Darkest Before The Dawn [Salzem]

[Codex]

Silence... That was all that could be heard... The sound of nothing, as the trees stood guard over the darkened forest floor. The moon had climbed high into the sky, and had almost reached its peak. The white moonlit trees casted long, ominous shadows across the wood, making anything that move have the effect of a lone ghost in the distance... Soon, a sound was heard. The snapping of twigs. Narumi, a large black fox. The creature had been walking slowly, and without aim. How long had it been anyways? A month? Maybe two? She couldn't remember... Her mind had been clouded in so much pain and sorrow for previous events, that the Kitsune couldn't even make an effort to keep track of the time. Right now, her only focus was to learn more about the world she was forced to adopt as her new lifestyle. So far she had learned many things, but had yet to really make any contact with the inhabitants. She was always unsure before reaching into their minds. So many strange and new living beings she had never encountered perform seemed to call this place "Le'ranna" home... Not only that, but a good lot of them seemed to carry their own magical power... Power she had never seen before... That was another downside to her curse... Narumi could no longer alternate to her Yokai form any longer. She had been stuck in her Kitsune self because of the dark seal placed upon her soul. Not only that, but most of her former power had been ripped away as well. She could no longer sense the other plain, although she wasn't sure if she wanted too anymore. It had become a nest of shadows for dark and evil things...

Either way, the entire situation had taken weight on the fox's mind once again, and in turn she began to feel tired. Even spirits need to sleep. The fox walked around the bases of a few trees before finding one to suite her needs. She simply curled herself up around the the tree, her long black tail laced the base and rested beside her head as she lowered it, and shut her pale blue eyes...

[Salzem]

There comes a time when one can't stand the company of their own family so much that they just have to leave. No word, no note, no nothing. Aeizith silently had made up his mind that enough was enough, plain and simple. Almost dying was certainly enough to do it, but there was also the fact that his siblings were tearing each other apart for reasons the little lonely dragon couldn't begin to understand. He wanted so badly to sympathize with Emilia, to understand why she was the way she was and back her decisions as a loyal member of the family but that previous display was just it. Game. Over. And so he left one day without an intention of returning for several days. He wasn't angry or anything. He didn't hate her... Aeizith could never hate her, but he just needed some time to think, time to cry and time to just be himself where that wouldn't get him killed.

Aeizith wandered through the forest, his blue eyes seeming to glow like searchlights in the blackness of night. He wiped a few tears from his eyes with a gloved hand, the droplets freezing on contact and shattering when they hit the ground, turning into tiny pockets of snow. The gentle dragon bit his lower-lip as he tried to find his way without taking to the skies, feeling more and more scornful towards that other form. He hated taking his dragon form now... It reminded him of Emilia... No... that wasn't right. That wasn't why he hated his form but whenever he tried to justify it, her cold, angled face kept popping up in his mind. Another tear fell from his eyes, freezing and shattering upon the ground.

The little dragon eventually, and unfortunately, stumbled across something so unexpected, it caused him to leap back and yelp in surprise. Wrapped around a tree, sleeping, was a MASSIVE black fox, its sharp teeth and claws were all the dragon could stare at. Aeizith quickly clasped his hands over his mouth as if to catch his yelp, about half-a-second too late. The noise escaped his lips and he could only hope that the large, intimidating beast would not awaken.

[Codex]

As Narumi's thoughts began to fade into the dreaming world, she was disturbed by a sound. The large fox silently shifted in her sleep, her long tail brushing the leaves until finally her glowing blue eye opened. A creature was staring at her... One that looked similar to the dozens she had seen before. She stared directly at the man for several seconds, as he seemed to be paralyzed at her being. She could guess he was afraid for waking a creature much larger then normal. However, she could sense magic around him... This wasn't any normal human. Finally, the Fox snorted and silently stood up. Her eyes locked with his, as she made no move towards him. Her ears twitched as she sat beside the tree, and she titled her head.

"You are different from the others I have encountered so far..." Her voice was transported not through her mouth, but her mind. To the man, he would hear it echoing all around him. A smooth, but cold tone. Yet he would be the only one to hear Narumi's voice. Other creatures would be able to hear nothing, but only see the large Fox staring back at him. Her eyes unblinking.

"Do not be afraid of me... I have no interest in harming you..."

[Salzem]

Aeizith was never one to believe in luck as it's presence was never known to him. His declaration of surprise caused the massive beast to stir, its tail swaying as it sat up on its hind legs, one glowing blue eye (not unlike his) opening. Though the dragon sensed no open malice from the beast, it was certainly no less intimidating awake than asleep. The little ice dragon took another step back, nearly falling backwards has his heel was caught by a branch. He raised his hands in front of him, ready to defend himself, magical icy mist radiating from his palms before a sudden voice unknown to him rang through his head. He was sure the experience with the giant black fox hadn't drove him crazy and yet... there the voice was, noting that he was similar, but also different from some "others" it'd encountered so far. It was a feminine voice, too young and graceful to be the behemoth fox standing in front of him and yet... it stood there, staring at him intently as if it was indeed the one talking. Slowly, but cautiously, Aeizith dropped his hands, staring dubiously at the black fox. Speaking again, the voice declared that he need not be afraid, that she had no interest in harming him, but Aeizith was not so sure. After everything he had been through with his sister, anyone that said "I won't hurt you" seemed either a lie or an unlikely truth. Either way, The dragon wasn't going to drop his guard on her say-so. Ice still formed heavily around his feet, unknowingly pinning him to the ground as he stared at the beast.

"Wh.... What are you....?" He muttered, wide-eyed.

[Codex]

Narumi was silent, and only her long tail started to sway at the man during his reaction. Predictable to say the least. He wasn't the only one who had witnessed Narumi, and they all did the same thing. They cowered in fear of the beast Narumi had been transformed too. They couldn't know who she was really, and she was sure her Yokai form would be much better suited to these kind of situations. But of course that wasn't an option for her at the moment.

Finally, the man spoke. She let silence linger in the air for a few seconds, before slowly walking towards him as he trembled on the ground. She looked down upon his face, noting the ice particles that had manifested. That was interesting. This man had some control over the elemental plain. But there was still something else about him she could not place. And it was starting to bother the fox.

She lowered her head, and gave a few quick sniffs to his face and chest. At this, she leaned back up and towered over him. "I am a spirit... But not of this plain. I am an orphan to the realm you have called Le'ranna..." Her mind spoke again, before she started to circle the man, watching him ever closely with curiosity. "In the ancient days, I was called Narumi... The Spirit Guide." She spoke truthfully. After all, she had no reason to hide her past. Even the most vile could do nothing with the information...

[Salzem]

Aeizth nearly froze (literally) as the massive black fox approached, running her nose along his chest and near his face. He could feel the air taken in from the surrounding areas, cold on entry, slightly warmer on their way out. After what seemed like an eternity, she did eventually back off, returning to her sitting position that towered over then dragon, at least in his human form. She admitted to him through her strange mind-voice that she was, in fact, a spirit, but not of this place. From what the dragon could understand, she wasn't someone who ended up dying and returning in this form. She must have come from somewhere else like heaven or something where the rules were different and it made sense to have giant talking foxes. Then again, here there were gaint talking and flying reptiles that breath fire, ice, poison and probably alcohol if one looked hard enough and Aeizith wasn't one to judge. Still, he cocked his head to the side, confused by what she said about being "orphaned." What... was she left here alone or something? Abandoned? He would certainly know what that was like having recently been discarded by his own family himself... There was so much about the female fox that confused him, right down to her massive black body. He watched her carefully as she stalked around him, but he wouldn't try to hide the curious streak flashing across his eyes.

"I'm Aeizith..." He responded with a slight smile, taken away a bit in her spiritual grace. "D-do you like it here....? In o-our realm I mean..."

[Codex]

Narumi continued to stare at the man as he slowly collected himself from her sudden, personal bubble breaking action. She noticed the curious expression on his face, and was prepared for a wide array of questions. But he had only one. He was strange to be sure. After all the information she gave him, his only question was about her personal opinion of this realm... At this, the black fox stopped in her tracks, and her ears twitched.

"This world has many aspects about it that are foreign to me... And I'm finding that the curious urge to learn is intoxicating." Suddenly, she turned and walked around him closer, her eyes looking him over. Her tail brushing against him as she circled. "You're depressed about something aren't you? I can sense your fear... And your sorrow. And the fact you're not really human..."

Her eyes gleamed through the dark. It was true most of her power was stolen, but fear can reveal almost anything... "Tell me, Aeizth. Why do you deny your true form? I hope you weren't trying to lie to me..." She let out a low growl. Narumi was hoping inducing fear into this being would cause him to reveal himself for what he truly was. She needed to know for sure.

[Salzem]

Aeizith nodded knowingly as the fox admitted that there were many things here that were foreign to her, and that the erge to learn was intoxicating. Indeed it was, but like with most things, if you went digging deeper for the good stuff, chances are you were going to find something bad, something that didn't want to be disturbed and you'd have to pay for it. Aeizith was still paying for it to this day, at this very moment, every passing measurement of time he was paying for it, even as he drew flat broke. But then, Narumi noted that he was depressed about something, snapping Aeizith out of his thought. Did he really look that bad...? He wondered if she could see the tear-stains on his cheeks in the dark, or the flush on his face from only a moment ago. His eyes grew wide and his heart-rate picked up as she seemed to whisper that she could smell his fear... his sorrow... that he wasn't really the human-form he took. Oh gods... that usually meant something bad.... that she had some intent on harming him, killing him or something horribly in-between. She hissed why does he deny his "true form" and that she hoped he wasn't lying to her. When she stated this, Aeizith's expression of fear fell into confusion. He cocked his head to the side, thrown by her inquiry. "True form"... What did she mean...? He could always take this form... it was something all dragons had in common...

"L-lie to you....? I h-haven't lied! I c-could always take this form... I-Its as much my t-true form as y-yours is...." He paused a moment, appearing even more miserable than before. His eyes flicked down to the forest floor by his feet. "...And I d-don't deny it... Its....... J-just not my f-favorite right now....."

[Codex]

Narumi's eyes were narrowed at Aeizith as he began to stutter in his response.

"So you're telling me you're a full human?" She questioned, already knowing the truthful answer to this question. Weather he wanted to admit this to her however was still not clear. She then took note of his facial expressions as they began to change. She silently moved her head closer as he was staring at the ground... If he looked up, he'd be met with her fierce blue gaze inches from his face... Her white pupils flashing with fury as they stared deep into his... "The thing about trust... Once it's gone... Bad things happen..." She spoke slowly.

After which, she would proceed to break off her stare and walk past him, pulling herself up onto a rock and lying down. "What happened that would warrant such sadness... Where are you from?"

[Salzem]

Aeizith glanced up from the forest floor only to see the massive fox's glowing blue eyes inches from his. She warned him that one thing about trust was that bad things happened when it was gone. He stared at her, afraid and confused, unsure why she thought he was lying. He couldn't very-well transform and show of his draconic majesty right here. He would rip down the surrounding trees in the attempt. Despite his honesty, the Narumi seemed convinced that he was withholding information, that he was lying to her for some reason. Before the dragon could utter out a response, Naru retracted her face from his, curling herself up on a nearby rock and asking why he looked as miserable as he did. Somewhere inside of him, he wanted to break out the sarcasm he never used, claim that it was her claims that did such damage to him but honestly, she didn't deserve such a....... brutal assault of banter. She probably actually cared and was just being cautious for her sake... he could understand that. Its kind of why he doesn't come out to everyone he meets and exclaim that he's a dragon. Hunters were on the rise in recent years and if anyone suspected his true nature, he didn't want to confirm anything. Aeizith hesitated for a moment before his eyes fell back to the ground again. It was clear he wasn't really afraid... It was as if he didn't have the energy to feel such an emotion. No, he looked shaken, tired and melancholy, as if he hadn't slept in days. That was true in part. Nightmares plagued his thoughts, poisoning any attempt at a restful slumber.

"...I come from all over...." He admitted,slumping against a tree trunk in front of Narumi's rock. "...People hunt me... like an animal..... And I have to kill them.... rip them apart or they don't stop..." he held his head in his hands. "They don't leave me alone.... and they almost killed me last time...."

[Codex]

Narumi continued to lie on the rock as Aeizith began to explain the reasoning for his current state of sadness... She peered down from her perch with a curious stare as he told his, short and depressing tale. People were hunting him, and he was forced to kill them to save his own life. Her ears twitched at this... She had her own experience in that field as well... Many times she found herself on the run when bad things tried to hunt her... In a darker world, a darker time.

"I see... And despite your retaliation... These people continue to hunt you? Even after you kill the previous hunters who ventured out to pierce your scaly hide?" She questioned. It was true, Narumi knew what he was. Now she did anyways. She could smell it on him, and hear it in his voice. The difference between Aeizith and the other humans were very apparent. And she had already encountered dragons before. In fact, in her world they would share similar qualities with Aeizith. Taking on the form of one other when their dragon bodies proved too much.

[Salzem]

"They don't stop coming...." Aeizith responded with a shaky tone, pillars of ice rising and falling around him as he held his head low. "I don't want to kill them... I don't want to hurt them... but they make me do it... I don't want to hurt anyone..."

Dragon hunters... Much like the sect of paladins dedicated to wiping out all undead, this group of knights were trained to hate his kind with such a violent and disturbing amount of rage, they would gladly destroy themselves to rid the world of the scaly beasts. Even if they were doing no harm or hurting anyone such as himself, they would gladly throw every last knight at him, if they were able,  to bring him down to his knees. These were a group of men who knew nothing but the fires of war, death and genocide and it was all meant for him. Aeizith couldn't begin to understand the flames that fueled their opposition to his existence, their determination to cut short his journey through the mortal plane. For a being like himself that just wanted to be of use, to love and be loved by those he cared about, such unyielding disgust was something he just couldn't comprehend on his own. After a minute or two, the ice around him began to recede and the environment faded back to normal. Slowly, the young boy looked up at Naru, his eyes just as vulnerable as he was before.

"D-does anyone d-do that to you...?" he asked, trying to read her eyes with his own. "A-are you hunted....?"