Is tiny dragon still a dragon? (closed)

[twin_blade]

WHO: Vax'ildan Vessar twin_blade & Dion Lesage oblige
WHEN: Post-fog event
WHERE: Charronway
WHAT: It's time to mini-prime.
NOTES\WARNINGS: None.



[ Vax might have a place to rest his head at night, but he doesn't actually spend a lot of time at the apartments. Having been in Etraya for a year, one would think he would have found a more comfortable place to call home, but this place is not and never will be his home. In short, he hasn't bothered to try.

Instead, he likes to be out as much as possible. Exploring different areas. Learning the ins and outs of the world and getting a lay of the land. When he's not traveling, he likes quiet spots away from it all. Anything that remotely reminds him of home. The lakeside is one of those places he enjoys.

He sits on a log near the water's edge, absently rubbing a smooth pebble between his fingers as he watches a single bird glide over the surface of the water. It's here that he waits for company from someone who contacted him for a meeting. Until then, he lets himself get lost in the sound of the wind in the trees and tiny laps of the water on the rocky bank. It won't be difficult for his elven ears to pick up the approach of anyone coming to find him. ]

Comments

[oblige]

[ It seems as good a time as any to reacquaint himself with his miniaturized Bahamut form, so Dion decides to fly to the lake Vax mentioned. Small wings carry him just as well as others, with an added bonus of allowing him to take off from the balcony of his own quiet apartment.

Little Bahamut flies with purpose, the shadow flitting along below him almost passing for that of a bat. The world below sweeps by quickly, pavement and looming buildings giving way to water and grassy, unsettled expanses beyond. The more natural stretches of Etraya are far more peaceful, save wherever the red chocobo may be lingering on any given day.

Fortunatelty, he doesn't sight that angry bird.

More fortunate still, he spots a familiar figure in black stationed by the lake.

His tiny draconic wings shift, angling to dive right down toward Vax's head. He's not without some whimsy, and he could make that landing, but on this occasion he draws close, shadow passing over Vax, only to bank sharply and circle in the air around him instead. Having grown up with his powers, he's quite confident in his flying ability. ]

[twin_blade]

[ The rogue is surprised when he notices a fast moving shadow. There are a few quick blinks as he takes in the sight of the miniature-Bahamut coasting in the air around him, and then Vax laughs softly.

Vax hadn't expected Dion to arrive in his new form, but maybe he should have. How fast does he fly when he's tiny like that, anyway? Perhaps it's more about the magic than the span of his wings, which are disproportionately large, even in his smaller form. ]

Careful, or a hawk is going to mistake you for dinner.

[ It'll see a small thing flying around and decide to swoop in on it. Of course, any hawk that tries is going to deeply regret it. ]

[oblige]

[ After circling around one more time, his little draconic body cuts through the air to land on the log beside Vax. As soon as he has his footing, his wings tuck in close to his body, pointed joints digging into bark for further purchase.

Unlike most dragons, Bahamut's forelimbs are his wings, not unlike a wyver. But then, they're all simply branches of the same family in Valisthea. ]

I'm perfectly capable of defending myself.

[ His voice still sounds like him, still carries in the air between them as though he's speaking, though Bahamut's small mouth doesn't move in a way that would suggest speech. ]

[twin_blade]

[ Vax's head turns each time, following Bahamut with his eyes until he feels a bit dizzy, but in a fun way. He can't stop smiling, either.

As the dragon takes a spot on the log, Vax tilts his head with amusement. ]

Sure, you look terrifying.

[ The humor is plainly heard in his voice. From his seat, Vax slips down from the log to sit on the ground, allowing him to stare at the small dragon form at more of an eye-level. Vax can't help but think he does resemble a bat in the way his wings are a part of his arms, but he's far more intricate looking. ]

Now you can fly around anywhere you'd like. You must be pleased.

[oblige]

[ Bahamut's head tips thoughtfully, long tail thumping idly against the log. ]

It could be convenient...

[ He hadn't given the freedom to fly without frightening anyone much thought until his commute to the lake just now. Being vastly more compact does make it much easier to avoid causing collateral damage, though he hasn't seen yet what his powers look like while at this size.

Mostly, he'd used this form to amuse Silas and get around more covertly than he typically could. ]

Though I was more concerned with not causing you unease.

[ Vax and his sister both. ]

[twin_blade]

[ Could be? Had Dion not considered it until now? Given Bahamut's size, it's the first thing Vax thought of. Naturally, he considered the usefulness of such a small body for getting into tight spaces, but that's just the sensibility of a thief.

And there Dion goes, being considerate of him again. Vax's smile softens. ]

I suppose one your size is less intimidating.

[ Vax's hand lifts, hesitating a moment before he touches a wing with two of his fingers. ]

[oblige]

[ Bahamut holds his wedge-shaped head a bit higher, evidently pleased with the confirmation. Though Eikons are a common sight in Valisthea, his duel with Odin had established that such was not the case for a great many worlds.

The number of people who casually came closer to a clash rather than moving away from it was jarring, to say the least. ]

Good. This way, you should have an easy point of reference.

[ Where tougher scales tend to be, bone structure, musculature, the sorts of things Dion had learned when training to become a dragoon. Books were valuable resources as well, though they hardly substituted for getting near a dragon. ]

My wings have always been proportionately large, which does differ from great drakes. Where they've forelimbs, I have flexible spines.

[ He explains this shifting the wing Vax touched just enough to show one of these spines. From a distance, it might well appear that he had front legs, but no, he can simply wave one of those spines like it is one.

Which, naturally, he demonstrates. ]

[twin_blade]

[ Even if dragons are common in other worlds, none are going to resemble Bahamut. The dragons of his world differ, but he knows Dion's help will still be useful when it comes to fighting them. ]

Looks sharp.

[ Vax is careful not to touch the spine as it's moved and touches the backside of the wing, instead. It's strange being so close to a dragon without fearing for his life, even if this one is very small. In some lands, small species of dragons are more common, and as Vax explained, some are even worshipped, but they're a terror in Tal'Dorei. ]

And it doesn't tax you to be in this form? You're not at risk?

[ Dion said that the petrification doesn't seem to happen here, but Vax would still like Dion to be careful. ]

[oblige]

[ Bahamut shoots his own spine a curious glance. He has no way to really gauge whether they're sharp, having nothing to touch them with. Since he uses them to direct his light, and they are flexible, he supposes he assumed they weren't.

The question prompts him to look up at Vax again. It's kind of him to be concerned, though there is no need in this case.

Had Priming proven detrimental, he would have found another way. ]

You needn't worry. I still monitor my condition for any changes, and I have observed none.

[ Punctuated with another thump of his tail. See, he's fine. ]

[twin_blade]

[ Perhaps they are not and merely look it, but maybe Bahamut will try sticking something with one of them later and find out.

The little thump of his tail gets a soft laugh from Vax. If Dion says it's fine, then he'll trust that's the case. ]

Right. So, wings... and pokey bits...

[ Vax tilts his head to observe further. ]

What else should I take note of when it comes to dragons?

[oblige]

[ It's a good question. He considers it, the smallest of rumbling sounds approximating a hum from his miniature draconic body. ]

Scales. That ought to be universal. As you've surely noted, some are tough like armor, yet a dragon's movement would be encumbered were they all thus. Imagine armor with no points of articulation.

[ A dragon would struggle to move, to hunt, perhaps even to breathe if all scales were tough and inflexible. ]

Your favored weapons are intended for piercing such vulnerable points, is that not so?

[ He watches him expectantly, though he knows the threat daggers would pose to an armored man in his world. ]

[twin_blade]

[ The soft rumbling is cute. Vax never thought he'd find a dragon cute, but Bahamut is presently so small, he looks more like a decoration than a threat.

Vax nods a few times as Dion talks about scales. Yes, he knows how tough it can be to penetrate them. ]

Sure. It's easy to find the joints in a man's armor. Dragon scales are harder to get between. The first one we fought had a weakness we learned of through an old book.

[ Vax moves his finger, brow furrowing in focus as his finger lightly touches Bahamut's throat, then traces down to a point at the crest of his chest where the neck meets. He remembers Brimscythe's lightning and how it shone a light that came to a point on his body. ]

It was here. The second dragon had no such weakness in its scales, though.

[oblige]

[ Bahamut perks up at that, wings lifting with the emthusiasm of his reaction— ]

So there is literature!

[ On the subject of dragons, that is.

Though not enough, evidently. His excitement for this small revelation sobers as he considers how fortunate it was that they'd found the right book in such a case. Glowing might have proven a hint otherwise, but there is no way of knowing.

The dragon they needed to strike in the eye did sound like a terrible battle for Vax and his companions, but they did find a vulnerable point just the same. ]

Did they move differently? You spoke of diverse powers before.

[ They likely don't have the luxury of studying their foes prior, so they will have to learn to do so during battle. ]

[twin_blade]

[ Vax blinks at the sudden excitement. After a moment, he realizes why. Of course. Dion loves books. ]

Sort of. A friend of mine has a shop that specializes in magical items and tomes and such. No one knows more about the world than he does. Most of the books on dragon lore are purely poetic, according to him. Anyone who gets close enough to a dragon doesn't generally live long enough to write about it.

[ They were very lucky, indeed, to happen upon the right book, but they at least knew they were dealing with a blue dragon at the time. ]

So far, the two we fought didn't move differently but had different magic. The first threw lightning, the second threw acid. We were able to pierce the skin of the first, but not the second. I can only imagine what the third will have in store for us, but I do know the powers of the other three. They used them when they attacked Emon.

[oblige]

[ Dion considers this information. The dragons of Vax's world are not of sensible physiology, at least not from his perspective. How could their scales be so tough they couldn't be pierced anywhere, yet they lose no mobility at all? His long tail thumps lazily against the log as he mulls over these oddities.

Well, they'll just have to work past the nonsense, he supposes. ]

What abilities do the others possess? Do they all appear to have a similar build?

[ He flaps his draconic wings a little as indication of what he means to ask. Are their body shapes look the same as one another, or are they distinct? ]

[twin_blade]

[ Vax frowns softly, absently rubbing the back of his finger up and down the smooth scales of Bahamut's chest. It's not that he minds the questions, since Dion is trying to help. It's just difficult to think about what happened. It reminds Vax of all the devastation that was caused. Any information he can gain will benefit them, he hopes, should he ever make it home. ]

One had a stronger looking body, more like an ox. Not as fast, but I doubt he has to be. He breathed ice. Even as the refugees tried to flee from Emon he...

[ So many never made it as far as Whitestone. ]

[oblige]

[ The silence tells him the rest. Bahamut's long tail stills at that. Were it possible to help effectively without this knowledge, Dion wouldn't ask this of him. He knows ice dragons well, had cared for one personally, but he'd describe no dragon he had encountered as oxlike.

Of course, none harbored ambitions of world domination. The differences are difficult to feel out, but there surely is enough to help Vax stop the savage attacks on his people. ]

I am sorry that your people have suffered this.

[ Once more he wishes he could simply fight them off himself, yet once more he reminds himself they haven't that luxury. ]

Is any part of its body ice, or only its breath?

[twin_blade]

[ Even if Dion isn't able to offer advice, just talking about it can help Vax think of the best way to handle things. Maybe it bothers him, but it's worth it.

At the sympathy, Vax blinks, then smiles faintly and nods. He knows Dion would do more if he could.

Vax turns to sit with his back against the log, tenting both of his knees and resting his arms against them as he stares at the lake. ]

Just the breath. That dragon is all muscle. Probably won't even notice if we stick a spear in him.

not me, forgetting italics...

[oblige]

[ A troublesome creature. Muscular, slow, with access to ice breath. His world's ice dragons can pummel attackers within a broad radius, but were no more densely built than any other dragons. It was the finer details that differentiated them.

Yet these factors are unimportant in the face of Vax's bulky dragon foe. ]

Have you access to explosives?

[ Have you considered the dodongo method... ]

lol dodongo

[twin_blade]

[ Vax sets his chin on his folded arms that rest over his knees. ]

Vex has explosive arrows. I don't think they'd leave a mark on this dragon.

[ They might be miniscule compared to Bahamut's full size, but they are tough, and Vax's team is working with very little. Even the mithral of his world is not easily acquired. ]

Maybe we should start training dragoons.

[ A half smile is passed over to the small dragon next to him. ]

[oblige]

If you were to get the explosives down its throat, I should doubt it has such defenses within.

[ Dion just puts that out there. It may be an outlandish plan, but with true aim and fortuitous timing, it could very possibly work.

Though whether such creative measures are feasible is another matter. ]

Dragoons would be a boon, though it takes time to develop the skill and physique required for the jumps.

[ Having his blessing, while not necessary, was also a boon. ]

[twin_blade]

[ Get something inside the dragon? For a moment, Vax cringes at a thought. ]

Good idea. That would be effective.

[ It's not a bad idea, but clearly, it's brought up a memory he thought he might forget. ]

How high are those jumps, anyway? People just learn to jump like that? Without magic?

[oblige]

Since at least one of you is a marksman.

[ Dion is long accustomed to thinking of creative uses for what he has, faced with a foe who could kill him with a single strike. Then there was pitting his forces against the armies of other nations. Resourcefulness was essential with uphill odds especially.

He considers the question properly. Though he hasn't taken precise measure since his days in training, he had an approximate idea of how far a dragoon can bound. ]

Do you recall where I'd found that gift box, when first we met? That is very possible for any trained dragoon, without use of magic or a blessing.

[twin_blade]

Makes sense.

[ A whole lot more sense than what they actually did to get something inside a dragon. There was an issue with acid, though. ]

So, you’re saying if you just train for years, you can practice jumping so much that you'll be able to jump on top of a building?

[ Without magic? Vax tips his head back until it's resting on the log and looks over at the mini-eikon. He appears skeptical. ]

[oblige]

[ And so, in turn, a little draonic face tilts curiously in return. ]

Does my musculature seem unsuitable for leaping thus?

[ You wound him, sir!

Not really though. ]

It would be far more difficult were mythril not so lightweight, but that is a guarded secret.