Re: The Dragon Returns

by **The Nekromonga** October 4th 2013, 9:41 am

Swimming, especially night swimming, had a calming effect on Xiao, as she swam around fishes and underneath large boats with a graceful ease. She always found it so strange that she was both a swimming and a flying dragon. Before, she used to surface frequently to get her bearings, which meant startling the odd hobby fisherman, or an unfriendly bump from a passing jet-ski, but now she could easily find her way with real time GPS on her phone, coupled with a diving case for it.

She wondered how she’d transform... the mere thought of having to change giving her a sinking feeling in her gut. She ignored the small school of fish swimming beneath her as she dreaded the logical route of getting herself hurt, or making herself think of bad things- especially fighting Yam! That part was so contrary to Chinese teachings, which included always respecting one’s elders.

She looked at her phone and reached the shores of the island, clad only in her one piece dark swimsuit – a special cloth that Ellie gave her, as part of her experiments with nanotech- while carrying a waterproof bag, one of the many things she’d since gotten herself. She exited the water fairly easily, dripping wet but the water quickly leaving her non-absorbent skin and hair. Her natural dark vision confirmed Yam’s presence, and she waves at him. Now mostly damp, she puts her phone into the bag and placed that on a rock. She packed a towel and patted herself dry, then put on the towel around her waist, as it was only polite to present oneself respectably and modestly to one’s elders.

She clasped her hands and bowed deeply to Yam once more, displaying a courtesy very lacking in western youth. She spoke softly as well, “I have arrived, shifu. I am eager to learn, though not so eager to engage in a fight.” Very buddhist, and very confucian. Xiao awaited his response.

by **Zell** October 4th 2013, 9:41 pm

"I understand. This is not a fight though. I'm simply using an...unconventional method of teaching to make sure you can keep yourself on the straight and narrow. If you use violence here, on me...there is a good chance that you will never have to relive the events like in California. So you can hit me now, with everything you've got...and never lose control again. Or you can keep timid, keep playing pious, and in your rage one day transform and do this all over again. Have to move....kill innocent people. I know that you might not like to fight...but you're a Dragon. You MUST fight...it's in your blood...and you CANNOT deny it." I Said, I walked up to her and I looked her in the eyes. "We are Dragons...we fight by nature...we cannot choose to be passive... But what we CAN choose...is what we will fight for. I fight to protect mortals...and I will die defending them. This is why I fight...and this is why my Dragon fights." I said to her. Hopefully she got the message. so long as Draconian blood flows there her veins the woman's gonna fight, she's going to have violent tendencies, that's beyond her control. But what she can control is what she channels it towards. By being forced to be in a stressful conflict with me, it will force out her inner Dragon. They'll need to act as one...or else they'll fall.

"So there is only one question left." I roared as I walked away from her. using my powers of water manipulation I made the water turn solid beneath my feet, allowing me to walk on the water, as if it were solid ground. The clouds overhead reacted to my manipulation and began to look as if they were funnels. It began to rain and I looked back at her with a smirk. "What are you fighting for?" Without any hesitation water snaked up form beneath my feet and shot out as a spike, if nothing was done it would impale her in the arm. This was a no bars match, there was nothing off limits. She needed to fight back.

by **The Nekromonga** October 4th 2013, 10:49 pm

Xiao listened to Yam closely, taking in the confirmation that indeed, her draconic bloodline is something she can no longer ignore. She reluctantly stood her ground as Yam spoke very close to her.

Xiao wondered indeed what she was fighting for. Was she going to follow the example of heroes of old and fight for the good of all?

"Ellie..." She muttered an answer under her breath, moving to block the water attack, rather than dodging it- resulting in Xiao getting a nasty, skin deep cut on her arm. However, it seemed the stress was still insufficient to force her transformation. However, it did start to get her heart pumping harder, and Xiao, having only scarce martial arts training, decided to charge headfirst at Yam, covering her face until she could get into punching and kicking range... and she only knew the very basic punches and kicks.

by **Zell** October 4th 2013, 11:43 pm

I heard what she said. Ellie. I wonder who that is. But it doesn't matter. She has a reason to fight, now she can take it and roll with it. My water scuffed her, barely doing damage at all. She was tough...tougher than me actually. Stupid human form and it's limitations, How I miss the scales, hardened by the pressure of the Abyssal trench... before I knew it... She ran in, fists of fury. Sadly my skills and reflexes were far superior, meaning I wasn't about to get hit by straight forward attacks, she would need to get creative. She covered her face and ran in. I wasn't about to let her get killed simply charging at me, so I'll let her close the distance. I flowed like water as I moved gracefully through her attacks.

Once she went to kick me, I focused the chaos in the area and hardened my skin just enough to survive a kick without turning into a fleshy sac of broken bones. Likewise I as well augmented my water command. (+1 Durability, +2 Water Manipulation) With this I was able to grab her foot and latch onto it. I didn't want her to feel left out, I know it probably wasn't the same hearing it from me, but I still said my own reason back to her. "Salone..." I said. I pointed to the ground and revealed that in order for her to have run to me like this she was walking on water. "I won't drop you...just remember that you wouldn't have made it this far if I didn't want you to....another opponent won't be so sweet." I said. A wall of water, augmented with my own power was formed, separating us, but not doing much more. I walked backwards across the water, even farther into the middle of the lake. I had two snake-like tendrils spawn out of the water behind her and lash out with the newly augmented water manipulations.

by **The Nekromonga** October 5th 2013, 12:01 am

Xiao was quickly frustrated at her lack of fighting skill, making her strength and durability moot. She barely noticed they were now on the water, and decided to take this somewhere more comfortable. They were in the middle of a lake, after all.

"Care to take a swim with me then?" She asked, trying to instead grab Yam in a bear hug and bring this underwater, though her clear lack of fighting experience would be to her detriment. When the power powerful tendrils struck her, leaving deep bruises, she winced in visible pain, and the shock almost made her pass out... it was then she was truly hurt. she would still try- try- to bring Yam underwater, but once below the surface...

Xiao began transforming.

by **Zell** October 5th 2013, 12:34 am

She drug me into the water. Wait...I'm the Dragon god of water and primordial Chaos. When was it a good idea to drag me to a place where my power has free reign? I have no clue what this little aqua-lite is up to, but you can bet I'm going to find out. With my current command over chaos I augmented myself fully, I wasn't about to hold back. (+3 Dur +2 Water Manip +2 Speed) My skin was now as hard as the scales I once called my own, being in the water made me twice as fast, and I had already made myself more in tune with the water, and so I was completed.

(Yam now has 8 Water Manipulation, 8 Dur and 4 Speed)

I was ready for anything. She pulled me into the water, but this was going to prove a mistake. The water began to whirl and thrash at my command, monstrous waves began to form jagged edges sharper and stronger than any sword forged by man. Being surrounded by water, upon her own doing, she would soon see the futility of her actions. She would need to become a Dragon, and now. No matter how far she went, no matter how fast she swam...she was in MY domain now.

by **The Nekromonga** October 5th 2013, 12:54 am

Dragon!Xiao emerged after a brief but painful looking transformation process, and at once the predator realized its folly, as the water itself betrayed her. The dragon's roars were muffled by the water as she was struck with blows that severely tested her scales, some bits breaking off. The dragon only became angrier.

But cunning tempered her rage, and the tank sized creature swam with a sea predator's speed (5) down in a spiral... them rapidly climb beneath Yam, trying to catch him in her jaws or claws, a tactic akin to great white sharks that literally toss their prey out of the water in an magnificent jump. She recognized the threat he posed, and was intent on taking this battle into the third terrain where Dragon!Xiao could fight- in the air. Otherwise, she'd simply escape the water, where she was in the most danger.

by **Zell** October 6th 2013, 3:25 pm

     "Not bad!" I said with a laugh, my voice could carry through the waters well, even for a human-bound Dragon. I ended up moving towards her Jaws, but with my command over the water, I flooded the area beneath me, and rotated the waters in the opposite direction, propelling myself up. I was able to keep out of her jaws, but I wasn't able to keep her from escaping into the sky.

      If she would take to the sky, I would allow myself to stand on water, let myself be a little more open and not hiding. Don't get me wrong, I'm a sitting duck with her in the air like this and me out in the open of the lake. But there was a method to my plan. I snickered at that. I don't have a plan. I never have a plan. I'm as detailed as a four year olds self portrait, hedeeerp I'm a squiggly circle!

      "Holy crap...it's been over a billion years since I've flewn...flewn? Flown? Okay well..." I said as I scratched the back of my head, slightly embarrassed. "It's been a long time singe my wings got shot off..." I added, persisting to talk to the dragon. The thing about this is, that talking with her through the entire transformation and still being able to keep the stress up means her Dragon state and her human state will have something familiar to relate with. Granted that's only one small part to this, but it's the first part to it. The whole egotistical speech at the beginning, about being the Dragon kin would play it's purpose for this reason. Xiao knows that I am the Dragon king...and soon, very soon...her Dragon would know it too.

by **The Nekromonga** October 6th 2013, 6:24 pm

...Inner!Xiao was asleep, adrift in a hazy dream, only very distantly aware of what was going on in the waking world....

...It was a dark place, and she moved through the inner mind, lost, unaware, no direction...

...The ground was hard and rough. Xiao was drenched in water, in rain. The familiar smell of ozone was everywhere...

...There in the far distance... there was a female figure, tall, proud, fierce... who was she?

...Xiao slowly made her way to her, but the figure in red only walked away, the gap remaining the same...

The animal Yam was fighting circled around and came in for a fly-by attack, speeding up as much as she could. There was little tactics in its actions, only the instinct to do battle. This was as much play to the child dragon as much as it was a serious exercise. Again, if the jaws of the dragon did not connect with its target, the wind of her passage would likely throw him off-balance, letting him be riven asunder by her claws...

by **Zell** October 8th 2013, 7:03 pm

Her jaws missed me, she was still fighting feral, and that wasn't the desired effect. Of course, when did any plan I had work out for me? Well...Salone aside. Despite her jaws missing there was a large gust of wind that sent water flying into the air. With my powers I managed to solidify the water and sent them out as a thousand little needles out at the assailant. However I neglected to concern myself for her claws. Those claws hurt, that much is certain. My skin was more durable than her claws thankfully, but if I hadn't fortified myself then it would have been BAD news for old Yam here. There was a large ass split in my skin across my shoulder, blood spewing into the air. I gasped, shocked for a moment that I had made such a trivial mistake. I was also impressed that I knew what trivial meant.

"Not bad...for a beast of burden." I said to the Dragon as it flew past. I felt my long hair sweep away. I felt my long shining black hair getting thrown around, reminding me that I needed haircut or Salone was going to force me to live in the woods...and sharing a woods with Artemis was NOT my ideal living condition. It's like a Jew sharing an apartment with Walt Disney. I began to slide back, the water parting and making wakes beneath each foot. I was able to stabilize myself. Suddenly water seemed to seep from my wound and blood cascaded over me, turning from bright red to a deep teal and sea green color. They hardened as Draconian scales and then three katana's sprawled out as claws, each glowing with the elements of MY domain. A blade of Lightning, the quintessence within me. One coated with a pure water, and the other one shrouded in a dark haze, representing chaos.

"I wonder what Ellie would think of you...losing control like this..." I called out to the Dragon with a toothy smirk as I brought my arm up, preparing to meet the creature's claws and winds once more as water tendrils wrapped around my legs.

by **The Nekromonga** October 8th 2013, 10:27 pm

The creature roared in anger as it was assaulted by thousands of pinpricks, forcing it back into the water as its wings were assailed.

The battle outside seemed to have an effect on the battle within. Xiao caught up to the figure, her hand on her shoulder.

The figure turned around, and Xiao came face to face with herself...

The dragon circled about and lunged once more at Yam... then stopped. The rage had subsided, and the creature's eyes seemed to undergo a most subtle change. Dragon!Xiao hovered above Yam for a few moments then turned around and landed back on the island, sitting down on all fours like a tame house cat. Looks like someone finally got control of the steering wheel. Dragon!Xiao looked at herself, studying her form as this was her first time to be 'awake' during her transformation. She blinked a few times at Yam.

by **Zell** October 9th 2013, 9:59 pm

"Welcome back DG." I said with a lively laugh. I waved at her. She had snapped to it seemed. Though it wasn't enough. All I had done was bring her consciousness' together, she would likely need time to acclimate her human consciousness to her draconian body. "Well it seems like ya slipped through...so now we need to work on getting you used to moving around like that." I said, a little mischief on my face as the water rippled from around me. I pointed a finger to the Dragon and smiled warmly.

"Keep away!" I cheered like a little kid, and suddenly long spiked of water shot up form the lake, chasing after the Dragon, and even cutting her off. I wasn't doing anything of serious harm, just enough to feel like a lighter burn on impact. They were spawning dozens at a time, it looked like spikes of ice tearing through the air and receding into the water. Hopefully the human consciousness would atapt to the new physiology...or else she was going to feel crispy like bacon.

by **The Nekromonga** October 10th 2013, 10:19 am

Xiao indeed moved differently, more like a spooked and curious kitten than a fierce monster when the water manipulations manifested around her. She ducked and rolled, yelping like she would in her human form. These things hurt! Xiao flies away from the island, then diving into the water, leaving the initial training zone, a new instinct driving her.

She swam around a bit until she glimpsed what she wanted- a large fish that she caught in her jaws. She re-emerged onto the other side of the island, trying to hide behind a rock as she gulped down the fish, peeking if it was safe.

by **Zell** October 10th 2013, 8:40 pm

She thinks she's safe, but the sad truth is that nowhere is safe. Especially not from me. With my pull of Water manipulation, I tried to sense where she may have been, and the faintest resistance was felt on the other end of the island. I summoned forth all of my might and water began to construct on the other side of the island I rushed to the other side of the Island and cut caused myself to surround her. I came to a skidding halt on the water as I smirked.

"Cornered." I said to her with a smug grin. Behind her, out of the water shot our water itself, twisting and taking a form of it's own. Soon a fifty foot tall dragon of water shot it's serpent like head up an glared down at Xiao. Before she could even think about flying away for safety I threw both hands out to my sides, bore down and quickly yanked them up, lowering my head as my forearms formed an X above my head. The waters all churned and a dome of rapidly spinning, quintessence charged waters formed over us. She couldn't go more than seventy feet in the air without hitting the roof of the dome, which was still swirling with rapids strong enough to tear flesh from bones and scales form flesh.

"Let's wrap this up." I said with a smile. "Lesson one was to unite the minds. Lesson two was to learn how to move. Time for lesson three... Learn how to fight!" I said and the large dragon construct of water lashed out with it's jaws.

by **The Nekromonga** October 11th 2013, 10:57 am

Dragon!Xiao stayed frozen in place by her own fear and inexperience, struggling to move this massive body. Xiao herself was meek, and was prone to panic, and a much larger beast than herself gripped her in dragon fear.

"Move!" A strong voice compelled her from within.

Xiao lunged forward, the shadow of the construct materializing all around her. The dragon girl Stepped into the larger construct's reach as it came down to bite, then launching herself up and through its 'underbelly', clawing and biting at water as though it were flesh.

"How can such a coward be the spawn of the greatest beings on earth?" The inner voice caused visible turmoil in Xiao, her movements and flight off. She struggled with the aggression, the vanity, the boiling rage of her dragon aspect. She roared in distress as she landed, blinking, wondering what to do...

by **Zell** October 13th 2013, 4:14 pm

"Use your Dragon's power but grant it YOUR mind. To be a dragon is a never ending battle on both you and your dragon's part! It is as Yin and Yang, both oppositions in balance to create the ultimate entity!" I yelled to the Dragon, this was her final instruction. If she did that, I'd be in trouble, but my job would be done. If she did not...she would die. I honestly can't be blamed for this mentality. It's how those born into power are taught to think. When the time comes to swim, you are instructed verbally and thrown into the water, and it is expected of you to know what to do. There is no demonstration, there is no second chance. You swim...or you die. This situation with Xiao is no different. Granted I won't kill her, but she won't be looking forward to confrontation after it.

With a whim, the large Dragon made of water began to fire out rapid bolts of water, each filled with my quintessence energy. The large water dragon was like a large Gatling gun, firing out rapidly and aiming to harm the flying dragon I opposed. I had a good feeling for this. She was going to win...she had to. I needed her to win. Someone is going to have to take care of this world while I'm gone...

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