Chronicles of Yugure: Plummeting into Uncharted Depths

Day Seven

/Wooo! Species reference sheets for the win! More references to come, but for now enjoy an image of the shadone species./

As you can tell, it has been a week from my departure and I have encountered far too many species to relay on this small papyrus paper. We are about halfway across the Second Realm and we are in a hurry. Things are in dire shape as of now, and I am only writing to you because if we do not reach our destination in time, it may be up to you to finish our task. Here is what events have happened up until now.

We wake up, Hawk and I, to a wonderful basket of treats. Raptor legs roasted by dragon fire, Nightburst berries-which are not poisonous although their name does sound quite close to their toxic relatives, elk bacon, and steamed tyrannosaurus eyes - a Kurai Clan delicacy - are all arranged neatly in a straw woven basket. I glance over the basket's entirety and wince at the sight of the eyeballs stuck on skewers. We will definitely not be eating those.

Our golden stewardess, Arylide, meets us at our den's entrance. For being such a great help to us, I reward her with the steamed delicacy. I do not have to insist the slightest bit as she takes her prize and eats it right then and there, probably not to inflict envious stares from her fellow peers on her. Arylide thanks me multiple times as we head down to the breakfast "table." The "table" is, yet again, the floor.

"Welcome, everyone, to our breakfast. Please, take a seat and wait for our meal to begin." Lord Tohopka smiles as he waves a hand at his subjects. The meal is delivered to each of us by two smaller dragons. A blue-scaled male brings me my meal, which is roasted boar with a side helping of grilled fruit. We await the signal to begin eating. After everyone is served the Lord takes his first bite and then the rest of us begin to eat. The meat was delicious and super sweet.

I am enjoying my meal when I remember that I had not seen where Hawk had sat. My muzzle lifts up and looks around. No white pelted saber is to be found in the midst of the dragons. "Have ye seen m'friend, the white saber at the meal?" I ask the dragon next to me. The midnight purple dragon just huffs and continues her meal. 'Perhaps she is just behind one of the bigger dragons,' I say to myself as I finish up my strawberries.

The meal is about done. The leader of Kurai opens his mouth to say something but he is then distracted by a loud boom. A moment later deep cries emanate from the south side of camp. What looks like a swarm of insects oozing from a nest forms into something much more scary. Dragons, wolfwyres, and shadones stampede the camp grounds, yelling loudly in their own languages.

Allow me to define a few species. Wolfwyres and shadones are exotic and are only seen in Yugure. Wolfwyres are a bit like werewolves, but more defined. They are a species wolf with magical properties much like the werewolves. Their forelegs are actually forearms that can grab and tear limbs apart. Although they have a body that could possibly resemble some sort of bipedal ape creature, they remain on all fours.

Shadones are shadow birds. The size of a small gryphon with great capabilities. Once they turn off their molecular density, their body can change dimensions and they then can dive into any structure and be as their description implies. When they do "shadow jumps" into the floor or wall, it is almost impossible to get them out. They are great at defense and stealth, which makes them challenging foes in battle.

I glance around at the scene that is unraveling before me. Hawk. I must find her. My great wings snap out and push me out of the way of an oncoming wolfwyre. Its snarling jaws miss me by about a few centimeters. The drool, however, does not. Searing pain follows me as my tail sizzles with acid. Oh, did I forget to mention that their slobber is highly acidic and is quite painful when it comes into contact with your flesh? Well, the pain is nearly unbearable as I fly. My flight pattern is a bit sloppy due to my main rudder being out of order. The pain takes over my body as I dive to a den, far off from where I was originally headed. My body slides in, making a rut. "Took you long enough," a sarcastic voice flows into my ears. I get to my feet recognizing the familiar vocals to be Lady Hawk's.