Blending In IC

Blasted fire? She's insane... she's really and truly insane.

Livnah took a half-step backwards, fully prepared to run. First the girl had found her in this school and gotten her away from adults, then she had pulled out some strange device and spoken gibberish at it, and now she was worried that Livnah would run away screaming. What the hell was going on here? What did she do to deserve this?

"I don't know what is wrong with you, but make this quick... whatever this is."

Manohar Rose had watched the happenings in stunned silence, his lip quivering slightly, as if an icicle on the verge of falling from its perch. It was several moments before he was able to process what he had just seen; a fantastic battle, as if of something from his books. Perhaps here lay the evidence that he had been searching for all of his life!

This thought gave Manohar Rose the will to speak. He steeled himself, blinked, and voice in steady tone:

"What are you... What is a Draconian... What were those monsters?"

Sue'on blinked. "I'm not crazy, I assure you." She sent a silent prayer to the Dragon God of good luck, Naidra. Please don't let her run away screaming... He held out her right hand, concentrated, and created a flicker of flame floating above her palm. She let it sit there for a moment before letting it die. I. Hate. MAGIC.

Sue'on smiled at her hand, then flexed it, sending the wildfire of new-found power down to it and it alone. He hand danced with blue fire for a moment before the flames faded. Her skin had been replaced with fire-colored scales, her fingernails with long black claws. Her pupils in her eyes had changed from the human rounded shape to the slightly slitted shape that dragons and reptiles have.

"I'm a draconian- part dragon, part human. Livnah, you are too. I'm not sure which troop you belong to, but we'll get that sorted out once we get you to Andragos. We need to get to the meeting point as soon as possible so Safeirika can get you there before we get attacked by lokolangs- those purple dogs you probably saw earlier. They want to drain your life."

---

Khalad smiled. Progress. "My name is Khalad. I'm a Dark Troop from Andragos- a dragon. Those monsters were lokolangs, creatures that wanted to drain the life from you to feed themselves- a bit like vampires, really. And a draconian is someone who is part dragon, part human. You're a draconian- can I call you Manohar?"

"You know my name...? How, I..."

Manohar Rose, all fear now evaporated, hurriedly got to his feet and began to study the creature - Khalad - who stood in front of him. Though it was clear now that the being was friendly, Manohar Rose could not help but be awed by the dragon. His scales glistened in the dim light, a shade of darkest sable the likes of which Manohar Rose had never before beheld, and accented by those magnificent eyes of piercing emerald. The dragon's body rippled with power, yet his demeanor was gentle and friendly.

"I think... You have a story to tell me?"

"Yeah, it's a really long story. But we don't, ah, have time." Khalad glanced around, concerned. "More of those lokolangs could show up at any moment. And you can't defend yourself yet. We need to get you to Andragos, pronto. Then we can sort out everything." Khalad blinked. "Ah shoot. I didn't really think through HOW I was going to get you to where Blaze will be waiting to open the portal."

Khalad crouched, then jumped up, flapping his wings down with all his strength. He flapped several times, hard. He flew up above the buildings, hovering, and looked around. His eyes locked on the building where he could see the red fiery colored mass that was Blaze. After a moment, he landed back down on the ground. "Okay. So we need to get you all the way over there." Khalad pointed at the high roof of a somewhat-far away building. "Any ideas?"

Is that… that’s fire! It’s floating right above her hand!

If Livnah weren’t frozen in shock, she probably would’ve done the very thing Sue’on was so fearful of. But she was, so she didn’t. This just didn’t make sense. Blue flames bursting out of thin air, travelling down someone’s arm, but with no harmful effects visible… it just wasn’t right.

“Wha-” she stammered, “your arm… what…”

Draconian… troop… Andragos? Who the hell is Safeirika? Why would those purple dog-things want to drain my life? How could they even do that?

“Looks like mom’s right… I finally cracked,” Livnah spat, then began to chuckle (with a twinge of hysteria), “Magic, life-draining dogs, draconians? This is earth, not some story book!”

Her tone darkened and her eyes practically sparked, “This better not be some trick.”

"Ahh..."

Manohar Rose rubbed his smooth, pointed chin in thought. "Surely, you could simply fly me to this Blaze and his portal? Or do these Lokolangs have us pinned?"

This thought seemed to worry the boy, and he glanced around nervously.

Sue'on's eyes widened. "You're not crazy, and this is not a trick." She turned and dug her claws into the wall, and tore four five-inch-long gashes in the wall. (Her thumb claw wasn't doing anything) "I know, this is a lot to talk in. I was the first draconian to discover my powers; I found out what I was a couple of months ago! The rest of you are beginning to find out now." Sue'on's hand danced with green fire, and when it faded, the hand was back to normal.

"Those lokolangs out there- those things are really dangerous. Safeirika says that a single lokolang is just as dangerous as a pack: it can call others easily. If we don't move- and soon, we're going to have a whole dokyr of the things outside. Now, Safeirika wasn't overall very-" The ground shook, but only noticeable to those with Second Sight- namely draconians and creatures of the second plane. "Ah." Sue'on continued. "she's right outside."

---

Khalad blinked, obviously having never thought of the idea. He compared sizes, then nodded. "I'm maybe eight feet tall, and I'm strong...but I might not be able to carry you all the way. If I think I'm going to fall, I'll land, and we'll have to- oh heck."

Another lokolang and come into the ally, teeth bared. Khalad sighed. He shouted what sounded like an insult in the dragon troop's language, Kyroen, and drew his sword. "Come and get me." he hissed in English. The lokolang paced at the entrance to the ally uncertainly. "Give me the draconian!" it roared. "You'll have to go through me, first. And there's a reason that I was chosen to be a Draconian Escort. They picked only the strongest and best of the dragons- even Captain Pen went out to find one."

The lokolang howled in anger, turned, and fled. Khalad frowned. "We need to get going, Manohar. Now." he sheathed his sword, picked up the draconian, put him on his back, said "Hold on!" and took off.

Having never flown before, either by industrial or magical means, Manohar Rose found it to be quite the shock when he was unexpectedly removed from the safety and comfort of solid ground.

He dealt by squeezing his eyes shut and muttering shy, rambling prayers under his breath as he felt the terrifying force of the takeoff press him against Khalad's metallic scales.

Khalad's flight was unsteady and jerky. He wasn't used to having the weight of a human/draconian in human form on his back. Oh Four please don't let me crash. he silently prayed. The people below saw a young boy floating jerkily through the air; they couldn't see Khalad at all.

Khalad's wings pumped as hard as he was capable, and he managed to navigate drunkenly to the rooftop. As they drew closer, the red thing turned out to be a dragon. This dragon's name was Blaze Core. He was a quadrupedal dragon that was about forty feet long. His scales were colored like fire, his eyes were like glinting sapphires in the sunlight. The three horns crowning his head were the game warm golden color as his claws and triple-point tailend. The spines along his back were a brighter red, as was his nose spike.

Khalad landed heavily, dumped the draconian Manohar on the ground, then collapsed forward in exhaustion, groaning. "You alright, Khalad?" Blaze asked, lowering his head slightly. Khalad moaned. "I wasn't built to carry humans on my back. You can do it more easily than me- troop dragons don't carry things on our backs. Ever."

Well, if no one noticed her strange powers before, they’ll sure notice those gauges in the wall.

Livnah readjusted her backpack, face fixed in a neutral expression. It was a sharp change after her earlier laughter and then scowl. “Alright then, let’s say I go with you and whoever this Safeirika is… what happens when I don’t come back to class, don’t go home,and generally disappear from here for who-knows-how-long? Won’t people start searching or at least start to wonder?”

But then the ground shook, causing her to jump in spite of herself. “She’s right outside?” her voice was noticeably softer now, “Is she a… draconian like you say you are or something else entirely?”

I'll just go along with them now, see if all this fire-creating stuff is real or some parlor trick... I mean, how can this all be real? How could this whole realm of creatures remained hidden from the rest of the world for however long they've existed?

There has to be more to the story.

"Safeirika can handle it, don't worry. I don't know how she does the things she does." Sue'on said, shifting her weight to her other foot. "Safeirika is a pure dragon, a unique one- she's the Life of the World, Safeirika Core." Sue'on darted halfway out the door, then turned. "Come on!" she called.

Livnah shrugged and ran outside after Sue'on, inwardly her mind was racing. Safeirika was a full-blown dragon, apparently the Life of the World too. She had no idea was thatmeant, but it must be significant for Sue'on to mention it.

What have I gotten myself into?

Mom's gonna kill me when she finds out I essentially skipped school...

Safeirika was standing outside.

She was about forty feet long. Her eyes were a deep emerald color that seemed to go on and on forever. Her scales were shimmery azure blue with slightly darker tinting on her back and slightly brighter on his stomach. Her horns, claws, and triple-point tailend were a silver color that twinkled light back at the source. Safeirika's back spines were brighter blue. She was obviously a graceful dragon and looked strong.

Sue'on bowed her head respectfully to Safeirika. "We don't have time for these formalities now, Sue'on." the dragon rumbled kindly. "We need to get moving." Safeirika turned her gave to Livnah. "Greetings, draconian." she said.

Livnah stopped cold just outside the doors of the school, mouth slightly open. Safeirika was huge, simply put. How could no one else be freaking out at this? She was a forty foot dragon standing near a high school in the middle of the day!

"H-hello," she stammered, eyes wide.

How could I possibly become something like that?

Safeirika looked back at Sue'on. "You'll need to go dragon form. We don't want another...accident like last time." Sue'on snorted in response. "No kidding." She extended her arms outwards and felt the power flow through her.

A column of blue fire completely engulfed her completely. The fire danced around, then suddenly grew larger. Black claws slashed through the fire as wings and a scorpion tail did the same. As the fire dissipated, it revealed Sue'on in all her dranonic glory; a seven-foot-tall bipedal Fitronian colored like fire.

Sue'on looked at Livnah. "Ready to go?" she asked.

Livnah took another step back, nodding numbly in response to Sue'on's question. Where the glasses-wearing young girl had once stood was a towering dragoness coated in scales the same shimmering shades as fire. A slender reptilian face crowned with spikes of silvery blue. She was terrifying and yet strangely beautiful, somewhat like Safeirika.

I'll turn into one of those creatures?

"Where are we going?" she said, inwardly rejoicing that her voice didn't tremble once, "I've been told of some place called Andragos, but how exactly are we going to get there?"

"Seriously though, how is no one else seeing any of this?!"

Flopping unceremoniously onto the roof's unforgiving concrete, it was several seconds before Manohar Rose worked up the gall to open his eyes and gaze upon this new Dragon. Once he did, he immediately recoiled, squeezing shut the lids once more, for the enormous beast's scales shone like stars in the warm sunlight.

Covering his eyes with one hand, Manohar Rose righted himself, straightened his posture, and generally attempted to make himself presentable before saying: "You must be Blaze? I understand that you have a... portal?"

((Tanadin: Attempt rare and highly dangerous 3X MULTI-VIEWPOINT POST COMBO))

((Sue'on has silvery blue horns, not black))
"The dragon troop's planet, Andragos, is our destination. I will be creating a portal that will take us there. Sue'on will then explain in more detail, but we really don't have time while still on Earth." Safeirika explained. Sue'on blinked. "Oh heck. I didn't have time to explain the exo cloaks to you. Well, you'll learn on Andragos. The short version is that things like dragons are usually hidden from humans, whereas right now people can see you standing alone talking to yourself." she said.

---

Blaze nodded. "Yes, I will be opening a portal to the dragon planet Andragos right here on the roof for us. Well, rather you and Khalad. I won't be going through- I have more draconians to transport, granted that they didn't get eaten." he said. Khalad forced himself to his feet. "I can't wait to be home again. I've been sitting around here all day, waiting for him." The dragon jerked a thumb claw at the draconian.

---

"Yes, I am a dragon." Captain Pen said. "I come from the planet Andragos, and I'm here to pick you up. Keshira, you're a draconian- part human, part dragon. I have a suspicion that you're part Slitonian, but that will be determined once we get to Andragos." Keshira took a step back. "I don't believe you." she said weakly.

Pen shrugged. "I can't make you believe in dragons. But I assure you, if you stay on Earth any longer before learning to defend yourself, you will die. That was just proven to you by that lokolang." Keshira blinked, then nodded slowly. "Alright. I'll go off on your crazy quest. I don't have anything better to do."

The dragon smiled. "Good. Now, we have to wait for Blaze to show up and create the portal. I can't make it myself."

Livnah nodded, "Okay, fine, sounds good." There wasn't any use asking how there was a whole other planet filled with life that hadn't been discovered or even rumored of. There'd be time for that once they got to Andragos.

She nearly groaned aloud when Sue'on explained a bit about exo cloaks. Just what I need, more fuel for the rumors that I'm unstable. Wait 'til my parents catch word of me standing outside and talking to myself.

((Woops, I'll fix that.))

That word - Draconian - Manohar Rose had been meaning to ask about that. He cocked his head ever-so-slightly, blinked once in thought, and mustered the courage to look the dragon in the eyes.

They were friendly eyes, however, and Manohar Rose did not have trouble feeling welcomed by their magnificent sapphire gaze. He cleared his throat.

"You say I am a Draconian? And, that there are more of these Draconians? What are we, what purpose do we serve in this - Andragos?"

Safeirka reared onto her back legs and extended her wings outward, revealing that her wingspan was at least as long as she was. She made some complex motions with her claws, then barked out something that sounded like gibberish. She made her claws into a circle, then interlocked her claws. She pushed her front paws forward and unlocked her claws, sending a green bolt of energy in front of her. As it struck the ground, it expanded into a large blue disk with a green swirl within it. Safeirika crashed back down to all fours then motioned at the portal with her tail. "Go on." she said.

Sue'on patted Livnah's shoulder reassuringly. "Take a deep breath before stepping through. It has a habit of knocking the breath out of you." she cautioned. She stepped up next to the portal, then waited for Livnah to go through.

---

Blaze nodded. "You are a draconian, and there are more of you. We aren't sure exactly how many, but sources lead us to believe at least fifteen. Several have already been killed, which is why it is imperative that we get to safety quickly." Khalad turned to look at Manohar. "A draconian is part dragon, part human, as I said before. The percentage that's in you is unknown, as is the troop that you belong to. Don't worry, we'll get it all sorted out."

Blaze sighed in response to Khalad's explanation. "The purpose and origin of draconians- indeed, all of humankind- is a long story that will be told to all draconians that reach the safety of Andragos. Now let me open the portal."

Blaze reared up to his back legs and repeated his sister's movements precisely, opening a portal to Andragos. Khalad gave Manohar a friendly shove towards it, but not through it. "Go on through. It's completely safe- I'll even go first." The Dratonion tensed his legs then jumped through the disk of the portal. There was a bright blue flash, and the dragon was gone. Blaze nodded at the portal. "Go ahead through. I won't be following you because I have to make sure that Captain Pen and his draconian don't get left behind."

Shelving all of his current questions - What were these 'troops?' Why did those monsters from the alleyway want him and his kind dead? He was part-dragon?!?! - Manohar steeled himself to enter the Portal.

Perhaps, on the other side, he would encounter the fantastic world of which he had partaken of so many fanciful dreams... Perhaps not. But there was only one way to find out.

Much as it terrified him to do so, Manohar Rose closed his eyes, curled his lips inward, took a deep breath, and - in a single, rigid stride - passed through the portal.

Livnah watched silently as Safeirika did what could only be described as magic. What the hand motions or words meant was alien to her, but it was still interesting to watch. Did draconians have the ability to do stuff like that too? Making portals could be pretty useful, if something didn't go wrong of course.

She nodded, took a deep breath to steel her resolve, and stepped through the portal.

Both draconians entered the portals in the same instant. The portals appeared to be flat disks, concealing nothing within, but that was wrong. The world of Andragos, indeed all the of the second plane, didn't exist inside the portals. The portals served as gateways, nothing more.

Both draconians felt frigid cold, then a vast, empty nothingness. All they could see was black, the other senses were useless- they couldn't even feel their own arms. In the distance ahead of them, or perhaps and inch in front of them, there was a vast shock of purple lightning. For a moment, a human face appeared in the purple before the draconians were engulfed. They felt a vast surge of energy, then suddenly their senses worked again. Their lungs were squeezed for a moment, then they were there.

Where was 'there', exactly? They were on a large, brown, stone platform perhaps a hundred feet in diameter. This platform was on a very large island- so large that you could only see the beach and ocean to the right- and covered in grass and trees. The draconians appeared next to each other, at the same precise moment as if planned. Khalad was already there. A moment later, Sue'on also appeared. Safeirika phased in at the far side of the platform, then sat similar to a cat.

The air on Andragos was clearer and less polluted than any air that either draconian had ever breathed. The sky was a brilliant blue, with few clouds in the sky. The sun was slowly rising, nearing the noonday point; Andragos's sun was almost twice as large as Earth's, but Andragos seemed not to notice the larger size of its sun. Andragos, too, was at least twice as large as Earth, although the draconians couldn't tell at this point in time.

Sue'on clapped her hands together. "Welcome to Andragos. Quite the stunner, isn't it?" she said. Khalad laughed. "Your Earth is so small and smelly in comparison. I'm glad to be home again, even though I was on Earth for a day."