Playing with the Big Boys

A bunch of fools who have nothing to do with each other. Our boy Cedric's the main dude, but everyone else is pretty cool too. Art and stuff is by Diznits.

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[fightinmonsters]

dragonkingteo‌:

Lowering his muzzle closer to the ground, Gharial was able to follow the scent of the land’s owner. Oddly enough, the local Dragon was far from being alone here, as the smells of many other Monsters of various sizes and species were detectable. That wasn’t common for the territory of a Fatalis, but he kept the thought in the back of his head for now.

Upon following the main trail, he arrived in front of a cave, most likely the local’s den, and paused. A shiver ran down his spine as he mentally prepared himself for the confrontation. Oh, he didn’t like this. But in his mind he didn’t have the choice. If the landlord refused to talk, then they would fight.

He got pulled off from his thoughts by the sound of something crawling out of the cave. Something large, as large as himself. He scowled. Though standing on his hind feet, he wasn’t trying to appear too threatening; but what he certainly didn’t want was to appear weak.

What peeked out of the cave wasn’t exactly what he had expected, though. Sure, it was a male Crimson – a ‘three-horned’ Crimson at that – and even though he looked like he had sensed Gharial’s presence, his expression was clearly not that of a creature ready for battle. He looked… uneasy, worried to say the least. He spoke to him with a high-pitched voice. It was the complete opposite of what the invader was prepared for, and that took him off-guard.

Gharial squinted, analyzing the guy. The latter looked younger than he was. But even then, since when did members of his species act so shy and cautious? He thought he was the only deviant.

“Is this land yours?” he’d eventually speak, his neck describing a curve that showed he was wary, but calm for now.

He couldn’t be sure yet, but perhaps… He had to test the waters. To learn a bit more about the unusual Dragon he was dealing with before taking action.

Visibly uneasy, Aksel inched his way out from behind the rock face he’d taken shelter behind. “... Well... I wouldn’t call it mine, but I do live here, and have for a long time- waaay before humans built their village. They’re okay though- we help each other.” Casting a brief glance in the direction human village, he quickly turned back to the seemingly not-as-hostile-as-expected visitor.

Upon closer inspection, Aksel noticed the scars littering the other dragon’s body... some looked recent. The crimson dragon barely gave himself time to think before speaking up. 

“Are you alright?” He decided to go out on a limb and extend an olive branch to this strange crimson- Aksel wanted to ensure that the other dragon didn’t feel threatened, and it seemed like he didn’t want a fight; otherwise he would have attacked already... right? Maybe things would work out okay.

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[fightinmonsters]

dragonkingteo‌:

—

It had happened many, many years before. Under the dark sky of another volcanic range far away, there was a large, slender Crimson Fatalis flying, though this one was no Demon variant. He was bearing scars, some older than others, and a few recent bruises that shone faintly in the night. An unaware eye could almost mistake them for shooting stars.

He landed on this land, a foreign one. He had noticed the lights of a civilian village further down – which wasn’t good news to him, since he was doing what he could to avoid humans, but he had no choice. This was the least populated area around and he needed the rest. For now at least, he believed he had gone too far, too quick to be noticed by the local Guild and Hunters, so that made one fewer concern in his mind. No, the greatest concern he had right now was related to another kind of living being – one of his own species.

He could smell his presence in the air and on the ground. Another male, adult. He knew too well how Crimsons treated strangers that invaded their territory. And even though he didn’t like it, he was ready to fight for a bit of peace. It’s been a long time since he lost hope that being nice would save him.

“... Aksel...”

A small voice caused the resting dragon to stir slightly, before it spoke up again- louder this time.

“Aksel!”

The crimson dragon jolted awake, turning his neck towards to source of the voice, his mind still very much groggy with sleep. “Wh-? Agatha?” The small ioprey looked decently spooked, to say the least.

An emergency? Aksel groaned. It was too early to be an emergency. Still, Agatha’s air of only slightly concealed panic greatly concerned him- enough that her stress was beginning to rub off on him. “Uh, what kind of emergency are we talking about here?” He’d known the ioprey since she was born- she wasn’t one to be this distressed for no reason. 

“I just saw a fatalis- a crimson fatalis! He landed just outside- you have to help us! I don’t know who else can!”

‘Crimson fatalis’ alone was more than enough to shock any traces of sleepiness out of Aksel’s mind. His mind was moving at a mile a minute now, trying to make sense of why another crimson could have come here- surely the other dragon must have known he was here, right? Was it a fight? For territory? Oh no. Oh no no no no. This was more than just an emergency.

“Uh-” His eyes darted back to Agatha, whose small body was trembling- no doubt his own panic wasn’t helping her, or anyone. The monsters here depended on him. He had to protect them. He needed to take care of this.

“... I need you to get your family and find a place to hide- tell anyone you come across the same thing: hide, and stay quiet. I’ll- I’ll handle the fatalis. Whatever happens, stay hidden.” With that, he gave the ioprey a nod of reassurance before creeping toward the cave entrance, sniffing the air. He paused momentarily upon smelling the other fatalis, trying to steel himself for whatever was to come. Maybe he could reason with them.

He had to try.

After what felt like ages, the demon crimson worked up the courage to poke his head out of the cave, speaking out in almost a squeak.

“Can I help you?”

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[fightinmonsters]

dragonkingteo‌:

—

Breathing slowly, Teo couldn’t help but feel a bit of pain in his chest when he watched the Fatalis’ reaction. Even in his three hundred years of life he had rarely witnessed true sorrow taking over someone’s whole face and body, to the point of making their limbs look as if they were going to collapse under the creature’s weight.

The Teostra gave a sigh, and his eyes drifted towards Elysae as well. For the first time she wasn’t staring at Aksel. Nor at himself, either. She was focused on nothing, watching the horizon without any motion from her body, standing more still than a dead branch of wood. After several minutes, her head eventually turned around and she crawled away in silence.

“Ely?” Teo muttered, but she disappeared behind a boulder without looking back.

With a heavy sigh, he directed his attention back at Aksel. “… She’ll be fine,” he mumbled, though in truth he had no idea what was going on in her head. “It’s been… a couple years now.”

Since they were alone, it was going to be easier to talk about their mutual friend, as Teo was still wondering about the relationship the two Crimson Fatalis could have shared – though he hoped he wouldn’t twist the claw in Aksel’s wounds too much with his curiosity.

Despite King Teo’s reassurance, Aksel looked in the direction Elysae had disappeared in, a deep, horrible sense of guilt taking hold of his heart. He sighed and turned back to the teostra before looking away again, trying to focus on the question he’d been asked.

After long pause, he spoke up.

“I know it’s not a long time, but I... I loved him. I loved him with everything I had.” It felt as if he’d only just parted with Gharial a few short months ago. Without prompt, Aksel elaborated further- as he always did. He felt he could, now that Elysae couldn’t hear. 

With a deep sigh, he allowed himself to be swallowed up by his memories as he proceeded to bare his soul to a near-complete stranger.

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[fightinmonsters]

dragonkingteo‌:

—

The Fatalis’ sudden burst of excitement caught Teo off-guard. He looked very happy to hear about Gharial.

Way too happy.

The Teostra frowned a bit. It was pretty clear that Aksel and Gharial were on good terms, perhaps were they even close friends. Teo couldn’t be sure when the two Crimsons used to hang out; since Gharial revealed very little about himself and his past acquaintances to him – but sooner or later they must have parted ways, because obviously the news of his death didn’t reach Aksel’s ears.

With great hesitation, the maned Dragon attempted to speak, trying to find out how to word properly what Aksel needed to hear. But the Fatalis was too enthusiastic to let him talk – and the more passionate the Fatalis was, the more crumpled Teo’s face went.

He didn’t even dare glance at Elysae’s reaction anymore.

Only Aksel’s final question convinced him to breathe in and say the truth.

“Yes… Hunters.” He paused, trying hard to stay soft in his words, but he just couldn’t find any way to make the news less harsh to someone who seemingly cared so much for his friend. “They were on his tail for a long time, and his state got… ugh, worse by the day. So after a long while running and fighting, struggling to protect himself and his daughter… He decided to contact me so that I took care of her in his stead. Indefinitely.”

Teo stopped, unsure what to add, or whether he needed to add anything at all. He looked up, his ears folded back as he watched Aksel’s face with grief in his eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

A feeling of numbness slowly engulfed the crimson’s body as Teo went on. Aksel didn’t know what to feel- what to think, as if his mind were trying desperately to block out what this information meant.

And then it hit him. Everything.

A strangled gasp was all that managed to escape his throat. 

Gharial was... dead? He was dead??? No... no no no no no. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Aksel promised he’d try to see him again!

He felt as if the ground had crumbled underneath him as the magnitude of all he’d lost in a single day plowed into him like 100 tons of rocks. Everything- everything was gone. His home, the human village, his friends, and now Gharial? 

Gods, he felt sick.

“I- I don’t understand. Why would they do that??? Why-” His gaze flicked to Elysae, and he remembered she was Gharial’s daughter. She’d lost her father. No, he couldn’t get upset right now- not in front of his daughter. It wasn’t fair to her. He had to stop. He had to breathe.

Aksel lowered his head and took a long, deep breath before finally speaking up again. “How long has it been since then?” His voice was hollow and sounded foreign to his ears, but he had to know.

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[fightinmonsters]

dragonkingteo‌:

—

Of all questions Aksel could have asked, that was the one Teo expected the least. His head immediately perked up, eyes wide-open when he processed the Fatalis’ inquiry.

Now that… That was a coincidence. The Teostra stood up, his tail describing wide waves behind him as he stared in Aksel’s eyes with a renewed interest. How did they meet? When? Did the Demon Crimson know about Gharial’s daughter?

Did he know that Gharial was dead?

“He was my friend for a long time before I settled with my mate,” Teo begun. “We lost contact for a while but recently, he… trusted me with his daughter’s protection.”

His eyes turned towards the young Fatalis. She had stopped moving, and was sitting not too far from the stranger, watching his face attentively.

“She’s called Elysae.”

Aksel was speechless for several moments. Had he not known any better, he might have thought he died. His mind struggled to process the fact that Gharial had suddenly come back into his life- even if indirectly. And he had a daughter. After all that had happened in the past 24 hours, this news made him feel as if everything was worth it.

With a sudden surge of elation and energy, he cried out in amazement.

“I can’t believe this! I haven’t seen him in so long! How is he?! I-” Suddenly he cut off, turning to look at the young fatalis- Elysae, smiling warmly. “Your dad and I go way back, kiddo. It’s really great to meet you.” With a nod, Aksel turned back to face Teo once more. “How come she’s with you? Did something come up?” Aksel remembered the hunter problem Gharial had- even back then. Was it still an issue for him? A look of deep concern crossed the crimson’s face. “... Is it hunters?”

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[fightinmonsters]

dragonkingteo‌:

Listening at the stranger’s begs, Teo eventually lowered his growl though the menacing frown didn’t leave his face. He was mentally evaluating the Fatalis’ trustworthiness. Could he be lying? Would a Dragon that tried to infiltrate his lands with fake excuses behave like that?

After several seconds of silent deliberating, taking into account the ‘conversation’ he witnessed between Elysae and the newcomer, the Teostra straightened up in a calmer and more regal posture while the surrounding cloud of blast powder started to fade away.

“I wouldn’t say that I totally believe your story,” he huffed, “but I’m willing to give you a chance.“

As the Fatalis was brave enough to get closer to the Lord, Teo lowered his face at his level, squinting.

The maned Dragon lifted his head up and moved back again, watching the traveler in the eye for a few seconds. He wouldn’t let such a powerful creature sleep one night in his volcanoes without getting to know him a little bit, at least.

"Aksel, right?” he spoke on a subtly lighter tone, recalling what the Crimson Fatalis said to the young one, unaware he was being listened. “My people here call me King Teo.”

A bit further down, Elysae was sitting on the rocky ground, attentively watching the two Dragons interact with an interested eye. It seemed as if even a fight between them wouldn’t disturb her.

Relief washed over the crimson’s features; even if things could still go sour, he was getting somewhere, at that’s all that mattered.

“You’re a king? Damn... that’s impressive. I live quite a ways from here, so even if any Hunters saw me take off, I’ve been flying nonstop since early this morning. My home is pretty far away from a lot of things- except a small village, but we get along... or... I thought we did. Or maybe we still do. The people there have always- we’ve always been cool with each other. I don’t know why Hunters are coming for me- it’s been a long time since anyone’s tried to come after me.” Aksel prattled on, still obviously trying to make sense of what was happening to him, and why now. He’d always had a habit of giving others more information than they probably cared for, but he felt he had nothing to hide- especially from the one he was asking for help from. 

“I know it probably sounds kind of wild coming from a crimson fatalis, but I really don’t like fighting. Up until now I’ve just tried to keep to myself. I thought Hunters only went after monsters that were threatening other people... that’s what I want to think anyway.” Aksel knew this wasn’t always true, but something about denying it while he still could made him feel less hopeless about his situation.That maybe if he could communicate his peaceful nature, that he would be left in peace. 

He knew that wasn’t true.

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[dragonkingteo]

The larger of the two was surprised to say the least. He certainly hadn’t expected to see another fatalis- let alone one so young. While he found it odd that she had yet to respond to him, he smiled at her and dipped his head- a bit closer to her level.

“I’m Aksel. What’s your name?”

Hmm… Maybe the kid was shy? Aksel wondered where her parents were… if she was here, they may not be far behind, and now that he knew this place was inhabited, he wanted to make sure he could avoid a potential confrontation in any way he could. Also he just wouldn’t feel right spending the night in someone else’s territory without permission. That just welcomed all sorts of trouble.

“Hey, do you know where your parents are? Do you think they’d mind if I stayed the night?” It was a bit of a long shot, but if he could show the young fatalis that he wasn’t a threat, perhaps her parents may be more lenient with him.

He could only hope.

—

Attentively watching the big Fatalis’ moves, Elysae kept standing on her spot, the tip of her tail gently waving from side to side. Her eyes were stuck into his, and never did she look away – odd as that might feel. The most striking thing was still probably her silence. Seeing as her head subtly tilted at his questions, it felt as if she could understand them… but simply refused to reply.

It seemed she enjoyed staring at strangers in an awkward way.

After he asked about her parents, she opened her wings and flopped down onto her four limbs. With caution, she crawled up to his level, footstep after footstep, progressively closing the distance that was keeping them apart. By the looks, she was more interested into smelling him from up close rather than responding to any of his inquiries.

But no sooner had she stopped nearby, and started to extend her neck to get a sniff of this curious-looking Dragon, than an ominous growl rumbled at a short distance behind the latter.

“Don’t get closer,” ordered the deep voice, though it wasn’t clear whether it aimed at Elysae or at the newcomer.

With his wings menacingly spread, a Teostra was standing on top of a tall rock formation. It wasn’t exactly the average Stra. He looked larger, and fairly more muscular than most individuals of his species. That one seemed trained to fight.

And it didn’t take much to figure he wasn’t here to joke around.

[fightinmonsters]

Aksel was startled out of his one-sided conversation by the sudden growl. When he turned to face the source, he found a large teostra. Well... it would seem he’d found the landlord... Which meant it was time for him to explain himself.

“I- I’m sorry for intruding. I wasn’t trying to invade- I just need a place to rest. I can’t go home... I... there are Hunters looking for me. I don’t even know what I did! I just need a place to hide- I just want to sleep.” He was steadily growing more desperate as he went on. This stranger clearly meant business, but Aksel didn’t know what he would do if he couldn’t convince this guy to let him stay, so he took the risk and slowly approached the teostra, hoping the other dragon could at least see that he was telling the truth.

Aksel had never found shame in showing emotion or asking for help, even from strangers- he was firm in his belief that it wasn’t weakness. Ultimately, the fatalis knew the decision to let him stay or not rested with this stranger whom he was pleading to, but gods be damned if he wouldn’t try to persuade him as best he could. He was so tired. “Please... I’ll do anything.”

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

[dragonkingteo]

The demon crimson was completely unaware he was being watched, preoccupied with surveying his surroundings, hoping that perhaps this land was unclaimed, or that its owner wouldn’t notice his presence. Part of him knew that was wishful thinking, as lands so untouched by mankind would almost certainly be home to many monsters, and while the dragon knew he was entirely capable of putting up a fight, it was something he wanted to avoid, and the whole reason he fled his home to begin with.

Just as he thought to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard a noise.

Very faint- a light tap, but he heard it. Normally he would have chalked it up to local fauna, but that was precisely what he was worried about. He clearly wasn’t used to being so stressed out, nor did he enjoy it. The crimson’s stress level only rose higher when he spotted a faint glow between some nearby rocks. Eyes. He’d already been seen. 

The dragon swallowed before opening his mouth- a quiet, uncertain “hello?” He hesitated another moment before continuing- intent on making himself as  non-threatening as possible. “You can come out. I won’t do anything. I just… I’ve been flying all day- I just need a place to sleep for the night and I’ll leave first thing in the morning. Okay?” The dragon kept his eyes locked on the figure in the rocks, hoping they weren’t hostile.

—

When the stranger noticed her presence, Elysae remained like frozen on the spot. Until she blinked, just once. That was all. During all of the Crimson Fatalis’ speech, while he did all he could to appear friendly and harmless, the youngling showed no reaction – just a long, awkward silence.

It was only once the stranger had stopped talking than the small figure started to move. First her head slowly glided backwards, then her sleek body described a curve creeping back before she disappeared behind the boulders, giving barely any sound. Almost like a ghost.

The rumbling of a far away volcano broke the silence. When it calmed down, the short Fatalis figure appeared again, but in a different spot. She was in front of the newcomer now. Although she kept a fair distance between him and her, she was fully visible since no shadow was hiding her anymore – or at least, as visible as she could be at night, with volcanic gas partly hiding the moon. Her scales were dark brown in color, and her eyes still gave away that faint yellow glow.

As she stood up on her hind legs, she didn’t show any sign of threat, nor fear. If anything, she looked… curious.

Probably more curious than she should, as she clearly wasn’t strong enough to face a foe as formidable as an adult Demon Crimson Fatalis. But this one didn’t look like a foe. And the young Dragon was probably a bit reckless anyway.

[fightinmonsters]

The larger of the two was surprised to say the least. He certainly hadn’t expected to see another fatalis- let alone one so young. While he found it odd that she had yet to respond to him, he smiled at her and dipped his head- a bit closer to her level.

“I’m Aksel. What’s your name?”

Hmm... Maybe the kid was shy? Aksel wondered where her parents were... if she was here, they may not be far behind, and now that he knew this place was inhabited, he wanted to make sure he could avoid a potential confrontation in any way he could. Also he just wouldn’t feel right spending the night in someone else’s territory without permission. That just welcomed all sorts of trouble.

“Hey, do you know where your parents are? Do you think they’d mind if I stayed the night?” It was a bit of a long shot, but if he could show the young fatalis that he wasn’t a threat, perhaps her parents may be more lenient with him.

He could only hope.

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

(( @dragonkingteo ))

A night like any other, many would call it, but very much not the case for one particular demon crimson fatalis. The dragon had been flying all day, in a hurry to leave his home. He was fatigued, looking desperately for somewhere to rest- he felt as if his wings might give out on him if he kept going much longer, but for the first time since the previous night, it seemed he’d had a stroke of luck in the form of a volcano. A series of incredibly active volcanoes by the look of it. Finally! 

With renewed energy, the fatalis made a beeline for the closest mountain, hoping to arrive there within the hour.

After about 40 minutes more of flying, the dragon finally landed on solid ground. The place was certainly more barren than his own home, but he knew he couldn’t afford to hide away in an area so easily accessible to hunters, who he still don’t know why were hunting him. There were a lot of things he didn’t know. He didn’t know what he did, or why this was happening to him, or how long he would have to stay away, or if he could ever go back.

Maybe it was a delayed reaction, but it felt so distant to him- like the events of the past 24 hours had been too much for him to process still. He wasn’t looking forward to the shock wearing off, that was certain.

Oh well. It wasn’t doing him any good to be sitting out in the open- his glowing scales made him easy to spot at night, and that was the last thing he wanted, so he set out, exhausted, looking for a den or a cave or something to provide him a place to hide for the night. The dragon had a feeling he was going to need as much rest as possible, after the day he’s had.

[dragonkingteo]

Hidden in the shadow cast by a pile of volcanic boulders, a serpentine silhouette was lying, excessively still and silent. Locked onto the newcomer, two glowing stones, that appeared to be its eyes, were nearly the only thing that could betray its presence to the unaware.

This dark form was in fact another Fatalis, obviously much shorter and younger than the stranger who had just set foot on this land. Her wings, that looked almost too large for her tiny body, were covering her sides in a convenient camouflage; though they didn’t hide the spikes on her back.

For who-knows-how-long, she refused to glance away from the new figure, but she also refused to step out under the moonlight and meet him properly. He was a Fatalis, she knew she had been taught not to trust any of her species – but this Crimson Fatalis wasn’t any Crimson. It was a Demon variant, unmistakable thanks to his horns and unusual colors. Definitely different from her father. Had she met Demon Crimsons before? It was impossible to tell from her face alone.

For all the time she spent watching the creature, she didn’t produce any noise nor any movement, not even a mere blink. She looked almost dead – the light in her eyes aside. But at one point, the very tip of her tail whipped at the ground, softly. Perhaps as a spontaneous sign of frustration for being as curious as prudent. And perhaps loud enough to show her presence.

[fightinmonsters]

The demon crimson was completely unaware he was being watched, preoccupied with surveying his surroundings, hoping that perhaps this land was unclaimed, or that its owner wouldn’t notice his presence. Part of him knew that was wishful thinking, as lands so untouched by mankind would almost certainly be home to many monsters, and while the dragon knew he was entirely capable of putting up a fight, it was something he wanted to avoid, and the whole reason he fled his home to begin with.

Just as he thought to breathe a sigh of relief, he heard a noise.

Very faint- a light tap, but he heard it. Normally he would have chalked it up to local fauna, but that was precisely what he was worried about. He clearly wasn’t used to being so stressed out, nor did he enjoy it. The crimson’s stress level only rose higher when he spotted a faint glow between some nearby rocks. Eyes. He’d already been seen. 

The dragon swallowed before opening his mouth- a quiet, uncertain “hello?” He hesitated another moment before continuing- intent on making himself as  non-threatening as possible. “You can come out. I won’t do anything. I just... I’ve been flying all day- I just need a place to sleep for the night and I’ll leave first thing in the morning. Okay?” The dragon kept his eyes locked on the figure in the rocks, hoping they weren’t hostile.

[fightinmonsters]

Crimson Hearts

(( @dragonkingteo ))

A night like any other, many would call it, but very much not the case for one particular demon crimson fatalis. The dragon had been flying all day, in a hurry to leave his home. He was fatigued, looking desperately for somewhere to rest- he felt as if his wings might give out on him if he kept going much longer, but for the first time since the previous night, it seemed he’d had a stroke of luck in the form of a volcano. A series of incredibly active volcanoes by the look of it. Finally! 

With renewed energy, the fatalis made a beeline for the closest mountain, hoping to arrive there within the hour.

After about 40 minutes more of flying, the dragon finally landed on solid ground. The place was certainly more barren than his own home, but he knew he couldn’t afford to hide away in an area so easily accessible to hunters, who he still don’t know why were hunting him. There were a lot of things he didn’t know. He didn’t know what he did, or why this was happening to him, or how long he would have to stay away, or if he could ever go back.

Maybe it was a delayed reaction, but it felt so distant to him- like the events of the past 24 hours had been too much for him to process still. He wasn’t looking forward to the shock wearing off, that was certain.

Oh well. It wasn’t doing him any good to be sitting out in the open- his glowing scales made him easy to spot at night, and that was the last thing he wanted, so he set out, exhausted, looking for a den or a cave or something to provide him a place to hide for the night. The dragon had a feeling he was going to need as much rest as possible, after the day he’s had.