Of Fire and Swords [M] [Archive]

[DragonSong]

In all his centuries of life, Renkaryn could not recall having ever felt quite so humiliated.

He growled in frustration, flaming pointlessly at the trees around him. Of course, nothing in this godsdamned jungle was dry enough to burn properly, and the best he got was a few spluttering fires in the dead foliage beneath him.

Growling again, he thrashed around futilely; the vines and branches that held him were too thick, he couldn't get free. Why on earth had he thought it would be a good idea to try and dive into the trees instead of looking for a clearing?

Wings pinned to his sides, held suspended over the ground at an awkward, twisted angle and caged in by the trees he'd felled when he "landed", the dragon gave in to frustration and let out an earth shattering roar, twisting and flaming violently.

Which, of course, only got him tangled further. Damnit.

[Medievarad]

A dragon. Here? That was rather unusual.

Mist was alarmed by the loud roaring, followed by the blazing of flame. The roar was of not only an angered, but frustrated nature. So, the fearless dark elf had no better idea than to investigate.

He appeared from some of the charred shrubbery. Infront of the dragon. His face signed with fearlessness and neutrality. Yet he bowed deeply to the entangled dragon, before speaking. "Do you require help, noble creature?" Was what he asked, his voice laced with respect. Yet, it was a tone that also demanded respect, if his actions didn't already do that.

[DragonSong]

Ren twisted from side to side, trying to get a decent view of the newcomer. He couldn't quite manage it, and settled for rolling his ruby eyes back to look at him from the corner of his eye. "I am quite capable on my own, thank you," he snapped.

The whole "noble creature" thing was definately ingratiating though. He thrashed around a bit more and only succeeded in bringing another tree down on his tail. Roaring in pain and pure irritation, he snorted a burst of smoke and subsided.

"On second thought... Perhaps a bit of help would be appreciated," he grumbled eventually.

[Medievarad]

Mist nodded slowly. "Allow me." He said, before he walked to the nearest tree, pulling a knife from his belt and starting to clamber his way up, using the knife as a makeshift support for easier climbing. It wasn't long before some climbing and jumping from branch to branch placed him ontop of the constricted dragon. The dark elf went to work cutting the vines loose. Some mystical and dark aura hanging around him.

As soon as Ren was cut loose, Mist leaped down from the gargantaun creature, taking a few steps back, sheathing the knife on his belt again. "My name is Mist. adventurer extraordinaire. At your service." He said, with another deep bow.

[DragonSong]

Thumping down onto four paws, Ren arched his back like a cat and stretched his wings, relishing the freedom of movement.

"Renkaryn," he responded shortly, shaking himself. "And I suppose I am now at yours. I am in your debt, at any rate." He gave a dragonish scowl. it wasn't like he was adverse to this Mist person on principal, he had helped him after all, but he didn't like being in anyone's debt.

[Medievarad]

"The pleasure is mine, Lord Renkaryn." He stated, standing up straight again. "And, you are not. It was my duty to help." Yet, his voice was lost in the sound of loud trudging. Numerous footsteps headed for their location. Mist arched an eyebrow and turned around.

Unknowing that a warband would soon be upon them.

[DragonSong]

Ren sank into a crouch, a low growl rumbling in his throat. "It seems here is where I lay you back," he muttered. That was certainly fast. "Get behind me."

The footsteps were growing closer. He didn't know who they belonged to, but he could sense the aggression in the air, and in his experience that was never a particularly good sign.

[Medievarad]

Mist merely huffed. "Pay me back.." He snerked in response, pulling the massive sword from his back, the bandages slowly loosening and dropping to the floor, revealing the cursed blade. The dormant eye opening and staring at the dragon briefly.

"We stand together." He merely stated. "I am a warrior. I do not back down." He explained with a glance behind his shoulder. "And I'm called Immortalis for a reason.." He said, before looking down the path where the warband would surface, lowering the blade to his side, ready to fight. A small smirk appearing on his lips.

[DragonSong]

He thought about arguing, then huffed, shaking his head. "Have it your way." He rolled his shoulders, baring his teeth as the scent of the warband became stronger.

The first group appeared on the path, armor and weapons glinting, and he snarled. "Who are you?" he growled, shifting and fanning his wings as far as he could in the cramped jungle, a threat display. "If you mean us harm, I suggest you turn around. Now."

[Medievarad]

"Oi! Chief! There's tha scaley bastard! 'N an elf! I'm thinkin' 'e'd be quite the slave!" One armoured man shouted, raising his spear and shield. The shield seemed to have an odd texture to it, made from scales. Dragonscales.

Mist sighed slowly at the shout. "Seems they're dragon hunters.. And slavers." The dark elf rested the blade on his shoulder, next to the dragon's skull that was posted on his shoulder. A prize from slaying a corrupted dragon. One that aimed to kill him. It was heavier than the mithril chestplate. But it was also way more durable.

The band formed up, shield next to shield. Their pikes brandished.

[DragonSong]

"Oh, wonderful," Ren hissed. He flexed his claws into the earth and growled again, a rumbling, hair-raising sound that echoed through the trees far longer than should have been natural.

"If you value your lives, turn back now," he bellowed, arching her head back and glaring down at them. Sunlight caught his scales, giving him a sort of golden halo.

He wasn't so worried about himself, and the elf- Immortalis or not, he supposed he seemed like he could handle himself.

[Medievarad]

No response came from the warband. They took determined steps forward. Shields raised against the potential dragonfire.

Mist however, started running forward. Picking up speed and using one of the shields as a platform to leap up, blade brandished as he did. The force of the kick on the shield knocking the first soldier down. He relentlessly threw himself into the enemy ranks. Slashing the blade around several breaking formation because of having been killed or forced to foght back. And soon, the elf was facing off against roughly ten dragonhunters. And holding his own.

[DragonSong]

Ren snorted, impressed. His first instinct was to flame, but he didn't want Mist to get caught up on it.

So he went with his claws and teeth, swooping his head forward to crunch one soldier between his jaws and swiping two more off their feet with a powerful foreleg. Not having a lot of room to maneuver in the trees, he lumbered around to swing his tail at the warband, knocking down a row of fighters. Maybe unconscious, maybe dead, maybe just stunned, he didn't take the risk to check before swatting his right law forward again, pinning one beneath his claws.

"I told you to turn around," he said carelessly.

[Medievarad]

Mist saw the tail coming in time, bashed his current foe backwards and dropped to the ground, the tail swiping over him. He stood up straight again to see a line of archers drawing at him. He was already covered in the blood of his fallen foes. Body count roughly up to five now. "Fire!" The command resounded and twenty arrows were fired.

And twenty arrow hit the elf in his chest. Knocking him down to the floor with a cough of blood. Lifeless. Yet his grip onthe blade remained solid.

[DragonSong]

Seeing the elf fall, Ren roared a challenge at the archers and let loose a torrent of flame. He sprang forward again, claws slashing and jaws snapping at anything that moved.

He may not exactly be a sentimental creature, but he had a deeply ingrained sense of honor. Mist had it, as far as he'd seen, these men didn't. In his book, that essentially made them target practice.

[Medievarad]

"Don't think.. I'm done yet.." Mist spat out as he pulled himself to his feet. Using the cursed blade as ameans to pyll himself up after the scorching heat of dragonfire was gone. "Only.. Seven got through.. Heh.." He murmured as he raised his blade, staggering forward towards the foes that faced off against Ren's anger.

[DragonSong]

"You're still alive?" The dragon blinked in surprise, then rumbled, "Good."

To his slight surprise, he really meant it. The elf's death would have been a loss, he seemed to be one of the few two-leggers Ren could potentially see standing for longer than a few minutes.

Another soldier ran at him, blade raised and shouting a war cry. He snapped his jaws closed around him carelessly, flinging the broken body back at the remaining fighters.

[Medievarad]

"Immortalis.. Has a reason.." He grinned as he spat out a chunk of blood, before raising his blade and smacking it down on an armoured fighter that came his way. His speed slower and his strength heavily diminished, but he was stillbreathing. Standing and even fighting at that. He wouldn barely even be able to tale two of these soldiers at once. But he wasn't going to lie down and bleed without at least taking twenty of them with him.

And so he fought with those that tried to finish him. Slicing and dicing through the soldiers that came for him.

[DragonSong]

Focused on taking out a group of soldiers to his left, Ren completely missed the one with the lance darting in on his right until it was too late. The weapon pierced through his scales- it must have been reinforced somehow- driving into his shoulder.

Whirling with a roar, he snapped the lance in half between his teeth and drove the broken shaft through the wielder's torso. Snapping back into the fight, he winced as his shoulder protested and shouted a warning to Mist: "On your left, two of them!"

[Medievarad]

Mist turned towards his left flank, lifting the blade and flinging it forward, causing it to slam down in the first attacker's chest and pierce through him. Dropping dead to the floor several meters away, blown back by the impact. The second fiighter ran him through with a blade. Through his stomach.

Mist spat out more blood as he slumped forward on the man's arm with a grin. "Right.. Where I want.. You.." He murmured as he fluidly pulled an arrow from one of the wounds, circling it in his hand before ramming it through the eyeslot of his assailant's helmet.

The foe dropped to the floor, the blade slowly sliding out of his belly again. He started to limp to the other corpse to retrieve the blade again, blood pouring down in his wake. The remainign dragonhunters staked their attack at the display of both the elf and the dragon. They were clearly outmatched. The dragon attacking with duch ferocity and an elf that just kept shrugging their attacks off. They had no chance here.

Ane with thay. The loud screams of retreat sounded and the warband tried to retreat.