To the Earth (Rii)

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Rye had been searching for years now. Lead on endless trails that had reached to places he'd never been. Then again, every step was a new adventure. He never stopped thinking about the one that he had lost as a child, or the family that grew apart after her departure. Over mountains and into the cold he'd gone, until today.

Her scent has came and gone over the years, his sensitive tongue picking up any traces he could from the ground. Rains have washed them out, but they always seemed to come back. He'd follow them and met up with other dragons, asking and pulling any information from her out of them. Some had left him on false trails, and others he couldn't be sure of.

The scent in this part was strong. It smelled earthy, and he could tell that there were many dragons around here. No matter the dragons he continued forward, his tongue flicking out taking in the scent. If it wasn't that, he could almost feel a pull. Maybe the pull could've been from him wanting to find her, the memories that had caused him sorrow, or maybe it was an actual pull, the one that made him not give up. The one that told him he might find her one day.

They never would've seen it coming. They never thought it could happen. The rumble of water that gently shook the ground, only the one could feel. When they woke it was to late, the flood of water carrying everything with them. It was a surprise no one had gotten hit by the various trees, rock or animals, but it was the night she decided to leave.

He rounded around trees and climbed over rocks. Every step he felt like he was getting somewhere, maybe closer, but he could also be getting farther away from his goal. He'd been traveling since last night, his limbs tiring from the countless miles. Setting his sights on a boulder he coiled around it, setting his head on the ground. I'll only rest for a minute.

Rye slightly smiled as he had pleased her, rewarded with her slight praise. It had seemed as if she was forgiving him, either not as mad or just forgetting the earlier subjects. Time would tell at this point.

They round their way over to a great waterfall. Rye could feel the distant rumbling of it though his whiskers, and he wasn't disappointed with the sight of it. He glanced at Rii, noticing how she was taking it in. Maybe it was a special landmark he needed to remember, but who couldn't remember this. The male still made sure to remember the parts of it, flicking his tongue out to catch the watery scent.

They started moving again, towards the waterfall. The tunnels are over here, most likely behind the waterfall. Couldn't there be worry of a flood from this tunnel? He wouldn't question it until he saw it. The thought of a flood made him slightly wince, but he noticed the guard ahead and slightly shook his head.

Rye wondered how long it took these dragons to remember names, as if it could be a gauge to how long she's been here. This dragon seemed to know her, and they were going to 'Uncle Dirak's den,' does that mean Dirak was the king? He'd just have to find out.

Rye was silent on the whole trip, feeling the vibrations through his whiskers. He wasn't entirely nervous, or even looked as if he was. If anything, he seemed relaxed, although that might be confused with not caring.

When they entered, Rye glanced up at who he proposed was the king. He did seem like one, and Rye glanced away, bowing down and slightly spreading his wings, although not to far in case he were to hit something here. He was silent as doing this, his muzzle slightly touching the ground as he closed his eyes. Rye continued to hold this pose, hopeful that Rii wasn't mad or annoyed at him. Maybe the king would find interest in him.

Today was one such day that the King of the EarthWings could only be found in his den. His right leg hurt so badly that he spent most of the day sleeping to escape the pain. He had left his Lieutenant in charge for the day and asked to awoken only in emergency... So why was his nephew rousing him from sleep with no sense of urgency whatsoever? Perhaps Vilkas simply hadn't heard the announcement.

Baldirak lay in the back of his den. It was 210ft tall and twice as wide. In front left corner was a small shrine for the Goddess Astral; here he kept his Astralogy scrolls and--at night--hung his talismans. The only other thing in the den other than the Dragon it housed was a set of armor that hung on the back wall. But it had seen better days and appeared to actually be too small to fit the King properly. This armor had, in reality, belonged to Baldirak's mother. He had worn it on the day of the invasion--the right leg armor had two large holes in it, where balista spears had pierced it and Baldirak's leg.

Upon feeling his nephew's approach, Baldirak lifted his head slightly. His pale blue eyes opened to find the Vulcan/Guardian Trainee standing before him. Just behind, was Rii and--who was this? "Vilkas. I can only assume you did not receive word that I was not to be disturbed for anything not an emergency today. Whatever this is, you should have brought to Cradore's attention. But since you are here..."

Vilkas was about to speak when his uncle beat him to it. He in fact hadn't heard that today was one of the King's bad days. Suddenly feeling bad, he lowered his head "Sorry, Uncle Dirak. I didn't know.. But Rii wanted to see you, she brought this rogue..." he said with a flick of his wing to Rii's sibling.

Baldirak's gaze shifted to the Dragon, who looked an awful lot like Rii, minus the horns. Her brother, perhaps? He was a little surprised to see the rogue bowing--and that he seemed intent on holding the bow until something was said to him. Baldirak dismissed Vilkas with a nod then--against his leg's advisement--shifted so he was laying on his stomach. His expression briefly twisted into one of great pain, accentuated with a sharp hiss. With a slight growl that wasn't intended, but a result of trying to speak before the pain ebbed, he addressed Rii and the rogue, "What brings you here?"

Rii follows the guard, Vilkas, whom she knew was an interesting fellow and Baldirak's nephew. She probably should get to know him better, but the she dragon had been so busy as of late that meeting others had become a less important activity on her list of things to do.

When they arrived before the king Rii bowed low despite the words he gave to Vilkas about not being disturbed today. She felt kinda bad now, bothering him with something like her brother. The least she could do was apologize for her ignorance as well.

I'm sorry we didn't mean to bother you my king. Rii spoke while still bowing. Then she stood back up straight arching her neck gracefully as she did so. I happened upon my elder brother while out hunting near the borders, and made sure that he wasn't a danger to the tribe. Apparently he's been looking for me for a long time though. He would like to ask you something. Rii then glanced to Rye hoping that he could speak for himself now. She figured that it would be better for Rye himself to tell the king that he wanted to stay.

Rye slightly flattened his ears as the king didn't want to be disturbed today. He didn't mean to stumble upon his long lost sister on the day the king needed his time off. He kept bowing until Rii got up, but instead of looking so graceful he was in more of an omega position with his head down and ears flat. He waited until Rii had finished speaking before looking at the king and taking a breath.

"Your highness, I am... terribly sorry to bother you on... this day. My sister... Rii... I've been looking for her... for a long time. But... Now that I've found her... I would like to know... If you could ever accept me into the tribe." He bowed again, not going into detail of how they were separated. That would come in time. The male had also waited on what he could do to help, for he had felt it would be better to tell when asked.

Rii waits for the king to answer as she looks at the different objects in the room.

Low hisses and rumbling growls echoed through the King's chamber as the two spoke. It was not anger, but a representation of the agony he was in. It was all Baldirak could do to not groan and whimper, to main a facade of strength and endurance. He never cared if his Tribe saw him in this way; for them it had no bearing on his abilities as a leader. But to an outsider he was prey. He listened as the Rogue finally spoke. He seemed nervous. But instead of addressing him, Baldirak looked to Rii, "Tell me, why should I admit him?"

Her eyes traveled back to the king as he asked her why he should admit Rye. She bit her lip for a moment debating on how to answer. Well if Rye is rejected I guess that's okay. More punishment for him for what he did to Mairii.... She thought quietly while rolling the little skull in her right paw around for a moment. ...but it would be more fun to have him here nearby... Her thoughts turned to how she could show case her brothers good qualities.

You won't have any problem with him trying to start a rebellion or anything, he's a submissive dragon. The strong but silent type. If I remember correctly he was learning from our parents about healing too? Rii then looks over to Rye to see if this was true or if she was remembering wrong. Then she glances back to Baldirak kinda irked by the pain he was in. She wondered if a healer had already given him something for it.

He tries to do the right things, even if he messes up half the time, but his heart is in the right place. I would be very sad to see him rejected. Rii finished not knowing what else to say to the hurting drake. All she really wanted to do was ask if he'd been seen by a healer yet.

Rye listened to Rii as she spoke, glad that she actually seemed like she cared. He nodded at the healing part, deciding he could probably talk about his powers. The male waiting until she was finished talking before speaking. "I do have some... powers... that are related to healing," He offered, "I can... heal others with... mud..." Rye hoped this might be good enough for the King, and maybe he could show his skill later.

The Earth King's brain simply couldn't function right now. Try as he might, Baldirak was unable to focus on what Rii and her brother were saying. "Leave. I will decide what to do with you tomorrow. And Rii, bring me some lavender."

IC: Rii dipped her head once to her king then turned to bring Rye back to the entrance of the room where she hoped Vilkas was still hovering around. Even if he wasn't there she would have to pull a guard over to bring Rye to temporary living quarters so that he could meet with the king at a better time.

(OOC: Umm.. Not sure what else to write for Rye without PPing sorry you'll have to fill in what goes on with him and maybe a guard unless Baldi posts with Vilkas ;-;   )

IC: Rii then hurried to the herb storing area and gathered some lavender up. Then Rii got a cup and some hot water in case the king might want to take his lavender as a tea instead of outright eating the stalks of beautiful purple flowers and deep green leaves. Either way would help to calm him along with the pleasing scent drifting through the air.

She brought these things back to Baldirak then placed the cup down with the hot water. If he didn't use it she could. I've brought the lavender, and a tea cup with hot water in case you might want some lavender tea instead? Rii looked up to Baldirak with a bit of concern flickering in her gem-like gaze.

Rye let out a slightly whimper when the king ordered them to leave. If he bothered him on this day, that would probably mean an even lower chance of getting in. Would he have to lose his sister again? Lose what he's been working for from the day she left? He turned to Rii, following her with his head drooping and his tail dragging.

He could barely remember the trip to the room he was in. Coiling in a corner he tried to make himself feel small and not there in case anyone else came in. He didn't care if anyone else came in as long as they didn't kick him out.

Rye didn't realize he was biting on his tail until he drew blood, spitting out the fur in his mouth. His purple fur was already starting to get a little stained. Feeling the wall he pulled off a little of the slightly wet soil, putting of his saliva into it to make it more wet and muddy before laying it on his tail. He sighed, laying his head down on his tail. How long would he have to wait? The good thing was he could wait forever, he had at least found her.

The pale eyes of the King closed as Rii and Rye left his den. Sleep dragged him down into its realm... Almost. He woke again to the sound of Rii returning to his den. For a moment he forgot he'd asked for lavender. "Some tea sounds wonderful, but only use half of the lavender. I may wish to eat some later." Baldirak moved to lay on his side once more, allowing his leg to rest. "I am sorry I couldn't be in a better state to tend to this matter of yours."

(I really have no idea how to post to this. SO get ready for some extra nonsense)

Rii nodded as her king answered then began preparing the lavender tea without a word. She finished it up, leaving a little more than half of the lavender left because the tea didn't need that much in it. Then she set the cup before her king and gazed at his leg.

Don't worry yourself over it. Rye can wait. He's been patient for many years trying to find me, he can wait a few more hours or days. Rii said quickly before tilting her head a bit to the right. Her blue eyes stroked the contours of the kings strong muscular leg as she tried to see what was wrong with it.

The King's tail brought the cup of tea to his maw. He inhaled the scent before drinking the hot liquid without bothering to allow it time to cool. Baldirak noticed Rii looking at his leg. In total there were four scars, two from each of the ballista spears that had pierced him. They left his leg somewhat deformed; small chunks were missing in the area of the scars. But unless viewed from the right angle, it wasn't completely obvious.

He took another drink of his tea and set the cup down. "Two ballista spears, both went all the way through my leg. One day I will tell you the story, for now you may go. And thank you for the tea."

((Feel free to jump to the next day. Also, my 800th post!))

He must have noticed her staring at his paw and leg, and as her king spoke about the injuries Rii felt her cheeks heat up in embarrassment. She looked away finally aware of how long she had been staring at his leg then cleared her throat.

You are very welcome my king. Rii purred before turning and leaving the large den. She passed by the guards then headed for her her brother room just to check and see where he had been put. Rii made a pit stop by the caches and grabbed up a deer for herself before passing by Rye's den entrance. Then on a whim, she split the deer in half and lay one half just inside Rye's den entrance for him to eat whenever he felt like it. Then she left, without a word to her dear brother, and went to her nest where Au was probably waiting. Rii would then share her meal with the child that night and rest till morning.

(Fast forward through the night perhaps Rye? Or do you want me to do it? )

Rye stayed curled up in his corner, the only thing tempting him out was the bit of meat Rii brought him. She seemed like she was in a rush, so he wasn't able to say anything, not like he had anything to say. After eating it, he went back to his corner coil and decided to get some rest for the night. He was probably going to need it for the next day.

In the morning, he waited for someone to get him, if anyone was going to.

The night passed slowly for the King of EarthWings. He slept, but not soundly. Every half hour, Baldirak woke to shift his position, not that he had many options, but it never helped. For an hour he tried reading his scrolls to take his mind off his leg and chewed on some lavendar; these too only helped for a short time. By dawn, Baldirak had slept for four hours total; pain still washed over his leg like water. With a heavy sigh that vibrated the ground, the Earth King sat up and slowly moved to the entrance of his den.

Just outside sat Hapax and Hamnet. The twins mostly sat in silence, like statues, but on occasion they had a small conversation. "No, no, no! She wouldn't choose you if you were the last EarthWing male in existence. You've got nothing interesting about you except for me. I mean, I am clearly a more qualified mate." Hamnet said to his brother.
Hapax frowned and replied with a snort, "We're twins you dummy. If she wouldn't want me for a mate, she certainly won't want you! And besides, I have the better personality; you're always so..."

"Serious?" the Earth King asked as he poked his head out of his den to look at his Royal Guards. "Find Vilkas and have him bring the Rogue to me. " The twins nodded and went off to find the Trainee, who was with the Caretakers, helping to watch some Hatchlings. Vilkas was watching Pelia, giving her a ride on his snout. Eventually, he noticed the twins and left Pelia with a Caretaker, walking over to them. " Hi Hapax, Hamnet. Does Uncle Dirak want to see me?"

"Yes, of course he does, Vilkas. Why else would we be here? He wants you to bring the Rogue you let in last night to his den." Hapax said.
Hamnet rolled his eyes and hit his brother with his tail. "Be nice, Hapax. He is the King's nephew, after all. You don't want to be locked up again, do you? It would be the fifth time this month..."

Instead of sticking around until the twins decided to go about their usual and very irritating mode of communication, Vilkas slipped away and went to where Rye slept. "Hello, uh... Rogue... wake up. The King wants to see you now. I'll take you to him."

Rii continues to dream about hunting as everyone else wakes for the morning.

Rye felt the little dragons vibrations, but thought of them only as another dragon walking by. He perked his ears when he got addressed, even if it was only be 'Rogue,' And got up. As he began to follow the young dragon his thoughts slowly turned. What if the king didn't want him or just wanted him here so he'd be rejected? Where was Rii? The male had almost forgot her, the reason he came to this tribe in the first place.

He stopped for a second, flicking his tongue to try and get her scent. She might've been within the tunnels somewhere, but he didn't have enough time to follow, and most likely wouldn't have been allowed to peacefully explore the place for her. He whimpered, wondering if she'd show up while he was there.

The spikey Demi waited for Rye to get up then escorted him to his Uncle's den. Along the way, Vilkas glanced back at the older Dragon, quite curious about him. The Rogue lived a free life... on the surface. Vilkas had been born underground and never really spent much time above. He knew the world looked different in other places, and he wanted to see those places. Actually, the more he thought about it, Vilkas was a little jealous of the Rogue. And curious as to why he wanted to live underground with the EarthWings.

Soon enough, they reached Baldirak's den. Hapax and Hamnet had returned to sit outside and Baldirak sat inside, applying some mud to his foreleg. The twins allowed them inside and Vilkas bowed quickly to his uncle. "Here he is, Uncle Dirak. I'm sure you want me to stay, but I really need to get back to the Caretakers..." And with that, the Trainee left, not wanting to stick around in case the King was in a bad mood still. Baldirak didn't seem to mind, however; it wasn't because Vilkas was his nephew, but because he was more focused on the Rogue and didn't notice.

"You are afraid, Dragon... aren't you? There is naught to fear in these tunnels, this Haven, but the ones who built it. My mind was not clear last night, it was filled with pain. Tell me again why you wish to join my Tribe. Take your time."

(Someone's going to have to wake RIi up XD)

Rii was dreaming of her past again. Memories dredged up most likely from her recent encounter with Rye. Mairii was tearing a part the nest just for the fun of it. Or perhaps she had seen a mouse scamper in between the twigs. Rii was there just watching herself as a child helping her sister to destroy one quarter of the nest before their parents got back home. She didn't see Rye, but was aware of his presence in the dream. Maybe he was behind her doing something? Try as she might though, Rii could not turn herself around within the dream. She was stuck there, like lichen to a rock, and could not move her view at all.

Then the dream changed. For some odd reason Au was in the dream now. As adventurous and troublesome as her little sister, the nightwing child crawled over the giant nest and tried to crawl on top of Mairii. Mairii stopped what she was doing and turned around to wrestle with the nightwing hatchling, but he already had the advantage. A series of giggles erupted form the two dragons as Au began nibbling onto Mairii's minuscule horns and Rii could not suppress a laugh.

Rye sat down once he got into the king's den for the second time. His ears weren't directed at the king, but rather listening for any signs of Rii. Of course, this didn't mean he didn't hear the king, as he heard him very well.

For nerves, he was more scared for his sister. She seemed happy when she saw him, at least after her first wave of anger, but what if she still hated him? She could've left that night, just to get away from him. But, why would she have left that deer for him? A goodbye gift or maybe another dragon left it altogether.

He closed his eyes for a second to get rid of those thoughts. If anything, she'd push him out of here, not herself. Now, he just had words to address. "Well... I've been looking for... my sister... for a very long time," he started, "She left when... we were very young. Since then... I've been looking for her. I also feel that... I could be of use here. I can... heal with mud... and would just like to... be around my sister more." The long male finished, wondering if there was anything he forgot to address. Would Rii have been proud of him? Did he do alright? He glanced up at the king, waiting for his reply.

Soft hissing escaped the king's maw as he listened to Rye.  "Hm. I could use another healer...  You were born Rogue, yes? Do you think you could adjust to tribal life?" Baldirak knew not everyone could make such a drastic change. For awhile, he himself doubted whether he could do it. While he waited for the Dragon to answer, he tried to think of other herbs he could use for his leg.

(Dis is Rye whoops)

He wondered what the hiss meant, but it seemed to not be of anything bad. He compensated the question, it was true that he was born a rogue and he didn't know how tribe life was, but his answer was sure. "I'll do anything to be with my sister again." That was probably the longest sentence strung together by the young drake, maybe his sister would've been impressed if she was there.

Rye wasn't much of a talker, his parents could tell that from when he was a baby. He didn't make any loud noises when he emerged from his egg. He never even attempted to speak when his parents tried to teach him. It doesn't mean that he didn't understand it, he understood what they said perfectly, he just wasn't a talker. Whatever effect that'd have on him later, neither would know, but it hadn't lingered with him. His speech could improve one day, and maybe he could be like a leader. Big, grand speeches with no stops. But that wasn't him, it would never be him.

Realising he had placed himself in a more dominate look, his chest up and head high, he returned back to his submissive position. Leader was another thing he wasn't, he was more of the watchful type that doesn't give out orders. Rye patiently waited for the leaders response, his ears perked and eyes watching hopefully.

The Earth King watched the young Rogue in silence as he awaited an answer. The male didn't say anything right away, though. He seened to be thinking over his response, or just simply thinking on whatever came to his mind. Baldirak noticed that the Rogue adopted a more confident stance, proud and unafraid. One might even say he was displaying dominace. Baldirak didn't seem to mind this, however. In fact, he was smiling a little; he was glad to not see the young male so submissive for once. The King stood when Rye finally spoke and began to make his way out of the den. "Come with me, Rye." he said as he made his way into the tunnels and headed for Rii's den.