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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 6:42:45 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 6:42:45 GMT -6
Calm down. Calm. Down. Not an easy process. In his scramble to find his crutch and stand up, the drake only heard more ripping sounds. Ripping sounds from himself. In particular around his shoulders and arm sockets. The tears did not 'hurt' especially. But they only further increased his fear. Fear of what, he did not know. Something was happening and it scared him. It made his gut feel sour, and pulled deep inside him. The wrongness. He had to get out. Flight. Get away. Get away right now. Finding his crutch at last, the drake started to hobble away at a faster pace then normal. The creatures that inhabited his garden were the last thing on his mind as he stepped over the fence to move down the dirt pathway that made up the gardens area main pathway. He felt... tight. Like wearing robes that were much too tight for his body shape. 5.5 Lv34 Flare
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 7:03:05 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 7:03:05 GMT -6
The problem with making your way down the path partially blinded by fog, is you don't see things very well in your path. Flare's panicked reaction set himself in motion before thinking this through. Bad ideas typically crop up when you're not in the right mind to think of it that way. All sorts of thoughts ran through his mind as he hobbled and stumbled down the way. Not even stopping when the Warden's voice hailed him, asking about his gardening and his attempts to teach his 'cat collection' to listen to him. Only two types of his creatures were even cattish in looks, a small part of his brain filed away under the panic response. Just the pachee and the evergreen king. He did not stop though. The tear in his neck a bit cooler from moving at a faster speed then what Flare could normally perform; probably it was just the stress. 1.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 7:07:55 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 7:07:55 GMT -6
Blindly, no not quite. Barely able to see through the fog, Flare had to hear his way down the street. Which didn't help much either as the tightness seemed to cover his whole body. No. Not out here. He wanted a place to hide; a place to be private. His garden wasn't private; too many prying eyes. Eyes of not even normal origin. The nightmare. It was daytime though; and he even forgot his falling apart sunhat. He hobbled at the fastest pace that wouldn't leave him face first on the ground, breaking apart at the seams like this. The voices around him told him he had reached a road with people on it. Most ignored the dusty, naked ssashirk hobbling his way down the street; others jeered and told him to put clothes on. How could they be so inconsiderate? Those clothes would not fit, he would suffocate from the tightness alone! 2.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 7:14:26 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 7:14:26 GMT -6
The gods of the sands seemed to have it out for the unlucky ssashirk today; For as he passed past wherever he was, seeking to find the road that drew him out of the city and away from prying eyes, he passed some humans having a loud conversation. "How's that ugly old snake you've got?" one asked. As Flare approached, he could hear fabric swiping over skin, like someone rubbing their mouth on their sleeve. The clack of a mug on wood. He must be near the tavern. "Just finished his yearly shed. Whole sheds are worth it if you can get them. Some collectors, hunters, think those scales are worth something." Shed? What was a shed? "Thats stupid. Don't they split their faces apart just to get the skin off?" A cold droplet settled in the drake's stomach. Split apart faces? "Its gotta be humid. You have to have rough areas to rub on." 3.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 7:19:34 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 7:19:34 GMT -6
"The whole process doesn't take long, but with salaves, you've got those spider claws sticking off and they ALWAYS screw up on a shed." The other replied. "Thats why a whole shed is worth so much." Slurping sounds, must be drinking something. "My laredo can't shed properly either; I think its a lab mistake." the other man, sounded like a man, says. "Keeps catching on the toes. I missed that when she was a baby, and next thing I know, she's dragging a leg around like its going to fall off. Lost four toes because of a bad shed." The hobbling ssashirk's bad limb curled its toes in fear. Loss of toes? he could barely walk to start with. What were a salaves and a laredo anyways. "Pity. I didn't realize that even those big ol' wiurn shed too. Someone was raving once about getting a full, intact skin of a young wiurn. Can't believe it either." 4.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 7:24:53 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 7:24:53 GMT -6
"Yeah, don't believe those. That one ended up being an actual skinned creature" both of them made shuddery noises. Continuing to make small talk about their 'pets' and such. But the splitting apart part of whatever they said as Flare passed only made him more afraid of what was happening to him. He could feel a dampness where the scales had split away. In his mind, he was going to stop, pat his neck, and realize he was bleeding; a delayed reaction from so many breaks in the skin. Scales. Whatever. Pierces and cuts bled. The splits... he wasn't quite sure. Somehow, guided by the pull that got him away from things at one point, the drake passed past the magic house and into the outskirts of the city. He didn't have any idea where he was, or where he was going. Just away so he could... so he could break apart into pieces. 5.5 lv 35 Flare
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 11:53:41 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 11:53:41 GMT -6
But someone had seen him. A pair of slit pupil eyes followed the limping, miserable form of a once proud strong ssashirk as they dragged themselves out of the city. A pair of scaled hands adjusted the newsprint held in front of its face as a third hand? reached for the coffee mug on the table. The stranger took a deep swig of their drink. Ah, good strong southern jungle cocoa. Central just couldn't get the cocoa to marshmallow ratio right. One two three four five, plop, six. ahh. A forked tongue licked the mustache of cocoa foam off a scaled upper jaw. The clinking of a small handful of credits scattered on the table as the individual stood up, folding the newsprint deftly into a square to toss back onto the now unoccupied chair. There was nothing interesting around here. The labs were a sanctuary; peaceful, 'quiet', BORING. It was too... 'its too heavenly here'. 1.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 12:00:06 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 12:00:06 GMT -6
The ssashirk who had passed the stranger could easily follow anywhere. Why? By being marked. Its not a physical mark by means, but something powerful; diety powerful, had left a claim marker on the creature. A beacon to any magic user worth their salt (and by that, who could track someone without a familiar and with their eyes closed), and not any HUMAN that could do so. The scaled individual adjusted their overcoat, a famboyant looking cape of grays to greens to blues to blacks iredescent colored 'feathers'. The grays were met by the fanciest looking sequins on a tunic one could find on this side of Central. Since the pants were also brightly colored with the sequins, it could almost be a one piece. Top it off with snakeskin boots and gloves, the individual looked... really weird. Like an overdone humanish with snake blood. But this ssashirk had piqued an interest that wouldn't easily go away now. 2.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 12:42:00 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 12:42:00 GMT -6
The snakelike creature seemed to fade into the crowd, despite its flashy appearance. If anyone had seen them, they quickly forgot, like a fleeting dream. Concealed in plain sight practically, the scaled... thing followed after the dustings of claim marker that could be followed. Followed by anything 'above'. Their eyes told them the ssashirk wouldn't last long with that condition; and that would be a prime opportunity. Cobble roads merged not smoothly into gravel, crunching under the feet as they moved. It wasn't skating by any means, no gliding, as the thing had no visible wings. But there were deepened footprints of something heavy walking. One heavy splayed foot, and what appeared to be a staff or something. The footprints were moderately steady, and plentiful. The ssashirk didn't appear to have a long stride with that limp. There was only one indentation in the gravel of a trip. Of a fall. 3.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 12:49:11 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 12:49:11 GMT -6
There was no real signs of a struggle; no blood shed from what the thing could see. However something it did notice, was the small shred of a patterned...fabric? Pausing, the creature strode forward, picking the shred off the ground. It was gritty and light. The scale pattern was crackled and broken. The faded color of a raging wildfire of brush and grass and tree. No, don't think about that. But the scales were thicker then average. The creature thing knew two things from this shred in its hand. One, the ssashirk was not in good condition. Two, this was shed. Ecdysis. A rather thick shed, but perhaps it was just the armor of the ssashirk's scaling. The thing smirked, a wide smirk that spread half its face. This would be a fun thing. The situation pieced itself together as it followed the footprints. Followed them out of the city, and out into the wilds. There was a split up ahead; to the loch, or to the deep dark mines. 4.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 22:21:18 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 22:21:18 GMT -6
It took some consideration, and quite a bit of looking at both paths before the snakelike thing chose a path. If its reasoning was correct, the ssashirk was looking for privacy. Someplace quiet. Both the loch and the mines could prove quiet. The sounds of earth vs sounds of water and those things in and around it. It sniffed the air; the smell of dirt and dare he say it, dried proteins had gone towards the loch. Towards the 'lake' that could even anchor a full on ship. Deep enough for the sea snakes, the pliathor. The snake thing and pliathor didn't mix; those giants were not social towards anything or anyone. As long as the ssashirk wasn't swimming his way out of whatever, the snake thing didn't really care. It took a few more miles worth of tracking the footprints of the ssashirk. It seemed to be growing unsteadier as the loch became closer, coming into a tree. There were scrapes on the tree, indicating a bit of a struggle. Shreds of scales hanging from the rough bark. And near the shore, something dark kneeling. 5.5 lv 36 flare
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 22:34:21 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 22:34:21 GMT -6
He could hear things, kneeling there in the damp sand and mud. The lapping of the water only a few feet away. Of precious mannah, no matter how muddy. The occasional splash of something further out. And crunching sounds of... boots. He knew the sound of feet crunching on gravel and dirt. It made a specific sound; one the core heard on a daily basis, multiple times a day. Barely drawing breath as he knelt there, the drake had no more energy to move. [Sight for sore eyes.] came an accented voice, sharp and raspy. Sounded almost like haix for a bit... [Look'it you. Have some respect.] The kneeling drake slowly turns his head to look in the direction of the voice. Look? Ha. He couldn't see hardly a thing. But the speaker, speaking in mostly ssakash, could. What a hellish appearance. [You look like hell.] it points out obviously. [Peeling apart at the seams.] {Leave. Let me break apart in peace.} Flare hissed, his dry throat roughing his words. 1.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 22:42:10 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 22:42:10 GMT -6
[Break apart? What are you talking about?] the speaker asked. From the stranger's point of view, it hadn't seen this bad of a case of shed in ...well ever. There were obvious tears in the ssashirk's skin around the joints of shoulders and in the crook of the elbows. One that split along where his neck met his shoulders and back. The tears rustled in the wind that picked up just barely across the water, making ripples. The stranger's eyes traveled down. The ssashirk's wings were a tattered mess; barely any membranes remaining; Several smaller tears met up around his mid back section, traveling around one side to start splitting the front of his belly. Nothing appeared to be pulling apart of its own accord. But the ssashirk couldn't see; and that seemed a bit concerning. The duller wildfire scaling on his face and what not had not split away. Leaving the eyeball capped and practically blinded. Blind reptile anything was dangerous; it knew from experience. 2.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 22:49:26 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 22:49:26 GMT -6
Flare's muzzle dipped down, the skin along his longer neck going taut to the point of ripping audibly. Fear and desperation wiggled around inside him, just like worms. And there was a stranger there, who hadn't left yet. [My bones will join the sands.] he mumbled to his chest. He almost waited for his face, this hell of tearing, to leave him lying in pieces there on the ground. Let the birds pick away with nothing left. [Drama lizard. You are not going to die.] the stranger pipes up. No response. Was the desert fire colored lizard so defeated in the mind that he believed a shed, at least that what it looked like, was the end? Frustration bubbled up inside the stranger, who kicked out, squarely landing a sharp clawed boot between flare's wings. Unprepared, the ssashirk splashed down into laying flat on his belly in the damp sand. [Your earholes aren't covered up so listen. You are shedding. Perfectly normal reptilely thing to do.] 3.5
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Ecdysis
Aug 25, 2019 22:58:06 GMT -6
Post by Flare on Aug 25, 2019 22:58:06 GMT -6
{My skin is ripping off of my bones. It will fly away and let me finally escape this nightmare.} the drake coughed, pushing himself up onto hands and knees from being snout deep in the water. Not intentionally, the stranger's strike had smacked his snout across a rock, splitting the skin across his upper snout. It was deeper then an average shed, dampening the wet skin with blood. [Nightmare? What you talkin' about? Its a shed! Ecdysis. Not necrosis. Not dying.] the creature behind him responded. The drake snorted softly through his nostrils, water and blood dripping down his front. The splayed out motion of falling split more portions of skin along his neck and on his chest and belly. {It is a nightmare; I am trapped in the body of my murderer. When this body dies, I am free.} The stranger blinked, and stared a bit closer. The sun had rotated just slightly since arriving. Looking closely, it could see... two shadows. 4.5
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