Edgeworld (IC)

Subject: Edgeworld (IC) Sun Oct 12, 2014 11:52 pm

EDGEWORLD

Midday.

The sun on Edgeworld shone with an unusual pinkish glow, with just enough of the hue to be noticeable but still remain discreet. In Telosis, most people went about their daily lives burdened with thoughts turned to the future. As had been scheduled for several days, there was to be a city-wide meeting held in the town square that afternoon, to address the most recent issues. While no one had specifically said anything concerning the dragons, many people secretly harbored the notion that the meeting’s true purpose was to warn the citizens of the new policies that had much to do with the beasts. Whether it was to declare them enemies of the city or set down a peace treaty was anyone’s guess, and it rather depended on whom one asked.

As the time wore on, more people began heading for the square. None wished to be late and risk standing in the back of the crowd, unable to hear. Soon enough, the streets became littered with families heading for the middle of the city. Rich and poor, old and young, tall and short; all headed for the square in anticipation for what the Governor had to say.

Even the guards came, their blue and gray uniforms in sharp contrast with the pinkish light. Most of the citizens in Telosis had a family member or friend in the guard, but even so, they were avoided in public. Most had the reputation of being bored and finding reasons to give citizens a hard time. Not much happened on Edgeworld, and some doctors had said staring out into the great abyss had maddening effects on those so stationed to do so. Guarding the wall was a boring task, even if one was an avid dragon-watcher. There were other threats out there though, and nearly all came from the sky.

Zayne Dandridge however, found guards who used this as an excuse to take a few days off to be lazy, irresponsible, and just all-around stupid people. Zayne was a guard with minimum clearance, and he knew that he could not afford to irritate any higher-ups…but he didn’t exactly want to be on their good sides either. Rebellious, aged at 19, Zayne often found fault with his captains and fellow guards. His attitude had earned him more than his fair share of reprimands and extra shifts, but he didn’t care.
Zayne stood in the crowd, watching people carefully with his hands behind his back. Leisurely he began making his way towards the city square, keeping an eye out for anyone who looked like they might cause trouble. He ignored some of the looks people gave him. Others glances were kinder, from people who had seen him before and knew he was not like the other guards. Zayne was not one to cause mischief for citizens.

Even so, he could not help but cry out as a girl with long brown hair suddenly sailed above the crowd in an effort to get ahead of people and into the square. “Hey!” he called, sliding through the crowd in an effort to get to her. “You! Don’t do that! You could hurt someone!”

The girl paused, looking back at him with an unusual expression on her face. Zayne couldn’t quite pin down what it was, but he thought it bordered on amusement. “Sor-ry!” she said in a singsong voice. “Gravity just can’t keep me down.” She threw him a silly glance, her lavender eyes catching the light.

Zayne might have laughed at a different time, in a different place, but for the moment he was more irritated than amused. “Listen,” he said, “everyone wants to get into the square, and I know that you could probably beat these old folks there easily, but it’s rude and you could land on someone by accident.” He gave her a stern look, which she frowned at. “Besides,” he went on, in a lower tone, “if you really want to jump and sail around, try the rooftops.”

She stared back at him in surprise, as if she were not sure she were hearing him correctly. Then a broad grin broke across her face. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she said slyly, before she winked and melted into the crowd. Zayne looked for her for a moment, before sighing and continuing his stroll to the square. Kids. Teens. People his age even. They were already looked upon by the adults in Telosis as a little strange, and regulations were tighter around them. There was something different about those born on Edgeworld; something a little off that no one could quite place. Zayne did his best to keep them out of trouble without ruining the fun, and usually he was able to do this.

It was true what he had said though. Rooftops really were the best way to travel. Sarah, the purple-eyed girl who had been stopped by Zayne, would soon find the truth to his words.

* * *

The cave was full of hissing. It was a wide, dark cave, and it was full of hissing. Dragons, specifically Inva, crowded the floor, the walls, and some even hung from the ceiling like bats. And all of them were hissing, both at each other and because of their general displeasure. Inva tended to be solitary, grouchy, and easily angered. Not one of them appreciated each other’s company, and they were sure to let each other know. Perched on a rather large stalactite was Lykuran, who was waiting for the hissing to die down long enough for him to be heard. While they spoke telepathically, it was indeed hard to hiss and listen at the same time.

Most of those present were distressed because they had been required to face daylight to attend this meeting. Daylight. The nerve of Lykuran! And to be even further aggravated by the presence of the Amica! The cave they currently occupied was exposed to the outside, and the rosy light was beginning to sore several Inva’s eyes. Most of them begrudgingly agreed that it was a necessary pain to endure, so that their larger kin could also attend this meeting and be in comfort. The Amica did not like the dark as much as the Inva disliked the light. This had been the cycle for centuries. Amica ruled the world by day, and the Inva had free reign by night. A meeting like this had not been held in hundreds of years, and some preferred that it stayed like that.

Lykuran’s tail twitched back and forth, in mild irritation coupled with a degree of amusement. This had been the largest, open cave he could find to accommodate his brethren, and he was beginning to wonder if calling such a meeting had been such a grand idea. Even so, he let the hissing continue. Silently, he waited.

Mireth, feeling distinctly uncomfortable in the darkest corner of the cave (which was considered far too bright by most Inva) was having similar thoughts. He squirmed, accidentally resting a wing atop one of the smaller Invas. This dragon hissed and clawed loudly, demanding Mireth raise his wing. “Apologies friend,” Mireth sent quickly, further pushing himself into the wall of the cave so his smaller kin would be comfortable. Idly he wondered when, if ever, Lykuran was going to speak. Mireth did not hold any particular liking for Lykuran, but he understood that others of the Flightkind held him in great esteem. Personally, Mireth was only here because he felt obligated to be. He knew Lykuran was a being of malice pointed directly at the “Humans” as they called themselves. Secretly, Mireth hoped to be a voice of reason in this meeting…

…That did not mean he was eager to so be.

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

Of course, all the residents in Telosis had heard of the meeting, but that didn't quite mean that all would attend...at least at a close distance. Vitaly Ankudinov ran across the roofs, trying to get as high as possible and as close as he could to the towns square without getting pushed and shoved around by the people and guards crowding the sidewalks. Hopping onto yet another higher roof, Vitaly almost laughed out loud. He loved the feeling that nothing could get to him, and no one could stop him, though he knew this meeting might bring to light more restrictions on what he was allowed to do... Most people though that this blonde haired, blue eyed, freckle faced boy was fairly odd, but no one could say they didn't find his company enjoyable. He was a good natured kid, but odd because of his love for the outdoors. Some called him a witch -which is quite inaccurate because a witch relates to a woman- because of his uncanny ability to get along with the wildlife surrounding Telosis. But, no matter what anyone's thoughts were about Vitaly, no one was going to know of his attendance to the meeting unless they happened to run across the roofs with him.

* * *

The hissing and snapping and growling and roaring of the Inva and Amica gathered in the cave was quickly wearing on Kirauk's nerves, and he was finding it hard to keep quiet.....he felt he might end up starting the meeting himself if Lykuran didn't begin soon. the brown Inva's yellow eyes flashed in irritation as a smaller one of his kind tried to scramble across him. Kirauk was hanging from the ceiling, so their maneuver wasn't quite as well thought out as they might have supposed. Sighing, Kirauk reached out and helped the smaller Inva to the open space that they'd been attempting to get to.

"Och, here yeh are, lass." Kirauk sent quietly, making sure the younger Inva was securely settled before letting go. He groaned inwardly. Why couldn't he just worry about himself.

After a few more minutes of listening to the continual hissing and the complaints being sent around the cave, Kirauk finally broke. "AHK, quit yer complainin' and stop yer infernal hissin'! If ye ain't 'appy, shut up! T'will all be over quick like if'n yeh let the meetin' start!" Kirauk let out one long hiss that seemed rise above the commotion for a moment, he was now completely and utterly annoyed.

Posts : 232 Join date : 2014-08-31

Gorsedd was, for an adult, perhaps the smallest Inva in the entire cave, which in many ways was actually to her advantage, as she was able to comfortably cling to the ceiling in a dark corner, where nobody would notice her. She had an excellent view of Lykuran, whom she had already decided at this point, was a suitable enough leader for her to be satisfied; he had managed to hold a meeting, and the fact that he could convince so many dragons, both Amica and Inva, to gather during the daytime in a situation found uncomfortable by both races, was an impressive display of leadership. She was willing to hear what he had to say, as despite his young age, this was a unique situation that the dragons were faced with. A dragon could claim because of their older age, that they were wiser, but the truth was that the wisest dragons, in these cases, would be whoever had observed the humans since their appearance twenty years ago. Gorsedd strongly believed that the dragons who thought humans didn't pose a threat either had little to no experience with them, or that they supposed peaceful harmony was some sort of option, without any sort of proof to back their hypothesis.

Gorsedd did not trust the humans, even if she was aware that there were ones who liked dragons, and would not harm them. Ever since they had arrived, she had under the cover of night, when her scales would render her invisible in the shadows, flown over their settlements. She would circle and silently observe, learning all that she could about the aliens and their behavior. Among dragons, she might as well have been called an expert, for this was the way scientific observation in the wild occurred. She had, in the end, concluded that no matter how peaceful some humans might have been, there was not much chance of coexistence, even after the generations that could not talk to dragons had long passed away.

Gorsedd's mission was simple. Support Lykuran, despite his extremist goals, and crush all opposition to the concept of removing humans from their planet.

Posts : 12 Join date : 2014-09-21

Isaac Robin had quietly melded into the crowd, becoming indistinguishable from the mass of other Telosians. He was currently reading a book about quantum mechanics and the string theory. However, unlike many times before, it was at his own leisure, as opposed to required reading.

For many years, Isaac had been trying to open the gate between Edgeworld and earth in order to reunite himself and others with their respective families. After twenty years with no success, however, he felt himself slowing down.

Back on earth was his wife, his seven-year-old daughter, and his unborn son (well, 20 years ago he was unborn). He'd missed twenty years of their lives, and he was utterly bitter about it. He never let these feelings leak, though: on the outside, he was a smart, organized, and cheerful man. This got him a lot of friends, but he still couldn't help but feel ashamed.

Isaac finally looked up to where the rest of the crowd was facing, still seeing nothing of the governor. After confirming that nobody was present, he returned to his book. He seemed to either be unaware of or to be ignoring the girl jumping over the crowd, as well as the man sprinting across the roofs above.

Posts : 160 Join date : 2014-09-28

Kyrath coiled up against the wall of the cave, trying his best not to take up any more space than he needed to. This place was really too small for this, and he could tell that everyone knew it, but there hadn't been a better place for them all to gather. He tucked himself closer against the wall, agitated, as several Inva went by him much too close. He grumbled, hoping this would all be over soon. He almost hadn't come at all, but he knew he needed to. While he didn't much care for the company of others of his own kind, especially the aggressive Inva, there was one thing he hated more. Humans. Kyrath couldn't see a reason for the others to think any different, but if that was true then the meeting wouldn't have happened in the first place.

Scanning the room, the young Amica realized that he wasn't the only one of his kind who had somehow gotten pushed deeper into the cave than he would have liked. This other Amica, though, was in one of the deepest corners of the cave, and didn't look too happy about it. Kyrath winced sympathetically as he watched the older Amica accidentally aggravate an Inva. He sighed, resigning himself to what would probably be a similar fate soon. He just hoped the meeting would start, and then end, soon.

Subject: Re: Edgeworld (IC) Wed Oct 15, 2014 5:44 pm

The Governor had yet to appear.

Miss Sarah Silver, being the adventurous young lass that she was, had taken the strange guard's advice and was now seated comfortably on the edge of a roof. Her feet dangled out on front of her, and she kicked slightly the way bored children do. She had a fantastic view of the raised platform on which the Governor was said to appear, not that she particularly cared what he had to say. Idly, Sarah looked for her parents in the crowd. She had jumped on ahead mostly to get away from them, as they had the most irritating habit of being focused on everything she did. Laughing quietly to herself as she spotted them in the crowd, she pulled her hood up and tried to appear inconspicuous. The best thing about people, Sarah decided, was that no one ever bothered to look up when searching for someone.

Of course, Sarah knew she was going to be in trouble if she were spotted, though she doubted it would be the guards who forced her to come down. Maybe if the Governor himself saw her something would happen. As of this moment however, Sarah was most concerned that her younger brother or parents would point her out and make a big spectacle as she climbed 'obediently' back down. So far everything seemed fine. In an attempt to push away her worries, Sarah looked out over the crowd to see if she could spot the Governor approaching from his rather large and expensive house.

There did appear to be a congregation of guards walking towards the square. Telosis was built oddly, at a slope that wasn't too noticeable until one was walking 'uptown' or 'downtown.' When walking downtown, it appeared that the whole city was spread out before you. Walking uptown made it look like a wall of buildings. Sarah was staring uptown, where she could see the Governor's house since it was at the 'top' of Telosis. She watched the guards approach, picking out the gray-suited behatted form of the Governor.

Zayne had taken his place at the base of the stage, where three of his fellow guards accompanied him. There they stood with their arms behind their back, weapons slung casually over their shoulders. Inwardly, Zayne was irritated. He didn't want to be here, and he knew that many of the people in the crowd shared the same sentiment. There was an edge to the crowd today. An uneasy peace settled only because today promised answers. Zayne hoped that the answers the Governor was to give today would be satisfactory. He didn't want to help stop a riot today.

Turning his head for a moment, Zayne checked on the Governor's approach. Yep. He was coming. Taking his jolly good time at that. Mentally frowning, Zayne growled under his breath and silently urged time to move faster.

The Governor stepped onto the stage, and a hush fell over the crowd. Many seemed confused, but Zayne didn't want to turn his head to figure out why. His guard captain would surely yell at him if he did, as bad form in front of the citizens represented bad form for the entire guards.
Or at least that was how the saying went. Whatever.

"Hello citzens of Telosis," the Governor said, seeming for the moment to be overly happy. The crowd shuffled uneasily. This didn't seem to bother him at all. "It has come to my attention that many of you are harboring thoughts that aren't compatible with our current situation... As you know, we have limited power in Telosis, and yet our few solar chargers are being misused on an almost daily basis." He paused, letting that sink in. "How are we to defend ourselves," he continued, "if we cannot charge our weapons? What if we were to be attacked?"

"Attacked by what?!" yelled a voice from the crowd. A couple people nodded in agreement, but several others hushed the man angrily and turned back towards the stage.

"By the so-called 'dragons,'" the Governor went on, as if that should be obvious. "You've seen them. We all know about them. And we all know they didn't bother us before because our gravity generators made it too difficult for them to fly. But now we're defenseless, and they have shown they can easily breach our walls, if not just fly straight over them. They are a very real threat, and we have to be prepared to defend ourselves."

The crowd murmured. Zayne's fists tightened.

* * *

Lykuran decided he'd had enough. He slithered down from his stalactite, and came to rest on a convenient ledge below. He flared his wings and hissed once, demanding silence. Hundreds of eyes turned towards him, some flashing in the dim light. A few of the gathered dragons fell silent grudgingly, hardly used to being silenced by someone so young. These admired his bravery.

"Flightkind," Lykuran sent to those gathered around him, his mental voice smooth and with a hint of a hiss. "I believe we all know the reasonss for why I have gathered you here today..." His yellow eyes flashed, and his face drew back in a long, drawn-out hiss. "...Humanss."

"Get on with it, hatchling!" someone sent angrily. There were a few draconic laughs.

Lykuran let this pass, knowing full well he could not command the respect he deserved from all gathered before him. He knew it was well enough he had even convinced most of them to come. "They are the enemy," he said slowly, drawing out the last word. "They came to our landss, and drove us out... They came with their...machiness...and broke our wingss. And even now, they plan on wiping us from the landss."

Many dragons hissed in agreement, some in outright anger. Lykuran did not allow this to go to his head. He knew the controversy of this topic.

"When have they said that?" asked a dragon hesitantly. Somewhat sharply, Lykuran turned his attention to the back of the cave. An Amica had spoken. How typical of them, the large lazy Flightkind would not believe it if danger jumped up and bit their tails.

"What iss your name?" Lykuran asked, hoping he didn't sound hostile.

After a bit of a long moment, the Amica replied, "Mireth, sir. I do not recall the humans planning to banish us from the land. Even so, would we not take to the sky?"

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

Vitaly had settled himself down on a roof as the Governor began to approach the stage. "Just in time..." he whispered quietly to himself. From his vantage point he could see the uneasiness of the crowd, and felt glad he had chosen to sit high enough that he wouldn't be bothered. The Governor stepped onto the stage, and Vitaly's blue gaze became a bit more serious as he spoke. "Nyet..." Vitaly muttered quietly. "This isn't good...."

The dragons had not threatened them, even with the city's protection gone, so why jump to conclusions? No one had really made much contact with the dragons, and the dragons really had kept to themselves. If the people of Telosis were to provoke the dragons by being aggressive, the beasts could easily rid of the city-folk, mostly because there was very limited fire arms to go around, and even less energy to charge them.

* * *

Kirauk listened to Lykuran quietly, his yellow eyes slowly narrowing. He was not one to say much, but when he felt it necessary, he definitely didn't hesitate to share his opinions and thoughts. He didn't want to start a fight, but he felt he should speak.

"Lykuran," came the soft hiss. "I am not one ta usually speak out, but I feel that I must..." Kirauk spoke quietly, confidently. He was not afraid of the Inva before him. "Tha 'umans 'ave not threatened us in any real way, they 'ave only colonized, as we 'ave, on this planet. They do not 'ave tha numbers, or any real knowledge aboot our lands ta be able ta pose a threat." Pausing, the Inva let out a soft hiss. "I dinna' mean ta be rude, Lykuran, but if tha humans do not act purposefully against us, I believe we shouldna' take action. As long as they are peaceful, you should 'old yer want fer war, an' think o' what's best fer the rest o' Flightkind." Kirauk became silent again, waiting for Lykuran's reaction to his somewhat bluntly put words.

Posts : 232 Join date : 2014-08-31

It was at the Amica's question, followed by another dragon's pro-human testimony, that a telepathic voice came from a very dark, hidden corner between some stalactites on the ceiling, where it was considered too tight for the comfort of most Inva, impossible for an Amica, but capable of concealing the speaker in shadows. The spot was rather close to Lykuran, and it would give most near him the impression of having someone directly above them. "For those who dissent Lykuran's views, listen to one who sees from his side of the argument. True, the humans have not threatened us, at least not in a direct fashion yet, but if you attempt to examine the matter through a simplistic view, then your opinions do not have much evidence as backing to support your beliefs." The telepathic voice was clearly female, and though it was not condescending, it would have struck like a pair of sharp fangs to those who were deciding to be vocal about their opinions, as it dug at the very heart of a matter.

It was then that a face emerged, as Gorsedd moved further down, a bit out of the shadows, revealing the brilliant patterns and coloration on her body, marking her powerful venom as an Inva when seen in the light. She looked around at those below her, who would not see her eyes because of the ridge above them, and the coloration of her scales, which hid them. The hooded appearance of them made her expression hard to determine, as many things were communicated through eye contact. "Those of you who support the humans are not likely to have experiences with them, as I have. Musing over their arrival, as many of us did, I would fly over their settlements and take the time to examine them closely, and seeing as their eyes are weak in the darkness, they never saw me there. I have observed them, and have made my conclusions based on the evidence that I gathered."

She looked at Lykuran, who would see a single, highly-reflective eye, before she looked at the group gathered in the cave, "The humans are, by nature, the dominant species from whatever world they hail from, and they would naturally wish to retain that. The Inva and Amica are dominant here, and for much time we have lived in peace, the Amica ruling by day, the Inva by night. We are similar enough, however, that we can understand our differences, and accept them, coexisting without fighting. The humans are no such thing, they do not have any similarities to us that we can see, and though their offspring that are born here can apparently speak to us, they are still biased towards their own kind, and that is how it will remain. Their nature is selfish, they would take the best for themselves, and leave us with the scraps they do not want; I have seen them do it to their own kind. If they are so capable of cruelty amongst themselves, what will they do to a creature that to them, looks like nothing more than an animal or prey creature that can talk?"

She tilted her head questioningly at the masses, as the talons hidden within the folds of her wings clenched together tightly, "I could say so much more using my evidence, to destroy so easily any weak arguments backed by ideals or beliefs, where there are no facts or truth to back them, but I will let this debate go further. If you believe there are facts that would oppose what I say, then I am willing to listen, but if not, do not speak to me, or I will only strike down your words. Remember this, also, for those of you who have spoken to their young: Can a select few, whose words will carry no weight with their descendants when they are dead and gone, possibly guarantee peaceful coexistence? Can the humans, as a majority, turn away from what is their base nature? I will leave you with these questions."

She then looked at Lykuran, as though waiting for some sort of approval, that she had given a good argument in favor of his views.

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

Kirauk's calm thoughts had a suddenly amused feeling to them as he again spoke, this time in answer to Gorsedd. "Ahk, me dear... ye 'ave no real proof o' tha words ye speak. Ye said they 'ad a bias toward their own kind?" He sent a bit of an amused laugh in Gorsedd's direction. "In sayin' this, ye are forgettin' one thin', lass... if we are sa worried aboot tha humans takin' away our dominance, we must also be biased 'round our own kind, just as tha 'umans are. Our way o' thinkin' must not be sa different from tha 'uman's." The Inva's eye's flashed, almost happily. Kirauk seemed to find this argument entertaining.

"'An' what's this aboot selfishness? Yes, they are selfish." Kirauk nodded in agreement, trying to keep a straight face. "But, me dear, so are we." He gave a wide gesture with his claws. "We all want what we 'ave. We dinna' want change. We want everythin' ta stay tha same. That in itself, is selfish on our part." A slow and soft hiss came from Kirauk for a moment. "We canna' make conclusions based on what we see, me dear. Our eyes deceive."

Kirauk finally looked the other Inva straight on. "Yer fancy words an' drawn out opinions dinna' fool me. They dinna' confuse me. Ye may keep yer opinions, I do not want them."

Posts : 160 Join date : 2014-09-28

Kyrath bit back a hiss. How could they side with the humans? He decided to join the conversation, though he tried his best not to seem as annoyed as he was. "They might not mean to hurt us, but they do," he sent. "I was pushed out of my home when I was young because they wanted to build their own houses there, and they never once even seemed to notice what they were doing!"

He raised his head slightly higher, so he could better see the crowd around him. "Even if they want to leave us in peace, they will eventually be forced to expand, and they won't think twice about taking our land."

It was true, he wished they could live in peace together, but he had abandoned that hope less than a year after the humans first arrived. They didn't care what the Flightkind had to say, and Kyrath was sure the humans would continue to take land here until they covered every surface they could. Eventually, there would be no room for them, even the cave-dwelling Inva.

Posts : 232 Join date : 2014-08-31

Gorsedd remained where she was, and hissed at the dissenter, with an amused look on her face, "I do not lie." she stated, looking almost amused, "The humans are like us, and that is why they will never peacefully coexist with us for the entire forseeable future." She nodded, agreeing with him, as what he stated was honest. "Lykuran's hatred for them is perhaps more virulent than mine, but I do not believe in violence, so before you accuse me of wanting to kill them, you must be aware that there are always alternatives to fighting, except in the most desperate of situations. Blood does not have to be shed in a war to achieve the goal of removing them." She said, allowing such a statement to make her side more appealing. She then hissed, looking at the Inva she had named, "However, Lykuran sees ahead in to the distant future, when many of us will likely have passed away. Humans breed quickly, and when they use their devices, which replace teeth, claws, or any physical gift, they become skilled in survival. Perhaps too skilled, I should say, for they came here because their original home had grown too small for their number. Instead of a disease or spike in predators controlling their number, they somehow eluded the illness, and starvation, as well. They bred until they were miserable, but then they found an alternative. Where do you think the extras went?"

She tilted her head a little, "They came here, and their next generation may speak to us, but do you expect them to stop breeding if their numbers grow too great to allow room for the Amica and Inva? They are as you say, selfish, and so are we. Neither side would give up their young, so never claim I am without understanding or empathy to something aside from us. In the end, however, they will choose their own kind over us, and should they repair the machines that made flying difficult for us, unless we were far above them, they would make life quite miserable for us, just as they are miserable with the ground pulling less on them than it did in their original homes."

She looked at Lykuran, "They came through some sort of hole in space, and it broke, so now, they are divided themselves. Some want to stay, some desperately want to go back to their original place of origin. Some are trying to fix that hole, others do not approve of it, and try to stop them. That hole can be a way of removing them, without bloodshed. I am selfish, at heart, so I will confess such things, but just because we want to be considered 'honorable' does not mean we should allow something that could lead to our extinction."

She then looked at the dragon who had opposed her, "I bear no ill will towards you, please take no offense, but attempting to use my own proof against me will not change my opinion, nor will the vague claim that my research is poorly grounded. I repulse my own kind, with my persistence towards discovering and discerning what is the truth."

She then hissed a little bit, "Additionally, I see life from the point of a worst-case scenario, and from a point of view that many would easily call 'realistic', though no one may see the future. Ideals are things we all love greatly, and try to work towards, but in the real world, dreams are often crushed like dead plants underfoot. I have learned such lessons so repeatedly, that they are forever ingrained in my mind. If you claim I have no proof, then you are insulting what I consider to be very intensive study, and also offend me, as I am a brutally honest individual. If you wish to change my opinions, I will listen to you, but you must bring me proof, or what you say say additionally carries no weight. I will choose whatever path I judge to be right, and logic is what guides me. Unless your logic is solid evidence, or I could see it for myself, then I am just as convinced by you, as you are convinced by me."

She then slithered, clinging to the jutting rock, fully out of the hole, revealing her smaller-sized body, but the enormous wings she possessed, which flowed out in a graceful way, though somehow menacing and lethal, as Inva often were. "I am Gorsedd, and I follow a logical path. Ideals and cherished hopes mean nothing to me, as cold-hearted and ruthless as it may be to say such things. I speak what I judge to be the painful truth, as I determine it, and I originally wished for coexistence, too, but that idea quickly died as I watched the humans. Could you guarantee that humans can overturn the selfishness of their nature, as we wish to, when it will win in the end, such is the blight of us all? The egg has to break, before the young can be born. If you fear war or conflict, that, too, is selfish. No life is free of suffering or strife, so do not attempt to convince me that there is such a thing as happily-ever-after."

Subject: Re: Edgeworld (IC) Fri Oct 17, 2014 3:34 pm

Dragons. Zayne scoffed mentally. The only thing the Governor really feared here was losing face. Zayne knew this wasn't a problem with the wildlife. This meeting wasn't really about the dragons. It wasn't even about the misuse of the chargers. It was about the Governor's position of power and his control over the city. He was a hard man to read, Zayne decided. Mister Jack Taylor claimed to want the Gate fixed, to return everything to normalcy, but as the years had passed no progress had been made. None at all.

In all truth, Mister Jack Taylor was the king, and Telosis was his kingdom. How many citizens had caught onto this, Zayne didn't know. The Governor was very suave. Fidgeting slightly, Zayne wondered how long their 'king' was going to speak to them today. He had other plans on his mind, and standing around all day in his guard uniform was not one of them.

"In short," Mister Taylor went on, "the solar chargers are going to remain under constant supervision from the guard from now on. To charge anything you must have the proper approval forms, which must be filed a week in advance."

There was a groan from the crowd. Many people looked decidedly unappeased. "This is your solution?!" someone yelled. "Many of us just want to go home! Why has worked on the Gate stopped!?"

The Governor sighed silently, a patient smile on his face. When he spoke it was as if he were talking to an uncooperative child. "We've been working on a solution since the moment the Gate stopped working. I'm sorry to say we've made little progress. We just do not have the resources..." He paused. "I'm sorry citizens. We've done all we can, and we're relying on Earth to make the first move. Are there any other questions concerning this matter, or shall I move on?"

* * *

Lykuran had let the argument play out between the three in front of him, curious and delighted at the same time. It appeared that he had an intelligent female to assist him in his aims, one who seemed to be as convinced as he was that the humans were a threat. He had not expected immediate backing, especially from one so rational and perceptive as Gorsedd. Pleased, he decided to interject before he lost what authority he had in this meeting.

"Worsst case scenario or not," Lykuran hissed pleasantly, "they are a very real threat, as Gorsedd has sso brilliantly explained. We cannot allow oursselves to remain in the shadows any longer. The humans ssee us as mere animals, and we have not yet expresssed our dominance over thiss world." He stared around the cave for a moment, in an attempt to make eye contact with every dragon in the room. With finality, he finished, "Brotherss and Ssisters, we need to make a move."

Mireth was not convinced, and after a quick glance around the room he could tell that he was not the only one, but the numbers were dwindling. Silently he wished Silauze were here. She had a way with words, and most listened to her guidance. At least, most Amica did. As far as Mireth knew, Silauze had encountered very few Inva. They tended to leave her alone, out of pity or disgust Mireth didn't know.

"What kind of move?" Mireth asked, feeling slightly out of sorts. He wished he were out in the sunlight instead of cramped in a corner. He hoped this wouldn't resort to violence.

"A dissplay of power," Lykuran answered forcefully.

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

Vitaly shook his head and closed his eyes, almost groaning. "Can no one see what is going on here?" he said, somewhat exasperated. He stood himself up, calling out. "Yes, I have a question, Governor. When have the dragons ever been a threat? They have not even attempted to harm us." His voice rang out clearly over the crowd from his position on the roof, and his blue eyes gazed calmly down at the Governor. "Why should be be ready for an attack when they are obviously peaceful? We have already cut back on the use of solar chargers, what use is it to deprive us even more?" Vitaly knew he was stepping a bit out of line, but he wanted to know how the Governor would answer.

* * *

As Kirauk listened to Gorsedd, his amused smile slowly turned into a deep frown. "Och, lass....if that is yer outlook on life..." He sighed softly and didn't finish his thought. Turning his focus back to Lykuran, Kirauk hissed quietly. "Display o' power?" The Inva's frown became a dangerous one. "Yer beginnin' ta tread some deep water, Lykuran...an' I'll not be there when ye drown." Kirauk let go of his upside-down perch and spread his wings. His yellow eyes studied Mireth for a moment, wondering if the Amica would follow him.

Posts : 12 Join date : 2014-09-21

Isaac went from calm to distressed very quickly - like he usually was. He was no fan of the governor, and certainly no fan of how he treated his people.

As he listened, he couldn't help but shudder. He and others had been working on the damn portal for 20 years with no success, and it frustrated him to no end. Finally hearing the governor say that there wasn't enough resources, 20 years after the portal shut down, almost made him see red. He'd already knew that his countless hours of work were possibly void, but to something so simple, as the governor claimed...

Wordlessly, Isaac chucked his book onto the ground. He raised his voice above that of the crowd's, "If we're so low on resources... Then why the hell have us work on the portal for twenty years!?"

Isaac had already guessed that what the mayor had said was a lie, but he was incredibly fed up with many things by that point - he really hoped that what he had said gathered the crowd's attention.

Posts : 232 Join date : 2014-08-31

Gorsedd slithered further down the stalactite, looking directly at Lykuran, though her hooded eyes were now concealed by her markings, as they could only be seen from certain angles, and in certain lights. "A display of power can make or break something, Lykuran, though a message or statement is always how any movement is to truly begin." She said, keeping her telepathic voice low so that only he could hear it, and tilting her head a bit, "I support you, in your belief that the humans must go; I have deemed you a leader capable of going through with what he wishes to do. However, whether or not I choose to participate in a collective, organized event such as a display of power would depend on the event itself. If it is violent, I will not allow myself to stain my talons with blood, and be branded with the crime of murder, should I be singled out and hunted personally. Many others would likely shy away from the concept of it, as well, though you would, to my mind, have no inhibitions about it at all, considering what they did to you."

Gorsedd, in truth, did not actually reveal a lot about herself aside from her own personal philosophy regarding the humans. Even in this case, she had said very little about her information-gathering, or why she believed the way she did about ideals or dreams. The Inva they saw was not the individual they knew, although anyone could tell there was probably some story behind her. She had claimed that she repulsed her own kind, but the truth was that if any Inva were asked, nobody would actually know who she was, unless they had been present at the meeting. Nobody knew who Gorsedd had been before the meeting, and it was unlikely they would ever find out what kind of person hid behind the cool, calm, and calculating outer shell. In truth, she sounded as though she had been trying to be courteous, at first, but had lost it somewhat when someone had tried to dismiss her evidence. She was quite a serious individual, which could be determined almost immediately. She spoke with a sort of proper, polite manner, and she seemed like a rational person.

Nobody knew what Gorsedd was thinking, though. Half the time, they could not even see her eyes, and every marking on her body, it seemed, was made to make her impossible to see or figure out. She was made to disappear, and such an appearance, however flashy in the sunlight that filtered into the cavern, was at great odds with the nature of her appearance. She was the kind of Inva to disappear, go unnoticed, and live in solitude, it seemed. It was somehow sad, but one would have at first tried to withhold it, because they did not exactly know what she was thinking, or who she was. Who was this strange, self-proclaimed eccentric and outcast? That was for Gorsedd to know, and she never intended for anyone to find out. She would remain a mystery, even if she had to enter a beam of light to defend what she had deemed the correct path.

Subject: Re: Edgeworld (IC) Mon Oct 20, 2014 1:27 pm

"Obviously peaceful?" the Governor echoed, turning his attention to the rooftop where Vitaly stood. "What evidence do you have of that? They're animals." Dismissing the youth as nothing more than a nuisance, the Governor turned to Isaac, whom he considered a much more concerning threat to his position. "I had hoped," Mister Taylor answered shortly, "that you science folks could figure something out, but apparently I was misguided."

At his words, the crowd began to grow slightly more unruly. Some people stared at Isaac, blaming him for the failure of the gate. Others seemed disgusted by everything the Governor had to say, but unable to do anything about it. It was perhaps the presence of the armed guards that kept them in check.

"Alright citizens," Mister Taylor said, "Look. The problem is, every one of us agreed to come here of our own volition, correct? The best we can do is continue to make do with what we've got. If we turn against each other now, nothing will ever get solved."

* * *

"Thiss dissplay need not be violence," Lykuran clarified quickly, somewhat amused. "I ssaid nothing of violence, hss." At least not yet. Not now. Not until he had most of the Flightkind at his beck and call. "As I have ssaid, the humanss ssee us as nothing more than animals...Perhapss we should go have a talk with the beings we currently share thiss world with, no?"

Despite the humans having been on Edgeworld for twenty years, very little contact had been attempted or made with them. This was mostly due to the fact that when the humans had arrived, the Flightkind had been unable to speak to them mentally or go near their habitations. It was not until recently, the last ten years or so, that dragons had even been able to approach Telosis. And it was only then that a select few dragons had realized that the younger generation of the humans could 'hear' them. Only a few had even tried.

"How will we talk to them?" Mireth asked, a bit surprised that Lykuran actually seemed to be suggesting something diplomatic. "Their minds are closed." Mireth knew of this limitation of the humans, and had heard of the younger of them being 'open-minded,' but he had yet to ever meet a human hatchling or experience this notion for himself.

Posts : 232 Join date : 2014-08-31

Gorsedd moved her head to one side, so that a highly-reflective eye was seen, "The first thing we must do, for either side, whether you supported humans being here or not, is telling them that we are not animals, but intelligent beings who are capable of communication. It is not hard to reason why this would be important; you would not want to be mistaken for a dangerous beast that does not know the distinction between intelligent beings and animals. Young ones have active imaginations, and I feel that would be considered universal in most creatures. It is likely that even if human young spoke to one of us, their parents would think they were pretending they could hear words, rather than knowing what was said, and that they were lucky to survive any encounter with one of us. I heavily doubt that they even believe there is such a thing as speaking as we do. If you were to arrive in a crowded place where humans of various ages roamed about, however, and requested that someone who could hear you come, and translate so the close-minded ones could understand in their vocal sounds what we said, that would immediately solve the problem. The fact that we are dangerous just by nature's design, however, would be noted on instinct, so there are also the obvious associated risks."

She coiled her body around the stalactite, "Those risks would be apparent to anyone who is aware that the humans would fear our great size and power compared to their own physically weak bodies. They may feel threatened, and run away, or perhaps decide that we might try to attack them; misconceptions like those are simple to solve, but very bad if they occur. For all that you know, perhaps a few of them have already made up their minds about the idea that we might be hostile towards them, merely because they feel threatened by our very presence, which would have been viewed as imposing or threatening, just because we showed our faces. Do not forget, if the Inva and Amica see this as a serious matter worth discussing, we are probably just as serious a matter to them as they are to us."

She then looked at the Amica who had spoken, "I do not know how such encounters between us would go about, that is something that cannot be predicted, although it would have to be planned carefully, and in a place where news would spread quickly amongst them. It would also, of course, require the presence of someone who can understand us. Preferably, we would have to land somewhere away from the walls where they are not constantly anticipating a threatening presence, and therefore placing members of their kind to watch. We should land where they do not expect us to land, so that they cannot respond by immediately by bringing with them a tool that can harm us."

Gorsedd then swiveled her head to look at Lykuran, "It would be beneficial to all if they knew we were intelligent. The question is if a group of young will be believed when they claim that they can understand us, unless they were born just after they arrived here, in which case I suppose I should claim I do not have an awareness of their lifespans. I merely know that their young are smaller than the adults."

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

Vitaly looked quite unhappy at the Governor's response, and muttered a few unintelligable things under his breath. He knew the Governor wouldn't give him a good answer if he tried to ask again...the man had practically ignored him. "Urghf...." Vitaly was normally a happy, good natured kid, but the topic being talked about was making him slightly irked.

Shaking his head in resignation, he turned away, probably to skip off to the woods and do some outdoorsey thing, but suddenly saw a girl sitting on one of the rooftops, not too far away from where he had been. He paused for a moment, then hopped acroos a roof or two and stopped quietly beside her and sat down. "Hey..." Vitally didn't actually know why he was trying to talk to her. "You don't exactly look like you would be one to agree with..." He cut himself off for a moment. She had purple eyes? Hm. "...to agree with the Governor, I'm supposing."

* * *

Kirauk was almost completely and utterly furious. Not at Gorsedd....he wasn't really even angry with Lykuran. He just hated how stupid everyone in general was. They were idiotic, at least in his opinion. Why couldn't they leave things be? The humans obviously weren't a threat. Their resources and supplies had been cut off, and they wouldn't be able to exand and grow easily, unless by some miracle the gate was fixed and full energy restored.

The sun was making him even more unhappy. The Inva hissed softly and decided to land in the foliage of the woods beneath him, where the trees protected him from the brightness of the sun. It hurt his eyes.

Huffing, Kirauk folded his wings in, located a softer patch of soil and stratched at it with his claws. Quickly enough he had dug a shallow hole, and it was just wide enough to fit him. Curling up unhappily on the freshly upturned earth, he groaned slightlyand buried his head in the dirt. The forest undergrowth and foliage was tall enough and thick enough around him to hide most of his fairly large form....though much of him was visible. He didn't care. He was tired, and he was irritated.

Kirauk soon dozed off.

Subject: Re: Edgeworld (IC) Fri Oct 24, 2014 1:40 pm

Sarah looked at Vitaly with interest, sizing him up and wondering if she should leave. He didn't look particularly threatening, but her natural suspicious nature made her envision some very-far fetched scenarios. Although, she had decided that he was handsome. Sarah considered his question for a moment, wondering what Vitaly's motives were. Oh well.

"Agree with the almighty Jack Taylor?" Sarah answered sarcastically, "not on your life." She fixed Vitaly with a cold stare that was more of a joke than it was intimidating. "All I know is he's restricting my pilot lessons." She feigned a pouty face, crossing her arms and kicking her legs angrily.

Below them, unaware of their presence, the Governor continued to ramble on about power supply and new restrictions that were not going to be placed on Telosis. By now all personal fliers were grounded, supplies in the technological department were restricted to scientists only, and any and all energy weapons were banned from public use. "I am also imposing a curfew," said Mister Taylor, "for the safety of my guard and the safety of you citizens. No one should be outside of their homes after eleven, unless the need is dire."

* * *

"Thiss is where I am in need of assistance," Lykuran stated softly. If they were to avoid outright war, which he doubted, something had to be done and soon. He knew it was a bad idea to simply fly to the human settlement and hope for the best. They needed a plan, and this would require cooperation between the two sects of the Flightkind. "Seperated, we are blinded by the rotation of the sun," Lykuran sent, "but together, we can keep a constant monitor on the human activitiess, and ssoon make our presence known." He paused for effect. "Will you, my sisters and brothers, unite under this cause, and help me to take hold of our claim upon this world?"

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

Vitaly averted his blue eyes for a moment, trying not to stare. Gosh darn it, this girl was pretty. He looked away, tapping a finger on the roof a few times before looking back to her. "That's good to hear," he grinned. "I'm glad you don't share his opinions." Shaking his head slightly in amusement, Vitaly smiled, but the smile was soon gone as he heard the next few points that Jack Taylor mentioned.

“A curfew?!” he said, almost shocked...then laughed a bit, albeit quietly since he didn’t want any attention from the crowd or from the Governor, and glanced at Sarah. “I don’t think I’ll be taking the curfew seriously any time soon...”

“Oh,” he suddenly realized he hadn’t introduced himself at all. “By the way, my name is Vitaly.” He grinned and offered a hand.

Subject: Re: Edgeworld (IC) Wed Nov 05, 2014 2:45 pm

"Nice to meet you, Vitaly," Sarah replied, grinning happily. She shook his hand gently. "I'm Sarah, and I don't think a curfew is going to keep me from staying out as late as I like either."

Sarah of course, hadn't been kidding about the pilot lessons. While not strictly official, and lacking a proper teacher, she'd mostly been teaching herself and occasionally having one of the regular pilots take her out on practice flights. The pilots thought she was very skilled, but refused to take her anywhere too far from the city due to their fear of the guard.

Zayne stiffened as he realized the Governor was drawing his speech to a close. Finally. Zayne knew that the curfew was probably going to be a problem for at least a month. He hoped no one made him run a night shift, as he disliked arresting people but understood he had no choice. Rules were rules. Orders were orders. He could not risk jeopardizing his position now. Not when he was so close to accomplishing his goals.

Posts : 160 Join date : 2014-09-28

Kyrath thought about that for a moment, debating. A show of power... He didn't want to hurt anyone, but he doubted the humans would just let the 'dragons' land in the middle of their city. He wasn't sure if they would listen anyway, even if the children were believed. Either way...

He nodded. The plan needed work, but he decided it was a good start. "Where and when do many of their young gather at once?" He asked, then added on, "somewhere it would be safe to land."

If they could talk to several of the young at once, no one could blame it on someone being delusional. Then all they needed to do was convince the older humans to listen to them. That would not be so easy, of course, but even simply proving the Flightkind's intelligence would be a step in the right direction. Still, Kyrath personally doubted anything they did to achieve 'peace' would work. Eventually, there would be violence, and he wasn't entirely sure he would dislike that.

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

"Yeah, I think they might find out that the curfew is just adding another problem to the list...not many people are going to respect that rule." Vitaly shrugged slightly, noticing that the Governor's speech was coming to a close. "But...I'm slightly temped to go looking for one of those dragons." He grinned sheepishly. "It might sound crazy, bit I think we could make friends out of them...its not like they've tried to attack us before." He ran his hand through his hair in a bit of frustration, and shifted his blue-eyes gaze back down to the crowd and the Governor. "Hmm...would you want to come with me?"

* * *

Kirauk couldn't stay asleep. The topic of the meeting was keeping his mind running. As he lay curled up in the foliage, he couldn't help but think of the humans. Why did others feel so strongly about the extermination of them? He felt that line of thinking was idiotic. Yes, the humans could expand their city, but not easily, since supplies from the other world had been cut off.

Sighing, Kirauk wondered what he would do about persuading Flightkind to stay their anger...if he could.

Mostly he wished that he could get some good sleep.

Subject: Re: Edgeworld (IC) Thu Nov 06, 2014 2:35 pm

Sarah watched the Governor bid the crowd farewell. The crowd didn't seem too happy, but it wasn't like they could force him to stay and answer their questions. Not with the guard around anyway. Mister Taylor retreated with his guard back up the road, and disappeared between the buildings. Sarah sighed.

"Go looking for dragons, huh?" she replied to Vitaly, swinging her legs, "sounds a little dangerous. And fun." Her gaze abruptly shifted back over to Vitaly. "If you do that, I want to come." Suddenly an angry, high-pitched voice rang out over the plaza. Sarah looked down, and spotted a very angry woman yelling and gesticulating in her direction. "Oop- I better go. That's my mother." With a hop, Sarah edged off the roof and landed below with a slight bump. She threw one last look at Vitaly before vanishing into the crowd.

Now that the crowd was dispersing, Zayne felt he had more room to breath. He saw the girl he'd talked to earlier slip off the roof with ease, and smiled lightly to himself. At least someone had listened to him. He turned back towards the crowd, having decided to wait until the square was mostly empty before leaving.

* * *

"I would think," Lykuran answered, "that we will need at a bare minimum, two of the human young." He paused, thinking that over. "Perhapss three. Even so, we will need to sstart sscouting. And should an opportunity arise, we should take it."

"So you are suggesting we keep a closer eye on their activities?" Mireth paraphrased, "and keep watch especially for the young ones?"

"Precisely," Lykuran replied, pleased.

Posts : 204 Join date : 2014-09-28 Age : 26

Vitaly laughed for a moment, answering Sarah as she left. "I'll make sure to find you before I go!" he called after her. Smiling, he gave a small wave to her as she looked back, and then he turned, running across the roofs instead of trying to get through all the people gathered below. He grinned, happy with himself. "Looks like I've got someone to help me..."

Jumping to the next roof, he landed, rolled, and kept running, his pace unbroken.

(sorry short)

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