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Post by Hauke on Jan 31, 2008 22:09:11 GMT -5
I back away from Akasha till my back hits the door and I cringe, clutching my sketchbook to my chest.
"Um... I-I'm sorry, Cap'n! Really, I-I didn't know! I just wanted to ask if you have any pencils... or ink and pens..."
I slide to the floor and bite my lip. "My pencils are all broken..." Jince. I sound lame, don't I...?
I shiver and gulp, looking at the ground between my splayed feet. "I'm sorry, Cap'n... I'll leave, if you want."
I start to struggle to my feet.
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Akasha Govad
Level 3
Sailing, sailing, over your stupid heads!
Posts: 259
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Post by Akasha Govad on Jan 31, 2008 22:30:50 GMT -5
Akasha sighed and helped the boy up. He pulled him close and smiled softly.
"I am sorry. This place is just...special to Cultists like myself," the captain whispered lightly, petting Hauke's hair slowly. "I won't snap again." He grinned and planted a kiss to the boy's temple. But no romantic moment lasts forever and his First Mate, a dwarven woman named Berna, called in through a runic link between the ship's wheel on deck and the Globe.
"Ye messn' rund on th' Globe boss?" the woman asked gruffly. "Ye muss beh. Well, get ur rump on deck. We's got som'thin flyn' of the starboard!" The rune flashed and went silent. Akasha sighed dramatically.
"Work work work..." the captain murmured lightly. He smiled and leaned down, kissing the boy softly. "There are pens and pencils and inks in every shade in the large cabinet of my chart desk. Help yourself." He pressed his palm to the door of the Globe and ushered the boy out before him. He grabbed the roll of parchment that held the sketched map before turning and walking through the door and letting it slide close and seal. He grinned and walked past Hauke.
"Come up to deck if you want! You never know what it might be!" he called out before disappearing up one of the ladders to the deck. He poked his head out and looked over towards the wheel. Berna was standing and scowling over the railing, her hand axes strapped to her thighs. He chuckled and stepped onto deck, looking over at the dwarven woman.
"What has your brew warm?" Akasha asked with a smile.
"That," the woman growled, pointing the spyglass at a speck flying among the clouds. Akasha pulled his own spyglass out and stared through the bronze tube. He smirked lightly.
"Well well...things may be getting interesting..." the captain mused lightly.
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Post by Hauke on Feb 1, 2008 0:31:32 GMT -5
Cultists? I start to ask what cult he's in as I hang onto his arms, but the First Mate tells Akasha to get above-deck.
I follow Akasha out the door and up the stairs, almost stepping on his heels when I catch sight of the Rempa from earlier. Blinking in the sunlight, I wonder if I should go back to the Captain's room, get the pencils he mentioned... but decide to continue following the man as he walks to railing and looks out through his spyglass.
I sit down and put my chin on the bottom rail, straining my eyes. For a moment or two, I can see a little distance-darkened something out there, but I easily lose sight of it against the brightness of the clouds. Blinking back tears from trying to overwork my eyes, I look up at Akasha.
"What's out there, Cap'n?"
Something interesting? Are we going to attack whatever's out there? I speculate what it might be. It has to be something with wings, I think...
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Post by Den // Aik on Feb 1, 2008 21:38:03 GMT -5
Both twins glanced towards the man as he yelled, eyes flickering to where he pointed for a moment before Den launched above him, letting the current from Tuyet's wings catch his own so that with a little effort he was going fast enough to spin up to besides the dragons head. Yes, the man had been looking towards Aik... But really that was just asking for trouble when the girls already seemed to have started their daily non-lethal sparring match.
Aik simply hung back, rather disgruntled to have lost the chance to mess with the dragon, and let her eyes flicker over the sky off to the side of them. For a moment she frowned, thinking that she saw something off in the distance, but a second later she wasn't able to find it... if it was something then it was rather far off... Probably not worth mentioning, though if something actually did come up on them in the next few minutes she'd be feeling a bit guilty. Maybe another dragon was heading in the same way?
While his sister was thinking, Den steadied himself by Tuyet's neck, taking care to balance his wingbeats so that he didn't throw off her rhythm or actually put much of his weight on her other than what he needed to keep himself in line with the dragon and not let the air brush him off of her. It was a rather delicate balance, but he'd managed to do it enough times before that now it didn't take much thought... That was another reason not to let Aik come up; she didn't do this sort of thing often since it meant cooperating with her rival.
"Head a little bit more south. Towards the dead plants or whatever all of that brown way up there is." He said, lips right by the dragon's ear so that he didn't have to yell.
"Gotcha." Tuyet said, looking ahead towards the same spot and changing her direction minutely.
The red sprite let go of her, allowing his wings to slow just barely enough for the air to seemingly whip him up and over her, starting back towards the updrafts of her wings... except that he noticed the same small object that Aik had. Instead of going all the way back, he sped back up again about a yard above and a little behind De, calling down, "Are any other dragons going where we're going?"
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Akasha Govad
Level 3
Sailing, sailing, over your stupid heads!
Posts: 259
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Post by Akasha Govad on Feb 3, 2008 23:18:43 GMT -5
Berna and Akasha were conversing lightly in low tones. The dwarf was annoyed and gesturing angrily towards the spec on the horizon. The first mate threw up her hands and rolled her eyes.
"What's out there Cap'n?" Hauke asked before the dwarf could yell at Akasha. The captain looked down at the boy and arched an eyebrow.
"What's out there? Travelers from what I can see," he said nonchalantly. Berna snorted and rolled here eyes again. He leveled a glare at the dwarf before turning back towards the boy. "They shouldn't be an issue. Let me have a private word with my Mate here." He smiled and ruffled Hauke's hair lightly before walking over to the ship's wheel, the dwarf stalking next to him.
"Ya best no' be lettin that boy nuke your decision makin," Berna grumbled. She huffed and grabbed the wheel.
"Thanks for your input Berna, but that won't be an issue," the captain murmured, eyes narrowed. He shook his head and pointed to the small sphere next to the wheel. "Change course a bit. Put us on a slight angled path to that group of flying things. Slow path though." Akasha cracked his knuckles lightly.
"They be headin where we be headin eh?" the dwarf asked.
"Indeed..." the captain mumbled lightly. He nodded to his first mate. "The wheel is yours." Akasha smiled and walked over to Hauke and ruffled the boy's hair lightly. "Miss me?" he asked lightly, a laugh shining in his eyes.
"Oh aye! He missed something! Common sense!" the dwarf roared from the ship's wheel. Akasha rolled his eyes. She did have such a wonderful way of insulting people.
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Post by Hauke on Feb 3, 2008 23:55:22 GMT -5
Travelers? What kind of travelers- they're flying, but I don't think with an airship...
I nibble on a finger as I try and think up possibilities.
When Akasha puts his hand on my head a second time, I blush and reach up to touch it. Why does he keep doing that? I'm not that young!
"Oh aye! He missed something! Common sense!" The First Mate shouts at us.
I blush and my fingers jerk on the hand Akasha still has on my head. "Just 'cause I'm a kid, it doesn't mean I don' have common sense!" I stick my tongue out at the dwarven woman derisively, then snarl to myself as I realize how childish my response was.
Akasha's hand twitches on my head and I look up at him, seeing a peculiar expression on his face.
"W-what?"
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De
Level 2
Posts: 72
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Post by De on Feb 4, 2008 4:40:13 GMT -5
To the myrmidon's surprise, the red flutter sprite had taken action instead of the blue one. De unconsciously chose to converse with Aik instead of Den because her colour was less bright and provoking to his unstable mind. Looking at the female sprite, he barely had time to catch her response before a lurid crimson flashed up the corner of his eyes and instantly made him uncomfortable inside. It felt as if fat, slimy blue worms came back and were eating up the back of his mind. De shivered slightly. Eyes wide, he exhaled, feeling the worms' mouths nibbling away at his sanity.
Something sharp was choking at his throat, but he didn't know what it was. He knew why though: it's because of all that red.
The devilsbride wanted to shred the red sprite into pieces.
De shut his eyes, making himself seem as though he was resting while he tried to surpress a desire to go berserk on the dragon's back. Not a good idea to go berserk in general. Especially not a good idea to go berserk in air when you can't really fly. He force-stopped his own breathing, threatening himself to not breathe again if he doesn't keep normality in check. Suddenly in his mind a strange, thrilling voice giggled, you should've killed them to begin with, silly.
"Are any other dragons going where we're going?"
De would've jumped if he wasn't so deranged from all his conflicting thoughts, and he turned to look at Den with a soft but slightly distraught expression on his face. He didn't need reaction time to come up with an answer, but De was unsure about talking to the red flutter sprite. He held his breath still. Even the sprite's eyes were red.
...Shred...
He blinked and inhaled deeply.
"No," he replied before looking away to the direction where all the fliers were staring into. De could see something in the distance, but his eyesight was not especially compatible with sunlight. Seeing the movement of the strange object however, he instantly decided that whatever it was, it's not listed in his book of friends.
"It's not a friend of ours," he said in monotone.
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Akasha Govad
Level 3
Sailing, sailing, over your stupid heads!
Posts: 259
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Post by Akasha Govad on Feb 4, 2008 15:19:57 GMT -5
Akasha looked down at the boy in shock. He knew he was young, but even then: sticking out one's tongue was just so petulant. It was so naive. It was so...
Was that metal?!
Akasha blinked, hand twitching on top of Hauke's head. I peer down at the boy as he peers up at me.
"W-what?" Hauke asks, his eyes large. The captain smiled down at the boy and cupped his chin.
"Was that the glimmer of metal I saw in that tongue?" he whispers huskily, leaning in to kiss softly below the boy's ear. A hand runs slowly along his neck, massaging lightly. The beings he spied are completely forgotten: he has a new goal in mind.
"Shall you answer me Mr. Dankmarson?" he purred. "I have a vested interest you know..."
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Post by Hauke on Feb 4, 2008 21:26:53 GMT -5
I shiver a little as Akasha's hand travels across my neck and I resist pulling away from him. Does he seriously act like this all the time? Even in front of his crew?
"Um... Yeah?" I blush and duck my head for a moment before looking back at the man. "I got a tongue ring... couple-a days b'fore I found the Truth..." I pause and tilt my head, frowning a little. "My Aunt 'n' Uncle would probably skin me if they knew about it."
I don't get it. Didn't he feel it earlier, when I was drinking?
"D-do you want me to take it out?" I hope not... It cost all my allowance...
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Akasha Govad
Level 3
Sailing, sailing, over your stupid heads!
Posts: 259
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Post by Akasha Govad on Feb 5, 2008 0:01:24 GMT -5
Akasha grinned and stood up straight, eyes dancing.
"Not at all. Do leave it in..." he replied in that same husky tone of voice. His eyes never left Hauke's. This boy really was addictive. He had only been in close proximity with him for the past few weeks...only truly been in contact with him for the day...and he was already hooked. His stomach rolled slowly every time he smelled the boy. It was intoxicating.
While his mind was focused on other thoughts, the ship plowed steadily forward. Berna had shifted the course ever so slightly. They were growing closer and closer to the biologics that Akasha had seen through his spyglass.
But it was not the other persons that worried the captain. It was the pressure that was slowly growing in the back of his head. It was a dull throb. An incompatible machine was slowly exerting it's magic upon him. And he could feel it slowly breaking through every barrier the Cultist had. It was a persistent bastard of a machine. He didn't know truly what to expect.
"Oi! Hate to break up ya stupor Boss!" Berna roared from the wheel. She was staring straight ahead and looking a little pale. "But...them don' look 'appy!" Akasha looked towards the bow and tightened his jaw. Keesen Bats.
Flesh ripping.
Metal stripping.
Magic immune.
Keesen Bats.
Bugger.
"Batten down all hatches! Ready shields and repulsion fields! Run up the Repeaters!" the captain roared into the sky. He'd be damned if he was going to let a bunch of buggers take his ship and crew. He looked to the starboard and eyed the hazy blob that was the organic travelers. He wondered if they would need help.
Right now though, he had bigger problems.
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Post by Den // Aik on Feb 5, 2008 1:29:29 GMT -5
Den stayed fluttering fairly close -- relatively speaking, in air a yard was pretty dang close -- to the strange man, mostly so that he could hear when he answered, partly because there the currents from Tuyet's wings helped him almost as much as they would once he dropped back again. He wasn't a weakling, but even the dragons current slow flight was something he generally needed help to keep up with... Though he supposed that was obvious, since Aik was grudgingly using the same updrafts that the pale reptile was causing in the air.
By this point Aik had somewhat guessed what Den was asking about, mostly because of where the two males were looking in the sky and what she had thought she saw, so the girl moved closer. It was a rather delicate thing for her and her brother to fly close together; their wings were huge, and if they accidentally hit one another they'd both end up tumbling to the ground... And while they could probably catch themselves, Aik would feel bad about knocking her brother.
That and Tuyet would panic at Den falling and that couldn't bode any well for the purple haired man. Diving dragon equaled flying person. Which was rather bad when the person didn't have wings.
By the time she had edged close enough to here, her brother was speaking again, worry flashing across his face as he asked, "What should we do then? Just keep as we're going and hope nothing comes of it?"
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Post by Hauke on Feb 6, 2008 0:37:21 GMT -5
Catching sight of their faces, I scramble to my feet and look in the direction Berna pointed at.
It looks like a cloud of gnats... But they're not that close to us, so that means they must be pretty big.
My thoughts are interrupted as Captain Akasha smacks my on the back of the head.
"You know where the equipment room is, Hauke?"
"Eh? Yeah..." I rub my head distractedly. That's where I was hiding when Cap'n took the ship...
"We need flamethrowers up here. As many as we've got. Think you can do it?" He grins, obviously daring me to come up with some snippy remark.
Rebelliously, I bite my lip on what I might have said and blush. "Aye, aye, Cap'n."
I clatter down the stairs down to the deck and then down to below-deck. Refusing to meet anyone's eyes, I head straight to where the Captain stored a wide array of useful things. I look around the cramped room and quickly find about twenty flamethrowers and barrels of fuel for them.
Hmmm... I think I'll have to ask someone to help me with the fuel... I cringe and pick up a couple of the weapons. As long as it isn't the Rempa, I should be fine.
I walk out of the room with the flamethrowers in my arms and catch sight of a human sailor coming out of one of the bunks. Running up to him, I ask if he can get the fuel above deck, and he agrees. Relieved that someone will take care of the heavy, perishable stuff, I lug the two flamethrowers up and set them carefully against the walls before going back for more.
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Akasha Govad
Level 3
Sailing, sailing, over your stupid heads!
Posts: 259
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Post by Akasha Govad on Feb 6, 2008 20:30:58 GMT -5
Akasha frowned.
"We don't have nearly enough 'throwers for this..." the captain grumbled. He stalked forward running a hand along the railing of his ship as two large guns were raised from below decks. The thing he loved about ships built on Fasemoor was their thoughtfulness. All the components of the guns were interchangeable and were easily manipulated by Machine Cultists. Placing his hand on a set of gears that served as the interface for all Cultists, he focused.
His mind sorted through the various patterns he had. Rail guns...magical cannons...net cannons...ahhh...Fireball cannon. Perfect. His red eyes flashed turquoise and the cannon began to switch its parts. Large pieces were lifted on mechanical arms to replace those that were being removed. Interior components were switched. Fuel lines were connected. Targeting systems were adjusted. He nodded and moved to the second gun, switching it in the same way.
"Oi Captain!" one of the crew called out. Akasha turned around and grinned as one of his sailers threw a Longarm Magnetic Rifle to him. Catching it deftly, the captain raised an eyebrow. "S' loaded with those chemical splodie rounds you like so much." He smirked. Akasha smirked.
"Thanks Mike. Now go grab a flamethrower and settle into the bow!" the captain yelled. The pirate saluted and dashed below deck. Akasha sauntered forward and placed his hand on another gun, switching it to another fire ball cannon. He leveled the rifle forward and sighted down the runes, watching the wind and the movement of the Kessen Bat. He grinned.
"Bang Bang..." he whispered. He squeezed the trigger and smirked as the magnets flung the metal sphere forward. When it reached the Bat, it exploded, molten liquid falling onto the thing's back. It ignited in the sun and the captain smirked.
"One down boys!" he yelled. The crew roared.
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Post by Hauke on Feb 6, 2008 22:27:18 GMT -5
After watching one of the crew members fill up a flamethrower with fuel, I copy the process- finding it rather simple, once you knew how.
As I work on filling the seventh, an explosion bursts far off deck- Cap'n's taken out of of the things- and I cheer along with everyone else. I look down at the weapon in my hands, deciding that I'd like to learn how to use one and carry it over my shoulder to where Captain Akasha stands grinning like a lunatic.
"Cap'n? How to I get this to work?"
I hold out the flamethrower carefully.
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Akasha Govad
Level 3
Sailing, sailing, over your stupid heads!
Posts: 259
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Post by Akasha Govad on Feb 7, 2008 22:57:51 GMT -5
Akasha shook his head and smiled.
"You use it," the captain said as he cranked back the Longarm. The magnets clinked loudly into position and he slid an explosive shell into the barrel. "Time you became proficient in something other than taking up a bunk!" He winked down at the boy before turning back to the approaching bats. Several of the crew around the two chuckled and hefted their own weapons. The sound of the Fireball Cannon cranking forward could be heard. Akasha smirked.
"Light em up boys!" he roared. Fire balls exploded from the cannons, sailing in bright arcs to land among the bats. The fiery orbs plowed through the creatures, sending the things scattering in all directions. Yet they kept coming.
The captain fired another round and watched as the creature was engulfed in flames. He popped his neck and growled lightly.
"Get ready for close range burning!" Akasha roared as he began cranking the magnets once again. He turned down to Hauke and smirked grimly.
"There may be some smell in our near future..."
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Post by Hauke on Feb 8, 2008 19:12:47 GMT -5
"Time you became proficient in something other than taking up a bunk!" Captain winks at me, and I blush hotly and splutter. Wha---? He has no shame, does he...!
I watch as a cannon throws a huge ball of fire into the swarm of bats; and notice that it doesn't seem to deter the creatures much.
As the pirate captain fires again and turns to grin at me, I mutter under my breath. "Show-off..."
I then look more closely at the weapon in my hands. Two chambers one atop the other, one for the fuel and the other for the ignition. On the tail end of it, there's a bulky thing used to brace it on your shoulder, and the trigger is simple enough to recognize. The sighting scope is also easy to find, mounted on the side of the weapon as it is. I notice a dial next to the trigger and find the letters S, M, L. After thinking for a moment, I switch it to L, figuring it meant "long-range." Probably not as accurate and powerful... but more likely to stop them long enough to get another shot in...
I set the thing carefully on my shoulder and spread my feet a little at the weight. After taking a deep breath, I look through the scope and turn until one of the bats is in the middle of the little runes etched in the glass. I bite my lip and pull the trigger, sliding back a little with the recoil.
I stare at the wide jet of fire that sprays out and hits a couple of the bats. The things shriek in anger and dive towards the ship. Startled, I quickly pull the trigger again and one of the bats is left with burning holes in its wings.
This... is kinda fun!
A small smile plays across my lips.
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Akasha Govad
Level 3
Sailing, sailing, over your stupid heads!
Posts: 259
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Post by Akasha Govad on Feb 10, 2008 23:16:29 GMT -5
Akasha winced at the huge column of flames that roared past him. He laughed lightly at the smile that broke out on Hauke's face at the sight of dying bats.
"You burn me or my ship and I tan your rear!" Akasha roared, loading another shell and firing. He watched the bats with calculating glances.
"They almost seem to be running from something..." he mused lightly. But nothing about these creatures ever made sense. He didn't give them much thought as he cranked the magnets again.
"Keep them away from the sails! Check your fire if they get to close and switch to crossbows!" the captain yelled. The crew responded with a loud cry of understanding. Akasha turned to look towards the growing spec that was the biologics Berna had pointed out. He wondered vaguely if they were still alive...or if the bats had missed them completely.
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Post by Hauke on Feb 11, 2008 18:30:50 GMT -5
"Huh? I-I'll try not... to..." I glance briefly at the Captain and then back to the cloud of incoming bats. A few of them are too close for the cannon, now, so I aim my flamethrower at a small group and pull the trigger- this time several bats get hit enough to go burning to the ground below. My feet start to automatically adjust themselves for the recoil.
Looking through the scope I see the speck from before, only it doesn't look speck-like now. What is that? It a flying thing... a dragon? But there's something on it's back, maybe?
A bat seems to take the opportunity to fill the scope's view and I frown at the intrusion, quickly pulling the trigger again before it leave the sight.
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De
Level 2
Posts: 72
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Post by De on Feb 11, 2008 21:22:13 GMT -5
The devilsbride stared at Den and then back to the flying object that was travelling on the same course as them. His eyesight was not perfect in the blinding sunlight, so he was not able to calculate whether or not to take any action.
Though, the uncertainty itself was always reason enough to be cautious.
"Let's take to the ground," he voiced calmly, suddenly breaking off from his deranged state into mission mode.
There was nothing but pure desert beyond Collosae, their destination. De knew that well. He had reasons to.
What do they want...?
Despite himself, De shut his eyes against the winds.
I'll kill you if you come to Collosae. I will. So go away. Now.
But despite his strange powers as a devilsbride, he was not able of telepathy.
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Post by Den // Aik on Feb 11, 2008 21:43:05 GMT -5
Den launched ahead again as the man answered, not wanting to give his sister the chance to go say the same thing ruder. If there was a problem they really didn't need the two girls bickering about things to slow down the solution happening... That both of them tended to be somewhat arrogant would just make it worse.
"Somethings coming this way so De says we should go back to the ground." He said, as he got to Tuyet's neck and latched onto a spike. The dragon glanced back at him for a moment, then as he let go she twisted into a spiral. Normally an emergency landing would call for a dive and dragging the sprites with her... but not dumping their guide was good.
Den waited for her to get enough away from him then closed his wings for a moment, letting gravity pull him down before snapping them back open and catching the air again. Unlike Tuyet, the sprites couldn't dive and expect to survive it, since their wings weren't equipped to catch them in such a thing. Instead they either got to go down in a fluttering glide, or the odd plummet-catch rhythm that the twins had managed to work out. Gliding was infinitely nicer on their wings... but emergencies didn't call for that.
They actually managed to reach the trees (figured, there wasn't any huge clearing for them to land in right below them... but it was enough space for Tuyet to carefully land in at least) at around the same time as the dragon, immediately taking off on foot into the more covered area where their wings wouldn't be visible from above. Tuyet, still very much visible, paused and twisted her head back to the man, "So are we waiting them out or continuing on foot?"
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