Some kind of dragon au

[occulthymns]

[Before you lies a picturesque kingdom of forests and fields and farmlands. Mountains rise up in the distance, and set at the edge of a massive lake is an elegant castle with tall spires. It looks out over the land - forests surrounding the lake, a small but pleasant medieval town pushed up against the castle walls, farmer's fields further out.

The land itself is fertile and full of wild game, unsual plants, and natural wonders like crystalline caverns and waterfalls. Rivers of all sizes wind their way down from the mountains, which alternate between covered in fir trees and bare, jagged rock with mazes of caves hidden within.

Dragon AU go!]

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[showmeanguish]

[Simultaneously, he reaches up to scratch an itch on his back, just above where his wings connect to his frame.]

Fish, deer, boar. And smaller prey, but they're barely a mouthfull.

[didneyworl]

Huh...we usually eat goats and birds and eggs and stuff! [ But they sound fun. So he pushes himself up a bit and waddles back on over to Vanitas, flicking an earstalk. ]

Wait here okay??

[showmeanguish]

Well, there's sheep and goats the next valley over.

[But they belonged to humans. Vanitas would occasionally sneak one when he had a hard time finding food, but avoided most human settlements. Especially since many of them had come up with anti-dragon weapons and defenses that were real threats.]

I'm not going anywhere.

[didneyworl]

The valley huh... Gotcha! [ Yeah guess who's never really dealt with humans before 6u9 ]

[showmeanguish]

... [Whoops. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that.

Though he's not about to actually stop the smaller dragon, either. But he won't let him go completely by himself--he'll tail him quietly, just to see what happens.]

[didneyworl]

[ Nanny B)

But no that's probably a good thing? Because as Ven flaps his way over he's more or less got eyes only for the landscape and all the pretty things in it. On a whim he follows the scent of apple trees blossoming and swoops down to an orchard--which is technically attached to a farm? So he's close to the stuff he's supposed to be hunting!

He's just...distracted. ]

[showmeanguish]

[Ven you're ADD as heck. B(

And unfortunately for him, there's workers in the orchard who immediately take notice of the large form gliding above. He may be smaller than other dragons, but something larger than a hawk or eagle gets their attention with how many dangerous creatures live in the nearby forest.

Vanitas though, pauses in the forest canopy just on the outskirts of the orchard, and watches with narrowed eyes. This isn't gonna be good.]

[didneyworl]

[ Yyyyyeah probably not great. Ven touches down without even worrying about the poor workers, plopping down right between a row of trees and toddling right over to a bushel of apples to stick his head inside. MUCH TO THE HORROR OF THE WORKERS, who more or less panic the moment Ven breaks through the trees above.

6u9 oops ]

[showmeanguish]

[The larger dragon resists the urge to facepalm when he hears the panicked screaming and sees the small outlines running through the trees towards the farm. But then again, what did he really expect from a dragon that was still young enough to initiate play?

Once the workers have fled, Vanitas takes to the air and swoops in behind the smaller gold, claws digging grooves into the soft earth as he lands and tucks his wings in. He's barely small enough to squeeze in between the rows of trees without rustling their branches.]

What're you doing?

[didneyworl]

Oh! [ Whoops, caught. Ven tries to lift his head from the bushel...but his head's sort of stuck. So when he raises his head the basket goes with it, and with a sound of surprise the goldscale starts backing up and shirking his shoulders as if that'll somehow help dislodge it. ]

Um...

[showmeanguish]

.....

[Wow. Just wow. He's actually never seen another dragon with their head stuck in something, and it's surprisingly funny. Or would be, if there wasn't a danger of those workers coming back with pitchforks, spears and blades.]

You're ridiculous.

[Stalking forward, he reaches out and hooks his claws into the basket weave and pulls.]

[didneyworl]

[ Lucky for them it shreds easy and catches so that Vanitas' claws manage to pull it off, but Ven still looks ruffles and crane his neck to scratch at it with a hind leg before he's able to shake it all out and chuff. ]

They smelled really good! I didn't think I'd get stuck...

[showmeanguish]

I meant your attention span.

[He snorts, before his head swivels around towards the faint sound of more shouting coming from the direction of the farm.]

You're gonna get yourself killed, idiot.

[didneyworl]

Was not! [ ...But yeah, he's hearing those yells too and poking his head around Vanitas to try and catch a glimpse of whatever's causing all that. ]

...What's that?

[showmeanguish]

Not anything good.

[But they were still far enough away that they had time. Most likely it'd take them a few minutes to assemble and get their weapons ready.

Turning back, he spreads his wings again and raises up onto his hind legs, using his tail for extra support. His wings clip at the trees, knocking several apples off their branches with the force.]

We need to go.

[didneyworl]

[ And right away Ven hurries to catch them up in his maw, head canted and fins perked. He'll settle for an inquisitive rumble, since his mouth is full. ]

[showmeanguish]

[ksajflkj seriously, you need to work on your survival skills. Vanitas watches incredulously and kicks off from the ground, arching gracefully in the air before he catches it and circles around.]

C'mon!

[didneyworl]

[ HE HAS NEVER SEEN HUMANS BEFORE OKAY they are cute and squishy-looking. Like naked rats or something C8

...But yeah, getting airborn's probably a good idea. Ven will take a bit of a running start before he flaps his wings hard to lift himself up into the air. His wings aren't as used to catching air to lift himself so he's lower for a bit long--but that's fine with him, he gets a better peek at the squishy not-rats before he's able to climb as high as Vanitas, chirruping in excitement that was fun 6u9 ]

[showmeanguish]

[Oh my god, you are way too much trouble. Vanitas flies closer to the farm before he can flap his wings and catch the next air current, watching the humans closely as well. Most of them are still scurrying around, shouting amongst themselves.

Some of them stop when the two dragons fly closer, pointing before they scatter again. But then something else catches the black dragon's eye--several were wheeling a strange looking thing out of a building...

With a slightly alarmed noise, Vanitas's eyes widen and he seems to jerk in the air, and if it was possible to backpeddal while airborn, was doing a good imitation. Unfortunately, the sudden move bumps him into Ven, spinning the smaller gold and causing his own wings to lose their uplift for a few seconds.]

[didneyworl]

[ Ven's hit and responds with a startled squawk, maw flying open and his prized apples tumbling into a free-fall towards the ground below. A tragic loss if he could focus on it, but right now he's busy trying to get himself oriented and gain his lost altitude back. ]

What was that for?? Don't stop without saying anything...!

[showmeanguish]

Shut up! Just head back to the forest!

[But as soon as he can rumble that, the humans finish wheeling their odd looking machine out. It's pointed upwards at an angle, with two wooden and iron pieces that stick out to the side. On one side was a crank, and a lever.

Six humans were hurriedly pointing it towards the two dragons, while another two stepped up and loaded a long iron bolt into the main shaft. Then another two began working the crank, pulling the bolt back against the bottom piece.]

[didneyworl]

[ He doesn't get why Vanitas is suddenly so insistent and panicked about this. There doesn't seem to be anything special about whatever the humans are doing down below to Ven... But he's not exactly keen to go swirlign down there to check them out either, so with a small snort he works harder to bring himself up, twisting his body so he can swoop after the other and follow on his currents. ]

What's wrong?? Why are we going so fast--??

[showmeanguish]

[Before Vanitas can respond, there's a sudden 'whang!' noise from below, followed by a rushing whistle.

Vanitas looks down, and immediately changes his altitude and angle again, swooping to the side to avoid the large iron bolt that comes shooting their way.]

[didneyworl]

[ Ven's not as fast or agile, and the sharp whistle headed their way shocks him more than it alerts him to change his course. Luckily it doesn't hit him, but it streaks through the air only a few feet away and practically knocks him out of the air for the great shock it gives him, whirling and panicking as his wings beat as the air and carry him haphazardly in a different direction than Vanitas. ]

[showmeanguish]

[With the first bolt a miss, the humans scramble to quickly reload the weapon and begin cranking it back for a second shot.

Vanitas rights himself once it passes, only to glance behind and see that Ventus is missing. His eyes quickly scan left and right, before he spies the gold a good two dozen meters away, floundering in the air. He leans to the side again, flying in an arch to close some of the distance between them.

Unfortunately, it's not quick enough. Right before he reaches the other dragon, the second bolt fires. That whistling comes at them again, and Vanitas is forced to back off as the bolt shoots between them.]