A stretch of rainforest-jungle mountains, many eroded into pillars by weather and time. A thick mist hangs in the air making travel difficult. Many swear that the pillars float through the mist, moving on their own by an unseen force.
Larkspur's wings flapped powerfully, the wolf rode thermals with the ease of a creature who had been doing it their whole life. Long ago, when they were just a pup, they'd taken their first forays with flight, flinging themselves from various tall objects the way they'd seen young birds do. It had been a nearly unending cascade of scratches, bruises and twisted paws before they finally took flight properly, soaring into the bright blue above. In fact, it was this ability to fly that had initially fed their urge to leave the pack and see the world on their own. Being grounded while molting wasn't fun when it was a normal, expected cycle but being grounded while molting from something as unexpected as the great flood that dragged them into this world was the worst experience they'd had yet. They couldn't properly explain to a wolf that couldn't fly how crushing it had felt to be trapped on land, watching the birds soar overhead while they waited impatiently for their wings to recover. Taking to the sky again was like being able to breath, it was like a creature had been sitting on their chest and choking them until it wasn't, and they'd relished in the freedom returned to them the moment they'd been able.
Once they'd reacquainted themself with the skies, however, it became time to survey this new world that they would likely be forced to call their own in the coming times. They weren't as bothered by the idea as they could be, a little upset that they would likely never see their mother again nor their siblings, but the fate of a lone wolf was to risk never seeing home again. For all they knew, other wolves had come in and subjugated the pack while they were gone, or they'd moved on for some reason. Larkspur could've even wound up killed by those guarding their territories, so a bit of steel was needed to leave their birth pack in the first place.
Cobalt blue eyes roved over the landscape beneath their paws, taking in trees and mountains. They tried to take mental notes of the location of lakes, remember where the major rivers ran and, all-together, compile something that resembled an internal map for future navigation. Staying clear of the volcanoes and the painful smoke they released (which forced them to fly far higher than they did usually if they wanted to breathe properly) wasn't a fun task and so, finding what all they could discover beyond it was important to them.
"Ow," they hissed to themself, another pang running through their wing. "Definitely overdid it."
They'd been so excited to fly again, to be freed of the technicolor hell that was the endless stone hills of rainbow colors, that the wolf had genuinely forgotten their own limits.
Time to take a break.
Larkspur flared their wings once more, ignoring the twinge of pain easily as they began a slow glide downward. Mist began to thicken around them, fog obscuring their view as a series of pillars and stones seem to stick out at random. It was exhilarating, carefully gliding through the natural obstacle course as they sought somewhere safe to land.
Eventually a patch of grass made itself known, and the wolf extended their forelegs, applying the slightest bit of weight that pointed them down more sharply. It was with a practiced trot that their paws touched down, wings still half-furled at their flanks as they slowed down,
"That was a nice one," they hummed, stretching a little from the pleasant soreness associated with enjoyable exercise. Their eyes scanned the dense fog surrounding them, far less concerned than a wolf normally would be about their lack of easy vision. Fog was low-lying after all, having wings meant being able to soar above the worst of it if they flew high enough, then land safely in the clear areas. They tilted their head as something muffled sounded through the dark clouds - they squinted a little at a forming shadow. Another creature, though they couldn't tell what - a wolf? A cat? Hells, it could be a rabbit of unusual stature for all they could see.
Malachi had been curled up against the base of a hollowed tree, gathering slumber. He had most recently taken a long trek-- just to explore mainly. Or so that is what he tells himself.
Mostly Malachi felt like he was running. It was the last thing his father told him to do. The male sat up and looked down to the giant skull dangling around his neck with a sigh. "why couldn't you have came too?" if only he wouldn't have frozen- his dad wouldn't of had to shove him- or loose his head.
It was tje soft rustle of feet hitting the dirt and wings maneuvering that interrupt his thoughts. Suddenly they were a million miles away.
Malachi doesn't make a sound. He is silent and listening very closely. His nose working to try to find a scent. "Hello?" The voice calls out. It was female in sound- so that means it was someone else. The male relaxes only enough to stand and move somewhat closer to the stranger, trying to fan the fog away.
Hello....stranger! Malachi offers, finally finding a rock to stand on. All this for made Malachi's golden makings appear all over his body; each one an uncannily resemblance to the bones underneath. You lost too?" what else could be say? The fog was dense and he was lost? Worst case scenario he would use it to hide in-- but so far he feels safe. The fog was lifted while I was sleeping..
------- "speech."
"Is it lost to be roaming?" Larkspur considered aloud, narrowing their eyes a little in an attempt to peer through the thick fog. They could still hardly make out the other's form and the damp air made it a bit difficult to get a proper scent but they think it could be another wolf - and potentially a dead one to boot. The shape of a skeleton gleamed through the entangling mist and while Larkspur wouldn't usually be so quick to jump to 'living bone-wolf' as their answer to the situation, this place was rather spooky in appearance and absolutely nothing had made sense since they'd been swallowed up by a river and spat out in a realm of fire and earthshakes. "I've been looking around - have you been here long?"
---
Text. Speech.Thoughts.
"Is it lost to be roaming?" Malachi considers the question that was offered. He supposed roaming didn't exactly make one lost-- if they knew to where they were going. "If you know where you're roaming too, I guess not." his shoulders went up and then down is a small shrug.
Malachi didn't often peel his own feathered wings out, but this fog was so dense that the male let his inky purple wings out. He flapped them softly shewing the fog away from the pair of wolves, making it to where he could get a gimpse of the tiger striped woman. Her red brown coat was beautiful abd wild. Malachi could almost bet she was if apperance meant anything.
He notices the unease on the unnamed ones face. So, he speaks up, I am Malachi Leviathan... And no, I don't think ive been here long. No longer than two hours maybe..i fell asleep." of course he wouldn't admit to it being a mistake. What about you? Sounded like you just flew in!" He flaps his wings again to keep the fog at bay.
-------
[Ooc]: rolling to see if for becomes less dense
SUCCESS = fog is thinner
FAIL = fog stays the same
NPC Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Dexterity.
505 was added for Level 0 (50/50).
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
Well Larkspur didn't really have a destination in mind so they supposed that counted as 'knowing where she was roaming to.' She appreciated his efforts in trying to remove at least some of the obscuring fog, connecting the dots between the sudden increase in visibility with the way a pair of deep, purple wings flapped furiously. She offered an attempt of her own, careful with her still fairly sore and patchy wings, cobalt eyes and the markings around them emitting a soft light.
"Well I'm Larkspur," she introduced politely, lifting her left foreleg with a genial nod. She felt a bit of relief when she noticed thick, warm-looking fur and paler white markings on the coat - not a living skeleton then, but an ordinary wolf with some form of bioluminescent markings not unlike the deep blue patches around her own eyes. The skull-like pattern of the male's face was a bit intimidating but thus far, they hadn't received any strange signals or indications that he was dangerous. "No surname. Nice to meet another new soul."
She thinks that was what he was implying anyway - he could easily mean 'new to the area' but Larkspur was going to assume that 'new' meant 'had only just entered this world' until told otherwise.
"I've been in this world for a few days - but yes, I just landed here a moment ago," she looked around curiously, not seeing much due to the fog around them. "It's quite strange really - the area around this had looked mostly clear but then again... I was flying above the cloud layer."
It was nice to finally have a name to match the striped womans face. He simply shrugged when Larkspur said they had no surname- lots of others didn't. It was rare for him to meet anyone else with a surname. "It is nice to meet you Larkspur!" or so he supposed it was at least helpful to have her name. He wasn't sure of her just yet.
So she had been here for a few days now. Malachi wasn't sure how long he had been a part of the land itself, but in this particular landscape- Stone Pillars- he was new to. "The fog came in like the ocean tide. It was sudden but I'm hoping it won't last long..im sure things looked much better in the air." he tilts his head, unable to hold back his question: "what brings you here? I was tracking a doe but shes escaped me..." Malachi for once is trying to be friendly- even though all of him knows this wolf is probably just trying to help themselves.
---
{OOC NOTES}: should they explore the area with dice? Maybe find a cave to explore? They could find some neat items or something?
Larkspur offered an acknowledging nod at the polite response to her own greeting, flaring her right wing to twist around and remove an annoying inner covert that had crossed in a bothersome fashion across two others. She released a light whuff from her nose, allowing the feather to drop to the ground. Gods, how many more feathers would she lose before they started growing back en-mass? She was already dreading the agonizing rash of pin feathers that would soon coat the inside of her wings in every conceivable crevice, though she hoped they would all be in and flush before the first snowfall.
If it even snowed around here that is.
"Oh yes indeed," Larkspur agreed about the view, shuffling her wing back against her flank. "It looked like a nice place to land from above. As for why I;m here-"
They elected to sit down, now secure with the emotions they felt flowing from the other wolf to be nothing malicious or intimidating in nature, "I am attempting to assemble something of a mental map before I attempt to make good on repaying a debt. A wolf saved my life and more importantly, got me back into the sky."
---
[NOTES] I wouldn't mind them poking into a cave or something!
Malachi hopped down from his perch on the rock with a groan. He makes a wide circle around where the wolves were staying "All this damn fog is annoying!" Malachi snapped outloud in frustration, his feathered wings flapping around the pair of wolves, trying to create a strong current to banish the thick fog from view. "Sorry if this is a lot of flapping. This Fog it just came out of nowhere!"
Malachi could only watch as some of Larkspur's feathers fell to the ground. It was that time of season again- when the feathers molt away and grow anew. He shivered just thinking about the pin pricks and itching that cane with molding. But he says nothing and nods as Larkspur speaks. "I'm new to my wings personally. Never used them in the air..yet" he admits,, deciding now to pull his wings back to their hidden status- he didnt often leave them out long.
"I am attempting to assemble something of a mental map before I attempt to make good on repaying a debt. A wolf saved my life and more importantly, got me back into the sky." Malachi makes a thoughtful hmm sound as Larkspur settles in her place, explaining why she was here. "Well you definitely have the best view up there for a map!" he didn't know what to say about the wolf that helped her, "its good to be in the sky again I'm sure. What did you need for your debt?"
As he listens for her response Malachi is looking around close by. There are many rocks with different sized holes among them. "wanna check out one of these holes? I bet theres a cave somewhere!" He's squinting his eyes to try and find a cave mouth though the fog.
----
(Notez):
DICE ROLL 1:
SUCCESS= the fog rolls away with his wings and clears away they can see their surroundings better now.
Fail= The fog stays the same.
--
DICE 2:
SUCCESS: a large stone comes into view with a wide mouth cave, do they dare explore?
Fail= they do not notice the cave at first and it requires effort to find and puts slight strain on malachi's eyes. Do they dare explore?
NPC Diceroll 1: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Dexterity.
527 was added for Level 0 (50/50).
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
NPC Diceroll 2: Success Diceroll must be above 500 to be successful.
0 was added for Perception.
502 was added for Level 0 (50/50).
0 was added for A. No Enchantment.
0 was added for A. No Buff / Penalty.
