[center] [hr] [img]https://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/b3RmLjY2LmFmM2QyMy5WR2hsSUVSeVlXZHZibUp2Y200LC4y/medusa-gothic.regular.png[/img] & [h1][color=plum]Laurien[/color][/h1] [h3]Collab with [@Lord Zee][/h3] [/center] [hr] After several long days traversing the Qiangshen Mountains, the Dragonborn duo had finally reached greener pastures. They were both exhausted and extremely famished. The large egg they snagged from the terrifying Snodo was enough to keep them satisfied for two whole days, yet soon they once again began begging for deliverance. It wasn’t until they discovered a rich jungle, as well as a running stream, where they would finally be rewarded for their harsh efforts. They didn’t hesitate to bathe in the cool stream and eat the local berries and fruit that they could find. Afterall, they well deserved it. It was the perfect location for them to settle down, at least for the time being. Still, they needed to survive off the lush land. Through trial and effort, they began to build their shelters out of the large sticks and leaves they harvested. At first, they were nothing more but simple tents and they’d had to sleep on the ground - a risky proposition against predators of the night. Yet Michallis’ strength and dexterity allowed him to innovate their design and eventually plant their shelters in a large tree. Thus, their humble tree-houses were born. And while Michallis worked on the heavy brute work, Minerva would work on the more basic tasks. She would forage for berries and fruit and scout the area for anything unusual or new. She would also gather herbs and spices, in which she utilized them and mixed them into make-shift bandages and medicines. Often she’d test them on her partner. There were some combinations of herbs that produced potent healing balms and oral drinks, whilst a few would almost kill her husband. Alas, they learned, forgave, and moved on. Within the following weeks, the Dragonborn had knowledge of the surrounding lands within several miles from their home. In addition, they created better tools from better materials and soon would create weapons in order to hunt for more nutritious and hearty meat. Compared to the rest of the world, they were essentially isolated from the conflicts of other gods - perhaps for the better anyways. All they saw was each other and they were perfectly content with such a lifestyle. Then there came a day when something new happened upon them. In the middle of the hot, steamy afternoon… While Michallis was resting from a long night of guard duty, Minerva proceeded to go on her daily foraging expedition. She now wore light leather clothing - covering only her breasts and her nether regions - and wielded a stone spear. It seemed unnecessary for them to wear such attire in a place of solitude - where no one but the native wildlife could see them - but they believed it would provide them with some protection anyways. Her tail swished through the dense growth as she proceeded to pick various berries and fallen fruit on the ground. She hadn’t seen any animals in which she could catch as of yet but a snapping of twigs caught her attention, followed by the unmistakable sound footsteps. Minerva’s ears twitched as she turned to the direction of the sound. Something was nearby. Of what she had little idea, but alas she couldn’t leave the opportunity of a good hunt. Normally Michallis was the one to be in charge of hunting animals, but on a few occasions she would be successful in killing a small boar or nabbing a lizard or two. This however thing sounded a little larger. She instinctively crouched low to the ground as she silently followed the sound of dead leaves crunching in the distance. Her footwork was careful in producing the menial amount of sound possible, as not to disturb whatever was walking through. The closer she approached, the louder she heard the rustling. Once she felt like she was in position, Minerva emerged from the undergrowth and threw her spear blindingly at whatever was in front of her with as much strength as she could muster. There was a large THWAK, as the spear embedded itself into a tree, followed by an audible gasp from whatever she had thrown at. Next thing Minerva knew was a low, humming sound in the air that grew louder for a brief moment, before a beam of scarlet energy shot past her, vaporizing the undergrowth before it cut off abruptly. Then there came the sounds of running, and before her came a tall, cloaked figure wearing stars. A hood obscured their face, but it wielded a black, smoking sword almost as tall as Minerva was in her right hand and in her left, was the spear she had thrown. The figure stopped when she saw her. Out of all the things she expected to see, the last thing Minerva had on her mind was seeing another humanoid figure cloaked in a star riddled hood. When it fired her energy beam, the dragonlady was forced to roll out of the way, feeling the heat of the explosion close behind. She rolled back onto her feet, only to hear the quaking footsteps rumble towards her. As Minerva readied in a battle stance - low to the ground with her claws extended - she once again saw the figure emerge from the foliage. Yet now it wielded a giant blade, one almost as large as Minerva herself, while it carried her spear in the other. However, it strangely didn’t attack the smaller dragonborn, only stopping to gaze down upon Minerva. The dragonlady was initially speechless at its arrival. She instantly knew that it was no mere animal - rather it was a being of high sentience of some kind. [color=9e0b0f]”W-What are you?”[/color] Minerva asked confusingly - her speech having improved significantly since her birth - as she inspected the unknown figure, [color=9e0b0f]”Why are you here?”[/color] The tall figure lowered the blade it wielded once Minerva spoke, and then dropped the spear, before reaching up to pull it’s hood down, revealing a very strange, eerily beautiful face. Her skin was inky black, while her eyes were glowing ivory white, yet still conveying intelligence. Her face was oval and she had high cheekbones. Her hair was a deep, rich purple, displaying the same star lights as her cloak but with swirls of other fantastical colors and it fell down her back like a lion's mane of thick wavy hair. The woman narrowed her eyes at Minerva. [color=plum]”It’s not very polite to throw things at others.”[/color] she said, her voice exotic and sweet, with hints of melodious undertones but still conveying strength. [color=plum]”As for what I am, I could ask the same of you. And I could also ask why you are here but for now, my name is Laurien. What is yours?”[/color] The dragonborn faltered at the exposed figure belonging to Laurien. Up to this point she had never seen anyone close to looking like her. Not even Michallis mentioned anything as unusual when he was out hunting. Still, the fact she could speak was somewhat reassuring. Minerva took a deep breath before introducing herself. [color=9e0b0f]”My name...”[/color] the dragonborn responded cautiously, only slowly straightening her form, [color=9e0b0f]”Is Minerva. I thought you were some kind of animal with all that thumping around you were causing.”[/color] Minerva would sniff at her, trying to identify any familiar smells, yet was unsuccessful. This Laruien was completely unique in every way and unlike anything she smelled before. [color=9e0b0f]”Clearly you are something... more.”[/color] she said before making herself look more formal in appearance. Laurien nodded, [color=plum]”All is well then. It was a good reason to attack, I was just… Being careless I suppose.”[/color] she said, slamming her sword into the ground and then rubbing her hands together. What followed was silence as Laurien seemed to undress Minerva with her eyes, before she nodded again. [color=plum]”Minerva. A pretty name for a pretty girl. I’ll be honest, I’ve never heard of your kind before. You’re very… Hmm… Dragon like. Are you related to the dragons around these parts?”[/color] she asked, lowering her voice. Minerva paused before nodding. [color=9e0b0f]”I was… born from one.”[/color] she said slowly, looking at the scales cladded on her arms and hands, [color=9e0b0f]”Well… me and my partner, Michallis. We emerged from the corpse of our dead mother… killed in battle… who we’ve not a chance to meet in life.”[/color] [color=plum]”Dragon-born huh.”[/color] Laurien mused. [color=plum]”Sorry about attacking you. You gave me quite the surprise and… One can never be too careful round these parts.”[/color] she said her face going blank, as if suddenly lost in thought. Minerva nodded again in agreement. In such a vast and unforgiving jungle, one must always be on their toes in order to see the next day. Still the dragonborn couldn’t help but to inspect this new figure as well. [color=9e0b0f]”And where did you come from?”[/color] she asked somewhat bluntly, [color=9e0b0f]”You don’t look like anything I’ve seen before.”[/color] Laurien blinked, returning her ever present gaze upon Minerva. [color=plum]”I come from a place across the ocean. It’s where I was created, by my father, Orvus. You probably won’t see another like me, there’s only me and my sister, plus father who look as we do.”[/color] she responded with a frown. The dragonborn couldn’t help but to notice the ever present frown that formed across Laurien’s face. It was a face she was all too familiar with. [color=9e0b0f]”We are… also the only ones of our kind.”[/color] Minerva replied somewhat hesitantly, [color=9e0b0f]”As far as we know, there’s no one else like us. We constantly compare ourselves to these dragons and yet… we don’t even understand how we came to be. We are so different from them… yet so very alike.”[/color] [color=plum]”You should not compare yourselves to the dragons, Minerva. You may share some resemblance, yes, but you have a brain and know how to use it. If you were a dragon, you would have already attacked me, just as one already had, but the minute you saw me you stopped. That’s what puts us aside from the animals, we can think and act upon reason. But come now, can’t you make more of yourselves? So you don’t have to be so alone?”[/color] Laurien asked, sitting down and tapping her hand on the ground next to her, looking at Minerva with a soft smile. Already feeling comfortable with her presence, the dragonborn relaxed herself as she proceeded to sit with Laurien on the rich soil. It was still strange to be communicating with someone else other than Michalis. After all he was the only humanoid person she ever really talked to, let alone seen. But Laurien’s demeanor was strangely… welcoming. She may be as dark as night, with almighty powers and a daunting height, but her voice felt like a warm ray of sunshine. It felt almost… motherly in fact. [color=9e0b0f]”So... what do you know about these dragons?”[/color] Minerva asked curiously as she fumbled with a small stick, [color=9e0b0f]”Like, where did they come from? Who made them?”[/color] [color=plum]”Let’s see,”[/color] Laurien said, twirling a long strand of grass with her fingers, [color=plum]”I know not where they came from, but I do know who made them. That would be Sartravius, a god, Minerva. Do you know much about the gods of this world?”[/color] she asked, looking down at the small woman. The dragonlady shook her head naively at the question. [color=9e0b0f]”I do not.”[/color] she replied, [color=9e0b0f]”There’s still really much that I don’t know about this world.”[/color] Laurien nodded slowly. [color=plum]”I thought not, but I wanted to make sure.”[/color] she paused, looking up at the sky before continuing, [color=plum]”My father is a god. The god of Desolation and Soul decay. Nasty stuff really, but he is… Not what you might think. Then there is Li’Kalla, goddess of rain but she is, err, kind of dead but not dead? Hard to explain really. Then there is Shengshi, god of rivers. His home his a massive boat that traverses the many rivers on this continent. If you ever run into him, make sure you are on your best behavior and refer to him as ‘holiness’ do that and he and his servants will treat you right.”[/color] she looked back down at Minerva with a smile then went on to tell her about the other gods that she knew of and what they held dominion over. [color=plum]”...and last but not least, you need to be wary of Vrog. He is an avatar of Narzhak, and I was unfortunate enough to run into him.”[/color] she took a deep breath and shut her eyes. [color=plum]”He was going to kill me, and then devour my flesh.”[/color] she said, holding up her scarred hand. The wounds were freshly healing, but like all her wounds, her scars were of pure white not unlike her eyes. [color=plum]”I only survived because I prayed to my father. Gods are funny like that, I guess you can pray to them and they hear you but getting them to talk back is a tricky business. Never underestimate a god, Minerva. They wield tremendous power and could easily kill us with a thought.”[/color] she said humbly. There was a lot for Minerva to take in, being filled with the bigger picture of the world around her. There were so many gods and goddesses, each controlling a different portion of reality. The mythology was rich in names and tales, she couldn’t quite recall them all. There were many to remember, yet the one god that stood out to Minerva was Sartravius, the fire god. If the dragons were created by him, does that mean he intentionally created the Dragonborn? Yet, they hadn’t encountered him yet, or as far as they knew at least. Perhaps they were simply byproducts having been accidentally brought into this world? This conversation created more questions than answers, but at least the major one had been addressed. [color=9e0b0f]”So Michalis and I were born from Sartravius,”[/color] she responded, [color=9e0b0f]”The fire god... ”[/color] She paused to look at her scaly palms before she continued on. [color=9e0b0f]”I do not know if I could consider this a blessing or a curse in not having met him yet.”[/color] she wondered aloud. [color=plum]”Probably for the best, dear. Dragon’s Foot is in open war because of him, so. There’s been a lot of death. Oh, I almost forget about Katharsos! The god of death. So this might come as little shock to you, but when mortals die they go up there,”[/color] she said pointing to the sky, [color=plum]”To the Sphere of death, and well, our souls will burn to give life to new souls. Poetic in a way. But really,”[/color] she turned to look at Minerva again, [color=plum]”You should get as far away from this place as you can with Vrog about. He’s a monster Minerva.”[/color] she said sternly. The dragonborn nodded at the dark woman’s warning. Just from its description and the wounds that scarred Laurien, Vrog was a dangerous creature to encounter. Perhaps it would be best if they migrated to another location. After all, both dragonborn were considering moving anyways to follow with the pattern of the traversing wildlife anyways. She looked up to face Laurien with an earnest expression. [color=9e0b0f]”Where do you think we should go?”[/color] she asked her curiously, [color=9e0b0f]”And where did you last see this ‘Vrog’?”[/color] She squinted her eyes, as if trying to remember. [color=plum]”Good question. He scampered off when Orvus came, but he is an avatar and if he catches your scent and… Well that was several days ago so he could be anywhere by now. If I were you, I’d go south-west, down to the river Nanhe, or further west along the mountains. From what I know of the east, the land is not fun. And down south there is a war going on plus a really big desert. I’m sure you can find a place for your own, and have many babies to occupy your time, Minerva.”[/color] she said with a small giggle. Minerva chuckled lightly before finally standing up. [color=9e0b0f]”Thank you Laurien,”[/color] the dragonlady responded gratefully, [color=9e0b0f]”For explaining everything. I will make sure to follow your guidance. I hope we will see each other again.”[/color] With a bow, Minerva began to take off. However, she suddenly halted before turning back to Laurien in an awkward manner. [color=9e0b0f]”Oh and uh, can I have my spear back too? ...Please?”[/color] Grabbing the spear Laurien stood up, and with a laugh handed it to Minerva. [color=plum]”We will see each other again, little dragon. Stars be with you and your partner.”[/color] she said before pulling out her sword from the ground. [color=plum]”Now, onto Tendlepog.”[/color] she said before rising into the air and waving to Minerva before disappearing from sight. As soon as Laurien vanished from view, the dragonborn darted back into the bush as she rushed back to Michalis and her camp. She had to tell him of the revelation that had hit her and the threats that were both out there and coming their way. Not faltering once, Minerva finally returned to her camp far faster then she realized. What would’ve been a good half an hour when walking, seemed to have turned into a brief ten minutes. She climbed the thick gnarly branches using her hook-like claws with great haste before landing upon the tree house foundations. Minerva didn’t even bother properly waking up Michallis as she grabbed him by the shoulders and shook him rapidly. [color=9e0b0f]”Michalis!”[/color] she hissed boldly, [color=9e0b0f]”Michalis, wake up!”[/color] The male dragonborn’s eyes opened up suddenly as he attempted to gain consciousness. [color=9e0b0f]”Wha~? Who? Ha?”[/color] he sputtered before laying eyes on his fiery partner’s vibrant ambered eyes, [color=9e0b0f]”O-Oh, Minerva! You’re looking quite spry. W-What seems to be the matter?”[/color] [color=9e0b0f]”I found someone when I was out forging,”[/color] Minerva rapidly explained with relative excitement, [color=9e0b0f]”You’re not gonna believe what she told me~”[/color] She then explained to Michalis about what Laurien had told her, regarding all about the gods, their master, and the approaching threat that could potentially end their lives. It was clear that her partner also had trouble taking all of this in, but he ultimately got the gist of it. When his partner told him about Vrog and how they should move, he initially seemed to disregard it. [color=9e0b0f]”You really want to move away from such a great location?”[/color] Michalis asked concerningly as he rose from his palm-leaf bed, [color=9e0b0f]”We have food and water aplenty here. I doubt we’d encounter this ‘Vrog’ creature anyways - or else we would be seeing far more bizarre things take place - it included.”[/color] [color=9e0b0f]”And what if it does find us?”[/color] Minerva sharply replied, [color=9e0b0f]”I don’t think we’d be enough to take it down.”[/color] Michalis chuckled as he planted his muscular hands on Minerva’s shoulders. [color=9e0b0f]”Relax,”[/color] he yawned before turning over on his side, [color=9e0b0f]”I don’t think we’ll have to worry about him. We will move when the time comes. But for now, let us enjoy what we have and relax while we can. You’ll never know when we’ll find such a place…. like this… again...”[/color] Michalis would be knocked cold once more as he fell back into his deep slumber. Minerva rolled her eyes with a frustrated sigh before continuing to climb to the topest branch in the tree and looked over the sea of green that laid before her. The world she once knew had expanded tenfold and she must prepare herself to engage with the great beyond. They must adapt and prepare to face all who oppose them, lest they want to be left behind… [hider=Post Summary | Prestige Summary] [b][u]Post Summary[/u][/b] In the following weeks, the Dragonborn found themselves residing in the forest west of the Qiangshen mountains, where they made themselves a little camp. One day, as Minerva was hunting, she encountered a strange hooded woman, who turned out to be Laurien. The two would talk to one another, as Minerva was filled in with what the outside world had to offer - including the mentionings of the various gods. Minerva would connect the dots to show that she and Michalis were born from Sartr. Laurien would warn Minerva of Vrog - a creature she fought earlier - and told her to move so as not to encounter it. Minerva agrees and thanks Laurien for her help and heads back to camp to tell Michalis of it, who simply brushes off the threat lightly as he proceeds to sleep once more. Minerva still wants to move camp regardless, worried about what is yet to come. [u][b]Prestige[/b][/u] [b][color=9e0b0f]Michalis:[/color][/b] 2 + (2) = 4 [b][color=9e0b0f]Minerva:[/color][/b] 2 + (2) = 4 No MP of FP spent. [/hider]