[Evangel]

It was 10000 years ago to this day, that the historic event called the "Great Dying" occured. The gods became angry at the Humans of the world. They waged war with one another, some slaughtered the innocent, and even the holy demanded more power from the gods. The gods grew frustrated and unleashed their children upon the world: the Dragons. The winged creatures killed almost half of the population of the world.

Since then, the gods created more beings to exist in the world, other than just humans. The gods of good created elves, dwarfs(dispite their grouchyness and tendancy to start a fight), and the majestic creatures centaurs, griffons, and a number of other animals. The gods of evil created the goblin, orcs, ogres, minotaurs, and eventual influenced men of evil. But it was the Dragon who reigned supreme.

Wars followed between the creatures of good and evil. It has been 500 years of peace. But with the recent murder of the Valkyrian king and his next-in-line heir by his son, war is on the horizon.

In the neighboring kingdom of Lucia, rumors of Valkyrian refugees declaring war on their homeland increases every single day.

It will be the actions of one teenager that will throw this war into motion. And even the gods cannot stop it.

~Present Day~

A 16 year old Lucian boy wakes up to sunlight striking his face and the call of his mother to breakfast. He gets out of bed, throws on his clothes and goes downstairs to the kitchen and sits down at the dinner table. His mother, a woman of unremarkable beauty despite being in her early fourties, puts a plate of bacon and eggs in front of him.

"Eat up now. You want to be as strong as your father don't you?" She says.

The boy nods and smiles brightly at his mother. He scarfs down the food in minutes and goes out to do his morning chores. He finishes them in a few hours in time for lunch. As with his breakfast, he finishes off his lunch with haste. He then straps on his unusuallt shaped longsword then goes out for a hunt.

The Lucian boy tracels two miles by horseback to a forest where he spends most of his free time. The forest is thick and he is forced to dismount. The horse was uneasy being near the forest. It runs off because of fear. The boy yells and runs after it but stops a few feet after the horse escapes from his sights. He too had an uneasy feeling about the forest, although he hunted in it a number of times. This region of the forest he had not entered before.

The boy entered the forest with sword drawn. He had inherited his mother's keen sence of magick and could feel an intense amount focused in this region. He couldn't hear or see and animal life. He pondered why this would be. His thoughts were answered when he came into a clearing. The clearing seemed perfectly circular. Around the ege, ice like pillars guarded the outside. In the center was a massive peice of ice, and there seemed like something was inside it. The boy sheathed his sword and went nearer the ice. He tried to see what was inside it but his view was obscured by the ice itself. The mass was almost as large as his house. He thought. The boy place a hand on the ice. It didn't feel cold at all. He put his other hand on it and then his ear. Inside, he could hear a heartbeat.

The mass began to rumble. The boy stepped back and watched as the ice mass began to crumble. Along the outer edge of the clearing, the pillars began to vibrate, creating a vocalizing sound, each different. The sky above became clouded and dark. Lightning struck all around and the mass. It blew abart and the smoke created from the blast clouded the boy's eyesight. In the smoke, he could see a dark shadow and he breathing. A low growl followed and the smoke was blown away from a strong wind.

Once the boy's vision retruned, he was startled at what came out of the ice mass. A shimmering silver dragon stood before him. It's eyes locked with the boy's. The dragon's wings outstretched an the dragon reared itself onto its legs. It let out a mighty roar then the clouds cleared, the sun reflecting off his silver scales.

"Are you the one who woke me, young one?" The dragon aked. All the boy could do was nod. "If that is so, then you are my dragonrider. I've waited decades in the ice waiting for this day. I am called Orion."

"My n-name is Mugen." The boy said porudly.

Little did Mugen know, the awakening of Orion set in motion a chain of events that will lead his world into war.

[Zero-Hunter]

An 18-year-old boy laid on the hard ground of the forest sleeping heavily as the birds chirped and the fire crackled. He awoke with a sore feeling in his left arm no doubt from his rough night of sleep. He quickly doused the fire and put on his red cloak and his Dragon Sword that his father had given him and locked and harnessed them to him. He looked back to where his town was and sighed. It had only been a couple of days since some Valkyrian soldiers murdered his parents and younger sister for not joining the army. The event was still fresh in his mind and he couldn’t erase it, his sisters scream before she was killed in cold blood made his shiver. He left his village because of the fact that the soldiers were looking for him and he hoped that the village would not betray his trust.

He decided that it was best to keep moving as he headed through the forest some more trying to make it to the next town before the soldiers found him. He kept walking most of the day until he saw some dark clouds appearing before several bolts of lightening hitting way out in the distance. He paid no mind to it and kept moving until he came to a clearing that turned into stone on the ground with some kind of statue covered in vines in the center. He walked up to it and pulled some of the vines off and was shocked to see that it was a dragon statue. The gem that his mother gave him just before their slaughter began to glow around his neck. He pulled the rest of the vines off to see that the dragon was fully clad in armor with no scales showing except for its wings. The boy also noticed that there was a etched area in the chest armor big enough for his gem but he paid no mind to it. The boy began to hear voices and branches cracking as he turned around to see the same group of soldiers that killed his family in the forest only 10 yards away and his cloak made him stick out big time. The guards spotted him and began to walk towards him as the boy drew his sword from its sheath; he knew he wouldn’t be able to beat them all.

“Place your gem in the armor. I can help you.” The boy heard a voice say in his mind, as he looked around to see who was talking to him.

“Where are you?” the boy asked.

“Just trust me.” The voice said.

“But how can you help me if I can’t even see you!” the boy exclaimed. He saw the guards draw their weapons and start charging him. “You STUPID boy just do as I said!” the voice shouted. The boy plucked the gem off his neck and spun around and placed it in the statue. He waited and nothing happened as the soldiers got closer and he began to think that his life was over. Just then he heard some cracking from behind him as he looked to see the statue cracking as he ducked just before it shattered releasing a dragon clad in black armor that let out a mighty roar. The soldiers stopped in their tracks scared out of their mind at what stood in front of then staring at them with sky blue eyes. One soldier yelled and ran at the boy but the dragon reared its head and closed its mouth over half of the mans body killing him before throwing him to the side. The other soldiers charged in as one was pinned by the dragon’s claw before having the talon spear him as the dragon swung its tail knocking the remaining two into a tree shattering their spines and other organs. The boy sheathed his sword as he saw the dragon shoot smoke out of its nose at accomplishing its task and stared at the boy.

“Would you mind getting the armor that turned me to stone off of me?” the dragon asked, as the boy nodded and began to unbuckle the straps and let the armor slide off. The boy noticed that the dragon was a girl from the way the armor was made. After the dragon shook off the armor it stepped into the light, which shined off of her beautiful white scales. She stretched her wings out to get used to them obviously being stone made her wings fragile.

“What is your name boy?” she asked.

“I am Rai.” He said.

“It’s nice to finally meet you Rai. I am Selena and you are my rider.” She said. The boy was a little overcome by what Selena just said but still excited in some way. Selena looked around before smelling the air and looked towards the east.

“What is it Selena?” Rai asked.

“I smell another dragon, come we must meet with them.” Selena said, as Rai nodded and got on her back as she began to run towards the dragon.

[Kaos_Dragon]

In that same forest, deeper still within it...a young dragon opened her eyes. She sensed the different beings not too far off. Something was happening...something that was enough to wake her from her sleep. She slowly raised her head and looked up to the sky. Luckily nothing was amiss...at least other than the feeling she was getting. She wondered what was happening.

It had been a while since she had used her human form. She thought about it for a moment, trying to decide whether it would be safe to use that form. There weren't just the presence of dragons nearby but...humans as well....many....She shook her head, slowly rejecting the idea of using her other form.

The dragon lifted her mighty body from where she lay and rose onto her feet. She had to investigate just exactly what was going on. Her tail swayed heavily, hitting several trees near her as she ever so slightly stretched her large scaly wings, as the forest around her didn't give her much room to move as much as she needed to.

Hmmmm.....I wonder....

And with that, she began moving through the forest...

[Lady Rika]

“I told you Freya…not to go near those woods…” her mother spoke quietly while holding a glass vase filled with fresh flowers. The woman looked positively haggish for being only in her late thirties, the long greased brown hair that hung uncombed towards the tip of her bottom. The dirt smeared face from days without proper cleaning, all of this piled on top of her delicate outlook made it hard for the girl to make her mother understand.
“Mother please understand…I had to, we needed something else to eat and I went and found a lovely wild garden that I thought you might like.” she fibbed while smiling lightly.

Freya reached down into her light green sling bag; fingering threw the many things she had picked up along the way. Though she didn’t like lying to her mother, or anyone in general it was mostly true that she did find a garden while she was wandering around in the forest. But she only came upon it when she went deeper into the heavily flourished wood where all the animals thrived and inhabited.
“See, isn’t this nice and large, almost perfect isn’t it?” Freya asked pulling out one large onion. She held it by the long floppy green leaves, clenching it just tight enough so it didn’t drop to the ground and bruise. The white onion itself was still covered in dirt where Freya had dug it out.
Her mother’s eyes narrowed as the little off white hanging hairs on the bottom of the onion spitted dirt along the wooden floor.
“It looks positively filthy!” she barked brusquely, smacking the vegetable from her daughter’s hand.
“You expect me to eat something from those damned woods? Ha, I think not!”

Freya gasped as the onion hit the ground with a loud smack then rolled over to the corner of the room, where it lay wounded and beaten in the dark crook.
“Mother please be reasonable!” she cried out rushing to get the onion back, “We need this!” The girl picked up the now dented onion; she clutched it in her hands as if death would come to her if she didn’t hold it tight.
But it wasn’t just for hunger’s sake; Freya knew that her mother’s nature fearing ways would get them killed. The woman refused to eat any meat, saying that the animals in the woods are trying to kill her and that’s another reason she stays inside most of the time.
The prince and his taxes made it nearly impossible to buy anything let alone food. This act led many people to take up hunting and foraging in the woods to fill their bellies.
Though at times when the forest spirits were angered they would send their mythical children to protect those in need. For any fearing fox, or leaping deer now had a chance now to be saved.

Freya would spend her entire days their when she could. Just relaxing by a gurgling stream, sipping the pure water that flowed before her; if she was lucky she would see an animal or three. Small rabbits munching on clover and light pinkish or deep purple clover blossoms, once she even saw a bear cub! But that was about it because most of the animals were too afraid to come spend time with the humans anymore. They were just too frightened. Freya lost count to how many times she had saved animals from being killed by hunters. Hooting and hollering to get them to run from the arrows that plagued them.

Snapping back to reality Freya realized that she was not in the woods, and she wouldn’t be anytime soon if she didn’t hurry and get out of trouble and fast.
“Mother…if you’ll just listen to me––
“NO!” she roared, swinging one dirtied hand at her child’s face, scarcely missing her.
Freya recoiled back, she was deathly afraid of her mothers mood swings. They occurred at any moment and could last a few seconds…or a few hours. This could include screaming or beatings and many many broken objects.
“I won’t eat it! I’d rather starve to death then touch one of those sinful things!”
Freya shut her eyes and tried to wait it out, as she cowered in the corner, the same corner that the onion had laid wounded. The sounds of breaking glass and banging pans filled her ears, ‘Please stop…’ she thought to herself.

After a few minutes pass, there was silence. When the girl opened her eyes she saw her mother on the ground, a shattered glass vase rested at the woman’s feet. The flowers that lived in the vase lay near her dark brown feet too, the small amount of water that was in it dampened the aged wood flooring.
‘Poor mother.’ Freya thought getting up and slowly stepping to where the woman was. Her eyes were wide and soulless, as if she wasn’t really there at all. As if they didn’t see her daughter pick up the glass near her feet so she wouldn’t step on it, as if she didn’t see her save the flowers from the floor or clean the water up that gathered in small circles, soaking into the wood. Those dismal dark eyes didn’t see anything, not really.
‘Ever since father died.’ She reflected leaning in to lightly kiss her mothers grimy cheek.
Of course the woman did not respond to this at all, except the light breath she took that could have been mistaken for a gasp.
‘She…she just hasn’t been the same.’

“How about this?” Freya asked trying to be cheery and optimistic for her mother’s sake, “Why don’t I go to town, sell these onions and carrots that I dug up and we buy some food from Eericks market? Would that be okay?”

The woman groaned and shook slightly but didn’t utter a word, so Freya took this as sign of permission so to make haste but not look like a slob. The girl dashed to her tiny room and put on her light powder blue dress, though it was very old and slightly worn out–for she had found it in the trash of a more wealthier woman–it was Freya’s favorite. It had but one hole and that was on the long sleeve translucent sleeve. So to fix that, Freya had cut off the sleeve to make it a nice summer dress. Of course the long dress reached her ankles and was in light tatters from wash and wear it didn’t matter to her. It was still her absolute favorite, and always would be.

Dumping out all of the vegetables on the bed, scattering heaps of dirt onto her old pieced together quilt Freya counted all that she had. Four long, thick carrots in deep shades of orange and at least seven onions, including the one her mother had dented. She had also dug up two large potatoes, but she didn’t want to sell those. She would hide them under her bed and when she returned with more food then she would once more fib to her mother and say she bought them with the money she received from the vegetables.
‘Oh, potatoes with bread and meat! We’ll have a real meal for once…like a real family!’
Looking around the room, Freya finally found her bright red basket, this used to belong to her mother when she would sell her flowers to the towns people before the King died. Her beautiful flowers were so popular at one point the King himself once ordered a bouquet from her. But that was a long time ago, the prince has no need for flowers. And now that people are in a time where they can’t afford flowers if they long to survive the week.

In the bright red basket she carried the vegetables out the door and down past the other small huts and wooden houses, towards the town square. Though the excitement that use to behold the square had died down quite a lot it being the people couldn’t afford much.
As she walked down the dirt lined streets she watched the people of Valkyra, though they were struggling for life and the times were hard they still managed to look cheerful and make the best of their lives.

When she reached the Eerick’s Market, a large stand that bought and sold food and other goods she felt more at ease. The daydream of her mother cooking a delicious meal that she could savor, instead of munching on raw roots or stale week old bread. But warm boiled potatoes, and fire-cooked meat. Freya felt her mouth watering at the thought.

“Hello Eerick.” She approached him with a smile.
The middle aged man turned around and smiled at her, “Why hello Miss Ailsae how are you this fine afternoon?” he asked staring at her, “Here to buy?”
“Both actually.” Freya replied pulling up her basket to where he could see her items.
He stared at the well proportioned veggies, they all looked wonderful besides the one with the dent. Which he could sell for half price.
“Hmm…” he pondered, picking up one of the onions and squeezing it, the creamy white and soft texture pleased him. The carrots were also long and healthy, thick too.
“These are wonderful! Did you grow them yourself?” he asked amazed.

Freya smiled, blushing slightly at the praise, “Why yes actually, I have my own garden out in the forest where they grow with the best fertilizer…nature.” She figured she would tell him that she did it, being she might be able to make some more money if these vegetables sell well. Then selling them could make it a sort of job since their only way of money came from all the odd jobs her mother did for the neighbors. Which Freya ended up having to do because her mother could never accomplish them, but Freya didn’t mind because she loved her mother and they needed the money.

“Wow, these are so impressive…how about I give you twenty shillings?”
Freya brought her hand to her chin, “Hmm, can you give me a slice of pork and….a loaf of bread?” she asked smiling.
The man smiled back at her, admiring her charm and beauty, “Sure…that leaves you with eight shillings left.” He replied wrapping up the thick wedge of meat in a piece of greased paper the same with the bread. Freya settled the food in her bright red basket after clearing all the dirt from the vegetables.

After she thanked him the young girl left the stand and began her walk back home, though she’d only been gone for an hour it seemed so much less than that.

“Now you die!” a young boys shrill playful scream caught her attention, turning Freya smiled at the sight of four boys playing ‘Kill the dragon’ a popular game that involved one boy playing the scary, evil creature and the others boys being the mighty hero’s who slay it. The little boy who was playing the dragon roared at the other three, pretending to spray fountains of flames at the brave champions.
Laughing, Freya sat down near where they were playing and watched. The boys all held toy swords, made of tied together twigs and branches. The boy playing the dragon had a large red cloak on that was to signify his red scales; he even took the liberty of tying pieces of bark to his tiny fingers transforming them into vicious claws. Freya loved to watch children playing or older boys sword fight; that’s where she got most of her mediocre skill.

“What are you doing?” a deep voice erupted from behind her, making her jump.
Turning around Freya sighed in relief; it was only one of the boys who she watched sword fight though she didn’t know his name. His dusty brown hair and dark brown almost black eyes made him slightly more recognizable to her memory.
“Oh…watching them play.” She replied turning back to the children, the shadow he cast stretched up towards the playing kids. He was so tall and strong from hard work, it made her feel small being she too was taller than most of the girls she knew.
“Is that so?” he sat down beside her, eyeing the basket in her lap, “I’ve seen you before haven’t I” of course he remembered the beautiful girl with the long blonde hair. Who wouldn’t remember her, she resembled a nymph.
Freya continued her gaze, “I guess, do you enjoy sword play?”
The boy replied yes and that caught her attention, “Really! Do you own a real sword?”
She asked excited, her eyes grew bright and a smile began to spread across her face.
“Of course!” he looked down at his waist, where the long sword rested in its sheath, it was rather plain, being a dull shade of brown.
“Hmm…” she looked at it with envy, even if she was a girl and even if she wasn’t that god just to have one, just to feel the handle in your hand as you prove your worth and protect what’s yours.
“You know you’re really beautiful.” The dark eyed man spoke deeply; even though he was just a year or two older than her he would still be considered a man to her. Because of his stature and strength.
“And you’re so slender, as if I touched you…you would break in my hands.”

Freya whipped her head up, from looking at the sheathed blade. The sweet words held such malice and trickery that it chilled her to the bone. She’d heard of a group of boys who had…taken advantage of some girls but she never would of thought it might come as close as to happening to her.
“Well I…”
“Come here…I wanna show you something.” He smiled strangely pulling on her hands, “Lets go!”
“No!” she whipped her hand back away from him, her eyes flooded with fear as she quickly got up from where she sat. The laughing and playing children grew silent as the older boy tried to leap on the young blonde girl who had been watching then for so long.
With a cry of fear Freya ran from where the children were at, she ran from where she was sitting nearest them. But even as the powder blue dress slapped against the back of her legs as if warning her that if she stopped now than the angered boy behind her would surly catch and make her his own against her will.

Her legs throbbed in pain as she finally stopped running; Freya watched with terrified eyes as the black eyed boy searched viciously for her.
“Come out! I know you’re here so there’s no use hiding!” He barked kicking a large puff of dirt up into the air. Freya kept herself hidden well as the tree’s massive body hid her tiny frame from the crazed boy.
‘Please…just go away.’ She shut her eyes once more, recalling a few hours ago when her mother had her tantrum. This was just like that scenario except a much more dangerous game. So much more terrifying, and just as that, this little game of cat and mouse could last a few more minutes or a few more hours.

Freya felt her fingernails dig into the handle of the bright red basket, the port and bread still huddled inside. Her eyes still shut tightly, she prayed to the gods that he would leave her be, prayed to the forest spirits that he would venture off elsewhere and stop chasing her.
“Ah ha!” he laughed as he appeared behind her, his hands wrapping tightly around her arms.
“Let me go!” she cried out, trying to hit him with her elbows, trying to get away. Whipping her hair back and forth Freya’s blonde hair whipped in the air until you saw nothing but a flaxen blur.
“SHUT UP!” he screamed pushing her against the tree, making her drop her basket.
Freya watched helplessly as he turned her around so she could see his face; it had changed. His dark eyes burned with an evil flame, and his face was so dark and smothered in pure hate it made her want to cry. Freya figured she would shut her eyes once more, to block out what was to happen to her next.
‘This might just take a few minutes…or a few hours…’ she gulped, tears sliding out of her clasped eyes as she felt him take one free hand and slip it up her leg.

But before he could get the chance to do anything else Freya heard him scream, his screams almost made her ears bleed as they exploded in pain. Opening her eyes almost made her scream, but not from fear or pain. But by what she saw.
The boy stumbled over in pain, his eyes wide and if she wasn’t mistaken tears were falling from his dark eyes as well. His back was soaked with blood as was the green grass below him and when she stared closely enough Freya could see the three long thick slash marks across his back.
“So deep…but wha–

“Stupid, pathetic excuse for a living creature!” a brutal, yet beautiful female voice snarled. Freya had been so busy looking at the boy that she had forgot to look up and see what had caused his wound. But as her head slowly tilted upward Freya felt a gasp erupt from her throat. Standing at least two feet above her was the most beautiful creature she had ever saw and the most ferocious.
Her eyes were the color of pure ice; they were so light blue they were nearly white. At first Freya thought it was a unicorn because of the golden colored horn in the center of her forehead. But when she saw the second much smaller horn on the end of her nose then that thought quickly died.
“And what of you?” the striking creature asked whipping her head to the side arrogantly, disheveling her long icy blue mane. “Are you too stupid to know how to protect yourself?”

Freya couldn’t speak, the large horse-like creature was so astounding that she had little ease blocking out the pained boys cried of agony. Freya would be certain that it was a horse but the scales along her face and the horns that decorated her body would tell her otherwise. Especially the two large ones on her hindquarters that slanted back as if you could lean on them to rest if she were being ridden.
“You should speak when spoken to you know.” The creature said saucily.
Freya nodded as she took a step closer; her face was now very near to the creatures.
“Wha…what are you?”
The creature snorted, almost in anger, “What am I? Silly girl do you not know a dragon when one is seen?”

“Dragon?” she breathed the words out, “But…where are your wings?” she forced the words out. She hadn’t thought that this magnificent creature was a dragon; she had always thought dragons to have wings and be much bigger. Compared to the artwork she had seen, and the dead bodies she had the unfortunate luck to have witnessed this female ‘dragon’ was much too small. Though in her eyes she was beautiful, she looked to be the oddest dragon she had ever seen.
“I have not wings, but the fastest legs around. And some of the sharpest talons too.” she chuckled and looked down at the boy she had sliced.
“What is your name dragon?” Freya asked watching the white creature whip its furred tail around, though it looked soft at the top as it went down it looked sharper and pointed as if it were turning into some sort of blade.
“I am without one, but I need no name for I have none to call me by such.” She replied, leaning her head in till her sharp pointed nose nearly touched Freya’s own.

Freya couldn’t help but watch the dragon’s long slender legs walk towards her, her feet were nothing like a dragons, scaled with pointed claws. But more like a birds, with yellow plating and three long very sharp white talons. But when the dragon’s ice colored eyes met her own she felt a sense of warmth surge threw her body.
“And you, what would you be called?” she asked softly, but still a little brusque.
“Freya…Freya Ailsae.” She mumbled, a smile cracking out of her shocked outer shell.
“Well...it is a pleasure to have saved you…Freya Ailsae.” She playfully mocked, her lips forming into some sort of crooked smile. Letting Freya see the long rows of razor sharp white teeth.

[Kaos_Dragon]

The water dragon quickly looked up, hearing the scream and the yelling not too far away from where she was.

'The forest is truly alive today...the first time in a long time...'

Undine, as she was known in her clan when she was with them, sighed and began to wonder some more if it really was a good idea to investigate. It had been so long since anyone had really come around and she was peaceful in her sleep. But...things were changing...and she couldn't explain why...

She moved on, continuing her traveling, not really knowing what would be awaiting her....

(OOC: lolz my posts are so small...but I hope they're okay ^^; )

[Sir Kenneth]

The young Valkyrian soldier stood completely still in the clearing with his arms raised above his head. About 15 feet in front of him stood a young woman holding a bow with an arrow pointed at his chest. Behind her stood about 10 other figures, all dressed in brown and green garments. The name of the young soldier was Gian. He was only 17 years old and had been forced into the Valkyrian Legion a couple of months prior when they came to his village and dragged away all able men to serve the King.
Gian was a simple soul who had never had any other ambition than to live the rest of his days in his beloved village where he had helped his family on their tiny farm. He had never wished to become a soldier and nor was he clever or agile enough to master but the most simple of fighting tecniques. He was a useless soldier and would have been much better off doing guard duty in a small village or perhaps being an ordinary infantry man. But instead he had ended up a scout in Sergeant Downey's squad, and now he had been ambushed by the resistance.

"Stay where you are and don't say a word or I'll put an arrow through your head" the girl muttered under her breath, carefully taking aim. Gian had absolutely no problems obeying her order. In fact he was too scared to move, let alone try to shout to warn the other Valkyran soldiers who were slowly making their way towards the clearing. The forest was dense around here, and his fellow soldiers probably wouldn't see the resistance members before they had made it into the clearing.

Gian heard the thicket behind him move as Sergeant Downey stepped into the clearing accompanied by the other scouts. The young woman who pointed the arrow at Gian's head, turned her attention to Sergeant Downey, probably recognizing the insignia of a Valkyrian Sergeant and realising that Gian was too scared to try anything.

"Drop your weapons Sergeant" she said while carefully taking aim. "And order your men to do the same"

[Kaos_Dragon]

It was then that Undine stumbled upon the scene, coming to a halt as she saw what was going on with the two groups of people. She watched carefully, not making a sound, despite her large size.

'Hmph....now this is interesting....'

[Evangel]

The Prince paced about his throne room in Valkyria. He's recieved strange happenings in Lucia from his network of underlings. Appearances of large shadows moving across the ground. Some of his Legion that entered the large forests native to Lucia, disappearing. What unnerved him most was that the magical orb that let him see what was going on in his empire has suddenly ceased to work.

The Prince stopped by one of the windows in the throne room. Looking outside, he saw his amassing army forming ranks, despite the terrible stench of the undead dragons that made up his Armada. At that point the Absolute Ender, leader of his generals know as the Enders, entered the room. The Prince sat in his throne. The Absolute Ender fell to one knee and bowed his head.

"M'lord."

"What is it?" The Prince sounded irritated.

"It has been confirmed." The Ender began, rising to his feet. Speeking through his helmet gave his voice a frightful tone, even to the Prince. "The silver dragon, Orion, has been awakened."

"Is that so...?"

"Aye, but there is more news. It appears more and more dragonriders are forming in Lucia. It has now become a great threat to your rule."

"How dare you tell me what threatens my throne and what does not! I'll make that decision for myself!" The Prince was well known for these bursts. After he calmed down, the Ender spoke again.

"What are your orders, m'lord?"

The Prince hesitated for a moment. "Send the Ender Zane's force. That should be enough."

The Absolute Ender bowed and exited his chambers. Hearing: "Do not fail me, Thalon."

Out at the rally point, Thalon waked to the area where the Bone Armada gathered. All in his way split and cowered in fear. He found Zane barking orders to the Dragonriders.

"Ender Zane." At this, Zane turned and looked at Thalon. "You are to take yourself and your riders to Lucia. Find Orion and his rider, then bring them to me."

"Aye, sir." Zane saluted to Thalon as he walked off. "Riders mount up!" He yelled out, mounting his own undead dragon. Five others accompanied him. They took off without any difficulty. The distorted roars of the Bone Armada sought him off. Darkness seemed to follow him and his riders.

[Zero-Hunter]

Selena ran fast for just waking up from what Rai thought to be at least a hundred year slumber. As they ran through the forest Rai saw off in the distance what seemed to be a group of soldiers but he would pay no mind to it and only to where Selena was taking him. They continued to run through the forest dodging trees and small holes that oculd have broken one of Selena’s legs had she fell into one.

Rai began to get a strange feeling in his gut as they got closer and closer to their destination. He continued to look towards the west and Selena was beginning to worry since she didn’t know much about Rai except that he was destined to be her rider. “What’s wrong Rai?” Selena asked, Rai looked back at her and smiled “It’s nothing…are we almost there?” Rai answered. Selena nodded as they began to come up on a clearing in the woods that turned to stone. In the center were what looked to be ice pillars and in the middle much to Rai’s surprise was a large silver Dragon that made Selena look small in comparison as well as a boy that he assumed to be the dragons rider. Rai went to grab his sword as they got closer but Selena protested to the act. “We aren’t their enemy, so don’t make us out to be one okay.” Selena said, as Rai nodded and dismounted her as she walked closer to the silver Dragon. Selena bent one leg and bowed her head “Great Orion it has been far too long.” Selena said, as Rai walked to the other rider and extended his hand.

[Sir Kenneth]

Bryce Downey had not expected to be held up at arrow point by a bunch of resistance members who appeared to be little more than children. Yet he refused himself to look surprised by the ambush and made a mental note for himself to give Gian a proper beating once he had taken care of these brats.
He smiled brightly at the girl closest to him and Gian, who appeared to be their leader. Not the welcoming smile of a friend nor the consoling smile of an enemy who knows that coorporation is his only mean of survival. This was the confident smile of a man who believed himself to hold the ACTUAL bow and arrow in this situation.

"Really Ma'am, there's no need for such unpleasant threats. My men and I will happily do as you wish" Bryce said with a grin while he dropped his gladius and his bow in front of him, gesturing his soldiers to do the same. To Bryce it looked as if the girl was slighly suspicious of his willingness to coorporate, and for a long time her eyes went slowly up and down his body.

"The knife" she said and gestured at his arm with a slight movement of her head. "I suggest you shake it out of your sleeve before you force me to make your visit here in the woodlands of Lucia a rather unpleasant one.
With fake disappointment painted across his face, Bryce shook the knife out of his sleeve and dropped it on the ground. The girl seemed pleased with the discovery, and with long confident steps she strode towards Bryce.
"Sergeant, you and your men are hereby under arrest for trespassing into Lucian territory violating Lucian sovereignty. You will be taken to our headquarters for further intero..."

Before she managed to finish her sentence, she felt something cold slide between her ribs and pierce her heart. The Valkyrian Sergeant had perhaps not been as unarmed as she thought he was. As her lifeblood left her veins, he gripped her by her tunic with his other hand, leaning over her.
"Foolish girl!" he hissed "Noone threatens Bryce Downey more than once. Especially not if they take their eyes off his hands"

The death of their leader threw the resistance members into disarray. Mere seconds ago they had had the upper hand, but not they were trying to flee into the woods, chased by the Valkyrian soldiers. After about an hour, most of his men had returned to the clearing. A few of them had been shot by the few resistance members who had stood their ground when their leader died, and 2 of them had died from their wounds, but the rest were pretty much unscarred. One of his soldiers came back, dragging a young boy from the resistance party behind him. He ordered the soldier to bring the boy up on his knees, where Bryce put the point of his gladius under his chin and forced him to look into his eyes.

"What is your name boy?" He said, pressing the blade gently upwards.
"My name is Frater Sir" the boy replied in a low voice close to a whisper.
"Valkyran are you? And don't tell me otherwise, your accent reeks of it!"
"Correct Sir"

Bryce lowered his gladius and smiled at the boy
"Frater, Valkyria is going through hard times and the Prince needs every able young man to step up and proudly serve his country. Not doing so is punishable by death. This, however, is your lucky day Frater. I will give a final chance to serve your Prince and your country. If you just tell me exactly what I want to hear, you might even make it away from here alive..."

[Kaos_Dragon]

Undine shook her head at the turn of events. It figures...that's just how humans were...they would even kill those of their own kind if things were not following a certain set of unspoken rules. It wasn't her business nor did it matter to her what happened to either side....Even if one was Valkyran...

Not caring about either set of humans, she pressed on, passing by the people as though she didn't care if she was seen or not... She could handle her own...She was no weakling...

Undine walked on by but also kept her guard up just in case someone did try to approach her. They did not matter. Humans did not matter to her. They could kill themselves off if they chose to do so and she wouldn't have cared.

'Most of them deserve it anyway...'

Although...now that she realized it...she had to be particularly careful today... She had to move on to somewhere safe. For if.... that were to happen today....which she knew it was time for...then...she had to be away from others.... and the quicker she moved, the better...

[Fehrant]

Soaring through the sky, she glanced down at the tiny spots laid out on the ground that composed civilization in these parts. She was at a high altitude, sometimes piercing through clouds, or flying close to them. But her mind was elsewhere, back to those wonderful 20 years of her life. She was 1246 years old. She had seen many things, and have experienced many others. She had accumulated some scars, and healed various wounds. Yet after so long, how could she remember those events that took place? Of course, the memories were not as vivid as her time in exile, those long, sleepless days that would haunt her relentlessly. But she vaguely remembered a voice and a face. She remembered how special the relationship rider-dragon could be. But it only lasted a moment. An instant. Surprisingly enough, after all these years. It had been a while she her mind had wondered there.

She spread her wings, and dived. The wind whistled through the creature as she took amazing speed. Her orange and black eyes fixed in front of her, as the ground and everything else grew in size. Suddenly, from the corner of her eye, she thought she caught a glimpse of another dragon. She batted her wings and stopped the abrupt descent. Her long neck moved one way and the other. I am certain I saw something, she thought. She decided to check the area and find out what she had seen.

[Kaos_Dragon]

Undine kept walking, not looking back. She had a feeling of a new presence but it wasn't bothering her now... She pressed on further....she had to reach an area where she knew she wouldn't have to run into anyone else...where she could....

It was already growing close to noon....soon it would start....not good....her breathing became harder and it was growing difficult to walk...oh how she longed for the water....

[Sir Kenneth]

Bryce had never taken much pleasure in the pain of others, but it wasn't exactly something that troubled him a great deal either. He'd get the boy to talk and it didn't matter to him how long it would take. The location of one of the resistance's hideouts was important information and he had all the time in the world. The boy didn't seem too willing to say anything about it of his own free will though, and Bryce raised a booted foot to kick the boy in the face.

But then he finally noticed the commotion around him. He had been so occupied with interrogating Frater that he had not noticed his men fleeing into the woods before he was standing all alone in the clearing. He put his foot down on the ground and spun around, gladius in hand, to face whatever had frightened his men so. A huge scaly creature was making its way through the clearing. It didn't seem to take any interest in Bryce and Frater or the fleeing soldiers. Instead it just walked right past him on its way further into the woods.

"A dragon..." he whispered under his breath. Bryce was as petrified, completely taken in by the presence of the mighty creature. He followed the creature from a distance of about 40 feet. He didn't care about the whereabouts of his soldiers or the boy Frater. His thoughts were completely centered around the dragon.

[Kaos_Dragon]

Her breathing grew shorter and faster. She knew that it was going to happen soon...but no matter where she went, she felt the presence of another. Undine did not want her secret to be found out. She no longer trusted humans....and especially wouldn't be able to after....

Yet again she sensed someone. She continued on walking, not looking back. Instead she quickened her pace. Or...at least tried to. She could feel her strength disappearing and a pain quickly shot through her body. She knew there wasn't much time left and now someone was following her...what was she to do?

She grunted and even moaned slightly with every step she took. That was definitely not a good sign...

[Evangel]

Orion bowed his head to the coming pair. "It HAS been far too long, hasn't it, youngling? That last I saw of you was when you were only a hatchling." Mugen uneasily shook hands with the other dragonrider. "We dragons have extraordinary memories." He told Mugen. "Ah, it is almost time." Orion stuck his snout into the air and inhaled deeply. "The others are awakening and converging upon this forest as the Ancient One foresaw." His attention turned to the west. "I smell death... death on wings. Do you, Selena?" Mugen too looked to the west, and as Orion sensed it, so did he.

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Vane and his dragons flew swiftly. Night seemed to come behind them as they passed by. He wore his custom black armor that were a trademark for his riders. The numerous sharp angles and and organic texture gave him a hellish appearance. His armor semed to merge with the demonic creature that he rode. His riders wore tattered black cloaks, being naught of human decent. They are the undead. Resurected from the corpses of horrendous experiments done unto dragonkind. Vicious, and merciless, they are they ultimate killers on dragon back.

[Kaos_Dragon]

With one final burst of speed, Undine raced hurriedly to an area that was lushly covered in greenery. She disappeared among the bushes and overhanging trees, which surprisingly hid her body. She made loud and strong cries of pain, shuddering and hunching over as if something was taking over her body. She couldn't control any of her normal functions and she just could not move any further....

The cries continued for some time. Some were almost human as if they were cries for help from someone with a kind heart. But she knew that there were hardly anymore dragons...at least that lived in or around this forest. For all she knew, humans have overtaken the whole area and then some...

After some time...the crying stopped....

Slowly, not too far away..a young woman, naked and very much in lingering pain...slowly emerged. She crawled out on all fours, not having the strength to even lift herself onto her feet. Her vision was blurry...her head ached as if it were about to explode... Her body aches were finally going down...but she still didn't have the strength to walk...

She collapsed a few feet of crawling...the only thing to cover her shivering nude body were the endless tresses of her blue rainbow of hair...

[Sir Kenneth]

Swearing, Bryce cut his way through the undergrowth. With surprising agility, the dragon had escaped him and he cursed himself for not being able to keep up. With an angry swing from gladius, he cut down a young tree and some barberry shrubs blocking his way. How the great creature has made its way through this without levelling the forest floor was a mystery to him, but he was almost certain that he had seen the blue dragon head this way.
The undergrowth was nearly impassable here, and he kept swinging his gladius, slowly making his way forwards. He was exhausted from cutting, but then he heard an inhuman cry of pain fron a place not far away. With renewed energy he made his way towards the origin of the sound. As he proceeded, the undergrowth got less dense, and he was able run across the forest floor.

After running for about 5 minutes, Bryce found something he had not expected. Before his feet was a young woman lying naked on the forest floor. It was a young woman of astonishing beauty to boot, but there was something about her hair. It was blue, and not just a plain blue. It was every shade of the colour blue imaginable. It reminded him of the way the sun had reflected in the scales of the blue dragon. He knelt down next to the girl and helped her up in a sitting position. Supporting her with an arm around her shoulder, he took his water pocket and held it to her lips.

[Zero-Hunter]

Selena stuck her snout into the air and took a big whiff of the air and growled at the smell that she caught. “The air does hold death Orion. We must leave at once and with me not able to fly right now I wouldn’t be much help if they take to the sky, we have to find a place to hide.” Selena said. Rai felt the presence and began to think where the best place to take cover. “There’s a cave behind a waterfall that goes deep into the mountains not far from here it’s like a maze inside that’s the only place I can think of that they will have a hard time finding us.” Rai said.

Selena looked at Orion with a nervous face as she felt the darkness getting closer and closer by the minute. “It’s your call Orion but I think you’ll agree that this dark presence is to much for just the two of us to handle.” Selena said, she laid down and Rai climbed on her back and waited for his answer.

[Kaos_Dragon]

The woman's eyes slowly fluttered, trying to open. Her lips felt the water pocket being pressed against her lips as the cool water hit her skin. Could it really be water? She hoped she wasn't dreaming.

'Wa....water...'

Not wasting a moment more, the girl with her eyes still tightly shut, began to drink. Her hands raised as quickly as she could to grasp onto the container, in turn wrapping her hands around Bryce's larger ones. At the moment, she didn't care what was holding it...all she needed was the water she craved....

She drank and drank until she could not drink anymore... It was truly great that she was able to quench her thirst...even though she still didn't know how this water all of a sudden came to her.

She lay back a little, swallowing what was left in her mouth. It was then that she realized that she was not sitting up on her own... Her eyes finally opened and her vision came back to her. Her deep blue eyes sparkled lightly in wonderment, much like a sapphire. It was....a man holding her.... She stared...taking a moment to realize what was happening...