| Wild Heart; When dragons are discovered, they are immediately domesticated... but can all dragons truly be tamed? | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Thursday Aug 8 2013, 08:46 PM (300 Views) | |
| TheProtobabe | Thursday Aug 8 2013, 08:46 PM Post #1 |
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[10:15:12 PM] AustralianChaos: The building looked much your average commercial horse stable at first glance. A central hall of sort lined on either side by bays for the animals in question to reside in. There were several marked differences however. The building itself, along with each pen, were almost twice the size of the average horse pen, and the entire building was made completely from stone, brick, cement...anything that would not burn, with no trace of wood in the place at all. For this was not a horse stable...it was a dragon stable. Inside one of the pens, curled up in the far corner, was a young dragon, appearing for all the world to be napping. His yellow scales glinted in the artificial lighting, accentuated by the deep black of his large, leathery wings currently tucked up against his body, though a close look revealed feathers on the trailing half of the limbs. The dragon, named Darwing, though his current human did not call him that, was a rare case. A domestically-bred dragon. Born and raised in the same place he lived now, he had been specifically bred to be one thing; a racer. The feathered, more avian Skydancer dragons were the fastest, most agile fliers of his race, but they were fragile, unsuited to the rigours of career racing. Darwing was a mixed breed...his father was a Skydancer, while his mother was a two-legged, bulky North American Wyvern, all scales and muscle. He was meant to be the best of both worlds...having the resilience and strength, both physical and mental, of the American dragon, and the aerial grace, speed and agility of the Skydancer. But Darwing, raised by an uncaring, borderline abusive human, had developed a burning hatred of humanity as a whole, and was deemed too wild and untamable to race. So he, like several other dragons, either past their prime or too wild to be of use to the human, were being sold...and today was just one of many days prospective buyers could come and see them. As such, the owner had taken precautions. Darwing's mouth was clasped firmly shut by a thick, tough leather muzzle, preventing him from using his flame-breath to roast any innocent buyers. The claws on all four legs, and the horns adorning his head, had likewise been covered. It was uncomfortable, but the young dragon was doing his best to ignore it...along with the rest of the world, catching up on some rest while hoping no foolish humans would bother visiting today. [10:36:55 PM] Kelly: The young woman's heart hammered in her chest as she laced up her sneakers and readied herself to leave. Zorayda would never be quite used to going out to gain another dragon companion for the shelter... no matter how many times she did it. Grunting a little as she finished the shoe, she held a hair tie between her teeth as she pulled her long, blonde hair back, only to then wrap it up and keep it out of her face in a ponytail. Other shelter volunteers passed her by and flashed her smiles, wishing her luck vaguely as they passed back and forth with dragon feed, brooms, and hoses to wash out the enclosures and feed their mighty companions. The strong, large beasts required a lot of food, due to their restless energy and the need to fight one another and fly regularly. The short blonde woman got up and picked up her large handbag and threw the strap over her shoulder, lacing her arm through comfortably to get a secure hold on her important items. She tucked her battered old cell phone in her shorts pocket and smoothed her shirt, hands trembling a bit in nervousness and excitement. Last time she'd gone to one of these places, she had saved the life of one... Smiling faintly to herself, she made her way into the huge enclosure where the dragons were kept sheltered in a faux cavern-like environment. Zor turned the lights on slowly with the dimmer switch and clicked her tongue to let the dragons know of her presence. A few fledglings made their way over to her, all of differing species; there were some feathered dragon children affectionately called Skydancers, as well as many others. These poor little ones were deemed unfit to race or use for other purposes, so they were given to the shelter as hatchlings. Zor smiled at them and held out her hands to stroke their feathers and beak-like snouts, wincing a little when some of them bit too roughly or clung with their talons. "Easy, easy, I don't have tough skin like you guys," she giggled as she lavished them all with affection. Her green eyes, though, sought one individual out--ah, there he was. As usual, asleep in the corner, his huge figure a lump that moved with each breath occasionally. She pushed her way through the fledglings and walked over to him cautiously, reaching out a hand to touch his surprisingly warm, scaly side. The huge, brown creature was a European Dragon, rarely seen in the United States, and very much sought after. This one, though, had seen better days. He was scarred, old, and one of his wings was crooked and crippled. He could no longer fly, and the old dragon was cranky and sometimes ornery. As such, the beast awoke and flicked his scaly eyelids open to regard Zor with a milky-yellow stare; he was also blind. "Hey, Crook, I just wanted to stop by and see how you were doing," she told the dragon softly, knowing he could understand. Dragon intelligence was off the charts, as smart as or smarter than humans; most did not know this, and therefore did not know that the beasts could understand every word you said to them. Crook, as was this dragon's name, snorted a bit of hot ash through his nostrils and rolled over, making Zor sigh. "Okay, I get it," she said, and turned to leave, disappointed. After that, she took a short drive along the mountainous coast overlooking the ocean, enjoying the view and the fresh salt air as she finally made it to the huge sale of dragons in the market. These were all unwanted for one reason or another; dragons that were too wild or old, crippled, or the wrong breed. She was here to rescue one of them... all she had money for. Shelters lived on donations, and seeing as donations were more and more scarce as the shock of dragons existing wore off, she couldn't really save many of them anymore... She made her way down one of the aisles, looking each dragon over and pondering which to take home. It was heartbreaking, really, to choose--but she had to. The shelter couldn't save them all... One particularly cold-looking trainer was speaking with a short Asian woman, when a yellowish-gold glimmer caught the sunlight and shone in Zor's eyes. Confused, she thought it was the jewelry of some rich person, but... as she kept looking, she noticed that it wasn't from metal, but from--scales. A strange dragon, bright yellow in color with black accents, was chained up from head to toe and glowering unhappily into the throng of people looking to buy. He looked... magnificent. He was half-feathered, half-scaled, sleek, and absolutely beautiful in Zor's eyes. She HAD to take this dragon home with her. Something in his face was wild, fierce, and untamed. Something that made her want to save him. She approached the dragon slowly, not taking her eyes off of it... she waited for it to notice her and sucked in a breath when shockingly blue eyes locked onto her own. Pure, draconic power emanated from the young dragon's gaze and Zor became entranced. Unwittingly, she automatically reached up to touch his scaly neck, but was shut down out of her trance when the trainer shouted at her. "Hey! Don't touch the merchandise unless you're buyin'," he bellowed, making her retract her hand as if burned. "Oh... I-I'm sorry, I just... I'm interested in buying one of your dragons," she said, making her tone sound vague and uninterested. Buying a dragon was like buying a car... she had to make it sound like she was entirely unimpressed. [10:52:36 PM] AustralianChaos: As the sale market got underway, and the people starting coming in, Darwing shrugged off any pretence of rest, simply settling for glowering at the humans as they walked by. His piercing blue eyes seemed to have an unnerving effect on most humans...whether it was because of their incredibly vivid coloration, or the coldness behind them, he neither knew nor cared. It took him several moments before he realised one human was not passing by like most, but actually staying near his stall, making him whirl around, his blue, cat-like eyes locking onto a set of green humanoid ones. A girl, barely an adult if his estimate was accurate, staring at him in utter wonder, as if entranced. He gave a cold, disinterested snort, turning away from her again. His attempt at ignoring her fell apart, however, when she moved closer, attempting to touch his neck. He turned to face her, nostrils flaring and eyes narrowing, giving a louder, deeper snort right as his owner yelled. The timing saved the girl's arm from being burned...despite being muzzles, Darwing's nostrils were still exposed, to allowing normal breathing...and said nostrils could still spit small, short jets of flame. But the girl retracted her hand at the exact moment he made the attempt, the small puffs of flame falling short of doing anything more than warm her arm, making the dragon growl in frustration, vowing to himself that he would get her next time. The dragon did pause, however, upon hearing what the girl said. Despite his relative youth...barely an adult...he could fluently understand the human tongue, easily picking up that this girl wanted to buy him. The two were going to barter and trade over him! He was not shy in showing off his offense to that, standing up on his four legs, his shoulders six feet above the ground, and gave a long, aggressive snarl in the girl's direction through his muzzle. His entire body was tense, though his wings remained furled to his sides...strapped down by more leather to stop him trying to fly away and scaring people. His entire body screamed anger and aggression, that suggested were it not for his restraints, he would be attempting to spill human blood right now. [11:03:11 PM] Kelly: "Oh!" Zor gasped in alarm as a jet of flame from the yellow dragon's nostrils nearly singed her arm. It probably would have ended up in second degree burns if she hadn't moved in that instant. His snarling and growling at her comment honestly terrified her... this dragon was bigger than she imagined, especially when standing, and he was definitely a formidable sight. She remembered herself, though, and clicked her jaw shut. Zor fixed a disinterested gaze on her face before turning her nose up at Darwing, looking at another of the owner's dragons. "Hmph, obviously he's too violent... you're charging far too much for him," she said loftily, looking at the other dragons. "Perhaps I should go for something else, hm? One of the less expensive ones, maybe. I wouldn't want to spend my money on a dragon of low quality..." She said all this with the same attitude as a consumer in a normal shop, as if speaking about inanimate objects. She HAD to win this owner over... if she read him correctly, he would jump to get her to pay as much money as possible, and with Darwing being far more expensive than the others... well, even if he lowered the price a little, he'd still get a pretty penny. [11:12:35 PM] AustralianChaos: The way the girl spoke about him only seemed to enrage Darwing further, his very breathing now a series of huffing snorts, each one accompanied by a small puff of smoke from his nostrils. He did not try and fight his restraints, though...he had learned long ago that it was a futile process that merely left him tired, hungry and thirsty. The cold-hearted owner of the yellow dragon was eyeing the young girl with a narrowed eye, clearly expecting her to not have enough money for any of the dragons he was selling. "You see those feathers, missy?" he asked, pointing out the softer growths on the dragon's wings. "There ain't none other like him. A new breed, crossing the Amazon and the Rocky," he said. Skydancers were also known as Amazon dragons, since they were most populous in the South American rainforests, while the North American Wyverns hailed from the Rocky Mountains along the western coast of the USA, hence the name 'Rockies'. "He's a born and bred racer, if you have a rider who can tame him. He's got spirit is all, and his quality is beyond measure, I assure. Healthy and strong, more so than any other animal in this place, I assure you." [11:17:21 PM] Kelly: "I can't tame a dragon who will likely bite the first rider's head off that meets him, now can I?" Zorayda snapped back, holding her own. "He's not worth that ridiculous price, I don't care what you've bred into him. I may consider it if you take off one of the 0's at the end, however... that extra money could buy steel nerves to handle such a ferocious dragon," she countered easily. Though, when he pointed out the odd mixed breed, she realized that was probably why this dragon was so brightly colored and so different-looking from any other scaled or feathered dragon she'd ever seen. He was extremely intriguing, but Zor really couldn't afford him unless the owner dropped the price a bit... he'd still make a huge profit, but he had to let go of a bit of the price for the dragon to be affordable. She gazed at the dragon again, trying to convey that her words were empty and that she truly wanted to take him home... though she wasn't sure that the wild-eyed dragon would understand her, or would care. [11:29:21 PM] AustralianChaos: The owner scoffed at the girl's counter. "That ain't my problem, missy," he commented of the need for a courageous trainer to handle him. "And there's no way I'll sell him for that little, you trying to rob me?!" he demanded hotly. "That's my offer," he added, gesturing to the sign. In truth, the owner was eager to get rid of the yellow beast...his violent tendencies had nearly killed the people he hired to tend to his dragons on several occasions, and he wanted him gone before someone actually lost a limb...or a life...over him. But he wanted his money's worth, so was pushing the high price, in the hopes that someone would be lured in by his unique breeding and racing potential. But it had not been working at all, and this was one of the first prospective buyers to show real interest in the beast...the owner able to see through her play. Maybe it was time to start offering another deal... [11:34:13 PM] Kelly: "Fine, then," she said airily, attempting not to appear shaken by the man's loud shouting. "I'll buy for 7. If he's really so special, why are you trying to be rid of him, hmm? Shouldn't you be racing the dragon to your heart's content?" She asked, batting her lashes at him ironically. She glanced at Darwing again, who seemed to be watching the exchange with anger in his gaze. The dragon's breaths were deep and rageful, building up what Zor knew to be a fiery pit of hot air he could roast her with in a single second. Honestly, though... a niggling thought occurred suddenly that she couldn't be rid of. What if she COULD get someone to race him? The dragon, though wild, did indeed seem young and strong... what if she could get her shelter more money and help even more abandoned beasts from this fate? The thought made her purse her lips, but she refocused quickly on the owner, waiting for his answer with a bored expression. [11:39:34 PM] AustralianChaos: The owner scoffed at her latest offer. "He's worth way more than seven, and you know it," he retorted, ignoring her comments for lack of a rebuttal that didn't acknowledge his horrid temperment and violent outbursts. "I got more dragons to feed than these, you know? I may be able to give him to you for 9," he finally offered, clearly, somewhat forced reluctance in his tone, wanting to give the impression he couldn't sell for much less than that. Darwing gave a faint noise as he realised what was going on. The two humans were actually bartering over him! He gave another loud snarl, though this one sounded odd, as though it was not supposed to come out like that. In truth, he was attempting a full-blown, ear-splitting roar, but the muzzle did not allow his jaw to work enough for it, muffling the noise, though it did nothing to diminish the sense of rage it imparted...actually making several other browsers back away a few steps, looking at the offending dragon warily, some even fearfully, to Darwing's satisfaction. [11:44:05 PM] Kelly: Zorayda jumped a little at the noise, but chose to take that opportunity to look from the dragon to the owner with an 'are you kidding me?' sort of look. The dragon's ferocity was only helping her in this case, though now she was starting to worry if he COULD be taken care of long enough to release into the wilds, let alone be ridden and raced... "You want to pay for the hospital bills? I'll pay $800,000 and I'll spare you the cost of third degree burns and funeral costs," she said flatly. [6:02:59 PM] AustralianChaos: The owner of the dragon seemed to pause, this time considering the offer...though he did not look happy. "You have your own means of getting back to wherever it is you're taking him?" he asked, his intentions clear...he would only sell at that price if she did more or less all the work getting him back home. Darwing, however, realised what was happening. He had no intention of being passed from human to human like some trinket, he wanted to be free and wild! He started straining and pulling against his restrained, growling and snarling and generally making as much of a nuisance of himself as he could. [6:06:23 PM] Kelly: She gave the thrashing and generally wild and reckless dragon a glance while pursing her lips at the owner's dragon. She DID have a carrier on the back of her truck, but... she would need some help loading the golden-scaled beast in. "I have my own equipment, yes, but I will need some hands to help me get him back there." Her heart sank as she realized something else... if this oddly bred dragon kept this up, she would have to tranquilize him with something, and that's the last thing she wanted to do. It seemed cruel and unfair... "So, as long as there is a team willing to help me, yes, I have my own equipment to carry him home," she finished, sticking out her hand to shake his. "I just hope nobody gets killed by this wild dragon..." [6:16:15 PM] AustralianChaos: The owner paused a few more moment, before clasping her hand in his, finalising the deal. "You've got yourself a deal, I'll have my men help you move him. Steve!" he called, a worker hurrying up to him. "I want the mixbreed put under and readied up, he's all hers now." Without hesitation, Steve quickly moved aside, coming back moments later with a large, powerful tranquiliser rifle, designed specifically for dragons. Darwing trashed even hard, snorting and snarling at Steve through the muzzle, but the man barely responded, taking aim and putting the dart cleanly into the violent dragon's wing, the sedative working fast. Within a minute, Darwing's thrashing had eased, the hotheaded dragon swaying, before eventually collapsing, the sedative effectively knocking him out for the rest of the day. The owner nodded to Steve. "Good, now get your men and get him moving," he said, turning to Zorayda. "If you give them the location and description of your truck, my boys can load him up while we get the paperwork all sorted out." [6:30:46 PM] Kelly: Zorayda sighed and flinched as the gun was shot at the dragon's vulnerable wing, the soft spot where most dragons could be hurt. She knew it well... oftentimes, she saw sick dragons get put under for surgery, and only huge, thick needles applied in that very spot would get anywhere to administer the sedative quickly enough. Lasers did the rest of the word, as well as endoscopy tools... She turned back as paperwork was shoved in her face, and she signed everything after quickly reading it over. She put her credit card information and thanked the heavens that she'd at least saved enough to get them food for a few weeks... they'd have to hold another one of their emergency fundraisers to get more. Her gray-green eyes tracked the yellow dragon as he was taken from his enclosure, limp as a dead chicken. His tail dragged across the ground as a team of men used a lift-sling to get Darwing from his cage. She directed them after finishing the paperwork and led them to her truck, where a huge metal enclosure would temporarily hold the sleeping dragon in darkness. Having a dragon in broad daylight while driving sometimes caused others to try crazy things to steal the beasts... many who could not afford a dragon dreamed of owning one. Zorayda felt a twinge of anger at that word--'own'. It wasn't right, letting people control such intelligent, beautiful animals. Dragons deserved freedom and companionship, not forced domestication. But for now... this was all she could do to help them. The drive back felt longer as thoughts raced through Zorayda's head. She wondered how they'd handle the wild, rageful dragon... he'd do fine with other dragons in the den if they relocated the fledglings, but that left him alone with Crook, who got annoyed easily. Though, perhaps being knocked down a few pegs would calm this yellow, crossbreed dragon a little bit. They made it back to the shelter, which was closed for the night. Most of the lights, save for one or two, were shut off, and under the lamps a small team of people waited with a sling similar to the one in the fairgrounds. Zor nodded to them and she opened the back, making the volunteers gasp in surprise. "What kind of dragon is this?" One older lady asked. Linda was her name, though Zor momentarily forgot it... she never got too close with people at work. "He's a new breed, apparently. The lows to which they're stooping now..." Zor muttered under her breath. "He's probably the only one of his clutch who survived. He's very, very dangerous and violent, though, so we need to be quick before he wakes up." The team quickly got him into the sling with the help of some smart leverage tricks and strong leg muscles. Zor keycarded the back door of the cavern, gesturing for one of the volunteers to contain the little fledglings that were bound to meet them at the door like excitable puppies. Crook slumbered on in the back, looking over his shoulder for a moment with a disdainful look on his reptilian face before lying back down, uncaring. Darwing slipped gently from his sling and lay vulnerable upon the floor, his limbs at odd angles. Though they were heavy, Zor adjusted him comfortably onto his side, making sure his wings wouldn't be crushed. His body was warm to the touch, almost hot... must have been something to do with his Amazonian background. She gently touched his muzzle for a moment, smiling gently, before getting back to work. Once the fledglings were relocated to their secondary cave-room, she began to untie his muzzle and bindings before scooting out of there quickly, locking the sturdy steel doors inlaid with stone and allowing the two dragons to sleep for the rest of the night. As Zor got into bed later, she couldn't help but to wonder... would she ever make friends with that dragon? She dreamt of angry cerulean eyes and fire that night. [6:40:50 PM] AustralianChaos: It was not until just before dawn the next morning that Darwing finally awoke, finding himself in a dark, unfamiliar environment as he shook his head to clear the proverbial cobwebs from his mind. He clearily looked around, his eyes, like all dragons, giving him fairly good nighttime vision, allowing him to see he was in another enclosure. It was clearly made by humans, though oddly, they seem to have put effort into making it look somewhat like the cave systems his mother used to describe when telling him stories of how wild dragons lived. Despite this, is was still obviously contained, his own little pen, much larger than the previous one, still sealed off from the rest of the cave. It was only a couple of minutes later, when Darwing yawned and rose to his feet, that he realised he was no longer restrained. He gave a brief surprised noise, checking everything. His muzzle, horns, claws, and wings were all free and unhindered. Giving the dragon equivalent of a grin, Darwing snorted, eyeing the door to his his pen, before charging at it, slamming his shoulder into it in an attempt to bust free. Everything went hazy for a couple of moments after that, Darwing only aware of a loud crash and an ache in both his shoulder and head, where he had struck the solid stone and metal door. When he regained his senses, he was dismayed to see that the door had held fast, not even marked by his assault. Roaring in frustration, he slammed into it again, getting even less results than last time, scratching at it several times, his claws shreiking horribly against the material, muttering to himself in his kind's own tongue. "No! No no no, come on! Let me out! Let me out of this place!" he roared. [6:47:26 PM] Kelly: "Quiet!" A deep, booming voice ordered near Darwing's right. Bars separated two of the dragons, the second being unseen until just now because of his strategic camouflage coloring and because the yellow youngster didn't notice the rest of his surroundings yet. "You will only result in harming yourself. These doors will not yield to your strength," Crook growled. He spoke in a low, rumbling voice that seemed to demand respect and attention without even being very loud. Crook had only lifted his head from the ground and shifting his body, still with his feet tucked under his belly and chest. "They'll be here with food soon. It's much better than the slop they used to feed me back home," Crook snorted, tucking his snout under a wing again. The European dragon was simply an old man, wishing to sleep for most of his days in peace and quiet, and he wasn't about to allow Darwing to mess that up for him. [6:52:41 PM] AustralianChaos: The voice did give Darwing pause, looking over at the bars, only now seeing...what turned out to be the biggest dragon Darwing had ever laid eyes upon, having never met a European Dragon before. In the gloom, Darwing had not noticed the dragon's lame and blind status, and was actually rather intimidated by him. "It's a human design," Darwing replied shortly, but politely by his usual standards, holding no hatred of his own kind. "Human creations always break, one way or another," he returned, his disdain for the small two-leggeds obvious. "The old one could not break me, and whoever leads the humans here will not succeed, either. I'd sooner die, though if it comes to that, I will be sure to take as many of them with me as I can!" [7:01:54 PM] Kelly: Crook rolled his blind eyes and lifted his head once more to face the general direction of where Darwing was speaking. "I hold no particular love for the two-legged race, either, but these are at least kind to us. They take care of a blind old codger like me instead of putting me down like so many others would," the brown dragon countered in his even voice. "Do not bite the hand that feeds you; that is all I will tell you." A moment later, he stood to his full height, easily twice the size and weight of Darwing with rippling muscle just beneath dull scales. Dim lights began to shine in the room before the elder dragon simply walked out of his enclosure... his had been open the whole time! It seemed Crook was docile enough to be trusted by the humans. Speaking of which... Zor made her way into the cavern tiredly, the artificial lights making the cavernous room glow with almost realistic sunlight. She dragged along a huge palette with various foods--European dragons were omnivores, though their diets consisted mostly of meat. Freshly butchered beef and goat meat slabs were cleanly stacked and extremely appealing, as well as some of Crook's favorite baked rye breads, seeds, and berries. Everything was, of course, slathered in the spiciest pepper juices possible. It was funny, but it seemed that the spicier a food, the more dragons loved it, and the more it helped their fires naturally develop in their bellies. Zor patted Crook's snout and split his portion out to him, speaking in kind tones before cautiously moving onto Darwing while Crook began to eat his hearty breakfast. "Hey there..." she said softly to the yellow, half-feathered dragon, staying far away enough to avoid any incoming flames. He was probably still a little groggy, but he was wild and dangerous, hence his enclosure actually being sealed shut for the volunteers' safety. She let him see the food first before slowly making her way over to feed him. [7:13:49 PM] AustralianChaos: Darwing blinked, moving closer to the bars separating him from Crook, finally spotting the milky, clouded eyes...he was indeed blind. His advice of not biting the hand that fed him, however, was greeted with a skeptical snort from the younger dragons. "Humans are all the same," he muttered, sadly speaking from his own experiences. As the lights in the enclosure came on, Darwing watched in shock as Crook simply left his enclosure, not restrained or contained in any way. "They don't restrain you?" he demanded, clearly baffled by this, for more than one reason. "By the Ancestors, why are you still here?!" he cried, ignoring the young human from yesterday, not even noticing her presence, focused on the European Dragon who was behaving in ways Darwing simply could not comprehend. "Run! Fly! Why do you stay when in a single moment you could wild and free again?!" he demanded. It was only when he heard a human voice that he whirled around, freezing at the sight of the human from yesterday...his body language throwing up all kinds of warning signals to the young female. "You..." he practically snarled, before pulling in a deep breath and spitting a gout of fire at her. The jet was rather impressive; narrow and focused. Not the hottest around, but definitely enough to cause serious damage if a human were to get in its way. The girl was out of his range, however, his display more of a warning. "Get away from me!" he yelled, emphasising it with a bellowing roar, taking full advantage of the lack of restraints to show her just who was the more powerful species here. [8/5/2013 7:28:00 PM] Kelly: Crook turned his head slightly to listen to Darwing's cries to run free and simply snorted, continuing to enjoy his filling and delicious breakfast. As the human carted the rest of the food to Darwing, fresh Alaskan salmon and other fishes were freshly gutted and scaled, and several different veggies and fruits were laid out alonside rices and grains... obviously she was trying to cater to his Amazonian side, though it was difficult to tell just what he would want to eat. Zor squeaked fearfully and jumped back out of the way of Darwing's fire as he bellowed and made a huge racket. Though she was partially happy that he wasn't muzzled, he was really scary... But another thundering roar overtook Darwing's and suddenly Crook was there, towering above Zorayda with a snarl on his lips. "Calm yourself, idiot hatchling!" Crook yelled, his blind eyes not quite able to meet Darwing's perfectly. "She's trying to care for you. Do you want to starve?" Zor took advantage of Darwing's stunned pause to shove the food through the bars rapidly and practically sprint away, near tears from the scare of being almost roasted. Crook lowered his head and growled again, this time more softly. "I would not last one day with a blinded gaze and a crippled wing, hatchling. I wish to live out my days in peace, instead of dying alone after being ripped to shreds by other dragons like you. Now, eat and keep quiet. If you calm yourself, they may let you into the flying cage to stretch your wings," Crook told the younger dragon shortly before lumbering away. [8/5/2013 7:36:32 PM] AustralianChaos: Darwing's satisfaction at thoroughly scaring the human only lasted a brief moment...before it was his turn to back off in fear as Crook's roar made his sound like a mouse squeak, backing up rapidly against the wall, too focused on Crook's enraged face to both the human as she passed food into his enclosure and fled. The mention of a crippled wing made Darwing look, seeing the damaged wing on his side, likely from a broken bone that had not healed properly, leaving the wing permanently bent at an odd angle. Despite his age and crippled state, he was still big an imposing enough to scare Darwing, who gave no other words, simply waiting agains the wall in silence until Crook was long gone. Even after the elder dragon had left, Darwing remained quiet, eventually moving away from the wall, cautiously approaching the food, sniffing at it experimentally, surprised at the wide variety on offer. The grains and rice he shoved aside with a disgusted snort, along with the vegetables. The fruits he left alone, intending on eating them later, while he eyes the fish with curiosity...unfamiliar with this particular kind of meat. He took a cautious sample of one salmon, pausing in surprise before practically swallowing it whole, diving into the rest of the fish like he was on the verge of starvation...which probably was not terribly inaccurate, having gone more than 24 hours without food now, having not been fed the previous day. Once he was done with the meats, he started on the fruits, savouring their sweetness. Skydancers had a particular fondness for them, a trait he had clearly inherited. [8/5/2013 7:50:45 PM] Kelly: It wasn't long after this that Zor came back into the enclosure of the caverns, having composed herself a bit from Darwing's scary fire earlier, and Crooks surprisingly protective bellow. She saw that the crossbreed's food was gobbled up, though all the veggies and grains were ignored. So, he liked fish and fruit... that was nice to know. She made a mental checklist of everything that was missing and resolved to watch which ones he went for first next time, so she could figure out his favorites. "All right, Crook, you ready to go out for a while? You need some sun on your scales." The elder dragon slowly got to his feet, a little more pep in his movements than usual. It seemed he liked going outdoors, even if he could not enjoy the huge aviary with a flight. The outside cage was reinforced with a lot of tough, fireproof material that was regularly checked for sturdiness, meant to allow the dragons a lot of room to fly and play, perhaps spar and fight one another, and use their flames to their content. It was a place for them to exercise and enjoy themselves, and it led off from the back of the four huge cavern rooms to let dragons out at different intervals. The fledglings would go out later, since Darwing was dangerous and only Crook could really handle him. Zor made her way to the back of the room and unlocked the huge doors, letting him trot out and immediately seek out his favorite tree to lie under and appreciate the fresh breeze. Next, the blonde hesitantly approached Darwing's enclosure, unsure if he would harm her. She wondered if he could understand human language... "I don't know your name, I'm sorry," she apologized to him first. "I... I also want to apologize for how I spoke yesterday. I have to speak like those people to rescue dragons..." she trailed off lamely. Zor hoped the dragon would stay quiet long enough to listen, and not tear her arm off the first chance he got. "I want to let you outside, but... you have to give your word that you won't try to kill me, okay?" She told him. "I know you understand me. Dragons are really smart, and I know you understood all the mean things I said yesterday evening, but please, let me let you out without trouble so you can stretch your wings and get fresh air? Just this once, and I'll leave you and Crook alone until it's time to call everyone in for dinner," she promised. Again, she stayed back a safe distance, wringing her hands together in worry. [8/5/2013 8:29:06 PM] AustralianChaos: By the time the girl had returned, Darwing had finished his meal, once more curled up in the corner. He looked up as he heard her footsteps, looking as much as he could as the girl went straight to Crook, watching them interact as the massive dragon was let outside. He couldn't make sense of it...these were humans, the source of all his kind's sufferring, and yet this old dragon was treating her as a fellow one of them. Then the girl turned to him and started speaking, Darwing for once remaining quiet and listening, though glowered darkly at her the whole time. Her commont about rescuing dragons drew a snort from him, though...he wouldn't call his current situation 'rescued' by any stretch of his imagination. Her acknowledgement of his intelligence and ability to understand the human tongue gave him pause, though...all humans before now had treated him as mindless beasts...why was this one different? He was still highly suspicious of the girl's intentions, glaring a her and giving a few heavy breaths, almost half-snorts, letting her know he was still displeased. But the old dragon was outside, and he needed to ask him a few things... "You'd better keep your word," he muttered to her, getting to his feet and actually stepping back, giving her room to oven his pen gate, still glaring at her...one wrong move on her part, and she would be roasted. Edited by TheProtobabe, Thursday Aug 8 2013, 08:47 PM.
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| TheProtobabe | Friday Aug 9 2013, 12:08 PM Post #2 |
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The blond released a breath she hadn't known that she was holding as the bright dragon held her gaze for a few intense moments, before backing down and allowing her near the door. She approached it slowly, keeping her eyes on him the whole time... not that this would prevent him from roasting her with roaring flames at any second. She tried not to think too much about the many ways she could die right now as she sucked in a breath and reached into her pockets for the keys, standing on tiptoe to get to the huge, strong steel locks. Zorayda's hands trembled as she fumbled at the locks on Darwing's door. He seemed accepting enough, obviously wanting to get out of the enclosure moreso than kill her, but she wasn't sure what was to keep him from pouncing the instant he was free. But... he was trusting her right now, even with something as small as this, so she felt that she needed to show him the same mutual respect by honoring his 'promise' not to attack her as well. Within a few hair-raising moments, Zor had unlocked the doors. The steel structure swung free, creaking slightly. The girl stood out of Darwing's way to walk out, but did not run away from him. Her knees felt like jelly, but she knew that the first step of earning a dragon's trust was to show them that you could be brave... and that you respected and trusted them, too. "Th-this way," she squeaked, much like a mouse being trodden on. She led him to the larger doors and pulled those open, too... to reveal the wide-open space of plains, trees, and sunshine. The only thing that flawed it was the high-up metalwork that disallowed dragons to go through... Not only was it made of steel, but strong electrical current rushed through it. The strength meant it was impassable, and it also meant that it would instantly shock and repel. Weaker currents, surprisingly, were more dangerous, and threatened heart rhythms... this one worked more like a dragon taser and kept them from getting too far. The reasons for this were for human safety; it would not do to have an angry dragon (like Darwing) loose in the neighborhood, terrorizing people and killing as they saw fit. Edited by TheProtobabe, Friday Aug 9 2013, 12:09 PM.
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| AustralianChaos | Friday Aug 9 2013, 07:47 PM Post #3 |
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Darwing never once took his eyes off the girl as she approached the sealed gate to his pen, barely even blinking as she pulled out some strange metal objects, hearing a lot of clinking as she appeared to fiddle with the gate for a moment, before there was a loud click as part of the barrier came free, allowing the gate itself to swing out, creaking as Darwing took a suspicious, cautious half-step towards it. It was open...he was being let out. When the girl gestured for him to follow, Darwing continued his approach. He moved slowly, before leaping through the gate in a sudden bound, clearly trying to stop her from slamming it shut on him in some kind of trick. It took all of his willpower not to just grab her right then and there and make a meal of her. When she opened the larger doors at the end of the 'cave', he paused, a wing raising in front of his face to shield him from the sudden ray of sunlight coming from outside. When his eyes did adjust a few moment, he looked around in wonder. Wide open plains, scattered with occasional trees for shade, one part of the field even containing a small lake, fed by a tiny stream which had been fed through a reinforced, tiny opening in the perimeter fence, barely the size of a single claw on his forefoot. The same stream continued on after the lake, a drain further around the perimeter fence allowing the water to trick on its way. It did not take Darwing long to notice the high mesh-like metalwork, made of thick, strong, highly flame-resistant material, naturally. He knew the humans would have designed it to be dragon-proof...but even so, this was far more than his previous 'home' had offered him, leaving him somewhat surprised. Why was this place so different, almost...natural? As the dragon stepped out onto the hard-packed dirt just outside the enclosure, he stopped, looking over his shoulder at the girl, who was now closer to him than ever before...well within range of his tail, wing, or rear claws, and a simple turn away from his foreclaws and jaws...well within range of his flames. But he did not make any move...he simply locked his gaze on hers, his piercing, cat-like eyes staring straight into her round green ones. Examining her...trying to make sense of her. She was just another human female...skin and hair, flesh and bone. She seemed to move and communicate like any other. But she had treated him with something akin to respect...fearful respect, but respect nevertheless...and she had treated him with, what he could almost describe as kindness...at least compared to his last human overseer. Her eyes only seemed to reflect this. He could see the fear there, the mind-numbing terror of knowing that any moment right now could be her last. But at the same time, there was that respect, bordering on compassion. Her eyes, usually the gateway to a creature's true feelings and intentions, were telling him that she genuinely wanted to help him...something that, right now, he could not bring himself to believe. Despite this, however, she had kept her word, and given him a chance to be out in the grass, and the sunshine... "Very well, human," he snorted in his own tongue, turning away from her. "You have earned your survival...for today," he muttered reluctantly, before heading out into the field...though he did give her a firm, but restrained whack over the back of the head with his tail as he left her behind, enough to perhaps make her fall, and leave a bruise and mild headache, but nothing that would cause any lasting or serious damage. The act was a sign of immense disrespect among his kind, as striking a fellow dragon in such a way was accusing them of being weak, since the act both failed to draw blood, and caused the striking dragon to deliberately turn his back on the one being struck. With that final gesture of contempt, he wandered out into the field, never looking back at the girl as he spread his wings, leaping off the ground and flapping once, twice, three times, the third push giving him the momentum to power into the sky, the young, brash dragon loosing a loud, but happy roar as he sailed freely in the sky for the first time since he was a little youngling. |
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| TheProtobabe | Monday Aug 12 2013, 10:35 AM Post #4 |
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Zorayda sucked in a breath as Darwing locked eyes with her, and he seemed to search for something... she half expected him to attack her, but there was an emotion in his draconic gaze that was hard to place... confusion? Hope? Anger? It was exceedingly hard to tell, and Zor found herself wanting desperately to know exactly what he was thinking. But then, he snorted and grumbled before bounding off. The sudden movement made the blonde girl let out a startled squeak, then a yelp as his tail deliberately gave her a solid whack on the way by. "Waaaugh!" Zor fell to the ground, landing directly on her backside. She gave the rapidly running dragon a pouty glare before getting painfully onto her feet, rubbing her butt and feeling a bruise forming on her side where Darwing slapped her with his muscular tail. The act of turning away disdainfully was not lost on her... it was classic disrespectful behavior from one dragon to another to turn their backs on others after attacking. "So that's how it is, huh?" she muttered grumpily under her breath. Her irritation quickly melted away when she heard him roar, however--this roar wasn't fierce or angry, though... rather, it sounded like he was doing it out of instinct this time. There was a note of enjoyment to it, and even Crook smiled a bit to himself at the noise. Darwing flew here and there, his wings giving him amazing agility and speed. It was quite an impressive sight, though Zor noted the slightly stiff beat of the wings that showed evidence of underuse. The poor guy probably hadn't gotten enough exercise, lately... with a happy little smile, Zor patted Crook's side before walking back into the enclosures, off to care for more dragons as Darwing and Crook enjoyed their time in the fresh air. The older dragon couldn't see Darwing, but he was definitely paying attention... now the youngling would likely seek him for answers about this place. Crook sighed and stretched out like a cat, shaking the stiffness out of his legs and tail before coming to a seated position and listening to the wingbeats of the crossbred dragon as he flew joyously in the sunshine. |
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| AustralianChaos | Monday Aug 12 2013, 05:41 PM Post #5 |
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Despite the fact that Darwing's wingbeats were stiff from lack of use, he still flew with an incredible amount of grace and agilty, seemingly very much in control of his flight, even when he pulled a few steep dives, flying almost dangerously fast for the confines of the cage. He stayed in control the entire time, though, flying for a relatively short period before the lack of exercise caught up to him, exhaustion forcing him to land far sooner than he would have liked, sucking in a few deep breaths as he looked around, taking a closer look at the outdoor area. It seemed that he and Crook were the only ones in the enclosure at the moment, though Darwing was sure there were more dragons around here. He could see that, along with the door to the pens he had come from, there were three other doorways, which he assumed led to three other cave structures, which almost certainly contained more dragons. He was curious about who else was held captive here, but eventually turned away, wandering towards Crook. The blind, flightless hulk of a dragon was the only other of his kind Darwing had seen so far, and if his age and behavior were any indication, he'd spent quite a number of years here, meaning he was the best source of information Darwing had...especially on the curious behavior of the human girl. As he approached the tree Crook was lounging under, though, Darwing remained silent...not entirely sure how to broach this conversation...treating humans like the deceitful, horrid vermin they were in his mind seemed to anger the old dragon. But Darwing was not about to show any kind of respect to a species that had more or less abused him since he hatched, so he was not sure where to start, eventually just pausing awkwardly in the shade of the tree, waiting to see if the blind dragon had even noticed his presence. |
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| TheProtobabe | Monday Aug 12 2013, 11:22 PM Post #6 |
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Crook felt rather than heard the younger dragon approach as he dozed a bit under his favorite tree. Not bothering to lift his head to greet Darwing, he simply spoke out of the side of his mouth as the yellow dragon approached. The younger one's breaths were heavy... Crook guessed that he'd been lacking proper exercise lately, though he was honestly surprised that Darwing hadn't run into the cage edges yet. Most newbies did so by accident... and only once. The knockback from the electrical field stung something fierce and could make dragons fall from great heights. "What do you want of me?" The dull-scaled dragon asked in his rumbling baritone, yellowed teeth bared for a moment as he spoke. Stretching out his neck and twisting it quickly, he popped some of the bones and sighed with relief as a bit of stiffness was cured. "Don't just stand there, hatchling, speak up now. Obviously you have something to ask," Crook grumbled impatiently. |
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| AustralianChaos | Tuesday Aug 13 2013, 04:50 PM Post #7 |
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Darwing paused as Crook spoke up, sounding as cranky as ever, making the younger dragon slightly more hesitant to speak up...for all his aggression and bravado, Darwing was still intimidated by Crook, thanks to the European's sheer size. The hatchling comment caused the younger dragon to release a faint, almost inaudible hiss, clearly offended. "For future reference, I am no hatchling," he remarked, his voice flat and level, before sitting down, finally deciding to speak up. "I came because you are the only dragon I have seen so far...with no others out here, you are the only dragon around to ask about this place...and this human girl," he said, his first question coming to him. "Speaking of her...why did you protect and defend her?" he asked, genuine confusion in his tone. To him, humans were barely even worth the effort it took to kill them...said effort only justified by the harm they caused dragon-kind. To protect one from the aggression of a fellow dragon was nigh on unthinkable to him. "I have looked at it every way I can, and your actions just make no sense..." |
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| TheProtobabe | Thursday Aug 15 2013, 04:23 PM Post #8 |
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Crook simply chuckled lightly at Darwing's insistence that he was no hatchling, not at all intimidated by the smaller dragon's hissing. It simply made the younger one seem even more immature, in the elder's eyes. But Crook allowed the new dragon his dignity and made no comment, instead simply nodding deeply for Darwing to continue speaking. To any other watching, the way Crook faced straight ahead as Darwing spoke would seem rude... but the brown dragon's blindness simply didn't allow for spot-on accuracy in facing the speaker, so he chose to just stare blankly ahead instead of making that effort. The question about the human girl made Crook hesitate to answer for a brief moment. Clearly, Darwing had had some terrible experiences in his lifetime involving humans. To press him too hard would likely make the younger dragon angry and close up, and insisting that humans weren't all bad would likely be discarded immediately as dishonesty. Sighing deeply, Crook waited a moment to answer before asking a question in return. "So, what is it that made you hate the humans so much?" Crook asked in a gentler tone than normal. "I have my reasons for being tolerant towards these humans, especially the girl you speak of... but once upon a time, I was a fledgling like you," the elder European dragon said, nodding in Darwing's general direction. "I was not born into captivity... no. I was around before dragons were discovered by the human creatures. We lived in secrecy, a proud, free race, and we let no one tell us how to live. We were in an age of ignorance... no longer being killed by humans of the old days, we were dubbed then as 'mythical creatures'--nothing more than figments of peoples' imagination. I was raised by my mother... my father had long been gone, having mated and left as dragons do. She taught me how to fly, fight, feed myself, and taught me our proud history. I was glad to have the life I did." Crook's face grew slightly harder as he continued. "But good things must always come to an end. I was still but a fledgling, even younger than you, when the humans came. News had spread of mine and my mother's den, and they came in the night as we were sleeping. Cowards," he spat venomously, obviously still angry at the memories. "My mother died trying to protect me that night. One bullet from a gun to her head...at point-blank range, even dragon scales cannot protect against that. I was stabbed in the side, just under my wing, and the next thing I knew, I had woken to see that I was surrounded by metal bars. Human contraptions pinned my wings, shut my muzzle, locked my claws together; I was helpless. The humans couldn't even handle a young fledgling dragon without their tools of imprisonment. I was furious, naturally. I thrashed and tried to fight back, I did all I could to escape, to kill my captors. "But I could not. I was sold to a trainer, one who raced dragons for sport like those beasts of burden they call 'horses'. They treated me like a dumb animal and beat me into submission, though I never stopped fighting. Eventually I grew older and learned that I needed to wait patiently for my escape, for a chance. I became docile and the humans thought they had won, that they'd broken me. I acted the part of a calm, domesticated beast, and raced races for them. One day, though... the daughter of one of my captors came down to my cage in the night. I'll never forget her face... she was a sweet, young thing, and she spoke to me of her troubles and how much she hated her father for capturing and torturing us for sport. She talked at length about her life, how she was going to grow up and help us, that she was going to free us all one day. The only problem was... my hatred for humans was beyond reason at that point. I loathed everything about her, and I denied that she was being sincere. I seethed at her voice, I hissed and spat when she tried to come close to me. One fateful night, my cage was left unlocked... as I was about to escape, she came down as usual, looking surprised to see me out. Seeing the perfect moment for my revenge, I bore down upon her and attacked, ripping into her soft flesh like wet rice paper. She screamed in pain, but just as I had pinned her down with one of my paws, rearing back for the killing blow, she spoke to me one last time. "'I forgive you.' Those were her last words as I tore her throat open and left her dead and torn to shreds on the ground. Those words have haunted me since. I ran free for mere seconds before I was electrocuted by the humans' tools. Upon discovering that his daughter was dead, my owner flew into a rage. He threw acid in my face, and though my scales resisted the chemicals, my eyes did not... resulting in my blindness. He had me tied down and he beat me ruthlessly, hitting where it hurt most. My tail, both wings, and legs were all broken and fractured in multiple places, and as a result, one of my wings was permanently crippled. From there, I was just something for him to torture and abuse. I lived that way for years, paying the price for my moment of rage, when he finally decided he'd had enough and put me up on the market. That young girl, Zorayda... she was there. She saw me and in one moment had approached the owner, bartering for me to be bought. I cared not, really, though I did notice that her voice had a striking resemblance to that girl I had killed so many years ago. I have been here for a few years now, and they have all treated me kindly enough. I learned that not all humans are evil, loathesome beings. And as for that particular girl... she is my savior, and she has the best heart even out of all the humans who work in this shelter. She protects us from harm and tries to give us as much freedom as the law allows, and, if you hadn't noticed, she doesn't treat us like dumb animals. "So, to answer your question, young one, I protect her for several reasons. One, to repay my debts for slaughtering an innocent girl like a coward, and two, because she is kind, even to an old bastard like me." He finished his speech and sighed again, reliving those old memories and seeming a bit distant. Edited by TheProtobabe, Thursday Aug 15 2013, 04:29 PM.
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| AustralianChaos | Thursday Aug 15 2013, 06:11 PM Post #9 |
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Darwing was just about to open his mouth to reply to Crook's question about his hatred of humans, when the older dragon cut over him, launching into a tale about his own past, leaving Darwing little choice but to sit back and listen, admittedly curious about the history behind this old, crippled drake. Despite having several chances to interrupt, Darwing never took them. At first, he was amazed by the similarities between them in their youth...then when it came to the time he had brutally killed a human girl, he was lost in the tale, just listening on as Crook told of his abuse, injuries, and eventual rescue, ending up where they were now. For several long moments, Darwing was silent, trying to absorb what he'd been told. Crook seemed to giving Darwing an open, honest account of his life...but that did not change the fact that it went against everything Darwing believed and knew about humans. They were vile, savage, violent pests...right? His respect for Crook was clashing with his hatred of humanity...leaving him a little unsure of what to make of this development. "I...I can't make sense of it," he finally said. "If humans aren't all that bad...why have they done nothing but insult, degrade, enslave and abuse me and every dragon I've known, ever since I hatched?" he asked. The stubbornness and venom was gone from his voice...he was genuinely confused, looking back at the door to the enclosure, remembering how the girl had spoken to her...how she had brought him good food, and not some disgusting slop. "What makes these humans different to all the ones I have met?" |
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| TheProtobabe | Thursday Aug 15 2013, 08:15 PM Post #10 |
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Crook listened to Darwing's question and shook his head, sighing. "Most humans are, indeed, horrible, selfish creatures, who use cowardly ways to control those that are stronger than they. They are an intelligent species, but their ambition and greed override any sense of kindness. But a select few, for some reason, whether it be their upbringing or something... instilled in them, born in their hearts at a young age... they choose others over themselves and truly wish to be kind despite not gaining a thing from it." The old drake realized that Darwing would likely still doubt this, and he shook his head again. "You'll see for yourself. I will only ask you this; don't kill any of them. Be difficult, stubborn, or whatever, but at the very least... spare their lives, and save yourself the years of guilt I've gone through. Besides, killing creatures as weak as they is in bad form. The girl allowed you to be free in spite of her own safety, no? Respect her, at least, for her bravery, and spare her life." As if on cue, Zorayda pushed open the huge gates, looking incredibly tired. She'd been tending to all the dragons all day, and she was hungry, too, having forgotten to eat as she'd been working. "Hey, guys," she sighed wearily, giving Crook a pat on the haunch and giving Darwing a wary glance. "The little ones need some exercise, too... and I'm afraid I don't know you well enough to trust you with the fledglings," she said to the yellow dragon. Strangely, this time her words were a bit more firm when speaking about the younger dragons, as if she was being protective. "I can let you out again soon after they head inside, but for now... please come back in for a while? Perhaps later I can introduce you to the little ones and see how they act around you... and you, around them." She kept glancing at Crook, hoping the older dragon would help her if Darwing decided to be difficult. She was still highly aware of Darwing's dangerous demeanor, but with Crook around, he seemed to become a bit calmer. Obviously he respected the elder drake for his size and power, and perhaps his wisdom... she'd seen them side by side, perhaps having a chat. She only hoped that Darwing would understand that she really was trying to help him, and the other dragons... |
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| AustralianChaos | Thursday Aug 15 2013, 09:23 PM Post #11 |
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Darwing once more sat down and listened with calm respect as Crook spoke about the humans. His words did not really do much to help Darwing's conflict, but the fact that he acknowledged the majority of the species as cruel, selfish, and power-hungry helped give Darwing some sense of belief as he asked Darwing to at least give them time to prove themselves. The young dragon pondered this for several moments, the figurative cogs slowly turning in his head. He was far from a stupid dragon, though his temperament towards humans and the stubborn streak a mile wide often blocked his true intelligence from view. But even with those attributes, he was forced to face the reality that, just maybe, he was wrong. Was there a good side to the humans he had missed all his life? It was hard for him to believe...but at the same time, Crook really had no reason to lie to him. Nor did he have any reason to be truthful either, though. There was so many unknowns, ifs, and maybes that Darwing was left unsure. But before he could fully piece everything together, Zorayda returned, the rage threatening to take over again as she request they return to their enclosure. The mention of hatchlings seemed to make him look around in curiosity, but the additional warning that he was not to see them due to trust issues almost made his fraying temper snap then and there. Only Crook's presence...along with his earlier words...kept the yellow mixbreed in check. The girl hinting that he may see them later helped bring Darwing's temper back to Earth, allowing him to think rationally. After several long moments deep in thought, Darwing finally gave a displeased, but resigned snort, glancing over at Crook. "Very well, I will heed your advice...but if you are wrong, no words nor actions will stop me next time," he warned, slowly getting back up to head reluctantly towards the enclosure, stopping and looking back over his shoulder, taking one last look at the outdoor cage, kind of regretting not flying for longer than he had. He did have one last question for Crook, though. "I apologise, but I never got your name?" |
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| TheProtobabe | Friday Aug 16 2013, 10:07 PM Post #12 |
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The elder dragon nodded deeply at Darwing's answer. "Fair enough. But you will see... Just keep your head clear, yellow scales." Crook looked a little surprised at Darwing's next question, asking for his name, as if he wasn't expecting to be asked. The old, brown dragon was so used to being treated as nothing under his old masters that it still shocked him when others wanted to know things about him at times. "...Crookwing. But most simply call me 'Crook'," he told the young dragon, giving him a rare, tight and close-mouthed smile. "Yours?" He waited for the answer, before turning and looking in the vague direction of Zorayda's sounding footsteps. "Ah, and here she comes," he commented softly, wondering if Darwing would do as he'd promised. Crook stepped back a bit, allowing Darwing and Zorayda a bit of space to interact and listening in intently. Zorayda flinched instinctively at Darwing's derisive and angry snort, sensing his tension and upset from her statements, but she gave him a level, firm look. She did not feel like messing around right now, especially when it came to the babies. Zor didn't want to risk their safety, even if it meant losing a little respect from this mistrustful yellow Amazon cross. Besides, he would probably understand... someday. Hopefully. Nearby, Crook's chest rumbled with a rough sound, indicating a dragon's chuckle at their interactions. Zor chose to ignore this, too irritated by her hectic and tiring day to laugh along with him, but as the large European passed by, she gave him a gentle pat on his strong, corded neck. "Thanks, you two..." She said gratefully to them, shutting the gates behind them before heading back out. About ten minutes later, she was back, coming this time through a smaller door meant for humans. Both Darwing and Crook were allowed to freely roam the large, cavern-like enclosure, filled with dry, clean hay, moss, and leaves... materials dragons would normally use in the wild to rest upon. It also gave the room a woodsy, pleasant smell. "Those little rascals have torn up so many pairs of pants..." Zorayda muttered, as if complaining, but a smile on her face belied her affection for them. Keeping a close eye on Darwing, she gave a deep sigh as she walked up to Crook. He was lying down, as usual, but perked a bit when she came over. She turned to reveal a small, brown bag in her hand, and a water bottle in the other. "Lunch break," she explained to Darwing with a tired smile. She flopped onto her bottom, leaning her back into Crook's warm, strong side, while eyeing the yellow dragon. She was still a little intimidated by him, but right now, a combination of tiredness, Crook's presence, and Darwing's tolerance of her presence emboldened her enough to stay in the enclosure with them both. Zor pulled a turkey sandwich from her back, opening the plastic Ziploc and settling in. She took a bite and chewed slowly as she scrutinized Darwing a bit. "I wonder what your name is..." she said in an absent tone, her voice a bit thick as she chewed on her lunch. |
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| AustralianChaos | Saturday Aug 17 2013, 08:18 PM Post #13 |
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Darwing nodded at Crook's introduction, giving his own name in return. "The humans have given me various names, none of which I care to repeat. My father had me named Darwing when I hatched, you may call me that," he said, finally wandering inside the enclosure he had woken in, surprised when, not only did the human girl leave him free to roam as Crook usually did, but she even thanked them for their compliance and cooperation. No human had shown him any form of gratitude before, either...was Crook right? Darwing spent a bit of time wandering the full extent of the enclosure, taking in the senses it gave off. The dim lighting, hay and leaves under his feet, and woodsy smell reminded him a little of his mother's tales of life out in the wild, away from humans. The smell of metal ruined any sense of true freedom, but still, it was comforting to Darwing, in a way, which made it much easier for him to keep his word to Crook. The enclosure was comfortable enough that he would be comfortable staying here...for a time, at least. He was still exploring the enclosure's various nooks and crannies when the girl returned, the sound of a small door opening and shutting making him pause, looking over as she entered and wandered over to Crook. He did not make a sound or movement, but his eyes followed her the whole time, still suspicious, the brilliant blue orbs narrowed intensely. He was surprised when she flopped down against Crook's side and started to eat, amazed at what the elder dragon allowed this human to do in his presence. His mouth opened, about to protest, before he shut it again. He already had a good idea what Crook's answer would entail. When the human absently, indirectly inquired about his name, Darwing once more paused, his suspicion now mingling with confusion...the expression fast becoming a common one for the yellow dragon. This human really did seem to be different, as Crook had asserted...but that did not mean she was trustworthy. There was always a chance she was just waiting for him to let down his guard, first. But he had promised Crook, and he honored such promises. He decided to try something, turning away from the corner he had been investigating and stepping towards the girl, pausing and looking at Crook briefly. "I'm not going to harm her," he said simply. "She asked a question...I want to see if she's as compassionate as you claim," he said, before coming even closer, right up to the two, before looking at the ground between, touching a single claw to the hard packed dirt, focusing as he tried to remember. Despite his rage towards humans, he had spent a lot of his time as a youngling watching them, trying to find behavior patterns and such he could use against them. At one point, he was been able to observe humans scratching symbols onto paper, and with patience, and several months, had eventually managed to correlate written word with spoken tongue to an extent...enough to know the basics of writing...and enough to know roughly how to spell his name. His claw scratched slowly across the dirt, pausing here and there as he tried to remember exactly how it went. He had not studied human writing for some time, so was having some issues remembering. But, after a few minutes, he finally stood back, letting the girl see his attempt. The writing was rough, uneven and crude, but clear enough that the single word was legible; 'Darwing'. "You wanted my name, human...you have it," he remarked, his voice still rather cold. |
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4:22 PM Jul 10