your hands protect the flames

[modforged]

Who: The Dragonsworn
What: The first arrival of the Dragonsworn goes a bit...awry.
Where: Scattered around the perimeter of Suramar.
When: Dawn on March 21st
Warnings: Please PM the mods if any warnings are needed

It is almost as if you've woken from a daydream when the ground meets your feet. The stench of fire is overpowering, and though dawn is just approaching in the canopies of Kalimdor, bright flashes of green can be seen between the branches of impossibly tall trees. If that doesn't snap you out of your surprise, then the sound of nearby spitting in demonic tongue may persuade you to get a grip and notice your surroundings -- you are not alone. There are others like you, huddled just a bit too close, with a somewhat familiar face keeping you from advancing further. Looking down at your hands may briefly reveal a momentary flash of color, but nothing lasting more than a few seconds.

The mages of each flight take the helm of their charges, and they are quick to notice any movement from their groups despite channeling some sort of spell to keep you protected. Stray fire will bounce off an invisible shield that ripples when anything make contact with it. There seems to be nothing in sight but your new comrades, and your guardian -- at least not on the ground. The sky has flying demons swarming a pack of dragons -- and the dragons are very clearly losing. Look just a bit farther, and you might find more dragons, though these clearly have different colored scales than the ones above your head.

While distracted, you may hear your guardian speak to you. "There may yet be wounded nearby -- if you care to, bring them here, and we will tend to them from the Sanctum." Briefly, they gesture skyward, toward the dragons flying overhead. "Do not bring to us any that are not our own, lest you invite their demise!"

But the mage is focused on casting -- they are in no position to halt your advance, and they know it. They speak with concern -- concern for you, concern for the dire situation at hand. The demonic cackling is drawing near. The forests are rapidly becoming overrun, and there are already a few dragons slain on the forest floor.

"Take care, Dragonsworn -- I am bringing us to safety, but it will take time. To wander far is to invite your ruin, and we cannot afford the loss of your life."

[OOC: You are free to mingle on this post as you choose, despite the flight groups being scattered through the forests around Suramar -- after this log, you will be separated into your sanctums, and your interactions will be watched much more closely. Attempting to enter the city itself will result in a vicious attack from demons that will kill. The Dragon Mages will be tagging sporadically to heroes of their matching flight, and the conclusion of this log will lead Dragonsworn through portals to their Sanctums.]

Comments

[windandrain]

[She snorts in amusement at his energetic response.] No, it's certainly not all that easy. With all the strange things I've dealt with in recent memory...this is just another to add on the evergrowing heap.

And yes, that's correct. I suppose, I woke up and fell through some...hole and here I am. [A pause...as she registers that name, too.] And did you say your name was Doctor? Doctor...who?

[Sorry, I couldn't not.]

[raggedydoc]

You know, you'd be amazed how often I get asked that question.

[Well, really, if you're going to go around calling yourself 'the Doctor', you've got to be prepared for the inevitable 'Doctor Who?']

But it's just the Doctor. No other name, I'm afraid, or not one that matters. And you aren't the only one who deals with strange things. Haven't seen any creatures claiming to be demons in a few centuries, though.

[But it is strange that the demons are turning up at the same time as the Master again...]

[windandrain]

Just the Doctor? Alright then.

[It's easier than one might think, given her family and their ridiculous titles.]

Oh? Well I'd say you're fortunate then. It's been about a century since I really dealt with anything more than the isolated incident with a single one of them myself. Numbers like this I haven't seen in a long, long time. And I suppose it's the same with dragons.

[Her sword hand drops to her side, and she turns away to look out at the flashing lights of battle in the distance.]

I'm honestly not sure if this is an improvement over Luceti or not, though. I feel off here, much emptier, like something in me has been changed. Is it the same for you, Doctor?

[raggedydoc]

Can't say I've ever met a dragon - quite a few reptilian creatures, like the Silurians and the Sea Devils, but nothing uniquely draconian in nature. And the last demon I met was an alien- well, everything's usually an alien, except for when it's on its home turf, of course-

[Including the Doctor. But that's terribly nitpicky.]

Emptier? Mm, no, but-

[But some of his senses are out of whack. Just a little, but it's still noticeable.]

Funny, maybe. Not empty. Interdimensional travel without a time capsule does that to you, though. When it doesn't kill you, that is.

[windandrain]

I don't know any of those...other things, but I do know an alien or two. And those are definitely dragons. Undoubtedly.

[She's definitely not having an easy time keeping up with whatever it is he's saying. She'd call it prattling, really, but he seems to be making sense to himself, and not just talking for the sake of talking. ]

And I know a few things about interdimensional shifts myself. It's never...killed me before. But this is different than last time. I don't feel right, at all.

[It occurs to her, though, that she's not been terribly polite, talking...or prattling...right back at him without introducing herself.]

Oh, you can call me Saori, Doctor. I'm not sure my titles mean anything here, anymore, so...just Saori.

[And admitting that is another blow to her pride, too.]

[raggedydoc]

[No, prattling is most certainly the right word to use when it comes to the Doctor and his talking.]

Well! There's a first time for everything, isn't there? You don't live over a thousand years without seeing more than a few things that people think are facts proven entirely wrong. That said, it could also be due to a slightly different atmosphere - though it seems to be more or less the same as Earth's - gravitational pull, a thousand minor environmental things. Or it could be something more...metaphysical...y, but that's not exactly my area of specialty.

[As much as it pains him to admit that there's an area in which he isn't well-versed.]

Pleased to meet you, Saori! Where do you call home: some variation of Earth, or another world entirely?

[windandrain]

[She covers a laugh behind a fist, a soft sound of genuine amusement.]

Oh, no, you certainly don't. Facts are often distorted by perception, after all. Mortals do enjoy claiming they know everything, and all their categories and terms but quite frankly, until you've lived through a century or two, you don't really have much in the way of experience. Or patience.

[And that's something she's very good at.]

And as to your question, I am from Earth, yes. Japan, if you're familiar with it. What of you?

[raggedydoc]

Pfft, patience is vastly overrated. But- you said mortals, yeah? Does that mean you're immortal? And, if so, truly immortal, or just very long-lived?

[She isn't a fixed point like Jack, but there is something/i> about her. He shakes his head quickly, like he's trying to clear it.]

Oh, here and there, mostly, you know how it is.

[windandrain]

I am one of my world's true immortals, yes. A god in truth, though my kind have a different name for ourselves.

[She gives him a knowing smile.]

And I know precisely how that is.

[raggedydoc]

I've met a few of Earth's gods before - the Egyptians, in particular, who were actually aliens from a planet known as Osiris. Fascinating technology and culture, but some of them were a bit mad. 'Course, you have a few bad apples in every bushel, I suppose. You seem much friendlier.

[windandrain]

[She huffs a faint laugh at that. Her experiences with the Egyptian gods were also less than stellar.] You do, of course. And if I seem friendlier, maybe it's because I am. I live among mortals, at home and in the world I came from.

I'm used to your, though given what you've said...you're not human yourself. Or at least much longer lived than most of them.

[raggedydoc]

I'm just a bit alien, yeah. My people were travelling the stars before Earth was even born; we evolved long before most other lifeforms in the universe. Well, in my universe, anyway.

[He's about to elucidate on this further when a demon comes crashing through the forest. The Doctor grabs Saori's hand and starts to run, but ends up inadvertently teleporting a few yards away, leaving her behind. He pauses for a split second, wondering what the hell just happened.]

[windandrain]

[Just a bit, hmm? She's about to ask, when a creature bursts into the clearing...and the Doctor takes her hand...only...he just sort of vanishes.

And as surprised as she is, she's still got centuries of preparedness for battle. Reaching inside herself she attempts to call up her Anima, the life force of gods, and smite the creature. But...instead of a lightning bolt, a burst of golden flame blasts the demon backwards, filling the air with a stench...

And leaving Saori baffled.]


W-w-what?!

[raggedydoc]

[The Doctor doesn't fight much, but he's also fairly certain there's no reasoning with these demons. He'll struggle with his personal code of morals later, but right now, it's better to avoid death, or so he figures.

Judging by Saori's surprised exclamation, her own display of abilities is just as sudden as his own, and the Doctor wonders if there's more to be discovered. Now that his attention's been drawn to it, there's a certain feeling of something different within himself. He concentrates on it, and a burst of purple light illuminates the area, seeming to damage the demon further.]

Oh, well, that's subtle.

[Hopefully it won't bring more demons down upon them.]

[windandrain]

[Hopefully not, because this one doesn't seem to be staying put. It gets up, and Saori takes a step back. Again she tries calling up some magic that's familiar...only instead of a familiar element, the demon is struck by a slashing strike of golden light that seems to sear it.]

I don't know what any of this is...but it seems to be working!

[Quick to seize an advantage, she reaches for more, trying to call up that fire again...]

[raggedydoc]

[The Doctor does the same thing, but this time, only a single streak of light hits the demon. He repeats this again- and then his fingertips glow bright purple, and a number of purple missiles of light shoot out. It's awfully showy, he thinks, and he's not sure he approves of this at all, but it seems to be doing the trick.]

You know, I don't normally believe in magic, but I'm willing to suspend my disbelief momentarily.

[Till they get out of this sticky spot, anyway.]

[windandrain]

[Saori shoots the Doctor a look before flicking her fingers again, a bolt of crimson power slashing the demon and sending it to the ground with a shudder.]

What do you mean, you don't believe in magic? You're doing it, right now.

[Because she is very, very familiar with magic, even the arcane variety.]

[raggedydoc]

Hence the momentary suspension of disbelief.

[Now that the demon is dispatched, the Doctor looks down at his hands with a frown. The violet energy has dispersed, and he suddenly feels a wave of exhaustion wash over him.]

Whatever that was, it seems to have sapped my energy - I don't know about you, but I don't think I could handle another fight like that. Perhaps it might be best to return to the relative safety of the group.

[He hates to admit it, but it's not as if they won't have more time to explore their surroundings later. Hopefully.]

[windandrain]

[She lets out a sigh of her own, nudging the demon's corpse with a foot. It really is dead, at least. But the strange light was so different from her usual power, it left her feeling unsure, and off.]

I...think I could, perhaps? But I'd rather not. Probably better to try and find other people and bring them back with us, too. Someone said something about injured.

[raggedydoc]

[He kneels down next to the demon's body to get a better look at the thing, glancing back up at Saori when she speaks again.]

The- [He's not sure what her species is; she's not quite like any other beings he's encountered before.] -bovine woman, yes. We're meant to find injured dragons.

[Though how the two of them are supposed to bring dragons back is another thing entirely.]

[windandrain]

Oh, her.

[She...shrugs, and leans down to look at the body too. It's ugly, foul smelling, and just...repulsive, but whatever...it's good to know your enemy.]

What do you suppose they meant, when they said to not bring dragons that aren't their own?

[raggedydoc]

No clue. 'Course, I'm not sure how we're meant to go about bringing the dragons back in the first place. They're a bit bigger than we are, seems like.

[windandrain]

Wouldn't be a problem if they hadn't stolen my powers...

[She's pouting because her super strength is gone. Forgive her, Doctor...]