A Mirror To The Past

#46

"You sure?" The Manticore replied, happily leading the way towards town. "Not just even a little stab? You're looking kind of ill. What's wrong with ya?"

They continued to walk, before the mythical beast suddenly stopped, and looked at the woman.

"How about I just fly you there? Don't worry, i'll only be able to drop you once."

#47

Mirror Lake

The Basilisk reared up into an S shape and seemed to be thinking as she stared down at the floor. "I don't think you quite understand, but... Look, I've done enough body swapping for one life time. What exactly are you taking about?"

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Encampment

The white and blue Dragon snorted after seeing the apparition manifest into a man, cold vapour rising out of his nose. His expression seemed to get uglier the more he saw.

"Worthy?" he snarled "I am Permafrost! I watch the snow capped peaks and deep winter drift. I have survived, thrived, in the centre of glaciers. I will rule all of the Ice Dragons, Flurry and Frost and Snow! It has been decided, so it shall be! So tell me, Immortal, does that make me worthy of your help?"

Jent · #48

Pax (Eight Moons)

The women turned to the Manticore, her face wearing a gaunt expression. "Alright then..." Straddling the beast, she awaited for takeoff, carefully latching around his sides.

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Pax (Dual Planets)

Encampment

Approaching the edge of the woods, the Southern Camel transformed into back into his human form, brushing off leaves from himself. ~Now, it shouldn't be hard to find a dragon. Still, I worry for what else might arrive...~ Staring at the sky, the Blue Mage smiled. ~No flare smoke... good.~

Partaking in the mask once more, he slowly walked into settlement.

---

Mirror Lake

Listening to the cursed Swix, the forms around her moved a hand to the chest. "I'm quite aware of your hesitation; however, your current appearance will no doubt provoke aggression or fear from its residents. The gaze of a basilisk is not something to be trifled with, leaving little room for questions." Each statue pulled out a large tooth-like object from their chest's. Where then they passed the jagged pieces to the one nearest to Swix's face, fusing them together. "A choice, a simple one at that. Either you can go into a trance and remotely control a vessel, which can venture no farther than to the Encampment, or I can seal your soul into this bestowing greater range. The path is yours, accept or deny, as I myself cannot leave here. Only fragments of my body can."

#49

Well, my dear Dragon, you'd be surprised how many of your kind give that speech. Do they teach it in Dragon Kindergarten? No, no....if you are going to ask a god for help, you will need more than "Because I'm a dragon"

But where are my manners? Let me Introduce myself

*The man holds out each hand towards each person, and a business card materializes. It is fine paper, and the writing is embossed Gold. It reads simply

"Au'Mauri: God of Insanity"*

Au'Marui is what I think you shall call me. Now back to the matter at hand. What makes you think you in specific dragon are worthy of my aid.

#50

Pax (Eight Moons)

"You still hopped on? Even after I said I was going to drop you and you'd go splat? You really must not be feeling well, lady." The Manticore said, honestly amazed she had no questions or comments other than blind compliance. "Fine then. Your funeral."

He beat his wings and took off into the air, adjusting for a passenger.

<hr />
The Camp (Eight Moons)

"Not sure why your friend would want to come here. It's kind of a dump."

The Manticore expressed slowed, landing gracefully in the remains of a burned out building. There wasn't much left, except for a few wall fragments. In fact, most, if not all the buildings were in states of severe decay.

#51

Mirror Lake

The Basilisk watched the strange show as all the figures got up and started towards her, then pulled out some sort of shards and fused them. "I suppose that's true but... No! Nobody is stealing my soul into anything again! I will go for the trance option instead, if that will help me help..."

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Encampment

Permafrost took the card from the God of Insanity, muscular claws not well suited to holding such delicate things he had to be very careful not to rip it.

"Au'Marui huh?" he said, balancing on three claws quite well for something so bulky. "Frankly, I don't know what you're after and I don't know what the answer it is you are after, but I do know this that portal was not there earlier, it's not supposed to be there, and the last thing my world needs is another problem. It's already broken to pieces as it is."

Jent · #52

Pax (Dual Planets)

Encampment

~Au'Mauri...~

Miyuso was awestruck, a god stood in front of them, almost oblivious to her presence. She usually felt relaxed among the company of spirits, but this outclassed their aura by leagues. The hairs of her skin quivered. Dabbing away sweat, she remained speechless at the scene.

Mirror Lake

"Fair enough."

Forearm extending out to Swix, the conjoined transmitter tapped her on the head, alleviating focus of the basilisk form. Graikos twirled it in his hand. Suddenly, a fierce throw plunged the tip into the earth. Water, dust, and air curled about one another; assembling a murky silhouette against the radiating light. "Imagine your past self; your true self. Then paint your form across the canvas before you."

As Swix's conscientious awakened in the vessel, attributes reflecting her preferred body will have taken hold.

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Pax (Eight Moons)

The Camp

~It's not like I couldn't survive a fall from you, anyways.~

Dismounting, Alex examined the ravaged camp. Anyone that lived here last likely have been long gone, ranging from a week to possibly months. Propping herself on a semi-sturdy wall, she spoke to the Manticore.

"The ones... I hoped to find here, are likely at the other portal."

#53

"So, you seek to right what has gone wrong? Suppose that will do. Today.

Permafrost was it? Why don't you and Miss....miss...."

DP stumbles for a moment. He had actually forgotten to get the lesser being's name.

"Well, Miss, are you going to just stand there or are you going to give me your name."

He was growing impatient. The dragon had already wasted enough time on what should have been a simple answer. He already knew some of what was going on, and it wasn't going to be fixed just standing around.

Jent · #54

"Well, Miss, are you going to just stand there or are you going to give me your name."

With the god addressing her, she quaked at her answer. "Um... lord Au'Mauri... I'm Miyuso: a mistress of animals in the surrounding forest." Her hand reached out to her notepad. Where she presented it the the God of Insanity, it detailing sketches and records accounted today so far.

#55

Mirror Lake

As the Basilisk that held current Mirror Swix soul lost consciousness to the trance, the new form became that of a small, average proportioned humanoid no taller than 5'2. She wasn't slim, or fat, or even possessing any defining muscle structure. Hair came down to her shoulder, neat and full of many colours yet still dull. Her eyes were hazel, and she wore a white dress with black trim. Her boots similarly matched, and Swix stretched her new arms "This is wonderful, thank you"

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Encampment

"That's right, Permafrost" the Ice Dragon said, letting out a long puff of air in a sigh. Immortals always confused him, he could never figure out if the question was meant to be direct or just sounded that way to try and trip him up, or whether they were actually asking something else entirely. But then maybe he was over thinking things...

#56

"Well duh." The Manticore sighed, rolling his eyes. He kicked a skull against the collapsed remains of a bar and looked around. "I could have told you that. So where is this other portal? How many do you have?"

Jent · #57

Pax (Eight Moons)

The Camp

"Four, at the start of the planetary alignment, there were four."

Grasping a dusty pool stick, Alex scratched the diagram into the soil. "During 'the Pass,' with two portals on the moon, and an adjacent likeness on each planet, became energized the gateway enough for my group to start the transmutation." She wiggled the red stone in front of him. "This still was required for an additional boost, however. Due to mine and Tages, the Blue Mage, minds being only mortal; we couldn't calculate the numbers in our own heads alone."

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Pax (Dual Planets)

Encampment

Tages monitored the growing rumors that whisper around him. Sightings of a blue dragon soaring over the edge of the Encampement stirred controversy. Several advocated praising the beast. Since its birth, a Blackfire Dragon dug the early foundations of the site, proving valuable shelter from the elements before the age of cabins took off. Yet, islands of malice rustled. These few voiced resentment at the prospect of housing a whole clan in their yards, fearing a frightful feast will only arrive within due time

~Humans, so ambivalent.~

Mirror Lake

Oblivious to the compliment, Graikos began his side of the deal. Swix's massive serpentine body lurched out of the mystical waters, her scales glistening from the water splashed across it. Where the arms of the being guided the petrifying creature to the shores edge, bending her frame in a curve. "Do not worry, this is the best for both of us." He reassured.

Mounds of earth quake at the opposite side of the Basilisk. Both tail tip and snout nudged against the ends, forming a whole ring around the lake, then he surprised the mirror lady once more. Cascading rainbow streaks skipped along tops of the circle, nearly blinding her in the flair. "As budding any part of my being requires energy, the mere residue of the other world vibrating from your cursed body eases the drain of the portal. Thus, allowing me to actively protect your living vessel from harm." A gestured limb points into the woods. "Straight ahead, you'll eventually arrive to a settlement. And, so long you are in contact with the ground, the earth itself will help you."

#58

Pax (Eight Moons)

"Four?! There are four on our side?!" The mythological beast growled. "One of these rifts was intrusion enough, not you say you have four? Who knows what you are letting in to our beautiful world!"

The Manticore was clearly on edge, and it was looking more and more likely he might sting her again, gift or not.

"Where are they." He demanded. "Why did you need so many? If you friend stumbles across one, won't he just end up in your world?"

#59

"Ah, good, a scientist....sort of. Well you'll at least be useful as a guide. Now, Permafrost, if you will take the lead, let's see what this portal stuff is all about."

#60

She'd been watching for some short time. She hadn't been around for very long and was doing the thing that came most naturally to her - watching, skimming from the vision of every creature she could, building a visual repository of everything in this realm.

She saw Au'Marui, saw his dramatic introduction, and rolled allegorical eyes so hard she might have rolled someone's actual eyes.

The same flair. He hadn't changed at all.

She wasn't yet comfortable making herself known - not to everybody, not this early on.

She couldn't just let something that stupid go on without at least somebody commenting on it, though.

So, she spoke, only to Au'Marui. Her voice had no clear origin though it was audible and definitely her own.

"Do you really think you can get away with something that..." She couldn't even think of a word. "... silly?"