Lost Among the Clouds

[Chaaj Priest]

​

K R O V A R​

Ungoth Valley ​

The darkened rock and dirt crunched beneath my boots. It looked familiar to me. This valley was all that I remember it to be. Flowing with lava from which Ao's blood had given the planet life. So many times I have heard the stories of the Sydana. The mythical dragons of our planet. Beings of incredible power, and gifted the wary travelers with the ability to harness and master the elements. But there was something wrong. Incredibly wrong.

Anyone I talked to about finding the Imuras, shied away from me. Hiding themselves. Whispering that I was after a death wish to even try to invoke the name of the "Red-eyed Dragon." Whoever this person was, there were a number of people afraid of him. Even still, I came here for a reason.

I had a friend here. And I hoped against all hope that he was here. I prayed that he would be here. Because maybe he could explain to me why this was happening. Whatever this was. I had no home. No village, no clan, and whenever I mentioned my name, everyone left me as though I were a leper. It frightened me greatly.

Closing my eyes, I reached out through the air. Feeling within my soul for that missing piece that was Yato.

Yato, one of these mythical Sydana, a dragon. But not merely one of them. He was the Apex. The Grandson of Ao himself. A being incredibly powerful with the powers gifted to so few of us. A friend of mine. In fact, flying over head my village the day I was born. His presence is what many attributed to my great success. In truth, He was. He was a second father, and a brother to me.

Yet, even as I reached out, I felt nothing. In fact, I felt anger. Hatred. Resentment. It was with a sudden change, I could feel the winds whip up around me. Quickly thinking, I rooted myself to the ground. Calling upon the earth. Reaching up to grab me with the earth itself, and pull me back to the ground. Anchoring me to the very dirt I had once broken under my weight seconds ago.

Fire then began to condense about me rapidly. Swirling together in a heat I could barely take. My hands reached out. Pulling all the moisture from the air that I could, and doused the flames to be nothing more than what they once were. It was with that, the water swirled around me. Becoming a bubble and causing me to be trapped in a sphere of the liquid. I sat there and rolled my eyes. Gathering myself into a fetal position, then bursting forth in all directions a wave of air and wind. Sundering the water to splash against the ground and steam against the heated rock.

I could hear the voice calling to my mind. Deep and imposing. Angry but familiar. I could still not find where he was. Where this voice was coming from. No sight of him to be seen. Yet his voice boomed within my ever perfect soul.

"You dare to come here. Proclaiming my name as if you know me. Fighting my elements with your own. Skilled in abilities that only an Ao'sydana should know. Name yourself mortal so that I might know the name of my next meal."
"My name is Morna Ra'syn Ryujin Dai Imura. Master of the Rivers, Gifted by Yato, Descendant of Ao himself. I come seeking answers."

While I had spoken out loud, the imposing voice and pure anger that reached me, was alone sent to me. It would not boom within the mountains and the valleys. It would echo within my own head. And yet, as soon as I spoke my name and heritage,

I was met with silence.

[OOC: This thread is supposed to be Morna's intro to the galaxy. So no fighting or destroying chit please. Also, the Dragon will be my NPC, I am using this as a development thread for him. Please do not control the Dragon.]

 

[Darth Assimilus]

Kro Var.

The planet was refreshing to the skin. To this proxy of pale flesh it would be as I imagine it, hellish. But for me? Unpronounce. Even within this tiny shell of a form I still retained the constitution of my true self. A deep breath of air tainted with the traces of brimstone, sulfur and charred earth. Now there was a reason I picked such a place to "rest" you could say. One was the rumor of more wild "force sensitives" that derived here and the other was simple history. The phrase and label dragon was always a term so broad. Rudimentary attempts to understand creatures and yet we as a species are so very different. The presence of such a lesser brethren was my true reason for choosing Kro Var. I had never really seen one of my owns offspring yet alone my own.

To learn of the differences there was and to remind self of the frailties of life.

Nothing lasted forever.

Apon a ridge I crouched low. Taking in a sight that unsuspectingly caused a single brow to raise. The sight of another man roughly a half mile away communicating with...well that was just it. Nature. Himself. Who knew. Exhaling and grinning to myself I approached. Curiosity had become me. The closer I came the more the sensation and lure gripped me. This man was different. He had power or so I could feel.

" To whom are you addressing, boy? Or have you gnawed on the wrong herb?"

[member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Lunara Azure]

She had studied it when she was younger, the traditions of the galaxy, how they manipulated the Force, what she'd grown up calling the light. There were so many out there, so many ways of interacting with the energy that suffused the entireity of the galaxy. She just hadn't come across one that had attracted her so, hadon't come across one so close to that which she'd been taught other than the Shaper's who lived on Kro Var.

It was why the woman was here, following what must have been a childish dream, to come and meet them, to learn and find out just how close the Church of Light and the Shapers truly were. She knew it was a childish conceit, that there couldn't be more than a passing similiarity than between teh two, but thei both spent so much time on the mastery of hte elements...who knew? And that was the trick, just perhaps.

She hadn't expected such a barren planet, a world that felt so dead to her when compared to the thriving life and land of Zernia, the warm embrace of home so different from the land here. But there was something, a touch of the light, a pulse in it that spoke of the power of the place, of those that had trained here.

Lunara had met with the elders, had made her case and was now left with nothing else to worry herself with anymore so she'd walked and walked and walked, just following the call of the light as it lead her here, to a valley, the walls of the surroundings reaching up to the sky. To a disturbance...flames and the light swirling around a young man curled up on the ground, another approaching and teasing.

"Someone who obviously wasn't that happy to see him," The woman's voice echoed around the walls of the valley as she coked her hip to teh side, tilting her head to stare at the scene. "Unless you decided to set yourself on fire when...it might be worth not playing with the flames till you know how to handle them."

[member="Kiiardos Rah"] | [member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Chaaj Priest]

Standing there, in the silences for a moment when I could hear footsteps. The crunching of not just one, but two pairs of feet. One coming from my left, and the other behind me. Twisting my head to the first set that seemed to be closer, I saw a man who clearly took extreme care of his physique. Short trimmed hair, a beard that was cut to his standards perfectly, and the clothing he wore was different. Not of my culture or any that I had seen before. However, I saw a flash in my eyes. One that showed many people having clothing much like this. I saw an image of people walking down some kind of path laden with metal and stone. People wearing similar clothing.

Coming back to the current situation, I saw the man had drawn closer. Enough to speak to me. Asking who I was talking too, or if I had taken something that messed with my mental capacity. I opened my mouth to speak, but the voice behind me was clear. In my flash of vision, I neglected to gather information on the girl behind me. I knew they were a female due to the voice. Smooth but not filled to the brim with testosterone. Pivoting on my foot to face both of them at the same time, her own voice speaking of that the person I was speaking to was not happy I was. Then chastising me for playing with fire I couldn't control. I could feel the elements flowing from within her. Secondly, her clothing was also not of my culture. Very flowing and shimmering. Clearly expensive in every sense of the word.

"I thought I had been talking t-"

A booming voice echoed within the valley now. Clearly enough that all three of us could hear it. Filled with a resentment for people who were encroaching on his home.

​"I am Yato. The Divine Dragon's heir of Ao. You three have trespassed upon my land. This Morna here had seemingly came to challenge me. And so our battle of the elements is what you saw female cur. Now begone. I will speak to this Champion who feigns to be of my descent."
"No."
"No? You defy me your supposed God?"
"I came seeking answers as to why I am here. Why my world seemingly has been flipped upon its head. Seeing flashes of things I never seen before. Why you, who had given me the very knowledge of your kin, and ancestors, would so openly strike me down? Why people who clearly not of this world, come to the Ungoth Valley when Kro Var has never been visited by any before!"
"You naive child. I have never claimed you, and your stories of Kro Var being untainted by your kind are false. Armies have come and gone. And the Red-Eyed Dragon has slain his own kind in the name of a false hope. Whatsoever the world you come from, is no longer true O'Seeker mine."

My world was gone? What world was this then? Who was this Red-eyed Dragon? and why would they kill their own kind. Why are these people here? Who are they and how did my home become invaded by people who I had never seen before? You know what, start small. Who are these two individuals.

"Look just... "

Closing my eyes, I could feel my breathing stagger with my anger and confusion. Slowing my breathing, I centered myself.

"Why are you two here? In one of the most dangerous places on Kro Var?"

[member="Lunara Azure"], [member="Kiiardos Rah"],

 

[Darth Assimilus]

Straightening my back and tilting my head. I slowly rolled my neck to angle my eyes in a sideward glance to yet another newcomers voice. A woman. With her presence I couldn't help but back a step back and position my body to face both the boy and the woman now. Forming a triangle of sorts. Azure eyes took in her form briefly. Looking her up and down with a stare he hoped she might recognize. " My my. A rose amongst the ashes, but where is this ones thorns charred by the flames-" A tease on my behalf before a thunderous voice sounded aloud. Vibrations alone squandered the mood. I detested being interrupted.

Air expelled from my nostrils harshly. The voice did not startle me but rather the words spoken did.

" Mmmm. Red eyed dragon? Is this the cause of your more timid nature, Yato." I spat tilting my head to smell the air. I could feel my pupils change ever so slightly a slight state of their original state. Dilated slits now scanning the valley, to see what the few could not. " I am Kiiardos Rah, The First Born. If you'd please Yato, I'd be honored to meet a Dragon. If that is truly what you are." I smirked and then glared at the boy.

" There are more dangerous individuals and locations than Kro Var, boy. This place is of no threat to me and my kind."

[member="Morna Imura"]
[member="Lunara Azure"]

 

[Lunara Azure]

Lunara let a smile just touch her lips as she nodded at the older man before turning her attention to the younger one, the one who had...apparetly actually been talking to a dragon. She'd known when she left Zernia that there would be new things to experience, things that she'd never even considered but talking to dragons wasnt something that had even crossed her mind as a possibility. "For what it's worth, I'd realy like to meet a dragon too." It felt a little wierd, a little foolish to just be talking to the air, but if the creature was powerful enough to summon flames out of thin air without truly being present then she wasn't going to be the one to argue with him. Besides, it would certainly be something to write home about, or call or...she should probably contact home a little more.

Her blue eyes slipped over to the young man who had been on the floor, the young man who had anger rolling off him like dark waves filling the valley around them. "Lunara Azure," she paused for a moment, her brain whirling. She had a slew of titles she could throw out, enough to fill the valley 2 times over it felt like sometimes but that wasn't really pertinant or helpful right now, "I guess I'm a scholar." The woman held up her hand, focusing ever so slightly as a spark grew, a line of fire growing to wrap around her lower arm, a snake chasing it's tail over and over before she banished it. "I came to learn what I could, to see how different your techniques are from mine. I just went for a walk and ended up here, it's not like there are any signs saying 'danger keep out' you should probably get on that if it's so dangerous."

[member="Kiiardos Rah"] | [member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Chaaj Priest]

I looked confused over to the man. Directly calling out Yato over this Red-Eyed Dragon. Yet, even as I stood there, I expected him to outright attack the man. Yet he did not. Instead it was silence from him as the man continued. Answering my question about this place not being dangerous for his kind. So something about him was off. His kind, yet he looked human in every sense of the word. Hell, just my instincts were telling me this was nothing normal. Kiiardos Rah, as he proclaimed himself to be the "First Born." Not sure what that meant. However, I didn't speak another word with the woman answering as well. Saying it would be nice to meet a Dragon.

A flaming snake ran up her arm and around her. Dissipating into the air as many Shapers have performed before. I was intrigued. She looked like nobody here. Yet she could control the flames rather easily. Answering her first it seemed was warranted. As there was something I wanted to ask her later on as well.

"As a resident Kro Var Elder, I can show you some of our arts. However..."

I drifted off on my words. Turning to Rah I then turned back towards the sky in which they had found me doing.

"Show us Yato. Please..."
"No. You have yet to show me you are this Shaper of Mine."
"Very well."

I tilted my head to either side. Cracking my neck as it went to either side. Undoing the clasp of my kimono, the checkered top falling to the ground. Followed by my shirt, and boots. I removed all of my clothing. Exposing the scarring of years worth of training in harsh environments. Walking away from the two, giving myself enough space, I fell to my hands and knees. My fingernails being pushed out of my flesh and being replaced with talons. Growing as my skin began to rip and shred into pieces. I could feel the heat of the ground almost burning my flesh off. However, every inch that was burning of me, was replaced with bright white scales. Teeth within my mouth sharpening and stretching. My back arching upwards as the final pieces of my skin was gone and flaking off.

My body shifting from that of human, to dragon. Quickly gaining size and weight as my chest and abs stretched outwards. Almost as though everything was unfolding into the visible spectrum. While I had no visible hair upon my lip or my body, slowly sprouting from between the scales, were ridges of fins, and hair. Silver in color, while others becoming a bronze. Upon stretching all the way out, my form lifted up into the air to float just barely off the ground. My face and maw turning to the sky to roar out in proclamation of my transformation.

"I believe this is proof enough Yato. Descendant of Ao. Now show your form so that I may see you truly are who you say you are!"

Sure enough, the flows of lava began to boil over and clawing his way out of the cracks from the ground itself was a Dragon. His black and red scales coating his entire body. Serpentine frame flowing out of the crack to raise into the sky. While my own form was of an average size as a Dragon like being. Yato was on a completely different scale. As the Alpha of his kind, his length and size were on par with space faring vessels. Nearing a 100 meter length. His own maw opening to face me and my white shine.

Opening to speak.

"You three surely are wasting my time in doing this. However, you do have our Magics. What is it that you three wish?"

[member="Lunara Azure"], [member="Kiiardos Rah"],

 

[Darth Assimilus]

" Very...Interesting.." I could see myself drawn to the outward manifestation of this elemental power. Its very make up called to me. It was as if for a second or two I was captivated by it and if for any longer I would of reached out to touch it for myself. The results having of been disastrous given the close proximity I was to all these lovely people. A snaking flame. Most interesting. Moving my right arm forward infront of my chest I gave my imagination the freedom to visualize the happening of such arts on none other than myself.

" What are you doing? You pick an odd time to impress, boy" My eyes widened observing [member="Morna Imura"] mid act of undressing. I had see humanoid biology before but not like this, not in a place as this least they be burnt to a crisp. With a shrug I glanced at [member="Lunara Azure"] and exhaled a sigh. " Ignorance of youth." I muttered taking two steps back and crossing my hands infront of my chest. Did this boy intend on displaying his honor for all to see? In the name of devotion? He was an odd one after all. Then it happened. Sudden changes across the body. I knew this art all too well. This boy was undergoing a change physical structure and no different than my own. Again the same power called out to me. A Force. Only this time deafening my ears causing me to cringe slightly.

Their was no attack against me and yet there was, For I was not of this reality. And every inch of nature in this dimension threw itself against me in conflict. It was draining to endure. Still I press on. With the transformation of one dragon complete it took mere moments before Yato himself revealed himself. This sight warranted my fullest attention. This is what was of my kin in this reality? I said no words, rather instead i began to circle the two in a large circle keeping my thoughts to myself.

My fingers clasped together and a single finger caressing a jewel embedded ring.

" Your power, your magicks and mysticism what do you call it?" I asked

[member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Lunara Azure]

So not just one dragon but two, Lunara had been expecting a great beast to rise out of the earth, or drop down from the sky, an act similiar to the stories and myths her mother had told them when she was younger. She didn't expect the young man they'd been watching to start romoving his clothes. The joke on her lips hung there, stilfed and dying as he started to shift, his form shifting and changing infront of them. She could see his fingers distorting and extending, the man's skin tearing and flaking off his body as her hands came up to cover her mouth, a barely stifled gasp escaping her lips at the sight of him. It looked like his body was shifting and tearing, mucles and bones reforming. It looked painful, and yet he seemed to just take it in his stride as he challenged that voice that called out again.

The dragon that rose in reply to his challenge, well now that was much more along the lines of what she'd expected in the first place. Majestic and serpentine in form as he stretched up reaching for the sky. The woman glanced over to her other companion, a wry smile pulling her lips, "It's startign to feel like everyone on this planet's a dragon. Next thing I know you're going to transform too, you're not a dragon are you?" The question came out playfully as she turned to the dragon clawing at the sky, stepping forward and dipping into a curtsy, the training of a lifetime hard to overcome. "Much the same as him, I came to learn your techniques, to improve my ability to harness the light, the force and the elements around us."

[member="Kiiardos Rah"] | [member="Morna Imura"]

 

[Chaaj Priest]

Yato shifted his sight from me to Kiiardos as he began to move around us. I twisted around in what would be an impossible feat with the human body, but easy with this serpentine form. Turning to face him as he spoke. Asking of what magics this was. Almost instantly I could hear the massive intake of breath as Yato began to draw in so he could speak. However, I cut in just as he was starting to combat the idea of sharing.

"Shape-shifting, Changeling, Metamorphosis, Transformation. Call it what you will, but the secret that Yato wishes to keep, is the ability to morph or shift a beings body from one shape into another. Doing so with force alone can take an energy amount that could have killed me if done incorrectly. Others in the Galaxy can do it. However, These dragons upon Kro Var are known for withholding knowledge of such magics, or abilities within the force."
"You speak of this Force as though it is of the same calibur Champion."
"It is, Yato. We draw from a pool of energy. That energy can take whatever form we desire it. However, this pool, is infinity, exaustless. We, beings of the flesh, are not. That is why some can perform feats, and others cannot. We have an opened door to this pool. While for others, it may be locked unless someone opens it for them, or they break it themselves."
"You dare to compare the abilities of-"
"You see it that we cannot expand our knowledge with only what you know. However, I know I do not know everything. Nor do you. I see now it was foolish of me to come here and beg beneath you for knowledge."
"That is if you assume I do not have the answers you seek."

Shaking my head, The woman also answered. Wanting to learn of our styles and shaping of the elements. My head twisting once more to face her this time.

"I have a suspicion that Yato is not keen on teaching you. Therefor, as a Champion of Kro Var, I will be willing to show you. However-"

I turned to Yato. Staring at him with my eyes. Clearly challenging him as I would be openly willing to teach someone not of the Kro Var culture.

"I feel that our Wish granter is not in the mood to provide any answers. Unless, that is if he want's to accept the fact that while people have seemingly already been here before, that we still try to keep everything a secrete."

[member="Lunara Azure"], [member="Kiiardos Rah"],

 

[Darth Assimilus]

I could feel my brow furrow slightly. This response was not the one I wanted to hear. This boy was not hearing me. " I see. Whatever you may call such powers where do they derive from? I'm not interested in watching you preform parlor tricks, When your abilities could be harnessed for so much more." Digging my heels into the ash covered earth I smirked launching myself vertically backwards exactly three meters. From my knee bent stance I straightened my body back to its upright form and brandished my ring. A simple rub would suffice.

The stone glew vibrantly apon touch.

" My rose. Your instincts serve you well." A devilish smile grew on my face. Unlike the rather gruesome transformation [member="Morna Imura"] had undertaken. My own was rather quick and less visible to the eye. First came the sudden growth of muscle and bone, The skin itself warming up to incredible temperatures emitting a heat that irradiated fog like steam from my very pores. There was no need after all to watch my body contort itself into new shapes. Next came the light. Blinding in appearance it only left my growing silhouette now. Humanoid rapidly grown into the shape of a dragon.

Stepping out of the hot steam cloud landed a singular three digit foot with massive talons. Twin wings unfolded, expanding outward in opposing directions for a total width of four hundred twenty feet. A singular flap causing all a gust of wind so strong the ash and steam in the immediate area was heaved away. Looking four hundred ten feet down at the creatures below rows of sharp teeth flashed with the same devilish grin accompanied by yellow eyes.

" This thing you call the force, Yato. It is not of the same Caliber. Now if you would be so kind to tell me your biological heritage my serpentine friend."

[member="Lunara Azure"]

 

[Lunara Azure]

She knew it, she knew that there was going to be something like this that would happen, it was just her luck wasn't it? The blonde woman reached up, fingers slipping through a lock off errant hair, tucking it behind her ear as her blue eyes danced from person to person taking her her companions serpentine forms. She'd heard stories about ancient maps, when the cartographers didn't know what to write they used to say, 'here be dragons'...Well, an amused smile danced over Lunara's lips, her words a soft, barely audible, whisper,

"Here be dragons."

Straightening the blonde let her hand fall to her sides, the smile on her lips taking on a distinctly mischevious look as she took a small step backwards and sucked in a deep breath.

"Well, since we're all coming clean right now, I guess I should add to the confessions."

The woman straightened her back, as if to transform herself before she tilted her head to the side and winked,

"I'm not a dragon."

Shapeshifting wasn't even something she'd considered possible, not something the woman had ever come across before in her readings and research but she had to admit it was a pretty impressive sight.

"I really think he want's to know about your biological heritage so if you don't mind?"

She held up a hand, turning it back and forward for the others to see.

"I'm kinda just plain flesh here and I'd really hate to ge caught up in a faight while he tries to dissec you."

[member="Kiiardos Rah"] | [member="Morna Imura"]​