Thunder Dome I simply wander around you

@Noctura

Her latest journey had come to an end, and she'd once again found herself crossing the paths that would soon be borders in order to enter her home. The time was upon them, the moment in which an official claim could be made. Everything was in order, and though their numbers were not high, it was enough for them to at least start off with. Still, she did not yet climb the peak and let her song alert all those near that the dome had permanent residents. Instead, she'd set out in search of one member in particular, simply wishing to spend some time in his presence. It would serve as a chance for her to learn more about him, and he her if such was desired.

Rather than calling for him, Asterr had instead decided to track him down. The scents of her tribe members had already been engraved into her mind, and so she was confident in her ability to find him. She'd trekked over various ridges, having entered the land from the northeast, and was soon able to get a lock on a fresher scent. She had followed it, trailing the markers he'd left behind in the hopes of catching up with him. It had taken a bit longer than expected, but eventually she'd caught sight of the large male and was quick to lessen the distance between them. The closer she got, a smile began to overtake her features, and then a gentle chuff was given to alert him of her presence. From there she'd said, "Hello, Noctura." but fell silent soon after. She knew not how she might go about striking up a proper conversation with him, uncertain of whether it was a good time to try and learn more about him or not. "Are you settling in well?" It was a start, at least, and she was genuinely curious of his thoughts on the mountain.

These lands were almost as fair as the one who would claim them. Asterr had explained to him that this mountain was known as Thunder Dome, a dormant volcano nestled among the Sunspire Mountains, which in themselves were a part of the Teekon Wilds. In retrospect, it was strange to think he had been wandering a region for days that secretly had a name and a vast population of inhabitants, albeit spread out over countless miles. It was like there was a whole world here in Teekon — and for some reason, Thunder Dome felt like a sanctuary. A place where he might finally begin to overcome the terrible, instinctive aggression that ran through his veins.

But he couldn't do it alone. Noctura did not trust himself to encounter others in the pack without the guidance of young Asterr, so he had pointedly avoided all others for the duration of his stay so far. It wasn't difficult, for it transpired this was a pack still in the early stages of its founding, and only a few fresh scents could be found in the area. And there was plenty to distract him from thoughts of Asterr, who he found almost painfully lovely and who he feared he might accidentally hurt some day.

This distraction came in the form of the landscape. Great ridges and jagged plateaus. Turrets of stone and skeletal trees that balanced precariously on the edge of them. Wild clouds above, and blankets of heather that looked as though they'd been singed by lightning. This territory was magical in a wild, primal manner. It actually reminded him of himself, but Noctura thought it'd be arrogant to admit it, so he kept that quiet.

He turned even before she spoke. Graceful and dark, Asterr was a shadow in the daytime, and such was her petiteness she appeared almost to flutter in the breeze. Yes, thank you, he replied. It was rare that he'd smile, but he did now, and it was faint and dashing upon his sable face. Much like at the tail-end of their previous meeting, Noctura was unaware that his posture had naturally changed in her presence. It was not a distinct change, but anyone looking at them would know which of the two was Alpha.

I've been exploring this beautiful land of yours. The mountain is spectacular. I came across several clues that parts of it are hollow, but I haven't yet found any entrance to caverns.

A response came quickly, one that she was happy to hear. There were times in which she wondered how some thought of the mountain, curious of whether or not they'd truly managed to settle atop it. She knew it not to be an overly easy place to live, for the clouds that filled the sky constantly dangled a silent threat over their heads. At any given moment, a storm could erupt without warning. The rain would make the ridges slick, hazardous when traveling across, and then the sky-fire was known to touch down at various places along the dome. Such downsides were known to her, they'd been made obvious long ago, and yet she could not see herself leaving. She hoped the others felt the same, and was confident in her belief that Noctura was being truthful in his words. There was no reason to lie, after all, and she'd been given the sense that he wouldn't.

The topic of caverns came up, to which she responded by nodding her head as a way of confirming his findings. "I have not investigated further, but I know of at least one cavern," she revealed, feeling a brief wave of guilt for having not told him of it sooner. Had he been sleeping along the rough ridges because of her...? At that thought, the corners of her lips twitched as a frown tried to show itself, but she was quick to chase the expression away. "Within it lies a forest, which I have noticed to be quite healthy and protected from many of the harsher elements." There were just enough openings in it's ceiling to allow the woods sunlight, but few were large enough for any of the snow to topple down and crush the flora with it's chilled weight. It was due to it's seclusion from the world outside that she'd deemed it a wonderful place of rest come the nightly hours, and was rather ashamed to have deprived him of experiencing it until then.

"I do apologize for having not told you of it sooner," Asterr voiced, words laced with sincerity. "If you would like, perhaps I could show you how to access it now? There are a number of potential shelters scattered throughout the woodland, giving you numerous choices when deciding where you wish to slumber each night." The dragon wished to redeem herself for her earlier forgetfulness, and saw her offer as a sure way to do so. Maybe they could even find him a permanent little area to call his own, somewhere he might be able to escape to when in need of some time to himself; or perhaps when he sought only the company of her.

Having been a loner his whole life — bar his early childhood which he could hardly remember — Noctura was more than used to sleeping in a den that was far from homey. It was rarely even a den, in fact. But the truth was, despite not yet finding any caverns within the mountain, Noctura had spent the night very comfortably at Thunder Dome so far, resting beneath the great protective bow of an ancient evergreen. He would have slept soundly if it hadn't been for the quiet paranoia ever digging at the back of his head. Paranoia that coming here had been a mistake.

So when Asterr spoke of a cavern within the mountain, his mind did not leap to the idea of shelter or comfort. Instead, gazing down at his leader's youthful face, he imagined what magic might lie within. A forest within a mountain? he clarified, soft awe in his deep voice. I'd certainly like to see it. There was no doubt in that whatsoever. He had never encountered such a phenomenon in all his travels.

And if Asterr would join him in this adventure, the unlikeliness would be more magical still.

In spite of his life having been that if a loner's up until recently, she had not considered that he'd do well in any location when needing to sleep. She had undoubtedly jumped to conclusions, and then blamed herself whilst doing so. No matter, she remained oblivious to his sleeping habits in the past, and stayed focused instead of her mistake. To make things better, it appeared as if he wasn't upset with her for it, which relieved her greatly. Things were still alright, she hadn't done something that might make him wish to leave; his leaving was a worry of her's, sometimes, but she knew deep down that there was nothing to be concerned over. He had said he'd give life within a tribe a shot, and from the very beginning he'd appeared noble enough to never go back on his word.

Only seconds after he'd mentioned wishing to see the strange phenomenon, the dragon had been motioning for him to follow her. As they walked she glanced at him, before bringing her gaze to focus back upon the path they were on. "Some of the others often spend decent legths of time within the cavern," she pointed out, wondering if such would be bothersome for him. Afterwards she'd fallen silent once more, her energy going towards hiking up to a peak of the range. From there the entrance to the cavern could be picked out right away even by an untrained eye, the sudden opening in the rock unable to be missed. "This is the only entrance we know of," the girl shared. "Rather, it is the only one to be discovered that allows us safe entry." Asterr went onward, though her movements had been brought to a halt once the forest was stationed before them.

Various trees filled the space, their canopies creating shapeless shadows as they greedily stole most of the light that shone through the cracks overhead. The ground was softened with a layer of grasses and various other plants, the streams that flowed freely throughout the expanse of it all providing the life with water. "It was this very place that had shown me we would be successful living atop the mountain." Her voice was soft, reminiscing the vision vivid dream that had solidified her desire to live within the Thunder Dome. It was something she'd not shared with anyone, and knew not yet if she ever would. "It is a peaceful little hideaway, would you not agree?" Asterr looked to him then, smiling as she stood within the cavern. It was her home—no, it was their home—and she enjoyed seeing the responses others had to it's hidden wonders.

The moment he expressed an interest in discovering the caverns, Asterr began to lead the way. Noctura moved automatically to walk at her side. They seemed to walk well together, the two dark wolves, Asterr's more nimble frame making up for her shorter strides so that they kept pace without effort.

Noctura had traversed the ground on which they walked just this morning, but then they took a turn that had a jagged incline — he had not been this way before. Granted, he hadn't spent very long looking for a cavern entrance, but he had been keen to do so once he'd smelt the state of the air around parts of the mountain, which had suggested it was hollow.

It did indeed presently bother him (but not surprise him) that other wolves frequented the forest she spoke of. Not because he preferred peace and quiet, but because he did not trust himself as a packmate. But he was content to be here with Asterr's guidance, and would have said as much if he wasn't suddenly dumbstruck by the magnificent woodland that lay before them.

This forest has a soul, he witnessed in a low voice. No wonder you were attracted to it.

Though perhaps it shouldn't have—what with him having previously spoken of magic—the fact that he'd been able to detect the soul within the woods had surprised her. Her expression had betrayed as much, too, before settling back into a soft smile. "There is a strong soul residing within these woods," she expressed, recalling the being she had met in her dreams. With slow steps, she moved closer to the nearest stream, gaze immediately finding it's way to the reflective surface. "Zennyo Ryūō, the dragon king, lives within these waterways. I met him once in my dreams after having first entered this cavern, and it was then that we had settled upon an agreement; my tribe may live among these peaks as long as his domain is respected, and in turn he will offer us his divine protection." Her head turned, eyes meeting his as she awaited his reaction. It was the first time she'd voiced what had happened, making him the first to learn of why she'd chosen the dome over all other places.

The king of the dragons was not the same her family had served, nor was he the one who'd been connected to the female since birth. No, the one who could claim such was Draco, but even he had made her feel as if the volcano was the best place for her to settle atop. "I feel as if I may never wish to leave this place—not forever, that is." Journeying would remain a favourite pastime of hers, but to stay away from the land for any longer than necessary was out of the question. It was she who had sworn to honour the land and the dragon within it, and so she would not go back on that pact. Ever. Besides, already she felt connected to her recruits, and would remain with them until death forced a separation.

Perhaps it was the effect of Asterr's personal influence on him, but everything she said to him now rang with a profound truth. He had logical doubts about some things he encountered, of course, but Noctura was neither sceptic nor naysayer, and  if he hesitated over her words then it was only because he didn't fully understand them.

When he'd spoken of a soul within these woods he'd meant something that was nameless and wonderful — not the soul of a creature but the soul of the forest itself. There were some things he understood from her tale, such as the name Zennyo Ryūō, which felt immediately like a name that belonged here. He had also heard of kings and queens — some creatures he'd met on the road had spoken of such titles.

But...

What is a dragon? he asked, looking at her with great curiosity. As for the divine protection, he didn't know how that might manifest, but he believed in it. Magic was a great but unknown force. Sometimes a tree fell just because it fell. Sometimes it fell because it wanted to. And sometimes it fell because it was pushed.

The content of her tale was not written off as being of no meaning, but rather seemed as if it'd been accepted. Perhaps not entirely believed, but she did not question his inner thoughts towards her words. However he felt towards her tale was his own business, and it would not sway her opinion of him in either way—or so she'd initially thought, anyways. While she wished to remain neutral no matter his response, she had ended up feeling elated when a question was voiced. He wished to know of what a dragon was and, while that might seem like a small thing to others, it was of great importance to her. "A dragon is... well," she had to stop, collect her thoughts, and settle the thumping in her chest. "A dragon can be described as being similar to a lizard, though many are capable of flight and breathing fire. They are also far larger than anything I have ever seen in this world." Large, reptilian creatures that possessed the power to destroy all that thrived on earth, and yet they didn't. The majority of them were peaceful when respected, and some even brought good fortune upon those who valued their existence.

"Many view dragons as these terrible beasts, fearing them for their size and what they are very well capable of doing." Sound familiar? "Few of them are actually aggressive, however. They are peaceful creatures, wishing only to live alongside their companions and families without worry of being ambushed." There were some who had taken it upon themselves to hunt the fire-breathers down and slay them, which had led to great wars in the past. Such were beings she'd never associate herself with, for she herself lived as a dragon; in a way, that is.

With the eloquence of Asterr's description and the romance of Noctura's imagination, a dragon of sorts sprang fully-formed into his mind's eye. The idea of a giant lizard seemed almost comical, so it warped instead into something far crueller in appearance, magnificent and sly, but at the same time wise in the manner of some ancient soul. A dragon... Zennyo Ryūō. He knew at once that he was not tangible, but that didn't mean he wasn't here as part of some otherworldly magic that inhabited the forest and the forest alone.

The tall shadow cast his gaze out over those beautiful trees dappled with light from above. Zennyo Ryūō. He tested the name. In Noctura's dignified English accent, his voice so cavernously deep, it sounded very much like the name of a dragon king. But more so in Asterr's voice, he felt, which was full of knowledge and subtlety. I would ask if there's a way for me to speak to him, but... he turned his gaze down to Asterr once more. I feel that you're special. The only one with ears to hear him.

The way the name had sounded with his accented voice seemed almost strange, but pleasantly so. Much of what he said had her eager to hear more, though for why that was eluded her. His voice was merely that—a voice. Though a lilted tone had survived throughout his time away from his country of birth, could that truly make it special? As Asterr saw it, it did. She enjoyed listening to his words, and smiled once he'd continued past the name. "Perhaps someday, if we are ever in need of his assistance, he may reveal himself to the entirety of the tribe," she offered, but knew she could not guarantee anything. The dragon might have already been listening to them, having been summoned by the man's speech. While such was something the girl wished to believe, she'd been quick to consider that it was only her own interest in Noctura that had her thinking like that.

After a fleeting glance back to the stream, she then moved away from the trickling water and nearer to her companion. "Though I do hope it never to be necessary that he show himself to all of us at once, I do wish that you may be able to converse with him someday." With the talk of magic and souls, she was convinced the two would get along well. Perhaps the male might even fall under the king's favour, and be blessed in the same manner Draco had done to each wolf within her birth tribe. For such an event to occur would be marvelous, she believed, but wondered what it would then mean for the male. She dismissed the thought and returned her attention to the woodland and her friend.

"Would you like to go deeper into the woods? We could search for a place you could claim as your own." Uncertain of how the water dragon would think of being spoken of, she'd veered the conversation back towards an earlier thought.

It was so curious that they spoke of the dragon king as though he were a physical presence, somewhere among them, roaming the woodlands or perhaps flying overhead, but there was something about the emphasis that they put in the pronoun he that was ethereal. Anyone listening to them might falter before assuming they spoke about someone who roamed the Earth.

Noctura found this emphasis so easy and natural because it was similar to how he spoke of magic. People who hadn't heard the word "magic" before might understand its intangibility just by listening to the way in which he said it. It was not the same as when he spoke of prey, or leaves, or trees, or anything of that sort.

Such was the abstract level on which Noctura's mind could work, he didn't imagine that Zennyo Ryūō revealing himself would take an actual, physical form. After all, Asterr had seen him in her dreams, not before her waking eyes. There was a difference, even when it came to magic, but that difference was not an emotional one. He accepted that Asterr could see Zennyo Ryūō as lucidly in sleep as she could see Noctura standing before her.

The young Alpha proposed an adventure far less psychological than the one they were currently on, and Noctura's attention moved away from the dragon king and on to the king's gentle disciple. Sweet and respectable Asterr... he would of course not refuse her. That would be a first, he replied in a manner that was not sceptical but instead hopeful. The idea of finding a place of his own was almost remarkable. He made to walk once more, though of course waited until she was at his side. Faintly, he smiled.

Matters concerning the dragon were dropped as she'd proposed something new, which lessened her concern towards the ancient's opinion of their conversation. Surely, had he been offended, some sign would have been given, but none had come. Even so, she would not tempt him, for the beasts could be quite temperamental despite their peaceful natures. It mattered little, then, that he could only reach out to her within the dream realm, for some dreams could easily be made into a reality. No matter, she paid little more mind to the topic, finding her attention would be better managed if placed upon the man before her—the one she could reach out and touch at any given moment, rather than have to search for during a state of unconsciousness.

The dragoness moved to his side as they'd begun walking, feeling more content with each step taken. She'd discovered prior to their current meeting that the woodland could have a calming effect on her—the others too, probably, but she'd yet to confirm that—and when combined with being in the company of a friend, the atmosphere seemed to grow rather serene. For the first few minutes, she'd kept quiet and listened to the sounds of nature around them. There was little to be heard in comparison to the warmer months, making the few animals that still lingered seem awfully loud. Asterr did not mind it at all, for she knew it to be a wonderful sign. If the woods could thrive even during winter, then it would truly be a sight to see come spring.

"Are there any landmarks in particular that you are especially fond of?" the yearling asked, glancing to him only briefly before returning her gaze to the path they walked. If he had any preferences, perhaps she could figure out which places would be best to show him first. Of course, many of the areas fit for nightly shelters remained undiscovered, but there were a handful (pawful?) she knew of and could recall the coordinates of.

Given the magical conversation they'd just had, their subsequent walk and talk was touched with something ethereal that hadn't been there before. Perhaps it was simply the remnants of the tone in which they'd been speaking, but it was something else too. New knowledge at the back of Noctura's mind. The knowledge that they were being watched... if not literally then metaphysically... by Zennyo Ryūō. The Dragon King. It was a humbling thought, but it was not entirely his yet — he needed to feel more of the dragon's presence to confirm that he was really here. And part of that was feeling more of Asterr's presence.

He took a brief glance at her. She was such a lovely sight to behold, and her mind was just as alluring. And — more importantly — she seemed relaxed in his presence. This was a first for Noctura.

Returning his eyes to the woodland path ahead, which was only lightly trodden, he put his mind to her question. I have a soft spot for natural beauty, he explained. What areas around here do you admire? You clearly have a good eye for these things, he added lightly, thinking of this stunning forest and the grand mountain around them.

Natural beauty.

It was something that could be found in nearly every inch of nature, widening their potential spots to visit profusely. She did not mind, however, for that only meant she'd be given the chance to spend more time with the male. Then there came a question, followed by words she could do nothing with but take as a compliment; not only for herself, but for the mountain, too. "Thank you," she said, a faint tittering detectable within her voice. The query, though, was something she could not immediately provide an answer for. Had she acquired any favourite places just yet? Inner domains that stuck her fancy enough to be mentioned specifically? It was hard to say for sure, really, since she possessed a very strong liking towards every inch of the mountain. To chose a single place, or even a few, could it really be done?

Despite her having doubted her capability of answering, a response had soon been formed within her thoughts. There were some places she admired, areas which seemed to call to her far more so than others. "Within these woods lies a peculiar little clearing, I suppose you could call it," Asterr began, recalling the time she'd stumbled across it whilst exploring. "It seems to acquire far more sunlight than the rest of the forest, and yet snow somehow touches it less as well. There is a marvelous array of plants there, many of which could serve us well for treating those who have been injured." Since she had been unable to locate the outcropping of rock that covers the area she spoke of, it remained unknown to her just how it could receive more light but less snow at the same time. It was due to the formation of the rocks, truly, the cracks in the ceiling above it having formed at just the right angles. Such information would, more than likely, remain unknown to her for much of the time to come, which only seemed to make her like the space more.

Noctura would later realise that he had become somewhat biased about Asterr. He respected her intrinsically, of course — her sheer confidence as a leader, which was neither arrogant nor misguided. He respected her faith, her conviction, her eloquent manner of speaking, and the fact that she was wise beyond her months. But he also liked her in a manner far more personal than that, and he could not help but let that fact contribute to his perception of her.

Asterr's description of the clearing sprang vividly into his thoughts. It sounded very beautiful, bathed in sunlight and yet touched with the occasional powdering of snowflakes.

I wonder if I could find a place that overlooks this clearing, the ebony warrior mused. Somewhere high-up, darker... Just then, he spotted something protruding from the cavern wall up ahead. The wall was jagged, dripping with stalactites, but higher up it suddenly protruded out into a dark ridge, flat and bare, shadowed and invisible unless you looked up or sought it. There would be a stunning view of some of the forest up there on the ridge... but it was not currently clear how to get to it. Do you think that ridge might have a view of it?

The type of place he described sounded similar to a vantage point, which could probably serve him well when he wished to keep away from others of the tribe. It would allow him an excellent view of the forest and, while some areas might be hidden from view, give him the chance to see approaching wolves before it was too late. Such spaces were plentiful along the ridges of the mountain, providing excellent views of the borders and the lands beyond them, but never had she sought one within the cavern. It'd seemed unnecessary, given that the cavern was well away from the borders and not prone to intruders. She'd searched for spaces based on how practical they had seemed at the time, the things they absolutely needed prior to the tribe's founding, but now was a time to find a place for leisure—and it seemed as if they wouldn't have to search long, either, for already had the male pointed out a spot befitting his description.

Asterr looked to the ridge, taking note of how high it was and in which direction it protruded from. She knew not yet how one might be able to reach it, but she felt positive of one thing. "Given the location, I believe it would offer you a direct view into the clearing," she began, moving her gaze off of the ridge and to her companion. "Of course, we can not confirm this until we have found a way to get up there and have a look, but I am fairly certain the clearing will be visible. Majority of the woods, perhaps, too." The only problem was figuring out how to get up there. She hadn't found any areas along the walls fit for climbing just yet, but that wasn't to say they didn't exist. Still, finding such a place could prove difficult, and so she'd considered another thought.

"I do not know if there is a way to access it from within this cavern, but there may be a place above that can lead down into it," the girl voiced, proposing her idea. "There are many openings in the ceiling littered all throughout the cavern, which leads me to believe that one might be placed over top that ridge. If we can find it on the peaks above, and the opening is large enough, perhaps that could serve as your way of accessing it until something more convenient is discovered?" There was nothing to guarantee that they'd locate the exact spot above that specific ridge, or even that an opening (let alone one large enough to crawl through) would be found. Even still, it couldn't hurt to try.

Mmm, vanilla buttons. *Eats*

It was a tribute to Asterr's devotion to her new territory that she already knew so much about it. Its strengths, its secrets, and its ups and downs... quite literally. Thunder Dome was not just a landscape to her, Noctura knew this already, but it was admirable that she clearly also had respect for the physicality of the land, not just the soul it contained.

That was why she had evidently explored it thoroughly. Certainly more than he had — which was saying something, as he had spent all his time here so far roaming the area. And so Noctura accepted the challenge she put forth. They would venture up into the mountain and seek a way to that coveted ridge.

Wait... would "they"?

Clever idea, he confirmed. But please don't feel you have to join me in this. I imagine you've more important things to attend to. He wanted her here, beyond a shadow of a doubt, but hoped her intention was to share in an adventure rather than escort him out of obligation.

After reading that, now all I can think of is vanilla mint ice cream when looking at the pack board... @ v @;;
If you want, we can wrap this thread up and start another set directly after this for their little adventure to find an entrance. :>

Truthfully, there were any number of things she could be doing: marking the borders, patrolling the territory, searching for more vantage points... but each and every one of those things could wait. It was not out of obligation that she had walked so far with him already, nor was her decision to accompany him. "You are as important as any other tribe member, as well as any duties that may need taken care of," she stated, needing not take even a moment before making her choice. "I wish to join you, but only if you will have me." The girl knew not if his words had been spoken with a hidden message, wishing her away to give him some peace. While she hoped that not to be the case, and refused to assume that it was, the thought had still managed to invade her thoughts. If he did wish to be alone, however, she could not blame him. He'd been a loner for a seemingly long time, and was undoubtedly unfamiliar with tribes and packs alike.

If he were to accept her company, Asterr would remain at his side as they returned in the direction from which they'd originally come. If, however, he was looking to carry on by himself, she would depart in the opposite direction after giving her farewells. In the meantime, while she awaited his next few words, the yearling kept still and quiet. A calm expression would remain on her face, too, despite the eagerness she felt budding within her chest.