One of us. One of us. One of us!
Nothing but sand. For miles! The rolling dunes seemed endless. Like a hypnotic maze, playing with your mind.
He flew long into the night, refilling at an oasis before flying on. The stars twinkling above him as the cool wind breezed over his body. Well...what he could feel of it anyways.
Riplash looked at his talons. Some of the only exposed flesh that he had on him. He tool a moment to look at his metel covered arms, how the metel melted into his body, never letting him feel again. It wasn't a gift, it was a curse. No matter what that bitch of a queen said.
War cries suddenly filled his ears, catching his attention.
Down below, hundreds of dragons in gleaming battle armor were fighting. Bashing each other with heavy clubs, slashing and stabbing, and burning each other as they fought.
He shook his head and sighed, watching as one viciously ripped the arms off another of their own species. Making them cry in pain before their throat was ripped open by the others claws.
"This isn't fighting. It's just a slaughter." He growled, staying high above the battle. Roaring fires illuminated the night sky, reflecting off his armor.
He snorted one more time before continuing his path. Flying away from the useless bloodshed.
The cries of war slowly got quieter. Dimming in volume till the only sign of a battle was the light of fire.
The sun slowly rose, and he was still flying. Far into the mountains now, the low light illuminating the beutiful green trees, trot of a deer, and the morning dew. Much better than the dead desert.
The air was cooler here. Not dry and airy like the desert, but more full, slightly humid. It was a wonderful relief for himself. Sure the desert felt nice, but he would always take a beach or forest over it any day of the week.
Exhaling, he relished in the air. How it felt so new, yet so old. He knew what forest air smelled like. He did quiet a few missions in the woods. But here....new land...new woods. It was all so....new.
He loved it. Though his facial expressions may bo show it, he definitely loves the new air he was in, gliding down till he was just over the ground, he trailed his talons through the field, feeling the vladesbof grass through his palms before flying into the air again.
"What a place." He said to himself. Thinking back to Sandstorm, how he did her that night. Yeah, he is definitely going to enjoy this continent.
His mind traveled as he flew, the mountains running by him in a blur. The vegetation slowly growing more and more wild as he neared the rainforest. The trees growing thicker and taller the closer he got. Soon he was forced to fly above the trees, due to it being to thick.
"No wonder why they would hide here. It is so fucking annoying to navigate." He growled, landing in a clearing with a powerful thump.
The trees towered over him as yhe shade slowly receading as the sun rose higher and higher into the sky.
He scanned his surroundings, observing every angle, shadow, and tree that surrounded him.
"Mmm, nothing." He growled, taking a few steps before listening again, craning his ears.
There.
Something besides the rustling of leaves. It sounded like...water? A river? Or maybe even a waterfall!
He hummed at the thought. Missing the massive waterfalls back on...that continent. Guess it did have its own plusses.
The sound got louder as his feet pulled him closer, pushing past vegetation until finally...there it was. A medium sized waterfall that gushed water. The crystal blue water pouring from an unknown source, creating a soothing sound.
He stared at it for several second, taking in a deep breath, closing his eyes, and dug his claws into the dirt.
Hundreds of whispering voices filled his brain. Some annoyed, but mostly curious. Of him. They know he is listening, seeding his claws into the dirt deeper. He could feel the life that flowed through this continent. How it was much heavier. But drowned in blood at the same time.
The blood of war.
He opened his eyes again, pulling his talons from the soil below, connecting his link with this land now as well.
Riplash took another breath, inhaling and exhaling one final time. He opened his talons, vines shooting out of the ground and wrapping around a large stone. Constricting it. He glared at the stone, closing his talons sharply.
The stone gave a sickening creak before cracking. Exploding into rubble as the vines shattered it.
"The plants are strong here." He hummed, looking around at the trees. "Perfect."
Nearly an hour later, he found himself deep in the rainforest. Passing by peaceful and beutiful flowers, frogs, animals of all kinds, and nothing but life.
It was a bountiful place. No wonder anyone would want to live here. Though it is a pain to travers, but if one has a set path...
Bingo.
He narrowed his eyes, looking closely at what he assumed was a trail.
Whosever it was, they put great care in trying and hide their path. But not good enough.
With his new lead, he followed the trail through the massive jungle.
Riplash followed the trail for hours, carefully slinking past vegetation, using rocks and solid ground as a place to step. Making sure no one else would know he was here.
As he walked, questions started to fill his brain. Questions like, "why did the queen want this target alive?" Normally he would just kill the targets. Wether it was the queen who assigned him his mission, or anyone else who hired him. So what makes this target so special?
He used the quiet time to think. What would make this guy so important?
This question circled his head the most. He wished he already knew. So many ideas flew through his head. But one seemed to keep incircling his mind.
Revolution.
It's simple! She is scared of being overthrown. So she wants the leader of such revolution captured. It has to be the answer!
"I'll just ask him myself." He mumbled. Pulling himself forward with a tree, feeling grooves in the wood. "Hmmm." He observed, seeing claws gouging the wood.
The marks adorned several trees ahead, almost like a trail. Each mark was days old. Signifying how active this area was.
"Interesting." He mused, walking forward.
Wait a second.
He stopped, scraping his talons across the ground. He mused for a second before throwing a knife into the middle of the path ahead of him.
It sunk into the ground. He waited for several seconds, hearing a clicking sound as several darts shot by, flying into the rainforest. Probably going to his a poor animal.
Before he could take around step, the snap of a rope sounded off, sending a massive log swinging down at the area Riplash would have been standing in.
The log flew right by him, crashing into the tree. Several shrieks of birds called out as they flew away.
"Overkill." He mumbled, walking through the triggered traps, picking up his knife as he strolled along.
He passed by several marked trees, avoiding three separate traps before finally coming across a semi-large cave. Moss growing over the grey rocks, holding water that dripped onto the ground in small drip drip drip.
"Hmm." He mumbled, studying the cave for a quick few seconds. Seeing the smooth stone carrying several tainted gouges.
Bingo.
He thought, grapping a talon full of dirt and throwing it inside, revealing a thin line of string on ground.
This is to much work for a hideout.
He thought, following the string up the wall, studying the wall for several seconds. There!
Several explosives fit snugly into the walls, ready to cave in the entrance, blocking anyone inside, possibly killing the victim as well.
Riplash eyed the explosives before stepping over the wire, and walking inside.
He silently stalked through the cave. The only sound that accompanied him was the slow and gentle drip of water that leaked through the cracks in the walls.
He carefully walked down the tunnel, taking several minutes to carefully tread through the cavern. Checking for wires, poisoned spines and several different traps.
Though with time, he found none. Almost like this was a dud. Turning around a corner, there was...
Nothing.
An abandoned camp site. A burned out fire, empty bags of food and supplies, and several broken knives and tools.
"Disappointing." He hissed, kicking a ripped basket aside. Dust flying into the dark room, dimming then already dim room that was lit with his fire.
He turned, about to walk out when he watched the dust get picked up by the wind, carried deeper into the cave.
"Hmm." He hummed, following down a hidden turn deeper into the cave.
It went on for several minutes. The air getting dryer and dryer as he traversed the tunnel. His throat drying up the more he inhaled.
The smell of death suddenly filled his nostrils, driving his curiosity further. Kicking stones out of his way, watching a looming orange light fill the exit ahead.
That was when the heat waves came. Washing heat over him with every step he took.
"This place is a death trap." A voice spoke suddenly.
Riplash immediately pushed his guard up, stalking silently as two black dragons in shiny grey armor spoke to each other.
"Mmhmm. It'll blow any day now." A feminine voice replied back.
"Possibly killing us all." The male spoke again.
"What are you implying?" She asked with a suspecting voice.
Metel clinked in what he suspected was a shrug, followed by, "Y'know, if we are going to die, why die unhappy?" He joked.
"You horny stud...meet me at the abandoned caves after your shift." She chuckled, flying off suddenly.
Riplash gave a silent chuckle.
Smooth
The male silently cheered, seaying his head back and forth in a happy motion.
He rolled his eyes, sneaking up behind the male, jabbing his neck with a stinger.
The black male gave a loud grunt, freezing up suddenly as he was paralyzed.
Once he pulled his stinger out of his victim, his eyes scanned the area. Scanning the massive volcano in front of him. The orange and yellow light that lit the sky spelt doom.
He narrowed his eyes, watching the sky before darting into the black silt beach, his armor blending into the ground as several black dragons flew overhead. The crashing of black waves masking the sound of his talons.
It was interesting, how such a species of dragons could live in such a horrid place. Smoke filled the air, ask rained like snow, and their home was about to blow.
"Why not just leave?" He mumbled, stalking closer to the volcano. He used the black rocks as cover as he passed through a dead forest. Dead, black stalks shot out of the ground, leaving the remains of a once flourishing island. Now dead with little hope.
Riplash stalked through the forest, hiding as best he could before stepping into the clearing.
"Interesting, at first, I thought you were a nightwing, but looking at you closer, I don't think you belong here." A raspy male spoke suddenly, landing in front of him. Several more nightwimgs (he assumed were called) surrounded him, pointing spears at his metel body.
The raspy male spoke again.
"How did you get here? I'm sure we have every way guarded off." He hummed.
"It's quiet easy to make it in." He shrugged. This raspy one had dingy silver armor, covering most of his black body, still showing his dim green eyes. He wasn't healthy. None of them were.
"Relax, I'm simply looking for someone and took a wrong turn." He explained, trying to calm the situation.
"You're here now, and you know where we live. So you'll have to stay here." The male explained.
"Yeah, sorry. But I'm to busy. Plus, I'm not into males." He chuckled, turning around to leave.
That was when he heard it. A light whizz-screech that got progressively louder as it got closer.
"Wait a minute..." He looked at the nightwings. "Run!" He cried. But it was to late. A massive glowing ball of energy crashed into the ground, creating a massive explosion. Sending Riplash flying with debris, bits of armor, flesh and bone.
Fuck
There we go. Finally able to update again. Just saying now, Riplash is a horndog. So don't expect him in any relationships right now. Till next time. Tah tah.