Ascent of a Dragon

This place is great! Perfect for my own little training arc. Aleph chews happily on a freshly roasted boar-cow thing, with Bloop already eagerly prepping their next catch. Food is abundant, and the Aether isn't too shabby either. On average these things tend to have just less than the big rock lizard, and for some reason Bloop is having the time of her life cooking these. Loses a bunch of Aether in the process, but she's happy, the food's tasty, I'm happy.

The pair have settled into a fine rhythm of catching, cooking, and eating anything that looks edible enough. A few more days of this would be enough to double her stock of Aether, assuming they don't just clean the forest of wildlife before then. It really can't be understated just how much Aether that vine blob had. Easily twenty times the rock lizard just in that one chunk. I'd go back for more if I had half a chance of not dying a death there. And I suppose killing off colossal mega-flora isn't very good for the local ecosystem either...

A small, fluffy blue bird gets itself caught in the webs. Bloop swiftly chomps at the neck to let it bleed out as Aleph helps string it up to bleed dry, totally not drinking the falling blood as she does.

Through the eyes of a master spit-roaster

Damn! This dragon eats a lot! No matter. Chef Lyla eagerly accepts this culinary challenge! I'll feed this dragon my fine dining until it bursts! Look, it's already getting a bit bigger! That's not normal... is it? Lyla practices her culinary arts of spit roasting random forest creatures, experimenting with different local planty seasonings, fruity garnishings, and even decorative layouts. While waiting for food to roast, the pair even fashioned a rudimentary wooden plate from a dead branch to lay their meals on.

The scent of cooked meat drifts through the forest, wafting through the trees and attracting critters and small predators to their camp. Most excessively curious critters are either scared off or eaten by the hungry dragon. Even a few more overly eager monkeys manage to tangle themselves in Lyla's webs, much to her chagrin as she has to repair them every time she cuts one free.

Eventually though, the scents begin attracting larger predators, tempted by the smell of cooking meat. For the most part they stay clear, wary of the unfamiliar obsidian beast guarding the camp, after all predators hunt prey, not other predators. Yet in spite of this, it is in a moment of inattentiveness where a large, spotted cat manages to sneak in, snatching their next meal from the spit and fleeting with haste.

"Gah! Thief! Fiend! Poultry poacher! Give that back! Hey wait, don't chase after it! Wait for me!"

Through the eyes of a predatory dragon

Fast! And so much Aether too! This thing must be pretty old, and thereby good at surviving and hard to catch. I can keep up for now, but this isn't going to be an easy chase. Puffs of dust burst forth from behind her, twigs and branches shattering under the force of each heavy footfall. Bubbles of violet, Aether infused air dance around her scales as she tails the tantalising beast.

Zig left, zag right, scramble up the tree, across the branches, and back down again. Aleph chases after her prey relentlessly, her eyes never leaving their mark as it tries desperately to shake her off. Trees blur by as her claws sink into the bark, leaving small bursts of splinters and moss in her wake as she leaps off towards her nimble prey.

The creature slides beneath the belly of another animal, a large four-legged, fuzzy beast with floppy ears, flabby cheeks, and enough bulk to make a world class body builder cry in awe. Barely any Aether... Aleph thinks to herself as she soars over the uninteresting beast, leaving behind a confused "Arf?" in her wake. She almost snags her prey's tail as she lands, startling it and sending it sprinting away at top speed.

Shit! It's getting away! But it can't keep this up forever. Unlike me it must be consuming its Mana to stay at speed. I just need to outlast it! Aleph darts after it, putting everything into the task of staying in range. The final stretch begins to approach as laboured gasps escape the beast, its pace steadily slowing as Aleph catches up.

Almost there, just a little- It leaps to the side, vanishing into the brush. Aleph halts, straining her ears for any sounds. Her breathing calms and her pulse slows as she puts her focus into detecting the elusive creature. I would hear if it ran away, and I doubt it would hide so close to me. So is it poising to attack me? I've backed it into a corner by wearing it out, so that would make sense if it's desperate enough.

A rustle in a nearby bush draws her attention, only for the clank of sharp claws against hard scales to resound behind her. She turns to swipe a claw at the attacker, but only meets air, her prey already returned to hiding in the brush. Damn! There's too much ambient noise to react by sound, and it's too fast to react by touch.

Another rustle, and another clank. Her tail swipes back, but the whip-like crack strikes nothing. If I take too long it'll just recover and I'll have to chase it again. I wonder... I don't have much, but it could be enough if I just...

Aleph flares her Aether, spreading it thin into a twenty metre bubble around her. The Aether wraps around the nearby surfaces, shaping and conforming around the natural Aether clinging to the terrain, warping to match their shape. Huh... This feels natural. Like I should've been doing this from the start. Have I done this in every one of my past lives? She feels the rustling of the nearby bushes, the gentle fall of leaves in the wind, and the faint shuffling of a nearby bird in its nest.

Especially noticeable, is the heavy thrumming and laboured breaths of the lean beast hidden in the brush. The Aether resonates with its strong will, rippling through the bubble as it aims its next attack. Aleph remains still. Waiting. Listening. Feeling. Not letting the creature in on her ability to see it pounce. Rustle. Snap! Crack! Thud!

Blood spurts from an open wound as its body slumps down, bereft of its head. Finally. That was a tricky one. Aleph leans down to claim her prize, chomping down every bone and strand of flesh, leaving nothing but a puddle of dry blood as she begins to digest her newly acquired Aether. Fuuuu, I could do with a well earned rest after that one. Should just about double my reserves. Now about getting back... Which way was camp?

Through the eyes of a panicking spider

Where'd you go?! How am I supposed to find you in this place?! It's all trees in every direction! Lyla's thoughts are cut off by the loud, distant screech of static and sirens. Why was I even worried... My dragon is a freak of nature. How could I not find it?

Lyla follows the unnatural sounds, skittering across branches and hopping between trees as she zeroes in on the very non-normal-forest-creaturish sounds, eventually managing to reunite with her lost dragon. Her eyes are drawn to the blood stain on the floor, the only remains of the former thief. How am I supposed to cook for you if you just eat the thing before I get here? Gah you idiot. At least I don't have to worry about losing you, with that unholy abomination of a voice you have. Lyla skitters up to her perch, giving the fool a slap on the eyebrows for running away. "No running! Fool!" She chitters.

Lyla guides the dragon back from whence they came, leading them through the trees in a near straight line. On their way they pass by a large grey dog, built like a freight train, just sitting leisurely by a tree. "Bow." Did that thing just say 'bow'? Like actually say the word? "Bowow. Arf." The fuck? The dragon doesn't even spare the 'talking' dog a glance as they simply walk by it. We're not hunting this one? You not hungry? Lyla peers at the dog, meeting its vacant, unthinking gaze. "Woof." Yea never-mind, I don't blame you.

Choosing to follow the dragon's lead in not thinking about it, she points the way back from atop its head head, leading the pair back to camp where they find a scattered fireplace, a missing plate, and three separate animals in her web. Evidently a parrot-like bird got caught in the net, attracting a mossy-green wolf which also got stuck hunting it. And of course, another monkey trying desperately to shuffle away from the agitated wolf.

Seriously? What's with these monkeys? One idiot is enough for me thank-you very much! Lyla sets to cutting the foolish primate free, before chomping at the carotid of her other two victims and letting them bleed dry. Right, now we clean up and start cooking aga-hey! Don't just sleep! You need to help me prepare this! Her plea falls on no ears, virtue of her not actually saying it aloud. Oh whatever. I'm kinda tired too. Let's just call it a day. I can feed you to oblivion tomorrow.

Lyla takes down her web to avoid any more idiot monkeys from getting trapped within, then scampers over to the dragon. Nestling comfortably on her perch she sighs, letting all the stresses of the day leave as her mind wanders into the realm of dreams.

Light-footed Forest Lynx

Appearance:

In the f--e---- for-st-d caverns of the fifty-fourth layer of this labyrinth I have encountered a fas-inating cat-like creature. Its elusive behaviour and r--arkable agility has made it difficult for me to ascertain its appearance, though I have gleaned the presence of grey and brown fur, and a lean silhouette. It has the same yellow eyes as the rest of the creatures in this area, though their glow is notably dimmer than the others. I would love to stay a-- ---ture an- cap-ur- one of these elusive creatures, but - cannot linger here forever.

Behaviour:

These cats behave much like -he Cr-m--- Crimson Bellied Lynxes of Silva Magna Terroris. They are extremely elu-ive yet curious, only ever poking out from a distance to gauge my reaction. Given their figure, I doubt they're all that strong, so they likely rely on their agility to scavenge and evade larger ---dators.

Addendum:

S--e -- -y n--es -----r -o b- ---rad-ng as - d---e--. -- earlier n--e- ---m to -- f-ne, so --ate-er is ------- --is on-y s--m- t- ----ct the Ma-- in m- -nk, pr---nti-- it -ro- sett-i-g ----erly. Gi--n -ow the cre---res -n th--e ----er -loo-s -e-- l-ss o- --na, --d more -n -aw st-en-t-- - ---iev- -his -o -- caus-d -y the ----ump---e p--pert-es of -em--i- --e-gy. I -ill --rrec- wh-t I --n, but g--e- the ---w--g d-gr--ation -o m- --- - d--bt it -i-- -elp --ch. I'-- ha-e -o u-e m- --turn ---en t- w--- t---e -o th- -urf-c- so - -an ---ve-t --rt-er dam--e. I -ill -e re---tin- t-is m---ag- -n m--tip-e p--es, i- ---es of -om- -tay--g i- tact.

- Excerpt from sect--- -- --apter 16 of the Lost Hero's Journal