Chance Meeting (Amore/Snowblaze)

Prey. A welcome scent to any dragon, but for one taking on hunting duties for what remained of her tribe it was a miracle. Snowblaze knew that they needed any food she could get her talons on, so she quickly followed the scent. Her mind was in it’s emotional state at this point, so she was less worried about being stealthy, and more worried about getting that food.

The guardian tracked her target for almost a mile, coming to the western edge of Icewing territory, before eying it. A moose! The massive deer was just what they needed. It excited her enough to switch her mind to its more calculating side. Snowblaze slowly crept up on the large prey item, being as quiet as possible. The moment she was close enough, the wyvern-like dragon leapt on it, and quickly ended the fight before it began. Despite capturing her query, something didn’t seem right.

The icy lands of the IceWing territory had been so barren as of late. Nothing but the distant howls of ravaging beasts had filled the air. Prey had been scarce, and if the monsters hadn’t slaughtered you, you’d soon die of starvation. It was a chilling and lonesome time. It truly was good fortune in a world of ice to come across something like a moose. Afterall, such a dragon was not the only competition, not by a long shot.

As the animal would give its dying breath, the wind seemed to shift. This would allow but a minute warning to enter Snowblaze’s mind. As the breeze started to blow in her direction, the tangy, ranced scent of a strange creature would alert one of it’s nearby presence. And not only that, but it was very strong, pungent. Almost as if it were multiple creatures.

And to top it all off, the scent was only growing closer.

Suddenly, an ear piercing screech broke out across the frozen tundra, followed by several more. The sky seemed to turn darn, as a massive shadow would loom over the unsuspecting IceWing. If one were to look up, they would be alerted to the appearance of nearly half a dozen monstrous beasts, resembling that of large, hairy bat monsters, all nearly 30 feet tall, and heading straight for Snowblaze, their talons sharp and ready to strike.

Two flew ahead of the crowd, hoping to take a scratch at Snowblaze. If that attack failed, another two would leap onto her back, and sink their fangs in. In the flurry, it was unclear in the murder of Skeir had an alpha, but one could not worry about such things now, as the ice dragoness was forced to enter the fray.

Snowblaze quickly lifted the moose with her forepaws, but something caught her attention. A new scent? She lifted her head to get a better read. It wasn’t dragon, or human. Not any of the large lizards from the south. This was new, and right now new was bad. It was also powerful, and getting closer!

Soon, powerful screeches were heard, and when the dragoness looked she was shocked. Her mind switched to being emotional when she saw the absolutely terrifying sight. Skiers! An entire flock of Skiers! Snowblaze quickly let out her own roar before seeing the beasts coming for her. There were two things she had on them: Her size and her abilities.

Once she saw the pair coming in front of her, the guardian unleashed her icy breath on the two bats, but it wasn’t normal. It was her Exploding Ice. All it needed to do was melt slightly after the two got hit and bang! But then she felt a sharp pain on her back, releasing a painful cry at the feeling.

Snowblaze turned her blaze orange eyes to see two more Skiers on her back, and they had sunk their fangs into her. The dragoness quickly took advantage of her wyvernic form and grabbed one of them with her forepaws, and attempted to yanked it from her back. For the second, the Icewing hybrid lifted her tail and swung it up, like a scorpion’s tail, to hit the beast from above.

She also looked for any escape from this fight. Any opening that could save her. Snowblaze didn’t want to die here, but not just for herself. She was the only guardian in the group of Icewings, and she had continued to put the burden of protecting them on her own shoulders. She had to live. She just had to.

The skeirs were resilient. They clung to Snowblaze like pesky parasites. And although she managed to pierce one, the other continued to cling to her neck, coiling it’s batlike wings around her. As for the two skeirs that had been shot down, one of them managed to get back up, though it was injured, and the other fell to the ground, limp. The remaining other two skeirs that hadn’t attacked yet flew in for the kill as well, screaming.

Meanwhile, as Snowblaze would fight the skeirs, she would notice that a winter storm was beginning to brew over the mountains. One might be able to escape into something like that, but it would be risky.

Snowblaze growled at the persistent Skier on her back. Dang, it these things were as annoying as raptors! The Icewing noticed the storm. That could be her chance to escape. The dragoness quickly reared up, using both her wings and forepaws to tear the stupid bat off. If successful, she would also throw it at the injured Skier. If not, she’d pull its body to her jaws, and bite down hard to force it off.

Once she was freed of that creature, Snowblaze took to the sky and flew straight for the storm. And Skiers that got close either had to contend with her tail or her Exploding Ice. Right now, she would do anything to get to the storm!

As she would dive into the storm, the skeirs would attempt to follow, one of them getting hit by the exploding ice and being thrown into the ground with a screech. The other skeir that had been on Snowblaze would also be thrown off. It seemed there were only four left, but they all looked ready for bloodshead.

As Snowblaze would enter the storm, it would work initially. The chilly air combined with the wind and ice particles would cause three of the four skeir to halt, screeching, and fly back, while the forth got swept up by the current and thrown into the darkness.

But then the winds started to get out of control. Their powerful thrashing would thrust Snowblaze off balance, and begin thrusting her about.

Snowblaze braced at she began enter the storm. It was cold thanks to her hybrid nature, but it seemed to work. The Skiers began to end their pursuit, save one that was caught in the storm. The dragoness chuckled a bit at the beastly bats failed attempt to attack her, but she soon discovered that this storm was much stronger than she first thought.

The winds began whipping violently, throwing her off balance. Snowblaze tried to regain her balance, but the winds just kept throwing her around. No matter what the guardian tried she just couldn’t get her self back in line. Not only did the wind batter her, but the storm left it near impossible to see. Despite this, Snowblaze kept trying to get herself rebalanced, but soon, everything went black...

It had been, what, two years since the monsters' arrival? She could still remember that day rather clearly. The bloodshed, the fear, the chaos. Amore had managed to stay with her mate through the first about three months of the invasion, but when the palace had been invaded, and the SkyWings that had been left had to find new shelter, their entourage had been ambushed, and Amore separated from her beloved tribe and what little family she had made.

Amore had been lost for about a year and a half now, injured, and trying to survive. She had tried to return to the palace when she had healed enough to go adventure, but had came to a mostly abandoned ruin, housing only two beastly creatures that had almost killed her.

The elderly SkyWing did not know what had become of her mate, nor the rest of her tribe. She didn't even know if she was the only last remaining SkyWing. It terrified her. But... despite how bad things seemed, Amore had tried to at least keep herself alive.

She was walking down the shoreline, looking for potential prey or carcasses, when she noticed something rather peculiar. The body of a dragon. Her eyes widened, and she quickly rushed over to it. It looked like a female. She held her ear to the dragoness's chest. Unconscious, but still alive. She sighed with relief. She needed to get this dragoness out of the water though.

Carefully, Amore tried to pull Snowblaze onto shore, though she was heavier than she thought she would be. After a bit of time, she managed to get her out of the water. Next, Amore went to retrieve some leaves to dry and shade the dragoness.

Snowblaze had just stared regaining consciousness. She began to here the sound of waves, felt the warmth and grit of sand, and the pain of her battle with the Skiers and the storm. She also tell someone else was there. The Icewing’s blaze orange eyes slowly opened, contrasting with her mainly translucent white scales, to spy the other there.

It was a dragoness, much older than herself. She had pink scales, and curling horns. Oddly enough though, the thing that peaked Snowblaze’s interest wasn’t anything of that, it was the pair of wing fingers, something she also possessed. The guardian rolled on her stomach, growning as she did. The dragoness began to lift herself slowly, coming to stand like a wyvern, before speaking in a monotone voice.

”I.... I guess you are the one who revived me. Thank you.”

Amore looked up at the sound of the dragoness speaking. Ah, it seemed like she was awake! Good. Happy, Amore approached her, "Ah, I'm glad you're awake, madam. And relatively uninjured, too. Do you think you can stand?" she asked tentatively?

(Short post is short)

Snowblaze gave off a cough before beginning to lift herself. ”I think so,” She said as she did, still in a monotone voice. The Icewing lifted herself with her legs and wings. Probably the most noticeable thing was that she stood on the knuckles of her pairs of wing fingers, and lifted her fore legs so that they rested against her chest. Once the white scaled ness was standing, she could easily be confused for a wyvern.

Once standing, Snowblaze looked around her. She didn’t recognize anything. Where exactly was she at? It was warmer here than Icewing territory, so she was somewhere different, but she couldn’t exactly tell. Nothing smelt familiar either. Snowblaze’s mind switched from cold to emotional as she looked back at the pink dragoness. ”Where am I exactly,” she asked, this time with worry being clear in her voice.

Amore was very glad to see the dragoness okay, and she quickly made her way across the warm, granular sand towards her. Although the dragoness claimed she could walk, Amore quickly circled around her, checking to make sure there weren’t too many injuries. And well… she wasn’t exactly in the best condition, but it wasn’t debilitating, either. Just from a quick physical diagnostics, she seemed to have several still bloody scratches of unknown origins, as well as a purplish bruise on her right side. The poor dear. She wondered what had happened.

Walking back over to stand in front of her, Amore tilted her head. This dragoness must be a long way from home to not know where she was, or be relatively young. Though, she didn't seem that young. In fact, this dragoness looked to be in her late forties. Regardless, Amore straightened up a bit, “You’re on the SkyWing border, my dear. Or, well, what used to be the SkyWing border, before….” she shook her head, clearing her brain.

“We shouldn’t be out in the open like this. It’s dangerous. I have a small encampment I could take you to, where I could give you some ointment and treatment for your wounds. It’s not too far from here, but it might require a bit of walking, if you’re up for that?”

Snowblaze kept her eyes on Amore as she circled. It was the first time she really noticed how banged up she was. She mumbled something under her breath, almost like an attempt to hide some foul language, but the words “Devil bats” and “Ice storm” could be clearly heard. The dragoness quickly checked her barb. Still intact. But it was what the dragoness told her next that shocked her.

”Skywing territory,” she yelled, whipping her head back to the ocean and letting out a growl of pain. She rubbed her neck, feeling some damage from the Skiers. She growled again before listening to the dragoness’s offer. Snowblaze shook her head. She had Virgo and Atarijor to keep an eye on. She was still a guardian, and she still saw it as her job, but right now....

Snowblaze lowered her head for a moment, letting out a sigh. Her brain swapped back to being cold, and she replied with a monotone voice. ”Lead the way.” As she would begin to follow, the white dragoness looked like she was in a great deal of pain. She quickly seemed to swap to walking on her forelimbs. Something she was clearly not comfortable with. Her forepaws were designed for grasping, not walking, and her forelimbs weren’t well made for walking. Better then walking on a messed up wing at least. Once she swapped to the uncomfortable position, Snowblaze looked at the pink dragoness, and asked ”What is your name” in a monotone voice.

Even though the dragoness said she could walk, Amore continued to keep a close eye on her, monitor her, just to make sure she didn’t fall or exacerbate the pain. Another thing that Amore picked up while caring for Snowblaze was that… the dragoness’s personality seemed to shift rather drastically. While she had spoken in a rather monotone voice on her awakening, she expressed vivid concern by the fact they were in the SkyWing territory. It was… an interesting observation to say the least. Perhaps this dragon was just the cool, quiet type, and that mask had been broken by the reveal? Regardless, Amore didn’t wish to inquire her about it.

As they began to walk into the jungle, Amore noticed that the dragoness seemed unused to walking on her forepaws. She also seemed to be in more pain than she had initially let on, which made Amore scrunch her face up in worry. Perhaps she should leave the dragoness in the underbrush and just fly back to the camp, and bring the medicines she needed back to her by the shoreline? But then she’d be leaving her completely vulnerable to attack! It was an uncertain situation to say the least.

When the dragoness asked her name, Amore realized her mistake, “Ah, yes, silly me! Sorry dear. My name’s Amore, it’s a pleasure to meet your acquaintance. Sorry we had to meet under such… inconvenient circumstances.” the dragoness said with a small sigh, “So… what is your name? And, if you don’t mind me asking, what happened to bring you all the way to SkyWing territory?”

Snowblaze continued to follow the pink dragoness as she lead her to their destination. It was annoying having to walk on her forepaws. It reminded the guardian about her hatchling day when she would walk that way to avoid being pick on. She never liked walking this way, but it was a requirement this time. The Icewing’s tail barb drug on the ground as she walked, and her pain was enough to switch her mind to being emotional and hot headed again, but she hid it. She was a guardian. Pain wouldn’t stop her!

It was with that in mind that the helpful dragon revealed her name. Amore. She then asked the Icewing her own name, and what she was doing there. Snowblaze was quick to respond, but her voice was back to having emotion in it. ”The pleasure’s mine. And the name’s Snowblaze. As for why I’m here. I ran into a flock of Skiers, and ran into a storm to get away. I like a fight, but I’d rather live!” It was then that a tree limb hit Snowblaze’s bad wing, causing her to let out a growl, and switching her mind its cold side. Snowblaze then continued with a monotone voice. ”I was knocked out after entering the storm, and then I woke up on that beach.”

“Oh, dear!” Amore said, unable to hold back her surprise. This dragoness was lucky to have survived, to have been knocked out by such a terrible storm. Perhaps she had been lucky enough to stay aflight long enough for her body to be deposited into the sea instead of crashing on land, twas the only way one could explain how she survived and arrived all the way here. Then again, how had she not drowned? Well, perhaps there was some divine being looking out for this dragoness, as nothing less of a miracle could have saved her.

“Skeirs… nasty pieces of work. I encountered a few just the other month. Buggers aren’t that inherently tough but they pack a punch when they travel together.” Amore said, then sighed, and looked sympathetically over at Snowblaze, “I’m terribly sorry to hear that! Oh, you must be so exhausted.” She thought for a moment, “Oh, if this walking is too much for you, dear, you can wait here in the underbrush and I can go retrieve the medicines myself. It will only take me a little under an hour. That is, if you are comfortable,” she said. She didn’t want to overexert this obviously injured dragon, so she offered an alternative to walking.

Snowblaze continued walking, trying not to look as unnatural as she was. At least Amore seemed to understand how nasty those rats with wings were. In all honesty, she was kind of motherly in way she treated Snowblaze, not that the hybrid would know what that was like. She only ever had Permafrost.

She then perked a bit when Amore asked if the she wanted to sit and wait or continue. Snowblaze thought for a moment. On one paw, she could stop walking on her forepaws, which would be nice. On the other, what if something found her. In this condition she couldn’t fight. Not really. The dragoness shook her head and looked at Amore, ready to speak with her monotone tongue. ”I believe it is best to continue. In my current state, I would be easy prey.”

Amore nodded understandingly. It made sense that the female wouldn't want to stay put by herself. She then continued walking, though perhaps at a slightly slower pace, not necessarily to appear patronizing to the injured dragoness, but to be more mindful of her state, and also because the underbrush was beginning to become more and more dense as they went through the forest.

Seeing as it might be anywhere from twenty to thirty minutes before they got to the camp, Amore wondered if she might try to past the time by asking questions. "So, Snowblaze," she started, "I don't suppose while we're walking if you'd be up for a bit of banter? I would understand if you don't wish to talk. You don'y know me, afterall, and you're injured. But if it would help to make you feel better than I would gladly participate with you." Amore offered.

Snowblaze noticed Amore slowed down, but she couldn’t say she minded the slower pace. It was easier on her arms, but she still wished she had her wings. Then the pink dragoness asked if Snowblaze wanted to talk. The Icewing thought for a moment, then gave a monotone response. ”That seems like a good idea. Should take my mind off the pain.”

The hybrid dragoness thought a bit more. What could they talk about? She then sighed, not having a really good subject, at least in her mind. ”So. What could you tell me about this place. I’m not use to so much... green.”

Amore was glad the stranger was interested in talking. It was always so much nicer to walk through this desolate jungle with a partner, and Amore had been so yearning for decent conversation as of late. Afterall, her only companions for the past month or so had been corpses. So having an actual living being to converse with was rather exciting, even if it was underlyingly depressing.

Walking over a log, Amore would maneuver through the forest, leading Snowblaze but only trailing a little bit ahead of her, so that they could still talk. “Well…” Amore began, “How much do you want to know? History, geography? Anything specific about the SkyWings or their territory? Or do you mean just this forest part here?”

Snowblaze was happy the Amore seemed more than willing, excited even, to talk about the forest, and almost anything else about the Skywings. The injured dragoness didn't even hesitate to speak, her mind becoming emotional again, as she followed her new friend closely. "Oh. Just this woods really, but the way the entire territory looks could be interesting too. In all honesty, the hybrid felt a strange connection to this dragoness, but she couldn't quite explain it.

(Short post is short.)

“Ah, well, these woods are pretty old as far as SkyWing territory goes,” Amore began, “Some of our ancestors were said to have inhabited these woods before they moved to the floating islands deeper at the center of SkyWing territory. Most of the SkyWing territory is either dense forests or vast grasslands, with a few wetlands near our borders. In fact, I think there might even be a wetland a few dozen miles from that beach, give or take a few,” Amore mused. Although Snowblaze was behind her slightly, she still might have seen the happiness that shone on Amore’s face. Talking about her home seemed to bring a great happiness to Amore, even in times of crisis such as these.

(Short post lol sorry)

(Don’t worry. Here’s another short post to balance it.)

Snowblaze walked closely behind Amore, listening carefully to her as she described the region. It was definitely different than Icewing territory. Yes, there were trees, but nothing like this. Her home was a lot more... white than this place was. Once Amore had finished he explanation, Snowblaze spoke with an intrigued tone, as apposed to her earlier monotone speech. ”That’s amazing. Icewing territory is mostly covered in snow and ice. There are trees, but nothing like this.”