by Hopeflower » Wed Oct 05, 2011 4:07 pm
Arsenic nodded and, despite the impairments on his sight and hearing, felt the mental link between himself and the dragons buzz and crackle with the effort they were putting forth. They were doing their best to shield everyone, but some minds were more susceptible than others....Arsenic was, above all, concerned about Andruil and Vix. Part of his awareness was always snaking around the two of them, ready to tighten and help them fight off any mental invasion. They, however, would have to do their own part in resisting, as would the others; even he and the dragons combined couldn't protect everyone in the party entirely.
Zar's uneasiness churned faintly through the telepathic link. This was beyond his experience; but he was a dragon, an Extraxl, and he had family now. Through Aviva he was now connected to Arsenic and Vix; not as deeply, but his loyalty to his mate meant that he was bound to protect the elves. He had no such loyalty to the others...in fact the Skink's behavior and secrecy was beginning to earn his distrust. And the wyvern, his outright dislike. For now though, he would keep that to himself, buried deep beneath tight mental armor. Until such a time as his hand needed to be revealed, he would keep the cards he was dealt and the decisions he made about their companions to himself...
Aviva herself didn't like this. She pulled her upper lip back in a quiet snarl; even in this suppressed darkness their enemy had the advantage. She swooped lower, forelimbs tucked back against her chest so she didn't accidentally shave off any outlying tree limbs and shower the party with them. She could feel the topmost leaves of the trees brushing her wing tips on the downstrokes she made. Her side was aching, the cracked and bruised bones she'd earned in the fight with the wyvern protesting her extended flight, but there was nowhere to land; and in any case, if she had to, she could drop right onto anything that may attack from here.
Vix looked up at the dragon overhead; she could only just make out Aviva's silvery underbelly. The whole thing reminded her of smoke...smoke, from the slavers' fire, smothering her, stinking, choking, choking, mother, oh mother, I wish you were here... She tried to avoid hyperventilating, but her breath was coming faster and shallower. The soothing touch of Arsenic's mind wasn't enough to calm her as memories flooded her. Suddenly she was a child again, unable to help as her parents were worked to death...unable to fight back as the slavers started to abuse her too... Pain, pain, pain, darkness, oh great Goddess just let it end...no more hurting, no more hurting, nomorehurting, nomorehurtingnomorepainpainpain...
"Gotta have a little sadness once in a while so you know when the good times come."
"Talent is a pursued interest. In other words, anything that you're willing to practice, you can do." ~ Bob Ross
"The future is always uncertain and painful but it must be lived." ~ Unknown