Burning Forest, Actually Icey; Job

284 of 667 words.

When any human believed they saw an actual Dragon rumors spread very swiftly, but most of the time these were false leads. Itova, had heard sapiens call 'drake' so many times when often times it was some other creature, but she still looked into the rumors sometimes. Honestly, it surprised her how the creatures were so obsessed with her kind, and yet they never seemed to realize when an actual dragon was around. Anyways it didn't matter to much in the end. Right now she simply had some idle time on her claws, and chasing after the rumor of another dragon seemed to be a good way to spend that time. Though the only time she found another dragon was when she wasn't actively looking for one. Itova really hated the fact she couldn't use a cell phone sometime, she could just call Spice and hang out with him, but she had not heard from the frostfire dragon since that night at the inn, thought it was one very enjoyable night after they took care of the fact humans always seemed to want to murder each other.

Small animals scattered as the flapping of wings was heard slightly through the woods, one of her feet touching the ground before she landed completely. "This should be the right forest." now she was going to have to figure out how to navigate around, hunt for this rumored Dragon without mislead mages believing the rumored beast was her. Of course Malsvire likely had some rumors going around about her considering she lived right around the same place guildless mages did, near humans to find work in spite of the fact she really did not like the creatures.

Yona had sought out a dragon for a good three months now. The green haired woman was getting frustrated with the whole damn thing. She hopped from outpost, to kingdom, getting unwanted offers from multiple guilds, just trying to track one down. People seemed to know little about dragons, as did she, but it was critical for her to find one. She knew the fire that had taken her childhood home and the lives of her family members was magically based. Or at least, she thought she knew that. The shadow  lurked behind every corner in her mind, harassing her for the years she trained to be strong enough to set out on her own; but soon this all encompassing focus would be at an end. First step, find a dragon, second step, learn about magical fire, third step obliterate all fire magic users she could find in an attempt to kill the one who truly deserved it. It was an attempt to regain control and to finally push the nightmares away. The woman wore a thick white coat, stained dusty brown in places by her many travels.

"I swear, if those people cried dragon over some overly large chicken or brightly colored peacock again.. I'll go back and kill them all." Yona was nearing her wits end and the offers by the guilds which had never appealed to her before, had grown more appealing by every frosty minute she spent out here in the grey wood. She adjusted her coat and rubbed her gloved fingers over her numb red ears. Then she set off at a jog, moving like an animal through the wood. The sight of an unusual tail suddenly grasped her attention. The mind of the green eyed female froze in place, taking it in, wondering if it were real or fake, her mouth hanging open. Had she finally found--

Thud! Yona's boot hooked on something both soft and solid, sending her body reeling and tumbling head over heels onto the sodden forest floor. She groaned and looked up to see what she had tripped over: a light haired male by a bunch of stupid flowers. He might have been crouched, or maybe when she was sprinting through the forest she simply missed him. After being so close to a possibility of a dragon, Yona's stare was intense and accusatory. "Are you kidding me? The hell are you doing out here.. tripping people!? You got a problem, you want to fight? I swear.."

416 / 667 WC

WC exceeded.

Attempting to tracking down another dragon was something she did very often in spite of telling herself repeatedly she was best off as this lone dragoness instead of having her own pack once more. Instances like this proved the fact that Itova was incredibly lonely, utterly lusting for company, but unable to find any companions she couldn't hurt nor did not despise. Coming to this forest in other to search for another dragon during the middle of this rushing dragon hunt, was not the smartest thing she had ever done. Within a few minutes of being around the forest? She had already been required to dodge numerous humans and their brazen bullets, or freeze them in their sloppy sword stances. She would find sign of another dragon here today, or all she accomplished was making the dragon hunt worse by confirming one did exist around here even though she wouldn't stay.

Lester managed to sneak up on Itova easily considering the boy knew how not to destroy the forest, thus not make loud crunching sounds unlike most other humans hunting for the other dragon around here. Honestly, it was very possible the boy could have snuck around and got a better look at the feather covered beast. Only an interupt was swiftly given to any goal of that sort. When Yona tripped over the other mage, Itova's body stiffened head swiveling around trying to catch sight of the danger she had heard. When the shouting started? She quickly stepped in a circle, bright gaze locking to them as a low rumble rose from her chest.

Another set of human's she would have to deal with if she was to survive and keep going on searching out other dragons who did not fear her power as a slayer. However, something else drew her attention more than the mortals, a two headed snake that had crept up on the two of them from the tree's above at they bickered. Itova opened her large jaws, a blue glow emitting as she fired a shot of ice knocking the snake violently from its limb, back several meters, the runes across her body beginning to glow. "How humans survive dim witted as you are always amazes me." the snake reared up and she was quick to rush forward in a flash and sink her long sickle claw into the beast killing it. The two of them had clearly found a dragon. "Now move alone, I'm not the dragon you're looking for." she muttered glaring at them, trying to gauge if she was going to be required to attack them.

Dragged back to reality a weight rested across his back, pain slid across his senses as the friction and weight brought his head back up, a blurred sight of boots and fabric. Tooth dug into his lip a little when his arm stretched forth to massage tender areas. The wince which plastered his face slowly begun to fade as he murmured in pain. A weight had caught his back and been flung across the area, from what he had heard the person had slammed into the ground with a fair amount of force. Gaze searched he met her glare, the familiar tones of unbidden irritation froze him like a rabbit within the hunter's sights. The familiarity of the moment drew his brows together, pain momentarily forgotten as the spell rushed forth from her mouth as if it were a swarm of locusts. "Don't blame me for your lack of perception, I had merely taken interest in something when you bumbled around and tossed yourself down."  The tone he spoke with took on a sound of urging and persuading, would the female who seemed so full of arrogance take a step back and watch a situation from a different perspective? Twigs and leaves, signs of growth and the passage of time from the forest floor had scattered themselves throughout the elder mages hair, unlike boots hair could not be swapped with another.

A thought lost in the wind, the appearance of a familiar mage mattered no more. Opened wide his eyes bloomed with a curiosity, the movement of a large mass, feathers which swayed softly in the wind. Breathless a slight 'oh' had escaped from him, the soft gasp of surprise exclaimed his surprise at what he had his gaze set upon. Whilst he had been here to acquire knowledge of the beast Lester hadn't expected to actually come across it, for him a sunflower in the snow would have been more understandable than seeing a dragon. Yet the dragon seemed to pay little attention to him and the scraggly female sprawled next to him, perhaps in awe, a moment of shock had numbed him to the world. Gaze followed the deadly beast as her head swayed softly, a display of teeth, each one seemed like it had the potential to be transformed from a caterpillar to a butterfly of a weapon.

The blue haze and a shard of wintery reminder spun forth to bring him to realize where an enemy really sat. It had lurked above them, two mages hadn't realized that a double headed snake had lingered upon the branches of a tree above them. His own mind had returned to the shapes which marked the dragon, they had glowed with magic, had all dragons been graced with similar runes? The corner of his lip gathered between his teeth, neck craned back as the claw of one beast murdered another. Under the circumstances that the snake had gone unattended the two humans could have ended up being laid to rest in a wooden box with flowers. "Excuse me, but those markings upon yourself. They seemed to glow when you cast your magic, do all dragons bear those rune like shapes?" A curious remark, not made entirely out of blunt curiosity. Like a single bloom within a bunch of others he spoke to relax the unknown creature, his fingers lightly pushed off the ground as he rose up. A wilted flower reaching back up the sun the youth's back ached as he stood up. The odd leaf fluttered back to the forest floor, they lay there forgotten like the human mage which had collided with him earlier.

wc: 607 (exceeded twc)

When he picked his pale face up, Yona began to relax somewhat. She was still partially annoyed but seeing that it was Lester reduced most of that. The young male hadn't done it on purpose, and as she got to her feet, glancing down at her trodden and worn brown boots, the green haired woman recalled the time not long ago in the Neutral Grounds where a guild member had shared footwear with her. Lester was a mild annoyance, but not nearly as bad as she had thought upon first meeting him. What were the chances the male and she would cross paths again so soon?
She put her hands on her hips, retorting back with her usual snark, but there was a definite lack of malevolence in her voice, "Well I guess we're even for the time you spilled hot water all over my feet! I hope that you have a nice bruise on your back for tha-"

Even as Yona began to banter with the young male, enjoying contests of wit and word, she had not forgotten about the dragon. She had just assumed it had gone away by now. She had also not had a chance to look upwards, just getting to her feet for an argument when a spray of magic blasted before her eyes and dropped a two headed snake to the ground, cold and assumed dead by her feet. Instead, the shot of magic which had dislodged the reptile had only managed to make it more testy, rising up for a strike. The dragon was then there, in an instant, Yona's lime green eyes widening as the claw sank into the two headed creature in a victorious crimson stab.

The willow haired woman looked upon the glowing skin and the fierce expression of the dragon before her and felt a torrent of emotions. A bit of relief, for the dragon had not left after all. A bit of anger, for the dragon having insinuated that she was incapable. And a bit of frustration in not getting to have the real last word in her wit contest with Lester. And Lester's response was to discuss the dragon's anatomy, something which Yona could scarcely believe. Sure, Yona had questions to make the dragon answer, but nothing so personal as to question the female dragon's own body! "Lester, that is awfully rude, have some respect would you?" The nineteen year old felt it proper to admonish the male for his question.

And then, hypocrite that she was, Yona, gave the female dragon a respectful bow, with only her head. "I could have handled it on my own, but I am glad I didn't have to waste my talents on such a small beast. Thank you for dealing with the nuisance for me. That being said, I don't doubt you are the dragon I have been looking for. I have questions for you." Yona placed her right hand on her chest as she spoke, and in so doing, her jacket covered her torso most of the way again, hiding the fact that she was barely dressed beneath the coat. Not that it mattered, as through the gesture a short chilly wind burst through the wood and rippled the ends of her coat outwards, revealing her red scarred legs, an obvious sign of serious burns. "You are no doubt an intelligent thing, and I have no need to glorify myself in an attempt to capture or kill you. All I want to know about, is your fire." Seeing as she was so respectful, Yona thought, how could the dragon disagree? Her tone and words suggested an air of being pugnacious and conceited, something which surely the dragon and Lester would be unable to miss.