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 Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 2:27 am
 Zurin wove through the corridors of the mountain and his mind wandered to think of ants. Were they ants to live in such a way? But considering all the protections installed in the warrens, he supposed it was the very safest place.
It was early; everyone else was asleep. He reached the landing stage; a beautiful room with no furniture with a wonderfully decorated opening in the wall to the outside. It was the main way of egress to the mountain via flight.
Zurin launched himself from the mouth of the opening, dropped for a few seconds and then his wings caught an updraught. He landed close to the base of the mountain, the most abandoned place. Dragons lived in the peak to middle. Hippogryphs lived on the middle side in eyries. Eerinna and Zanobi lived on the ocean side of the mountain by the base in an ice palace.
But the north-north-west of the mountain was Zurin's own. Here he experimented in a set of rooms which were often dark, smelled of fire and burning metal. He did not prefer privacy, just peace.
In here slept his most spectacular creation. Spectacular in success or failure, he did not yet know. In the dark, brooding lurked a great monster of a machine with fire as a heart. Infernus's eyes burned a little brighter as he heard Zurin enter the laboratory. It didn't occur to him to be pleased to have company, but he knew it might mean things would be less monotonous. He did not mind monotony. He did not mind anything.Zurin set some lights on. He came through the den where Infernus lived. "Morning," he said. He did not expect an answer. Infernus had the capacity for speech but no inclination. He was alive, however, and therefore Zurin afforded Infernus the greeting eh would give any person.
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:20 am
 Guinevere landed smoothly on the grass next to her aunt's home. She had heard of a dragon with sparkles in his wings not unlike her own, one as handsome as the night sky. And while Guin didn't normally seek out company or follow silly girlish whims, something pulled at her to go and meet this dragon.
But of course she didn't want to go alone. The mountain where he lived was inhabited by others, some she had heard were not very accommodating to strangers. Guinievere didn't bother to knock on the door, chances were good that Valencia wouldn't answer anyway. She'd been moping ever since the disappearance of her would be mate.
"Valencia!" The cool blue demoness wound her way through the house heading straight for the firey female's bedroom.  Valencia moved quickly to her bedroom door, opening it and stepping out before her niece could see how messy it was. Normally a neat and organized pony, Val hadn't much felt like keeping up with her chores. She didn't have the heart for it. After all, clean houses were for people who had their lives together, and she didn't.
"What are you doing?! You could have at least knocked, Guin!"Icy blue lips twitched up at their corners. "That sounds much more like my auntie."
She appraised Valencia's appearance, pleased, "At least you brushed your hair today. When in top form, Valencia would have thrown a fireball at her pain in the rear niece. Today, she simply snorted, rolled her eyes, and fired back, "And I see your manners haven't improved any. Now go away."
"No, you're coming with me." Guin's icy hoof reached for her aunt's and she tugged her through the house and out the door. "We're going on an adventure. There's this dragon that I want to meet, with wings like mine and colored like the night sky..." She stared off somewhat dreamily into space, building his appearance in her mind.The orange and red earth pony pulled her hoof back, rubbing it where Guin's cold hoof had been. "Males are nothing but trouble. You'd do best to forget this crush and go back to your life." Her voice was sad and her eyes gained a far away look. Vesperus had been nothing but trouble, that was for certain. He had built her up, telling her that she was pretty, making her feel special, and then...Poof! He was gone. And now she was lost, wondering why he'd left and what to do next.Guin's blue eyes rolled, "So you have to come with me. You don't want anythng to happen to me, right? And if males are so much trouble and you let me go by myself...well...just think about the possibilities..."That galvanized Valencia into action. "Ok, I'm going. But only because you and your silly heart seem to be unthawing..."So the pair set off, making the journey to the other side of the island, to a mountain on the coast. ((I need a writing break for this one. I feel like that's a Lenore sized post!))
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 6:03 pm
In the ever shadowed Nightmare Valley, everything seem to make strange noises. Including the wind. And the closer they got to the mountains, the more the wind sounded like moaning. "Just great...and how do you know where this dragon will be?" Valencia's orange and red coat made her stand out against the vegetation. She was uncomfortable with being such a large target. "Nobody better come along and get any ideas about this big orange spot..."
Guin rolled her eyes and snickered, "And why do you think I wanted to bring you? So that I wouldn't be a target!" She nudged her aunt playfully. "It's not that bad. We're almost to the base of the mountain we need to be at. After that though, I think we'll have to find a way for you to climb to the right spot? No one was very forthcoming about how to get up the mountain...and I could fly...but there's no way I could carry you..."
"Like I'd let you carry me. You'd probably drop me just because." She smiled affectionately at Guin. They were more than aunt and niece. Guin had always had a cold and gruff exterior, something that Valencia never let get in her way. Others let the little girl grow into the woman without so much as trying to breech the wall that Guin had put up. It was really their loss though. Guin was a nice little polar pop, she just needed someone to believe she was worth getting past the wall for.
Well, when we get to the base of that mountain, I say we rest. That was a long hike." Val reared up and grabbed at her middle. "I thought I was in better shape..." She came back down with a clatter, sending some loose stones further toward the edge of the path.
"But you are in a great shape. Almost a perfect circle!" Guin's taunt echoed off the mountain. She stopped and looked up. "There might be a path that way? "
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Posted: Tue Aug 19, 2014 8:51 pm
((Wouldn't know, never rped with her XDD))
Zurin heard an alert go off near his base of operations. Normally he would expect it to be Racket or Alan, but Alan would be the person he would send to check it out and racket was up in the hills doing something destructive today. He was sure it was nothing dangerous, but his experiments were going nowhere today and he felt like a stretch.
"Going to check on that," he said to Infernus, who said nothing in reply.
When he reached the outside, he sailed around to inspect the area. Perhaps someone was lost, or here for a prank. He wondered how one played 'Ding Dong Ditch' at a place with no doorbells. Or doors.
He spotted a bright, shimmering red spot and for a moment was concerned about forest fire, but he relaxed; the colour was too vibrant for flame and lacked black smoke. Next to it was an equally shimmering white and blue spot. Zurin supposed they were lost, he had never seen their like before.
He landed some way away to avoid the appearance of jumping on them and called out. "Friends, are you in need of help?" That was just like him, he thought, always in the right place at the right time.
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 3:45 pm
Guin tugged at Valencia excitedly and whispered, "Did you see that? That was him! Wasn't just so blue?" Her voice squeaked and she tried to compose herself before calling out to him. "Um, yes, we could, actually. We heard that there was a great dragon who lived on this mountain, one with wings that sparkled in a similar way to mine. I wanted to come and meet him, as I have never seen another with such wings who wasn't related to me."
Valencia almost choked. Guin was definitely showing her bloodline with all the flattery. Her own mother and several sisters would flatter one into compliance if they thought that was easier than forcing it. And Guin's other side were known to be charmers in order to get what they wanted. She just hoped that Guin wasn't laying it on a little too thick. She decided to kick her just for good measure, smiling sweetly as she did so.
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Posted: Wed Aug 20, 2014 9:07 pm
"Great dragon?" said Zurin quietly. That had to be flattery. Or ignorance. He came around the fringe of trees and met two ladies, as different as night and day, one bright as fire rubies and one shimmering like ice.
"I can certainly say my wings shine with less lustre than yours," he said to the one he expected to have spoken, being the only one of the two to have wings.
"If you'd like a name to call me shorter than that, I am called Zurin. If I may," he continued, "I offer my workshop to you. You picked an odd day to come visiting; it will pelt with rain soon. Everyone has taken shelter. You didn't notice you didn't meet another soul?"
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Posted: Thu Aug 21, 2014 4:49 pm
"See! I knew this was a bad idea..."
Guinevere pretended not to hear her aunt and smiled, "We would be very grateful to you. I had no clue it was going to rain. That does explain why we didn't see anyone, but I figured we wouldn't run into anyone anyway..."
Guin tossed her icy hair over her shoulder and looked up at the clouds. "That does look nasty. Oh! I've forgotten my manners!" She shot a warning glare at Valencia, just in case she too that opportunity to point out that Guin usually didn't have any. "My name is Guinevere, and this is my aunt, Valencia."
Valencia smiled, "Zurin was it? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And I apologize for my--"
"I don't think it's very fair, Zurin, for you to say that your wings shine less than mine. Yours are truly magnificent. Do they emit enough light to see by? I'm not sure that mine do. They catch the light, but actually emitting it...well...that's another matter..." That icy glare was once again pointed as inconspicuously as possible at Valencia. The message it sent was clear: Don't screw this up.
There was an indignant huff stuck in Valencia's throat, not to mention a few choice words as well, but Val let them stay stuck, for now. Once they were back at her place though, Guinevere would be getting a piece of her mind. To be treated so rudely after Guin asked her to come along. The more she thought about it, the angrier she got. Hopefully it didn't start raining on them. She'd have to explain why she was emitting steam...and that could get embarrassing.
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Posted: Fri Aug 22, 2014 12:19 am
"Nightmare Valley is very populated," said Zurin conversationally. "You just see a lot less of everyone in the day. And when it rains, but you can't tell; it's normally extremely overcast. Very little difference."
He dipped his head to them. "Guinevere and Valencia, I am pleased to make your acquaintances."
He coaxed the ladies forward and made his way to the walking track leading up to his base of operations while he answered. "I think the effect caused by my wings is some kind of reflection and distribution of light, so there is no effect when one would require it. I have never really thought about it before." He suddenly heard rain fall and he stretched out his wings for the meagre protection they would offer.
"Hurry, it is up there," he said.
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 3:01 pm
Guin readily huddled in close to Zurin, "Oh that's not so far. We won't be out in the rain for long, thank goodness. Valencia can get somewhat steamy in the rain."
Valencia's eyes widened in shock. She could not believe that her niece had just mentioned such a thing! She gratefully took Zurin's very kind offer of his extended wings. "Thank you so much, Zurin, for thinking to keep the rain off of us." She didn't crowd him though. He was being quite the gentleman, and she didn't want to take his kindness for granted or seem ungrateful by crowding his space. Most dragons did not like their space invaded, and neither did she really.
"It might be worth finding out if they just reflect light or if they actually glow. That could open up a whole new world of activities."
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Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2014 9:48 pm
Zurin reached the opening in the cave and allowed the ladies to go in first. When he slid in, he shook himself off.
"I have many things to explore," he said to Guin, "but if I ever get bored, I will definitely see what I can find out about my wings.
"This is just an ante-chamber, inside there are facilities, perhaps something to warm you up?" he asked. "Then, perhaps, you might like to see a few of my projects?"
He smiled at the thought. He hated being interrupted, but he hadn't been having a very productive day anyway and he loved to show off.
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Posted: Wed Nov 19, 2014 9:32 pm
Valencia's insides felt cold, so with the mention of a warm drink, she cheered up. "I'd love something warm to sip on, if it's not too much trouble for you." Despite being a cave, the interior thus far was both dry and fairly warm, something she hadn't expected. "What kinds of things are you working on?"
"Yes, what are you working on? We'd love to see some of your projects!" The ice demoness shivered lightly, "Perhaps a warm drink would be good. If I'd had any idea about the rain today, I would have brought along a poncho or something."
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Posted: Sat Nov 22, 2014 7:59 pm
Zurin plucked a kettle from the fire. "Such a lucky thing I left this on," he said, but without surprise. He was a lucky guy, and these things just happened. He poured water from the kettle into three mugs. "Hot chocolate, tea or coffee?" he offered, pouring a hot chocolate blend into his own mug.
He sipped his concoction without care- a dragon need not fear being burned by simple hot water.
"Well," he said after he swallowed, "I have some knickknacks which need a bit of tending to, and there's... something below. I can show you, if you want, after your drink."
Infernus heard Zurin return and his voice, but he also heard other, different voices and treads. He did not often see others. It did not occur to him to be curious.
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