ROLEPLAY HQ - new-bonds

The city was split away by the fog and everything within it was lost. The thick gray vapor wrapped about the walls concealing everything within. Any attempts to enter the fog was met with failure. The explorers would spill out at the other side within impossible time, encountering nothing but the flat gray void within. Years passed, the city spires piercing through the fog veil but nothing remaining within. The land beneath the mountain began to decline without the trade normally that passed through the main town. Explorations into the fog ended. It was left to its own anonymity and faded into legend. Many explorers told of the city, its sudden envelopment into the fog like a nightmare. The spires piercing the sky but no one able to find the buildings within. Stories of palaces trimmed in gold and the blood spilt within. Dragons with sapphires set into their horns and teeth. Royalty draped in silk and gemstones mined from the mountain the city was built into, eating anything they could get their ringed claws into. For how were they to survive without the fields at the mountains base outside their new walls; eat themselves alive? No one remembered the truth. As the fog wiped away the city so to did it papers and knowledge so only stories remained, passed through story and ever changing verbal history. No one went in. No one came out. Enough time passed the city fell from the maps and what mountain actually cradled the city in its slopes became debate. Children's stories to lull them to sleep with dreams of elves and men in their homes of gold, dragons walking the street in scale and skin, fairies nesting in the eaves. A singular map remained locked away inconspicuous in its plain wooden case, a dried flower within; given in expression of love. For as the city had been taken, so had those within for all time.

@Cecil

He wasn't sure why he had found this map, nor why he felt like he had to follow it. Perhaps it had to do with what he had lost a year ago, or something similar. All he knew was that he hadn't felt truly.. complete, since that day. So wandering into a fabled city in the mist didn't seem like such a terrible idea. It gave him something to do, after all. Carrying nothing but the clothes on his back, his signature magic-channeling glaive, and a bundle of common supplies, he followed the map with a quiet focus. Normally, he had someone to talk to in order to fill the silence.. But not any more. Who knew what this journey had in store? With limited visibility and without knowing if this city even existed.. There was no way Evrog could know. So all he could do was trust his instincts and keep moving. Soon, he crested the mountain. @Voxieum

He could see the city, piercing the fog like broken teeth. His map showed paths and assistance to get through what was called 'The Veil' but little on the actual city. His sensation of longing grew as he looked to the soaring spires, swirled in the fog. He stepped into the fog as it encompassed him like a hug and soon he could see nothing at all. The fog seemed to form faces, sightless eyes and gaping maws baring teeth. Wings and claws rising from the pale gray void. The dirt under his feet turned to stone streets as he fell through into the city gates. Empty houses stood as stark reminders of the people left behind. Most of the remaining people moved into the palaces buried into the mountains, leaving the husks of their homes behind. Signs of war were obvious. Burnt remains, houses blasted apart. The streets pulled up from their moorings, the stones in piles. Above it all stood a temple, it's wide roof weighed heavily under flora. The fog had made the land hot and warm, a bright patch of green... @Cecil

The signs of war were all to evident to the ex-warrior, and it brought a sharp frown to his scarred face, his single visible eye lacking light as it scanned the charred remains and the peaks high above. "..He would've liked this place." A forlorn voice came from Evrog. "He always enjoyed the mountains.." He looked down at his hand, scales growing there for a moment before fading back to normal skin. "If only you were still here, my brother-in-arms." Taking a deep breath, he slowly made his way over to the temple. Memories of his past flashed through, of all the ruins he had explored.. The necromancer that he had killed that started this whole grand adventure he had started on.. The creation of his weapon.. all the battles that they had shared together.. And how he felt just so empty now. Letting out a quiet sigh, he stepped inside the temple and looked around.

( @Voxieum i'm terrible at tagging in the tupper messages themselves)

She hid in the rafters of the temple, silent and unmoving. Few would notice her unles they looked straight at her and processed what they were looking at. The dark concealed her. Her tail curled over the rafters and Claws dug into the beams. She couldn't get out of the fog, so she had fled. Pale skin was maned by faded red hair. Darker scales formed patterns across her scales. Is he a hunter? She debated, staying statue still in the rafters. Walking in human form and lighting her fire frightened off most of the locals since the veil formed. She readied to attack him, keeping still above him. @Cecil

He could sense something.. Something so painfully familiar about this temple. Had there.. once been a dragon here? Before they were destroyed? Was this what had drawn him here? A deep-rooted longing for something long forgotten, something that he would never see again? Silently, he moved to the other end of the temple, staring at the worn-down altar. Carefully, slowly, he reached to his back and pulled his glaive off of his back- A finely crafted weapon, made of a bright, silvery metal- as he laid it on the ground and kneeled down in front of it. White scales seemed to grow out of his skin along his arms, covering his forearms, as he closed his eyes and simply.. let his mind go where it would. The draconic energy he felt in this temple.. It had been a year since he had felt anything similar. Being in its presence calmed the wounds that were flaring up on his mind, body, and soul. Quietly, he began to hum a sorrowful song. @Voxieum

She laid her head on her paws, listening to him in the other room. Her ears flicking she listened for him even with her out of sight she was nervous. She couldn't move without making the building creek so she didn't try, her coils across the beams. In the rafters above him he could see visibly signs of life. Blankets tugged up into a small loft. Disturbances of dust and... footprints. Clawed prints. They were different than his bonds had been, more like thin cats feet.... something was alive. @Cecil

His eyes slowly opened, the scales spreading up his arms and hardening into what seemed to be a second skin.. Almost like a pair of gauntlets. He stood, eyes scanning his surroundings as he searched for the being in the area. If it was dangerous, he'd need to defend himself. If it wasn't, then he didn't see any need to do anything with it. He was here to mourn the loss of his companion, not get into fights that he didn't need to. @Voxieum

He figured out where she was by the growl. He looked straight up and into her face, lips pulled back over her teeth the length of his fingers. Her red mane stuck out like a furious cat, crouched in the rafters with claws digging into the beams. She snarled, slowly sinking to the cracked tile floor. Standing nearly the same height as him, bent low and moving slow as growls echoed in her throat. Her ears pressed back, pale pink eyes focused on his face. @Cecil

There was a moment of total surprise written on his face, as if he was completely surprised to see her. Another dragon. There was still a dragon out there, in this world. In the tongue of the dragons, he spoke, quietly. "You.. You're the reason I felt drawn to this place.. Yours is the power I feel in this temple.." He looked away after a few moments, looking down at the scales covering his hands. Quietly, he spoke again, "If only you were here to see this, my friend.. How you would have enjoyed this meeting.." @Voxieum

She visibly flinched at the speech change. "Leave. This is my home. You bastards have done enough." She snarled, mane rising higher like hackles of a dog. She still thought him a hunter, there to kill. "The smoke is enough now you invade here? I've done nothing." She shook her head hard, showing horns sharp enough to kill. Down the mountain in the center of that little city there was still men. The men that killed her kind. "Get out!" She shouted when he didn't move. @Cecil

He understood how she felt, considering what he had spent several years doing before it all. Instead of running, however, he held a hand out to his glaive, which seemed to blink out of existence, and then he sat down in front of her. He stared her in the eyes. The one eye she could see had something distinctly inhuman to it. It seemed to have a touch of a silvery-white to it that was hidden deep beneath, and it almost seemed for a moment that she was staring another dragon in the eye. "..I see the hatred in your eyes, dragon. You've been hurt by those like me. Know that I mean you no harm, despite your obvious hatred towards me. I've.." He closed his eyes for a few moments before raising one of his scaled hands. "I've been touched by one of your kind in a far greater way than anyone else, i'm sure." His expression saddened again. "Unfortunately, he's gone now." @Voxieum

She flinched back and eventually turned and pulled back into the rafters, putting up with his presence but not thrilled. He felt like kin, just a little. "I dont hate man. I hate specific men." She growled, weight rested on the beam and a clawed foot hanging down. "Why did you come here?"

@Cecil

"..I don't have a good answer for that question." He let out a sigh. "I just found this map," He casually held up the case before slipping it back into his bag, "and felt something calling me to come here." @Voxieum

"A man had that. He killed my mother." She tsked, chuffing. Her pale eyes watched him below her, tail lashing. Most of the dragons would protect a clutch of two to three eggs. She died before she hatched. She kneaded her claws lightly on habit, her pale red hair waving like a fire. @Cecil

"I assure you that I won't be doing anything like that. I've gotten a certain.. kinship with your kind, due to my experiences. I wouldn't dream of harming you, or anyone close to you." He closed his eye again as his hands returned to normal. "I lived with one of your kind for five years, just until a year ago." @Voxieum

She blinked in surprise then started pooling through collective memories from her kin, looking for knowledge about people bonding with her kind. Stress was making her shift in discomfort. In her tail was a broken crossbow bolt, the head still stuck between her scales. She curled up out of his reach, frightened of him and missing the sunshine. Outside was always somewhat gray. She had seen the sun once before the veil fell... @Cecil

"..It was a strange situation, if i'm being honest. I used to be a knight in an organization that hunted down spellcasters that wouldn't join us.. And I had discovered an abandoned tomb, created by them to seal a dragon's soul away. Well, the dragon didn't take too kindly to being locked up underground for hundreds of years, so he leaped at the opportunity to get a new body. So, he attached himself to me, intertwining himself with my soul. We struggled against each other for control for several weeks afterwards, but eventually.." He frowned again. "We became brothers-in-arms, as we fought against the people I once called my friends and companions, for they had turned against me due to my situation. He lended me his power, I lended him mine, and we became a vicious duo on the battlefield.. tearing through all those who opposed us. Until.. One day, there was just nobody left to fight. We had destroyed all those who could fight us. So.. There was little left for us to do, so instead we retired to focus on a quieter life. That was two years ago.. And then one year ago, I felt his soul pass on. After that.. I haven't felt the same. So I came here, in search of something that seemed to be calling to me.. What is it, I still don't know." He stood slowly. "I can see your discomfort. Is there something the matter?"

( @Voxieum )

She paused for a moment then let her tail fall to his reach, showing the crossbow head buried in her tail. Her pale red mane was missing from her chewing and scratching trying to get it out, lacking the dexterity with claws. "Men came here and one stabbed me with it. It hurts." She let out with a soft growl of annoyance. The men had come up and bothered her, and she sent them back running down to their little city. @Cecil

"..I can take care of that for you if you wish. There will be a sharp pain for a moment as I remove the bolt, but then I will be able to channel my magic to heal the wound, and the mane should return." @Voxieum

"I dont need your magic." She hissed angrily yanking her tail away like the idea disgusted her. "Just get it out." She snapped claws thumping against the beam in the rafters, making the building tremble. @Cecil

"..If that is what you wish." He grabbed the bolt and quickly removed it, stepping back and discarding it. In all truth, he expected the dragon to be quite violent in response to the pain, so it was better to step back and wait for the very angered dragon to calm down. @Voxieum

She pulled herself fully into the rafters curling up, tongue rasping over her scales. All things considered she was docile for one who'd been stuck her. She eventually murmured a thank you and crawled over to her loft, curling up in her hidden space. Eventually her voice filtered down. "What is the outside like? Outside the veil?" @Cecil

"..It is not a kind world in many places, but there are good people out there. There was a storm-filled valley full of kind and caring people that I met, people who were oppressed by those who despised magic they did not control. I suspect that it will take time for the world to heal from those wounds, now that people are free to follow their own beliefs without fear of death." @Voxieum

She settled her head on her paws, wrapping up tightly. "I've never seen the sun unshrouded by fog. Nor flown..." she rolled to lay on her side, rolling a little stone ball under her claws, knowing the man was sitting beneath her. "There's nothing new to eat. Things to do... why would you willingly lock yourself here?" @Cecil

"..The outside world has little left for someone like me. Someone touched by a dragon in the way I have, as well as with the magic, doesn't fit into normal society easily." He remained where he was, staring at the open doorway of the temple, letting out a quiet sigh. In all honesty, he had come here to be ready to pass on himself. Leaving the world in as good of a place as he had was.. fine. And if he were to leave this world in a place where someone couldn't find him to exploit any residual magic was better than the alternative. And.. He was struggling with that feeling of emptiness. @Voxieum

She went quiet with thought then her heavy breath denoted her sleep. She dreamed, it filtering in and out of his head, so light he barely realized. An image of a sun so bright She'd go blind. The sea, like she'd only heard of, swallowing the horizon with blue. Light memories telling her time spent inside the veil. Her exploration of every inch of her limited territory and her fear of the fog. Her finding of her mother's corpse when she hatched. @Cecil

He was silent for a time after that, staring out into the fog for a long while before he set out a plain bedroll in the temple, laying down and falling asleep himself, though his rest was dreamless. It had been like that for this whole past year.. So he had grown used to it. @Voxieum

He woke to her sitting outside on the steps, tail over her feet, staring at birds. She'd been surprised the man had stayed but truthfully, she liked having someone there. An ear flicked as she heard him wake, but she didn't turn. He's not a threat... she chuffed softly shifting in place. @Cecil

Slowly, he stretched and packed his bedroll back up, walking out of the temple and sat on the steps not too far from her. "I'm going to guess that you have a name. If i'm gonna be stuck here, we might as well introduce ourselves." Evrog pulled out some dried fruit and bread- simple travel rations, which he started to eat quietly. "..In the outside world, I was known as 'Sir Evrog Thunderblood', though in here.. It's just Evrog." @Voxieum

She looked down lightly and shifted again where she sat, chuffing at the birds in the cherry blossom trees. "Mother never named me." She said eventually, eyes glancing down. "She died before she knew if I'd survive." @Cecil

"..Well, then you can name yourself. Give it some thought, you can figure out what to be called. It's ironic, I was given the name 'Thunderblood' because I was found with lightning covering my hands as a child.. I never knew who my parents were." His eyes scanned the environment. "You can draw inspiration from your surroundings. The color of your scales doesn't seem too far off from these cherry blossoms, so perhaps you could use them for your name." @Voxieum

"Sakura then..." she mumbled, the sound hidden in a low chuffing growl. Embarrassed and happy to have something to label herself. One didn't tend to give a name if you have no use for one... She got up padding down the stairs tail dragging behind as she headed for the river, hungry. She paused a ways away and looked back to see what he was doing, if he was following. @Cecil

He was remaining on the steps for the time being, staring off into the distance. His shoulders seemed to be slouched, and she could see scales appearing on the back of his neck before disappearing. @Voxieum

She paused then came back to him, curious and smelling him, muzzle snuffling his back. "Can you become a dragon? How do you do that?" She asked curiously, nearly pushing him over to smell him. @Cecil

He smelled like a strange combination of dragon and man. The scent was.. confusing, to say the least. "..The dragon that inhabited my body was able to form his scales around me like a suit of armor. The power just.. lingered after his passing." He said after he righted himself. "I can't become a true dragon, but this is what I have." @Voxieum

She laid down by him, wrapping around him. He seemed so sad and there was nothing she could do.... curled around him she set her head on her paws and tried to just be there. @Cecil

He watched her movements with his visible eye, a brow raised. "..You seem just as lonely as I'd expect, being the only dragon I've seen in five years, Sakura." There was an unspoken sympathy in how he spoke. He understood what it was like to be alone, and he could only imagine what it would have been like to grow up without anyone. @Voxieum

"I know mother just wanted to protect me, but her veil is awful..." she mumbled. "And no one would just... talk to me. Even if I looked human." She looked back up to the birds and he realized it was of jealousy. Magic did seem... faint here. Hard to pull together to use. "I just want to go outside." @Cecil

"..Well, you've got a human here who's willing to talk." He replied. "Who also has a map of how to traverse the fog. Just a thought." @Voxieum

"Wait. You know how to get out?!" She quickly pushed him up with the flat of her head; eager and shoving him forward. "Take me!" She ran past him then jumped, gliding/falling out of sight then came back, chuffing. @Cecil

"..I had to come from somewhere, it stands to reason that following the same path in reverse would lead out, no?" He stood up slowly. "If you want to leave, I should be able to take you out, unless there's some kind of magic preventing people from leaving." @Voxieum

"Lets go. I want you to show me everything." She yelled from further down the path, inviting herself to his wanderings. She hopped lightly down like a horse, looking back to him when she got a ways away. Gods so slow.... she padded up behind him nipping the back of his shirt trying to get him to move faster. @Cecil

Was this why he had felt drawn to this place..? To lead a dragon out of the fog and into the real world? To travel with another of their kind? ..If that is what he was meant to do, then he would gladly accept the prospect. Perhaps that would fill the hole left in his being.. "I'm coming, i'm coming." He pulled out the map and started retracing his steps, seeking to lead her out of this place. @Voxieum

At the edge of the city she paused looking back for a minute before murmuring 'I'll be right back" and running back up the hill. She came back with a small leather ball in her claws following him. It appeared to be the kind of thing children kicked about the street, though it was old and split up the side. Holding it in her tail she hesitantly followed him into the street, head down afraid. @Cecil

"You seem worried about something. What's scaring you?" Due to her hesitation, he held a hand out and his glaive appeared in it, which tapped against the cobblestone path. @Voxieum

"Last time I was here they shot at me." She said softly sticking close to his side. "Its normally when they all sleep, so we should be fine but..." she pressed closer, scaled side sgsinst his leg. @Cecil

"If they try anything, they won't live very long." He replied, an edge coming into his voice as he scanned the buildings around them. It didn't surprise him in the slightest that there were people here who would end up shooting at the dragon. Dragons had once been feared, but now with so few left.. People failed to understand what they were truly capable of. And how one who shared the soul of a dragon can harness that power. @Voxieum

She hid into his side, mane sticking out with anxiety. Half way beneath a tower he could hear them yelling, swords being pulled from sheaths. A large tower in the center provided the largest home for the city, a core for families to keep in touch and help each other. "Dont kill anyone. I dont want anyone hurt." She begged gently, standing sideways to block the four men from Evrog. She growled, warning for them to keep away, claws digging into the street. @Cecil

After a few moments, understanding dawned in his eye. Slowly, he nodded, his glaive disappearing. "I won't kill them. You have my word on that." He then stepped around her, walking a few paces forward. "I mean you no harm, and neither does the dragon. All I ask is that you allow us to pass through- I promise that you have nothing to fear from the two of us, and those you're ready to protect won't even have to see us, if you only let us pass." He spoke to the men in the common tongue, his voice powerful and full of confidence. It was almost the opposite of how he spoke at the temple. "But, should you insist on fighting, I will be forced to defend myself. And neither of us want that." @Voxieum

"You aren't from here. Where have you been hiding?" One snapped, the other three looking between each other.

Most of the time when they faced Sakura they had her backed into a corner, so she very obviously kept herself with openings. She kept Evrog stubbornly behind her, both of the humans would have to cross her to reach each other. @Cecil

"Nowhere. I have done no hiding. I crossed over the mountain and through the mists, where I intend to return." He replied, slightly annoyed at the dragon's continued interference in him getting a good look at the other men. @Voxieum

"Impossible. That thing made it impossible to cross." He jabbed his finger at Sakura who growled. "If you're able to get out you need to show us." He snarled furious and then stepped back when Sakura growled louder. She was unsure what they were saying but the body language was aggressive. @Cecil

"If you wish to see how I came through the mists, you need to sheathe your blades and do not raise them against me or the dragon. I will not raise my weapon against you, and I may be able to lead you all out, if you're willing to cooperate." @Voxieum

"Then call that damn thing off!" He ordered and at a touch, Sakura stopped with a low purr sitting down by him.

"So? What are we doing?" She looked over to him, shaking her mane loose from her scales. "We should give them the map too. So they can get free. They're as trapped too." She offered pushing up to walk. @Cecil

He frowned at the order, and turned to Sakura, speaking in the dragon tongue again. "They're questioning where I came from. I'm willing to lead them out of the mists, if they agree to lower their weapons. However, they're not too keen on you growling at them." Then, he looked back at the other men. "One of you step forward, without your sword, and I will show you the map that led me here. The moment you try anything untoward, it will not end well for you. Alright?" @Voxieum

One of the younger boys, barely old enough to use a sword, slowly walked close. He left the sword behind and held out his hands for it. He looked to Sakura and carefully held out a hand smiling faintly. "Do you remember me?" He asked softly then smiled wide as Sakura put her muzzle into his palm. @Cecil

He pulled the map out of its case, stepping forward to show it to the boy, pointing out the route that he had taken to enter. Evrog then glanced at Sakura. "Have you met this boy before?" He asked her. @Voxieum

"When I first hatched, I couldn't take care of myself. He brought me food." She nuzzled his hand again. "It was a long time ago." She pushed herself up rolling her split leather ball to wait on them. The men joined Evrog to look at the map and redraw the path on a piece of leather, the only thing they had to use. She looked up to see people looking out the windows and over the edge of the balcony and she stood on her back legs, blowing a little smoke ring at them. @Cecil

Once they had copied the path from the map, he rolled it up and put it back in the case. "Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" This really wasn't what he had expected to find here, but at the very least.. More people might find their way out of here now. They could be free from this mist, which was a win in his book. He stepped back beside Sakura now, watching the others silently. @Voxieum

She watched the men eagerly run for their homes, eager to free themselves from their prison. She came back to Evrog, itching her neck with a claw. "Can we go now. Since they can leave on their own?" She was eager to leave and it was obvious, barely able to keep still. @Cecil

"..Yeah. We can leave now." He turned his attention away from the people gathering their things and preparing to leave, walking down the road without another word. @Voxieum

She eagerly led the way down the street, pausing to wait for him looking back. Every step she took made her start to buzz with excitement, ready to see the sunshine or the moon. The sky was permanently the flat shade of gray with no indication of light or dark... Tail lashing she paused at the edge of the fog for him to lead the way. @Cecil

He moved through the fog with a confidence that was strange for him.. At least nowadays. It was rare for him to feel like he had a purpose after spending his entire life fighting- And then when he settled down finally, only to have the only thing he had been used to torn away from him. But now.. Things would be different. Hopefully. Things would be changing for the better, and it started with leading Sakura out of this mist. @Voxieum

She kept tight to his side inside the veil, visibly trembling and terrified of the swirling gray around them. Whimpering softly She pushed her head under his palm then stood straight, so his hand rested on her shoulder for some measure of comfort. As the gray split before them She leapt forward for freedom, sprinting out of her prison trailing the mist behind her. She happily rolled into the deep grass and stared up for the first time at the sky. @Cecil

He stepped out into the sun, blocking the light with his arm. "Welcome to the land beyond the mists." The warrior said as he watched the dragon sprint forward. Following close behind, he took a seat not too far away from her, demanifesting his glaive and simply.. watching her. @Voxieum

She was playing mostly, rolling around in the grass and leaping up twisting. She had slightly easier times to fly and glide, claws digging at the air. She landed on her back blowing steam from her mouth happy. She rolled to her feet and wrapped him up in her tail like a hug. "Thank you..." @Cecil

He nodded. "Of course. I couldn't let the only dragon i've met in several years just waste away in that place. And others are being helped at the same time, so it's a win for many more." He patted the side of her tail and looked up at the sky. "Well, it's a big world out there, and i'm sure you want to explore it." @Voxieum

"but where will you go?" She laid down with him, still tail around him. "Where am I supposed to go. You can't leave me alone!" She protested stamping angrily. @Cecil

"Who said I was going anywhere? I have nowhere else to go." He replied simply, looking up at her. "Nobody's waiting for me out here, so you're stuck with me, whether you like it or not." @Voxieum

She chuffed, air blowing back his hair and she passed, trotting across the grass happily. "So show me everything. Let's go." She did little hops as she walked, ready to go and explore. @Cecil

He adjusted the deerskin patch over his eye and stood up, brushing some grass from his pants. "What do you want to see first? It's a massive world, and having some form of direction will make it easier to see what you want to see." @Voxieum

"Water. Something bigger than the creek and the well." She offered as a first stop. "And proper towns... not the remnants. I want to try drink and food and sleep in a real bed." She added after. She thought herself... human. Wanting to be more than just a beast.... She padded down the hill tail dragging behind her. A city could be difficult, especially to protect her... @Cecil

"..There's a decently-sized river not to far west from here. We can stop there on our way to one of the towns out that way. Though, I think people would get scared by just seeing a dragon walk up, as they still tell stories about the cruelty of dragons. Do you have any shapechanging abilities to appear human? It would make getting food and drink easier, since you'd blend in more." He was following behind, talking all the while. @Voxieum

"Mm... I think so? I don't know. I've never tried." She murmured, looking back to him. "I feel like it'd be uncomfortable to fit in human skin..." she giggled, tail lashing behind her amused. @Cecil

"I can understand that. My dragon friend felt unnatural in my body for a long, long time. It took about a year for him to feel comfortable." He let out a quiet sigh. "And another thing I need to teach you is the common tongue. I saw your confusion when I was talking to the men in the mists. If you want to live in the outside world, you need to know how to talk to people." @Voxieum

"No one ever tried to teach me." She said softly, "but I'll try to learn." She chuffed softly. She stopped moving and when he turned she was a woman, clutching a kimono around her naked body. Her hair was the same faint red, black marks across her face and shoulders. Her knees went out and she had to sit in the grass, panting. "Apparently I can become a human..." she mumbled softly. @Cecil

He glanced back at her after she transformed, nodding simply. "Hey, that's not bad." Walking over, he offered a hand to her. "I'll be able to teach you. Hell, I didn't learn how to read or write until I was in my mid-20s, so I can understand what you'll need to go through in order to learn." @Voxieum

She limped stiffly along with him. Her scales became a kimono, something she'd have to keep with her to turn back. She barely could keep her feet, needing to hold onto his arm. She noticed the black tattoo around her wrist and stared at it confused, then her shoulders and she blinked. "Mkay then..." he mumbled about herself. "Interesting..." she tugged fingers through her tangled hair. @Cecil

He had very little trouble supporting her, mostly due to his experience as a warrior giving him a strong body. "..Those tattoos aren't something i've ever seen on a dragon before. I wonder if it's something related to the transformation.. And i've never heard of a transformation including clothing. Any idea what that's about?" @Voxieum

"I dont have the strength to completely get rid of it. This is the only way I could make it work. I have to wear this to turn back." She said softly, holding it closed over her body. "I wasn't strong enough." @Cecil

"It's your first time doing it. You can't expect to get it completely right on your first try." He didn't seem bothered by it. "Do you need to sit for a while before we keep going?"

( @Voxieum )

She shook her head stubborn but didn't loosen her grip on him, plodding on unsteady feet forwards. "This is my first day of freedom. I'm not resting now." She growled, teeth grit but she had to sit until she got feeling in her feet. @Cecil

"Don't push yourself too hard. We've got all the time in the world to explore." He led her down the path for a time, showing her how the forests looked in the open world, and soon enough, it was time for them to make camp. Evrog didn't have too much for a two-person camp, just a bedroll that he offered her as he created a small campfire in the middle of the clearing. "Sakura, have you been alone your entire life? How long have you been alive?" @Voxieum

She watched her wiggling toes, kimono falling off her shoulders. "I think... 60 summers? I don't really know because I can't really... count. The boy taught me a little." She said embarrassed chewing her lip. "Other than his visits on occasion and a few days with a dog, I was." She murmured softly. @Cecil

He reached over and adjusted the kimono for her so it wasn't falling off her shoulders. "You should keep that close, since you need it to transform back." He took a seat not too far from where he out the bedroll. "..Sixty years is a long time. It's terrible that you were stuck there for so long. But, no more. You're out here with me, getting ready to experience this whole new world." @Voxieum

She smiled softly crawling to his side and thumped her head idly into his shoulder, sleepily rubbing her eyes. She fell asleep quite quickly leaning on him. @Cecil

He let her lay like that for a time, thinking about what the future would hold for him and his new draconic companion. It'd be one full of exploration, but hopefully it was a calm one with little fighting. He had enough of fighting. About an hour later, he lifted her up and carried her over to the bedroll, putting her down on it and laying down on the grass beside her, pulling his eyepatch off and setting it aside, closing his eyes to sleep himself. @Voxieum