Spirits of the Earth

It was cold, up on that broken mountain. The wind whistled, the late morning sun beating down mercilessly yet uselessly on these lofty environs.

A monolithic spire of stone and ancient pride, once radiating with a nobility that few could hope to achieve, rose with staggering height above the crags around it. The top of it appeared as though something within had collapsed, a great crater of strewn rock and ancient brick. There was something here, one.

A sudden gust of wind stirred a lock of black hair off a pale face, a pair of crimson eyes surveying the scene before him. This gaze was stalwart, hard, revealing only an inkling of the broken pride within as he looked at the broken stones beneath him. Memories of an age long dead flew through his mind, memories of happiness. Sadness. Great pride, and those of failure.

An epic betrayal.

Death, blood everywhere. The final clash that destroyed this mountaintop so long ago.

With a sigh, Marakai closed his eyes, hiding his wounded pride, and turned away to face the vista before him, looking down upon the craggy peaks around him. He had alot of work ahead of him if he ever wanted to rebuild his father's kingdom, make it his own.

But he would, somehow. Someday. He would again raise the Aerie from this shattered peak. He would reforge the kingdom that was rightfully his, give it its rebirth from the mists of time and legend, show the people of this world the splendor of the Dragon Kingdom, raise the Blackfire banner high into the sky.

"I promise. Father. Mother. Sister. I will reforge our home with your memory." He then looked up into the sky, the light of the sun reflecting in his eyes, giving it a golden hue.

"I swear it."

It had been a little while, now, since Axia had departed from her home in search of... something. She had no idea what she was looking for specifically, just that it was supposed to be something of worth. Searching for something so incredibly vague had been a source of much frustration, but it had never been enough to make her give up completely. Not like she could go back, anyways; according to tradition, she wouldn't be allowed to return to her home until she'd finished her task. Kind of a dumb rule, in her opinion, but it was a rule nonetheless.

Just because she hadn't given up on the task, though, didn't mean that refused to take a break every now and then. In fact, she probably spent more time exploring the world and doing things that she actually enjoyed then doing what she was supposed to be doing. It was a bad habit of hers, and not one that she was particularly inclined to break. Today was one of those days where she found herself spending time on her own terms, taking to practicing her flying. The mountain ranges made a good training ground; people in more populated areas didn't tend to take kindly to dragons crash landing next to them, even one of Axia's size.

Eventually, the dragon found herself gliding over an area that had some peculiar qualities to it. The peaks and crags had a sense of unity to them, as opposed to the seemingly random rocks that could be seen elsewhere. They were too orderly to be completely natural, yet there was no sign of people having lived there for years. It felt like there used to be something here, and something had caused it to collapse, along with any signs of life.

Intrigued by the strange rock formations, Axia decided to move closer to the ground so she could get a better look. She dove towards a peak and landed rather haphazardly on it a few seconds later, sending rocks and pebbles tumbling down as she brought herself to a halt. It definitely wasn't a graceful landing, but it was still better then what happened most of the time. Shifting around a little to balance herself, she slowly observed the landscape until a figure in the distance caught her eye. It looked human- or at least humanoid- from where she was sitting. It also appeared to be alone, which spurred the dragon's curiosity even further. What would a human be doing all the way out here by themselves?

Alder had been having a blast. With all of these Deep valleys and jumps he had been Jumping around These mountains with the help of a jumping augment. He also took note of the lack of people around which made it very quiet, but however he did also note the abundance of those winged lizards? Snakes? Damn alder couldn't remember the name of em. Alder was starting to slow down He then noted a spire not too far so he planned on using it to Keep his speed up. However when he Landed he saw a man? saying somthing. Adler's Eyes met with the mans for a split second. He then rocketed away with glowing body and limbs.

That crimson eyed gaze flicked sideways as Marakai heard the sounds of a dragon landing, rather clumsily - clacking sounds of small stones and pebbles sliding together, relatively heavy footfalls behind him. He turned his head to look over his shoulder, spotting the rather small creature some distance away.

".....hello, little one," he said, despite the fact that the creature was actually taller than him. He gave a small smile, and took a few steps toward her, walking past the crystalline, black bladed sword he had shoved in the earth (and previously forgot to mention, damn me).

"Your scent isn't familiar to this area. Are you far from home?" he said, eyes flashing red for a moment, even as a small smile cracked his otherwise stoic face.

And then, a man landed within his field of view, not far from the other dragon before him. His crimson-eyed gaze locked with the others for a moment, before the other bounded away.

He watched a brow, but said nothing, glancing back to the dragon before him.

"I mean you no harm. I am Marakai Trin, and like you, I am also a dragon. I simply prefer this form at the moment."

Alder couldn't believe it! A sky lizard that wasn't paying attention Landed behind the angry looking guy on the spire. He wanted to get a better look but didnt want to spook it so he Circled the Area while keeping up his speed talking glaces at it every time he went airborne

As the strange man started making his way towards her, Axia could start making about a few details about him that she'd previously missed. Most notably, there were his gleaming red eyes, his massive blade, and his black armour which appeared to be made out of a dragon's hide. She was a little intimidated by this, understandably, and this was reflected in her posture. Her body sunk lower towards the ground as she dug her claws into the earth, putting her in a good position to pounce should the need arise. However, her muscles began to relax as the man started to walk past the sword, leaving himself unarmed. If he intended to fight her, then he was putting himself at a severe disadvantage. Deciding that she wasn't in any immediate danger, the dragon decided that it would be okay to answer the question posed to her.

"O-oh, yes. Very far. I'm from up north."

Her tail shifted around nervously as the man's eyes started to glow a bright red, before dying out as quickly as it had started. She was, however, rather curious as to how he knew that her scent wasn't common around this place. This question was quickly answered by the man, who claimed that he was also a dragon. A dragon that could change forms... Axia had heard of that being possible before, and even seen it happen a few times herself. It made her a little jealous, in all honesty. She'd been forbidden from attempting to do so in the past, with the reason being that she could end up 'hurting herself'. Frowning, (at least, as much as a dragon could frown) she tilted her head to the side and spoke, apparently oblivious to the other man that had briefly appeared.

"...Oh. Um, hi. My name is... Axia."

If she had a last name, she was apparently unwilling to disclose it.

Marakai's smile grew a little. Wonderful - he'd met with several dragons since his awakening, but most of them appeared to be wild, feral things. No more than beasts, really. To meet another whom could actually speak the common tongue was a very welcome change.

"Well, Axia, I am pleased to meet your.... acquaintance...." he trailed off, then, as the man from before began flying around the broken top of the Aerie. In circles.

"...by Tiamats cursed breath, what is that man doing? Hey!!! Little man, are you going to stare, or have you got anything to say?"

He muttered under his breath then, and looked back to the dragon before him. "I apologize, friend. Humanity baffles me with its continued oddities. So, what brings you here, to the site of my shattered kingdom? And what clan are you from? I've not seen one of your kind in my travels....and I suppose you could say I've been around for a very long time."

I've slept through the birth and death of a civilization, and now apparently the rise of an entire race of Dragons... apparently, ten thousand years can change much... he thought to himself, inwardly cursing but not allowing his face to show it.

Alder heard some one yelling. There wasnt supposed to be any humans around these parts so who could call out to him? He then Killed all of his speed and Landed on Far off spire of his own and stared at the pair. "Sky lizards cant talk right?" He thought as he opened his ears to hear any more speech.

Slowly but surely, Axia would return to a more neutral posture as she warmed up to the other dragon. That was, of course, until he started yelling at someone that she had no idea was even present. While that did an excellent job of getting the newcomer to stop jumping around like a maniac, it also had the unfortunate side effect of scaring Axia half to death. Her reflexes kicked in immediately, causing her to shut her eyes and hold her front leg in front of her face in order to protect it. She would stay in this position until Marakai started to speak again, indicating that he didn't intend on hurting her. Even then, she seemed a little on edge as she gingerly let down her guard. The sudden appearance of a new person intrigued her, but really didn't want to annoy Marakai by leaving his questions unanswered.

"I'm... just looking around. I thought this place looked a little different from everything else, so I came down for a closer look."

She decided not to explain that she was currently blowing off her responsibilities as a member of her species.

"As for a clan... I don't have one? Not that I know of, at least. I don't think any crystal-backs have clans. I wouldn't really know about that, though."

A hint of sadness seeped into her voice at the last part. Obviously a little uncomfortable, the dragon shifted around as she took in her surroundings.

"This place used to be a kingdom?"

She's alone... he thought. Like me....

"I'm very sorry, little one....and yes. This is...was...a kingdom...A very, very long time ago, this entire mountain was our...my home." He turned away, crossing his arms over his chest as he walked a few steps, back towards his sword.

"This was the Aerie, home of dragons of all colors, all species. My father, Baalroth the Blackfire, was king. Then..well, the rest is tragedy that I won't bore you with." He stopped, looking up to see that man from before, still some distance away. "....I'm not sure about him... we'll have to keep an eye on him."

Turning around again, he leaned on the massive great sword embedded in the ground with one hand.

"So, Axia of None. You have no Clan. No home, no family? ....you are far from home, and I would be a horrible man indeed to not offer it, but the lower reaches of the Aerie are still very much intact. If you can transform, I can offer you a bed. If not, there would be room for the night in the hatchery, or perhaps the Commons. I swear no harm would come to you."

There was anouther being nearby. She was not often seen by the living. In fact most thought that those like her did not exist. But they were wrong. Very very wrong. The dead walked among the living. She was proof of this. She looked up wondering who or what was out here. She heard a loud voice nearby. But surely they did not see her. Right?

She paused looked around. Then she cast her gaze upwards. She thought she could feel the presence of something powerful here. Then it stuck her. She was in the land of dragons. Maybe that is what she had heard. If that was the case then she would need to be careful. No need to stir up trouble with one of those things.  With a soft sigh she floated onwards in her endless wandering.

She didn't notice the other man who was near her. In fact she thought that she was a lone her. She moved almost frighteningly close but yet still didn't feel his presence. Something was off about her today. Though she didn't know what that was.

Alder was feeling rather conflicted. He wanted to get a closer look, maybe even draw a picture of the creature. But he saw the man talking to her had a sword, and he did not want anything to mess up his outfit today as he just restored them. As he was thinking he could feel his hairs stand up. He couldn't put his finger on it but he was getting more uneasy. He then shrugged and dug around in his bag for a snack while he spied

"I'm sorry, too... about your clan, I mean."

Although Marakai hadn't specifically stated it, it seemed pretty clear from the context he provided that he was the last living member of his clan. Axia was tempted to ask what exactly happened to the rest of them, but she ultimately decided not to pry any further than she had to, at least not right now. The other dragon seemed pained enough to tell her what he already had, let alone going into specific details.

Axia stared down at her claws as she considered Marakai's offer. While it wasn't entirely accurate to say that she had no home, the statement was effectively true when it came to having a place to sleep at night. There was that, and also the fact that while she'd grown up around others of her species, she'd always been decidedly different from the others. She was treated the same, but she'd never felt the same. Could a place like that really be considered her 'home'? Well, she couldn't really answer that question, but she could answer a different question.

"Well, I don't know if I can transform...but yeah, that'd be nice. Thank you."

The dragon gave a small nod before finally turning her attention to the other man. Marakai seemed pretty suspicious of him, but Axia was simply curious. Slowly wandering over to where he was sitting, she called over to him.

"Hey, who are you?"

To her first comment, he shook his head slightly - the memories did indeed still sting, but he had grown above the hurt. It was time now to rebuild, if he could. Put the Aerie back together again, as it were. Gather some to his cause.

If he could.

He then raised an eyebrow at her comment about not transforming, but still offered a smile and a nod. "My home is yours for as long as you need it, and so long as you are comfortable. God's know, I certainly have the space...."

His gaze followed her as she moved toward the man, and...what was that?

His red eyes flared brightly like two twin flames, illuminating his face even in the light of day.

Just there, near the man, he could see a wavering, as if something was there yet at the same time not, an ethereal blur on reality. In the past, dealing with his thrice-blasted brothers necromancy, he'd seen this phenomenon before. Focusing all his senses, he was able to see it, in a sense.

A ghost, a spirit of some kind, a specter from beyond the veil of mortality.

"..... while I don't fear that man, Axia, there is another presence next to him that, were I you, I would be more wary of. Do be careful, please."

Alder's Ears perked up when he heard yelling again. This time it was a softer voice. He looked over and either his eyes were playing tricks on him or the Sky lizard was getting closer. Some one who is in the right place at the right time, Or the wrong place at the wrong time,ill have a consensus on that if i dont get eaten or killed today He wasn't sure if it could hear him or not.  Meanwhile completely  oblivious to the entity that was near him already. 

Perplexed by the man's rather ambiguous answer to her question, Axia tilted her head to the side in confusion. From what she could tell, she hadn't exactly been threatening with her questioning. If she had been, then she certainly hadn't intended to be. In any case, the dragon wasn't going to settle for such a plain answer that easily. Shaking her head, she once again started to approach the man, and could very well have walked to the point where she would be within arm's length if the other dragon hadn't spoke up. He warned of another being in close proximity of the man, which, frankly, was a little hard to believe. There wasn't a single sign of life other than those she had already seen and acknowledged. Regardless, she reluctantly decided to start backing away from the strange man and the 'presence', eventually finding herself sitting next to Marakai.

"...Where is it? What is it? I don't see anything else over there."

Subconsciously, Axia's wings began to expand and stretch. It didn't hurt to be prepared in case of an emergency, and being able to take flight quickly might end up being a necessity. In all honesty, though, she wasn't exactly known for her stellar takeoffs or landings. Still, being slightly prepared was better than not being prepared at all.

Alder did a quick hand motion that resulted with him pointing at himself. Im some one who hasnt seen a sky lizard till today, And lucky me I met one that talks! He said As she got closer. Who are you? He asked as she started to trail off speaking bout ""It"" Alder thought a little more of himself than a it but they could call him what ever they wanted.

"....I am going to do something that will allow you to see as I do. Just trust me, little one." Still keeping his crimson eyed gaze on the subtle ethereal haze before him, Marakai reached a hand upwards, toward the younger Dragons head. Laying an open palm on her pearlescent scales, noting their rather sharp, brittle feel.

His eyes began to glow eerily, flickering as he sought a power he rarely used. He closed them, concentrating hard.

He spoke into her mind, and his mental voice echoed and boomed, hinting of an ancient, primal power.

I apologize if this is a little overwhelming at first. I am going to share with you a piece of my power. Hone and sharpen your senses, and see the world as I do...

He then let memories flow forth. The repeated encounters with his brother, Kranath. Detecting and fighting creatures of the other plane, banishing to the darkness they crawled from. Blades clashing with extreme force, one recognized as Marakai's massive sword, the other a wicked daikatana of the same make. Feeling, emotion. Memory.

Far more than he wanted to.

With a groan, he wrenched his hand away, this same hand pressing against his temple.

".....I apologize, I apparently shared with you more than I had intended...."

One eye remained closed, and he could feel the oncoming headache in the back of his mind.

"... this spirit may not be malicious, at least not yet, but you should now be aware of her presence....I'm sorry about.... everything else."

He then looked to the man across the way.

"I am Marakai. My friend here can introduce herself when she's comfortable, but you need to be very careful."

Alder turned his face to the direction of the sound. Yeah ive about fallen off the mountain a few times I would do careful but ive been doing that for years.  He said as he finished the bread he was eating. Whats a person doing out here anyway? he said at the man with the sword

Axia seemed a little confused as the older dragon told her to trust him, extending a hand towards her and resting it on her head. Despite this, she still trusted him not to do anything dangerous, even as his eyes gave off that signature red glow that she'd seen earlier. She closed her own eyes as he did, but didn't attempt to give any response when his voice swam through her mind- partially because she didn't have much to say, but also because she didn't know how. All she did was wait, wait for whatever it was that Marakai was planning to do.

And sure enough, it did happen. Soon enough, the dragon found herself experiencing several scenes from the recesses of Marakai's memory. They were intense, vivid enough to make her feel as if she was actually there whenever the memories took place despite the fact that she was nowhere near old enough for that to be true. And the things she saw... there was the part about detecting extraplanar entities, which was no doubt what the other dragon had intended to show her, but there were other things too. Most notably, the appearance of a certain creature, one that had long since succumbed to their own dark tendencies. It was like staring into the eyes of the embodiment of terror itself.

'Overwhelming' was an understatement.

As soon as the mental link between the two dragon's broke, the younger one instinctively jerked her head away and stumbled backwards. Her eyes remained shut, but her breathing had escalated significantly as if she had just been awoken from a nightmare. The foreign visions fought to claim a place within Axia's own memories, resulting in a massive headache as well as a feeling of nausea. Eventually, she would begin to hear the muddled voices of those she had met just a few minutes ago, but she wouldn't expend the energy necessary to make out exactly what they were saying. Right now, it took everything she had just to keep herself from fainting.

Marakai shook his head at the man across the way. "I am no more a man than she is, to tell the truth. I warn you because some otherworldly entity stands directly beside you."

It was then that he noticed Axia's reaction to the memory transfer, and he looked at her with concern, the glow in his eyes dimming perceptively as he looked her over. "I'm very sorry, little one. I should have anticipated the consequences of such an action, but it's not something I have often done." He moved in front of her, placing his face directly before hers, gently taking her head in his hands. Were her eyes open, she would plainly see the concern on his face.

"What you're feeling will pass very soon, I promise. I'm very sorry, Axia..." he said softly. "As soon as you're okay to move, I'll take you down into the Aerie to rest."

Axia remained in her state of unresponsiveness until Marakai once again touched her head, to which she reacted by pulling back a little. It was more out of pure reflex than anything- she still hadn't reached the point where she was entirely sure what was going on- but not enough to entirely break his grip. Slowly, her breathing returned to a healthy rate as the other dragon attempted to calm her down, assuring her that the side effects of the transfer wouldn't last for long. She wasn't in any danger, everything was going to be okay. At this point, if Marakai was observant, he might notice a faint light dancing across the younger dragon's scales before fading as soon as they'd arisen.

"O-okay..."

The dragon muttered weakly, not at all certain about what she was agreeing to, and nowhere near strong enough to argue. Finally, her eyes began to flutter open, immediately squinting as they adjusted to their improved capabilities. She found herself staring straight into the eyes of Marakai, who was clearly worried about her. She also caught a glimpse of something shimmering in the distance, which was most likely the 'presence' that she'd been told about. Whatever it was.

He noticed the subtle light travelling over the surface of her scales, following it with his gaze for a moment before returning to her eyes. He then saw that her gaze had moved beyond him, to look back towards the man and the vague figure beside him.

"There.... you see it now, don't you?" he murmured, standing straight and turning around, stepping to stand beside her once again, looking in the distance. "It's a ghost, or some other kind of spirit...." he said, loudly enough only for her to hear. His eyes once again took on that brilliant glow, illuminating his face even through the light of the sun.

"....it appears to have once been female, but I can't make out any details past that. Shall we wait and see what happens, or shall I take you below?"

.

The ghostly woman was just watching the events transpire in front of her. It seemed that she was noticed when the strange man and the dragon came to apparently confront the other man. She was not certain what she she should do at this point. Istema might be evil and all that but she wasn't stupid. She would never take on such dangerous creatures. She had met a dragon once when she was living. She knew how powerful they could be.

As she stood there listening she decided that perhaps she should allow the other man who had not saw her to do so. It was only right after all. So slowly she revealed herself to the living world. She looked at the three creature and frowned very softly.

" I don't mean any harm. I am just a lost soul looking for the one who killed me. Im sorry if I upset any of you." She told them with a soft sigh. It was true that she wanted to find her killer. But she also hated the living. Though really who could blame her. It was their fault that she was trapped her.

"I'll be fine for a little while, I think. I... I don't want to leave yet."

Axia forced a smile onto her face, as well as giving a nod of assurance. Her condition was noticeably improving at a rapid pace, though her voice retained a certain quality of exhaustion. She was pushing herself to stay awake, both because she didn't want Marakai to worry and also because the new ghostly figure was fascinating to her. If she was going to have to deal with the unpleasant side effects of... whatever had just happened, then she might as well make use of its benefits.

Although, it appeared that the dragon wouldn't have to use her improved senses for long, as the previously hidden character decided to show herself of her own volition. The elder dragon had been correct in saying that the spirit was female, which was something that Axia would never had guessed on her own. Evidently, she would need more practice.

"Oh, you haven't done anything wrong. We're not upset."

Well, at least she wasn't upset. She hadn't considered the feelings of the others on this particular issue.

"My name's Axia. What's yours?"

Well if Alder wasnt confused before he sure was now. He looked over his shoulder again and again and saw nothing, Yet he they where supposedly talking to a woman near him. He Was pondering in thought when he stepped a step to the left. After talking said step he could make out what looked like a pale woman. He stepped back and he couldn't See her. He stepped left and made her out again.
Alder kept repeating this process

Marakai sent a small smile Axia's way, and nodded. "Very well, then." It was odd - after so long with little contact with other Dragons, he was beginning to feel a sense of kinship with this little one, a strange feeling of protectiveness like one might to a child. But he also knew that he mustn't overstep his bounds - Axia likely had a purpose in mind for her travels, and Marakai was loathed to stop her.

He then noticed that the spirit had finally made herself clearly visible, rendering his transferring of power a useless exercise. Well...it was what it was. No use being irritated about it.

"...do you perhaps know who it is you seek? I doubt you will find much here - naught much more than wild dragons around this area, after so long."

He then watched the man's antics, appearing as if he was still trying to see the spirit, despite her current visibility. He arched a brow, but said nothing.

Istema was watching the group now. She looked at the female dragon as she spoke to her. Well at least one of them was not upset with her. She looked at her with her glowing green eyes and softly smiled. " I am istema. " She said to her.
She then turned her attention to the man who was with the dragon. She sighed softly getting a bit of a said look on her face.

" I know it was a woman who killed me. I had heard that she had been traveling this direction. That is why I whent this way." She told him softly. She glanced at the other man. It seemed that some mortals had trouble seeing her no matter what. It was very odd to her. But she decided to keep quiet about this for now.

"Istema... you're not planning on doing anything drastic when you catch up to her, are you? I don't want to have a part in someone getting hurt."

The spirit hadn't gone into much detail regarding what exactly she planned to do once she found her killer. However, it didn't take much to speculate that Istema wasn't just going to be asking some questions. From stories that the dragon had been told quite a few times over, she knew that this kind of situation tended to end in bloodshed- possibly even death. She couldn't just let the possibility of another person being killed to slip past without raising any objections, though truthfully she couldn't do much to stop the ghost. Not only was Istema incorporeal, but the dragon was in no condition to be fighting.

Instead, she took to finding out whatever she could be listening and observing. Carefully, she began to walk in a wide arc around the woman, picking out any details she could find. As it turned out, there wasn't much to be found- any clues to what may have lead to her death were either hidden or non-existent. Spurred on by her own determination, Axia attempted to do as she had seen Marakai do and focus her senses to search for anything she might have missed. Of course, since this was something that she'd never done before, it resulted in nothing more than the resurgence of the symptoms she'd been feeling before. Gods, it was frustrating.

Marakai focused for a moment on Axia. Having already established the connection before, speaking to her mentally was easier, and far less intrusive. His voice came quietly, this time, almost a whisper so as not to startle her.

Worry not, little one. There's nothing you can't see that I can, unless she's trying to hide something else. You need not speak to reply - only focus on me, and voice your words in your own head. I'll hear you.

Perhaps he could teach this little one a few of the ancient tricks of Dragonkind, if she was willing.

Make your way back over here... you're....being a little weird. Heh.

He looked away from her, but kept the connection open to allow her reply. His gaze fell on the spirit before them. "Perhaps if you search for someone in particular, it would be more fruitful elsewhere. Unless you're wanting something else....?"

Axia's 'investigation' was put to an early (and probably well-justified) stop as Marakai's voice once again made its way into her head. He assured her that she wasn't overlooking anything, and instructed her on how to communicate using thoughts rather than speaking aloud. Eager to test it out, she locked her eyes onto the other dragon and followed the instructions as best she could. There was nothing at first, but eventually her voice would fade in until the point where it was clearly audible.

...c'mon...c'mon... Hello? Is it working? Hmm...

She cocked her head to the side, somewhat confused about the intricacies of using telepathy. This didn't last for long, though, as her curiosity was replaced by moodiness when she was told to return to her original position. The dragon did so reluctantly, moving sluggishly across the rocks until she was once again standing beside Marakai. She took to staring down at one of her claws, which dragged absently against the ground. Obviously she was sulking about something, though it wasn't always easy to tell with her.

Marakai gave a small chuckle as Axia came to stand beside him. He spoke aloud this time, giving a nod.

"Yes, I was able to hear you perfectly. Everything you voice mentally must be completely deliberate, however - try to keep your mind clear, and imagine your internal voice to be as loud as your verbal one."

He noted how she was moving rather slowly as she made her way back, and tilted his head to the side slightly, his look questioning. She seemed to be bothered by something, but he wasn't sure what.

What is wrong, little one? he asked mentally, his face still wearing a curious look, You seem... disappointed? Is something the matter?

The dragon brightened up a little when she heard that her attempt at communicating telepathically had been a successful one. Her expression quickly transitioned from one of disappointment to her usual one of curiosity, or perhaps confusion. She went silent in thoughtfulness- presumably trying to come up with an appropriate answer to Marakai's question- before her eyes suddenly began to shift nervously between Istema and Alder. Eventually, they would come to rest as they met with the other dragon's, and Axia spoke using her thoughts once more.

Marakai... do you think I'm, well, strange? Different from the other dragons, I mean.

She answered his question with her own, being pretty vague as she did so. It was entirely possible that this particular topic was not one that she felt comfortable discussing in detail in front of other people, even if they couldn't actually hear what was being said.

Marakai quirked a brow for a moment, and turned back from her to look at the two across the way.

Truthfully, all Dragons he'd come across since his reawakening had seemed strange, but that was because most of the species he'd come across hadn't even existed in his time.

I couldn't possibly say. To tell you the truth, I've only been awake for little more than half a year. After a great battle between myself and another, I fell into a hibernation of sorts.

Marakai looked to her from the corner of one eye, his face rather grim.
That was over ten thousand years ago, or so I'm told. I've met only one other from those days...all other Dragons are vastly changed from the way I remember them to be...so, in a way, I'd have to say yes, though that is because most all Dragons seem that way to me. So, I must ask you to clarify. Strange how, Axia?

...Um, well... you know. My scales? My size? The way I... act? I mean, I'm not really the same as the other dragons that I lived with. It would be incredibly easy to pick me out of a crowd, even one made up of members of my own species. But, I guess that's not really a fair question for me to ask if you don't have anything to compare me to. Sorry.

Axia's fascination was once again sparked when Marakai mentioned how long he had been away for. Dragons certainly had a tendency to live for a very long time, but to sleep for ten thousand years? It was a little hard to believe, but Axia had never really been one to doubt the words of others. She scanned over the other dragon's body, searching for any remnants that might have still persisted from the ancient past- she acted almost is if she was meeting Marakai for the first time. At one point, her eyes came to a rest as her gaze landed on the massive sword. Either she was imagining things, or that was one of the swords she'd seen in the vision that had supposedly taken place thousands of years ago. Yet, it looked sharp enough to have been forged a few days ago. It was a wonder that the blade still existed, but being reminded of the vision gave Axia a few other questions to think about.

That battle you were talking about... that's the one I saw in the memory you shared, right?

There was a pause as the dragon briefly averted her gaze. It seemed as if she was afraid to bring up such a touchy subject.

...You don't have to answer this one if you don't want to, but... who was the person that you were fighting against?

Marakai flinched at her words, and remained silent for a moment, still staring forward. His gaze hardened at the memory, and his eyes began to burn brightly again. When he projected to her again, the voice that would sound in her mind would be strained. Hard. Perhaps a little broken.

Yes....that battle was actually that which destroyed this place.

He was silent for a moment longer, hesitant at first to further his response. His head lowered a bit, black and red strands of hair falling forward to cover his eyes. This time, his words coming quietly, really no more than a whisper.

The one I fought in that memory....he was my elder brother. Kranath Trin. He's...well, he's not the only one in his own head. He's....the avatar of Tiamat.

One could hear the pain in his voice, even if Axia was the only one to hear it.Listen well, Axia. I killed him once, to stop the coming of the Dread Queen. But I've heard tell that he's returned. If you find one with eyes like mine, but isn't me...run, and don't look back.

...Just... run away? You want me to run away, no matter what? But... but what if he tries to do something terrible again? What if he decides to go around killing people? What if he wants to destroy an entire clan- or do something even worse- and there's nobody else there to stop him? I can't just sit there and let something like that happen!

Her voice flared up with emotion, and her scales reacted similarly by glittering with more intensity than they had before. She had very little idea of the forces she would be dealing with if she ever ended up confronting them, but that sure as hell wouldn't stop her from trying. Maybe she would have felt differently if she had actually been around to witness the destruction of the Aerie, but at the same time, perhaps not. The thing that would cause her to falter, however, was the pained look that Marakai now wore across his face. It was enough to make her revert to her previous state of gloominess, the shimmering of her scales coming to an abrupt halt.

...I'm sorry about all that, Marakai. Maybe... maybe I really do need to rest for a little while.

Marakai gave Axia a sad smile, and gently laid a hand on her neck. The glow in his eyes dimmed perceptively.

That way of thinking is what got me where I am today, little one. I dedicated most of my early life to hunting him down, no matter what. It cost me everything. It cost me my chance to live for anything other than the hunt. It cost me a second family. It cost me my mate, and it cost me ten thousand years....you remind me of myself, little one. Some would think this was admirable....but I don't think that's the path for you.

His smile faded, then, replaced with a more serious look.

Just... understand this. Kranath isn't someone that any one creature should ever take on alone....I don't want to take him alone, either. It very nearly cost me my life before...but I have an idea to prepare for him. It involves this place...and other Dragons, such as yourself.

He turned then to look at the ruined stones littered around them, remembering again their previous majesty.

But before that....I think that maybe I should take you inside, yes? Those two seem preoccupied with other things - let me show you what remains of this place, and find you a place to rest yourself.

Alder then stopped walking back and forth and attempted to put his hand on the Ghosts cheek. Huh a ghost, Well ill be dammed im seeing every thing today He said out loud to himself

The young dragon stirred a little as she felt Marakai's hand rest atop her neck; this was not a gesture that she was expecting. She ultimately decided not to fight against it though- unexpected as it was, it was also sort of comforting in a way she couldn't really explain. Although it was in her nature to be defiant, to try and prove others wrong when they had doubts, this was one instance where she couldn't bring herself to do it. She couldn't bear to go and do something that would hurt someone that had gone through so much, especially not after seeing the kindness that he offered to her. The mention of a plan, however, gave her some hope for the future. She longed desperately to know exactly what the plan would entail... but perhaps this wasn't the best place to discuss it. Using thoughts to speak was fascinating and all, but it started to take its toll after a while.

Yeah, maybe that would be for the best. I could use a break from all of this... magic... stuff. You can lead the way when you're ready.

She gave a sideways glance at the strange man from earlier, who had seemingly taken to talking to himself and... well, whatever it was he was doing, Axia wasn't keen on being a part of it.

Marakai gave a nod, and stepped away. "Stay back," he said, a smile on his face. "You are quite small, and I do not wish to harm you - it is quite a ways down the mountain, and the descent will be easier with claw and wing."

He stepped over to his blade first, gripping it by the hilt and ripping it from the earth. Now one could see it's true size - the blade, easily a eighteen inches wide, held a single edge on one side, the other side flat and framed by a bar of adamantium. Over six feet in length and seemingly made from black glass, it was truly a monstrous weapon.

Marakai took it in one hand, and as if it was no more than a twig, hefted it so it's flat edge could rest against his shoulder. He stepped to the cliffs edge, and simply tossed it over.

The sound following could remind one of a rather large stone, falling a very far distance. Marakai turned around, then, his eyes glowing brilliantly as his form began to distort and enlarge. The black armor seemingly made of a Dragons scales bulged outward, but did not rend - more scales simply slid into place, filling in the gaps as they spread apart, seeming to simply push outward from beneath the surface. His arms, previously naught but bare human flesh, suddenly sheeted over with those same black scales, enlarging and stretching out with the audible sound of bones cracking and bending. His legs did much the same, elongating and bulging outward with powerful muscle.

From his back, massive wings took form, stretching outward in an extreme span, blotting out the sun with their magnificence for a moment.

His head seemed to jut outward, even as a large fan of spikes shot forth, ringing around his head like an odd crown, black and boney. Two large horns curled from his forehead, jutting forward like a rams.

All in all, the transformation completed itself within but moments, and where once there was but a man, there was now a massive dragon topping more than forty feet in height, with his body reaching nearly two hundred feet, covered in scales ranging from jet black to ashen gray, all glossy and reflecting light as if armor. From the fan of spikes around his head, a line of them ran all down his back, wicked, curved, and sharp.

Two massive, burning red eyes turned to look down at Axia. The huge dragon lowered his head and great neck to look her in the eye, and with a mental voice, spoke as quietly as he could.

Please, do not fear me...from my time, black dragons are regarded as evil, savage creatures, but I assure you this is not the case. Not for me, anyway....come, make your way down the mountain with me. It will likely be easier if you fly, but I'm afraid this form is too large to do more than climb downward.

Even with a frame so massive, when he moved to crawl over the edge, he did so with an odd sort if feline grace. Deadly talons easily found purchase in the stone, making the climb down far easier than it appeared to be.

Far below, he could see the clearing they would head for, a large, open circle of flat, worked stone, framed on all sides by the mountains - a hidden hollow in the earth.

Axia tilted her head a little when she was told to keep her distance for her own safety, but she complied anyways. She didn't know what made him think that doing something like changing forms could result in her getting injured, though that wouldn't last for very long. The absurd display of power by Marakai was enough to make her think twice on the matter; he easily tore a blade that was almost bigger than him from the ground, and threw it down the mountain like it was nothing. It wasn't like the sword was light, either- judging from the noise it made upon impact with the ground, it was a weapon that someone like her would struggle to hold with two hands. That was all the evidence that she needed to deduce that perhaps staying out of the way was, indeed, the best course of action.

The look in her eyes as Marakai started to transform was, at first, one of wonder and amazement. This wouldn't be the first time that she was witnessing someone change forms, but it was always exciting to see what the other forms looked like. However, as more and more of the changes took place, it became increasingly obvious that Marakai's draconic form was unlike any other that she'd seen before in her lifetime. Well... there was one exception to that. Yes, there was a time that she'd a dragon resembling the one that stood before her- very recently, in fact. The similarities to Kranath immediately set off alarms in Axia's mind, and for a moment she believed that she might have to fight for her life. A low growl emanated from her mouth as she held the gaze of the massive creature, only ceasing when a voice inside her head reminded her of who she was looking at.

U-um... okay. Just... give me a second, I've gotta do something first.

Abruptly, she started to walk away from the cliff, not elaborating on what it was she intended to do. She continued to do so until she reached the opposite edge of the peak, at which point she turned around and began to flap her wings. The dragon had never been proficient at takeoffs and landings, and it didn't help that she was still fatigued from the events transpiring not too long ago. She would need to use everything at her disposal in order to lift herself into the air. After a short while of preparing herself, the dragon's body suddenly shot forwards with an intense burst of speed as she bounded towards the cliff's edge. At the very last moment, her paws crashed into the ground with enough power to send her soaring into the air. Her wings remained open, allowing her to glide downwards without exerting too much energy.

Inclining his head to look at her, the great black dragon gave a chuckle that, in this form, sounded like a cross between a cough and a snarl. The mental voice that accompanied it, however, was easily identified as cordial.

It must be nice to be able to fly down here...this is a little harder than it looks.

As if to prove his statement, the loose scree he was treading on at that point slid out from under his massive paws, and he quickly slid down several yards.

When he began to slow, he just leapt outward, transforming in midair to land as a man, coming down hard in a crouch.

"....that was fun. Heh."


(Sorry, totally uninspired post XD)

Axia heard the familiar sound of Marakai's voice as she cut through the air, but she decided to hold off on responding; right now, she needed to focus on keeping herself airborne. Marakai hadn't specified exactly where the Aerie was, but it wasn't anywhere in sight. Stalling in the air for a few seconds, she waited and watched to make sure that she was indeed still going in the right direction. Well, if she couldn't find the place where she was supposed to land, then she could at least aim for a point that she knew they would be passing by at some point, that being where the massive blade had landed.

Coming to a decision on where to shoot for, the dragon folded her wings inwards and allowed her body to plummet towards the ground. She plunged downwards with seemingly no fear, picking up momentum at a rapid pace. Moments before she made contact with the mountainside, her wings started beating with great intensity as she pushed her front paws against the ground. This action gradually slowed her down, but also produced a huge cloud of dust. By the time she came to a stop near Marakai's sword, Axia had erupted into a violent coughing fit. This went on for a bit, until she eventually recovered and shortly began surveying the area.

"...Um, Marakai? I don't see the Aerie anywhere around here... at least, I don't think so. This isn't another one of those spiritual things, is it?"

Marakai gave a chuckle as he walked up to retrieve his sword, pulling it from the small crater it had created upon landing.

"No, little one. This place has been hidden for several millennia - you don't think it'd be so easy to find, do you? No, it's very real...just watch."

Their surroundings were an ancient plaza of worked cobblestones, perfectly round and surrounded by the unhewn mountainsides, raw stone all about. However, if one looked closely, they could see an almost hand-sized stone, perfectly flat and smooth against the mountainside. Marakai moved to this stone, and placed his palm flat against it.

When he spoke, it was in a dialect of draconic unheard fr many, many years. "I am Marakai, last son of Trin."

The stone shown forth with a brilliant blue light, and the raw rock around it seemed to fold inward around the one smooth piece, forming a single pillar of raw stone with one perfectly round orb of rock atop it.

Behind it was a space easily large enough for two dragons of Marakai's size to walk shoulder to shoulder.

He looked over his shoykder at Axia with a smile. "Welcome, Axia, to the Aerie.

((I can pm you a rough description of the Aerie if you want))

"...Oh. Well, okay, if you say so..."

There wasn't really any way Axia could have known whether or not the Aerie was hidden, considering that this was the first time she'd travelled into the Thunderblacks. She knew very little about the area, so the Aerie could very well have existed in plain sight for all she knew. However, Marakai hadn't given her any reason to doubt his words, so she held them to be true in her mind. There wasn't much she could do at this point, other than wait and watch the other dragon do his thing.

She heard him say something, but there was no hope of actually being able to understand it- she recognized it as being draconic in nature, but the specific words were all but lost to time. Apparently, though, they were still as effective as ever, as the very mountains themselves shifted in response. It was truly amazing, and would have been even more so if Marakai hadn't already been presented as an important figure. When the process was complete, only a pillar remained with a gigantic opening behind it.

"...Wow. It's enormous! I've never seen anything like that before."

The more bubbly parts of her personality shone through as she excitedly checked over the new scenery. She was incredibly anxious to see what was inside, until a strange feeling started to stir inside of her. It was similar to what she had felt before; it felt as if she was out of place here, that she was different. After all, it wasn't as if Axia would ever have found out about the Aerie on her own. The only reason she was being allowed to enter was because she was with Marakai, not because of anything she'd done. It felt as if she was about to trespass on holy grounds, and it made her a little reluctant to enter.

"Marakai, are you sure about this? It feels... it feels a little weird."

((Oh, yes please! That would be nice.))

Marakai shook his head. "Don't worry. It feels weird for me, too. But I have happy memories of this place - it's odd for me, because...looking at it now, empty and dead, none of those memories seem right anymore."

He gave a sigh, and turned back to look into the gaping hole in the side of the mountain. "Come, Axia. I'll show you to somewhere you can rest. And when you're rested, perhaps I can show you the rest of the Aerie. And also, I'd like to learn a little more about you, if I can. But that can wait."

He took a couple steps into the darkness before turning again to look at her. "Don't be afraid - there's nothing in here but memories and a horrible past. There's nothing that can hurt you."

"Um, alright. If that's what you want, then that's what we'll do. But, you know, you probably have more interesting things to say than I do."

She gave the other dragon a nod before finally starting to make her way into the Aerie, turning her head around to look up at the colossal walls. There were plenty of stone statues- ones that looked almost suspiciously lifelike- but there wasn't anything living to be found. It was pretty eerie, poking around a place that was supposed to be full of life, but was instead completely devoid of it.

"Hmm... I think I get what you mean by 'kingdom'. Must get pretty lonely, being the only person in a place so massive."

She paused suddenly, staring into the eyes of one of the statues, before abruptly turning to Marakai.

"Sooooo... where do we go first? I've got no clue when it comes to this place."

"Well, it's not so much what we'll talk about...I'm actually curious about what you're capable of as a dragon. But that can wait, till after you've created, as well. Now, about where to go...how well do you handle heat? There's a hatchery with plenty of space, warmed by a lava vent. There's no danger of actually touching the lava, but it's very hot. But if you're not comfortable with that, I can take you to the royal commons - there's plenty of room there too.*

He laid a hand upon the stone sphere, and it once again shown forth with that brilliant light, and the gate closed.

"Oh, if you want out for anything, let me know...if you hadn't guessed, I'm the only one that can open the door....for now. But let's talk as we walk - we've only got a ton of hallway to cover before we can get anywhere."

"Ah, the hatchery should be okay, I think. These scales are... mostly heat resistant. I don't want to be sleeping in a place where I don't really belong."

She left it at that, deciding not to elaborate any further unless she was asked to do so. It wasn't as if she didn't want to talk, though- rather, the subject of the conversation was something that she wasn't entirely comfortable with. Instead, she simply waited and watched as Marakai closed off the entrance to the Aerie. Essentially, she was now trapped- there wasn't any way for her to leave without the elder dragon's permission, at least not yet. In all truthfulness, that thought made her feel somewhat nauseous, yet she didn't really feel afraid. Marakai had made it clear that there wasn't anything to be feared inside the Aerie, and Axia had long since placed her trust in him. When he was finished, she would begin to make her way down the long hallway.

"...Okay. So. Um. What... did you want to talk about?"

"Well, if you change your mind, you're welcome to the Commons as well. I won't stop you from going anywhere, except the armory and that's only because I think it wouldn't be safe for you."

They came to a wide open atrium, with a raised dais. Upon this dais were two large thrones, made seemingly of the same material as Marakai's sword. Behind these thrones were two very large, and incredibly life-like statues of the same material. One depicted a man, a kingly figure with a large beard and wild hair, garbed in armor and leaning upon a sword exactly like the one Marakai carried.

The other was slightly smaller, depicting a slim, regal looking woman, almost elfin in appearance with a circlet atop her head, long hair flowing down her shoulders. In one hand, she carried a long, curved daikatana, it's point meeting the floor. At the back of the statue were too smaller blades of similar make.

These were the old king and queen of the Aerie, and Marakai's parents, though the prince didn't say as much.

"Well, I was wondering about your abilities as a dragon. In my time, your kind didn't exist, so I'm unfamiliar..you mentioned before that you 'didn't know' about transforming. Does that mean you can't, or you haven't tried?" He continued to walk beside her, glancing sideways to look at her. He turned to the side, leading them toward a wide ramp heading downward.

"Hey... what do you mean, 'you don't think it's safe'? Everyone's always saying that kind of stuff. I'm not a hatchling anymore, you know! I'm not gonna get myself hurt..."

Axia began to sulk again, apparently quite touchy when it came to being forbidden from doing certain things. In reality, it wasn't really that she particularly wanted to go poking around the armoury, but being barred from it just made it a lot more alluring. This wasn't the first time she'd dealt with this kind of situation either; the dragons who raised her had taken similar measures in keeping her out of trouble, all in the name of her own safety. She appreciated the thoughtfulness behind it, but at the same time, it had always felt a little patronizing. It tended to leave a bad taste in her mouth, regardless of how well justified the efforts to keep her safe were.

She eventually perked up, however, when they came across the two statues. They were certainly eye-catching- the massive size and attention to detail gave away the fact that they were indeed depicting some very important people. One of them was in possession of a sword identical to Marakai's, hinting at a relationship between the two people. It could be a coincidence, perhaps, but a sword like that was almost certainly custom made, and Axia doubted that more than one of them existed. Seeing as the other dragon was remaining silent on the subject, though, she decided against bringing it up. Dredging up possibly painful memories was something that she wanted to avoid, if at all possible.

"I really meant it when I said that I didn't know. Never tried it once in my life..."

She started, getting increasingly more worked up as she went on.

"...but it's not like I didn't want to try! I've always wanted to find out the answer to that question myself, but... well, nobody wanted to teach me. How to transform, I mean. They would always say something like I 'wasn't ready', but that's not what they told the others when they asked. No, the real reason is because they were afraid I was gonna hurt myself. 'Cause I'm not normal."

Marakai blinked and looked to her, one brow raised. "The only reason I would bar you entrance to the armory is because of your size - it is meant for dragons in their human form, and the spaces are far too narrow for you as you are. I don't think you'd like having weapons like mine tearing you to shreds because you bumped into the racks."

He was silent for a moment afterwards, and considered her words about transforming. He stopped, and turned to Axia. "Nonsense. There is nothing about any dragon that's abnormal. All changes are progressive - if anything, you're different because you're better. Listen...if you want to transform, I can teach you. It's not easy the first time, but breaking that barrier between man and dragon will forever leave it open to you."

He gave a smile, then, and crossed his arms over his chest. "I tell you what. If you can manage to transform, I'll let you see the armory. That's my promise to you. Also, I'll be able to give you access to the gate, so you could come and go as you please - that requires a human form."

Axia frowned a little at Marakai's comment about being 'torn to shreds'. She liked to think that she was at least tough enough not be be killed by an inanimate object, especially due to a mistake of her own doing. Then again, though, if the weapons inside the armoury were anything like Marakai's blade, then they were no joke. There was little sense arguing over it, considering that she didn't actually have a way to access the armoury in the first place. A more reasonable course of action would be to see if she could transform first, considering that doing so was something she was planning on anyways.

"...I wouldn't call my changes 'better' than anyone else's, or even good for that matter. It seems to me that they've been nothing but trouble, for myself and others. I mean, I don't even know if I can do magic, and that's something that almost every dragon can do. Honestly, I'm not sure what I'm good for."

There was a short pause, followed by Axia returning Marakai's smile and giving an energetic flap of her wings.

"...But I'm not going to give up. Not easily, anyways. In fact, I have a promise of my own- I will see the inside of that room, Marakai. No matter how difficult the first transformation is, I swear I'm gonna get it done."

Another pause, this one caused by a sudden realization. Clearly nervous about something, the dragon averted her gaze and took to staring at the ground.

"That being said... being the first time and all, I guess I wouldn't be wearing anything. That's something that humans tend to avoid."

Marakai tilted a brow. "Listen. I can barely do any magic at all. So that's not saying much. And I think the more you try to do new things...the more you'll discover about yourself."

When she showed enthusiasm about transforming, though, his smile broadened again. "I'll help you any way I can. It should be fairly easy to talk you through it, but if necessary I could probably just give you the knowledge...though I'd like to avoid that again if possible."

When she mentioned the point of clothing, he was silent for a moment. Then he shrugged. "Well, I wouldn't worry too much. I am already bonded with another, wherever she is...if she's even still alive. You don't need to worry about attention from me. Bit, if it's a huge issue, I'm sure we can find you something to wear. The only problem would be that just now we have no idea how big you'll be when you transform, so we may have to figure that out first and go from there."

"O-oh! I wasn't really worried about you specifically. It's just that... y'know... it's usually considered kind of indecent, and I don't want to give off that kind of impression... a-and it'll probably be pretty cold as a human... and... um, yeah."

Her words became an inarticulate jumble, constantly bouncing between several different thoughts as she tried to get them across. If she was capable of blushing in this form, she would've went crimson. Silently, Axia wished that she could at least, for once, make it through a single conversation without completely losing it and making herself look like an idiot. However, now wasn't the time to be sitting around feeling sorry for herself, not when there were plenty more exciting things that she could be doing. She couldn't let her own moodiness ruin the good mood that she'd been building towards.

"...Hey. If I'm not gonna quit, then I won't let you give up, either. Dragons are tough creatures, it'll take a hell of a lot to do us in; if there's even the smallest chance that she could still be alive, that she's still out there somewhere, then you should hold on to that hope and never let go."

She gave him a (hopefully) reassuring nod, and a sparkle of hope in her eyes accompanied the soft glittering of her scales. It was perhaps a bit naive to be banking on the best case scenario coming to fruition, but she'd never let improbable odds deter her before. To her, 'unlikely' and 'possible' might as well have meant the same thing.

"...but anyways. How exactly do you go about transforming, huh?"

Apparently, she had disregarded the previous plan to rest before trying anything too taxing.

Marakai smiled a bit at her. "It's fine - I'll go into the common rooms before we try, and just grab everything I can. Something will fit you, so you won't have to worry."

When she mentioned his mate, his gaze went askance, turning to the ramp below them as they steadily made their way downward. He hoped that he would find Otohime eventually - it'd been eight months of visiting region after region of this new world he had awakened in, and he had heard and seen nothing of her existence in the areas he had been to.

He was beginning to lose hope, but for Axia's sake, he voiced it anyway. "I do still hope she's out there. It's just been so long since my hibernation began, and she could be anywhere."

And then she suddenly asked about transforming, and he arched a brow. "....well, if you want to try now, I'll explain it to you, but I thought you wanted to rest....it's completely up to you, though."


(OOC: Sorry this took so long - I've been caught in post volleys like crazy and I tend to overlook alot of my bookmarks...if I take more than a day, please poke me! Lol.)

She regained some of her composure, thankful that she wouldn't have to go without clothing if she did in fact manage to transform. While she would never consider the extermination of an entire kingdom to be a good thing, one small consolation was that they left all of their belongings behind. Out of all the dragons that used to live in the Aerie, there had to be at least one that had a human form similar to hers... right? Well, that's at least what she convinced herself of for the time being. She hated thinking about how inconvenient the alternative would be.

Axia noticed the other dragon's sudden mood shift when she finished speaking and briefly wondered if she'd done the right thing by trying to inspire hope, but her doubts were quickly put to rest by his response. As long as he wasn't planning on giving up entirely, that was good enough for her.

"I know it can't be easy to find someone you've been apart from for so long... but on the bright side, you've got plenty of time, right? And with enough time, even the smallest amount of hope goes a long way. Besides, if she's still around, I bet she's out there looking for you, too."

A grin quickly started to make its way across her face, while her wings gave an energetic flutter. If her words didn't give away the fact that she was excited, then her body language certainly did.

"As far as I'm concerned, the sooner I try it, the better. To be honest, I've been wanting to do this for so long that I doubt I'd be able to sleep if I tried. I think that resting can wait for a little while longer."

((Ah, okay. Poking people for posts is a little weird for me tbh, but I'll do it if you want.))

His lips curled into a smile. She had a point - the bond between him and Otohime was one that was forever. Idly, he wondered if other dragons were the same. He might ask Axia later, but now....

"Well, if you're determined to do it now, we can head to the Commons first - it's a shorter walk, anyway." He have a small smile, and gestured to the room the ramp was about to deposit them into.

"Here we are. Wait here a moment, and I'll find you some clothes."

He opened the door, stepping through - he'd have had her follow him, but unfortunately the entrance was far too small for her.

For now.

_______


He came back after several moments with an armload of various women's clothing of many styles - he even thought to grab children's clothing, as he had no idea of her species' life span.

"Here we are," he said, depositing them on a table set in the middle of the large area. "Are you ready to get started?"

"Um... okay, I'll stay put. Try not to take too long, okay? I don't really mind what the clothing looks like, as long as it's something."

She watched as he disappeared into the other room, anxiously anticipating his return so that they could get started. There was also the fact that, though she'd never admit it, being alone in a place like this kind of freaked her out. Clearly, the Aerie was meant to be bustling with life and activity, so being entirely devoid of such gave it a certain eerie quality. She definitely would've tagged along if she had the option, but the Commons were clearly another area that she was barred from entering- not because it was dangerous, but because it was physically impossible to access. A little disappointed by this, Axia took to pacing around the small room at the bottom of the ramp, eventually settling down and curling up in the middle of the room.

The moment that Marakai stepped foot back in the room, Axia's eyes immediately lit up as she shot to her feet.

"Yeah, of course! I've been ready for this for as long as I can remember."

He smiled at her enthusiasm, and crossed his arms over his chest. "Okay. Well, the first thing you should know about doing this, is that it's almost purely mental. You can't force your body to change of it's own accord, so don't try...at best, nothing will happen. At worst, you will hurt yourself. So instead, you're going to close your eyes, and convince yourself you're inhabiting a human body... There are a couple ways I know of for doing this."

He uncrossed his arms, and walked to the far side of the room, behind her and still looking in the opposite direction - he didn't want her to be embarrassed if she succeeded and found herself naked in the middle of the room.

Still looking away, he continued speaking again. "I'll tell you the easiest way I was able to do it, when I was a child. This is also the easiest way to do it if you're under duress. Start by closing your eyes, and clearing your head. Imaging you're in a room, but you can't see yourself - basically you're a floating pair of eyeballs. there's only one door, but it's blocked by a mirror...looking into the mirror, imagine what you'd look like, if you were human. And then step into the mirror. Be the reflection you want to see."

He finally stopped to breathe, having to actually force his own body to retain its shape. Standing away from her, he looked down at his arms to see tiny black scales slowly fading away to show human skin.

He couldn't do that here....he was far too large for the Commons. He stood there, letting his body relax as he waited for her success or failure.

Axia mulled over Marakai's instructions in her head for a few seconds before shutting her eyes and doing whatever she could to follow them. She didn't notice the other dragon's partial transformation, as she was much too preoccupied with focusing on her own changes to worry about anyone else's.

What followed was a few minutes consisting of what appeared to be absolutely nothing. Despite Axia's insistence on making the transformation work, it didn't look like she was making very much progress, if any at all. Her biggest problem was trying to imagine what her human form would look like, which wasn't too surprising considering that this was her first attempt to change forms. Eventually, though, a blurry picture started to fade into view, and a power unlike any she'd ever felt before began to surge through her veins. Unbeknownst to her, the jagged scales covering her body were now lighting up in a multitude of colours, the lights being much more prominent than they'd been before. This was it... this was the moment she'd been waiting so long for, but never got the chance to make it happen. Excitedly, she envisioned herself reaching out towards the image...

...then the mirror shattered into pieces, along with the vision she'd created.

The surge of power Axia had felt previously suddenly morphed into pain, sending her body into uncontrollable convulsions. The light emanating from her scales started to pulse at infrequent intervals, increasing in intensity each time. Eventually, the light grew powerful enough to envelop the entire room, making it all but impossible to see what was going on.

There was another moment of silence, followed by a thud as Axia collapsed onto the ground. Taking on an entirely new form for the first time had taken a lot out of her, and she obviously wasn't used to standing on two legs.

The light filling the room finally cleared up, allowing Marakai to see Axia's new body. It looked to be roughly that of a young adult, or perhaps someone in their late teens. Her skin had a light tone- bordering on pale, though that could be in part due to the fact that she wasn't exactly feeling well- and her build looked rather delicate. Long, platinum blonde hair flowed down her shoulders, and although they weren't visible at the moment, her eyes had the same blue colouration that they had in her dragon form.

Her new body also carried a few anomalies; namely, her wings and aberrant scales. These features, though they were now reduced in size, persisted in human form for whatever reason. The wings sprouted from her shoulders, and the scales were scattered around certain areas about her upper body. They could be seen most prominently along the backs of her arms, though there were some that could be spotted around her shoulders and even a few on her neck, hidden beneath her hair.

She made no attempt to pick herself off of the ground, instead opting to lay there motionless. Transforming for the first time had hurt like hell, and she felt too drained to stand up- not that she knew how to.

Marakai had turned around when the brilliant light emanating from Axia's form filled the room. His face was one of astonishment and shock - never had a transformation shown such a display of energy. That light was....what? What was it?

He heard a much smaller body hit the ground, so he knew she'd succeeded in her transformation, but he could see nothing with the blinding glare pulsing from her. His eyes were narrowed into slits, one large hand blocking the light.

Eventually, the light faded away, and even with the spots in his eyes, he could see her form, an odd - yet beautiful - combination of human and dragon. His eyes widened when she made no move to get up, and within a few quick strides, he'd made it to her, kneeling by her head.

He didn't care about her nudity, or the pile of clothes beside her. First things first - he had to make sure she was okay. He grabbed for her hand, lifting it delicately - she looked so fragile in this form. He could feel a pulse, strong and steady, in her wrist, and he let out a sigh of relief. He'd noted her eyes were closed, and after that display had automatically assumed she was unconscious.

"Axia...are you okay?" he asked, glancing from her head down to take in her humanoid form. He marveled at her wings, her scales...this form was nearly artistic, it was so beautiful.

"...mmmph."

Her response came in the form of an incoherent mumble, which wasn't really useful as an answer, but at least it would let Marakai know that she could hear him. She wasn't unconscious- not yet, anyway- but it wouldn't take much to change that. It was difficult for her to formulate a proper sentence, due to the fact that she was just barely staying awake and that her mind was overloaded by a constant barrage of thoughts. Somehow, she'd managed to transform... but she could have sworn that she'd felt something else.

Slowly, Axia began to familiarize herself with her humanoid form. The first thing she noticed was that her whole body was incredibly sore, which was partly due to her hitting the ground with no protection, but also because of the drastic changes that had taken place. Slowly, she turned her head to look at Marakai, noticing that her scales and wings were still very much present in the process. She couldn't tell of this was a good thing or not; it would be all to easy to accidentally hurt someone with them if she wasn't careful, but at the same time, she couldn't imagine herself without them.

...it hurts a lot, but I think it'll be alright. I don't know if I can stand up, though...

She moved her hand around a little, surprising herself with how potentially intricate the movements could be. Clearly, learning how to use this form to its full potential was not going to be an easy task.

"Here - I'll help you. It will take some time for you to get used to your form."

He reached to take her hand gently in his, his other arm moving to wrap itself around her waist. As gently as he could, he pulled her up to rest on her knees, and he looked into her eyes with a smile.

"You did wonderfully, Axia. You even managed to keep your wings - that's incredibly rare in a human form, at least during my time."

But then he glanced toward the pile of clothes he'd brought in for her, and grimaced. He hadn't accounted for wings when he'd selected clothing for her, though there were some open backed gowns that may suffice...he just had no idea how they could get them on her without destroying them.

"We may need to...experiment with different clothing, though. I didn't anticipate your form still having wings... But let's get you in one of the bedrooms for now, and you can rest if you're sore. We can figure anything else out later. Agreed?"

From the way Axia had seen Marakai hold his sword, she knew that he was being very gentle with her, only using the smallest portion of his ridiculous strength. It felt like it took him more effort to use less power than it did just picking her up. She was grateful for it, though- as dextrous as her new form was, it also felt incredibly vulnerable. She'd rather not have her spine effortlessly snapped in half, especially after she'd gone through the effort of changing to a humanoid form in the first place.

"...Oh, I wasn't really trying to keep the wings... or the scales, for that matter. It just... sorta happened."

She wasn't lying- her scales in particular had the potential to be a huge liability, so keeping them around was never something she was intending on accomplishing. As Marakai pointed out, the wings could also be a problem when it came to finding clothes. They'd likely tear through anything that was placed over them, especially in combination with the patches of her scales. In any case, it wasn't really something she could change, so finding workarounds to the problem wasn't a bad idea.

"Yeah, okay... I should probably get some sleep. I just don't want to end up destroying something."

Axia generally tried to avoid relying too much on the strength of others, but there was no way that she could walk on her own at this point. All she could do was sit and wait for Marakai to start moving.

He tightened his grip around her waist just slightly, and lifted her arm to move around his shoulders for support. He held her hand there, unsure of whether she could keep her grip.

"Well, I wouldn't worry too much about damaging anything. There's plenty of beds, and no one to sleep in them...so I doubt anyone will care." He offered a small smile and stood, lifting her with him.

"Try to keep your feet on the floor. Use the distance to get used to your body while you're able to, and walk with me if you can. Okay?"

He took a hesitant step forward, and stopped, watching her feet to see if she would be able to follow him.

While it was true that if Axia ended up breaking something, there wouldn't really be anyone around to miss it, she still preferred causing as little damage as she could. It felt somewhat disrespectful to tear apart the possessions of the dead, and while the Aerie was barren for now, there was a chance for it to become populated in the future.

She squirmed around momentarily under Marakai's grip as she was lifted to her feet, obviously uncomfortable in her current position. Using two legs instead of four was an incredibly strange experience- disorienting, even- and if it weren't for the fact that she had someone helping her stay upright, she almost certainly would have immediately toppled back onto the ground.

Axia didn't say anything, telepathically or otherwise, but she did give Marakai a determined nod before staring intently down at the ground. Slowly but surely, she began to make her first step, which was more of a shuffle than anything else. Her foot hardly lost contact with the ground as it moved forward, but eventually it would slide into place next to his. Gaining more confidence, she decided to be a little more daring with her next step, this time getting her foot completely off of the ground before it abruptly plummeted back down. Her balance shifted forwards considerably, and for a moment she thought she was about to fall before remembering that doing so was essentially impossible considering how much support she had. There was a brief pause before Axia tried stepping forward again, her balance improving each time she did so.

When Axia seemed as though she would falter, Marakai tightened his grip ever so slightly on the wrist banging over his shoulder, and pulled her just a little tighter to her side. He wouldn't dare let her fall - he'd teach her to walk all over again if need be.

He smiled as she slowly but surely began walking with him. "That's good - you're finding the strength in your legs. In time, you'll learn to rebalance yourself with two legs, and without a tail." He glanced at her for just a moment, noting the intense look she had as she stared downwards, watching her feet.

"Here we are...do you want to try the door? I've got you - I won't let you fall." He offered her a gentle smile, and gestured to the doorknob with a nod. "Just grab the knob, turn it, and push the door open."

She was really starting to get the hang of walking on two legs, and the expression on her face showed this by softening significantly. There was even a point where she looked up from her legs and towards Marakai, opening her mouth to say something but instead letting out a small cry as she stumbled forwards. After that, she didn't say a word until they reached the door; whatever it was she was going to say, she had decided that it could wait for later.

"The door? That should be easy enough, I think. It's a good place to start learning how to use... hands."

She looked down at her free hand, twisting it around and flexing her fingers before extending her arm towards the doorknob. It made contact with the knob successfully, but actually getting the door open proved to be a lot more difficult than Axia had originally anticipated. Her fingers couldn't get a strong enough grip to turn the knob without sliding off uselessly. With each failed attempt, she grew increasingly more frustrated, not to mention embarrassed- everybody else made it look so easy. She refused to give up, though, and at a few points it looked as if she was more likely to tear the door off its hinges out of sheer determination than she was to actually open the thing properly. Eventually, though, the knob turned just barely enough to let the door swing open, which happened essentially automatically due to the amount of force that Axia was putting on it.

Marakai watched her fumble with the knob for several moments, a patient look on his face. She would get it, so long as she was determined to succeed. And the look on her face, when he looked, told him she was very determined.

He smiled when the door finally unlatched just enough, and she was able to get it open. He moved one foot forward to nudge it open the rest of the way, and the door swung easily, silent as if the hinges and pins had just been oiled the day before.

"That's good. Believe me, it will get easier after some rest. The transformation uses alot of energy when you have to force it, but when you can simply will the changes to occur, you won't feel a thing. I promise."

He left his hand around her waist, continuing to support her, and his other lightly holding onto her wrist. He nodded down the hallway. "I'll just take you to the first door. I'm sure you're tired enough already...no need to wear you out further with any unnecessary walking, hmm?" Marakai offered a small smile and continued forward, moving slowly so that she could concentrate on her feet.

The door moved without much issue- pretty surprising, considering how old the thing supposedly was. It was a small wonder that the door worked at all, let alone without producing even a squeak. It was an intriguing anomaly for sure, but Axia decided that picking apart every last detail of the Aerie could wait until she'd at least gotten some sleep.

"Alright... I'm just glad that I learned how to transform here, rather than somewhere out in the wild. I'd be in big trouble if I accidentally wound up changing into a human in the middle of nowhere without knowing how to change back. Not to mention the fact that I wouldn't be able to walk..."

She was content with the idea of idea of walking to the closest possible door, as long as it meant she didn't have to walk as far. Of course, the only way she was ever going to get better at it was by practicing, but there was only so much she could learn while constantly being held up. The last thing she wanted was for Marakai to have to carry her because she'd collapsed from exhaustion.

"Yeah... I don't really care what room it is. Any place where I can rest would be good."

When they started walking again, Axia's movements would be noticeably more sluggish, and she leaned more of her weight against Marakai despite her original plan to walk as independently as possible.

Marakai allowed her weight to settle more upon him, offering a gentle smile. The poor girl must have been utterly exhausted, but he didn't mind.

"Well, when you've got your strength back, you can try and change forms again. The process this time should be much less draining, as you'll be returning to a familiar form." His hand hitched a bit higher up her side to better support her, and he slowed his steps to better match her pace.

When they came to the the door, he released her wrist just long enough to open it himself. He quickly took her hand again, hoping to catch her before she slipped. Then he gently ushered her inside.

Luckily, the bed was on the same wall the door was, and it took very little time to get her there. "All right, here you are, then. Do you...need help lying down? I would suggest laying on your stomach to avoid straining your wings."

"Hmm... I hope so. If it doesn't get any easier, then switching in between forms all the time might be a problem. But... I think I'd like to stay in this form for a little while. At least, long enough for me to get used to it. I don't want to end up falling over again whenever I shift forms."

She very nearly fell asleep a few times as they made their way over to the door, only jolting fully awake when she felt Marakai release his grip on her wrist. There was a brief moment of panic as she gave an instinctive flap of her wings and tightened her own grip on his shoulder, only relaxing it when his hand returned to its original position. Afterwards, she was calm once again, remaining so as they entered the room and approached the bed.

"I... I think I can probably do it by myself. I don't want you to have to... carry me."

She slipped out from underneath his grasp, taking the (thankfully) few steps required to reach the bed on her own. Her wings pumped a couple more times as she awkwardly climbed onto the bed, using her arms to drag the rest of her body forwards. A few minutes passed as she shifted around, trying to make herself comfortable. While lying on her stomach wasn't something she was unfamiliar with- it was quite similar to how she'd slept as a dragon, after all- but now there was the added difficulty of trying not cut cut herself on her scales. Eventually, she would settle down, gently nestling her head in between her arms.

"...mmm... g'night, Marakai."

She gave a slightly muffled comment, which made little sense considering the fact that it wasn't nighttime. Afterwards, she promptly drifted off to sleep, not even being awake long enough to wait for a response. Her sleep looked to be a rather fitful one, with her continuing to shift around despite the fact that she was clearly unconscious.

As she drifted off to sleep, the massive man cracked a soft smile, and straightened from the crouched position he'd taken beside Axia's bed. He turned towards the opposite side of the room, where a large cabinet stood solemnly as the only other furniture in the room, excepting a small table beside the bed.

He strode as quietly as a man his side could manage, moving toward the closed cabinet and cracking it's door open to look inside.

"Perfect," came his voice, lowered so that hopefully only be would hear. He pulled out a large folded blanket, and crept back to the bed. He unfolded it, and laid it over Axia's form, hoping to make her more comfortable.

"Dream of happy things, Axia." He smiled down at her, and then was gone.


Quietly closing the door beside him, he sighed. What to do now? He had the rest of the day, and didn't dare leave the Aerie while Axia was still figuring out how her body worked. The armory was sorted already, he'd counted the coin in the Treasury so many times that he'd started purposely making mistakes so the numbers would be different...

Ah. She would need food. Best start on that, then. Idly, he wondered what kind of an adventure it would be, teaching her how to use silverware...

Axia's endless shuffling seemed to calm down as the blanket was placed over her, placated by the warmth and cover it provided. Her dreams would be pleasant for the most part, though a subtle feeling a fear plagued them ever so slightly. In any case, it would be quite a while before she escaped from her dreams and returned to the waking world.

---

Several hours passed before Axia finally began to stir, which was a testament to how tired she'd really been. She woke with a start, immediately sensing that something was off before catching a glimpse at her arm and recalling the events prior to her falling asleep. That's right, she had a humanoid form... it wouldn't be easy to get used to waking up like that.

Deciding that she didn't want to waste too much time lying around in bed, she pushed herself up onto her knees, then turned herself over so that she was in an upright sitting position. Seeing as she was still without clothes, she pulled the blanket over herself so that a fair amount of her body would be covered. Afterwards, she stretched out her wings- as well as her newfound arms- and looked around the room, noting that Marakai was currently absent.

Marakai... can you hear me?

She attempted to call out to him telepathically, not really sure if he would be able to hear from... wherever he was. Perhaps she'd have to seek him out on her own if he couldn't, but that would cause a few issues. That would mean walking on her own, and if he wasn't in the Aerie, then there would be very little she could do. There wasn't any way for her to leave, after all.

Marakai had taken a chance to venture outside the Aerie. This was unavoidable - he'd went to the kitchens to try and put together something for Axia to eat when she awoke. Unfortunately, the spells of timelessness affected only the architecture and the furniture.

Everything else was only so much dust.

But he was used to having to hunt, and often. As a dragon of his size, he had to be in order to consume the vast quantify of food he needed to fuel his body. Finding and killing a large antelope on the plains of Adela proved to be a simple task.

And so, when Axia called for him, he was already inside the Aerie once again, and his response was short in coming.

Yes. I'm close by. Wait just a moment, I've got food for you. I'm assuming you're hungry, yes?

This assumption was in part from the vast amount of energy he'd seen her expend when transforming, not only in the change itself but also the massive display of blinding light.

He'd remembered something she'd said before, a mentioning that she was incapable of magic...but apparently she'd either lied - something he saw no reason for her to do, and so that idea was discounted - or she was simply unaware of the power sleeping within her. He intended to ask, in time.

But a moment later, the door to her room was opened, and Marakai carried in a large tray piled high with grilled meats of varying cuts. He had no idea how hungry she would be, so he may have overdone it a bit.

"Here. I chanced a hunt to get food for you. I'm glad I was able to get back before you awakened." He set the tray down at the foot of the bed, and one could just see the knife and fork settled on either side of the pile of meat, completely dwarfed by the meal.

"Do you feel better, after your rest?"

Axia was certainly glad to hear that Marakai was indeed nearby- she'd never particularly liked the feeling of being alone, especially in an unfamiliar place- and what was more, he'd brought some food with him. It had been quite a while since she'd last eaten, especially when including the time she'd been asleep. Driving herself to the point of exhaustion hadn't exactly helped with that, either. Although she hadn't paid much attention to it until this very moment, the fact remained that she was now incredibly hungry.

She gave the other dragon a huge grin when he entered the room, though her eyes seemed to be missing that distinctive sparkle they'd displayed earlier. Something about her was a little off, though only the most observant people would be able to notice any difference. In any case, she wasn't at all intimidated by the huge pile of food Marakai brought before her; even if her current form was that of a human, she still retained the appetite of a dragon. A particularly small dragon, granted, but a dragon nonetheless.

Marakai's final question gave Axia some pause. Was she feeling better? Well, she definitely felt well rested, and after having something to eat she would theoretically be back to her old self. However, there was something else that was bothering her, something that she couldn't really put into words. It felt like she was drained somehow, despite the fact that she'd just woken up from a long rest. Whatever it was, she didn't want to make Marakai worried by bringing it up, so she stayed quiet about it.

"...um, yes. I should be fine now."

She nodded, then leaned forwards slightly in order to pull the tray closer to herself. Her fingers idly wandered over the silverware, not sure how she was supposed to use them, or even what they were used for. Considering that she was unaware of the existence of her humanoid form until now, this probably shouldn't be too surprising. Unsure of how to proceed, but also unwilling to admit that she had no clue what she was doing, Axia tried to buy herself some time by continuing the conversation.

"Thanks for going out to get this for me, by the way. Did you get enough for yourself to eat?"

Marakai nodded, smiling warmly. "Good. Perhaps after eating, you'll have enough of your strength back for a proper tour of the Aerie. Also... I'll need to make it so you can come and go as you please."

He'd noted her grin, but also felt as though something was off about her. However, he didn't know her well enough to be sure of anything, so he didn't feel as though it would be pertinent to bring it up.

His eyes cast their gaze to her hands as they wandered over the knife and fork, and he was about to say something when she asked if he'd gotten food for himself as well. He offered but a gentle shake of his head before replying.

"No, I was seeking only enough for you. I wanted to hurry back in the event that you  woke early - I didn't want you to be trapped here. But not to worry - I can eat later. This is all for you." He gave a small smile and stepped back away from the bed. "After you've eaten, we can see about clothing you, and I've an idea of how that can be done. It'll take some searching, but I remember in the past there were Aeithirian elves visiting often, and there should be clothing of their make that would suit you. They've got wings as well...or, well, they did."

The notion of exploring the rest of the Aerie brightened her mood slightly, as well as learning how to use the entrance on her own. She wasn't really in any rush to leave, but it was a rare sight to see Axia pass up the chance to learn something new. However, they wouldn't be able to do any of that until she'd at least gotten some food in her.

"...oh. Well, if you're really sure that you don't need anything to eat, then I guess that's okay. But, I don't want you to go hungry, especially after you went through the trouble to bring me all of this. Even if you're just trying to be helpful... it'd just make me feel guilty. I don't want you to go neglecting your own needs just so you can help me."

In that moment, she came off a little more stern then she'd intended, but she meant everything she said. It drove her crazy when people sacrificed their own happiness for her sake, mostly because it happened much more often then she'd like. After she was convinced that she'd gotten her point across, she turned her attention back towards the contents of the tray in front of her- most notably, the knife and the fork. She still had no clue what they were used for, but considering the fact that she'd never had to use them before, they were probably used to do things she was only capable of in draconic form. Most of the pieces of meat were too big to fit in her mouth, and even if she managed to do so, her teeth seemed much less suited for tearing them apart. That must be what the knife was for- its serrated edge could function similar to the teeth of a carnivore, cutting apart food into much more manageable portions.

Having discovered the purpose of the knife, Axia went to pick it up, twirling it around in her hand for a few seconds before looking down at the fork. Its purpose was less obvious than the knife's, but eventually (after several failed attempts at getting the knife to do its job) she figured out that she could use it to keep whatever she was cutting in place, as well as getting it to her mouth without making a mess of her fingers. The process was slow going at first, but it sped up over time as she refined the movements while she ate. And boy, did she eat. Much more than a human could be expected to eat, anyways.

Axia cleaned off nearly the entire tray before finally setting it aside, looking up at Marakai and giving him an energetic smile. Getting something to eat had gone a long way in improving her mood, and it showed in her demeanour.

"Alrighty, then. Sooooo, where do you think we might find some of those clothes? I don't mean to complain, but the sooner I can get something to wear, the better."

"Really, Axia, I'll be fine. Just as soon as I'm sure you can get around on your own, I'll worry about me. Trust me, as large as this place is, the solitude can be...suffocating, at times. I don't want to put you through that, especially when you can't get out, yet."

Marakai smiled when she began to eat, and she managed the fork and knife much better than he'd expected. He was nearly surprised with the gusto that she ate with, and realized that perhaps she'd worn herself out more than he'd expected.

He almost offered to go and find more for her, but then she set everything aside and he could see the look of contentment and her smile. He returned the smile with a wide grin.

"Well, we'll just have to go and look, then. Do you feel up for a little walking?"

As much as she wanted Marakai to go out and get something to eat, she couldn't deny that she wouldn't want to be left alone with no way to leave. The notion of being trapped anywhere made her anxious, but for some reason it felt a little different this time around- perhaps being in an unfamiliar form made her feel more vulnerable than usual. In any case, if the only way she could convince him to take care of himself was to convince him that she could move fine by herself, then she would do just that.

"Yeah, of course! I'm always up for more practice. It should be a little easier now that I've got some energy back, too."

She nodded vigorously, before sliding her legs to the side so that they were hanging over the side of the bed. There was some hesitation as she began to lower herself down, and then a sudden pause as she pulled on the blanket and wrapped it around herself, creating a sort of makeshift robe. Only afterwards did she finally make contact with the ground, her feet gingerly brushing against the floor then pressing against it fully in order to support her weight. Once again trying to get used to her legs, she stumbled over to Marakai, seemingly oblivious to the potential tripping hazard she'd created with the blanket. She didn't ask for any help either, at least not immediately- it wasn't like she could always depend on someone else to help her stay upright. That being said, it probably wasn't the right time to try walking on her own... not that she was going to admit that.