RP:Joan and the Stuck Dragon

Synopsis: Joan and Jakushka meet on The Hill of Peace.

Hill of Peace

Jakushka was not standing upon the hill of peace, nor was he wandering about. Not flying, singing, crawling, dancing, climbing the statue. No, Jakushka was not doing any of those things. He was nowhere in sight in fact. Most people who come up to the hill of peace never even notice his presence. That is by his design. If one were to look carefully at the base of the tree they would spot a rather large black mass which could be mistaken for a growth of the tree itself being so covered in moss and mushrooms. It would take a keen set of senses indeed to see it as anything resembling a creature or person for that matter. The body was as cool as the air around it and the heart beat slowed to the point of deep hibernation and virtually imperceptible. The ground remained undisturbed on the hill, save for the beasts that wander up and down occasionally, any tracks going up always going back down again. That being the case the woman who had taken the time to climb the hill this evening might find it peculiar to see a black fox with green eyes that seem too intelligent to be wild suddenly appear from behind the statue. Those green eyes observing keenly this newcomer, black nostrils flaring. The fox, never taking its eyes off of the stranger started to walk toward the growth at the base of the tree, stopping next to it for a moment to take in whoever this was, then suddenly disappearing into it. There is silence for a long minute, then creaking as though something stiff and ancient was starting to move. The mass began to unfold on the side closest to Joan revealing a pair of large horns. More was revealed, soon a head of a man black as obsidian with red slitted eyes. Upon his head was a crown of horns, two longer than the rest. Those eyes were brimming with dormant strength. Jakushka didn't move more than to uncover his head, eyes looking Joan over, piercing her flesh and glamor with indifference. The fox poked its head up over the edge of the revealed wing which covered the reptilian man, chirring and barking softly. Jakushka made no reply, his own nostrils flaring as he took in the scent of this woman his eyes narrowing not from emotion but a sign of familiarity. As though he detected something he once knew. "Who are you? And why do you taste of... Her....?" His voice is deep and its presnce is felt even though he is speaking softly.

Joan :: This evening Joan was on a jaunt to the hill of peace to examine the different types of flowers growing there, as well to take in the famous magical blue rose at the memorial placed there, she paused as she came upon the black fox, hands resting on either side of her hips as she watched it obverse her then magically disappear into that black growth. A brow raises up once the black spot began to grow and change, the woman plopping down into the grass as those horns emerged, then a head, shoulders and so forth. As the red eyes take her in her pupilless eyes stare back, and her other brow raises up once the being speaks...”Uh...excuse me, her who?! And I’m Joan Blackheart, budding nercomancer and novice healer. Who might you be?!”

Jakushka seems to be taking in small but deep breaths, body shifting ever so slightly as Joan introduces herself, his head nodding in understanding as though something had just fallen into place. It seems, like all old people, the dragon was susceptible to playing the pronoun game. Whether it was intentional or not he made no indication. "Artia." He says almost under his breath. The fox growled at mention of the name but a hidden motion from the dragon man silenced it. "As for who this one is... This one was once.. Jakushka Sin Darkstalker, First of his Name, King of Dragons and All Powerful Necromancer. But that was long ago. Now this one is no one." His voice was monotone, as devoid of emotion as his expression, eyes never blinking and never leaving Joan. Slowly his wings start to slide up his body again, only parts of the moss having dropped to the loam around him, covering most of himself again. "Kii tepoha wux confn ekess nomeno goawy." His tongue suddenly slips to draconic but one gets the feeling he is asking why she has come.

Joan points to herself in a ‘oh me?!’ manner, “To look at the flowers and that famous blue rose, maybe gather some for potions I’m going to start making here soon for practice. As for Artia, she’s my friend, we tend to hug each other...maybe that is why you smell her on me, it’s been awhile tho...”Joan takes a moment to pull at her dress shirt to take a whiff of herself...she didn’t have as keen a scent as a dragon. “Ahahaha, Sorry...Necromancer you said? Nice, you know we have a guild now? You should join!” She smiles towards the dark fellow as more of him forms.

Jakushka seems to regard Joan quietly for a long moment before closing his eyes at long last. "All are welcome here, as it has always been. This one won't stop your coming." And of course Joan was right about why he could smell Artia on her. He would never forget that scent. It was the first pleasant smell he had come to know in a long time. "This one knew Artia for a time, but she hasn't been back in a year now. She made promises to help this one. But her promises were hollow, it would seem." His voice remains indifferent when talking about her. He isn't hiding any sort of emotion regarding the subject of Artia like a scorned lover might, expression remaining unchanged even as Joan smiles and tells him he should join her guild. "This one is a necromancer, yes. But has no interest in joining a guild. After all, what is the point when this one is trapped here?" He asks as his eyes open again to look at Joan intensely.

Joan perks up once she is told that the fellow is trap there. “Trapped you said?! How?! When?! Why?! And Artia said she help, huh...sorry so tell you, she disappeared. Maybe she went for help for you and had to travel far away?” Joan ask these questions rapidly as she peers at the obsidian color fellow with interest now, she never knew of anyone trapped in one place, it was new and exciting and at least if Artia tried to help, Joan would do her best to pick up where her friend left off, at least try to take this fellow’s issue to people that could do something if she couldn’t. “Thanks, I’ll harvest some of the flowers after we talk about you and your problem, because dude...not being able to go anywhere is such a drag.”

Jakushka glances at the other newcomer for a moment, regarding them with a distant gaze, then returning to Joan. "This one does not know what became of Artia but this one hasn't been able to sense her in this world for some time. She seemed interested in this ones well being when she was here. It doesn't matter however. As to the matter of this one being trapped here.. It's been what you would call a decade. How and why are... Complicated.. And a long story." His gaze changes as though he were peering into a memory, shaking his head, coming back to reality after a minute. The black fox poked his head up over Jakushka's wing again, looking from Joan to him and barking softly. Jakushka let out a "Hmph" and spoke back in the same manner, the two seeming to engage in conversation for a bit. Jakushka rolls his eyes as the fox leaps from the confines of his cocoon and disappears down the hill. "Sepa at least agrees with you, lady Joan. And this one would ask that you leave enough flowers for others to enjoy."

Joan nodded, “Yeah, we already went over that, I won’t harvest a lot. I know a few mages and powerful people, gimme a run down of what happened to you. I’ll take it to these folks and we will brainstorm.” She cast a sideway glance as the black fox takes off, only to turn her full attention towards the winged fellow curious to hear his tale of woe.