Author: Echo-Rose, Posted: Wed Mar 11, 2020 11:19 AM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

Echo was fully engrossed in seeing her little ones at play. They brought her great joy and even though they knew which mares were their mothers they also regarded Echo as their mother and master. All of the foals were checking out the new man. Their little flame manes and tails excitedly moving almost in sync with each other. This got a laugh from Echo as she watched.

The half Rosenite had to think about it as she helped feed the little ones. “At any time we have at least thirty… but this time of the year we get our babies and the numbers can sometimes double. We send them off to the military if we don’t want to keep them for breeding the new generation. Our military, your Toya especially, treats them very well. You could say they are one of the sacred animals in Sularia.”

She thought about the best way she could describe it and made a face. “These are a lot tamer than regular nightmares, however, you will find if push came to shove they are just as wild. They are just raised by us so they are used to our touch. Respect breeds respect after all.” Echo found herself enjoying the small talk with Damien before a scream alarmed her and startled the foal around her. She squinted a bit as a wild stallion came barreling through. She threw the bucket as the stallion threw off the woman riding it.

The bucket being thrown spooked the babies behind Damien as Echo launched herself up onto the stallion. She pulled at the flames and winced as they burned. “Don’t think that will hurt me much!” She yelled as she began to fight the male. “OBEY,” she jerked the flames, saddle, and reigns effortlessly. Within ten minutes of fighting as the stallion slammed Echo and himself into the gates of the corral, the stallion stopped its fight. Echo spurred its sides with her feet as he obediently went the way she wanted. “Was that so hard?” She bent over and looked into the stallion’s wide eyes. “I’m not trying to hurt you and neither was your trainer.”

She slipped off and scooped up some of the loose grain as she held it up to him. “See?” The stallion took it from her and she looked over to its trainer. “Try not to do that again while the babies are out. If you hurt them I will hurt you.” Echo scolded as she handed the reigns back. Once they knew it was safe the babies bounded for the loose grain on the ground and Echo sighed.

“They are going to get so fat.” She put her hands on her hips but she had burns on her fingers and palm along with bruises on her arms and god knew where else. “Sorry about that. Every once in awhile accidents do happen.”

Author: Damon Naur, Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:57 PM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

The guard captain blinked a few times as Tempest corrected him. For a moment, he allowed a smile as he shrugged apologetically. ”I am truly sorry for the confusion. There are quite a few of you….I am still getting familiar with names.” Damon could not underestimate the size of the family that was Rosenites. The conversation that Echo and he had earlier was in pale comparison of what explanation was really needed to cover all of them. He had never seen such a complex combination of bloodlines, or as extensive. ”I do remember the rat,” he commented in return.

A slight nod was given in response to her drawing up a bow design. ”I look forward to it.” Damon glanced at Echo as she finished up her review before they were to set out. He followed silently along with the Head Mage as they made it to the Yellow Court. Few times had he set out to this district. He always found himself wherever Astrid deemed to go. That left little time for him to stray to explore the rest of the city.

Brow lifted at the many nickers and neighs of horses from behind the smaller mansion. The sight of flaming manes made him smile slightly to himself. To be surrounded by creatures born of the Flame called the flame that rested in his chest. Now beckoning was necessary for the phoenix to follow Echo, but he did as instructed. This day was taking a different turn from earlier for certain.

Looking inside the gated area, he could see that this location was not for holding typical nightmares. His blue eyes watched Echo closely as she easily climbed over the fence to the pasture. A smirk crossed his lips as he hoisted himself up and over with ease to join her. From the looks of it, there was a purpose to where the Head Mage was going. For this, Damon remained in place to wait for further instructions.

Phoenix stood still as he was swarmed by a dozen nightmare foals. Each seemed to want to taste his clothing, which he felt was not too tasty for them to try. Damon let out a rare laugh while finding himself petting their manes and necks where he could reach. They were full of new energy that few would be able to contend with. One in particular allowed him to scratch beneath her chin before attempting to nip his fingers.

”I can see that,” he responded while taking a bucket. Watching Echo, Damon followed suit with offering his feed bucket to the foals. Eagerly they pushed one another to get their muzzles into the bucket for their portion of food. ”How many do you house in this stable? I can see that they are not normal Nightmares. A different breed it appears….and feels. Their flames are different.” Damon instinctively pushed one of the foal’s faces out from under his arm before it could nip at his side.

Author: Echo-Rose, Posted: Fri Oct 18, 2019 5:13 PM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

Tempest crossed her arms a bit and thought about it. “You are thinking of Crystaline.” There was a chuckle. “Astrid is my cousin! We all live in the same house. You might remember grandma screaming my name from time to time!” Damon would remember the rat from when he first got hired. The were children had grown fast and now she was a young woman. “I do remember you from when Gram hired you. We released Edgar into the house… Sadly we never saw Edgar again.”

She knew him for all five seconds of his short pet life. Echo noticed his smile and returned it just enough. Echo was twirling the staff form in her hand while Tempest begged to make more weapons. “I can draw some up! That would be fun! I’ll probably get grounded soon enough and will have some free time on my hands.” It was after all a when and not an if with her.

Echo and Damon said their farewells and she took him off to the Yellow District. Not far from the main house was a smaller mansion. There looked to be an arena out behind it. The closer they got the more neighs they heard. “They are rowdy today.” She put her new weapon against the barn door and opened it. There were helpers about brushing wild flames. “Come with me, Damon.”

“Good morning Lady Echo!” Each of the help was eager to greet their lady. She climbed over the gate instead of opening it and sat up on top looking at Damon. “Follow me and don’t open the gate to get in.” She fell down the other side and helped him if he needed it.

She crossed the gap to the other side and opened up another gate. A dozen small nightmares ran out. They were all newborns from the looks of it as they nearly stampeded over her immediately to Damon who was new. They nipped at his clothes and him. Grabbing two buckets she threw one to Damon. “Inside it… That feed will keep them off your clothes. Careful though they bite. They are last week’s newborns.”

She sauntered over and put her hand into the feed. She held it low and three of the ponies fought over it. "Easy monsters… There's enough for everyone." She held the bucket up high with her other hand so they couldn't reach it.

Author: Damon Naur, Posted: Thu Aug 29, 2019 9:26 AM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

The phoenix could only agree with Echo’s sentiments on the thought of Cole marrying into the family. It was going to be taxing, but what he had seen there was little that the demon hunter seemed to mind. There had been determination in the man’s eyes at the evaluation of the family. From what Damon could only describe was a tribunal of all the courts examining the matching between two prestigious families. If a child were to come from the union it could have many implications for both. Damon shook his head and was glad that none of that was in his future. He enjoyed keeping his head down at out of the way. There were too many other more important people in the world for them to bother with him. Damon still couldn’t see himself in a pairing after the years had passed. It was too difficult for him to deal with the idea of the loss later on. Only a couple of times was he at the start of a relationship until things would come to an abrupt end.

Glazed eyes refocused as she mentioned showing him something after attending a matter on her agenda. Last drag on his drink was made before he stood up with a slight smirk at the woman in return. He was a great deal taller than her, which made an interesting match as they walked out of the tavern to the streets. The name Tempest sparked a memory in him at the recognition. He smiled likely as they made their way over to the blacksmith shop. Damon moved out of the way for Echo and Tempest to speak about their business. Arms crossed over his chest while leaning against one of the work tables.

Leaning back slightly, he listened to their interaction. It was energetic like any of the Rosenites interactions ever were. His features were kept neutral as his eyes shifted between the pair as they spoke. A brow lifted as Tempest addressed him. ”Yes, you are the one that she likes to go flying with.” The response was a mere statement, though a slight hint of amusement touched his tone. Head tilted to the side as Echo attempted to get the girl’s attention. He smiled at her a little more flirtatious then he probably should have. Still after that he remained quiet while the weapon was examined.

Echo seemed pleased with the craftsmanship. Standing up from his little perch, Damon crossed the distance to stand at Echo’s back as Tempest offered to make him some weapons. His brow lifted again as he thought over the offer. ”I am quite pleased with my bow at the moment, but that does not mean that a better one could not be had. If you have some interesting designs in mind just let me know. I have to admit I have been looking for a way to improve the arrows that are used.” There was a glance down at Echo given before he looked back at Tempest. ”I would look forward to speaking about it with you in the future. But I believe at the moment, I am to be shown something by my new companion.” He shifted his feet to give her more room to leave the smithy for them to be about their business.

Author: Echo-Rose, Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 2:19 PM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

“Poor bastard,” Echo chuckled a bit. “Being married into that family is pure chaos. He won’t ever have a peaceful day in his life. Lady Lily and Lady Cathrine are saints but… the other two?” There was a visible shiver. “Toya punches her own goddess sister right in the face. Hope the gods favor you enough never to get in the middle of that.”

The duchess nodded and thought about it some more. “You need to understand something about your Lady. She causes her own issues. There’s a reason not even the guards patrol the White Court. Toya handles her own business and she is one hell of a woman for it. Her husband has never been pleased about it. I remember when she was pregnant with Sparrow… Blaine had to tell her no street fighting. I think that was the only time I’ve ever seen guards in the White Court patrolling. The Wintercrests tend to take care of their own too.”

She drained her ale and mulled something over. “If you have the time I could show you some things… but the first thing on my agenda… A young miss in your court has crafted me a weapon. You are familiar with Tempest? She is the young girl that is the granddaughter of Toya. She is also a very skilled blacksmith and enchanter.”

Once they were done eating she pushed herself up and offered Damon her hand. “Come on,” there was a slight smirk. “This is a very special weapon. I’ve been looking all over for a blacksmith who could forge it for me. I just didn’t realize how talented Tempest was until the war. She was the one who crafted the giant lightning poles or helped with them.”

They made their way to the White Court and Echo strolled right into the smithy. “Hey Tempest… You here?” There was a scream for help. “Oi, not again.” She wandered over to a barrel to see legs kicking.

“HELP ME!”

Echo took her firmly and pulled her out. Tempest’s wild brown locks were singed and she had soot all over her face. She still had her goggles on. “What did you do this time?”

“I told Auntie Aurora that Aelwen was cooler than she was and stronger.” There was heaving breaths as Tempest pulled up her goggles and looked Damon over. “I know you! You are always hanging around my cousin Astrid! Damon I think your name is.” Tempest looked him over and Echo snapped her fingers in front of the small teen’s face.

“Oi, I’m here for my order. Stop having a crush.”

“I AM NOT HAVING A CRUSH!” Tempest blushed and huffed as she went over to a work table. Coming back with a fancy looking pole. “Here. Try pulsing your light magic through it.”

Echo tilted her head and took the pole. “You know what I asked for.”

“I KNOW JUST BLOODY PULSE YOUR MAGIC THROUGH IT!” Tempest yelled with her hands on her hips.

“Okay. Okay. Calm down.” Echo took a breath as warm white magic pulsed around her. Two scythe blades appeared out the top of it. One was shorter than the other. “Oh… Tempest this is beautiful.” Echo swung it around with a few fancy maneuvers before stopping the magic flow. She found that it retained the magic in the blade. “How long will the blade last?”

“A little bit of magic should give it a blade for an hour or two depending on the amount you feed it. Sharp too, I tested it out on Grandma’s desk. I didn’t think it would work. Boy is she pissed.”

Echo just stared at the girl in disbelief. “You are making her a new one, right?”

“Sure.” Tempest shrugged her shoulders. “I just wanted to show her how cool it was. Should have seen her face when I sliced the desk in two. I WAS JUST AS SURPRISED AS SHE WAS.” The little blacksmith was excited as she spoke about her creation. “Oh! DAMON! If you ever want a fancy new bow come and see me. I love creating fancy weapons.”

Author: Damon Naur, Posted: Wed Aug 28, 2019 9:38 AM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

Damon leaned back slightly in his chair as he nodded towards her words. ”I have heard of Nymph. She is engaged to an heir of a demon hunting clan. They are rather cut off, but it seems they are popping up more often. I am sure with a bond between a Rosenite and their heir it will be inevitable that that clan becomes more heard of. Cannot be avoided with such a match.” He looked away for a moment when Astrid was mentioned again. She was a good child as well as a mission. There was much innocence that surrounded her though she wished to shed that at her first chance. Damon knew that she had capabilities, but he did not want her to give up her innocence just yet. Too much was shrouding this land and more to come. The phoenix did not feel comfortable with the lull that was lingering over Revaliir for the moment. He knew it to be a calm before the storm.

His gaze shifted to his ale before looking back up at Echo while she attempted to explain all that was the Rosenite population. Damon knew that he should be better acquainted with it all considering Toya was his patroness. Even so, he could never bring himself to sit down to gather the information to be understood. He needed a basic broken down version to remember later. Astrid had attempted a few times, but the guard had not kept attention long on it all. Every time he took a job with nobles it never ended up too well. Each time they would have their spats. Use Damon as necessary and move on. He was a mercenary and it was going to stay that way for a while.

At one point he admitted to himself that he missed the days that he was pledged to the Lady for Fire. She had been his world. Everything she needed had been his mission. That was until he met the one who would capture his heart. All of that had changed quickly. Damon’s teeth ground together for a moment at the sudden loss that still haunted his mind in the nights. He had to move on.

The guard lifted a brow as Echo dug into her food. There was no one that could say that she didn’t have a spark of life in her. Damon finally shook his head. ”No, that makes more sense than I have had placed before me in the past. Things that are more complicated will come in time that I am sure. It is important for me to understand the basics to make sure that I do not cause issue for my Lady Toya or Astrid. Ignorance is not available for excuse.” His ankles crossed over each other under the table as he took another sip of his ale.

”Now that the dragon has been dealt with…or being dealt with, what shall you do next?”

Author: Echo-Rose, Posted: Wed Aug 7, 2019 12:11 PM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

“I only know about the troublemakers… Particularly Nymphaea of the Yellow Court. So Astrid has flown under my knowledge for some time. I will admit that I keep to myself for the most part. I know more about the second in commands for each of the courts than those within it. For better or for worst.”

There was a snort of amusement from Echo about the misunderstanding. “Angela only felt sorry for me. For her, scars are stories to tell but those stories don’t need to be crass. I’ve had these ones for a very long time.” There were flashbacks of her mother’s whip and those red eyes. A shiver went up to her back but she steadied herself almost immediately.

“The Tavern is called The Karith Inn. It’s named after Toya’s main female. The giant golden dragon you see it sometimes when she is flying in the skies.” Once they got seated she took a moment to think about Damon’s question. “I’m not related to them but Queen Lily practically raised me after my mother was killed. Well… Even before that really.”

Echo thought best how to answer and so she was just honest. “I was bred for war. The Oasis Elves of the Magic Order with the surname La Reine married into the Rosenite family of the Victoria. Victoria is a family from Adeluna a long time ago. They were married to create a child that would serve as the right hand to the queen when the time came. Unfortunately, my parents hated each other so it… took a very long time for my birth.” There was a smirk.

“Arri is much more devious in the shadows. Things are peaceful on the front but what city doesn’t have its bad eggs. It’s pretty much taboo to talk about it but… I’ve lived it. Mother molded me into a soldier by whips and demons. Angela found me mangled and half dead. Trial by Casimir. I don’t remember her death. However, I’ve got a pretty nice resistance to most demon venom now and those fancy scars.” She gave a smile. “So while I am not related to them I do owe them my life.”

She took a sip of her ale and chuckled. “You’ll come to find the darkness here a bit more tolerable than being out there with all the sunshine.” It was obvious she wasn’t talking about day or night but rather the people that lurked. “Rosenites are good at putting on false facades and I deal more with that side for Lily. I’ve heard about DaeLuin from Lady Lily. We often got to have long talks when I hauled her daughter back in from doing gods know what with Lady Toya.”

Echo shifted her legs one on top of the other and thought about his request. “Each Court looks over a portion of the population. It looks confusing from the outside because it looks like a power struggle between the courts. It’s anything but that. No, they are controlling the people within strategically. Rosenites can be a bit temperamental with each other when they mix with the wrong ones and they know it. So how did they come up with the solution for HOW to separate each other? The Court system was created by the last Emperor of Arri before his death. Lady Toya probably never said anything because she was only a toddler when they died.”

She worked on her ale as she worked out the details. “Each sister was to be in charge of a facet of society. Lady Lily does commerce for the lack of a better word and focuses on what we would call the holy aspect. Lady Toya is in charge of the military which includes weapon producing. Lady Angela was in charge of the Healing sector and the orphanages. Lady Cathrine is in charge of the Academy and Trade which includes the ports around Sularia even though they are in the Yellow Court. Finally, the bitch Cyprus was in charge of intelligence and assassinations. The Court we never talk about is the Oracle Court… They do their own thing but they are special in their own right. They can tell us when an attack is coming but on rare occasions like when Adeluna and Egjora attacked the spirits blinded them. Most likely due to magic manipulation.”

She took a breath as the food came over and she dug in forgetting about the topic for a moment. She was starving from the looks of it. “All of that was done to control the masses. We call it the Paradise Ceremony. A reading of the soul. It places you into a court. Most children stay with their parents until adulthood and some children get second readings to get adjusted into another court. And each court patrols for any trouble. It doesn’t mean that trouble doesn’t happen. Cases like mine even though they are rare still happen. When they do happen the courts come down with iron fists to make an example. Cyprus, for example, was ripped limb from limb for what she did.”

The white-haired half-elf drained her glass fully. “It’s complex but not completely hard to understand. The five rulers are looked over by the Empress of Sularia. She lives in the Castle District. You’ve been there for the meetings I bet. Lady Willow tends to stay out of any of the discussions. Says she doesn’t have time for the squawking of her grandchildren.” There was a snort from Echo as she chuckled. “Does that help a little bit more or does that confuse you? I wouldn’t blame you at all if you were.”

Author: Damon Naur, Posted: Mon May 27, 2019 6:24 AM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

The phoenix’s head bobbed slightly in response. ”She is on the quieter side, yes. Though there are parts to her personality that many have not seen. Lady Astrid is a little more complicated then what people truly understand. It is an honor to see her grow as a young woman.” Damon was surprised that one of the Rosenites was unsure of the details of the family. He was sure that there was a manual somewhere that outlined all of the family’s many members. Truthfully, he was unsure of how they kept track of each other with how many there were.

Damon finally realized the rudeness of his question after having asked it. The woman handled it well with her answer that the guard had to give her credit for. ”I apologize for the rudeness that was my query. No, I meant of your lineage, not the scars. I myself have quite a few on my human form attained. Though I do find yours much more pleasing to the sight.” His words were not allowed much further as Toya had returned to deal with the rogue dragon. Lowered head was made to be level with his mistress. He nodded his head in understanding to her words, though he still did not like that this was a more regular thing. Damon knew that it was not his duty to think of the city as a whole since his ward was Astrid. She resided in the city that was attacked from time to time.

Claws dug into the dirt as he pushed off to get away from where the dragon was being taken from. ”A drink would be nice.” He responded quietly as one of the other guards he worked with showed up with his clothes. The phoenix took his belongings in his beak before moving behind some of the trees nearby. Form reduced until he was back into his human state again. Damon had to admit that he needed to turn more often if he was going to retain the ability. Brown leather breeches felt comfortable against his skin, though he was struggling to get his shirt back on. ”Where are you proposing we get this drink?” he asked while managing to get his shirt on. It was a loose white tunic that showed the scars he was talking about across his skin.

He followed Echo through the White Court to the tavern she had spoken of, but didn’t quite pay attention how they had gotten there. Both took their seats across from one another as Echo gave an order for their refreshments. It was a smaller locale than Damon had expected, but it was pleasant enough. ”I thought you were part of the Rose family, or is it that you are servicing your own family? The nuances of the Rosenites still escape me despite working for Lady Toya.” Damon leaned back in his seat to allow the arrival of their ales. It was polite to wait for his new companion time to take a first sip before he allowed himself one. ”I have been here long enough as well as newer to the patronage of my Lady. I have come to Revaliir like the other refugees of DaeLuin. I had more of a name there than I do here.”

Damon allowed a glance around his surroundings before Echo. She was slim despite the true strength that she obtained. If mage work was her family’s main focus it would make sense. ”I know the courts, but explain to me further of their meaning. I dare not ask Toya or Astrid. They will think I was not paying attention. Few understand the plights of an outsider attempting to comprehend the complexity of their kind and politics.”

Author: Echo-Rose, Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 6:19 PM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

“Ah, yea, the quiet one of the White Court. Astrid is Toya’s granddaughter yeah?” Echo responded up to Damon and held a smirk. She didn’t know the intricacies of the family. “Had been asked to watch her myself once or twice before. I am more of a hunter than a bodyguard though.”

There was a nod from the half-elf as she looked at the dragon and held it still in her grasp. “It is my pleasure. I was asked by Lady Cathrine to watch her granddaughter. She’s only three but she is trouble. She is out and about with her adoptive Grandfather… Lady Toya’s father-in-law believe it or not.”

The part about her not looking like everyone else caught her off guard at first before it gained a chuckle. The shock had been across her face but she recovered nicely. “That’s because unlike everyone else you might meet around here… My father was an elf and my mother was a Rosenite. It can be a bit odd around here but in the corners of Sularia, there are a few of us here. Unless you mean my scares?” She moved her shoulder and they glimmered a bit. “Lady Angela stitches me up whenever I need it. She thinks scars are ugly so she puts a little flare into mine. Like silver right?”

Toya came back with a few of her dragon knights and Echo backed off the dragon. Using special salts Toya knocked the dragon out and looked up at Damon. “Every once in a while a feral dragon from Horae Island across the way comes here… Probably looking for a mate or destruction. They cause mayhem trying to get what they want. I’ll make sure this one doesn’t do it again.” Using other dragons the feral one was hoisted up and Toya grabbed hold of the strong rope. “You guys are dismissed… Oh and Echo… Garland and Angelette are at my house now so you don’t have to worry about the request.”

Echo nodded and looked over at Damon. The scythe disappeared with a magic shimmer as her hands went to her hips. “Okay, well after that… I could use a drink. What says you, Damon? I’ll buy. I know a good tavern in the White Court.” The magic faded in the area finally and Echo did a quick stretch. She was strong even for how small she was. It appeared that most quickly underestimated her.

They got to the bar and she sat them at a seat. “Bring us… Two ales to start. SOME FOOD TOO.” Echo yelled towards the barmaid as she was walking away. “Thanks.” Her eyes drifted to Damon as she got a good look at him. “I’ve been in service to the Rose family since I was born. My family has been in charge of the mages for Sularia before the five court system was even established. Stays busy around here though that much is for sure… Been here long?”

Author: Damon Naur, Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 5:42 PM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

There was nothing he could do to protect the people below. Damon could not even allow himself to steal glances to check if the citizens were able to get out of the way as he grappled with the dragon. Periodic screams of terror broke through his concentration while he tried to focus on the task at hand. His bird’s eyes closed for a moment tightly as he knew that there would be injuries below. What couldn’t be controlled, couldn’t be controlled. He knew this from many years past even if it was still difficult to come to terms with.

As the pair crashed to the ground Damon adjusted his grip to make certain that the captive could not get away. There was no knowing at the moment where the dragon came from or why it was there. Toya was the only one that could possibly get the answer. Damon’s large flaming phoenix head turned to look at the women who had been in the vicinity. Head tilted downwards to become eye level with Toya spoke. His gaze shifted towards the other woman who looked slightly familiar as if he had seen her in passing. No words were projected from the phoenix.

A subtle grace surrounded Damon while he was in his true blue flamed form. It had been too many years since he had last used it, but he felt comfortable with it all at once. He looked at the cracked scales from the scythe produced by the white haired she-elf. Damon watched as Toya left. His gaze was a protective one even if she did not need it.

The woman spoke towards him finally that brought his head craning from high above to look upon her small form. Even if he had not been in his avian form she still would have been much smaller than him. Talons retracted from the dragon’s flesh that led to blood streaming from its wounds. Wings adjusted at his sides as he stepped to the ground with his claws.

Flames were kept close to his form in order to not touch anything around him. He bobbed his head slightly in a greeting as she introduced herself to him. That was why she had looked familiar. There had been interactions with the Yellow Court, yet not enough for Damon to pay attention to those involved. If Astrid or Toya did not introduce the person outright, the bodyguard did little to pay attention to the person’s identity. This was not to say he had not memorized the demeanor of each individual that was around his protecee regularly. Damon just did not take the time to get to know those he had no need to.

He lifted his front half to stare down hard at the dragon. The beast did not put up a further fight (for the moment), but Damon had little trust of it being behaved. There was still no reason known for its sudden attack upon the city and her people.

”I am Damon, bodyguard of Astrid, daughter of Toya. I am sure you know who they are if you are from Lady Lily’s Yellow Court.” His tone was calm if not to the point of monotone. ”I do wish to extend appreciation for cleaning up the mess below on protecting the districts citizens. I could not keep the damage to any less than what it had become.” An annoyed glare was shot down at the dragon before he turned his gaze back to Echo. ”You do not look like the other Rosenites.” The observation was blunt, though not meant as an insult. Damon was learning he art of socialization; he needed more work.

Author: Echo-Rose, Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 4:33 PM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

“Echo, if you could go patrol the streets I would feel much better about Angelette playing out there.” It had been a simple request from Cathrine of the Purple Court. Echo was fast and she could potentially save the toddler should anything go wrong.

She was a lithe small woman at five feet tall. Her elvish heritage stood out greatly compared to the fair Rosenite race but it was clear she wasn’t completely elf herself. She had flowing white hair that had been braided back on the sides and pinned in the back. The half-elf wore a comfortable light brown halter top with regular darker pants and boots.

Her skin in the sunlight though dark looked like it had veins of silver across it that sparkled in the sunlight. It was clear after a closer look for most that these silver marks were scars and not tattoos. Echo’s eyes were not like traditional eyes for the Rosenites but instead, they were her father’s amber eyes that seemed to have a more feral look in them. It was possible they held that look because she had a tendency to give attitude and put her two cents into everything when she was involved.

The screaming started when she got near the White Court. She had been following Garland from very far away. He knew she was there just to keep others away should the need be. Unfortunately that time came and she saw a feral dragon being brought down by a large phoenix. She disappeared from sight leaving sprawling echoes of lightning behind her as she left.

Every stop she made wasn’t wasted as she got people out of the way. The very last was a small child that she hadn’t accounted for. Just before the dragon landed she grabbed the child and rolled out of the way. The leg of the dragon slammed down behind her. The little girl was also crying but clinging to her. “Shh… Little one it is alright. Open your eyes.” The little girl looked up at her and Echo offered a smile. “You aren’t hurt are you?” The girl shook her head and Echo let her go watching as she ran to her terrified mother.

Toya wasn’t far behind as she looked at all the damage. “Gods damn it.” Her eyes bore into the dragon. “There will be hell to pay for this.” She walked around and spotted not only Damon but also Echo. “It’s a good thing you two were here. I can see where Echo was moving to get people.” The bricks had been destroyed where Echo had stopped and started her speed. The land was still discharging the electric current she had left behind.

The dragon spotted Toya and began to trash but it was Echo who summoned and large scythe and locked it around its head. “If you do not stop… I will make you stop.” It was a threat and she pulled on the scythe causing the hard scales to crack.

“I’m going to get some dragon knights to come get this dragon. I’ll handle it’s punishment once we get it back to Horae… I’ll leave it in both of your care for now. Should only take me a moment.” The queen left the two of them with the dragon. Echo seemed focused on the dragon but her eyes crept up to Damon every now and then.

“You can get off of it now. If you want. My name is Echo-Rose and I'm the second in command and head mage for Lady Lily of the Yellow Court."

Author: Damon Naur, Posted: Sun May 19, 2019 4:57 AM, Post Subject: Rage Captured -p.r-

It was one of the hotter days in Sularia; not that it affected Damon in the least. The White District was moving along as usual with neither an incident. Morning sun had already crept towards the zenith of the day even with the hottest point not being reached yet. Bodyguard leaned heavily on the balcony of his room overlooking the district below. Astrid was keeping to a calmer sort of day which allowed him some ‘time off.’ He glanced over his shoulder towards his room to see the work that he had already completed. Bow had been restrung while the wood had been properly polished. Quiver had been refilled with normal arrows along with his secondary quiver had been tended to as well. Despite it being a relaxing day he felt rather happy with what had been accomplished already.

Screams from the inhabitants of the city started to be heard faintly. A deep frown started on his face as he turned back to look for the source. There were times things did not go smoothly in the Black District, but that was on a rare occasion. Besides that was a distance away for anything to be heard from the White District. Terrified screams increased in volume as the reason grew close to the military portion of the city. Giant draconic wings beat the air loudly above while heat exploded from fire protruding from the beast. ”Shit,” he growled deep under his breath. Blue eyes focused on the creatures coloring in hopes that it could be recognized and handled by those it belonged with. Unfortunately, it was not of the White District meaning that it was a rogue dragon.

There was no possibility of him dealing with the beast from his position or with his arsenal. Damon knew there was no other way for the damage of the area was growing. In a flurry he stripped off his clothing to let it fall in a heap on the floor. Blue flames began to envelop his body; Damon did not wait for them to finish before jumping into the air.

Human form was replaced with a giant blue phoenix that beat its wings to become airborne. Damon felt his muscles continue to pull as they relearned how to be in the form. He could not remember when the last time he had changed, but such thoughts had to wait. For now he had to concentrate on bringing the dragon under control. A quick glance below told showed him that the military was working quickly to get civilians out of harm’s way. Dragon fire was sprayed downwards in effort to destroy the lives below. Damon put his flamed form between the people below and the dragon to absorb the flames. The attack upon him did no damage, but he could feel his heart beating faster from the additional power granted to him while he was in his phoenix form.

Clawed feet were extended out to dig into the dragon’s scaled flesh. He found openings between the scaled armor that was designed to protect it. Beak wings wrapped around the dragon to bind it from further flight while his powerful beak pecked at the sensitive neck of his prey. ”Enough! Land willingly, or you will be made so by force.” Damon could feel the muscles of the dragon beneath him struggle to get more control over its wings. Another twist of his talons brought forth a cry from the dragon as a sensitive spot had been found. The pair began to descend, but one more attempt to get free knocked the pair into the wall. Debris fell towards the ground below where people still were hiding.

Inwardly, the phoenix cursed since there was nothing he could do to protect them. Grip tightened on his captive as he was able to bring them to land outside the walls of the city in the forest. Their landing was less than graceful. Both collapsed on the ground as exhaustion started to overtake them both. Damon shifted his talon grip to the dragon’s neck to pin it to the ground. He knew that Toya would be around shortly to deal with the creature’s behavior as well as figure out why it acted in such a way. The phoenix frowned deeply as it watched for any signs of movement. It appeared for the time it had resigned itself to its fate.