The Inadvisable Forest

Wuffy

The Lord of Voice Chat
Feb 16, 2018
854
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She
The forest on that day would be still, seeming serene. The sky blocked by the leaves that belonged to the dense trees. A breeze rippled through, chilling but not unpleasant and served to cool down the band of adventurers in the forbidden forest.

Five teenagers, five dragons. They travelled together in the forbidden forest, prompted by a quest of rebellion and daring. The forest was a delicious prospect for the prideful teenage dragon, who would want to boast about how they braved the forbidden forest and came out fine! Well... if the forest was so forbidden, then why did it not have a fence?


Among the group would be Isstar, his eyes constantly scanned around. Initially he felt anxious, even though the idea had been his, but the longer they travelled the more confident he became. There hasn’t been a single issue since they arrived. “Well this has been boring so far. Wonder if there’ll be something worth our time at some point.” Isstar snickered, at least to break the silence.


@EmiRose @Wolfie @MARIE @Boop
 

Wolfie

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Hal was really unsure about this. All that kept playing through his mind was what his mother would do if she found out where he was. The forest was forbidden for a reason and yet here there were, five hatchlings wandering around it as though it were a game; like some sort of adventure. In part, Hal blamed Isstar. Not directly but the fact that it was as though he were looking at a younger version of Liun really didn't help. He felt the need to impress his cousin, looked up to him even, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't shake that feeling when he looked at Isstar. Sure enough, Liun's spear was tightly in his grasp, now able to wield it after training.

Even though the house was no longer so peaceful, Hal enjoyed having Isstar around. It was great to finally beat someone who looked like Liun in a battle and could even call him a hatchling. Though, he'd never risk trying to ruffle Isstar's hair; he wasn't that brave. That was another reason why he invited Ava along. She always seemed so strong and it was nice to have her there.

Why would you say something like that? Hal wanted to yell at Isstar. Comments like that seemed to jinx you and then bad events arise. On the inside, Hal just wanted to beg to go home but he needed to look tough. He didn't want the others to think him weak. "There has to be something interesting in a forbidden forest," he exclaimed, his eyes darting around for signs of movement.
 

EmiRose

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Ava felt in her element in forests and nature. She was probably more in touch with her more primitive, animal-like side than most modern young dragons and she was proud of that. So when Hal had suggested she come along to this little outing Ava had been all for it. She had been to the Forbidden forest before, not too deep but still. And she hadn't found it all that threatening, most of the monsters she had been able to scare off. So even now she walked bravely on the front of the group, hands behind her head, seemingly confident and nonchalant. Of course she wasn't too nonchalant, Ava's senses were sharp and alert to any input the surroundings offered. But thus far nothing alarming had appeared.

"What, eager to get beaten again, mini smurf?"
Ava teased Isstar as the guy kinda cockily declared that the forest was boring. Ava wanted to agree, but she wasn't one to underestimate nature. It could be serene and gentle as well as hard and merciless. And Ava had a feeling this forest was the latter. She had a gut feeling and Ava liked listening to her gut.
"Awh, lighten up, Hal! I'm here to protect you, isn't that why you asked me along?"
Ava went over to her friend's side and threw an arm around his shoulders, nudging him on the side with a grin. But she was trying to keep her voice a bit lower than normal, because her self-preservation instincts were telling her not to purposefully attract those interesting things in this forest.
 

Wuffy

The Lord of Voice Chat
Feb 16, 2018
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Isstar glanced sideways at Ava, his eyes narrowed. Everyone said that. Everyone said he would lose whenever he tried to fight. It didn't matter who he challenged, or offered to practise with, or even mentioned it with. You will lose. Instead of responding to Ava, he remained silent. Isstar wasn't bothered retorting. He grinded his teeth, his jaw tensed. He won't argue, he'll just show. But completely oblivious, Isstar didn't notice the discomfort Hal had with the whole adventure. He thought Hal wanted to go as much as he did, so he never even think twice.


As the group continued on, a change would occur that would disturb the serene they had witnessed thus far. A strange, sickly sweet smell hung in the air, one that would completely block any other smell. It would be a bit much, even for a regular human. But for dragons with their keener noses, it would almost be overwhelming. The already dark forest seemed to get darker, and somehow the eyesight of the dragons would be affected by this change. As they progressed, the smell only got stronger until they begun to walk past a clearing. The grass and plant life within it would be dead, except for a solitary plant in its centre. The intensity of the smell only meant that this plant was the cause for it, with a nauseating effect.

It would not be long after they had discovered the culprit of the smell would Isstar, Ava and Hal would realise that two of the five dragons were missing. Whisp and S'loo were not with them. Any attempt to think back when they split up would make them dizzy, and cause a headache. Whatever that plant is doing, it has caused some kind of confusion which could explain how they split up.


Isstar, who did not want to stay in the presence of the smell for long, would already be trying to move away. "Ugh... my head. We should get away from that... it'll be easier to find the other two without our sense of smell and heads being fucked up." He rubbed his head, his other arm attempted to cover his nose as he breathed through his mouth.
 

Wolfie

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Hal just tried to laugh her comment off. "No, I can take care of myself," he replied, though she mostly had the truth of it. He liked to feel that he would be capable of looking out for himself after all of the training he underwent with Liun. He had become quite proficient with the spear and the fact that he had beaten Isstar on multiple occasions eased his worries a little. However, despite his appearance, Isstar hadn't actually been alive for very long.

As they continued to venture through the thicket, a sweet aroma began to arise. Not a pleasant, sweet smell but an overbearingly pungent fragrance that enraptured his senses, unable to smell anything else and making his head feel dizzy. The nausea only grew the more he was exposed to the smell. "What is that?" he said with disgust before the trio stumbled across the source.

An opening of browns and greys encircled a singular plant, nothing else alive in its radius. It seemed as though Hal was not the only one that was affected by the plant and decided to back away also, his head throbbing as his vision blurred. Whatever it was, it was bad news and needed to be avoided. After all, Hal was well aware that whatever resided in the forest was not pleasant.
 

EmiRose

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The scent hit Ava's nose like a punch in the gut, and she gagged a bit and narrowed her eyes. Her senses had only recently reached their peak, and Ava wasn't still completely used to the change. She looked around, trying to locate the source of this sickly sweet, nasty smell. Ava's head felt light and dizzy despite her attempts to ignore it.
"Bad news."
Ava answered Hal's question, as she too spotted the plant, and her body heated up a bit as the thought of burning it came to mind.

"Maybe if I roast that disgusting thing it will stop gassing up the place."
Ava said with a slight growl to her voice and raised her hand up, ready to create some handy very hot magma that would kill that plant in seconds. But she hesitated, since Ava wasn't sure if common sense worked with the plants and creatures in this forest. And her vision was still kind of blurry and her aim probably wouldn't be the greatest, Ava might end up burning a good chunk of the forest. After all, she controlled lava, not fire.
Ava did start backing up a bit, instinctively nudging Hal and Isstar too if they were close to her. Call it pack mentality or whatever, when Ava was in a group the group came first and her second.
 

Wuffy

The Lord of Voice Chat
Feb 16, 2018
854
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She
As the group moved away, the smell would fade much faster than they had encountered the plant. The breeze upon them would explain why. Before they encountered it, they had been down wind of it, so the wind had been delivering the smell right to them. Now that they had moved past it to become upwind, it would only be a faint but manageable smell. Any attempt to sniff out Whisp and S'loo, however, would be met with no success. They must have not left nearby, so any potential trail would have overwhelmed by the smell of the plant.


Isstar breathed a sigh of relief as soon as the smell became bearable again. He leaned against a tree to catch his breath as nausea made him feel dizzy. After a few moments, he rubbed his eyes and was able to stand and walk fine again. "Well, guess I said maybe there'll be something worth our time." Isstar huffed quietly. A part of him couldn't help but feel bad about saying that right before they discovered the plant. "We should probably look for Whisp and S'loo. I don't think it's a good idea to be split up in here." Although Isstar had a cockiness that made him feel he could handle something in the forest, he still felt some anxiety. He liked the group he had been travelling with, so the thought of any of them getting hurt... It made him shuffle where he stood, before he started to walk again with the assumption Ava and Hal would come along.


Once again, the group would progress, and the smell would fade into nothing except for a slight hint of it upon the wind. As they continued, the trees became more dense and the places they walked more overgrown, except for what could only be described as trails. The trails were more like common routes that creatures of the forest travelled frequently, as could be guessed by the unidentifiable mix of smells and and tracks.

A different smell would be delivered on the wind now, one that may not be unusual for predators such as dragons and could be very easily identified. The smell of decay, the specific kind for a rotting carcass. It wouldn't be overpowering like the nauseating smell of the plant from earlier, but certainly noticeable. It almost seemed like it was too faint to identify what specifically could be causing the smell, though.

But then, the sound of scuffling to their right would be easily heard. The bushes would be shaking as something would very obviously be moving about. Strangely, no smell came from the bushes as though whatever would be moving had no scent... Then, very suddenly emerged...

A chicken! It scuttled out of the bushes, a small flap of its wings got rid of any leaves and twigs attached to it. Followed by it were a few more, plus some chicks. Although they looked like regular chickens, and it would seem bizarre they had managed to survive in the forbidden forest, two peculiarities would become apparent to explain why. The chickens had no smell to them, and the footsteps made no sound. After they observed the three teenage dragons for a moment, they would scuttle away together.


Isstar had been curious about the smell, and had been somewhat trying to get closer. But he made sure to stay close to the group, he had no intent to separating. But then the sound in the bushes made him freeze, his hands pulled up into fists as he glared hard at what could emerge. He would fight it, if need be. But he relaxed as he saw the flock of chickens. A part of him instantly became confused what they were doing out here, but he didn't think they were in immediate danger. It seemed they were somehow decently adapted for life here in the forbidden forest.
 

Wolfie

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It was a relief to be away from that putrid plant. Whatever it was, the scent permeating from it was overwhelming, causing Hal to almost lose consciousness. He was beginning to get better with his heightened senses but they were still overbearing. It wasn't entirely clear why extreme stimuli affected him more so than the other members of his clan, perhaps being down to his basilisk genealogy. Either way, its effects began to subside as the trio scampered deeper into the forest.

The trunks drew closer and closer together, an eerie shadow overcasting them and Hal began to feel a greater sense of unease. They're just trees, he reassured himself. It wasn't as if branches would come for them like menacing wooden tendrils. This was not one of those spooky stories where those who wandered into the woods never returned...

Soon there was a different smell that occupied Hal's attention. Death. The stench of corpses decomposing. If something was dead then that likely meant that whatever slaughtered it was nearby. No. Animals die naturally all the time. It was just old, he reassured himself. He nodded at the idea of locating the rest of their group, his mind still on whatever was lurking in the depths. He tried to give a look to Isstar that this could be bad news and should be avoided.

His restless mind was not helped by the fact that rustling began to sound from the bushes. Hal clasped his spear tight, ready for whatever would come their way. Sweat beaded on his forehead. The movement in the shrubbery coming closer and closer. This was it. He was convinced some beast was about to maul them all to death. Then it revealed itself.

The so-called beast was a chicken? Hal couldn't help but giggle, his tense stature easing. "A chicken?" he exclaimed, laughing off any fear he had. His eyes darted to the other two, checking they didn't notice how frightened he was of some chicken.
 

EmiRose

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Once the smell was gone Ava quickly regained the full extent of her senses and the dizziness disappeared. But now she was even more pissed at that stupid plant. If she sneaked up on it from a direction so the smell didn't reach her then she could burn away the whole thing and-
Wait, no, it wasn't the time for that. Whisp and S'loo were gone. Ava wasn't particularly close with either of them, but they were Hal's and Isstar's family and it would be messed up to just leave them like this.
"Oh yeah, you know, I've always wanted to pick smelly flowers that kill all life around them."
Ava commented on Isstar's words, sarcasm clear in her voice. But what Isstar said next made sense, and Ava nodded a bit. Immediately she took one deep breath, but there was no trace of Whisp's and S'loo's scents. So they weren't upwind.
"We shouldn't head in much deeper, if Whisp and S'loo are trying to find us too then we should head back the same direction. But dodge that weed this time."
Ava suggested, but Isstar was already going forward. Ava frowned but she didn't want to get separated from these two either so went along.

As they progressed Ava could smell lots of different things besides the weak scent of that flower. Lots of animal tracks that Ava could recognize. So normal animals survived here too, huh? But then again mixed in were other scents too, that Ava didn't recognize. Probably some of the monsters that people said roamed these woods.
And then yet another familiar scent, but not from anything living. Ava frowned again, the smell of death, she had smelled this scent many times before back home. Ava already slowed down, her intention to not go towards the smell of rot, but for some reason Isstar was heading right for it.
"So we're scavengers now? Why are we interested in dead animal corpses?"
Ava said with a raised eyebrow, as a kid she had learned to steer away from carcasses, because carcasses meant scavengers and predators and those were ready to fight fiercely for their prey. Though now Ava wasn't as worried now, even if the scavengers in this forest were probably as strong as predators in a normal forest. She was strong and knew she could drive away few hungry scavengers. She just really wasn't interested in carcasses.

The rustling bushes made Ava go into battle mode almost instantly, and she partial shifted her arms and legs within a second and stared fiercely at where the sound came from. This was like a scene from a horror movie, where the bushes would rustle and then after few moments of tension something harmless would emerge, only to be killed by the actual monster. That was the thought that crossed Ava's mind, but when it actually kind of happened she was momentarily dumbfounded. A chicken? Really? Ava narrowed her eyes at the chickens, still on her toes, noticing how the chickens' steps were soundless and they had no scent. Sure, those could be survival tactics, but they could also be...
Ava slowly picked a small stick from the ground, small enough not to hurt the chickens but big enough to throw, and she tossed it at one of the chickens. If it would hit the chickens the stick would safely land on their back, not really causing much of a disturbance in the birds.
 

Wuffy

The Lord of Voice Chat
Feb 16, 2018
854
Pronouns
She
Isstar turned to look at Ava, a glare in his eyes. “I was just curious, fucking hell. Don’t get what your problem is.” He narrowed his eyes slightly as he spoke, a growl crept into his voice. Isstar was generally irritated anyway, so Ava’s sarcasm didn’t help. “And what the he-“ Isstar spoke as Ava picked up a stick, then was cut off as she threw it at one of the chickens.


The stick landed on the chicken’s back, and as Ava intended, caused no harm. It turned slowly towards Ava and the group, opened its beak... and squawked loudly with irritation. It flapped its wings to get rid of the stick before it hurriedly joined its flock and wandered away from the group. It was just a harmless flock of chickens. Weird chickens with no scent and silent footsteps, but harmless.

Not long after the chickens were gone, suddenly... “Hey! Hey guys!” A voice called out. Whisp’s voice. But the keener members of the group would note that although they heard her voice... the smell of death didn’t change. “Heeeey!” The voice called again. The direction of the voice was downwind of them. Maybe that was why they couldn’t smell her or S’loo...


Isstar gestured in the direction the voice came from as he flashed a triumphant look at Ava. “See? I knew my hunch was right to go this way.” He spoke in a smug, slightly irritated, tone. Without consulting with the rest of the group, he started to walk into the direction the voice came from, pushing through some bushes before he went out of sight from Hal and Ava.

Before either Hal or Ava would follow or tell him to come back, an ear splitting scream echoed out, one that didn’t belong to any of the group. Followed by shout in pain that was almost certainly Isstar.
 
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