[IC] Epyllion: Beyond Moonlight's Reach

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Stargaze

When Kyte thanked her, Echo glowed in pride, and Fellwing praised her efforts, Stargaze's tail wagged rapidly at joy. She was glad that her attempt to heal Kyte worked.

She answered Kyte's thanks, "I'm glad I could help!"

She then looked to Fellwing and Skeboloff, about to speak, but she stopped herself. Her tail stopped wagging when she noticed Fellwing seemed to be in a trance. She asked in concern, "Fellwing?"

Then her friend started to scream!

"FELLWING!" Stargaze called in worry as she hurried to her friend. Fellwing would see Stargaze's face in front of hers when coming out of the trance.

"Fellwing?! What's wrong?!"

She listened as Fellwing told them everything she saw. She was about to agree about hurrying and leaving to go find the captive dragons. But she was surprised to hear Fellwing say that she should stay here.

She spoke to Fellwing, "Fellwing. I...think you should come with us,"

She reassured Fellwing, "I know you're scared. But we're stronger together. We can help you through this and handle this. Plus, Skobeloff did mention that it targets dragons who are alone,"

[rush99999]

Skobeloff

Fellwing's shriek visibly startled Skobeloff as the rawscale Trickster quickly turned to look at his clutchmate. As the shrieking stopped and the stammering started, Skobeloff realized what had happened. Fellwing had just peered into the Darkness. And if the uncharacteristically fearful display she showed was anything to go by, the Darkness had peered back a little more than was good for her health. That was something best nipped in the bud. "It's alright, Fellwing. Take a moment. Breathe" Skobeloff said as he approached Fellwing, his voice soft and his smile soothing. "You're alright. Just relax. Everything is fine." Skobeloff continued to croon comforting platitudes until Fellwing appeared to have calmed down a bit and the initial burst of fear had passed. Then he moved to quash the mote of Shadow that had settled within his friend. "You remember that thought exercise I taught you, yes?" Skobeloff asked. "Do you think you could do that for me right now?"

OOC

Skobeloff rolls a 10 to convince Fellwing to make the Look To Other Clutches' Example move. Fellwing marks experience if she does so or Shadow if she does not.

[Vertigo]

𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔

__________________________________________________

Seeing her friends worry made Fellwing's plight worse. Desperately, she tried to stand tall and uncurl her tail as Stargaze approached, torn between wanting to hide and try to seem fine. She'd always been the one to run off alone and refuse help whenever it was offered, claiming she could do things on her own - so to be reduced to a shrivelling mess was frustrating. She didn't want to inconvenience anyone, and yet that was all she was doing right now. To Stargaze of all drakes, who should have been more worried about Echo and the island!

"No, Stargaze, I... you don't have to worry about me, as long as I stay within this cave, I should be safe even when alone." Kyte had been, after all. Surely the Darkness - nor those who served it - could not find their way here. "T-thank you, you're kind, but you'll do better without m-"

Skobeloff's sudden voice cut her off as he approached, offering his own reassurances. Oh no, now she'd worried two of them.

He mentioned a thought exercise, and Fellwing had to focus hard to remember what he meant. Of late, her head had been so full of visions from the future, that it was hard to remember the past. But that was precisely the thought experiment Skobeloff talked about; learning not from the future, but from the past. From those older and wiser.

Fellwing tried to remember what Shadestepper, an older drake from the same house but a different clutch, had told her about the Darkness. He wasn't a pleasant drake, and to many, he was way too devoted to the old ways of House Ruby. He'd always said drakes of other houses, with their feeble minds and eyes that were so accustomed to the light of the moons, would be forgiven for shuddering when faced with true Darkness. But not a Kebros. It was their duty to see, even when they didn't want to. Darkness wasn't to be feared, but to be wielded. They were to control it.

Fellwing didn't share his disdain for the other houses, but she did acknowledge her duty as a member of House Ruby. If anyone should be able to stare at Darkness and prevail, it was her.

She inhaled, sharply. The fear wasn't gone, she still felt it drum against her chest, but she could endure it. She had to. "I... thank you, Stargaze, Skobeloff. I'm sorry. I'll come with you. The cave air must be getting to me, I'm sure fresh air helps clear my mind. Let-- let us hurry. The drakes have awaited rescue long enough. Come, I'll show you the way!"

ooc

Convinced by Skobeloff, Fellwing looks to another clutch's example, and with a 10, clears a Shadow.

[rush99999]

Skobeloff

"If there's time for it, I'd like to suggest we head to the Tessith Stronghold first." Skobeloff said. "I promised the friends I made over there that I would return a quickly as I could. And seeing how strength in numbers is the key to victory here, we definitely couldn't go wrong in picking up a few more helping hands."

[Vertigo]

𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔

__________________________________________________

Fellwing was already looking to Echo expectantly, hoping for her magic to transport them back to the surface as soon as possible, when Skobeloff suggested they stop by the Stronghold. His reasoning was solid, she admitted; he wanted reinforcements for their cause. But Fellwing bit her lip and shook her head. "I don't know if we have the time, Skobe. Or whether we want to endanger them any further; they must've already been through a lot, if they've been stuck here for so long."

She looked to Kyte. "It's best you stay behind as well, lest Stargaze's work go to waste." Was she rightfully concerned or just selfish, so taken by her newfound sense of purpose that she thought they'd be fine on their own, Fellwing wasn't sure. Either way--

"Echo, please, if you would."

[XxFellsingxX]

At Echo's suggestion that they should stay behind, Kyte spoke up. "Hold on," they said. They hesitated, glancing at the faces of the other drakes. "I would like to come along. I know you all probably want rid of me after what happened with Stonescale, but I..." They averted their eyes down to the ground. "Look, you helped me, and from the sounds of it, you also helped my clutch when I couldn't. Now, I would like to help you."

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Stargaze

Stargaze watched as Skobeloff successfully calmed Fellwing down and agree to go with them. She felt like she did nothing to help her friend, but she remained silent as Skobeloff and Fellwing discussed what to do next, and before Echo could get them out, Kyte spoke up.

Stargaze looked to Kyte as they insisted they come along to help as well because Stargaze helped him and Skobeloff helped his clutch mates.

Stargaze knew what that felt like: Being helped and wanting to help in return as well.

She answered, looking to her friends, "I think we should let Kyte come along. I know where they're coming from on this. Besides, I think we're going to need all of the help we can get,"

[rush99999]

Skobeloff

"If Kyte wants to come along and most of you are inclined to let them, I think I may have a scheme or two they'd fit into quite nicely." Skobeloff said. "Either way, I still think we should head to the Stronghold before our confrontation with this creature. If any of you are worried about time like Fellwing is, the victim I saved needed several days at this thing's mercy to be turned. So we can afford some time to prepare and gather our full strength before going in."

[Vertigo]

𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔

__________________________________________________

Fellwing should have known Kyte wasn't that easily dissuaded - and neither was Skobeloff, for that matter. "If you insist," she looked to Kyte and Stargaze both, worry crisscrossing with sympathy. "You do owe it to her, I suppose." What better way to make up for the fact that he stood by and let Stargaze be hurt, than to not repeat the same mistake? Still, Fellwing couldn't help but be skeptical of the drake's usefulness.

She could not agree to Skobeloff's suggestion as easily, though. "I... I just... if it turns out we're too late because we took a detour..." then she'd failed her job as a Seer. She'd seen, but not acted; the gravest mistake she could make. "The place I saw, it's on the way. What if we take a look, and decide on a course of action based on what we find? If they do seem to be hanging on well enough for us to get reinforcements, by all means, we should. But if they require immediate assistance, we stay, and we..."

They what? She still wasn't sure how to actually defeat the thing.

"We help," she decided, nodding. "Would that be alright, Skobe?"

[rush99999]

Skobeloff

Skobeloff considered Fellwing's proposal for a moment before nodding his head in agreement. "Sounds like a plan." The Trickster declared before looking around. "Now then, which way is the exit?"

[Vertigo]

𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔

__________________________________________________

Relieved that they got their next move sorted out, Fellwing let out a breath of relief. The worst outcome would have been to sit around arguing until they were too late to save anyone anyhow. She even dared flash a small, easy-to-miss smile as Skobeloff's searched for an exit. "It's... a little complicated, but I do hope you aren't afraid of water." She tried to keep amusement out of her cordial tone, even as she turned to give Echo a knowing look.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Stargaze

Stargaze was silent as Fellwing and Skobeloff debated over a plan. She was glad that they settled on checking on the captive dragons first before deciding their next course of action. When Fellwing answered Skobeloff's question with her answer, Stargaze easily caught onto the amusement behind her answer. She smiled widely and her tail wagged as she tried to keep herself from laughing,

"Oh yeah! You didn't come in the same way we did!"

A couple of stifled giggles escaped from her maw before she answered Skobeloff, "Wait till you see!"

She couldn't wait to see the Trickster's reaction.

[XxFellsingxX]

"If Kyte wants to come along and most of you are inclined to let them, I think I may have a scheme or two they'd fit into quite nicely."

Kyte eyes Skobeloff cautiously. "Suuure," they say after a long pause. "Just so long as it doesn't end with me in a sick bed for an extended period of time." It was clear that, despite being grateful to Stargaze and obviously regretful for their previous association with Stonescale, Kyte was still wary of the Trickster after the aforementioned 'Amphora Incident'.

As the group finally came to their decision, Echo gave a small clap of her hands. "Well, if that's decided," she says. "We should get you out of here and back to your... cantankerous yellow friend. If you would all please step out onto the water..." She gestured out the way the group had first entered.

Upon stepping onto the water's surface, the drakes and Alpin are pulled back underneath into the same bubble of air that had first brought them to the cave, and they are slowly brought out of the cave and back to the swamp, where Garrock is waiting for them. The bearded dragon was inspecting his wing when the group finally emerges, and their sudden appearance must have startled him because he jumps slightly. He takes a moment to compose himself before turning to the drakes with his usual frown. "You all took your time," he says, regarding each member of the group with a glare. When his eyes land on Kyte, his pauses and looks the winged drake up and down. "And now there's more of you. Wonderful." He looks like he's about to make another withering comment when he notices Skobeloff among the group, and he raises an eyebrow. "And you're back. Did you find anything at the Tessith stronghold?" While he's trying to keep his tone and expression the same, it's easy for anyone to see his frown falter. Clearly, his concern for his missing Tessith housemates outweighs his desire to appear stern and aloof.

[rush99999]

Skobeloff

"Suuure," Kyte said after a long pause. "Just so long as it doesn't end with me in a sick bed for an extended period of time."

"Efforts will be made to avoid this outcome." Skobeloff said playfully. "More than that I cannot promise."

"Well, if that's decided," Echo says with a clap. "We should get you out of here and back to your... cantankerous yellow friend. If you would all please step out onto the water..."

"Step onto the water?" Skobeloff asked before watching the rest of his clutch stand on the water as if it were solid ground. "Well this should be interesting." Skobeloff joined his clutchmates on the water, eager to see what mode of transportation would bring them back to the surface. "Whoa!" Skobeloff exclaimed in surprise as he was pulled into the bubble. "Whoa." Skobeloff then said in wonder as he recovered from the initial shock and took in the sight as the bubble moved slowly beneath the water. "What a sight."

The bubble eventually deposited the clutch outside the cave, where a very grumpy Garrock was waiting. Despite his harsh initial words, the big tsundere's true nature eventually shone through as he noticed Skobeloff's return and asked after the state of the stronghold. "I found many things and did many things more!" Skobeloff declared. "I outwitted a mischievous pixie. I faced down a bearded dragon who had fallen to her Shadowself. I figured out what it is that we are up against. And I did it all with little more that my quick wit and a bowl of porridge!"

Skobeloff then went on to recount his adventures in the island away from the rest of the clutch. It was a faithful retelling for the most part, with only a few minor tweaks and changes here and there to make for a better story. Once he was done Skobeloff took in Garrock's reaction expectantly. The Trickster had went off on his own in the first place to showcase his ability to get things done without his clutchmates to impress Garrock into a mood that secrets could be extracted from. Skobeloff felt that he had done that well enough, but what he felt wouldn't mean much if Garrock didn't feel the same.

[XxFellsingxX]

As Skobeloff went off on his tale, Garrock's expression remained stuck between annoyance and concern, though over the course of the story, the Trickster starts to see the slightest hints that the bearded dragon may, in fact, be just a little bit impressed.

"Well, at least some of the missing dragons are safe," he says once Skobeloff is done. There is then a long pause before Garrock says, very very begrudgingly, "I suppose you did alright, all things considered. Good job." He raises his head slightly before turning his gaze on the rest of the group. "I hope the rest of you were doing something useful as well."

[Vertigo]

𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔

__________________________________________________

Oh. Right. Garrock.

Fellwing had all but forgotten about him, and what blissful ignorance it had been. At the sight of the old coot - and then again as he opened his mouth to complain - Fellwing had to fight back a visible frown. At the very least, Skobeloff was quick enough to steal Garrock's attention, giving the Seer some time to gather herself. But though she managed to maintain a neutral expression, she kept fiddling with her claws and swishing her tail, impatient and annoyed by a yet another delay. A most useless delay, at that.

As the grumpy fool redirected his attention back to the rest of them, prattling about how he hoped they'd been useful, Fellwing mustered a smile so polite it teetered on unnatural. "Likewise," she quipped, "I do trust that a capable dragon such as yourself made good use of all the time we took."

She raised a claw, hoping to intercept him if he were about to go on another spiel. "And that you understand we've no further time to waste here. Any further chitchat can be done on the way. We have drakes to rescue."

[XxFellsingxX]

Once he had gotten over the surprise of Fellwing's sharp words, Garrock's frown morphed into an outright snarl. Clearly, the Seer had hit a nerve. "If I had had my way, whelp, I would have come here by myself to sort out this mess," the bearded dragon said, his tone implying it was taking all his restraint to keep himself from shouting. "Or at very least with an older, more experienced clutch. Thanks to current events and the wisdom of our omniscient council, however, I am forced to play chaperone to a bunch of flightless, senseless rawscales who spend more time conversing with elementals and fairies than actually doing their job." His tail started to lash about in irritation, uprooting several small plants and sending a few pebbles flying into the water. However, after a moment, his tail stilled and he rose to his full height, taking a moment to collect himself before continuing. "And need I remind you, Kebros, as your chaperone, I will be reporting to your sponsor and all the council about your work here. So I'd cut the backchat if I were you, unless you want a particularly scathing review from here on out."

[rush99999]

Skobeloff

"Yare yare daze." Skobeloff muttered to himself before cutting into the argument. "Hey now you two. Disagreement will neither rescue the captives nor bring an end to the problems going on here. Take a breath. Relax." Skobeloff said with a reconciliatory smile. "Garrock and I will head to the stronghold and meet up with who I found there while the rest of you scout out the place Fellwing saw in her vision. Once I have everyone from the stronghold, I'll gem sand back to you with reinforcements. That sound good to everyone?"

OOC

Skobeloff rolls a 14 to convince the arguers to calm down and go along with his plan.

[Guardian Angel Haruki]

Stargaze

Stargaze could only listen as Garrock complained about waiting and asking if the clutch did anything useful. Unfortunately, an argument broke out as Garrock didn't take Fellwing's words well. Skobeloff once again stepped in to calm down the argument.

Stargaze felt guilty that she did nothing. She had no chance to step in and do something to help or calm the situation.

But still...she couldn't let Garrock's blame and threat of reporting Fellwing to her house slide. She had a place to belong while Stargaze didn't have a house. What if that report gets Fellwing kicked out?

So, Stargaze spoke up to Garrock,

"Garrock. If you want to blame someone among our clutch for your having to babysit us, then blame me. I am the one who grew up on this island to begin with. Fellwing does not deserve your ire in that regard,"

[Vertigo]

𝐹𝑒𝓁𝓁𝓌𝒾𝓃𝑔

__________________________________________________

Fellwing had already turned to leave, when she heard Garrock's voice from behind her. From the sound of it, she'd struck a nerve. Unsurprising, if unintended. Though he wasn't raising his voice, the venom in his tone was unmistakable. The black drake turned around, eyes narrow and teeth bared, but tone likewise even.

"And yet it is us, the senseless rawscales, who have done all in our power to rescue your housemates, while you do nothing but berate and belittle our efforts at every turn. It doesn't surprise me you see no value in conversations, considering you're entirely unable to have a civil one. And of all the times to go on a tirade, you choose this one, when we've no time to waste tending to your wounded ego."

She turned around fully, petite body held upright even in the face of his immense strength. Her tail swished too, but it was hardly enough to swipe up dust. The Seer's mouth opened, then closed again. Anger almost pushed her to spill the details of her vision, but she bit her tongue. She didn't wish to admit she'd dealt with the Darkness again, not to him. There were many who bristled at the mere thought, and though her clucthmates were understanding, outsiders tended not to be.

Kebros, however, would. Perhaps even better than her clutch.

"Write as scathing a review as you can muster," she hissed, "I fear the loss of life more than a ruined reputation."

Once more, she was about to turn, when Skobeloff inserted himself into the conversation. Some other time, she might have appreciated the gesture - now, already exasperated, she shot him a glare as well. "Fine! If you're in such a hurry to abandon us, take him and go to your new friends. I will go alone if I must." It would not be the first time - and in a way, the thought was soothing. Just her and the Darkness, as usual, what else did she need? It wasn't the first time people didn't trust her or her visions.

Then Stargaze stepped up, and Fellwing's anger simmered to give way for surprise. Why was she-?! And then she realized; Stargaze, the Orphan, without a house, was concerned for her future. "No, Stargaze, that's-- none of this is your fault. Do not take blame that isn't yours, you've suffered enough here."

She looked to Garrock, still defiant. "I will not apologize, but neither will I continue this argument. We have no time for this. I'm going, alone if need be, and I suggest you hurry in turn."

ooc

Fellwing Stands up to a Superior, and with an 8, she marks a Shadow [Anger: Lash out at a friend], and picks a success of the DM's choosing. Convinced by Skobeloff, she agrees to his plan however.