Restoration Of The Starstone [EVENT] [LW OPEN]

// As you can imagine this topic is about the return of the starstone, I'm hoping to including the following in this topic:

- Monster responsible for taking the stone battle
- Finding the traitor (which I need someone to volunteer to rp as)
- Injuries can occur, Lore for the Lightwings

I will be Rping as the monster when the time comes. //

As the sun began to set behind the palace, its orange light dancing against its stone flanks, with the jungle canopy below. Only a few moments ago Devi had spoken to his council about the possibility of retrieving their previous stone. Which the tribe had felt the loss of its missing relic, especially when they found out that one of their own took the stone. Sleenia had previously warned of a beast which might be behind that attack, looking for revenge against the tribe. A beast so foul that its purple mass could corrupt anyone who fell victim to its touch, leading to being controlled.

Sadly the previous encounter resulted in its escape, luckily those who fell under its spell broke away as it fled. Today was the day as the sun was rising their first step towards returning what was once their relic. Devi leading at much dismay from Sleenia and Aakesh. A small band of Lightwings, those of which the king trusted where along side him, layered in armor of gold shining in the young sun. Their destination was a trace which their scouts had found of the beast. Knowing that it was most likely a trap yet he felt that it was his duty to return the once proud jewel for the tribe. Worries still plagued his mind about the creature, from what Sleenia had told him the idea of corruption scared him. Still they continued flying towards the lair with his eyes set on the stone.

// Feel free to ask any questions if you wish to join, just don't let him go alone XD //

//Sleenia "just gave birth" so she could help
I know it was supposed to happen time ago, that's why i'm asking if we can think about some events in the right sequence without being worried about WHEN to write and talk about something, like an event from the past or the future. I'm asking if i can join in it, even if i can imagine that devi would probably try to keep her away to rest in safe? I don't know, but she will insist, or figure out what is going to happen learning it by someone, it could be one of the other players to make the charachter talk "a bit too much" about where is it going? just tell me//

// Well I don't think Devi would want you to go, but theres nothing stopping you following them so you can join if you want //

((I do want to be more active, so I'd like to use Vale, but I'm not sure how she'd fit in. She could go on the patrol, but she's not a guardian, so I don't know if that would fit.))

//could Atrex come along as medical support? I haven't seen much of the LWs lately, so I'd like to see them active again.

Plus, I've got something terrible planned for poor Atty if a huge right occurs or something XD//

// yeah thats fine guys, it doesn't matter if your a guardian or not, after all I did say most trusted. XD//

Hyruu was among the dragons that were awaiting Devi's order, but not as one of the guardians. The grey dragon was quite standing up among the other dragons as he was the only one to wear no armor among them. Hyruu wasn't there to fight with the others. He was there to confirm the trail he and another scout had found.

At the opposite, Seyn was standing up among the dragons gathered there by how imposing he was. The Semi-God was in a full golden armor which had been designed by Vale herself. This armor was made to complement his already harder than usual scales, and it was making the Golden dragon look even more imposing than he usually was. This was a serious matter, and he wanted to make sure he'd be there. He wouldn't allow anyone to be hurt, or turned over, by whatever monster had stolen the Starstone.

And last but not least, Aakesh was circling right above the other dragons, finally landing on his adoptive father's shoulder. Devi didn't manage to convince the stubborn little one not to come, but they had found the perfect job for him. Aakesh would provide information from the sky, helping the trackers to track the monster and relaying the information among the units should the need arise.

((Random question: Is anyone in the tribe taller than Vale? She's 85 feet tall, if memory serves.))

Easily one of the largest dragons there, the vulcan was likewise amongst the group. While not a guardian, Vale was a formidable opponent, being well-versed in most weapons, since she was more often than not the one crafting them. And Vale prided herself on her work, so she made an effort to know how each one worked and what felt good in a grip.
And her considerable size was an advantage as well.
The dragoness slipped between large trees with the rest of the group, yellow eyes alert for anything out of place.
She wore only minimal armor. She was already less agile than the others, she wasn't about to put herself at even more of a disadvantage in such close quarters.

// I'm not sure, If I remember correctly Devi is like 50 ft not that big //

Smiling slightly as it felt good having an objective, yet his mind wondered thinking about what they could be facing. Knowing that a surprise attack would be the best choice, due to its nature they needed to kill the creature fast otherwise they could be fighting each other. Gasping slightly as Aakesh dropped onto his shoulder shaking his head slightly after his jump, "Remember what I said Aakesh.. No matter what happens..leave us if it gets to messy" Sighing he could see that they where getting closer gesturing upwards for Aakesh to look ahead.

((Seyn is 80 feet at the moment, but planning to get him a bit taller))

Hyruu looked back to check if everyone was following. Without a word he went ahead, following the trail that had been found. After a few minutes out of sight he went back to the group, still silent as ever. Him appearing right next to everyone without having made a noise might surprise some of the most tense ones.
"The trail is still fresh. I guess the beast needed to eat, it's a single trail. I'd say it's only a few days old. We might be on a good track." he reported.

Seyn frowned as his son went ahead of the group. He was feeling nervous at the idea of him bring ahead of the group, where Seyn couldn't protect him should anything happen. But he knew Hyruu was a resourceful dragon and wouldn't let himself get into danger.
"Be careful Hyruu. This is no normal hunt, that thing killed some of us." he warned him.
The grey dragon nodded.
"I know, father. It has been long since I hunted anything dangerous for me, but I haven't forgotten." he replied.

Aakesh grinned at his adoptive father, letting out a chuckle.
"As if. With those two it's going to be a piece of cake!" he said, pointing at Hyruu and Seyn.
"Hey Ruu! Ready whenever you are! Wait for me this time!" he called the grey dragon.
The young Demi-God smiled at Aakesh, nodding at him.
"As if I could ever distance you. Keep those eyes opened and I won't have to worry about my rhythm." he replied..

// bump //

(( I'm going to join, and Aurelian is 88 feet tall. Shamefully short post but Idk how to introduce her to this D; ))

The large LightWing preferred staying out of the harsh daylight, and admittedly, didn't carry the gold armour like everyone else. Her paws silently followed the others, but she stayed back away from them, not wanting to potentially get in their road. Aurelian was better known to be a tracker, and her eyes constantly scanned the ground underneath them all and around them. She was trying to find a mark from the beast... However, she had so far found none, but could sense the paranoid almost dripping from the king.

Seeming she had actually strayed a long distance away from the group, she quickly came back. Quietly and silently, she bowed her head to Devi. "Nothing to report yet my King, I have not found the thing which causes you to worry." Aurelian spoke to him, almost silently. She could still almost feel the worry from Devi, but the others seemed to be calm as far as she could tell. At least. For the moment. Aurelian move, then awaited alongside him. She would follow his footsteps, then on his commands, strike when she needed to. Aurelian planned to be able to protect the king when the time came for her to do so-but her means may be slightly more obscure than what she let on.

The Kings' Assassin sits down after she decided to back away form the group once more, retaining her distance and, hopefully, an air of confusion.

Nodding towards Aurelian he replied "I'm sure we will find it soon" looking around he gestured towards the ground to drop down to rest up, landing onto a grassy plain with a thud. Knowing that the creature would be nearby it was best to rest and gain strength from the long flight back. "Lets rest for a moment the creature can't be to far away, keep a look out we are on the edge of rogue territory." After a few minutes... Suddenly a loud rawr echoed over the valley, making Devi quickly stand to attention looking around incase of an attack. Only to find nothing yet another roar came from the west, deciding to call out Hyruu and Aurelian "Can you guys check it out before we move, if you see anything come back don't attack"

(Vaara is like 120ft tall)

It had been a long time since she last showed herself among the battlefield. Many months of recovery, both physically and mentally, from the torment of the last cries of her comrades and how much of herself she forego just to let the remaining few escape. Of course none of this was related to what she was assigned to now. This was her first task after her lengthy hiatus. Many would think she had gone rusty, but she had been preparing while she was on her break. And this was one big task that she could not afford to step aside from.

A monster and a thief.

She was not all too concerned about the traitor among her brethren, but what was reported of this monster. Its ability to corrupt those from the mere touch and force brother against brother. Vaara was all too eager to join in her king's small platoon to hunt the beast down.

How the party was formed was a bit concerning to her. They were on the verge of treading on unknown rogue territory towards the Skywings. And only Astral knows if there are any human settlements waiting for them. Vaara was all the more prepared against any ambush they would pull off. But against so many dragons... they would need an Apostle of some sort.

This huge party had its downside. How could any thief or monster miss this? The sooner they hear the thunders of claws or the booming voices of dragons, they would surely know where they are. Vaara was all the more eager to separate herself from the group and search on her own. She could defend herself. This company was far too big for her liking.

The morning chill bit into her spine and numbed her claws as she could hardly feel the frosty dirt and grass below her. It was not a very dark forest, she could see the distant glades and rivers, as well as elks feasting on the grass without knowing it was watched. A gathering of dragons such as this was disturbing to the peace and aura of the forest. Especially the clanking armour of a particular dragon.

It was rather concerning for Vaara that not only the king was forced from the safety of his tribe, but the monster brought out a demi-god, a semi-god and an assassin of the Order. She was a bit annoyed but mostly relieved that one of the dragons thought the two together would guarantee success of their hunt. Vaara did not want to be mentioned, but none of them should ever be cocky about this operation.

She suffered that mistake before and lost her entire party...

Emotional turmoils aside, Vaara was positioned far ahead of the group but behind the scouts and trackers. She kept her ears perked and eyes focused on every bit of detail. She almost dropped her guard when Devi allowed them to rest, before she heard a number of roars from the distance. The demi-god and assassin were called to investigate. It was strange for Vaara, that he would send two of his strong fighters to investigate a potential trap and leave the main parry vulnerable. But she would not judge against him. It was not her position to do so.

Vaara remained with the group, her stance ready to respond to any sneak attacks against them while the two were gone...

Seyn glanced at Vaara as the dragoness was walking besides them. Of course he had heard a lot about her, since the guardians wouldn't mind boasting her graceful style and clever tactics on the battlefield. But they did also mention her solitary side, as well as seemingly permanent sadness. Today was the first time he had the occasion to fight with her.
The Golden dragon sat when everyone stopped, being next to her in the frontline. He glanced at her, seeing she seemed tense about something.
"How are you feeling? I heard you were recovering from a previous operation. I will make sure nothing like this happens again." he just told her.

Hyruu nodded as Devi gave his orders. The roar had slightly startled him. Something was wrong. What kind of prey just gave away their position like this? This was either a trap or some mighty confidence. In both cases, it wasn't good.
He watched as Aurelian did her report to the leader. The dragoness always had been intriguing to him. What could motivate one to switch from hunting preys to hunting dragons? Hyruu wouldn't mind if he had to assassinate someone, but he wouldn't make that his sole job - especially when there weren't that many 'preys' to hunt for her. He would have to talk with her, one day. As for now, they had a monster to hunt. Not quite dragon, not quite animal... What a fitting job for two hunters. It would be a memorable hunt.
"Alright. Aakesh, cover us from above and report if you see anything." he ordered the four winged dragon.

Aakesh had a grin as Hyruu ordered him to watch from above. That was totally his job. This whole hunt was thrilling to him. It was one of the first times he could actually help dealing with what was worrying Devi and Sleenia. And he would make sure that beast doesn't make it alive from this so no one had to worry anymore! With a nod, he launched himself in the air, soaring through the treetops easily. If one doubted he originally was a Skywing, that stunt would be proof enough.

And so Hyruu and Aakesh both went forward, investigating the source of the roar.

Aurelian was the slightest bit concerned when she had heard the mighty roar from the west. She was slightly concerned by it's sound, but not a trace of uncertainty was found on her expressionless face. So glanced back to Devi, her head lowering as she acknowledged the King and his instructions. Admittedly, she didn't really want to go with another dragon in case they had gotten in the way of her task. But nevertheless, she still allowed them to go.

Aurelian silently dove to the west, following where she heard the creatures roar. "Be careful-and silent." She instructed to the other two, before taking the lead from them. Aurelian dove across, her eyes scanning for any signs of movement and tracks. There wasn't anything out of the ordinary as she looked, and so she continued her search. She followed the source-eventually coming across a rather large patch of squished grass. It was extremely large.

"Tracker, what do you make of this?" She inquired, showing them the completely trampled ground. There was a decent sized opening through a patch of trees some distance away, but she was on her guard as she stood there. "Do you think this is recent?" Her eyes quickly scanned the grounds, thinking that it was made within at least a few days. Quietly, Aurelian thought about the area they were in. It wasn't much of an ambush site, she would be able to blind the beast and get the other trackers out of here with ease if she had to. And the ground wasn't warm nor cold, so it hadn't just left the area which they were standing.

Hyruu was on the lookout for trails that could lead them to the beast when Aurelian called him over. The grey dragon had spotted one or two signs the beast had been in this direction, but nothing as precise as such an obvious paw print. Which looked weird and kind of like not a paw. Sweet reminder whatever they were hunting wasn't exactly natural. He started to inspect the print, slightly frowning. It was a fine print. Almost too fine. Especially considering there were other prints nearby, but not as strongly visible. The other ones could have been missed by dragons inexperienced in hunting, this one though was obvious to anyone.
"It's recent. A day or two at most, I'd say. This is weird though. That beast usually hid its tracks, but this one is blatantly obvious. So obvious it looks like a trap. We'd better be cautious from now." he replied.
That was the good moment to start camoflaging himself. The grey dragon's scales started to shift color, becoming the same green as the forest around. As Hyruu was involuntarily focusing on Aurelian, she would start to even see details drawing on Hyruu's scales, replicating the brown of trees behind or the difference in green between grass and bushes. The now camouflaged dragon walked away, his steps assured and silent.

As the two trackers went forward Devi began to prepare for the worst, getting everyone ready for the up coming fight. "Right.. I want everyone to be ready at a moments notice, healers stay in the back and ready to respond to anyone who needs help. Guardians you are the frontline we need to disrupt the target as much as possible while the rest should your breath attacks on its weak spots." sighing slightly he looked towards the direction where the three went, waiting... waiting, Suddenly there was another roar.

// Monster //

Watching from the shadows as he chuckled under his breath, seeing two Lightwings seemly falling for his trap. Still he waited for a good opportunity noticing one of them started to camouflage, curiously he watched Aurelian who was still visible. The Monster let out another roar as he charged towards Aurelian, his steps smashing into the ground it began evident to anyone that this creature was infact a much larger bear surrounded in purple mist. Swiping his claws towards the tracker, aiming to spread the corruption onto another the bear lunged towards the neck of his foe aiming to bite.

Hyruu was being cautious. Him and Aurelian continued to follow the trail, but now it was much less visible than before. There was less and less doubt about it : this definitely looked like a trap, and they were walking right into it. However, knowing it's a trap they both were aware, and would be able to swiftly react to an attack. Raising his head, he saw Aakesh circling above them, focused on looking under him. With the trees blocking his view though there was not much he could spot.
And suddenly, another roar. Hyruu's camoflaging shifted, now mimicking what was through him from the direction of the roar. The stomping that came right after left no doubt to what was going on. The monster charged, getting past Hyruu without seemingly caring about him. Either he hadn't seen him, or he wasn't his primary target. Which would be kind of obvious, chasing a camouflaged dragon wasn't the best idea in the world.
"Aakesh!" he called.
"On my way!" the four winged dragon replied.
Hyruu barely had the time to see him flapping his wings before he got away. But the camouflaged dragon got his attention back on the bear. The purple mist that was surrounding him was kind of weird. So the monster was a bear? No, likely, the monster was this purple stuff. Hyruu trusted Aurelian would be easily able to dodge a first hit from such a blatant attack, and so Hyruu would help him divert the monster. Leaping on it, he just aimed for a quick slash, his wings extended so he could dash out of the way mid-jump should the monster make any suspicious movement.

Aakesh dashed through the skies, reaching the others in less than a minute - a really impressive feat of speed. The air snapped as he abruptly stopped right in front of Devi, so fast most of the dragons there barely had the time to see him arriving.
"The monster engaged them. It looked like a bear, but with some purple mist coming from it. They're about five minutes of running ahead. Let's go help them!" the hatchling reported.

She heard it before she felt it's presence, and the LightWing looked up. She frowned slightly, wondering what the purple mist was. However, Aurelian's eyes widened in fright, she wasn't expecting the creature to be so large as it stepped forward... To the LightWing, she knew that this was a rather obvious trap. Aurelian crouched slightly, her powerful legs being able to throw her heavy weight away from the beast.

However, her foot hooked on a rock, sending her sprawled onto the ground. She wasn't physically strong, but she was the King's assassin, and she was for a very good reason. Aurelian thought quickly, summoning her orbs, she threw one against the ground to blind the beast as she pulled away from his biting attack-however, something grazed her arm as she pulled away. It was a tiny cut, nothing that she was worried of as it looked like a stick scratch. She snarled quietly, before calling out to the other dragon, "Get out of here!" Aurelian said-before quickly glancing around.

Realizing that he had camouflaged, or at least vanished, she pulled herself away from the beast. Hopefully he is safe.. She thought quickly to herself, before her form tried to jump away from the creature, trying to get away from it. Aurelian used her orbs once again to try and blind it, before her quick and small form turned to leave, trying to give the creature the slip as it could have been blinded by her incredibly light orbs. That was when Hyruu suddenly attacked the creature, allowing Aurelian to get out of its way and back to a better position if it was (hopefully) distracted. "Get back..." She advised to the fellow LightWing, not wanting them to get hurt.

// Monster //

Letting out a powerful roar as the creature felt the other dragon attacking him from above, deciding to remove the annoying beast he quickly turned to swipe towards Hyruu. Not aiming to kill either one of them due to the creature's unique ability. Chuckling as the creature rolled onto the ground looking to remove the dragon, facing back towards Aurelian the bear like creature seemed to smile as he noticed the graze on her scale. His ears began to twitch as he suddenly heard a group coming towards them, no doubt it was reinforcements so he looked towards retreating as fighting a large group would be his downfall. Dashing back towards the brush to avoid an engagement.

// Devi //

The golden dragon noticed Aakesh was returning back to the main group, as he confirmed what he had guessed. "Lets go, take it slow I doubt it will want to fight us as a group" moving towards the directions of Hyruu and Aurelian with a relative slow jog. Constantly keeping an eye out they finally arrived spotting Aurelian, not seeing Hyruu yet due to the camouflage. "Aurelian? Are you alright? Where did the creature go?" raising a brow towards her worried if there was more to this trap.

((I'M NOT AWKWARD IN THE LEAST WHATRE YOU TALKING ABOUT I DIDN'T JUST...ah....ermm....ehem....I'll just....eheh....))

Vale had stayed back with the rest of the group, three others having gone ahead to look for the beast. Vale wasn't built for this. Not for tracking anyway. She could fight, and she was going to if she had to, but she wasn't stealthy. Not in the least. As one of the larger dragons there, she was better off staying with the cavalry and providing backup where it was needed.
And-if the roar and sudden snarls and crashing sounds were anything to go by-that was right about now. She stood up abruptly at the sound, but didn't move yet. Then when the smaller dragon came by, everyone was moving towards the noise, Vale along with them, until they reached the source of the scuffle. A smashed patch of grass, some broken branches, and messy bushes were all that remained of the creature.
While she wasn't a tracker, Vale wasn't stupid either. As the others tended to Hyruu and Aurelian, Vale wandered around the scene of the battle, yellow eyes narrowed as she searched for where the creature may have gone.

Hyruu was already ready to dodge when the beast attempted to swipe at him. But even with this, he felt the powerful claws touch his chest, hopefully barely enough to just cling on the scales without cutting through. What a speed! Whatever that purple mist was, it caused its host to be more agile and probably also stronger.
And then the beast fled. It was only after the camouflaged dragon heard the others arriving. That was a good timing. Any longer and one of them could have been hurt. Hyruu dismissed the camouflage, his scaled returning to their usual grey.
"I'm okay. But that was strange. That thing looked like a bear, but no bear should be that fast. Aurelian, you're okay? I couldn't get its attention sooner. Aakesh, the monster went that way. It can't be far!" he said.
"I'm on it!" the little dragon replied.
Aakesh suddenly darted away, but this time being under the treetops. If the beast was anywhere around here, he would easily find it! And he was still too high for a bear to touch him - not like it had a chance even if he flew close to the ground anyway. He was too agile for that!

Seyn blinked, a bit surprised as Hyruu made his claims. He was surprised to see his usually shy and somewhat nervous son stay stone calm after a direct confrontation with such a threat. Was it the adrenaline? In any case...
"Hyruu, are you okay?" he asked.
The grey dragon smiled at his father.
"I am." he just replied. "Let's go. We don't want that train to get cold."

The response was swift and calm, but nothing she never heard before. With the trackers gone to investigate instead, the veteran guardian was left to defend the king and the party. She was accustomed to being the one with the trackers and protecting them, rather than pretending to be a royal guard and defend the king. Not that she was complaining, but her history justified her paranoia. The best she got was being shifted to remain in the frontlines.

Her attention drifted to the semigod of light. A title given to the strongest of all the Lightwings who harnessed the powers of gods. She was not like the usual crowd, screaming in joy and boasting as biggest fans. Rather, having such power was something she wanted to avoid. There was already enough burden on her shoulders. And now the current semigod spoke about how he would prevent "that" tragedy from happening. Charming. But talk was cheap. She witnessed many strong fighters, even those that overshadowed her, fall. Vaara would want to do anything to keep Seyn away from her, as if she were cursed with bad luck. She worked alone. And preferred it that way. But she refrained. Admittedly she never fought alongside a semigod before. He had better prove his worth with claws and blood. Vaara chuckled lightly. Noted.

The party finally made their move towards the trackers, but by the time they get there, the battle had already ended. The grey dragon named Hyruu commented about the appearance, but Vaara was more concerned with him asking if the tracker was alright. They both showed signs that they were spotted, despite their status as trackers, and fought against the monster. It made Vaara clench her fangs, hissing. She should have been there. They were alright, but that miracle eould not happen again. The king was perhaps too lenient and sympathetic towards her. She did not request to join the party so she could pretend to be a royal guard enjoying the confort and higher safety with the king. It was apparent here that the trackers were vulnerable and could not keep themselves hidden, especially if the monster relies on scent. If such were the case, they would never find the monster. It would hope the party divides again and wipe out the smaller group.

Again, it was not within her rights to speak against the king, but she was showing some minor signs of agitation. She did not need any consolidation, any protection or any parenting. Only the weak would spoil themselves in those kind of luxury. Her life was only for the tribe. Nothing more. It was the vow she took when she became a guardian.

Vaara tirned her head towards the forest, away from the group. Her ears high and alert for any surprise attack.

Confusion danced in her eyes, watching as the creature turned away... and just left. She was sure that her orbs would have at least blinded the beast, even if it were for a second, but her attempts seemed to have been in vain. But she was worried, it seemed to look... Satisfied... She had sunken deep into her thoughts as she looked through the path the beast had taken.

Hearing the arrival of the other dragons, Aurelian turned her head to the king, nodding slightly to him. "Yes. I am fine." She stated, leaving no room for doubt in the kings mind, however, her initial thoughts were to lie to himself and the dragons following him, lead them away from the creature. Shaking her head slightly, she gestured to a small path through the trees. "The beast went through there, however, it moves swiftly so you shall all need to be on your guard." She warned, her arm slightly throbbing as she walked to the king. "Let me track it down, then report back to you Devi, alone you know I shall not be spotted." She stated, her eyes looking at him firmly.

Aurelian was slightly aware of the conversation going on behind her, but it involved her not. So therefore, she didn't try to contribute, but noted the relations between the dragons mentally. She noted one of the larger LightWings, a female, seemed to be more on guard then the others... She might pose a problem... Aurelian was slightly surprised by her own thoughts, but she allowed nothing to show on her face but her natural expressionless form.