FlounderAway: Retracing

“By the by," Ajiro asked, confidently turning her eyes over to Virkoal who nervously frowned at her. “Do you want to see the cave that, your father. Lived in? Thus heading in the direction of where the kingdom was once was." “Kindom?" Virkoal asked being skeptical, raising an eye at her while Ajiro nodded in kind. “Yeah. Kingdom. It is north from here where we stand, right now." “But where north?" Virkoal asked. Ajiro fell silent then afterward, getting a groan from Virkoal as she shuffled off. Shaking her head muttering something underneath her breath, she decided to head north but Ajiro had bit onto her tail. She gasped in shock, yelp even before casting glares down onto the dragoness who giggled in response and spoke, exclaiming to her “You really are Neriax's daughter. You two are so like one another!" Virkoal said nothing but kept staring onto her as Ajiro grinned brightly and raised a claw upward, pointing onto a nearby cavern above them suggesting. “We should head up there." “In the sky? No problem there…" Virkoal replied, going along with this play of her as she stared up unamused.

“Then let us go. I know where he once lived! Come on!" Ajiro exclaimed, spreading her brightest blue wings and flapping them. She raised her body up onto the skies, looking down onto Virkoal with a grin upon her face. “Whatcha waiting for?" “I am coming. I am coming…" Exclaimed Virkoal and shook her head growling to herself. With her eyes narrowed and spreading her silver wings outward, she flapped them rather rapidly and lifted herself too into the skies of the same heights as Ajiro who grinned in response. As the two hovered midair, Ajiro then pointed her claw to the left. Pointing onto some kind of cavern that was fuzzy in Virkoal's eyes. For she squinted and tilted her head to one side before looking over to Ajiro who nodded her head, thus flying off away from her as Virkoal followed behind.

They flew left. Heading straight onto that cavern. As they had landed, the ground rumbled underneath them forcing Virkoal to gasped with breath while she tried to remain steady. Meanwhile, Ajiro laughed at this shaking her head. “Do not worry! It is just a minor shaking." “'A minor shaking' We could have cut half into the mountain and seal off the entrance of the cavern. Perhaps locking anyone that was-" “We are fine." Ajiro cut into Virkoal's speech as she bit her tongue, narrowing at her Ajiro chuckled a bit before she turned her head to the entrance. She started muttering about something, perhaps the connection with Neriax and Virkoal but she shook her head and started smiling, maybe even laugh at one point also. Heading in, Ajiro disappeared inside and left Virkoal to herself while she sat down onto the solid grounds below her and turned her head behind her staring at the view.

To say the least, it was beautiful to be up here. Her breath was taken away by how stunning it was. The sun was hanging just barely overtop of the sea of mountain trees which shivered slightly against the gentle winds that blew through. Birds were chirping off somewhere else. Virkoal knew she could not see them however due to their small appearance compared to a dragon. But she knew that they were there. A warmth exceeded from her bottom belly as she gave a relaxing sigh, she had no idea that her father was here. Firstborn into the cavern. But her relaxation had taken a southern turn when Ajiro had popped her head out from the shadows of the cavern, screaming at her.

Startled, Virkaol whipped around and glared her eyes towards Ajiro whose mouth had spread widen from ear to ear as a return package. Before her claw was revealed from the shadows motioning Virkoal over. She nodded and took the signal before heading in following by Ajiro who reeled her head back into the shadows. Inside, Virkoal gasped as her breath hanged deep within her chest. Her eyes widened in either surprise or fear as something grew underneath her belly. With her wings tucked behind her, she sat down onto the soft grounds below her in front of Ajiro who explained.

“This is the first home that your father was into. Before he had moved on with his life and became an adventurer." Ajiro finished. Virkoal stiffen a chuckle, “An 'adventurer'? You are kidding right?" But the following silence confirmed her thoughts. Virkoal frowned in answer as Ajiro took it to speak. “Now then. Neriax first met me when I was the guardian of the castle gates. Located in the near north from here somewhere close to the forest trees." Ajiro chuckled a bit, wagging her tail in interest “We had a lot of fun together. Even though it was one-sided after all. Despite it all… I did allow him in." “So where is the gate then?" Virkoal asked after listening to Ajiro's story. She watched her pondered a bit as her eyes were raised towards the ceiling above them. Then nodded her head before answering Virkoal's question, “Closest to the cavern. We will have to retrace your father's steps in order to find him." At this Virkoal frowned.

“Retrace? With what?" She asked, curious and without thinking as Ajiro brightened a grin chuckling to herself. “With what?" Ajiro repeated, mocking her curiosity. Virkoal frowned again, disappointed at the mockery while Ajiro continued. “We only our scent. And feet also too." “Scent?" Virkoal asked, tilting her head once more. “But my father rarely leaves a scent here and even if he did; would it go away?" Ajiro shook her head, “Had he not taught you anything about being a dragon? Much more than a dragoness?" She asked Virkoal fell silent. No one said anything upon that point.

Again. Ajiro continued, “Now then! I will have to recollect our memories at the thought and follow it through." “Do we have to recreate the scenarios again for you to remember?" Virkoal whined, she never liked the thought of getting wet. “Er… probably. It was only just one time we have met anyway." Ajiro responded, looking thoughtfully at her as her eyes had flashed white in excitement. Virkoal growled, “Alright." She started with grounded fangs, “Where is the spot?" “At the gates." Ajiro responded, “And where is the gates?" Virkoal asked again. This time, she was met with silence. “Ajiro!" Virkoal repeated her name startling her as Ajiro laughed. “Forgot where. It was near north of here. But its exact location is unknown. By the way…" She trailed forcing Virkoal's fear to heighten.

“How do you like getting wet?" Ajiro asked, licking her mouth with her tongue. Virkoal blinked in response then looked away in either embarrassment or blushing. “I… do not know. How does it feel although?" There was a pause in the silence then afterward as VIrkoal looked back to Ajiro whose eyes were blinking at her. “I do not know how to feel about that." She commented making VIrkoal widened her eyes and stepped back, stuttering but all she got was only one word after every pause from her mouth which Ajiro laughed again. “You really are like Neriax. You even got his stuttering!" Virkaol smiled faintly. But that feeling was still stained against her. As her thoughts echoed against her mind, she shook her head and spoke taking a confident step forward.

“How are we going to retrace Neriax?" She asked, “With pencil and ruler of course." Ajiro responded without hesitation which causes Virkoal to blink at Ajiro who raised her head up towards her and laughed, waving her off. “Oh. You meant the footsteps… right; well let us find his scent then." Ajiro started before moving out from the interior of the cavern. Virkoal followed then afterward. As they reappeared upon the view again, Virkoal realized that it was sundown. The birds had all left beyond this point either flying home or off somewhere else which left the entire forest to the two dragoness. Upon realizing this, Ajiro's mouth started to curve upward and grinned before spreading her wings again and jumped off. Making a dive straight towards the grounds beneath her claws. Virkoal followed afterward. Thoughts had rushed through her mind as the wind blew past her wings by the time she mimicked what Ajiro had done. Soon the two came wingtips as they glided across heading forth towards the gates beyond them.