Flight of the Shadow? (Darryn)

[Draetrialis]

Drae flew over the castle after a long time of rest. "Well... It is a nice day for flying." he murmured, his hundred-foot wings casting a large shadow as he passed. After a while, he circled back again and looked down. "I wish they would bring out a cow or something for me to tear up." He sighed and landed in the courtyard, next to a servant. After he recovered from the shock of the Shadow landing next to him, Drae made his request. The servant nodded. "Right away, sir." he said and went to get a cow. Drae looked around. Not many people were in the courtyard today. Well, it was probably better, otherwise he would not have much room. He curled up and waited for his cow. I wonder if I really am the Aspect... if I am, then how do I learn the full extent of my power? he thought, sighing. After another minute or two, the cow was led in, though it kept fighting from getting near the dragon. "I'll get it..." he said to the servant and clasped the struggling cow in his claws and broke its neck. "That's all I need... Thank you." The servant bowed and disappeared and Drae sliced some meat from the cow and tossed it into the air, snapping it up in his maw.

[Darryn]

Darryn had rested after sparring earlier that day, content to rest in his bed of hot coals. He had been careful to keep them glowing hot, the way he liked it, and it warmed the cave carved in the side of the mountain, hidden by brush. Only the sight of a dragon disappearing into a random bush would give away the cave's location. It was safe, and hidden. Everything was perfect.

Now, he awoke, yawning lazily. A thin plume of smoke curled from his nostrils as he snapped his teeth together. Darryn stretched then stood, feeling refreshed and alert now. He wasn't hungry - after all, he'd hunted yesterday, and he wouldn't be hungry until tomorrow - and he was unsure about what to do now.

I'll just go for a short flight then, he thought to himself. Stretch my wings a bit. The fire dragon approached the mouth of his cave, and peeked out. After making sure that no one was around to spot his exit, he dug his talons into the earth, launching himself into the air.

With a snap of his wings, he rose higher and higher, the steady rhythm as easy as breathing. Darryn relished in the feeling of the air rising under the thin membranes, and the pull of his muscles as they strained to keep him aloft.

His gaze roved over the countryside lazily, taking in whatever creatures moved about on the ground. A rabbit or two here, a few birds roosting there…the castle grounds…what was that in the courtyard?

Darryn’s eyes narrowed as he studied the sight. A Shadow Dragon! And he only knew of one…

“What is Draetrialis doing here?” he murmured to himself. Curiosity and wariness pricked at him, and Darryn decided his relaxing flight could wait. He folded his wings, spiraling into a slow dive, aiming for the courtyard where the large Shadow rested. He snapped his wings open before he landed, flapping to keep his balance. Finally, with a thud, he landed, and folded his wings.

“May I ask what business brings the Shadow Dragon himself from the Shadowlands?” Darryn asked, his tone neutral, neither friendly nor hostile.

[Draetrialis]

Drae took another bite out of his cow before responding. "I'm sure you know that I no longer live in the Shadowlands, though I did go there recently and returned. Now, I'm not sure who you are, so if you would please enlighten me. Who are you?" His tone was also neutral as he kept eating, not at all fazed by the fire dragon. And here I was hoping for a nice lunch... he thought as he brought out a piece of meat from the bovine. At least he was being clean, since no blood was being spilt on the ground, despite the fresh kill. "Though I'm sure we can exchange words all day and not get anywhere, no matter what you say or how you say it." The Shadow took another bite to contain his chuckle. With one eye, he looked over the other dragon. His scales had a black and red color scheme, leading Drae to believe that he was a fire dragon, and he was maybe a good 20 or so feet smaller than the 50 foot long Shadow. He might be a fine opponent... But I have my own battles to fight without starting a new one. he thought. Drae looked over his cow, deciding he ate enough and quickly set the corpse on fire with a burst of darkflame. The smell of burning flesh quickly disappeared when all that was left was blackened bones. The Shadow snorted and crushed the bones into a fine powder and scattered them into the faint breeze, which carried the 'ashes' over the castle wall.

[Darryn]

"It is a rare day when a Shadow Dragon no longer lives in his native lands," Darryn said smoothly. "Forgive me. I am Darryn, fire master." He dipped his head in formal greeting, watching as the Shadow continued eating his kill. "I do not know what events led you to leave the Shadowlands, but I do hope they were more pleasant than unpleasant. It is never a fond memory, leaving your home." He blinked, and shuffled his wings.

Draetrialis had obviously finished his meal, for the cow was soon burning. The burning of flesh reminded Darryn of the burning villages, set on fire by dragons unknown, and he felt a pang of wariness towards the Shadow.

There was no evidence that he was the one to set fire to them, he argued with himself. Innocent people died, yes. Mothers, fathers, children...but it doesn't mean that he did it.

"You never know what you will accomplish until you have taken the risk and tried," Darryn said aloud, leaving his thoughts. "Words are useful. Who knows? We just may actually get somewhere." He eyed the larger Shadow dragon, trying to guage his reaction. He didn't seem overly tense or hostile, but maybe he should play it safe. Darryn might be more agile in a fight, but size often overcame skill.

"If I am disturbing you in any way, say so," Darryn said, flicking the end of his tail. "But I must admit I am curious, having never met you in person. I only know what the rumors say, and a rumor is often incorrect. I prefer to form my own opinions."

[Draetrialis]

Drae snorted. "You should know that I have been in Ailon Lake for the past 10 years... And no. They were not pleasant. Driven out for something rather... unspeakable." he said, looking at Darryn. "And I don't see why you should be bothering me. Besides, words don't always solve everything. We could very well not get anywhere." With that, he rose, taller than the fire dragon by only a couple feet and he flared his wings like black sails. "For one who knows rumors of me, you don't know that a couple of the rumors are true." he said, refolding his wings and looking down at the other dragon. The Shadow had a slight smile of his face. "I certainly hope that a certain rumor hasn't reached the ears of anyone beyond the castle, since I know that the castle is inevitable. But I will let you figure it out." Drae chuckled a little before looking around. A couple people looked at the Shadow, slightly afraid, but soon they turned away. "I see my reputation hasn't changed too much. Good thing the Rebellion doesn't know or I would be the primary target right now." he murmured, looking around again. Soon, he saw the bench and he could still sense the magic rune that held it together. It had been smashed by him when Val threw him into it. He let out a slight sigh. "Sometimes I wish I hadn't changed." he murmured. "I had to change though. But I can still hate griffins. They are the reason I was what I was."

[Darryn]

Darryn fought back his annoyance. His instincts urged him to chase away the other male, and fight for dominance, but his mind warned him against. Of the two, he trusted his mind more. So he curbed the instinct.

"I have heard many of the rumors," Darryn said in a careful tone. "And I suspect that there is truth to them. Those that ring true are the very ones I wish were false. I doubt they are, given certain...evidence, and that makes me want to end the rumors that continue to spread, for the sakes of others." He blinked, his gaze shifting to the horizon, then back. "Still, I daresay that the rumors have remained relatively quiet, as many fear your wrath." There was a spark of amusement in his eyes as he brought up on taloned paw to inspect the sharp points.

"Whether or not you have changed, it will be many lifetimes before the fear will fade," he said slowly. "Opinions are not changed quickly, and even you must admit that their fears are well-founded. I have done things I am ashamed of too; the only difference between you and I is that I have done substantially more good than harm." He rolled his shoulders in something akin to a shrug. "Both of us have been targets at one point, by one party or another. Both of us have left the lands we were born in. Though, I think the main similarity is our hatred of griffins."

Darryn's eyes gleamed at that, with a burning anger. "And that is a similarity I am glad to share. I fear that not many understand my hatred of them. You, however, understand, and hate them with a passion like mine. Or so I assume?"

[Draetrialis]

Drae looked at Darryn, his griffin-scar shining bright now. "I think that I may hate them more." he growled before looking towards Rebellion lands. "There is one, however, that I think I respect, if only as a worthy opponent. She may not be much of a fighter, but her bravery makes up for it." He snorted. "One of the tasks I was set to do was to apologize to her after I 'wrongly' harmed her. I burned her past the point of flight and, despite this, she still challenged me and tested my patience." The dragon chuckled before popping his neck. "If there is one griffin I want to face again, it is Ceana. I have to finish what I started, despite how I've changed. One thing that never will is my hatred of those pidgeons." He finished his narrative before curling around and facing Darryn again. He did want to know what the fire dragon thought of his little story. His red eyes burned and his scar shined again, curling neatly across his face and over his muzzle to his jawridge. After a minute, he murmured something in Shadow-Draconic, a nearly lost language. He smiled slightly, ready for critique.

[Darryn]

"I think we shall agree to disagree on that aspect of hatred," Darryn said smoothly. His talons digging into the ground was the only indication of said hatred, however. He had learned to mask many of his emotions...but it was hard, not openly cursing Griffins. His dislike of them was no secret, but he had lost a few good allies because of it, and he didn't aim to lose more.

"Courage is a good trait to have," Darryn continued. "But skill is far more important I think. Without skill, all the courage in the world cannot save your skin. Stubbornness can also be mistaken for bravery as well." A fierce growl rumbled in his chest. "I wish I could say I'm sorry she was injured, but I'm not. Ceana, if that is her name, probably deserved it. Many of their kind do."

He raised his head defiantly, shuffling his wings restlessly. "You might have changed, son of Shadow, and for the better. But I must agree with you in that your hatred of the griffins is not likely to change." The fire dragon's eyes flared with hidden anger, and his muscles were tensed, yet for all other appearances, he was calm. Too calm, perhaps.

[Draetrialis]

Drae looked at Darryn. "You and I will make good allies, if not friends. Besides, doesn't fire create shadow anyway?" The larger dragon chuckled at his little joke and looked up at the castle. He still hadn't found Val's room, but then again, he didn't want to seem like a stalker. He wasn't, but he did want to surprise Val once or twice. After a minute, he looked at Darryn. "What is your opinion of the Rebellion, griffins not included?" he asked, knowing something was on Darryn's mind just based on his body language. The Shadow shifted slightly, almost crushing one of the rose bushes before he caught himself and moved away. "I personally think that they are fools, considering I'm around, but whatever." He rolled his eyes slightly. I wonder if they are planning something... he suddenly wondered, looking at Rebellion land. There haven't been any skirmishes or raids. Worry now started to claw at the edges of his mind and he shook his head. Maybe they've given up... Unlikely, but possible. Drae shrugged and looked at Darryn again, trying to read the other dragon's body to find out what is bothering him. He shifted his wings slightly, nervous for once.