NPF Avatars IV, Chapter II: The Doom That Came to Earth Temple

[Arhra]

Arhra, hearing Toastburner's pronouncement, stepped back to a judicious distance from Premonitions and slipped on her laser viewing glasses. "Well, if you need that last test, let's get it over and done with so we can get going." Arhra paused for a moment and then said to Rhiya, "You might want to shift forms so everyone wanting to go on dragonback can get ready to go."

Yuri was already departing. Arhra had a Plan B in case her first scheme fell through and she'd entrusted Yuri with the details of it. Really, the less people knowing about it the better. That could compromise her chances. Yuri should be able to get it ready with relative ease. Of course, it was only a fallback - Arhra didn't see the probability of her first plan failing as being very high given what she'd seen so far. She smiled at the thought and settled back to watch the show.

[GARUD]

Garud swept his hair back, and unlatched his rod. He knew it was time. The demonslayer concentrated, crafting his will carefully, and two black raven wings sprouted from his back.

"Nifty. I love sorcery."

Garud took to the skies... and fell. He tried to take off multiple times, but the new wings weren't strong enough. That, and the new weight on his back really was not fit for his spine. Slowly, he reshaped his spinal chord, developing and melding bone. The wings were only temporary, but there was absolutely no way he could fly without the proper support. Finally, after satisfying his needs, he tried to fly again. Success! He was able to stay off the ground. It was a good feeling too. However, his flying was wonky.

"Guess it'll come with practice. Well, they'll do. Ready to go guys?"

[Raiden]

Raiden looked at all those that wandered over to the car.

"Oh come on. That's just taking the easy way out." Raiden latched onto Rhiya, squeezing the girl in a hug.

"I'll ride with the dragon girl!"

[Fenris]

"Sure, it might be taking the easy way out, but unlike some people here, if I die, I don't come back," Fenris said, looking at Raiden.

"And I was going to ride the Rhiya, but then Toastburner showed up again and this time with a car that will both get me there, and keep me alive on the way. So, the way I look at it, this is likely the safest way for me to get there. Besides," Fenris continued, "This is one hell of a comfortable seat."

[Premmy]

"Is there any more space to cram me in there, or do I have to ride on Rhiya?"

Premonitions hopped no the floating carpet and chuckled. "well, if you're not worried about one of our friends attacking us, you could just relax here on the "Magic carpet"porbably seats about two, but It could stretch to four.

[Skyshot]

Skyshot yelled, "Dibs!" and moved over to the floating carpet.

"So, uh, how do you ride one of these things? And what do you suppose would happen if I cast Levitate on it? Or myself?"

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

Rhiya was happy. More morse-- passengers! This was going to be a FUN roadtrip, she just knew it!

Extracting herself gingerly from Raiden's bearhug, Rhiya gave a squeal of delight as she bounded into a clear patch of grass in Arhra's front yard.

The shapechange was gradual, but dramatic. So dramatic in fact that several spotlights switched on and fixed them on her as she expanded into her second, god-given form.

Rhiya's skin took on a hard, glittering sheen, darkening until becoming a pitiless black that glowed with a deep, blood red from within. Rhiya's clothes melted into this as her body lengthened and enlarged, spikes moulding from limbs and erupting in full horrifying splendor. A patch of Petunias on Arhra's garden lawn perished under one of four wickedly-gleaming paws armed with chaos-diamond talons. Half a tail gave way to a glorious sheath of razor-sharp spikes. Deep, dark eyes gazed out with mild amusement from a smooth draconic head crowned with thorns.

If Rhiya's sketch of her draconic form was ANYTHING to go by, seeing Rhiya take this shape was by far more terrifying since, well... the image would've been blown up to more than a hundred times, and well... there'd be more spikes. Standing with her head just sweeping over Arhra's mansion, Rhiya was a sight to see.

Rhiya grinned and crouched down.

"All aboard," she rumbled.

[PyrosNine]

Pyros sighed. "Oh, nevermind then. Not my world. I suppose when in rome, do as the crazed lazy and pompous romans do."

It seemed that despite his own feelings about the subject, some still chose to ride the dragon girl. Including what appeared to be a thunder deity of some sort. Come to think of it, the deity system of this dimension was quite different, as while this god seemed to lord over thunder, Pyros could sense many others as well. Pyros supposed in a chaotic world, there was no such thing as a united order of elements, like Undine and Co back home.

Though he was quite sure Electrico would have rode any and every dragon on a heartbeat if the whim struck him, and then would do it again 127 times in less than 2 minutes before he got bored and moved on to something else.

Pyros did admit the sight of the Dragon-girl going all dragon was impressive, but it also seemed a bit over the top as far as dragons go. He preferred a middle aged, brown skinned flyer anyday. He wondered of course if he should ride upon the car and follow along, but he had neither been invited upon this quest nor had any of them asked for his help. He would not intrude until he felt a need to, so he'd just keep watching.

He'd just have to wing it and follow them the old fashioned way. While back at home he'd forsworn never to fly upon the earth on which he lived, this earth wasn't the one he lived upon and he doubted anyone would rebuke him for it....Hopefully.

With a slight rearrangement of his armor and moving the blue adornment, Pyros's wings emerged and unfolded. They were white, but a unique white. They were like clouds, pearly white yet with an outline of blue. They were unlike the Fallen's black bat and crow like wings, and Yuna's blood red wings. Meta's own wings were almost like a butterflies, with shades of white and grey.

With only the slightest wing movement, Pyros left the ground, and hovered a bit over the mansion and the draconic bulk of Rhiya.

He would wait for them to leave, and then follow.

[Rhiya Ravenwing]

That is... until Rhiya swung her deadly head around unexpectedly and nearly smashed Pyros out of the sky with a snap of her toothy jaw.

"Don't fly so near me. I tend to snack on small fry that orbit my bulk," she rumbled again, this time a bit more hungrily than before.

[PyrosNine]

"Forgive me for being tiny." Pyros said sounding almost cross, as he flew a bit higher up. As he settled on a safer distance away from her jaws, he calmed down again. "Perhaps I could find you something to eat?"