Elvina enters....

[Alluvia]

Boom! Boom! Boom! The echo of what sounded like minor explosions of air rang out through the crisp fall atmosphere of the grasslands. The waning autumn sun caught on the emerald scales of a sleek, young dragoness as she attempted to land in the clearing.

The time for waiting was over...At over 2 centuries old, she was finally ready to take a mate. Opening her pointed maw, she let out a low, piercing cry that projected her loneliness to the farthest reaches of the Wandering Lands.

[nightarcher]

(I hope you don't mind me throwing this in here, it didn't seem there were many dragons yet. though Elvina will actually have to work at getting Helios interested. it shouldn't be easy.)

Helios soared high in the sky, feeling the wind both from his tremendous wings and the high altitude wind beating against his hard metallic scales covering his heavy muscles. It was pleasant to just have a simple flight like this, even if he had somewhere he was traveling to. It had been a while since the old dragon had taken a long relaxing flight. Unfortunately for him, the quickest path from his lair deep in the mountains to the library in a large Human city was over 'The Grasslands'.

That in and of itself was Helios's reason for waiting till dusk for his flight, hoping to avoid coming in contact with some young hatchling, to him anyone younger that at least 500 or acted younger, hoping to attract some random mate. He had avoided this place in centuries in hopes of avoiding the young dragonesses who seemed to think the random matings that happened here were worth while. He had long since gotten over that, especially after one or two of his mates when he was younger he could not stand after about a decade. As before, unfortunately the city was too far away for him to exactly be willing to take the extra time to go around.

The younger dragonesses also seemed to be highly persistent when they show interest in someone around this area. It was good not to be spotted if a female came here looking for a mate if you are not interested in mating. Helios was not interested in finding such a young mate, especially one he would not stand being around after a decade. Hopefully the time of day would keep Helios unnoticed, and there would be none here searching for a mate to get the chance to notice him.

No such luck though for the old wyrm as suddenly the cry from a Female dragon split the sky, a mating call. Growling out some silent curses, Helios descended out of the clouds a slight ways to get a good look at the area below with his eyes and find the source of the call. He spotted her, a long Jade dragoness, quite beautiful, but also by the look of her, quite young as well, maybe only a couple of centuries of age on her. He needed to know where she was so he could avoid her attention.

After spotting her while on his flight, almost directly over where she had landed to give out her call, Helios realized that the cloud he had been soaring through wouldn't cover him much longer. Maybe he could be lucky enough that she wouldn't spot him and catch interest? That would be great, he didn't need some dragon as young as her following her.

[Alluvia]

((I don't mind, haha, I know there aren't many other dragons))

After listening in utter silence for a few long moments, the resonance of beating wings arrested her attention. Though she could not see the dragon overhead, she knew that he/she was quite large. Some of her old fears resurfaced as she stood on the level ground below. Why was this dragon being so mysterious? She knew that she was fairly young and inexperienced when it came to defending herself, but she had hoped that she would not encounter any hostile dragons on the Grasslands. This terra was specifically allotted for finding mates because of its openness and vulnerability. No dragon should ever fear an open attack in such a sacred place.

Elvina waited until she could identify the form of the stranger above. With a sudden stroke of luck, the clouds overhead grew thinner and a revealed a large golden male in flight. He did not appear to be descending into the Grasslands, instead, he seemed to be traveling elsewhere. Swallowing her disappointment, she called out in the dragon tongue a friendly greeting to see if he wanted to chat. It had been quite some time since she had seen another of her kind around these parts, so it didn’t matter to her if he wasn’t looking for a mate. She was still curious for some news of the outside world.

[nightarcher]

Helios wasn't able to hold back the growl that escaped his throat when he heard the call of greeting and after a moment there was no other reply. Apparently that hatchling had indeed noticed him, kinda hard to avoid notice with scales that shined in the dusk light. “great, there is no one else around.” he said to himself before banking and descending toward the ground a moment before settling into a wide circling pattern above the dragoness, and looking down at her from up in the sky.

“Greetings young dragon.” he replied to her initial greeting while he studied the jade dragon below him. At the closer inspection of the dragoness, he was able to better judge the dragon than what he could from the sky. He guessed her age was more accurately, about 2 centuries give or take a decade by her size and the apparent toughness of her green scales. This was probably her first time out here looking for a mate. “You should know, I have no interest in choosing a mate, especially one so young as yourself. I would advise you to come back here around dawn if you wish to have a mate of your age.” he said down, though there was a slight growl in his voice for being interrupted from his flight.

Ok, he had tried giving her some advice that would suit one of her age. The younger dragons seemed to generally show up here earlier in the days. One about her age, one interested in a random mating request made out in these fields would be better than and old dragon she wouldn't stand being around for more than a year or two.

[Alluvia]

Unconsciously, Elvina drew up to her full height as the gilded dragon descended from the clouds. Though she would never admit it, she was quite intimidated by his age and size. Once he had landed, she gave him a cautious inspection with golden orbs filled with suspicion. His bluntness when he spoke definitely threw her off guard, for she was not used to a dragon being straight-forward in his speech. However, she was really not used to other dragons in general, due to her time dwelling among the elves. As a result, she displayed a certain awkwardness when she attempted to reply, for she was unaware of the proper draconic greeting for one who was most certainly a respected elder.

[glow=red,2,300]Greetings to you, as well. I thank you for your advice, though I did not call out to you for that reason. I was wondering if you had any news from beyond these lands. I have not seen or heard another of our kind in quite some time.[/glow]

[nightarcher]

Helios circled a few more times before he decided she was trustable enough to land near. She was not setting a trap for other dragons, not a slave like a few instances he remembered long ago. He did not fear any humans or others that thought it would be a good idea to take a random as a slave, but he was glad that he didn't have to worry about that now. There were no signs that any of that was true about this dragoness. With that thought, Helios stopped circling to hover a moment a couple of his body lengths away, sending the long gusts of wind out from his immense wings before he dropped onto the grassy ground. The ground itself rumbled lightly with the dragon's weight upon the ground.

Once settled down on the ground, and his wings folded at his back, Helios moved over to be closer to the young dragoness before stopping about 20 meters from her. “hmm, well, you came to the right place to actually find other dragons. Though the way you called out would make any think your looking for a mate, and not a conversation.” he said, advising the young one a bit. Before continuing. “There is not much news worth mentioning to a dragon. It has been a year since I have been out of the lair into any of the kingdom lands. I was on my way to a human city library outside the Kingdom of Light's lands when you called out. As for our race, you will not often hear much for dragons. We are solitary creatures. You won't often find us in population centers getting news.”

[Alluvia]

Elvina's dial colored slightly at the male's frank rebuke of her style of communication. She could not help that she was young and naive in the ways of her race. She had not been raised by her parents, due to the bitter vengeance of the darks.

[glow=red,2,300]Allow me to clarify. I did come here to find a mate, however I really did not expect anyone to answer my call. When I saw you, I called out to you to merely discover if you had any information pertaining to the disappearance of many dragons from these lands.[/glow]

Though she feigned indifference towards his eligibility, Elvina quietly wondered if he already had a mate. She had no desire for a young and immature mate of her age, and this male before her was not without his own physical charms.

[glow=red,2,300]May I ask your name, sir? Mine is Elvina...[/glow]

[nightarcher]

Oh, so she was looking for a mate when she called out, but decided to change her mind as soon as a dragon approached. At least that is what he got from what she said. She was a very naive dragoness if she thought any matings found here would last long, probably good she decided to just ask for news instead.

But the news she did ask for, what she was wanting to know... it kinda made Helios pause a bit and look at her. Ok, there were some downsides to being part of a solitary race, you don't always hear the important news. “Dragons are disappearing? How does someone know, we are usually a solitary race. Did someone already check their caves and other homes they use? They could just be choosing not to go around other people or races.” the older dragon said, already seeming to have forgotten anything about looking for a mate or any other thing. “Helios'Astaras”

[Alluvia]

[glow=red,2,300]Yes, there are fewer of us now than there were even a decade ago. I am not so solitary as the ancient ones used to be. I would visit many dragons at the Snow Topped Peaks to learn about the history of the magical realm. My guardians, the elves, always encouraged me to be with my own kind.[/glow]

The more she listened to this old dragon, the more she realized that perhaps it would be best for her to be with around her own age. She wanted a lasting bond that would endure millenia. The mature male before her seemed too set in his solitary existence to want to share his life with a mate. In fact, the only judgement she could make of him was that he appeared to be a bachelor who shunned any behavior outside of the "norm".

[nightarcher]

“I am sorry I have no more information on this, I have never heard anything about missing dragons until now. ten years since the disappearances started... they must have all been young dragons, None of the elders I know have gone missing. None of them either have mentioned anything about this either.” he said, in his throat a low hum began, he was thinking about this new information. If young dragons were missing, he would need to change his destination to head to the Snow Topped peaks and the paltry caves most of the young ones there chose as their home. the thoughts of mates or any of that mess was the last thing on his mind anywhere.

“Thank you for bringing this to my attention, and still my suggestion to you is to try again in the morning if you wish for a mate. I need to look into why some dragons are disappearing. If one of my suspicions would be correct, it is a certain death sentence given time.” he said before turning from the girl and looking off into the distance where the mountains would be almost out of sight, the way he had come from. He hadn't been to the tops of the mountains in a long time, maybe some of his younger friends were still there and he could ask them.

The biggest reason that Helios was guessing as to why the disappearances were happening was some humans insisting on continuing slavery, and dragons were some very profitable captures. The younger the better. Though young dragons are the only ones who were able to be captured and enslaved with magic. Older dragons were too strong for the magic they use to keep them enslaved. Thus why a dragon being enslaved was a death sentence, the enslaved dragon became too strong with age to be contained.

[Alluvia]

Elvina wondered why he had mentioned a "certain death sentence". Obviously, he did have some idea about what was happening to the other dragons of the light alliance, though he was keeping that information to himself. She began to feel more suspicious and nervous in his presence, and thought that she should take a trip to Heavenly Glow to ask the elves about Helios' history. An old dragon such as himself is bound to be known by the elves. They keep such careful records of all the ancient races.

[glow=red,2,300]I suppose you are correct. I shall try again in the earlier morning...I thank you for your careful advice, Helios.[/glow]

[nightarcher]

Helios turned his head back in time to see how suspicious and nervous she was, it was written all over her face. Most likely she was going to go somewhere and try figuring something out about her. She had said she had been raised with the elves, so he was fine. Their libraries likely had nothing directly relating to him, or at least didn't have his name directly. Though the old library keeper probably knew more about him than any book in that library.

Last time he remembered reading one, though blown completely out of proportion by the author, was an account before the mystical creatures separated from each other, and were commonly enslaved or hunted. A couple young dragons had been enslaved, including one of his offspring from an earlier mate. Though the fairy tail said nothing about the reasons for his rage when he had destroyed that small city, it made Helios look like a demon who slaughtered everyone for no reason. That fairy tail named Helios as the demon dragon of the Inferno in the human language. He had only gone on a rage when he had found that daughter of his was near death.

Hopefully if she was, she wouldn't find that book of old bard's tales and fairy tales. Well, might as well get back out of his memories and back to finding the missing dragons, he just hoped none of them were dead. “If nothing else, elders like me should at least be able to give advice to the younger generation like you. Another piece of advice, getting a mate may be a cure for your loneliness that you called out with, but be careful in your choosing of mates. If you are not, you may be fed up with your choice after a decade, and have the offspring from your to deal with.” he gave her a bit more advice, and this sounded like he was giving it from experience, though he didn't exactly seem to have all his attention on what he was saying. “Before I leave you to return home, can you at least point me to some of the lairs of the dragons who have gone missing, or at least some names?”

[Alluvia]

Becoming more skeptical by the minute, Elvina pretended that she didn't remember the dragons who were missing. Plus, if he were a light dragon, he would know where most of them dwelt....in the Snow Capped Peaks. She desperately needed to return to the elves to ask what they knew of this incomprehensible stranger.

[glow=red,2,300]I'm sorry to disappoint you, Helios, but I have forgotten the names of those who went missing over the past decade. You see, I kept to myself with the elves most of the time, and rarely ventured out to their dwellings.[/glow]

[nightarcher]

“Well, if you don't have the information, I can always ask the old crone that makes her home up in some of the higher caves in the Snow Capped Peaks. She watches over the young there as best as she can. She should at least know some names and when they disappeared.” he said a bit, knowing at least that old dragon should still be in her cave. That old friend of his could always be helpful when looking for someone.

Helios watched Elvina's face for a moment, wishing he could grin a bit in this form. “I am willing to bet you are trying to guess whether I am a light or dark dragon. I'll answer you on that, and you don't have to ask any of my few friends amongst the elves. I am neither, both sides mean nothing to me with their worthless war and conflicts.” why were young dragons and all the other races so hung up on those simple titles or the different nations. It really suited dragons, who could live so long, to stay neutral. No one could even conceive to order the older dragons around and hope to keep their lives.

He didn't say anything about the fact she said she barely visited her own race. It made it seem like she secluded herself just as much as any dragon, though she didn't do it in a cave but amongst the elves. “If you want to know more about me, ask the old library keeper in the largest elven city. He is an old friend.”

[Alluvia]

Confused that such an older, wiser dragon would choose to profess no alliance, Elvina shook her emerald scaled dial at Helios. It seemed such a shame that the dragons did not band together with their fellow mythic creatures to protect themselves from extinction.

[glow=red,2,300]Well, your alliance is your choice, though I do not comprehend it. The more we stand divided, the more easily we will fall to the humans. We can no longer hide in our caves and pretend that evil is not all around us.[/glow]

As she spoke, her golden orbs flashed within to mirror the vengeful fire that lurked just beneath the surface. This dragon was taking the coward's way out of conflict, in her opinion, and it annoyed her tremendously. Attempting the calm herself, she exhaled deeply, blowing black smoke from her pointed nostrils.

[glow=red,2,300]I apologize for being hasty, but I really must go now, Helios. We shall meet again, I have no doubt. Good day.[/glow]

Without a second glance back, she stretched out her sleek wings and began to pump them vigorously. Boom! Boom! Boom! Air and dust blasted out from beneath her as she slowly made her ascent and disappeared from sight.