite a bit of excitement in his voice and it was clear he was quite anxious to begin training, both his own and Jolene's.  "We can do whatever you'd like right now.  I know the stingray needs to cook for at least a half hour or so.  But that shark will take at least a good hour to cook through.  Do you want to train, get a little more R and R or perhaps something else?"  Zenithe cracked his neck and knuckles as he awaited a response from Jolene with a smile, clearly happy just to be in one of his favorite places with his special someone.

[Relairah]

Jolene glanced toward the roasting kills and then back at Zenithe. "Yes, I'm feeling much more up to it now," she said simply with a grin, tucking her dagger away once more. "I can't wait to see what we can do together!" She stepped away slightly. "Maybe we should focus on my transformations?" she asked, remembering how she'd been before passing out about it. She still felt anxious, but not quite so much. The rest had certainly restored her normal nature. "So, where to?" she asked.

[Xenoxice]

With a quick smile and the mention of concentrating on her transformations, Zenithe nodded in agreement.  "I believe that would be the best thing to do right now."  With a slightly quicker shift to his new form than before, he looked to Jolene.  "It should be smoother and far less painful than before, especially since you got some much needed rest."  With a playful smile he thrust his wings and jumped into the air, hovering just a few yards above the ground.  "Let's see if you can catch me!"  He crossed his arms as he hovered, almost as if taunting her in a way, daring her to try and get him.  The cool mist from the ocean waves splashing up into the air in the breeze and blowing gently across the small shore before soaking the rocky cliff walls behind them.



Sitting in the forest, simply enjoying a fresh kill roasting on a fire, Seionax began moving his hand in a conductor like motion, the flames dancing around the kill searing the meat and skin as it burned all the fur off.  He smiled in the simplicity, yet amusing manner of the roasting technique but knew it would be so delicious once it was finished.  Medium-Rare... that was his favorite way to eat any meat.  It smelled so appetizing and he couldn't wait to dig in.  He increased the intensity of the flames to cook it faster, but not too much of course.  It wasn't long before it was cooked just perfect for him.  Eating every speck of meat clean to the bones of the deer he laid back as he tossed the last bone off to the side. Life was so simple for him.  He lived off the land, didn't need a permanent home and kept away from people most of the time.  It was the sudden sound of loud wing beats that perked his ears up and grabbed his attention from this otherwise peaceful relaxation time after eating a good meal.  The flapping got louder and louder, occasionally stopping so to give signs of gliding.  "Those wing beats.... a dragon...?"  He asked himself quietly.  He ran swiftly to a slightly larger opening in the tree canopy to look above.  Sure enough, there went a large black dragon flying by, but it was also carrying someone.  "A dragon out this far?  Little far off the beaten path to see one here.  But then again... here I am as well."  He chuckled quietly as his interest was peaked.  Waiting for the dragon to fly further away, flames gathered at his feet.  "I wonder where you're off to...."  In a flash, the flames engulfed his body and within a second or two, he had shifted into his dragon form.  Crouching slightly, he jumped and beat his wings but one time and shot into the sky.  Keeping his distance and flying much higher above where the other one was to avoid detection. 

Closer and closer to the shore they went until the dragon began to descend into a small cove on a shore next to a cliff face.  Slowing his flight to a hover, Seionax let himself free fall feet first with wings stretched above him until he nearly landed at the edge of the cliffs high above the cave, with a powerful flap, stopping his fall and landing softly upon the rocks.  "What are you doing here..." he whispered to himself.  Watching every event as the dragon emerged from the cave and dove into the ocean.  He wanted to go check out what or rather whom he was carrying on his back but he knew better than that.  "A little patience goes a long ways, I'm sure I'll find out soon enough."  He laid down with his face barely peaking over the edge of the cliff and began his long wait.

It didn't seem that it was too long before he finally saw the person he had been carrying emerge from the cave.  A woman in fact.  He tilted his head, intrigued by what the two would be doing so far out from the cities and villages.  Watching as the dragon emerged from the ocean with a few kills, he nodded with a face of amusement and approval.  "Not a bad choice there mate.... those two actually go together quite well."  Then he watched as the woman used her dagger to begin a roast on the kills.  "Another fire magic user.... very nice!"  He enjoyed seeing other fire users.  How two people can have the same affinity but completely different spells and uses of the magic.  But it was when he watched the dragon use a second transformation, the transformation into an anthro-dragon form, that his pupils became very narrow and his heart started racing.  "That's impossible!!!" He spoke louder.  Quickly standing up, he leaped from the cliff and let himself simply fall all the way down to the sand below, sending a large cloud of sand flying in all directions since he didn't bother to slow his descent.  "How..... How do you have that dragon form.... WHO ARE YOU?!" he demanded.  Quite unusual for his normally calm and rather peaceful demeanor.  He drew his blade and grasped it in both hands before rearing his sword back and lunging at Zenithe.

Zenithe turned his head quickly as he saw from the corner of his eye a figure landing down into the sand, closing his eyes only for a moment to stop himself from being blinded, he looked back to the figure who made his presence quite well known and landed himself as well, placing his hand upon the hilt of his blade.  He listened to the demand but as quickly as the demand was made, an attack begun.  Zenithe drew his blade and lunged towards Seionax as well to meet him head on.  Their blades locked against one another.  Seionax's sword began to glow a faint orange that grew brighter and hotter, slowly turning more and more red, intending to melt through Zenithe's blade.  But as the blade grew hotter and redder to the point it was as crimson as Zenithe's eyes, Zenithe's sword responded by glowing faintly green in the middle as the outside edges became more and more opaque and black.  The center began to glow brighter and brighter until they matched the very eye color of Seionax.  The heat actually strengthening and making Zenithe's blade stronger.  Zenithe's eyes glanced puzzlingly between his blade and Seionax's eyes as Seionax did the same between his blade and Zenithe's eyes.  Both of them leaped away from one another and stood for a moment.  "Is that how you greet everyone, or am I just a special case?  Not a very polite way to get answers you know." Zenithe spoke in a smart and obviously irritated tone.  "I guess you're just special.  It's obvious your sword is.... where did you get the ore that made it.... did you get it from the caves in the Eriseth and Thealon Mountains.... did you?  My sword should have split yours in half...." Seionax retorted with a puzzled look.  "If you must know, I did.  There was rumored to be more there but I only found half of what people......"  Zenithe paused for a moment and looked over at Seionax's sword. "Don't tell me..."  Seionax looked to Zenithe's blade once more and finished his sentence for him.  "You found the other half..."  Seionax's gaze turned to Jolene as he quirked a brow.  "And you are....?"

 

[Relairah]

With Zenithe's challenge, Jolene grinned in a mischievous sort of way. The way he dared her to try and catch him brought her back, once more, to the night they'd met. Only then... she'd used her cat-instincts to keep up. Now... it was different. She could do more than keep up. She let herself focus inward and on her body, remembering the feel of each part of her dragon form as well as everything she already knew about shifting in general. Her shift was indeed much easier than it had been before, though still had difficulties. There were some aspects that still sent pain through her body, particularly as her form grew in size and adjusted to the major differences... such as the wings. But it was bearable, and she felt more assured that it would become easier as she practiced more.

But before she could take off after him, in but an instant another landed in a rather dramatic fashion and was not only bellowing at Zenithe, but lunging toward him. After everything they'd been through, Jolene was hardly surprised when Zenithe met him without hesitation full on and then watched as the situation calmed, if only slightly.

Thanks to her enhanced senses, she heard everything as they argued... or conversed? She frowned, gazing back and forth. She had a gut feeling... only an instinctual reaction to what she saw. Similar to when makes an assumption based only on appearance and logical deduction. But she didn't voice it. Even in her thoughts.

Jolene leaped down from the ledge to the beach, the sand rising and falling less so than the newcomer's entrance and approached. "You know, it's extremely rude to approach strangers demanding to know who they are and why they look a certain way. Most actually introduce themselves first before asking such things. Why don't you tell us who you are, and why you have that form before attacking us without provocation or reason, hmm?"

Jolene glared toward the other with her fiery gaze, just as daring as she had the night she'd first grasped Zenithe by the shoulder. Clearly, her rest had been enough. She was back to her normal self in full force. And perhaps he would deduce by her normal draconian form that she was someone specific to the one he'd so abruptly attacked.

[Xenoxice]

Looking at the dragon before him that had spoken in return to his question, Seionax narrowed his eyes slightly. Observing her form and reaction to how he had attacked the man. "I see. You're mates I assume." His eyes glanced between the two people before him. "Very well." He grasped his blade and buried the end of it into the sand, resting his hand upon the end of the hilt with his other hand on top. "My name is Seionax. Seionax Kodalis. I was fostered by Alexander and Dianna Zeferius as a child. I am the biological son of Zelator and Alistrixia Kodalis."

Zenithe listened as Seionax exclaimed who he was. Zenithe's pupils narrowed as his eyes widened, listening to who he said he was. "You're a liar. My name is Zenithe Kodalis. Son to the late Zelator and Alistrixia Kodalis, Founder of the Twilight Guardians. And my parents never spoke of any siblings. I was with them since I was born and I've never seen nor heard of you until now."

With a smirk and a quirked brow Seionax shook his with surprise. "Well, well, well.... it seems there's much mom and dad never told you.... nor me for that matter. I must admit I am more than a little shocked right now to discover I have a brother. They never did keep in good contact with me. Needless to say they thought of me more as.... a burden... than a son. I never let it get to me though. Seems they wanted to keep us a secret from each other. For what reason I do not know, but this is quite a turn of events. As to why I have this form, I actually just discovered it recently. It would seem as you claim you are the founder of the Twilight Guardians, little brother, then it was you who unlocked the ability to manage this shift for any and all who are of our bloodline or marry into it." Lifting his blade out of the sand and sheathing it, he took a step back with one foot and bowed low. "I admit my fault and apologize for the brash behavior. That was no manner in which to treat family." He turned his eyes up just barely from his bow and glanced at the woman. "Including in-laws. Mrs....?"

Zenithe seems stunned for the first time in his life. His eyes wide and full of confusion as well as shock and disbelief. "Jolene..... I have no idea what to make of this.... How can this man be my brother... why would mother and father never mention him?" He narrowed his eyes trying to sort things out in his usual logical manner but logic seemed rather lacking at this particular moment. With a deep breath he turned his gaze to Jolene. "I suppose we have to wait this out and just discover bit by bit why this is all happening now and why Seionax's name was never mentioned by my... our... parents. I can accept he's my brother.... its hard but I can accept it. It's the only explanation to our swords being so similar as well. Perhaps not in design, but composition, craftsmanship and ability they're virtually identical mirror opposites of each other."  Turning his gaze to Seionax he gave a small sigh. "Seionax, I think we need to talk.  All three of us.  I will not discuss anything unless my wife can be in it as well.  She is part of the bloodline now and needs to know whatever we discuss."

With a simple nod, still bowing, he acknowledged the request.  "Fair enough."