Mystery [Zoldor]

[Freya]

Freya had spent the majority of her time wandering away from her brother's pack, and perhaps that was a good thing. Though she still followed his rule to an extent, she truly did not believe the majority of what he said. Then again, she knew better. The female smirked at the thought as she moved slowly through the rare grasses at the edge of the Arizin Forest, knowing exactly where she was going even as darkness slowly fell upon her back. She had been to this place many times, and though she felt the moisture of the growing fog slick the fur of her legs and paws slightly, she ignored the chill that ran down her spine for the time being. She was alone again, wandering slowly into the darkness of the forest as if she had not a single fear. And perhaps she did not, for she was certain she was protected by a higher power. Yet another smirk crossed her face at that thought, knowing that the 'higher power' was indeed real and perhaps closer than she expected. Either way, she doubted that anything could harm her within the shadows of the forest she stepped into only moments later.

The fog thickened the further she walked into the darkness, and eventually only her head, shoulders, and back bobbed lightly above the thick grey cloud that seemed to cling to the forest floor. No creatures seemed to stir, and no wind blew, and yet the leaves in the trees above her trembled and shivered with each step she took. Did she hold the power to make the forest fear even her? She doubted such a thing was possible, and yet she still somehow felt more powerful than she had in a long time. Perhaps it was wise to stay away from her brother and his pet, for she doubted that Drayton had been very successful in finding members to further his reign. Still, there was little activity from other creatures upon Drift, so perhaps she was lucky enough to be able to enjoy the peace and quite of the forest alone that night. Another chill ran down her spine at the thought of being so alone, and yet she still continued to walk. She had nowhere to be and all night to get there, for she had a full belly and plenty of energy to spare. But whatever the forest threw at her, she hoped it would be either fun, exciting, or both.

She paused briefly at the sound of a soft chattering in the distance, and her head tilted slightly as she listened. The large ears that twitched atop her head caught no signs of danger, but her curiosity piqued for long enough that she turned in the direction of the sound. Her paws fell softly on moist grasses as she moved closer, blue eyes focused and tufted ears turned forward and angled ahead of her slightly. Her tail tip twitched tentatively behind her, and as the sound suddenly stopped, so did she. Her breath came in slow and silent, the only sign that she was more than a statue being the slow rise and fall of her chest as she breathed. Then she heard it again, her paws finding motion once more for an even shorter period of time until the sound became a soft thudding noise to her right. She shifted her path carefully, freezing once more when the sound silenced completely. It was unlike anything she had ever heard, and regardless of whether she had moved closer out of curiosity or sheer boredom no longer mattered. All that existed was the still female and the fog that seemed to nearly engulf her and blind her all at once.

(Open to anyone. The noise can be basically anything xD)

[Zoldor]

It had been a short time since their last meeting, and during that time he had allowed himself to remain out of sight of his love and her brother. Perhaps he had been uncertain whether he truly loved her, the words could've easily been a moment in the heat of passion. Yet, somehow he could not draw his thoughts from her and every moment was his mind pondering the very thought of the mortal he kept so close to. Just as before the female travelled into areas that required his attention, she was adventurous, a trait he had come to be amused by. He knew that it was more than just feeling that she was protected, it also had to do with the fact that in the face of what many would have considered certain death, a dragon, she had not faltered before him.

The dragons large and bony skull tilted to the side as he circled in the sky above like a predator watching his prey. The night engulfed him, the soft nights light shadowing his golden stomach concealing him to the dark. His attention was quickly drawn away from his love though. The trees were shifting, moving and shaking in a different manner than nature had designed. Was it yet another feral beast that the crystals had warped? His gaze fell back on Freya, it appeared from her statuesque form that he was not the only one to notice something that seemed out of place. His wings folded into his sides as the dragon dropped like a rock to meet the ground. A streak could be seen in the sky, a glimmer of gold and purple as he spun through the air, the light reflecting from his scales before he disappeared into the trees.

The wings opened as much as they could allow in the tight space, softening his impact as he landed exactly where the source of the vibrations had come from. Nothing was there, his heavy taloned feet ripped into the ground as his body swivelled about. His tail crashed into the trees dropping three due to the rapid movements and lashing actions. He checked every possible angle, up, down, left and right yet whatever had been there moments before had seemingly disappeared. "Shit..." His jaws clacked together in annoyance as the word hissed out from his throat and over his tongue. A deep breath was drawn in before a puff of smoke left around the edges of his mouth. For a moment silence met him, except for the soft breathing a mere few meters away from him. "My darling, come." He spoke softly into the trees in the direction the female Lupus had been before. He peered down from his vantage a smirk crossing his lips as his long tail shifted, coiling about one of the fallen trees while his large claws raked into the dirt where it had once stood. The heavy tree was tilted and then dropped into the hole as he pushed the dirt back in covering the roots. Standing at half the trees height he began to inspect for any serious damage that he may have caused and then let out a soft huff, appeased that it was not damaged beyond the need of replanting. His attention turned to the other two spots the trees had fallen and began to work on those his back turned in the direction of the female.

( @Freya )

[Freya]

Within a matter of moments, the silence was broken by the heavy flapping of wings and the crash of an altogether familiar figure to the ground within the fog. She did not see him at first, but she heard the crashing of trees falling and the unmistakable sound of his annoyed voice in the heavy fog filled air. She remained still for several moments after he ceased movement, her ears twitching slightly as he called for her to move to his side. But she was not a mere Aureus that came whenever she was called. Surely he knew that. And yet there was an invisible pull she could feel dragging her in his direction anyways. But she took her time, even as she could hear his movements and feel the shift in the air around her as he lifted the trees and replanted them from where they had fallen. She kept her distance as he replanted the second two trees and then finally stepped out of the fog and into the small seemingly clear area his wings and movements had created. Her blue eyes scanned his dark form with no fear, for she had never been afraid of the dragon that so many spoke of in hushed tones as if he would appear to devour them if they spoke too loudly about him.

But he would not harm her, at least not on purpose. She still remembered their last encounter very well, but she did not dwell on it in that moment. Instead she was curious to see if he had found the source of the noises she had been hearing. "Did you find something?" She asked softly, tilting her head to the side and seeing no need to raise her voice so that he could hear her. She was certain her could, sure he was listening, and instead of standing still and waiting around for an answer, she easily closed the distance between them. Her long tail brushed along the length of his scaled one, and she only came to a stop when she finally reached his left side. She sat down slowly, allowing her fur to press against him slightly as she lifted her nose to look up towards his face. "I know you heard it, just like I know you have been watching me." She said, and if she had an eyebrow to raise, she would have. But there was a small smile on her face, showing that she did not truly mind the monitoring as long as he did not interfere with her free will. She would go wherever she pleased and do whatever she wished regardless of what he said or did.

It was more of an unspoken agreement in her mind, but at the same time she had been careful not to truly get into much trouble. She was not looking to cause problems, she simply enjoyed wandering and experiencing new things. Life was boring if she just sat around and waited on the males in her life to decide everything. She relaxed beside him as her blue eyes watched him curiously, more interested to see what he had found or if he knew what had been making the nose she had heard in the fog not long before his landing. If anyone knew what had caused it then it would be him, but at the same time he seemed just as confused and interested as she was. Perhaps this would give them the opportunity to explore and find something new together. Did it have to do with the crystals that he so often refused to talk about? She knew he hated them, but she did not quite know why. They were a sore subject for him, but she would only hold back on pushing the subject for so long. Sooner or later she would get the information she wanted, whether he liked it or not.

( @Zoldor )

[Zoldor]

The final tree came crashing down into the ground, the dirt piled on top of its roots and compacted down. As he finished his task his head turned three of the eyes falling on the smaller figure that emerged from the fog. If he could smile he would've, instead he remained somewhat motionless transfixed on his singular passion. The question fell on deaf ears, for but a moment he had gotten lost in a not-so-distant memory. The feel of her touch though brought him back to life, a tingle ran up his tail and along his spine with a huff that carried not only an annoyance but also amusement at how easily he had become engrossed in the little female. "Nothing, not even a trace of what it might've been." Though he kept his tone level there was a creeping he felt under his skin, for the first time in thousands of years there was something new, something different. It didn't seem like manipulation of an already existing creature, not something that the dragons had created from their proclivities. This seemed like something completely different, a beast that he had never known existed.

"Of course I keep an eye out, next thing I know your brother will attempt to sacrifice you." He chuckled at the thought of it, the idiot had no clue what would happen to him if he were to attempt such a thing with Freya. His head tilted and he lowered it bumping his larger nose to her own, the eyes all turned to look towards the center where two of her stood from the awkward cross-eyed view. The beast did not believe that she would be in danger without his watchful eye, however, knowing that he kept her safe gave him something to do and some peace of mind. He might not have been able to control the crystals, but at least he could protect a small piece of the world from them.

"I may suggest keeping away from that noise if you happen to hear it again." He gave no reason, but there was an essence that seemed to cling to the air about him, something that was foreign and wrong. It did not sit right with him and the longer they stood there the more a sense of danger sat on his back. Yet he was fairly certain that the only thing that caused such a sensation were the crystals themselves, was this something the Red Crystal had poured forth from itself? Was it a trick someone was playing with their mind, there were no tracks of another creature, all that had given an impression of something there were the noises and the trees shaking in an unnatural way. It was enough to make him second guess what he was certain he had seen only moments before. "Did you happen to see anything out of the normal, or was it only the noise little one?" As he spoke he was shifting shrinking down in size until his chest was at the level of her back and his chin rested atop her nose in a rather dominant posture.

( @Freya )

[Freya]

She was not surprised, but perhaps disappointed when the dragon told her he had not seen anything specific that related to the noise she had heard. If anyone would know what such a strange thing was, surely it was one of the dragons. But he seemed just as aware of it as she was, and the thought made her surprisingly uneasy. She shifted slightly closer to him, but even as she did he seemed to change the subject back to her and her brother. A small smirk crossed her face as she laughed softly, closing her eyes for a moment and picturing what would happen if her brother chose her for a sacrifice. "Are you saying that I would not make a suitable sacrifice for you?" She teased him lightly, knowing full well that he would not eat her if she were to be chosen. He would have other plans for her, similar to what he had done to her before. But soon he was referencing the strange noise once more, and the smirk fell from her face and was replaced with a small frown and a soft sigh. "Believe it or not, I do not go around looking for trouble." She said, closing her eyes as he shrank down to a more reasonable size and rested his head dominantly on top of hers.

But she did not fight him, nor did she argue with the gesture. Instead she leaned into him slightly, keeping her eyes closed and breathing in his scent as it surrounded her once more. The male's scent on her fur had been fading slightly since their last encounter, especially since they had spent so much of their time together in the water. But she was more than happy to allow him to replace it, even though she was certain someday she would return to her brother's pack and he would notice. But Drayton did not seem to miss her and she had little desire to crawl back to his side, so she did not even bother to worry about what could happen. Her tail tip danced lightly alongside her, brushing up against his tail gently and then resting lightly beside it. "I did not see anything other than fog. The closer I got to the noise, the thicker the fog got. Then you showed up." She said, finally opening her eyes to peek up at him from where she sat beneath him. Eventually she lowered herself down into a laying position, still leaning slightly into his form as her shoulder rubbed lighted against his front paws. Then she rolled away from him slightly onto her side, her own front paws tangling slightly with his as she turned her head and lifted her chin to look up at him from where she laid. "I've missed you." The words were soft and sweet, though she did not say them very loudly. Still, she doubted he would be unable to hear her, so she did not bother repeated herself. Instead she let herself relax, even going as far as to roll onto her back and arch it slightly so she was laying half in front of him and half beside him, bent slightly around his front legs so that her neck and face were in front of his chest and beneath his chin.

( @Zoldor )

[Zoldor]

It was clear the affection the dragon held towards her was easily reciprocated by the female. The fact that she too had not seen it caused the jaw of the dragon to clack as he thought to himself, something he hadn't seen, something that felt different and out of place. He nuzzled down into her soft fur pressing his nose between her ears as his tail twisted and then lifted falling atop her own to pin it to the ground. It seemed that the little one was in a bit of a playful mood, his head tilted downwards watching her paws playing with his own feet the claws carefully retracting to keep her from being hurt by them. "As I you." The way she had said it, it seemed that it was not something the female was quite used to saying and if he could smile he would've but he settled with a different action instead. Realizing not only her new position but the fact he should distract her from whatever had just existed in this space he decided to take to owning the spot in his own way.

The now extremely vulnerable neck and chest seemed like they could use some dragon love. With a soft huff his head lowered and the warm muzzle pressed into her velvety pelt parting the hair so that she could feel the heat of his breath wash over her. The large forked tongue slipped out running along either side of her throat. As he tilted his head it brought his head down her neck, the split-tip teasing along the jugular veins she had exposed to him and he had happily taken advantage. His right fore-foot lifted and gently pressed down into her chest holding her steady, tail sliding to his side carefully coiling around the females own long tail pinning it to the ground as he lowered his head down letting the dangerous and jagged teeth gently press against the skin of her throat pinning her. Concentrating deeply he let out another hot breath of air allowing it to wash over her letting her know the situation she found herself in with the male. The paw lifted slightly from her chest the ends of the claws protruded from the tips of his toes. The nails held a blunted appearance in comparison to how they normally looked, the purpose quickly revealed his intent. The blunted tips raked through the fur scratching gently against her belly, careful to lift the middle digit letting it only slightly rub over the nipples as it passed them. As the paw reached her stomach it rested only for a moment before pressing down rubbing in with the palm of his foot like one would there pet. The toes were purposefully edged ever further between her legs but that was not his plan only a tease. Without warning he twisted the leg around running it up the opposite side of her it had come down teasing the teats once more before the foot came to rest at her chest. He released her neck turning his head to lick her muzzle then nuzzled into her neck. "I don't know why... but I can never get enough of you. Nor can I ever claim you enough."

( @Freya )

[Freya]

The female let a small smile cross her features as he said he had missed her as well. But as her tail went to wag slightly, she felt the extra pressure of his own tail pinning it down. Typically she would resent such obvious dominance and control directed towards her from a male, but he was different. He was, perhaps, an exception to her typical rules and expectations in a partner. She had no desire to control him, and she actually found she preferred to allow him to direct their interactions instead. Her eyes closed for a moment as his tongue moved against her skin and fur, her body squirming almost playfully beneath his paw as he pressed it down on her chest. He was careful not to crush her - and for that she was grateful - but it was a clear message regardless. This message was followed by an even more bold one as his teeth closed around her throat, holding her still beneath him as his paw moved down her chest and belly. But the sensations they caused were not unpleasant, and she allowed herself to relax in his grasp and did not resist him.

When he finally released her neck, licked it and nuzzled into it she offered him a very soft whine and nuzzled back softly. It was rare - if ever - that she showed affection physically for another, and yet there she was behaving as if she were completely under the dragon's spell. Perhaps she was, but she did not mind. His voice rumbled against her as he spoke, her ears twitching slightly with the words as another smile crossed her muzzle. Or perhaps it was a smirk, though it truly did not matter. "I could give you a few reasons why." She said softly, her words barely above a whisper as she lifted her nose slightly to nip lightly at his cheek. But she remained still beneath him, not at all interested in moving away or resisting the physical contact between them. If she were being honest she had been lonely as of late, and she dreaded the time that he would leave her side again. Perhaps she could return to her brother's pack and find companionship there, but it would never be the same. All thoughts of the strange occurrence in the forest were gone from her mind, though she had not been terribly frightened or worried about it to begin with. In fact, Zoldor had been the one that had seemed the most upset by the ordeal.

( @Zoldor )