Re: Dangerous Hugs(Ashela/Smokefish)
Smokefish: Ashela would raise a brow as the dragonesque creature climbed out and spoke. Her eyes wandering a little over him, to take in his looks. "First squad of second company of...", Ashela's head was spinning a little, but simply shook her head. What a strange random event. She would briefly look over her shoulder, to the meal she and her friends had partaken in, and if there was plenty enough left she'd turn to the strange dragonman. "Well, we got some food, if you're hungry. Perhaps you could tell us more while we eat? What is this item you're seeking?"
Hentai Spider: The draconian shakes his head at Ashela's offer while five more of the draconians climb out of the hole, each carrying a sword on his belt and some supplies on his back. "We were seeking for eggs. It appears that they had been destroyed by the priestesses, however. Either that or concealed so we couldn't find them." Salesh lowers her spear, now looking curious. "Priestesses? Who are they worshipping in a place like that?" The copper-coloured draconian shrugs. "We weren't about to stay and find out. Some demon lord or another."
Smokefish: Ashela nodded a little as her offer was declined, and looked a little warily at the armed draconians as they came up one after another from their hole. The mention of eggs got her curious though. "Priestess?", Ashela's words mirrored Salesh own, and as there was a mention of a demon lord, the raven-haired woman would look to her companions. "Could that have been the statue we found down there?", she then turned her attention back to the dragonmen, contemplating what all this could mean briefly. "How were you misled? We found a place earlier, in some underground complex nearby, that sported a large statue of a... serpent demon I think? Is that what you're looking for?"
Hentai Spider: The first draconian lifts a fist in the air and waves it in a circle. The other five scatter, looking around. "Like I said, we were looking for some eggs that were stolen from us. One of the thieves whom we caught told that they were taking them to those tunnels. We couldn't find the thieves or the eggs, but we'll have to try again anyway, unless the others have found some trace of them. The trail is growing cold by now."
Smokefish: Sighing softly, the axewielder nodded slightly. Who would steal eggs from others? Such a thing didn't sit well with Ashela, but she wasn't sure what else she could do beyond saying what she already had done. "I hope you find the thief. Stealing eggs like that... How could someone do such a thing?", she looked to her friends again, she wasn't sure what to do now, not that she had any plans before to begin with. "Well, girls, think we can pack up some of that meat and take it with us? Not that I know where to go next..."
Hentai Spider: The draconian pulls out a canvas bag from his back and tosses to Neomarica. "Here. You can take that. As it happens, we're kind of lost. Do you know the area well? Our camp is somewhere to the west where the river takes turn to north, and we'd appreciate it if you could lead us there." Neomarica looks into the bag curiously before starting to fill it with the smoked meat. "I think I know the place," Issah replies. "You could probably get there faster on your own, though. You'll need to head south-southeast from here and then turn south along a curving path that will take you out of the labyrinth. Once out, you just need to follow the wall north."
Smokefish: Now, that was something Ashela hadn't thought of before. She'd wait until Issah had elaborated on navigating for the dragonman, but then she'd ask curiously. "Your camp? Hum... Theres a lot of you, aren't there? Squads and companies as you said... Are there any villages or cities of your kind you could point out for us?", Ashela smiled up a little, as fun as it might be to survive in the wilderness, the prospect of a settlement, a questhub so to speak, was a very enticing idea for the raven-haired girl. At least if her friends would prove interested in traveling to such a place.
Hentai Spider: "Villages or cities..." the draconian says wistfully. "None that I know of, though I'd be surprised if there weren't at least a few villages by now. It's been almost five years since the war ended, after all. We'll certainly try to establish one sometime soon. At least, if we get the eggs back. Are you sure you don't want to come with us? Having a human along would help when we need to trade, and you all have the look of a warrior. I'm certain the captain would be willing to give all of you jobs. The food may not be great, but it's free and probably better than smoked bear. The pay isn't bad either, if you get chances to spend it."
Smokefish: Huh, backstory exposition. That'd be nice to have some more of. She'd listen as the draconian spoke, the smile on her lips growing ever so slightly as he spoke more about the situation at hand. As soon as he had finished, Ashela would raptly speak up. "Let me ask my friends first!", and then spun a half-circle, looking to her friends with the biggest, most excited, smile one could imagine plastered upon her lips, and her eyes almost twinkling with anticipation. "What do you say, girls? I'd love to have you all come with me, but if you don't want to...", her words trailed off a little. She would respect their wishes of course, but at the same time... She didn't want to make a wrong decision, and have one of them break away from her party.
Hentai Spider: "You're not getting away from me that easily." Neomarica quickly puts in. Issah and Salesh look at each other hesitantly. Salesh shrugs non-committantly. "I think I'd like to see more of them before I decide." Issah nods. "And speak with whoever is in charge. I'm all for fighting for scalykind, but I'd rather not get drafted into humanity's wars."
Smokefish: Ashela smiled at Neo's response, but would fidget ever so slightly as she waited for the Lamia's reply. As they said their terms, Ashela sighed in relief, and smiled warmly. "But of course, we should know what we're getting into before signing anything. If it doesn't fit well with us, we'll look elsewhere.", Ashela hummed quietly, and nodded, then turned around to look to the draconian again. "I guess it is decided then, we'll accompany you to your camp, and see what we can do for eachother before agreeing on anything... Although, I'd like to hear more about this war you've all been speaking of. Care to fill me in?"
Hentai Spider: The lamias and Neomarica take the lead and the other draconians follow while the one who seems to be in charge walks with Ashela and starts talking about the war. How the great dragon and a human prophet had united the chromatic dragons and goblinkind into war against the enemies of their god. How draconians had been created to act as elite soldiers - though he doesn't tell anything about how the creation had happened - and how they had been mostly relegated to cannon fodder, the humans viewing them as no better than goblins. How the armies had been struck back and how the draconians had scattered after having been left on their own as the human commanders had been slain. How his company had stuck together like many other draconians had done, trying to impress their unity into Ashela's mind. As he tells of the history, the group marches forward albeit fairly slowly, as the lamias are setting the pace, finally arriving at the wall that separates the labyrinth from the surrounding plain.
Smokefish: After the bearmeat had been packed, and her friends got ready to leave, Ashela would trail after and listen to the draconian as he spoke about the great war she knew nothing about. But it was made abundantly clear fairly soon that she was on the wrong side of the fence; she was a human amidst scalykind, as one of her Lamia friends had put it, but that didn't bother her all that much. They were her friends, and she had little reason not to like them just because of an old war she hadn't experienced personally. And by the sound of it, the war had ended poorly for the draconians. Scattered and largely without aim by the sound of it, but that didn't stop them from sticking together. She didn't feel strongly one way or another about that, it was of course admirable that they chose to stick together, but on the other hand they didn't have much choice if they wanted to survive, right?
The slow march was something to be grateful for, as it gave Ashela time to sink it all in, but she wasn't without questions. "So it was the dragons who started the war? And how were the Draconians made?", she smirked coyly, "Did the Dragons find themselves some humans to breed with?", her words suggestive, and she didn't sound opposing of that particular idea, sex with dragons that is, regardless of it likely having been human women being raped and bred. That was the usual story for the monster-side, right? Needing human women to breed with? Ashela herself was certainly open to that idea, if slightly less so if it ended in her being raped. "So what are the Dragons doing now? Recouperating after the loss? Are the Draconians scattered and on their own, pretty much?"
Hentai Spider: "No, it was the humans and their priests who started the war. The dragons mostly just came along, no doubt to fight the metallic dragons and for loot. The goblinoids are always willing to follow the strongest warlord and the elves and dwarves couldn't stay out of it after it all started, and of course they sided with the metallic dragons. Since the war, the dragons have pretty much gone back to what they used to do - that is, gather more hoard and kill the occasional adventurer. We've been mostly left alone since the war ended, though no doubt we'll be dragged along once the next war starts - that is, if the so-called good humans don't decide to try and wipe us out before then, though at least we'll have some years or decades to prepare before it'll come to that. Our company at least will be tough to take out once we've had a few years to dig in." There's no small amount of pride in the draconian's voice as he says the last part.
Smokefish: Ashela hadn't been entirely right, as supposedly religious nutjobs had started the war. How typically cliche. Everything else sounded about what one could expect it to; goblins following the strong, dragons looting and hoarding, humans fighting about. And that 'good' humans might very well decide to wipe out the draconians for whatever petty reason. What a shame. She smiled a little at the pride the Draconian showed about his company and its prowess in entrenching. "Well, hopefully it won't come to that, your company being attacked by humans that is. Is everyone in your company an engineer of sort? How're you living, how do you get food? And, ahem...", Ashela pouted a little bit. "You didn't answer me how Draconians were created..."
Hentai Spider: "We're not supposed to talk about it. Not that I know more than rumours, anyway, though I'm fairly certain it didn't start with humans and dragons having sex as that results in different kind of creature. And yes, we're all engineers by training. As we're not getting supplies, we rotate gathering duty and the support platoon takes care of cooking and storing food, though they rotate duties as well. We have four squads of pioneers and the rest are siege engineers, though obviously we all do whatever is needed, now." the draconian replies as the group heads north in the sun-scorched plain of dried grass, with few trees scattered about.
Smokefish: Ashela was a little disappointed with the answer she got about how Draconians were made, but figured it was acceptable enough. It did rise more questions for the curious woman though. "Well, sounds like you're all quite busy then. And what kind of creature would come from a Dragon and Human mating? What of Draconian and Human?", she couldn't help but poke that topic, interspecies breeding... She might very well get to experience that at some point, so she might aswell try and learn what might be in store for her if it came to such. "So what did you say I could be useful for now again? Trading? So theres a human town within travelling distance from your camp, then? And oh...", Ashela smacked her forehead. "How rude of me, forgetting to introduce myself... My names Ashela, whats yours?", she smiled sheepishly, and then idly looked around herself as the Draconian answered her. Their surroundings had changed drasticly, and she didn't think she were all that fond of the heat, but with some luck they might find some shade later.
Hentai Spider: "Dragon and human mating results in half-dragon. Fairly powerful creatures, though a far-cry from true dragons. I don't think draconian and human have been tried before, though I suspect some magic would be needed. There are several towns scattered in the direction we'll be heading after we find the eggs. I'm corporal Topak." Topak answers. The river bend is now visible, and therein lies a large camp surrounded by a palisade wall, still some distance away.
Smokefish: Ashela nodded a little, at least Topak was readily providing her with answers, and that was something she certainly appreciated! Altho this thing about eggs again... "Heading after you find the eggs? I admire your diligence in retrieving them. I'd help you with that if I could, but I'm clueless where to even start...", she sighed softly, slowly shaking her head. The sight of the palisade-surrounded camp was a sight to behold to her, and the young woman smiled up with anticipation once again. "So, Topak, anything I should know about Draconians before we arrive? Any do's or don'ts to keep in mind? And uh...", she blinked a little, just remembering something. "Are there female Draconians?"
Hentai Spider: "Only a few, which is why recovering the eggs is so important. As for how you should behave, just do what you're told and speak when spoken to. That'll get you started, at least." Getting closer to the camp, Helena can make out guards at least, though little of the camp itself, her view being blocked by the wall.
Hentai Spider: Soon after the group arrives at the camp gates and Topak marches straight in, followed by the others. A silver draconian comes out from a tent bigger than the others and he commands Topak to report. As the corporal relays his report, Ashela gets a good look at her surroundings. Everything about the camp seems neat: tents are in straight lines, everyone seems clean and all the draconians moving about seem to do so with a purpose.
Smokefish: Ashela nodded a little bit, of course eggs were important if they were low on females. Low on females... That idea made a sly little smile form on her lips. This could be fun. Unfortunately, she didn't like that she was meant to shut up and behave. Oh well, when in rome and all that she supposed. As she entered the camp shortly after Topak, she would make sure Issah, Salesh and Neomarica were closeby, or she close to them, as she looked around herself. It was... a little more orderly than she had at first thought it would be. Very neat and tidy, not to mention everyone appeared busy, too busy even. But she would do as she had been adviced to, and waited for Topak to either introduce her, for the silver Draconian to speak to her, or someone else for that matter. If she would have to live so orderly and busily like the Draconians themselves, she wasn't sure about sticking around here for long.
