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Post by Tiger on Aug 15, 2018 18:38:03 GMT -5
“Purefeather and Deathbreaker were not told that they had been lucky . It is often the weak and young or old who become sick - but it is not always so. And so they thought all survival was all strength and intelligence, and that strength and intelligence were born traits, when of course, luck can give some animals better and some animals worse.
“But more importantly, Purefeather and Deathbreaker were not taught that being strong or intelligent, even innately so, was not the same as being better . Raptors are impressive. But raptors do not deserve more than other species.
“The sisters, however, were not taught this, and did not learn it, and so when they looked out at Naelus, they saw laws they were strong enough to break, and creatures they were intelligent enough to outfight. When they shared these thoughts, other raptors were uneasy and told them to hush such talk. The sisters did not try to find why these words made others so uncomfortable; they assumed there was an explanation that they would find.”
Driftstone said, “Not so smart after all, were they?”
“I said they were intelligent , not that they were wise. And they were smart enough to learn to keep their thoughts hidden, and spoke only with one another. And together, the sisters decided that they were meant to survive the plague on their nest so that they could bring more power to the raptors. They decided they could become the dominant predators on the island...just so long as they got rid of the one thing in their way.
“The bigger predators.”------- “We will have chick names for generations to come,” Shadowstep said wryly. Driftstone and Shadowstep both made noises of distaste at Quicksnap suggesting he could go back. Yellowtail herself turned her head to fix one eye on the kaprosuchus. “Absolutely not - you’re big and strong, but you’re not made for moving quickly through forests.” After a moment of hostile silence, she answered his questions. “They were at our new creche; they would have been there anyway, my mate is injured and the chicks need watching. We would have been away from them in any case; we were out hunting sowers when we found you.” “They’re still moving, I can feel it,” Driftstone offered. “This direction, even.” “If anyone goes back for them,” Yellowtail said, “it will be me.” Sunspeckle clicked sharply. “You can’t go back into this alone! I’m coming, too.” Yellowtail growled quietly, but didn’t offer a rebuttal. To Quicksnap, she said, “This way goes to the beach? If it’s safe, you can help by kicking dirt onto the end of the fire to help keep a way open. Or help us get to the Out Islands.” “The chicks will need help getting across water for certain,” Shadowstep said, leaping over a broken branch. He looked back at the fire, still rising behind them. “What sort of fire is this?!” There are zero votes of support for Quicksnap's plan, sorry Quicksnap =C
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Post by Thorn on Aug 15, 2018 19:19:48 GMT -5
Te Tai snorted at Renpi. "If your idea of keeping me from trouble involves dissuading me from enacting justice, I think I shall keep my own counsel." Be nice."And it would...likewise be a great shame, to be without a Sha. I am glad to see you unharmed." He hadn't been paying a lot of attention to Beech's words, but a comment from Kohimu made him hone in: She killed him. It upset her. I should have let you. I'm so sorry.Te Tai listened to the thylacine's speech. He thought he understood her frustration. In his mind, Beech had undoubtedly done the right thing. It was a splendid and just thing, so he was startled and a little annoyed at her suggestion it might be difficult to live with. Killing a creature who had manipulated so many and torn apart their society should be immensely satisfying. Kohimu was upset because Svar had been his friend, and Te Tai could understand that. Beech seemed to be upset purely because she'd killed him. She's a predator, isn't she?It's different when it's not about food. Surely you remember?Of course. That didn't mean he thought it made sense. The small furry creature- she's a scimon- talked about feeling the magic around the portal to the heart. The Healer and another dinosaur seemed to like this idea, and then Beech mentioned Te Tai. He could feel eyes on him, and instinctively rose to his full height. "I believe all immortals have some sense of energies beyond the natural," he said, glancing at Renpi as he did. "I would be honored to help the Healer locate this portal. If you show us these stones, Beech, hopefully Renpi and myself can be of service." I hope I can still do this.You'll be fine.Te Tai replies somewhat snarkily to Liou's Renpi, but then softens and admits he's glad to see her too. He listens to the conversation between Shinko's Beech, Tiger's dilophosaurs, and June Scarlet's Julaine, and is a little awkward when Beech mentions he may be able to sense the magic. However, he admits that's totally possible, and hopes Renpi can be his partner-in-not-crime for this endeavor!
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Post by June Scarlet on Aug 15, 2018 20:46:44 GMT -5
The others agreed that maybe the portal would feel magical, or at least, it would be handy if that were the case. Julaine kept searching. "Hopefully we find this portal soon. The spirit sounded pretty desperate." Beech turned out to have been the one who got the last sower. She had the firebird Svar in her grasp, and when he tired to escape, she killed him. She hadn't known for sure if he was the sower at the time, but the fire afterwards confirmed it. To Beech, she said, "In the end, you got the right creature, and I for one am grateful that this is almost over. You've done a lot for this island, I'm not sure it would be the same without you."
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Post by Tiger on Aug 15, 2018 21:24:45 GMT -5
Taakeyrr’s head pulled back in surprise when Beech admitted she’d killed the last sower - she’d known it was Svar already, but that Beech had been the one to strike the final blow? This was the first she was hearing of it. The thylacine went on, sharing the guilt she was feeling already, and Taakeyrr...Taakeyrr could understand. Maybe the circumstances weren’t exactly the same, but they’d both now killed because they’d had to, forced by either magic or circumstances. The screams came vividly to mind for a moment before she could will them away. “I’m sorry, Beech. I won’t keep secrets from you anymore. ...And I’m sorry you had to kill him - I mean...I’m not sorry he’s dead, he helped cause a lot of murders, and made a lot of other animals killers who didn’t want to be…but I’m sorry you had to do it. You suffered enough.” “But thank you for finding him, and doing what needed to be done,” Soaitsae said, stepping forward and lightly nuzzling Bech’s shoulder with his nose. “Now we have a chance.” Juliane agreed, "In the end, you got the right creature, (“That’d explain the fire, yeah,” Xsabaskis said.) ”and I for one am grateful that this is almost over. You've done a lot for this island, I'm not sure it would be the same without you."Beech said that she knew where some stones like the yellow-orange ones in the Heart were hidden, and asked if the big dragon-like creature - “Te Tai”, according to Beech - could help. His answer seemed to be more or less “yes” - ”If you show us these stones, Beech, hopefully Renpi and myself can be of service." And now everyone had been named, that was helpful. “Thank you,” Taakeyrr said to Te Tai, and decided to add, “You, too,” to Renpi as well, just to be safe, before dipping her head in Beech’s direction. “I’m right behind you.” Xsabaskis flicked her side with her tail. “Ow - we’re right behind you.” If I put this dialogue here...and this action here....and this line over there…. Taakeyrr agrees to Beech’s “no more secrets” request, and expresses her sympathy for Beech having to murder (apparently I wrote her knowing about Svar being the last sower from the crowd she told about being the healer, so that’s why there’s no reaction to that piece of news. ...How the crowd got word about Svar, but not Beech, I have no idea, blame the gossip colophyses running from the fire). Taak is cool with plan Use Te Tai and Rnepi as magic-detectors, and tells Beech she and Xsabs and Soaitsae are right behind her, literally and metaphorically! ( Shinko, Thorn, Liou, June Scarlet)
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Post by Shinko on Aug 16, 2018 8:23:05 GMT -5
Mochi’s swallowed hard, pawing at the stone around their neck. “I don’t think there’s anything I can say that’ll make it better for you; it’d be stupid and presumptuous of me to try. But you definitely deserved better from someone who was supposed to be your friend.” They clenched their paw around the stone as they painfully hopped after Kopi.”You deserve so much better. All of the ones who died at the sower’s hands do. It isn’t fair to have to go so soon for basically no reason, and often at the hands of friends and neighbors we trusted.” * * * Quicksnap growled softly but didn’t argue with Yellowtail. He felt like he owed the raptor something for their help and their loyalty. Certainly he’d given them no end of trouble over the past day, especially if they’d been out trying to find the last sower. “I can help get the chicks out across the water,” he agreed. “I’m not as good a swimmer as water crocodiles, but I can manage.” He looked behind him, briefly, but kept moving forward. “I can’t begin to guess what foulness propels this mess onward, but there isn’t a cloud in the sky so it can’t have been started by lightning. I’d have to guess that either the sower-mother set it to kill us once and for all, or the last sower was an animal with fire powers.” He grunted. “If we see a coelophysis running this way we’ll have to grab them and offer them a ride on my back in exchange for answers.” * * * Beech was surprised when not only the dilophosaurs, but also their little scimon companion asserted that she had done a great service for the island. As she started to lead the way towards where she remembered the yellow stones being, even the red-furred puppy thing sidled up to her, and spoke in a way that suggested far more wisdom and maturity than her size would have suggested. Beech felt relieved a little by all of their reassurances about Svar’s death- and would have blushed, had she any blood, when the sha brought up her actions during the bone dream. People besides the dilophosaurs, Quicksnap, and Te Tai knew about that? All these others offering her support and gratitude was… a far cry from when she’d had to run in terror from a mob bent on killing her permanently. In spite of hersef, in spite of the guilt over breaking the Spirit’s law and killing Svar that still gnawed at her gut, in spite of the worry that she still felt over what was going on wherever Quicksnap was… she felt happy. Small crystal ice shards fell down her muzzle as she walked through the rocky passages at the bottom of the crags, but these were tears of happiness and relief, and brought with them no blasts of cold or icing of the surroundings. “Here,” she said finally, sitting down and indicating the spot with her muzzle. Sure enough, there was a line on the wall of the orange, yellow, and black stone that had been present everywhere in the Heart. It glimmered in the light cast by Beech’s ethereal body. “I dunno if this marks the way in, or if it’s just a clue that this area is where we need to look, but here it is.” Rabbit ♠ Mochi comments that it’s not fair Kopi or any of the others had to die at the hands of animals who should’ve been their friends. Tiger Quicksnap wishes the raptors would let him help more substantially, but doesn’t argue. He admits that he doesn’t know what the nasty fire is, but suspects strongly it’s sower-related. He suggests catching a coelophysis if one happens by them and demanding answers. Tiger Liou June Scarlet Thorn Beech has… happy feels? She leads the others to the spot with the Tiger’s Eye, and turns the reigns over to them. Alright gang, how do you get in? (Seriously, feel free to make up whatever seems the most fun/dramatic. =D )
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Post by Rabbit ♠ on Aug 16, 2018 13:20:21 GMT -5
“It isn’t fair. We’re neighbors, we’re friends. I don’t understand why these animals would do this,” Kopi agreed. “I don’t know if Mother had something to do with it or if the animals wanted to do this from the start. To have our friends turn on us like this, intentional or not…” Kopi shook his head. “Nobody deserves a fate like that.” Kopi cracked a small smile and carefully nudged his head against Mochi, being sure not to hurt them any more than they were. "Thank you, though. Even if there isn't anything to say to make everything better, it's nice to know you and Tash are here for me." He looked around at all the fire. It was hard to imagine Svar causing this fire on purpose. The Svar he knew wouldn’t want this. Kopi knew Svar was a firebird, but he had no idea he could cause so much damage. Then again, it looked like there was a lot he didn't realize about him. Tash ran up to Kopi and asked, “Are you okay?” “I’ll be fine,” Kopi said. “It still hurts to think about, but it’ll get better with time. I think I’m done talking about it for now, though.” He looked back over at Mochi. “Speaking of hurting, if you’re in too much pain, you can leave. Tash and I can find your family. I don’t want anyone else getting hurt because of what the sowers have done.” Kopi thinks about what Mochi ( Shinko ) said and thanks them for being there for him. He mentions that if they're in too much pain, they can go since Kopi doesn't want them to get more injured.
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Post by Tiger on Aug 16, 2018 14:56:59 GMT -5
“Of course, this was easier said than done, especially with the very largest carnivores. Two raptors, even two strong and clever raptors, would have to be very lucky to defeat an animal like an amphycion or a cave bear in combat. An entire pack, even, would stand no chance against a tyrannosaur.
“But there was another way; it would take a lot of coordination, and a lot of planning, but the sisters were determined to pull it off. They attempted a kill on their own first, to test the idea. They carefully gathered and cached several dozen flowers, stored them in places where they would dry and crumble, and used small seashells to transfer the crumbled leaves to the remains of an animal they had killed - they had eaten most of it, but left enough meat to hide the crumbled flowers.
“When morning came, they made sure the birds and little dinosaurs knew about the meat that had been left uneaten, and also made sure there was a good chance the lone hyaenodon who lived nearby would hear about it, too That part was easy; any animals who wanted anything from the bones would need an animal like a hyaenodon. Sure enough, it heard about the food, came to the body, and ate the meat. The sisters watched from a distance, pretending to be napping in the sun. They followed it later, and found that, sure enough - it had grown sick from the crumbled flowers they had slipped into its meal.------ "That is a good plan," Shadowstep agreed, forcing himself to go a little faster. This was getting tiring; even raptors couldn't run forever, and the smoke Quicksnap had warned them about was starting to thicken. "I am surprised we haven't - " A sudden barrage of distressed chittering cut Shadowstep off - a group of microraptors were trying to fly through the trees, but not well - probably because two of them were trying to somehow keep a third, limp microraptor from plummeting straight to the ground. They must have breathed the smoke! Shadowstep realized. Sunspeckle’s neck craned to follow them, he tilted his head left, then right, and then sprang forward, taking three long strides as he called to them, “Here, land here!” It looked like the microraptors had little choice, and the three ashy-feathered raptors flopped down onto Sunspeckle’s back as the deinonychus slid to a halt. “...Close enough to coelophyses, Quicksnap?” Driftstone asked, already hurrying to Sunspeckle’s side and holding out his hands for one of the microraptors. He lightly nudged the two conscious microraptors away from their companion. With a low hiss, he said, “This one’s alive, but not well. His breathing sounds bad. But we’ll help. Do you know why this happened?” “Some,” one of the microraptors panted. “The last sower….” Looking back at Quicksnap, Driftstone said, “Sunspeckle can’t run with all three; they’ll bounce too much. Can you take one or two?” ...Somehow it’s less Fortuious Timing if it’s microraptors instead of coelophyses? <.< .>> (@shinkoryu, feel free to control the microraptors and assume the deinonychus shuffle them around as needed/conveninent/fun \ o / )
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Post by Shinko on Aug 16, 2018 16:01:09 GMT -5
Mochi flattened their ears opening their mouth to object- but then they hesitated, a paw going up to the stone around their neck again. The moon rabbit looked extremely conflicted, but at length they gave the little thing a squeeze and sighed. “Promise me you’ll find my family?” * * * Quicksnap gave a contemplative rumble. “My back isn’t as easy to stay on for beasts so small… especially as weak as they are, they’d likely slide off. But if they’ll trust me?” He plodded over to Sunspeckle, then with a degree of gentleness and delicacy that one might not have expected had they never seen a mother crocodile carrying her hatchlings, he picked up the unconscious microraptor in his mouth. Its companies chittered, but Quicksnap neither closed his mouth nor swallowed, instead letting the huge maw gape partly open so that the sick dinosaur was resting safely on his tongue. “The’e” he muttered around a mouthful of feathers. “Ye c’n sith on muh head ip ye wan’. Ip I clofe muh moup, claw muh eyes.” Rabbit ♠ Mochi almost objects to leaving the fire, but something makes them hesitate, and they fiddle with their blessing-stone before asking if Kopi promises he’ll find the other moon rabbits. Tiger Quicksnap maybe takes this in a direction the microraptors wouldn’t have preferred, but hey, it works.
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Post by Tiger on Aug 16, 2018 17:20:10 GMT -5
“Remarkably, the hyaenodon did not die. The sisters could certainly have fought and killed it, but they could not disguise an attack with claws and teeth as anything else. But they now knew about how much poison it took to cripple an animal the size of the hyaenodon; a few flowers more would do the trick, and from there they could guess how much poison would be needed to kill still-bigger predators.
“They tested it, and within a week, a different hyaenodon and a cave lion died after eating from a leftover carcass. ‘Bad meat,’ the other animals guessed, though it was very odd that none of them had sensed it.
“Though pleased with their success, the sisters were running into a problem; it took a lot of the poisonous flowers to make enough powder for poisoning, and a lot of time for them to grow back. There were other poisons to use, but still only so much, especially when confined to their own territory and the open areas of the island - which were not good places to be a meat-eater gathering large amounts of plants.
“Deathbreaker suggested they could begin poisoning raptors and taking over other packs’ territories, but Purefeather disagreed. It would be too obvious that they were up to something. It would be far better if they could convince other packs to help them. Or at least….to convince other raptors. Their whole pack didn’t need to know one of their own was bringing poison to the sisters. And with two kills to their names and a much more cautious approach, they went on the hunt for allies.”------- "It's all right!" Driftstone said. "He's friendly!" The two conscious microraptors did not exactly seem content with their companion being kept in a kaprosuchus' mouth, but when Quicksnap kept his mouth open, they seemed to decide to tolerate it. Shadowstep noticed they were quick - once the slight confusion at Quicksnap's open-mouthed words, to take him up on the offer to sit on his head as deterrants to any microraptor-eating. Any other time, Shadowstep would have made a comment or a joke - this time, he simply insisted, "We must keep moving!" as he glanced back at the fire to find it growing still-closer. As they started off, Yellowtail, surprisingly, demanded, "What's going on, what happened?" to the microraptors. The microraptor over Quicksnap's left eye, who was squeezing one of his own eyes shut, chittered irritably but answered, "The fire is from the last sower - when he died, fire went everywhere, the animals who were there when it happened were lucky to escape!" "Who was the last sower?" Driftstone demanded, exasperation clear in his voice and then made even clearer by a snap of his teeth on the air. The second microraptor answered, "Svar - Svar the firebird, the one who could make flames on his feathers." Yellowtail made a low, vibrating noise of displeasure. "A magical animal. So this is a magical fire." "The unicorn Inara called it holy fire," the first microraptor said. "I wish holy fire knew who innocents were!" The second microraptor glanced left and right as if someone might chastise her, but she added, "It being Svar makes sense, though - I heard he was the one who burned the misty-thylacine's body - he probably was trying to get rid of her, in case she figured him out!" The microraptors share why the fire is so bad, as well as its source. They also drop a tidbit about Beech's cremation that probably won't even make Quicksnap angry a little bit! ( Shinko)
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Post by Liou on Aug 16, 2018 18:06:54 GMT -5
[[Guest-starring the splendificent Thorn ]] The cliffs towered so high around the group that it would be near-impossible to spot a flying enemy until it was right over them. There was no way to view the fire's progress over the rest of the island, either. It was all Renpi could do to keep her ears wide open - the standing ear kept swivelling -, her nose keen, and her bristling shadow-sense alert beneath her skin. Renpi was a little relieved to find Te Tai circling Taakeyrr, scenting the air, looking out for trouble. Her own position slowly rotated around Taakeyrr as the group progressed through the crags, helping the group to form a protective perimeter around the Healer. Renpi occasionally shifted sides and alternated rear guard with the taniwha. After a while, the Sha closed her eyes even as she walked. A deep, subtle thrumming seemed to be pulsing beneath her paws. She felt its tiny echo within her, too. "Getting warmer," she said, both to Beech Te Tai. The taniwha could feel something as well, much to his relief. After all this time, he’d been afraid he’d lost the knack. But it was there, a warm tingle in his bones, like sunlight after a century hibernating in the ocean’s depths. Told you so.Renpi inspected the neat amber-tinted line shown by Beech. "Looks familiar enough to me. The wall feels magical enough, too." She glanced at Te Tai. "Humans would have loved to build something right here and sing to it." He snorted. “Humans are foolish.” They would have told wonderful tales to explain the colours. So beautiful.Raising her voice, she addressed the wall itself: "Vein of the Spirit, that runs down to Her Heart. I, Renpi the Sha, greet you. Your very own magic beats in the hearts of my travelling companions. Open for us, that we may send life coursing through you again." The wall was silent. The Sha flicked her tail. "I do not know this lock by its true name," she told the group. Being stuck outside a great door, much too heavy for you to push, and with a mechanism too complicated for you to work, always brought the worst feeling of helplessness. In such a situation, Renpi knew of only one spell to cast. The pup trotted up to the cliff, stood on her hind legs, stretched as high as she could and pressed her front paws to the wall. With drooping ears, she proceeded to scratch at the stone with her claws, yawning, gazing up with pleading eyes, licking her lips and letting out the most pitiful of whines. At first, a little bit of grit dropped from around the vein; then something much finer drifted off the wall, something that shimmered a soft gold, so light that it seemed more like mist than dust. Renpi stretched higher, standing on her tiptoes, and sniffed curiously at the glistening smoke. The whiffs seemed to expand at her contact, and for a moment, the Sha herself seemed about to float off, until the smoke dissolved. Renpi's front paws slid back to the ground. Te Tai, at her side, hissed quietly. Did that just happen?Renpi turned to face the dilophosaurs and stepped away from the cliff. "Taakeyrr, Twice-Blessed. The magic in this wall does not seem strong enough to open. If you add your share of the Spirit's power, it might renew the portal and act as a key." It was a sensible idea, and conveyed well. Te Tai slid past the healer to glare back down the slope of the crags, before whipping his face upward, considering the sky above. No sign of Mother Nature, but who knew what she would do when Taakeyrr utilised her powers? He had to be ready. If things went badly, he could buy the healer a precious few seconds to make it through the portal. Te Tai and Renpi are circling protectively around Taakey as the Healer team follows Beech. The immortals duly detect... The Magicks. Renpi tries to say solemn-sounding words to the rock wall. It's not very effective. Renpi then uses the puppy's spell of "You shut me Outside and I'm Stuck, how could you abandon something so small and cute, I want to come In!" A bit of golden smoke comes out of the wall? Promising. We're gonna need a guardian's touch, though! Go Taakey, Tai's ready to cover for you! Hi, Tiger Shinko June Scarlet !
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Post by Shinko on Aug 16, 2018 18:35:39 GMT -5
Quicksnap would have snarled at the microraptor’s commentary about Beech had his mouth not been full- as it was, he gave voice to a grim, “Good riddance. I won’ miss ‘im.” He huffed, rustling the feathers of the microraptor wheezing in his mouth. “We could probably use ano’er o’ those huge waves right abou’ now.” Then he brightened. “Spea’in’ o’ waves, dere’s the slope!” He picked up his pace, to the complaints of his passengers, barreling down the incline towards the sand. Tiger Quicksnap is angry Svar was a sower, and says good riddance. Then, the party finally gets to the beach!
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Post by June Scarlet on Aug 16, 2018 18:38:42 GMT -5
Beech seemed to appreciate the words of encouragement, crying tears of happiness. And then she went back to the business at hand - finding the portal. She showed them the rock that matched the heart of the island, and indeed, it looked like it was special. The Sha tried to open it using various means, and managed to get some magical smoke to drift away from the door, but not to actually get the portal to work. She suggested that the power of the healer was the key needed to unlock the portal. Julaine was not the healer, nor magical, so there wasn't much she could do. She was, however, ready to help in any way she could. "This looks like the cave all right. Hopefully the magic of a guardian can unlock the portal. The spirit wouldn't want just anyone to wander in, after all." She looked up at the smoke in the sky. "The fire is getting worse. We'd better hurry, before it overtakes the whole island. I hope this works." Julaine agrees that maybe the magic of the healer can unlock the portal, and adds that the fire seems to be getting worse. Portal Pack: Tiger June Scarlet Shinko Liou Thorn
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Post by Rabbit ♠ on Aug 16, 2018 19:08:05 GMT -5
“I promise,” Kopi responded. “I’ll do my best to find your family and to help them. Just point me in the direction of their warren and I can search from there.” Kopi looked at Mochi’s chest. They were clutching at something. Kopi couldn’t quite tell what they were holding or if they were even holding anything. Maybe their chest was bothering them. Kopi could imagine that moving around and searching wasn’t going to help them feel better. “Don’t worry about me. Not much can hurt me anymore,” Kopi said. “Just worry about staying safe.” “If you’re leaving, do you need any help getting out of the forest?” Tash asked. Kopi promises to find Mochi's ( Shinko ) family and Tash asks if they need any help leaving the forest fire.
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Post by Tiger on Aug 16, 2018 21:50:16 GMT -5
“While learning about poisons and plants that certain animals couldn’t eat, the sisters had to learn about covering their tracks.”
“...Actual tracks, or talking-tracks?” Driftstone asked. It was the first time he’d interrupted in a while.
Shadowstep considered. “...I think they meant talking-tracks, since the next part is about finding raptors who would join them. But probably they had to cover their real tracks, too. Otherwise, why would they need an Eagle Eye? Any raptor could follow tracks to poisonous flowers.”
Driftstone seemed appeased, so Shadowstep went on, “The sisters had to learn about covering their tracks - and not just the ones they made in the dirt.” Driftstone clicked approvingly. “Their early mistakes in talking to their pack had taught them how to look innocent after saying something suspicious, and of course, they knew how to look for warning signs now. Their search for lone hunters had also taught them how to spot animals separate from a pack - and so when they looked at other raptor packs, they noticed ones who did not fit in, much like themselves. These raptors were their starting point - if these raptors were like them, maybe they were dissatisfied, too, and maybe they would see something logical in the sisters’ plans. And of course, nobody would question a loner disappearing for a time, so long as it was not clear they were out gathering plants.
“And from these raptors, the sisters learned even more about how to manipulate, and how to spy raptors who would agree with their cause, and within a year, they had many, many raptors across the Highwind Woods and through the Shadowed Pines supplying them with all sorts of dangerous poisons.
“‘Bad meat’ returned to the island. Predators died - mostly big mammals, some big reptiles, too. The sisters were trying to mix poisons, hoping that different types would be stronger together than apart, but they had not yet done more than make a large dinosaur sick when the matriarch Redclaw first saw darkness flash over a raptor in a visiting pack.------- “Oh, thank the Spirit!” Shadowstep said, hurrying after the kaprosuchus and his tiny passengers. He made sure Driftstone got to the slope first, almost getting himself bitten by Yellowtail for doing so, as she had stopped just behind him. “Go!” she snapped, only metaphorically this time. “Keep this way open if you can - if you can’t, get to the Out Islands. We’ll try to meet you there.” Shadowstep opened his mouth to reply, but Yellowtail was already turning, springing back into the burning forest. The fire was burning too fast - there was no time for goodbyes, temporary or permanent, if Yellowtail wanted any chance of making it to the rest of the pack and back. The others were still moving. There was hope. Raptors were supposed to be optimistic, especially about their own survival. His mate called his name, and Shadowstep turned from the forest and scampered out to the sand as well. The oppressive heat loosened its death-grip on his feathers; the sharp smell of the ocean cut through some of the heavy reek of the burning forest. For a minute, the two raptors just panted and let heat escape out of their puffed feathers. But Shadowstep knew they couldn’t wait long, and turned back toward the burning forest. “All right. We need to keep the opening clear - and if we cannot, we need to get to the Out Islands. ...I think we can use shells to carry water or sand to the fire, but...I do not know if it will be enough. ...Quicksnap, do you know any tricks for getting rid of fire?” ------- Taakeyrr watched with a frantically racing heart as Renpi and Te Tai studied the wall. This had to be it, she was sure of it - the stone was exactly the kind they had seen in the Heart, and both magical creatures seemed to be sensing magic from it. Come on, Taakeyrr thought, less at her companions and more at the opening. Animals were probably dying up there, the fire had to be bad - they could still see the flickering light, smell the smoke, and judging by the size of the flames, Taakeyrr was certain that the ocean waves lapping at the shore were more responsible than distance for drowning out the sound of the blaze. They had to get through!And then, as Renpi attempted to make the wall...feel sorry for her? Something happened - a bit of dust - no, powdered crystal, maybe? It was glistening...but seemed oddly light for rock, even crushed - came off of the wall. Taakeyrr tilted her head at it as Renpi studied it - only to blink in surprise when the Sha turned to her. "Taakeyrr, Twice-Blessed. The magic in this wall does not seem strong enough to open. If you add your share of the Spirit's power, it might renew the portal and act as a key."Juliane agreed, "This looks like the cave all right. Hopefully the magic of a guardian can unlock the portal. The spirit wouldn't want just anyone to wander in, after all." The scimon also pointed out the fire, Xsabaskis grunted in agreement with. “She’s right. Hope this opens right on the Heart, and not just the tunnels.” “All right - all right.” Taakeyrr took a slight step back, careful not to bump into Te Tai, who seemed to have taken up guarding her flank. Thank goodness, because if anything drew Mother Nature’s attention, this was probably going to be it. It didn’t take much for Taakeyrr to guess what she needed to do. The last time they had needed the Spirit, she had summoned what was left of her Eagle Eye’s eagle - so…it stood to reason she needed to summon the elk.She wondered briefly if the eagle was still there at all - but no, this was not the time. The Spirit had specified the healer, and so, the healer’s sigil she would get. Taakeyrr had learned to use the healer’s powers very quickly - reaching into herself to draw on that power wasn’t too different from how she had used her Eye, really, and maybe that was why, of all the animals on the island and despite her failure to guard herself well enough to avoid losing her Eagle Eye, the Spirit had given Taakeyrr the powers after Kopi’s death. Calling the powers didn’t feel odd - it was what happened afterward that was strange. When using the Eye, Taakeyrr almost couldn’t feel an after-effect; it was all about what she saw, the way colors faded out and she instead saw flickers of light or darkness. Using the healing abilities was much more visceral - it felt like releasing a big breath, or being a rock in the middle of a fast-moving river - standing still but letting something big and heavy out and through. Taakeyrr closed her eyes. Thinking of the healing like a breath made it an easy decision to summon the power on an inhale, and then...cast it out on an exhale. Please come out - we need to get to the Heart, and fix whatever Mother Nature’s done to the Spirit, the whole island’s counting on us! My family, and Beech, and Quicksnap, and Kopi and Tash, and Renpi and Te Tai and Juliane, and the raptors, and the animals Kopi saved and the ones I got to, and Summoning the sigil of her powers was much, much easier with them actually intact. Taakeyrr knew even before she opened her eyes that it had worked - a soft grunt of surprise from Xsabaskis certainly helped confirm that. She opened her eyes to find herself surrounded by an enormous elk made of golden light, looking only slightly more solid and substantial than the dust Renpi had pawed from the wall, and perhaps even that only because there was so much more of it. The elk was the size of a megaloceros, at least, and towered over even the dilophosaurs. For a moment, Taakeyrr thought she saw something on its shoulder - a large lump with a sharply curved protrusion near its top - but the shape shifted and vanished just as she turned her head to look at it directly. Strange. We need to open the portal, Taakeyrr thought. Before Mother Nature finds us!
The elk, silently and gracefully, strode toward the stone wall. It's hooves didn't touch the ground, like was walking on a thin layer of air suspended over the rock. When the elk reached the wall, it lowered its head until its nose was just inches from the tri-colored gouge of crystal. Taakeyrr expected it to ram or at least scrape at the wall with its antlers - but instead, its chest visibly expanded, and the elk opened its mouth and blew onto the wall. Even for such a big creature, the amount of golden dust that billowed back and away from the wall seemed like far, far too much to have been there - it was like a wind as big as he tidal wave had kicked up across the beach, it was actually hard to see around it… And the elk, like the rest of the Crystal Crags around them, disappeared in a rush of golden light. The raptors escape with Quicksnap! ...Just in time for Yellowtail and Sunspeckle to go back in for the rest of the pack! The remaining three’s job is to keep the way open for the raptors to get back; Shadowstep asks if Quicksnap has any thoughts seeing as he’s actually lived on the island during a fire at least once. ( Shinko ) I’m not summarizing the Crystal Crags scene because what is even the point of reading this RP if you don’t read the climactic bits but I will say that Taakeyrr and Leif should hang out sometime because they have similar taste in climactic character moments. ( Shinko , Thorn , Liou , June Scarlet )
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Post by Shinko on Aug 16, 2018 22:28:43 GMT -5
Mochi slowly shook their head. “I can make it; I don’t want to split you two up.” The coughed- the smoke was getting bad. Pointing, they went on, “Their warren is that way, at a place where three sycamores grow in a straight line leading towards a depression in the ground. I trust you both; I wish I could help but… Please get my family out safely.” * * * Quicksnap gently deposited the unconscious microraptor on the ground and let its companions hop down as well. He rumbled thoughtfully. “Tearing up any matter in the way that can catch fire will help. Small bushes, leaves, and so on. Although that would be hard to do with the fire this established already, it’s at least worth a try. There’s also kicking dirt over the fire, but again that will only to so much when it’s burning the tops of the trees. The best we can do is… hope and pray, at this point. Do whatever we can and beg the Spirit that it will be enough.” He growled softly to the microraptors. “No flying, got it? Absolutely no flying; the smoke rises and breathing more of it will kill you.” He turned and started back up the slope, calling, “I’m going to try to pull up any of the weaker plants!” * * * Beech watched, not a little awed, as Taakeyrr called up the huge glowing elk. It was a beautiful creature, and despite its size the ghost didn’t find it intimidating. Instead it was… reassuring almost. Like she could tell it would keep them all safe. She was startled when everything around them was bathed in golden light as the elk exhaled on the wall. The thylacine squinted against the brilliance, unable to make out anything of the environment around them. Finally, the light dimmed, and Beech slowly let her eyes slide open again. She almost wished that she hadn’t. The last time the animals had been inside the heart, it had seemed to glow from all sides with warm, radiant yellow light. Now it was as dark as the tunnels beyond, with Beech’s illumination- for this time the ghost was glowing- the only thing casting any light on the space. Ugly, semi-transparent black chords that looked very much like the tentacles trailing off of Mother Nature were strung about the Heart, sticking to the walls and knotted around the guardian statues. Though the four statues were still pouring water, the flow had been reduced to a lazy trickle instead of a steady stream. Beech shuddered. “No wonder the Spirit said that the Heart needed a healer.” As if they’d heard her words, the feelers choking the Heart twitched, then began to writhe. One lunged in Taakeyrr’s direction, and with a yip of anger Beech threw herself at it, clenching her teeth down. She managed to tear it off, stopping it’s attack, but more were gathering already... Rabbit ♠ Mochi finally gives up, agreeing to leave and directing Kopi towards their family’s warren. Tiger Quicksnap suggests what basically amounts to a backburn but without the fire part. Tiger June Scarlet Liou Thorn The final showdown has begun. Defend the Healer until they can purify the Heart.
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