PDARPG MISC: 1/3; a scarlet flame - 596 words

i'm in BDO hell send help.

 

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"I don't like this," Steve's voice grumbled from an earpiece, its quality questionable at best.

 

Caspian scoffed. He sat down on a ledge made of bricks, the shaped stone eroded with time and physical damage. "Oh come on, I didn't even suggest copying you this time. It's not my fault that the VerseNet connection sucks this far out."

 

"No, Sir," the AI argued. "I would point if I was there, but look down."

 

The shifter leaned forward, and peered over his long, dangling legs. A densely packed group of people swarmed a deck constructed of sand-colored stone, slowly trickling out to the field of dead grass and branches next to it.

 

The sound of huge, leathery wings broke the soft murmur and chatter. The trickle evolved into a flood, and the brick platform below swiftly emptied. Caspian lifted his gaze.

 

Even he had to admit the sight was impressive. You rarely saw dragons that big. "That's a dragon, right?" He half-asked Steve while haphazardly pointing somewhere towards the creature with his finger.

 

"Looks like it, Sir," the Interface answered in the wake of a tired sigh.

 

"Huh. It must be famous," the eternal mused. Even more impressive than the scaled thing's size, was the crowd it seemed to pull.

 

"That's Garmoth - and she sucks," a new voice announced right next to the Athos. Startled, he turned to it with a high-pitched yelp. In turn, Steve screamed into his ear, surprised from his sudden reaction. The abrupt sound left a continuous squeal in that ear, but fortunately, it quickly started to mellow and fade.

 

Caspian took a better look at the thing that had introduced the dragon. It looked like a weirdly shaped otter, with the fur coloration and patterning borrowed from a red panda. The shifter couldn't help his head from tilting curiously. "What are you?"

 

The bipedal, short-legged creature placed its furred hands on its presumed hips vexedly. "I should ask you the same," it squeaked.

 

"Kukao!" A dainty female voice called from below, "get down here! I want my weeklies!"

 

The panda-otter peered down and smirked. "Excuse me," it grinned as it started to head down, "someone's a bit late, I reckon."

 

Caspian followed Kukao's descent with his eyes. He glanced at the small woman that had called the stubby otterfolk. She sat on the back of a black creature, that was significantly larger than her. Its enlarged canines protruded out of its mouth, and the gusts of battle and heated air ruffled its curled mane. It glanced upwards, its red-tinted eyes meeting the shifter's bright gaze.

 

Caspian didn't flinch. He only narrowed his eyes, answering the beast's low growl and angry stare voicelessly, without a sound or a proper reaction. Even to him, it felt slightly odd. Eye contact usually made him uncomfortable, people or not. The woman patted the creature's neck affirmingly, her arm barely reaching through the thick layer of fur. The being turned, and rushed towards the battlefield, hurrying to get at least one measly hit on the red beast before it would flee once more.

 

The shifter leaned back. The earpiece crackled to life.

 

"Maybe we should get going," Steve suggested, her voice sounding slightly wary.

 

Caspian smiled. "Sure. Where did you leave the ship?"

 

Silence. A long, awkward stillness. Caspian's brow furrowed. "Steve? Where did you leave the ship?"

 

The Artificial Intelligence cleared her throat. "I, uh..."

 

"Go on."

 

"Heidel, Sir..."

 

Caspian buried his face into his hands, groaning like he was in pain. He plopped down on his back.

 

This was going to be a long day.