One Year Later(Tags;Anyone)

[Akurie]

Kuro-Noire lay on the raised floor that housed the throne Akurie had fought so hard to win. The dragon and Rider both sat without saying a word, a introspective look on their faces.
It'd been a full year since they'd fought against Reyln and Eclipse, the original leaders of the Wing, and since then, she'd been able to attain very little.
The first month was spent healing Kuro-Noire's injured leg, the damage the massive beast had done to it was quite tremendous. It took that same month for Akurie to regain function in her arm.
After that, she'd traveled with her cousin for a month, building her fortune as a sell-sword before turning home with a decent coffer, which she'd immediatley invested half of, storing the rest.
The rest was a serious of minor events, the only significant ones that came to mind where the ones she thought of now.

The corocotta was a beast she had commisioned from a wizard earlier before she claimed her throne. Though gruesome and at times, questionable, it was none the less pleasurable to know there was some form of havok being reaped while she bided her time. Still, she wanted a group to go check on it, and how was she going to locate it without a wizard was a bit taxing.

"Hell, Kuro, maybe we could make a trip of it, pilfer a few villages, eat some children..." She said, smiling at her joke at the end. The dragon just rolled her eyes.
"Are you going to call anyone down here or are we just waiting to see if anyone shows up?"



ooc: If someone wants to hop in? I'm finished I guess.

[Valerhea]

A light clinking sound echoed throughout the room that Akurie and Kuro-Noire were in, and from around the corner entered the source of the sound. Valerie, a young girl that just joined the Wing, walked in, the beads on the ends of her braids hitting together as she walked. Her footsteps made no sound, and she slinked over towards the other occupants of the room like a feline, and she stood, proud and erect, arms folded across her chest. Grinning. She was quite different from the others in the Wing, being energetic, the youngest, and not even yet a rider. She had her reasons for joining the Wing though.

"Well, about time I found someone in this place. With so little people in the Wing, and this place being so large, I thought I'd never find anyone!" Val made gestures as she spoke, a habit she never seemed to be able to break, and the silver-white marking on her skin seemed to sparkle as she moved.

[Akurie]

Kuro-noir swung her long, slender neck, placing her head only several inches away from the new comer. She snorted, making sure her burnt-lavander scented breath spilled infront of her, lifting her lips a little as an intimidation.
"Now, Now, Kuro-Noire." Akurie said, her alabaster skin twitching in the semblance as a smile as she rose to her feet. She was dressed right in the midst of finery and practicallity, achieving both a regal and battle-ready look.
"If shes going to adress us with such disrespect, I'm going to eat her." The dragon threatened, arching a slender scaled eyebrow in the direction of the leader of the wing.
"It is indeed true that this place is empty. I hope one day, it might echo with the sounds of life, and not all in the dungeons." She chuckled briefly, though the sound was cold. "Might I have your name?"

[Valerhea]

Valerhea coughed slightly, waving her hand in front of her nose to get rid of the smoke and smell that Kuro-Noire basically blew in her face. Though the dragon tried to look intimidating, Val just wasn't buying the whole 'intimidation-factor' look. To her, dragons were basically overgrown lizards with wings. Plus, it took a lot to intimidate her. A part grin, part smirk look found its way onto her face, and she sent it towards the lizard.

"You may not have my name, but you may know it. And it is Valerhea, but many call me Val." She inclined her head in Akurie's direction in a slight bow. "I am at your service."

[Akurie]

"Valerhea, lovely name." The elf said, stroking her bottom lip. "My name is Akurie, and I am the Leader of the Wing of Moonlight." She did not move from the dias upon which her throne was set, looking down at both girl and dragon for a moment before she continued.
"I take it you know where you are, so perhaps you can tell me why you came. " Her cold voice echoed about them, but there was nothing angry about it, she was just being neutral. Kuro-Noire flapped her tattered wings, lifting herself up into the air a second before she landed cat-like on the dias next to Akurie, curling up in an almost-snake like manner around the elf's booted feet.

[Valerhea]

Valerhea watched Kuro-Noire settle herself and waited until she was situated and unmoving by Akurie's side before beginning. "Well," she stated simply and in a voice void of emotion, much different than her normal one. "I'm basically here for revenge. As the saying goes, 'My enemy's enemy is my friend.'" She turned, walking a couple paces away, looking about the area nonchalantly.

With a couple gestures and now looking back at Akurie and the lizard, she continued. "It may be a selfish reason, but I can wait for revenge. I'm quite patient, and I have some abilities that may be of use to the Wing of Moonlight." Val smiled brightly, back to her normal energetic voice. "After all, I'm still young despite my height and have much to learn, correct?"

[Akurie]

"Much to learn, indeed. She talks to loudly." Kuro-Noire said, her snakelike tongue flicking out at the end of her whine. "Hush, Kuro." Akurie said as she placed her hand atop the dragons head, thinking over what the girl had said.
"Revenge is a dish best served cold, as the saying goes, and if you lack paitence, it'll loosen the effect. If your willing to work for your revenge, I believe you are right, you can be of use to us. Tell us more about yourself, what are your strengths?" The elf asked, tapping her fingers against each other before she folded them together, resting her head atop them.

[Valerhea]

Val paused, debating on how to start. "Well," she started slowly. "First off, I am a hybrid. My mother was a wizard, while my father was a shapeshifter." While speaking, she held out her hands and held them out to represent her mother and father. 'Which of course, makes me." Clasping her hands together, Val represented herself. Nodding, she continued at a more reasonable pace, and then pointed at her cheek. "This, is my shapeshifting mark, it goes down to my left arm. Unlike most shapeshifters, I can only shift into one form, but luckily for me it isn't some petty little lizard." Val pointed that last remark at Kuro-Noire, grinning. "I can turn into a puma. Now," she paused. "In the ways of magic, my mother taught me all she could, which was a lot, but nothing powerful." Val shook her head. "Nothing powerful like huge explosions, epidemics, or weather changing etc, etc. But I know a large array of small spells that do not require enchantments."

Val gazed at Akurie when she finished. "Is that a thorough enough description?"

[Akurie]

Akurie listened paitently, unmoving and unexpressionable until the very end, where she arched one of her slender eyes.
"Indeed, I do believe thats a thorough enough description." She said, sliding one of her hands onto Kuro-Noire's slender head, the dragon's eyes narrowed at Valerhea's last comment.
"Are you able to use your spells whilst fighting?" Her voice held a curious tone to it, and she leaned back a little as though to help herself intake the information. She was already beginning to try to figure out how the girl would fit best into a war plan against the Order, but right now her forces where to weak to plan an attack. The Corocotta would have to do for now.

[Valerhea]

Val folded her arms across her chest, her fingers tap-tapping against her limb, and a thoughtful look was upon her face. "Well, I've never tried to be honest. But it shouldn't be too hard with some practice." She grinned and twirled one of her braids around her finger, the small bead, colored red, glinted in the light. The other beads clinked against each other in a soft melodious sound as she tilted her head in curiousity and thought.

"Though I am unsure if I can cast spells when I am transformed. I've never tried that either. I don't know how the two bloods in my veins will react together when they clash." Val shrugged and grinned. "I, personally, think it will work, but there is only one way to see, yes?" For those who have never seen a shapeshifter shift before, they are missing something magical. Unlike werewolves, whose transformations are long and painful, a shapeshifter's transformation is smooth, painless, and short.

The changes started at Val's head, making black furry ears sproud from her hair, and her face looked like it was being pulled forward. Her spine started to bend and she went down onto all fours, her hands and feet turning into paws. A long black tail sprouted from behind and waved back and forth smoothly. Her silver mark glittered brightly against the black fur that sprouted from everywhere. Miraculously, her clothes were nowhere in sight and she wouldn't have to change later due to ripped clothing. Another advantage to being a shapeshifter intead of a werewolf.

The puma stretched, letting a yawn escape from between sharp teeth, it's tail flicking. The muscles rippled as she moved, and claws dug into the floor making a light 'click' as they made contact. It's muscled legs looked strong. They were what was able to let the feline jump and leap far distances. Its ears twitched at every other sound, and it grinned a toothful grin at Kuro-Noire. "Well, hello lizard." It purred, unable to speak the human tongue, but more than capable to speak animal. It lithely walked over to Kuro, standing only a couple paces away. "How are you?"

[Akurie]

Akurie continued to watch the entire scene with her blank, expressionless gaze. One might even go as far as to say she looked bored, but clearly they couldn't see the methodical light brimming through her leaf-green eyes.
The elf was not unaware of the physical limitations of shapeshifting. A particularly annoying thorn in her side had been a shifter some years before who managed to keep her voice from shifting with her. Trying to find one white wolf amongst the hundreds of wolves in a mountainchain was enough to make her quit. Well, not quite, but it was good in theory, she mused. She looked over at Kuro-Noire, trusting the dragon well enough to translate for her if needed.

"I am well, Cat. How faires you?" The dragon asked, arching an eyebrow, unable to determine if the puma was going to turn sarcastic or really was being civil. She mentally brushed aside eating her. Akurie would be angry, yes, very angry. The dragon gave a audiable sigh, and the elf cast her a look, knowing full well the sarcasitc tone underneith it.

[Valerhea]

Val yawned and stretched her long, black, lithe body. "This one faires well." Golden cat eyes turned upwards at Kuro-Noire, blinking in relaxation. She turned her gaze to Akurie and she walked over to the elf, her tail flicking against the dragon's nose as she walked past. The puma sat down in front of Akurie, tilting her head in amusement and curiousity. She let out a low growl. "Is there anything specific you would like me to try spell-wise?" She assumed that the lizard would translate for her.

[Akurie]

Kuro-Noire did indeed translate, and Akurie nodded, looking towards the shifter with a smile.
"You mentioned you could do simple enchantments, nothing to fancy, and Subtly is something that we need right now, especially with our numbers so small. Whats the easiest cantrip for you to do? Perhaps starting with that is the most logical." She said, giving a smile as she sat back on her throne, strumming her fingers slowly across the armrest. The action was more or less out of habit, not that she was bored, for her face betrayed how interested she was right now.