Cubefall?

[whipped_weapon]

It's some time later, after his talk with Tyler,  that the strange magic window that's found everyone else finds Zak.

< Today, Milliways marks the Cybertronian holiday of Cubefall, the anniversary of the day upon which the Allspark first landed on the rocky world that would become Cybertron. Would you like to sample some possible reconfigurations

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[for_ferelden]

The large build and obvious health of the creature become even more noticeable as the griffin gets closer. The grin is, admittedly, a bit surprising; Talaerion has never noticed birds to have a particular ability or interest for making that expression

Re: I need a lake icon, blast it.

[for_ferelden]

"Giddy" would be a good word to describe Talaerion's current state. If he had any less control over himself, he would probably be squealing, or whooping in delight. As things are, he's managing to content himself with just a manic grin.

"Better than all right!" he replies, raising his voice to be heard over the sound of the air rushing past them. It's an incredible feeling, and it's an experience that the mage isn't likely to ever forget it. He hasn't really thought about where he wants to go, though.

"Wherever you'd like," comes the answer. "Maybe over the forest? I haven't really spent much time out here before!"

I need a forest icon, blast it.

[whipped_weapon]

Zaknafein nods, and then remembering the elf is behind him, elaborates.
"Sure." He says out loud, and twists to catch a thermal that will take them over the forest. It is indeed a very big forest, a thousand shades of green. It seems to go on forever, from Zak's vantage point but when he tries to fly over it, he ends up on the opposite side of the lake. Then, after the second misdirection hits him he aims for the mountains. The mountains he tries to fly to and explore seem to have the same problem. He can't go past or over them.

"...The Bar moves in strange ways indeed." the disgruntled griffin offers. "There seems to be a spell to keep turning flyers around. How odd." He gives up and continues on the aerial tour.

Below them, the lake is a sparkling azure, surrounded by green on three sides and white dotted with green palm trees on its fourth which seems to lead off into a vast ocean. As he turns, the griffin passes over the Bar itself which... looks sort of strange from the air. Is that a tent on the roof?

Yes. Yes it isAs he

Re: I need a forest icon, blast it.

[for_ferelden]

"I have never heard of a spell like that," Talaerion says, "but then there is a great deal of magic here that I'm unfamiliar with." He's distracted by the scenery below them; it must be fascinating enough at ground-level, but from up here he can see more than he's ever seen at one time before. Kinloch Hold is extremely tall, but Talaerion has only ever been to the very top once -- for his Harrowing. And that had involved being dragged from bed unexpectedly in the night, marched into the Harrowing Chamber, and sent into the Fade. When he'd woken up later, he'd been in his bunk in the dormitory with Jowan looking down at him.

The flower gets his attention, though. "Why would they have that?" he asks, shocked. And then, in answer to Zak's question, "If you are ready to land, then by all means."

He does not wish to impose upon his companion's time or energy, after all.

Re: I need a forest icon, blast it.

[whipped_weapon]

"I haven't the slightest idea." Zaknafein admitted.

If he hadn't been in mid-air, he might have shrugged. Instead, the griffin switched to a different thermal, changing direction to soar over the white sand beach. He was in no hurry to stop flying and it did seem promising? Perhaps an island or two, he hoped? Ah, but no. It seemed that the spell to turn flyers around was in effect here too, when he tried to fly out to see how far the ocean went. He found himself back, soaring over the dock, bemused.

"I don't understand how most things here work, and I've been here for a good month, by now." The griffin shifted to begin the glide downward, aiming for the place by the lake, which he knew was the best spot to land... that he'd found so far.

"The scenery is rather limited, it seems, if we're not to be allowed to go past certain landmarks, but if you're willing to put up with the fact I'm Bound to a certain amount of territory, I'm willing to take you up on rides, for as long as this shape persists."

Re: I need a forest icon, blast it.

[for_ferelden]

"You would?" The elf beams. "I... would enjoy that. Thank you."

He'd loosened his hold once Zak had reached an altitude where he could glide on the thermals, but now that he's descending Talaerion tightens that grip once more.

"I suppose the boundaries make sense, though. It's like that with spells, too. If you stretch them too big or too far, the magic can start to... fall apart. Milliways couldn't possibly go on forever..."

Re: I need a forest icon, blast it.

[whipped_weapon]

"It's fine. You're welcome. And I think you're right, this place must be very hard to maintain." The black griffin says, as he turns his full attention to landing as calmly as he possibly can.

The landing is not bad. Pretty good, actually. Not perfect, (and Zak regrets his lack of skill there), it's rather shaky, and he ends up going farther down what he's designated as a 'landing zone' than he'd intended to, but at least he hasn't knocked Talae off or into the water by accident, or landed face first in mud, or skidded into any solid objects.

It must be said that Zak wants to do things well, and is not satisfied when he makes mistakes.

At least he's improving?

Re: I need a forest icon, blast it.

[for_ferelden]

"I don't know about you, but I'd sooner trade some space for hurtling through the cosmic void." It had taken Talaerion a little while to adjust to that particular idea, given that he's from a world that thinks of little beyond itself, the Fade, and the beyond.

He unconsciously tightens his grip with thighs and calves as Zak lands, and when the griffin trots to a stop, he carefully dismounts. The mage is grinning like an idiot.

"That was awesome," he says. "Thanks, Zak. What can I do for you in return?"

[whipped_weapon]

"I don't need anything in return." Zak quietly says the first thing on his mind. "Would you want to go back into the Bar, or would you prefer to hunt a few demon bunnies with me?"

There is a light burbling sound. The drow-turned-griffin flushes under his ebony feathers. He seems to be hungry.

At least the demon bunnies can't be mistaken for shape-changed patrons, and he's seen some wolves eating them, so they must be edible, right?

[for_ferelden]

The Warden looks thoughtful for a moment, and then nods. "That might be enjoyable, actually, if you don't mind me tagging along. If they're anything like the rabbits in Ferelden, they'll be small and fast, and I could use the target practice."

It seems that Talaerion is not one of those earthy "I love the forest and all the creatures in it" elves.

"They have to be smaller and faster than darkspawn, anyway. Aside from the shrieks, they kind of... lumber. If I can hit the rabbits regularly, the darkspawn should be no problem, right?"

A mage's staff never misses, unless the bolt gets blocked by something. Talaerion still likes the idea of his attacks hitting what he means for them to hit, however, not just something in the general vicinity. Besides, lobbing down a Fireball will be easier if he can get it exactly where he wants it.

need. lake. icon.

[whipped_weapon]

"They're small, fast, fanged, and they'll be heading for their holes to hide in them." Zaknafein agrees. "I'll startle them to send them heading your way, and you can blast them apart, if you like."

Zaknafein is not one of those earthy tree-huggers either. He's a drow (or was a drow,rather, since he's in griffin shape right now) and they're definitely not the type to find the wilderness appealing.

The griffin relies on instinct. He makes his way through the underbrush, deliberately making noise, snapping branches and running at the creatures... Efficiently scaring the bunnies and startling them straight into bolting like, well... bunnies. In Talaerion's direction.

Some of the demon bunnies that move too slow are savaged by a set of claws, or a viciously sharp beak. Zak has a feeling this shape will need a lot of meat, even if they do smell like they may leave a strange aftertaste.

The griffin seems to be enjoying himself. He also seems to be a very efficient hunter. Those claws and beak can do a terrible amount of damage.

Re: need. lake. icon.

[for_ferelden]

Talaerion enjoys the forest. He's half Dalish, after all, and that may be part of why he's taken surprisingly well to the constant marching and traveling and fighting that have become his life of late. He just doesn't feel the need to burst into song every time he comes into the vicinity of something small, fluffy, and cute.

The elf slings his staff from its position across his back and follows the griffin into the woods.

While Zak is relying on his claws and beak, Talae relies on his magic. He hits some of the creatures with bolts of magical energy, others with ice magic that freezes them solid before he blasts them apart, and still others fall to large chunks of rock that the mage hurls at them. The head of Talaerion's staff brains one or two that get too close, and when they start to swarm, the elf puts out a blast of telekinetic energy that hits the creatures like a solid stone wall.

Once they're stunned, they make easy targets indeed.

Re: need. lake. icon.

[whipped_weapon]

The drow-turned griffin surreptitiously watched the mage from his position moving behind the underbrush, as he continues driving the bunnies out into the open where they cannot hide from Talaerion's attacks.

This outing seemed to be a good idea, since it was not only amusing and feeding him (the demon bunnies were fun to chase and scare and catch, and definitely tastier than mushrooms), but it also allowed the drow in griffin shape to gauge the threat level of the strange mage.

(Yes, it is not a good, or fair thing to do when he is supposed to be on good terms with this mage. But Zak is drow, no matter how his current shape may influence him... and any drow who wants to survive past the age when they're made to interact with their own kind knows to be wary... and to check out anything that could possibly be used against them... even their own allies.)

The threat level is markedly highFor all that Talaerion seems to be amiable, he seems to be terribly efficient with the killing spells (as Zak expected

Re: need. lake. icon.

[for_ferelden]

Talaerion grins at the drow-griffin, and the expression is surprisingly feral. "So are you," he replies. "These things do go down easier than darkspawn, though, I have to admit that. They're small, and they don't have armor and weapons. Or Emissaries. I hate Emissaries

Re: need. lake. icon.

[whipped_weapon]

The griffin gave the flask a curious, wary look, and then padded his way over, to examine some of the frozen bunnies. They will probably need some time, for the ice to melt, and so he makes his way to some of the crushed bunnies instead. "Thank you." He says politely, and then begins to gorge himself on demon-bunny.

Given that a griffin can eat a good-sized deer in one sitting, it's not surprising that he eats his way through a good amount of that meat, no matter how singed, or frozen or squished into splatted red-stuff it may be. By the time he is finished, Zaknafein feels quite bloated, and admits it aloud in a rather pleased tone of voice.

"I feel like I've eaten an entire riding lizard. I feel so full." as Zak lays down, stretched out like a great, furry and feathery black rug on the green grass, eyes heavy-lidded as he basks in the sun.

Re: need. lake. icon.

[for_ferelden]

"Not a problem." The elf smiles and stretches his legs out in front of him, watching the griffin devour every rabbit that he can. He chuckles at Zak's comment.

"Well, they seem edible, at least. And plentiful, too." Talaerion absently reaches out and begins to pet the griffin's feathery head.

Behind him, a survivor clever enough not to be herded with the rest sees its opportunity. The bunny darts forward, making a beeline for the mage's exposed back. Fangs bared, it leaps...

And drops out of the air to the ground, frozen solid. It would seem that Talaerion doesn't need his staff to cast at least some spells, and that he can sense enemies--perhaps before they can even sense him. The Warden reaches behind him and grabs the bunny by one ear, slinging it over the tree trunk to lie near his feet.

"I'll save this for later, then, shall I?"