Trapped treasure hunters [Azecreth & White-wolf]

Azecreth

Azecreth

Pulsar
Joined
Aug 23, 2013
Location
Ohio, America
It was a bright and sunny day in Valerais, not that one could tell when they were what must have been miles beneath the surface in up to this point hidden catacombs. For a dragon such as Firenze, the darkness and dust was a bit oppressive, but he could put up with that, given that he was a large, muscular, and strong red fire dragon. More annoying were the creatures down here, but none of them posed a serious threat when faced with his fire breath. So it was a lot of walking, looking at dusty columns, and avoiding cave ins from the unstable structures.

He wasn't here to sightsee though. He had come on an important mission, to collect the Armor of Thrasekion, an ancient warrior who had used this armor, which was rumored to imbue the wearer with mystical properties. Naturally, as the hero of truth, justice, and all that good stuff, he deserved to have such armor to aid him in battle, and so he'd been pursuing it for a while. And it had taken hard work, but he'd eventually tracked it to this labyrinth, where he was looking forward to claiming the reward for his hard work.

There was one slight problem though, and that was his former friend turned rival, who'd been pursuing the same treasure as him. She was naggedly persistent, and her necromantic abilities gave her something of an unfair advantage, but Firenze had persevered, and had at last managed to give her the slip, allowing him to get out here first when she couldn't piggyback off his own work. And at last he was getting what he deserved for that hard work.

But here he was, in the ruins that seemingly stretched on forever, and now he just had to find what he was looking for. He'd investigated for a bit, and had at last arrived in a dead end room, a large room with an arch at the end that shimmered in the light, and wall murals that were extensive for their work. A very impressive place, to say the least.

“So, what do we have here,” he said to himself as he began to read. It was likely that there was information on the armor here, so he had better check before doing anything incredibly crazy. Of course, while he did that, he was unaware that he hadn't been as successful in giving his nemesis the slip as he thought, and she was rapidly coming up behind him, for a confrontation that would ater both of their fates tremendously.
 
Who would have known that the usually bright Valerais was so dark and maze-like underneath the surface. To the untrained dragon this was probably hell on earth as every passageway lead to either a chamber or dead end. This place must have been hell to a claustrophobic or creatures that hated the occasional insect landing on them from the crumbling ceiling...

Her lithe and very serpentine form allowed her to hover about with ease, she wasn't going to risk setting off a trap or loose her footing on some uneven or crumbling paths. This place was quite a hazard but the explorer was quite used to places like this so she knew her ways around. Lumina wasn't going to say no to nabbing whatever her rival was trying so hard to get away from her, it surely must have been valuable if he had tried so hard to shake her off his trail.

“Did you really think you cold loose me that easily Firenze?” Her voice would reverberate in the dark passageway behind him as the room would suddenly become illuminated by a ghostly light.

Contrary to popular belief Light dragons weren't exactly angelic, their abilities were rumored to have manifested from playing around with the realm of the dead and the spirits. This resulted in her ancestors becoming pale and nearly void of color, their scales capable of reflecting the faintest light. However their strangest ability was that to manipulate, destroy, and create light. Most of her kind were famous for creating eerie 'ghostlights' to either amuse themselves or light a darkened path like she had just done now.

With an amused chuckle she would finally move into the chamber, some blue phantom fireballs seeming to hover around her as they lit up the room with an eerie glow. Compared to him she was quite less bulky, consisting of a pale white serpentine body with some light blue wing membranes and stomach plates. She was quite an elegant and sleek thing to behold who looked more like she belonged lounging in the palace next to the royals or flying about in the temples of the lore keepers.
 
Still engrossed in reading the elaborate drawings that marked the cavern walls near the portal, Firenze swung about, attention diverted by his rival as his gaze narrowed in thinly veiled hostility. This was unfortunate, to say the least. It seemed he hadn't been as good at shaking her as he thought. But then again, that was only fair. Who'd want an idiot for a rival after all? Certainly not him, Hero of the Age. If he couldn't have a worthy opponent then there was no point to this whole thing, and he might as well just go home. But, she continued to satisfy in that regard.

"Well, I could certainly hope, Lumina," he replied, looking away from the wall to the lithe white dragon. "Besides, you wouldn't have found this place without my hard work anyway, so I'd like to think that that still says something about who's going to win our little contest."

As he spoke, he slowly backed towards the portal, attempting to use conversation to distract her attention from that fact, before he made a break for it. He had all the information he needed, and h knew the treasure was on the other side. So any lead that he could get in reaching it at this point would be good, even if it were only by a few seconds. That could make the difference, as he was so aware. And he was not about to lose, not after having come so far up to this point.
 
(Not sure if it was a mistake but her name is Lumina)

"So you think! I am the one who spends days on end looking up boring old books in the library looking for old lore and under coincidence you end up after the same thing shortly after... I think you are the one who are getting some hints from me." Lumina would hiss as a pale blue tongue would flick out of her mouth. Her face quickly turning into a disgusted snarl as he made a run for it...how dare he.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!" Lumina would roar out as her eyes would glow a ghostly pale blue and two wraith like spirits quickly manifested from behind her and charged towards Firenze. She was the leader here as the phantom dragons would swiftly begin to cut him off, or at least buy Lumina time as she dashed towards the portal as well. Her lighter body and longer legs allowing her to quickly pick up speed as she folded her wings and dashed. Something she would regret soon as it would change her fate far beyond what she could have ever imagined. She probably looked like a pale blur as she'd pass by Firenze and went through the portal with a loud hum.

----

On the other end her snout would painfully collide with what appeared to be a crumbling rune. Well she had beaten her rival but at the cost of a nearly broken and partially bleeding nose... she still beat him though and that was enough to bring a smile onto her snout. However that would soon vanish as she noticed that she was now on what appeared to be an island. Dense jungle ahead and the fog seemed to thick in the air making flying too risky.
 
((Yeah, my mistake))

Hearing Lumina grumble about the unintentional assistance she might have provided his search once upon a time (which was a very small amount, if any), Firenze decided that now was as good a time as any, and spun about on his hind legs, charging for the portal and the next stage in his trek. For a brief moment, he thought he was going to make it, only to hear her roar as two apparitions flew in front of him, cutting him off as they gave him an angry look.

His brow furrowed as he cursed Lumina's ghostly abilities, which proved to be such a hassle in this case, and he wasted no time in unleashing a burst of hot fire from his maw, driving them back and giving him the opportunity to charge between the gap, directing his flame towards each in turn. It wasn't enough though, as he saw her slip through the portal at a dash, which his vision was halfway obscured by flames. A growl escaped, determination painted across his visage as he slammed past the ghosts and through the portal, not going to be shown up again.

---

He emerged with flames vanishing, coming to a stop just before he impacted against a very ill placed rock in front of the portal. Whomever had put that there was not very smart, as it were. He took the opportunity to look about then, noting the jungle and fog, whilst wondering which way his opponent had gone, and the way to the relic he sought. IT was here, he was sure of it, and that meant he couldn't waste any time as he began to move along the first path he found.
 
Lumina had been gone by the time he even made it through the portal, however she didn't get far as the fog before her started to thicken and she found herself running in circles. Sure she had evaded Firenze but at the cost of apparently getting lost in some uncharted hellhole, nowhere in the scripts did anything say about some island with dense fog and some occasional weird sounds in the distance. Having some strong connections with the spirit world Lumina would feel a bit uneased here, something about this place didn't feel right about this whole place. Was the armor of Thrasekion even in this place? could have this been an ancient trap to fool thieves and unlucky souls here?

Well whatever was the case she felt the urge to keep moving as something in her senses told her to, in the distance there was a strong magical aura and it made the feathers on her spine raise a bit in unease. Perhaps Firenze had gone now and she could dedicate herself to at least finding a decent trail and not run into-

"Gah! You again..." Lumina would hiss as her arrow tipped tail would swivel around in annoyance, she was lost in this foggy mess and now she ran into the only dragon that made her mouth feel sour. She was about to shoot a blinding ray of light in his face till she noticed something was off, she wasn't looking at Firenze but a ruin wraith. A creature created from binded magic and a foul temper. The wraith would roar out as it leaped, leaving a gash on her right shoulder as it raked her with it's claws and she let out a pained roar as she limped back a bit. Oh great was she really about to die here? it sure looked like it since thet wraith was catching up to the injured pale dragoness.
 
Headed down his chosen path, Firenze soon found a white fog growing around him, making it that much more difficult to get a good account of his surroundings as he looked about. at this rate, it was entirely possible that he might walk past any clues as to where the artifact was entirely, which would certainly be embarrassing for him, especially if Lumina found it after he had passed it by. he'd never be able to live it down in that case. And such a slight he was not about to accept. Not so long as he was living.

Still, he kept moving, looking for some sign, some clue. And though he wouldn't admit it, there was a small part of him that said he had to keep going through this oppressive fog, lest he be blindsided by something he couldn't see. Small puffs of fire escaped his maw, providing temporary illumination, but it didn't last, and didn't seem to help in his case. In the face of it, he puffed up, near strutting as his chest puffed up. He wasn't going to be intimidated, not by some shadows in the jungle.

"Gah," he growled, tail whipping about in frustration as he moved on. there was nothing here, and every minute that passed, Lumina got further ahead. "Dang it, I was this close." More bursts of fire escaped in agitation as he moved along, following some winding path that terminated in an unknown destination, all the while seeking the relic he had come here for. "This is her fault. If she hadn't shown up, I'd have been able to read all those drawings. Then I'd know where to go, and where this armor is." Muttering to himself, he walked on, unaware of the movement all around him in the unseen parts of the island.
 
Lumina may have not known it but in the end she was being drawn out to the same spot her rival was, turns out whatever curse or spell had been placed on this island wasn't ready for them to find anything just yet. If either of them had the time to read the warnings and the inscriptions they would have found them vague, all they seemed to say was that beyond the portal was a test. That beyond that portal there was no going back and whoever would pass through would be heavily tested.

Already the pale dragoness was panting as she limped faster than she had ever limped before, it appeared that she had already outrun the wraith but it was really running a toll as she finally noticed the fog begin to lighten up a bit. By the time her vision had finally cleared she found herself at a desolate beach, for some reason the fog didn't reach this area and a small pocket of a clear night sky could be seen above.

At least for her luck she wasn't being followed anymore so she could dedicate to healing the gash on her shoulder and side as she found a comfortable spot on the sand to lie on. Hopefully she wouldn't be running into any more trouble... it's not like Firenze would suddenly burst out from the other side of the beach like some sort of phantom.
 
Firenze moved along, still frustrated as he seemed to be getting nowhere fast with this whole thing. Knowing Lumina though, she was probably having it easy, what with her ability to light up her path ahead, so this fog would be nothing to her. As for her, he could only set it at bay temporarily with his fire, which didn't help in the long run as the fog always came back in spite of his best efforts. And that wasn't including the branches he nearly tripped over, the holes he nearly fell in, and such unpleasant things. Seriously, why couldn't the artifact be in a nice place?

He consoled himself then as he took another bend in this path. He was The Hero after all, and trials and tribulations came as part of the package there. So, he'd just have to bear with it, and look forward to the songs they would sing in his name, or the rewards he would get. And this armor itself would be totally worth it. He redoubled his speed then, determined to not let Lumina steal such glory from him.

The forest shifted into a beach as he moved along, and he could hear the sound of lapping water, and he continued on along the sand. The fog began to fade, and he hurried forward, only to pull to a stop as the nearby area was lit with a warm glow, and he was faced with an unexpected, slightly annoying sight. "Oh. You," he commented, eyes narrowing in distrust. She seemed to be injured, but that was of secondary concern at the moment. He knew she could handle herself, small as that was. "Trip on a rock or something?"
 
It appeared her worst thoughts had become a reality the moment a familiar red dragon entered her line of sight. "For your information I ran into a very grumpy ruin wraith." Lumina would hiss slightly as she curled herself a bit in a defensive manner, she didn't trust Firenze just yet and she felt pretty exposed now that she was injured. It was mostly just instinct though, light dragons were never the brute fighting kind of creatures so whenever one was injured they tended to evade most threats on instinct.

"Well since we both seem to have become stuck here that's your side and this is my side of the beach. It's pretty damn big so we can probably mind our own business till this damn fog goes away." She would suggest as she pointed towards what would be his side of the island. So far this place seemed to have enough food, the sea seemed plentiful and some fruit could be seen on the nearby trees. Also a small river was flowing into the ocean so fresh water would be no problem at the moment.

However she did hate the timing, normally during this time of the year dragons tended to be in all sorts of festivities to celebrate the spring. But instead of celebrating with friends she found herself here instead, and not with the most desirable of company neither.

(Sorry for the long wait January is pretty slow for me. I'm finally back though so expect normally paced replies.)
 
Firenze wasn't shedding any tears for Lumina as she told him she'd run into a ruin wraith. After all, she seemed relatively fine, and any wound she had was good for him. Of course, he'd be perfectly willing to help her deal with any sort of poison or serious injury if she asked, but other than that he wasn't going to go out of his way. He knew from experience that she could deal with a little pain, and any injuries she had would allow him to get that much farther ahead now that they were on this island together. He was not going to let sympathy get in the way of success, at least when it came to his rival.

"Alright," he agreed with a nod to the division of the beach. "Let me know if you need me to deal with any other monsters. A Hero's always gotta help a damsel in distress." He said that with a smirk, deliberately trying to antagonize Lumina since he knew that she would have an unfavorable reaction and probably never accept in any case. But if she asked, he'd probably have helped her, if only for bragging rights against her.

That said, he moved off and away to his side of the beach, leaving Lumina alone as he focused on exploring and seeing if there was anything useful. There wasn't, at least not in particular, but he wasn't going to sit and wait around for the fog to pass. He needed something to pass the time, especially given what time of the year it was, but for now he was fine, and he settled in to wait out the fog.
 
Lumina would keep a close eye on Firenze since she couldn't fully trust him, at least he wouldn't backstab her but if she let her guard down he'd likely sprint off to find the armor and leave her in the dust. However for now they were both in agreement of the split, she would stay on her side and he would stay on his. But that now left some new challenges, and that was finding food and building a proper shelter.

"I can let my dead companions do that for me you know... and I'm not that sort of female you should know better." Lumina would hiss as she got up and lightly limped on her injured leg, her tail swiveling about as she started to reach into some nearby trees to pull off some leaves. In due time she'd make a good enough shelter once she got enough of these to build a comfy nest in between some of the rocks on her side.

Just freaking great... she should have been preparing to celebrate with some fellow light dragons but instead she would have to be 'surviving' in this hellhole. It sucked even more since this should have been the year when she would be considered full grown and a full part of the light dragon society.
 
"Ah yes, your 'dead companions'," Firenze replied as he walked away, uncaring of the second part of her comment really. Lumina's attitude didn't matter that much either, but he was more than willing to talk it out with her. "You say that, and yet you still have to rely on someone else to do your dirty work for you. And spirits, nonetheless, rather than actual beings." The disdain his tone was near palpable, his opinion on her necromatic abilities all too clear. You'd never see him resorting to such dirty tricks and underhanded tactics.

But for the moment, that was all he did, and on his side of the beach, he went about preparing. Sticks went into the ground with the help of his tail, before the tips were ignited, providing makeshift torches that would serve to provide light and drive away a bit of the fog until he could get something more permanent set up. After that he went on to setting himself up a little nest, but nothing too fancy nor permanent, since he didn't plan on staying long. Just until this fog went away, and he could resume his search. Sure, it might not be up to the standards of the thief over there, but when he got started while she was still sleeping, she'd regret it.

That done, he went to practicing, doing physical and elemental attacks in quick succession as he moved about his portion of the beach. He had to keep himself in top shape after all, especially if she wasn't lying about there being enemies about. A hero such as he would not be taken down so easily. So, until he got tired, or hungry, or the fog went away, he would spend the time doing this.
 
"Spirits used to be like us you know... they were alive at some point and make quite some interesting conversation if you wish to strike one up with them. So don't call them as if they are lesser, in a few centuries you could be dead and no different from them." Lumina would hiss from her rocky shelter as she would leap out and decided to gather resources next, unlike him she was preparing to be here for a while. She didn't feel like telling him but something was in the fog, and she swore that she could hear some faint whispering in the distance. Something wasn't right on this island and so far all of her instincts were telling her to be cautious and beware of what else could be lurking in the fog.

"My ancestors respected the dead more than anyone else that's why some of us are gifted to see and summon spirits and the dead remember..." Lumina would add as she walked to the beach and started to walk over some stones so that she could get to a deeper area where some fish could be seen. It wouldn't be a hard task to fish them out neither, using her narrow spear like tail tip to impale some decently sized fish on it.

"Here... you seem like you could use it." She would tell Firenze as she tossed him a fish with a bit of a scoff, as much as she hated him staying alive and together may prove to be useful if hell suddenly went loose.
 
Firenze rolled his eyes, uncaring of the distinction she tried to make that was ineffectual in changing his opinion in the slightest. "Sadly, not all of us have the ability to speak to our ancestors, nor the will," he answered quickly from his side of the beach. "And it doesn't change the fact that, unlike you, I don't need other people to do my work for me." It was something that he thought she hadn't adequately answered, which he took as a success for himself. She couldn't come up with an answer, so it was a victory as far as he concerned.

With a disinterested eye, he watched Lumina go about her side of the beach, collecting supplies and doing boring things. "Good for you," he yawned, unmoving. His determination in that this would not last long and he could be gone soon stood without contest. Sure, there was some chilling feeling about this place, but it was countered by the fire in his blood. He wouldn't accept anything less of the situation that he was in, refusing to think that anything could stop a hero as awesome as himself.

"I could have gotten one myself,' he countered as he grabbed the fish that was tossed to him. In spite of that grumble though, and the continuing grumbles, he didn't reject it either. Sitting down in his makeshift nest, he got to work eating, sharp fangs stripping away scale an skin, to eat the meat inside. It was raw, but that was just fine by him. He wasn't going to look the other way on a favor, and he needed to keep his strength up for the race in the future once the fog had vanished and they could begin their individual searches once more. Other than that, he fell silent and let it grow, ignoring Lumina in favor of his own plans. They were not friends, and he was not going to lose to her.
 
The more she thought about the situation the more she felt like blaming Firenze, this was all his fault. No doubt he was the reason why they were both stuck here, if she had been on her own she would have consulted the spirits and never gotten in this mess. Besides she had gotten over him years ago, they may have been the best of friends in the past but as they aged things changed.

He pursued the path of a hero and an explorer, loving the attention he got from his peers and teachers. She on the other hand left to explore the unknown and leave on a more spiritual journey much like her light kin did from time to time. However over the years she learned that her kind wasn't exactly liked, either considered cursed or just weird by most dragon standards. If anything they were on the same boat as black dragons, being seen in some bad light due to karma from ages past.

Because of that she envied him a bit, fire dragons were loved everywhere. He took that for granted and she really disliked how that also lead to his huge ego that needed some serious breaking at some point.

"Teamwork and cooperation is the way to succeed... besides I'm not some hulking brute." Lumina would hiss from her shelter as she would curl up into a cocoon like mass as she used her wings and all. She was tired and injured and just wanted to sleep.

However the jungle would remain silent yet restless throughout the night, the fog as thick as usual and an occasional strange sound coming from it. By the time they both would awaken they would find quite a strange sight, it appeared some new paths had sprung out overnight and a strange stone pillar now stood at the entrance of the jungle.
 
Firenze pointedly ignored the comment Lumina shot at him as he ate his fish, dismissing it as unnecessary, or simply out of habit at this point. He didn't need her help after all, and he'd been doing perfectly fine without her. A hero had to rely on themselves, to throw themselves into the jaws of danger, to stand where others couldn't. There was no room for teamwork there, when the hero had a responsibility to not recklessly put other lives in danger in a situation only he could handle. That was just how it worked.

As things stood, he was confident he could have managed before she'd shown up. If he'd only had the time to read those writings that had been on the wall, he would have had some idea of what laid beyond, and could have been prepared. But no, she had to show up and try to get the jump on him. Go figure.

The fish done, he hummed to himself as he curled up, head laying against the ground with tail wrapped around him, much more open than Lumina's cocoon, as he slept the night away. It was a pleasant rest, undisturbed, with heroic dreams, and he was lucky to not have to feel the bite of cold at night, a result of his nature as a fire dragon giving him an internal temperature to counter that sort of thing. It must have been terrible to be other dragons and have to deal with that, but he was glad that he didn't.

When the morning came he was up bright and early, a result of the situation he was in that saw him not wanting to let Lumina get the jump on him. A yawn tore free as he shook his head, waking up, before he looked about, rising from his nest at the same time. On the plus side, the fog was gone, as was to be expected, but now it seemed they had some other problems. "Hm, I don't remember these being here before," he said to himself in a low voice as he paced over to the stone pillar, looking it over for any useful information that would help in his search, before moving once more into the forest.
 
As the night passed Lumina would wake up with a long yawn, stretching her back with a slight flinch at the pain from her leg. At least it was healed over now but she would still have a slight limp. Nothing that wouldn't heal over time but she disliked being slightly hindered in this unnerving place. And to make it worse she didn't like the idea of looking weak to Firenze, neither of her light kin were close to having the strength of a fire dragon.

"I wouldn't sneak off into the jungle if I were you... that pillar is a warning." She would tell Firenze as she approached the stone and walked around it a few times. Her eyes getting a slight blueish glow as she whispered some indistinguishable words. As expected he had been wanting to bolt off into this hellhole where the fog appeared to have shifted to another direction this time.

"As I feared... this is a giant maze... it changes every day thanks to magic and it will take both cunning and strength in order to not perish... like them." She would end while pointing her tail in one direction, the sight of a few phantoms were visible in the fog as they stared at them both and then vanished. Hopefully that would get through his skull, he couldn't just sneak off or risk becoming another ghost here.
 
"Who said anything about sneaking," Firenze countered as he looked over at Lumina with her arrival. Damn, he'd been too slow. He'd hoped to get going before she awoke, but it seemed to be too late for that now. It would be back to a race then, to get into the jungle and find the relic, at least in his mind. Though he wasn't sure how much of a race it would be given the caution she was displaying at the moment. If she was like this, it was more likely that he'd gt in way ahead of her.

He glanced over at the phantoms as well, but didn't look intimidated. "Yeah, sure," he scoffed. "Scare tactics like that aren't going to work on me." It might have been true, but it also seemed like that those phantoms had been created by her, to keep him on the beach, or to get them to work together so she could ride off of his effort and snag the relic once they had found it. He was not going to allow that to happen, and if she thought he would then she was a fool.

And he was willing to make that known. "I have cunning and strength. I've made it this far after all, so I'm sure I can manage whatever else is out there." That said, he flipped his tail, turned on his hind legs and walked off into the jungle. She could feel free to come after him or not, he was going to go find that relic and then get out of here. For all the tricks currently present, it couldn't be that hard compared to some of the things he had faced before. And besides, he was the hero. He was sure it would all work itself out as a result. So let her huddle in fear on the beach if she wanted. He had a relic to find, and a race to win.
 
Lumina would continue to sigh at his stubbornness, how did he even become so foolish. Back in the days when they were young he would have always listened to her warnings or concerns. He had been such a nicer dragon back then... but it appeared that fame was enough to ruin all of that and bring their friendship to an end rather abruptly.

But for now she had some other concerns, her life might be on the line as well if even the smallest thing got out of her claws. "Sure you do... I'm sure you would love being my next phantom friend when you fall dead..." She would say with a slight chuckle as she tried to lighten up the mood in her own way. She was pretty sure he'd just love that and would likely take some caution.

"If you will run off then at least be careful... I dislike seeing spirits who have lost their life far too early." She would add with a bit of concern as she looked at the trails and didn't like the feeling coming from the depths of the jungle. From the looks of it only one trail felt sort of safe and who knows where that lead to.
 
Lumina's attempt at alleviating the tension earned a roll of his eyes from Firenze. He doubted very much that she was simply looking out for his well being, and he had no intention of becoming one of her spirit guardians or whatever. If he died, he wanted to rest happily in the afterlife, not stuck helping her sorry hide. So if she somehow managed to bring him back, then he would not be amused. It was enough of a notion for him to consider whether her spirits could attack her, and how she would deal with that. Fortunately, he wouldn't have to wonder about the answer to that just now.

"Don't hold your breath," he replied as he headed off of the beach and into the forest. "I'm not so easily killed." He'd come this far after all, and while this island might be dangerous, he would not be swayed. Victory and fame could only be achieved through risk, and it was that risk that would prove his status when he overcame it. That was the role of the hero, to beat the odds and gain victory. That was what it meant, and that he would do.

Leaving the beach behind, he found himself engulfed in trees once more, as the jungle returned. With a quick look, he chose the path that seemed most likely and set off down it, uncaring as to whether it was the right way or not. It was his best guess, and until it proved to be the wrong one he would follow it without regrets. There wasn't much else to do, and he would not look weak before Lumina. So, heedless of the danger, on Firenze went, feet padding down the dirt path.
 
Lumina would just sit down on the beach and watch him go into the jungle. As much as she was tempted to find that treasure fist she had no intention to have her head chopped off by some unknown entity... And she could really feel the strange almost magical presence coming from the fog.

----
As he continued down the path the fog would begin to act up again, this time the occasional whisper would reach his ears. What the hell even was this place? But unlike last time he'd actually find some old ruins, various pillars poking out of the ground here and there. But the thing that stood out the most were the fallen remains of possible explorers here and there. Some were dragon others were mythical creatures of similar intelligence. But no matter how well prepared either of them had been the proof was here and they had all perished.

To make it worse he appeared to be being followed by someone, a white slender figure... was it a certain dragoness he hated? However as it got closer it soon became clear this was some sort of dark beast or demon.

It wasn't lumina... and it was getting closer.


{Sorry for the wait first Hiatus here and getting back to the swing of things 0-0}
 
Firenze continued along confidently as the fog began to stir around him. He did hear the odd whisper, which caused him to tilt his head, but it did not cause him to turn back. He could handle whatever some silly fog threw at him, since it was obviously just trying to spook him. And he wouldn't be daunted by that sort of thing. That would be tantamount to admitting that Lumina was right, and there was no way he would do that, if he could help it.

And he couldn't help but grin as his confidence was rewarded, causing him to sprint forward as he entered the ruins. One step closer to winning this little race of theirs indeed. She'd regret not coming with him. His gaze turned to the ruins and the remnants of this civilization, looking for some sign, some clue as to where the armor was. He did spare a glance at the fallen adventurers, but that did not deter him. They had failed, but he would not do the same. He made a mental note to search them for anything useful later, but for now moved on.

Glancing back, he noted the figure approaching, earning a growl. 'Back off Lumina," he called. "This is my find, you hear?" She didn't back off though, and it rapidly became apparent that it wasn't Lumina. Instead it was some white figure, which was why he had made the mistake in the first place.

He turned about then to face the thing where he was inside the ruins. He dropped a bit, baring his teeth as he prepared ti fight, tail whipping side to side. He was not going to let something like this get him. "C'mon, try me," he called. "I'm ready for you." This thing wanted to tussle with ha hero? Well, he'd oblige it.
 
The shapeshifting wraith would hiss as it took to the air, some phantom like tendrils bursting from it's back as it did. It appeared this thing had been expecting him as it grinned and started to swipe the sharp and dangerous tendrils about.

Meanwhile back at the beach Lumina would stare into the jungle, noticing a hidden path that was nearly covered up by all the ferns. After a while she would decide to walk down this hidden path, keeping an ear out to listen to the occasional ghostly advice. This would go on for a while till she found an opening in a small clearing with a few ruins and something shiny under a little bit of rubble...

--- A few minutes later and back at the beach.

"Aha... I got this before ember for brains did... whatever this is." She said proudly as she played around with the strange golden object in her claws. She wasn't sure what it was or what it did but she had found it before her foe and rival and that's all that counted. Perhaps she would miss out on the normal festivities tonight but it wouldn't be in vain... or so she though.

Little did the light dragon know that this would be the first time she would have to deal with a certain... rather annoying itch.
 
Firenze's gaze flew upwards as the thing took to the air, hissing and generally indicating that it was indisputably hostile. Well, he wasn't entirely surprised, since a place like this would generally have some monsters and other critters on it that didn't know who they were messing with. It wouldn't be a problem for him, that much he was sure. This thing was just suicidally stupid from not knowing whom it was that it was dealing with. Well, it would learn it's lesson soon enough.

"That's it, come at me then," he taunted as he shifted to face it, dodging with spurts of speed and leaps into the air with his wings to dodge the tendrils. He had a feeling that getting hit would not be pleasant. Still, he might have to expect to get hit a bit as he learned how this thing fought.

In turn he lashed out, scratching with his claws before flame welled in his throat, bursting out at the Wraith. There was nothing here that a little fire couldn't solve, given what he knew of these types of enemies. This thing would regret fighting him, that much was for sure. The hero would not fall so easily.
 
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