Uncertainty (open)

[Rankor]

It is a warm summer’s day in the Valley of Avalar, with clouds sailing through the sky yet not threatening to rain. Birds are chirping in the trees, singing their happy songs. It is about mid-day judging by the position of the sun in the blue sky above. Down in the valley, is a river that runs through it, supplying water to all life in the area. In parts of the river, it flows slow enough, that a clear reflection can be seen of those that look into the water, and fish life visible from above.
Along the ground grows lush green grass, and beautiful flowers bloom in all directions visible from the river. Taking a glance over the surrounding area, one can easily miss a black dragon, peering into the river. Wait what!?! How one can miss an easily recognizable dragon, is beyond anyone’s comprehension, but if they knew the dragon that now stands at the river’s bank, it wouldn’t have been any surprise at all.

Despite being black, Rankor has learned the ins and outs of camouflage that regardless of one’s scale or skin color could hide themselves in almost any environment. The only areas Rankor has problems are white backgrounds, and open fields. With the valley having trees, and rocks as obstacles, he is capable of making himself easily missed by those who merely take a quick glance; having yet to find a way to make it more than that. Although, he has found that most of the time, a quick glance is all that is needed to hide from.

He stares into the reflection of the river’s water, at its slowest point along its journey, contemplating on where to go next. He is in search of someone, and yet keeps missing her by just a couple of days, and somehow leaving no trace of her presence. The black juvenile, or so he looks, takes a quick drink, before turning around, to start heading back into the forest, where is camouflaging is closer to his strongest, where the night is where he truly shines in that area.

[Deleted]

Rankor was not alone in the area however. A midnight blue-violet dragoness had been remaining in the Valley of Avalar for a while now, seeing no immediate danger for the time being and wanting to spend some time in a familiar place. With her no longer being in isolation from society and the world it seemed nice to finally be out and about without trying to hide. Unlike the juvenile looking male she was no longer trying to hide herself, not even now after all this time of doing so from a few years ago.

Today she was walking peacefully beside the river that flowed through different parts of the valley, her foot steps light and seeming to not have a care in the world for the time being. And her dark colored scales were no where near hard to see from a distance but with the many trees she passed beneath it was sometimes hard to spot her. She wasn't called the Midnight Shadow for nothing. She blended quite well in darkness and usually could hide herself in plain sight of the shadows and go unnoticed unless someone really looked.

But after some time walking she stopped a little down stream from where Rankor was turning to head back to the forest, leaning her head down and taking a long drink. The small splashes of her lapping could be heard from a few feet away and the elder female, who really didn't look it but more like a young female adult, was also seemingly relaxed.

[Rankor]

Before stepping inside the forest, Rankor did another quick scan of the area, hoping, just hoping to see the one he has been searching for. It wasn't until his third and final scan of the area that his left eye spotted a midnight-blue dragoness, but it couldn't be. When he took a step forward, the voices in his head, really started going again Kill her. Do it now. She doesn't know you're here, it'll be easy. Having gone without his 90 minutes of sleep that he needed last night, his mind is in a vulnerable state, and his body reacts on it's own.

He bounds towards the dragoness, but stopped short soon after. He let out a loud cry, before slamming his head hard against the ground, and digging his claw into the earth. GET OUT! GET OUT! GET OUT!!! He yelled, each time slamming his head into the ground again. When he calmed down, he lifted his head up, went to turn towards the forest, but he dug his left fore-claw into the ground enough, that he's actually stuck.

He is capable of looking back towards the forest, and despite his depth perception, he used land marking obstacles, like flowers and rocks, to determine that he only moved 20 feet from his location, give or take 5 feet too account for his lack of depth perception. He tried to pull his claw out again, but he's still stuck, and is now in a slight embarrassing situation. Though, he isn't showing it in the slightest. The voices had stopped, and he was thankful, that despite his lack of sleep, he still had that much control over his body; while knowing, that it is only a matter of time before he loses control again.

[Deleted]

Though true Nyx wasn't aware of Rankor's presence that didn't mean she wasn't always on her guard. A relaxed state was always the best deceit for enemies as they viewed this as a sign their opponent was vulnerable and weak, an easy target to pick off yet got a nasty surprise when they realized this was not so. Thus the case for the elder female as soon as she heard the sound of someone coming her head was immediately up, glaring towards the direction she heard the running before it stopped. Was someone just playing a trick? Maybe, it had happened before to be a fake out of one's true intention.

Standing fully she began making her way down stream, tilting her head when hearing someone yelling something and heard thud after thud upon the ground. So this wasn't an attack, it sounded like someone was having some issues. Well, maybe. With this in mind Nyx approached cautiously and quietly until she came upon Rankor, wondering if this dragon was just an over excited juvenile or a small adult having his own problems. In her long life she knew she shouldn't immediately judge one by age unless they really gave it away, but this one was slightly difficult to know if he was an older dragon. And well, he seemed to be cause in quite a predicament.

"You seem to have gotten yourself in quite the situation my friend, whether or not your young or old sure that has to be quite embarrassing." She said, a little amused and not knowing of Rankor's current situation with the voices in his head. Nonetheless, she walked closer and used one of her claw to gently slip under his and give a few good tugs before it was free then setting her paw down. "Better?"

[Rankor]

Rankor continued to struggle trying to get his claw free. That is until the midnight blue dragoness came and helped. He almost said Eclipse, but quickly caught himself, realizing that it isn't her. Sorry, I thought you were someone else he spoke in his usual emotionless tone of voice. Kill her anyway.

Upon hearing those voices again, Rankor turned around and is now facing away from the dragon who just helped him. He dare not try and move towards the forest, unsure if that is where he would go or not. He could end up attacking her instead, and he really doesn't want to do that, for that is not who he is. Thanks for your help, he said, once again with an emotionless tone.

You wouldn't hap... No never mind, you probably don't know anyway. He was about to ask her about his daughter, but he didn't want to trouble the dragoness further. He would've sat there quietly had the voices not started speaking up again, which in turn he bangs his head against the ground, and grimaced in pain.

[Deleted]

Nyx raised a scaly brow at how Rankor was behaving, finding this quite unusually even for a dragon to be acting. What exactly was going on inside this juvenile looking dragon's mind? It had been a long while since she came across such an emotionless person, so she wasn't quite sure what to say to the male. "Mix ups happen, it is quite alright." She assured him, not minding the fact he might have mistaken her for someone as it happened from time to time. Though she hadn't ever seen a dragon or dragoness look quite like her before.

"Your welcome and wouldn't know what? If your looking for someone I might have seen them, I travel to so many places it's not unheard of." Nyx told him as she stepped around to stand beside Rankor, trying to see if there was anything else she can do. If he was searching for someone it might be by some chance she had met this person. "You know if you keep doing that your going to knock yourself out." She added when watching him bang his head on the ground, which might explain the thuds she heard before.

[Rankor]

Rankor lifted his head, and stared at the dragoness. She did almost resemble Eclipse, but the giveaway that she isn't, is the missing scar. Since she asked about what he was about to say, he might as well finish his thought. Any information he can get is helpful, but he is starting to doubt the help he's been getting as of late, since all of her supposed "last seen locations" turns up to have no trace of her ever being there.

As he starts speaking, he has a very noticeable change in his tone of voice. I am looking for my daughter. She has deep blue scales, paler than yours, and her eyes gleam a bright ocean blue. Though it would probably be her beautiful wings you notice first, looking like the heavenly expanse of the night sky. Have you seen her? At the very moment he starts asking the question, his voice changed from being happy, back to being emotionless.

He doubts that this dragoness has seen his daughter, but if she has he would be most grateful, though probably wouldn't show it. At this point in his search, he is uncertain where to look next, and he is even starting to doubt the possibility that she is even alive. Despite how hard he is trying to hide it, a single tear rolls down his cheek, at the possibility he would never see his daughter again.

[Deleted]

Patiently Nyx waited to see if Rankor would even answer her, but if he didn't wish to she would not press him for it. It was then he glanced up at her and began explaining he was looking for someone very important, his own child but the description alas brought nothing up that was remotely familiar to the elder. And sadly she could only shake her head, knowing this would greatly disappoint him. "I'm afraid not, such a description of a dragoness wouldn't be hard to find my friend but I'm afraid I have never seen such a person."

It was then she noticed the tear that rolled down his cheek making Nyx look upon Rankor with sympathy and apology for not being able to do more. "I wish I could be more of help to you, but even us elders can't always help someone slightly younger."She said sadly, truly finding this a heart breaking moment and knew there was little she could do to give aid to this dragon.

"But perhaps if I do come across anyone matching such a description it might be a good thing to know who is seeking her."She suggested, hoping that maybe by chance this dragoness, his daughter, might end up coming across here again. "My name is Nyx Leilani, what's your's?"

[Rankor]

Rankor wasn't surprised that this dragoness never seen his daughter. Rankor was all he said in response to her question. He stood up, and moved back to the river side, to get another drink of water. As he looked in, he took a moment to look at the reflection, before drinking. When he got done, he turned his head to the sky.

Clouds were rolling in, and covering the sky nice and thick. Some of them are dark, while others were lighter. Small patches of blue still visible, but slowly being covered up by the clouds. It's threatening to rain. It'll be nice. This place hasn't seen rain for the last three days. The only reason he knew that is because he's been in the area for the last four days.

Sure enough, the moment he mentioned rain, he felt a drop hit the end of his tail. He likes the feel of the rain as it hits his bare skin. It calms him almost as much as the night does, though the calming effect of the night on him is far stronger.

[Deleted]

Nyx nodded but wasn't sure what more she could say to the dragon called Rankor. It seemed the loss of his daughter was greatly affecting him yet there was nothing she could do despite the number of people she saw in her life. Unfortunately, there was no one like those who he had described in her memory so there wasn't anything she could do. For now she only watched as he went to the river side and didn't mind the silence.

Though that was when a drop of rain landed on her snout, making her glance up slightly towards the rain clouds. "Indeed, it has been a little while since the rain came. The valley could use a few rain storms in fact." She said as she watched the clouds go by, an the rain began coming down more and more rather than just a sprinkle for a few minutes. Despite being a fire dragon she really didn't mind the rain and some steam seemed to come off her body since it usually was always warm.

[Rankor]

Rankor paid no mind to what Nyx said, he was just concentrating on the rain hitting his head, but in the process losing focus on another matter. As he breathed deeply, darkness slowly starts to shroud the area, Rankor being the cause. It stops before it gets too dark, but it's just dark enough, that one can no longer trust their eyes, and has to rely solely on their other senses.

At this light level, Rankor lost himself. A smile came over his face, but not just one that is happy, but one with evil intent. He turns, and casts a stone in Nyx's last known direction. He used his telekinesis to cast the stone, which allows him to throw the stones faster than he could with his own physical strength.

After casting the stone, he quickly darts to the left, and keeps Nyx's scent to his left that way he has minimal blind spots. This isn't Rankor, though it is his body, the voices in his head has once again took control and is acting for him. A side effect on a near perfect calm mind, is forgetting everything else going on as if it isn't happening, even though it is. He forgot to keep fighting those voices in his head. What a fool He said, and soon after, changes location, traveling back to the right after speaking.

((OOC: the yellow text represents the slight change to Rankor's voice when he speaks))

[Deleted]

Soon as the area began to become dark Nyx had turned her attentions away from the rain and back to Rankor, realizing something wasn't right. Every ounce of her instinct told her she needed to be alert and she was immediately on her feet once again as she had to close her eyes as the darkness became enough she wouldn't be able to use them properly. More or less trust them either.

Her immediate thinking was now to be on her defensive as she quickly moved away from her location, hearing something whiz past where she had just been. So what exactly was going on with this dragon? Her amber eyes quickly tried to survey through the darkness but it was difficult to see and she could faintly hear running and catching his scent following her movement at first. Luckily though she knew how to move through the dark and she was also known for her stealth so despite her size she moved quickly and quietly towards the direction Rankor, if it was even him anymore, was until it seemed he darted off a different direction.

'So he is trying to confuse me, not exactly the best plan.'She thought as she quietly followed suit, using every ounce of her training in her life to move too quiet for Rankor to hear as she created a fireball between her jaws before firing in the direction she was sure he was at since his scent seemed quite close.

[Rankor]

Rankor immediately dodged to the left upon seeing a fire ball coming at him. At the same time he casts yet another stone in Nyx's direction, or at least in the direction the fire ball came from. Please, I only made it hard to see, I didn't completely block out light, that would be stupid. He quickly changed his location yet again, once again moving to his left.

Your quiet movement doesn't help you any. Here's a lesson for you: Water actually intensifies the scent, before washing it away. I will always know your location in this weather. Even without this weather, our close proximity to each other would still allow me to trace your movements based solely on your foul stench.

Rankor dashes left, casts a stone, before dashing right again, and casting another stone. Stop getting in my way you fool. Rankor moves left again, always making sure that Nyx is to his left, making sure she can never surprise him with an attack. Every movement he has made, though Nyx would hardly see it in the darkness, has always been sure to land with Nyx to his left.

[Deleted]

Nyx growled as she carefully channeled her telekinesis and stopped the stones, deflecting each one that was sent her direction but she was hesitant to use it completely as the water from the rain would weaken her fire. "Even if it does not help me your movements aren't helping you much any either." She countered, now knowing for a fact this couldn't be the same Rankor since his voice was for one different and his attitude suddenly changed drastically.

His movements though began to catch her attention as Nyx began to realize he was favoring the left side, seeming to always keep her in that sight. So as he was moving left she rushed to the right, this time not caring if her movements were quiet or not as it now would make no difference. But her movement was swift, showing she had considerable speed still despite her age and she quickly moved towards his right side where she wondered if this was a blind spot. The way he moved and attacked it had to be otherwise he wouldn't be making such movements.

"And if you think your the only one with telekinesis you have another thing coming,"She added as she blasted a telekinetic wave towards the juvenile looking male, the force being enough to send him off his feet. It was a rare time she used her psionic power, since it was powerful enough she couldn't completely control if she wasn't careful.

[Rankor]

Rankor's movements continued to show him favoring his left, even though there is barely any visibility. Rankor chuckled a little as to how that is possible, but it's no concern to him at this point. His movements certainly wasn't helping him, but he isn't scared.

Full of surprises you are, indeed. Telekinesis I did not know you had. But you aren't the only one who is full of surprises, and in fact, I already showed you my full hand. Using his own telekinetic power, he managed to dig his claws into the earth, which was how he got stuck earlier in the first place. The blast was enough to push him back, leaving a trail of where he once was, but thanks to the digging in, he was able to hold his ground.

The blast however, did make him lose enough concentration, that the dark shroud started fading, letting more light in. Enough light getting through, which shows Rankor facing his opponent. He immediately releases a telekinetic blast of his own, towards Nyx. What part of "water intensifies scents, before washing them away" did you not understand? Quite you fool. But he's right, thanks to this rain, I have 0 blind spots thanks to your foul smell.