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

Open; bluesworn here~

[lightningbearer]

*...it probably says quite a bit about Geddoe that this isn't even the strangest thing he's ever seen. In any case he quickly surveys his surroundings, eye and ears open, paying attention to every word spoken even as his gaze seems focused on anything but*

.......

*it all lends itself to far more questions than answers, but now clearly isn't the time to ask. Instead he just draws his sword and starts moving, skirting as close to (and possibly beyond, if he can) the edges of the protected space--ostensibly to look for any of the hypothetical wounded that might be out there, but more to get a better idea of what's going on. He's not seeking any fights, though he's prepared should one find him anyway*

[roadstotheriver]

Lirael had to actually be collected, having landed running and gone right out of the protected space. She comes back at last, collected by her own flight's guardian (not that she knew who she was, anyhow), and hovers around the edges uncertainly, her bell still in hand. Seeing as she's not much use collecting wounded with only one hand, and being as small as she is-- and, to her further consternation, being unable to reach the Charter, where her magic comes from.

She doesn't trust this situation any more now than she did when she was just running loose in the woods, to be quite honest. Especially not when there are warriors with swords wandering about. She edges out of Geddoe's way nervously when he gets close.

[lightningbearer]

Ironically enough, it's the very nervousness of her movements that draws a second glance from Geddoe; someone who knows what they're doing and isn't hostile doesn't require any thought to be spared, but those who are nervous or confused are just as likely to end up accidentally underfoot as anything.

"Stay well within the perimeter and out of the range of anyone you think may have to fight. If you're passing near someone who isn't an enemy, let them see or hear you; don't just try to tiptoe around."

Now isn't the time to explain the why of things to someone who obviously isn't used to being in the middle of a combat zone, but Geddoe can only hope she has the sense to follow instructions. He certainly has no interest in being responsible for accidentally catching someone on a backswing because he didn't know they were there, after all.

[roadstotheriver]

While Lirael is hardly a stranger to battle, she is fairly new to a battlefield. Especially one where she feels essentially useless. The only time she'd even come close this kind of situation, she was the only one capable of even doing damage to the enemy, and deferred to specifically because of it. So she starts at the sound of his voice, and the look she gives him is wary when she realizes he is only giving advice.

"I can fight," she says simply, instead of questioning, though it isn't as loud or as confident-sounding as she'd like it to be. In fact, it sounds a little questioning.

[lightningbearer]

"Not like that, you can't."

Geddoe isn't inclined to mince words, particularly in a situation like this. Someone as apparently as hesitant or unsure as that would only get in the way, in his experience.

"Go stay near the mage casting the barrier; fighting when you're not ready to is stupid."

And not something he particularly feels inclined to be responsible for.

[roadstotheriver]

If this were the Dead they were fighting, if she felt remotely at ease with any of this, or she even knew more, perhaps Lirael would protest. But she's being pretty effectively shut down, and she doesn't have the words or self-confidence on her own to stand up to them.

So she merely bows her head, hair hanging in her face to obscure her expression, and turns to go where he directed without another word of her own.

[lightningbearer]

It might be harsh, but the fact that the girl simply obeyed without further protest only serves to tell Geddoe that he'd judged correctly; he would not be surprised to learn she was a perfectly skilled fighter in her own right and style, but all the skills in the world meant nothing if a person wound up unable to muster the willpower to use them. He does watch as she goes, however, to make certain she isn't attacked until she reaches the mage.

[pouts]

Hello down there.

[ A high-pitched voice greets him from high above. Maybe not so high, but there's a pair of pink and purple boots swinging from a branch up in one of the trees. ]

I climbed up here to get a better look, but now I'm stuck!

[lightningbearer]

*glances up and.... oh you have got to be kidding him. There may be just a tiny hint of consternation in his otherwise stoic expression because who gets stuck in trees in the middle of a combat zone?*

So jump down.

*really now, what else did she expect?*

[pouts]

Jump down?

[ A quick glance at him and then back at the current height she's at indicates that no, she's not going to jump down at all. ]

What's wrong with you? I'd get hurt!

[lightningbearer]

.......

*why is he even bothering with this? there's more important things than someone too afraid to climb down the way they climbed up...*

Hang from the branch you're on, then let go.

*there, that was helping, right? so now they can both go about their respective business*

[pouts]

I might fall and squish you under my Manakete butt if I do that.

[ She doesn't appear to have much of a butt in her current state, especially with how much she wriggles uncomfortable on the branch she's perched on. ]

[lightningbearer]

*just shrugs, and turns to go. obviously this is no longer his problem, after all!*

[pouts]

Hey!

[ Incoming branch or three. She's got surprisingly good arm and even more surprising, a strong arm when it comes to throwing things. ]

[lightningbearer]

*well, the shouting he would have ignored, but being pelted with branches.... he'll turn and at least give you a one-eyed glare for that--just what is your problem, anyway? :|*

[pouts]

[ She craves attention and usually big burly guys like him are the softies. ]

Don't give me that look.

[lightningbearer]

*well, he can be, somewhat, but in the middle of a pitched battle with someone he's just met isn't really the time*

Stop hesitating and just let yourself down.

*though as he says that, he'll take another brief look at the branch she's on--is it low enough that she'd come out with nothing worse than some bruises were it to snap under her?*

[ninjacques]

[Jacques had already gone well beyond what would have been safely deemed as the Greensworn's designated area, but then it hadn't seemed very useful to stay there when things from well beyond could still seek to take advantage.

He makes his way quickly, slipping behind whatever might lend substantial cover, his gaze never falling in one spot for too long as he continuously glances skywards to keep tabs on how the situation is between the flying demons and dragons. With his bow gun slung behind him once again, the hunter hauls himself up into the higher branches of a tree where his eagle has likewise landed.

From here, at least Jacques can get a better glimpse of the battleground beyond.]

[lightningbearer]

*Geddoe too has ventured rather beyond the protective shield of his flight's mage, but just at the moment he's paying rather more attention to his immediate surroundings than anything else. Specifically, the pair of demons right in front of him. He's managed to avoid being flanked, but he can't attack them both at once without attempting a higher-level spell from his rune... which he isn't certain is worth the apparent risk just now. He stares them down a moment longer, eye darting from one to another, then without warning lunges to his right, bringing his sword crashing down on one before pivoting to face the other...*

[ninjacques]

[No one needs to explain that it's a bad thing the demons have started to filter through the woods as they are now, and it only seems worse within the city, so far as Jacques can see. He nocks another arrow into his bow gun once he's settled into a good position, the motion familiar enough that he can do so as he continues to look over the area.

Nothing seems to be within immediate range that it would be trouble for him, and anything else was already engaged-

The faint keening of his feathery friend has him glance back, first to the light brown eagle before he looks out amongst the smaller skirmishes. He catches the glint of a blade, and once one demon is cleared by it, Jacques has a good glimpse of the lone fighter, his eyes widening.

So it seems he's not alone here after all...]

[lightningbearer]

*though his first strike did indeed fell one of the demons, Geddoe wasn't quite fast enough to catch the second similarly off-guard. He's certainly not losing, but having to break past his opponent's defenses takes time, and takes his attention off his surroundings. Which would explain why he seems yet to have noticed that yet another demon is approaching from behind...*

[ninjacques]

[These demons are pretty tough, and it's a troubling thought. Jacques levels his bow gun without hesitation, taking aim. He breathes out, letting the arrow fly, already loading up another the moment it's loosed. Several are launched in near rapid succession.

There's no reason to fire a warning shot, in this instance, and more often than not, if Jacques has his sights set on a target, then it's going to get hit. While he's not sure that one shot or even several will take the demon down, at the very least it might slow it.]

[lightningbearer]

*whether Geddoe had already noticed the new attacker or not, he certainly hears the whirrr and thunk of the bolts' flight and impact and the screech of pain that follows. He spares a quick glance to make sure there's no immediate threat to himself, then with a grunt of effort finally pushes past his opponent's defenses to take out the demon, before turning quickly, sword at ready to finish off the other one. Which he does quite easily, given how cripppled it already was. A quick scan of the area then confirms there's no more immediate threats, and Geddoe glances down to take a closer look at one of the arrows sticking out of his slain foe...

....Jacques. He immediately looks up again, gaze searching the forest in the area he best guesses the shots were fired from. Not that he truly expects to spot anything under the circumstances, but the size and make of those arrows had been unmistakable, so if there's any chance....*

[ninjacques]

[As expected of Geddoe. It's all that Jacques sees before his attention is pulled to more urgent matters at the warning cry from his feathered friend.

Jamming another arrow into place as he jerks back, which consequently has him falling from the tree, Jacques fires at his demon attacker, and at this range, missing is next to impossible. He twists in midair, barely managing to get his feet under him before landing. The eagle dives in to drive back another attack in the meantime, giving him the opportunity to load up and shoot off another arrow.

Whoops. Looks like it's time to fall back.]

[lightningbearer]

*Geddoe hears the bird's cry and the sound of yet more fighting in the distance, but by the time he looks in that direction there's nothing more to be seen, and no way of telling if it had meant anything, anyway. So much as Geddoe dislikes the idea of potentially leaving a comrade behind, there's really no other choice. And he's well aware that Jacques can handle matters on his own, anyway*