Blending In IC

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."

Already stunned by the breathtaking force of commute-via-portal, Manohar Rose was even more struck by the alien world's eldritch appearance.

He stared, wide-eyed and blank-minded, first out at the ocean - which glistened with a brilliant sheen from the sun that bordered on the metallic - and then into the sky. It was this that fascinated Manohar Rose the most. In fact, he would later attest that it was simply the most captivating thing that he, or any other creature from primitive Earth, could ever lay eyes upon. Its virgin brilliance positively shined with light that seemed to alternate frequently between radiant hues of cyrulean and indigo, and that sun - such a glorious sun! - oversaw the whole affair with its blinding, celestial might.

The whole thing, combined with the unfamiliarity of the queer island vegetation, and the dream-like sounds produced from unseen and equally strange throats, was - put basically - quite striking for a boy as young as Manohar Rose.

He felt the need to sit down, and this he did, shuddering from lack of breath in not-altogether-quite-different a way than one who had just set eyes upon the love of his life, and found his heart thus weakened.

Sue'on transformed back into human form- being covered in green fire before it faded- then stepped up to the male draconian. She sat down next to him. "It's a lot to take in, isn't it? Hey, I'm a draconian too, the second ever to discover their powers. I had to go through this alone. There's two of you right now, and you guys have me, and the others coming. I'm sure at least three more will survive. Captain Pen knows what he's doing, as do the other escorts."

She smiled, then stood and turned to Safeirika. "How long should we wait for the others?" Safeirika thought for a moment. "When my brother shows up, I think we should get going. That event may happen any time between half an hour and two hours." Sue'on nodded.

"Two of us...? Wait, I don't see-"

Manohar Rose, having previously been too busy to notice that another draconian had indeed joined their party, was mildly surprised to find that this had most definitely occurred. The girl that stood now before him - indeed, two inches his senior, though she looked slightly younger - was an athletic specimen clothed casually in jeans, a t-shirt, and a similar amount of surprise.

Further words left Manohar Rose as the sheer absurdity of the situation sunk in. Here was he on an alien planet, surrounded by a company of dragons, half-dragons, part-dragons or dragon-lings, and he had just bumped into a complete and ordinary stranger as easily as if the two had brushed past eachother in a school or coffee shop.

Feeling slightly impolite, Manohar Rose quietly and meekly introduced himself to the other Draconian and to the new beings present, one of which had seemed to have adopted a human form. Of course, of course they can do that! It was all mystically dream-like, and the subconscious mind of Manohar Rose made a subtle resolution to accept all that was nonsensical as complete and corporeal happenings.

Livnah stood quietly, just absorbing it all, until she caught the last few words that Sue'on said.

"What do you mean, 'at least three more will survive'?" she said, voice taking on a dark quality, "Does that mean that there are others like us that simply won"t? There are other draconians, or whatever you've decided to call us before you spirit us away to some strange planet, that will die back on earth?"

"How many aren't going to be saved from those purple dogs or other creatures?"

To be honest, she didn't even know herself where this stream of anger had come from. Just a few seconds ago she'd been taking in the scenery in a state of awe.

Sue'on held up her hands. "Woah, wait, calm down!" Safeirika stood and walked over to Livnah. She lowered her head until her nose touched the ground and her eyes were about level with Livnah's. "We cannot be everywhere at once to save all draconians. There are too many to save. Many have already died. Be thankful that we've managed to save you. What you don't realize is that more escorts than draconians have died. I lost on of my good friends today attempting to save your hide. Ra'kara want draconians, and they got some. You are safe as long as you are with us on Andragos, but Earth is not safe right now for you."

Khalad sighed. "There are maybe fifty draconians. At most, ten or fifteen will make it here. Two hundred escorts were send out; at most, sixty will return. Neltharaku-" But Sue'on cut him off. "Hush, Khalad! They don't need to know about him yet. Wait."

Livnah visibly wilted as Sue'on spoke, silently berating herself for blurting out such a rude accusation to those who'd saved her from having her essence devoured by demon-dogs. What was getting into her lately?

So many died just to get us here, so many lives were sacificed on the mere hope that some draconians would be found and rescued. Here I am, throwing those deaths back in their faces...

"Sorry," she mumbled, rubbing a hand across her eyes, "I'm normally not like this... well, I guess I am, just not this bad. The emotion switches have been more... sudden lately."

Safeirika drew back and nodded. "I will explain why draconians are so important once my brother returns." Sue'on clapped her hands. "Is Captain Pen an escort?" she asked. As if to answer, there was a shimmer in the air and a third draconian appeared, followed quickly by Captain Pen.

Keshira stared at everything, then her eyes locked on the sky. Her mouth hung open at the sight of that brilliant blue. Captain Pen locked eyes with Safeirika. "Blaze says that Khalad needs to pick up his secondary draconian; Ioran got killed by a Ra'kara." he said grimly. Safeirika took a step back. "Ioran...dead? She is...was...one of the best magic users out of the Slitonian race. I wouldn't believe that she was dead if you hadn't told me yourself..."she whispered.

She repeated her earlier motions and opened a portal. Khalad sighed. "More stupid Earth air." he muttered, then stepped through. The portal faded away as Safeirika let the power dissipate.

Captain Pen glanced around, then nodded. "Three draconians so far, and it's only been half a day. Good work so far." "Any idea how long Blaze will take?" Sue'on asked. "No. Shorter than two hours, though, judging by the death rate. I wonder why Neltharaku's forces chose today..."

Still struggling to take in every bit of information - information that, Manohar Rose had to bring himself to face, may in future be crucial to his success and survival - the dark-haired boy cleared his throat in a meek attempt to gain the attention of the powerful figures that seemed to lay waste to any scrap of courage that lay in Manohar Rose's heart with their ominous conversation.

"Ah... Neltharaku?" he managed to stutter after a moment of silence. He had long given up all hope of retaining names, but Sue'on's interjection had piqued his curiosity. "What is that?"

Safeirika turned to the other draconian. "You will learn about him in time. I don't want to have him explained twice; the horrible things he's done corrupt the air with their very mention. Just know that- oh for goodness' sake, child, look at me when I'm speaking." This last part was addressed at Keshira, who was still staring at the sky. She started, then looked at the dragon. "I'm sorry, I'm just...overwhelmed." she said. Safeirika's voice softened. "I know its hard to believe and take in, but don't worry. Sue'on could do it."

Sue'on nodded. "Imagine my surprise when I was the only person grabbed and put on some strange alien world and expected to do all sorts of heroic things right off! Both the dragons and I have learned so much from each other already."

((Activate the ass-pull!))

English was hardly Ed's favorite class; it was mostly just a grammar lesson today, and it was a concept he already understood the first time the teacher went over it. But no, there were a bunch of illiterates in the middle rows who just couldn't get it, so they'd spent a half-hour basically going over the introduction ad infinitum.

Doodles already lined both margins of his notebook, then spilled over and took up the bulk of the page. They were mostly stick figures, which was the extent of Ed's artistic talent (that was his cousin's domain), but he thought they were rather expressive. One pole-vaulted a bullet point, abandoned halfway through writing when he realized it was a duplicate. One high-dove off the title of the day's notes. Two others fenced, standing horizontally on the margin line. That sort of led into the image of a knight getting torn in half by an enormous dragon (the dragon looked sort of like a winged hippo, but whatever). He wasn't sure where that came from, in retrospect, but it was far from his mind now. Now he stared absentmindedly out the window, eyes not focused, brain not really there.

Ed slowly became aware of the color purple, and his mind returned to what he was seeing. At first, he didn't really believe it. The purple he saw was a doglike creature staring at him through the window! It was unlike anything he'd ever seen before. He blinked and shook his head to make sure he wasn't imagining it. And sure enough, he wasn't. When the creature realized it had been spotted, it turned and dove out of sight, but Ed still got a good enough look at it to know it had really been there.

He quickly excused himself, making up an excuse about having to go to the bathroom, then booked it outside. Whatever it was had to be around here somewhere.

If he'd known it was behind him, then maybe he would have been more effective at looking for it.

Blaze saw the draconian below...and the lokolang behind it. He figured he had maybe four seconds before the lokolang got it. He folded his wings, plunging into a steep dive. "Kid, behind you!" he roared. He extended out his claws, ready to grab the lokolang and rip it into a million bloody pieces.

Ed tried to spin around in his wheelchair, but there was only so fast he could maneuver in something so cumbersome. By the time he had gotten turned ninety degrees and could see what was going on, the dog-thing was already in the air. So he did the only thing he could and pushed the chair out from under him, sending himself forwards and the chair backwards. The dog thing landed just past him, but then Ed had seen a potentially bigger problem: a dragon in full Cuisinart mode diving at him. Without the use of his legs, Ed was by this point entirely screwed, so he curled up in the fetal position and waited for the end.

Blaze unfurled his wings and swooped down then up, grabbing the lokolang in his claws along the way. He hovered above and held the monster in front of him. He growled angrily and blasted it with fire, dissolving it into ashes leaving nothing but a small amount of soot on his claws. He hissed and slowly landed about thirty feet away from the terrified draconian.

"Relax. I don't want to hurt you. My name is Blaze Core, and I'm here to rescue you from lokolangs. Err, that thing was a lokolang, by the way."

Ed didn't move; all he did was stay curled up where he was. "How do I know you didn't just want to eat me yourself?" he asked, the sound somewhat muffled by shirt. All he could see that he'd done was trade one monster for another; it was like finding out that the guy who saved you from a mugging was a mafioso who wanted to charge for his services.

"Look, I don't want to eat you or hurt you in any way." Blaze said, taking a hesitant step forward. Oh great. The fact that I am a few thousand years old isn't showing, it's the fact that I have the maturity and social skills of a juvenile who's parents never let it leave the cave that is. He blinked at the draconian uncertainly. Something seemed to be wrong with its legs, as it had been sitting in a strange contraption earlier and had to jump out of it to get away. "Hey, um, what was that thing that you were sitting in earlier?" he asked.

Wow, great social skills Blaze. Why not add a bit of stuttering too, just to show that you don't know how to talk to people? Because you can't! You always leave the talking up to Safeirika and sit in your lonely little volcano. And how you're talking to yourself inside your head in third person. Wow, you couldn't just be antisocial, you had to be weird too.

The question was surprising enough to get Ed to un-ball and lift himself up on an elbow. "You've never seen a wheelchair before?" he asked. "Why don't you help me get into it, and I'll show you what it's for."

Ed still didn't trust this "Blaze" creature, but if he was sufficiently naive that he didn't know Ed was halfway paralyzed, then there was still hope for getting away.

Blaze pulled the wheelchair over, making sure it was the right side up. He stared curiously at it for a moment before looking back at the draconian. "I'm going to pick you up now." he warned.

He reached over and picked up the draconian, carefully. Blaze gently put him down in the strange thing, thankfully not backwards or something. He was extremely curious as to what this thing was and what purpose it could serve.

Ed reached down and manually positioned his legs on the footrests. "This is a wheelchair. I'm paralyzed from the waist down, so I use this to get around. Or, sometimes, I just fall off like a moron."

He re-angled his chair so he was pointed in the proper direction, namely, slightly away from the dragon. "So why is it you're being so nice? I've not heard of a dragon going out of their way to save people. Or of, you know, dragons existing at all."

As far as Ed was concerned, he considered himself to be taking this like a champ.

Blaze's eye widened. "I...I'm sorry to hear that." he whispered, almost to himself. The idea of being paralyzed was terrible to him. He had once met a dragon, a long time ago, who's wings had been paralyzed.

He started to answer the draconian's question. "Well, er, the thing is...I actually came to pick you up. We need to get out of here before more lokolangs show up. I don't think I can keep you safe if a whole pack shows up. Uh, what's your name, anyway?"

"I'm Ed; where are we even going? I realize you just saved me and all, but I think you can understand that I'm not in a hurry to get carried off by someone I just met."

((Sorry for the derp post, but I was short on time))