[PQ+] double the whiskey and shake

Offering a mental oh, har, har, Ronin rolls his eyes at Remi (and then does, indeed ogle the tawny wings as they appear) and hops aboard the nimbus next to Melita. At least this way he can ensure that the Honeybee isn't at risk of falling into the... well, the Falling, and as Remi takes to the air, the nimbus isn't far behind. [say]"We're doing alright,"[/say] Ronin chimes to his friend as they follow after the Lullaby. [say]"All things considered, anyway. War, relics, leadership and all that jazz."[/say]

As for exactly how the sail got caught, Ronin can only shake his head. [say]"Perhaps it fell when one of the sky pilots was doing maintenance on a ship?"[/say] he suggests, squinting at the flapping bit of cloth before he's suddenly aware of something large and almost camouflaged against the rock nearby. Very nearby.

[say]"Is that a fucking dragon?"[/say]

With Melita completely unbothered by prospects of falling or anything remotely risky, she peered along, watching Remi’s transformation, and surveying the cliffs for that particular bright speck again. She could only nod at the Huntsman’s answer, half-distracted, pondering the likelihood and possibilities of someone dropping the bit of stray cloth, or how it could potentially snag –

When Ronin’s question came over the air.

A sudden sickening twist molded into her stomach, and a whole range of emotions began to gnarl right there in the pit of her soul. Perhaps it was nothing. Not a dragon at all. Certainly not a relative. Who’d seen his assortment of issues, caused a multitude of trials and tribulations –

She swallowed a knot of bile. [say]“Maybe?”[/say] It could’ve been something else entirely, right? Right?

When last there had been a dragon in Stormbreak, Ronin had almost died. Not a proper death of course, but one which would have taken him from Remi's life for an unknown amount of time. So it was that his fury and unease boiled to the surface, causing tension to stiffen his shoulders and harden his expression. Wordlessly, the alchemist shifted. His curls became a mass of golden mane, his hands curled and grew into paws, and a tail tipped with a deadly stinger arched over his back. [say]It is. A familiar looking one at that.[/say] With his ears flattened against his skull and a snarl already on his lips, Remi stretches his paws out as if leaping over some vast gulf in an effort to make himself more aerodynamic.

[say]Even if it is not him, there should not be a dragon of that size so close to the Skyport.[/say]

But if it was him?

Streaking forward against the blue, Remi spends his turn on movement flies towards the draconic shape lingering near the cliffs.

[say]"Sorry I thought there was something there but it was just a different kind of rock."[/say] he says apologetically, trying to hold on as best he can. Seeing a single dirty piece of cloth in all that rock was difficult. He concentrated his gaze further. This is one of the moments when he wishes he could fly. Was this the influence of the world? As an Angroshim, as he called his people, he always liked to have solid ground under his feet.

[say]"You found it amazing. Wait, it's easier for me with these little hands."[/say] Darkeye climbed forward and rammed a spear into the rock below where he now stood on it. Should it come loose, hopefully, Sunjata would be there to catch it. He pulls on the piece of cloth and tries to pull it out of the rocks together with the dragons he still didn't know what it did but as long as they would find a relic it didn't matter to him.

Darkeye rams his spear into the rock. He stands on his spear and tries to pull the piece of cloth.

The rocks begin to groan as if somewhere deep inside some explosion has occurred but you're only just feeling the faint aftershocks of it.

The cliffs are by no means craggy enough to support a spear being shoved into them (not with Darkeye's strength anyways), nor would standing on one be a good idea. For the time being, the former-dwarf has to remain on the dragon.

There’s almost the sound of a hiss combined with the edges of a growl, now that Sunjata’s fully shifted. He can’t speak to Darkeye while he is, but it’s almost a sound that seems to suggest did you feel that? But without having much other chance to say much, Sunjata readjusts, large wings pumping on his back to keep himself and Darkeye safe from the dangerous edges of the Falling.

And he tries to think about how they are going to go about getting it out. His head nears the edge, the cloth poking out, and he pushes himself closer, trying to latch on (however temporarily it will be) to try and dig his dragon talons into the rockery, as if it might uncover the far away explosion. And hopefully, it’s enough to draw whatever it is out toward them over the water.

---

Sunjata tries to start digging at the rockery to try and uncover where the explosions came from!

Darkeye was glad that Sunjata had caught him.
With the other, he just held his spear.
[say]"It's like the rock itself is fighting back. Maybe there is an earth Spirit guarding it. But he would have already made a demand. I have another idea."[/say] He grabs the ends of the cloth with both hands and wraps them around his hands so he can pull on them. Then he carefully braces himself against it and tries to pull the fabric out of the rocks with his weight. [say]"We need it please give it free we need it to protect our people,"[/say] he said when he pulled it with all his might he had.

Sunjata claws at the rock and Darkeye tugs at the cloth. For a moment nothing really happens; the cloth is firmly lodged within the stone, and though Sunjata is quite strong, this is a cliff he's scratching against.

And then...then the Falling moves.

Monolithic in stature and massive in scale, the cliff face shrugs, shoving Sunjata away before straighting to reveal a face carved into the stone. No, no, a face made from the stone.

Stone made from the face?

A face made from...

Listen. Right now wondering which came first, the face or the stone, isn't what you should be worried about. What you should be worried about is the fact that an entire cliff had just woken up and doesn't look too happy about it.

[say]No, there certainly should not,[/say] Ronin agrees, even as his husband shifts fully into a manticore's fur and rockets towards the maybe-probably-definitely dragon against the cliff. [say]"I swear, if that is your uncle,"[/say] he says slowly to Melita, but by that point the entire cliff face seems to... shift. To shrug, and Ronin is left dumbstruck.

Not for long, of course - his nimbus propels them forward as quickly as he can make it, and already there are leathery wings unfurling from his shoulders. [say]"Just in case,"[/say] he says, mostly to himself, before settling in to wait until they get closer.

The first initial thought is an oh fuck. The second has him drawing back from the Falling as it moves, trying to make sure he remains in a position well enough for Darkeye to stay on — but he isn’t quick enough, shoved heavily by the cliff that’s a face suddenly, and he tries his best to right himself on the winds.

A deep surprised growl leaves the dragon, wings flapping errantly to try and keep him above it enough, trying to capture its attention as if he’s just an annoying gnat that whatever this cliff is might wish to follow. And so he tries to swerve by it again, trying to annoy it enough into following him out over the ocean.

---

Sunjata tries to annoy the cliff enough to draw it out over the water!

There was not much possibility. Darkeye threw his axe upwards and immediately teleported to Sunjata. [say]He is too powerful for us we need to get away."[/say]He shouted against the noise and hoped that the stone giant would not catch him. He tried to hold on as tightly as possible so that Sunjata could fly.
He had his axes ready in case he fell, he could still try to teleport through the area. They had to get to Wessex if anyone could mess with a creature like that, it was her. So with fear in his Hearth that he didn't feel for a long time, he started to laugh. [say]"Listen, Mr. Giant, we need it to help people I know you don't like it but it will help a greater purpose so give it to us please."[/say] He starts to talk to the giant maybe it helps. A long time ago his kind was close to the Element of stone.

Interesting tactics.

As @Sunjata flits by the giant, the creature raises a massive arm and with almost laughable slowness, tries to bat away the dragon. Now I'm not sure about you, but anytime gnats or other such things have bothered me, I've never once been tempted to follow them. So it is that the giant remains where it is.

As for @Darkeye 's calls? Small as he is in comparison, the creature seems entirely unable to hear him. (And how do you know it's a Mr, anyway?)

So it seems as though the initial plan isn’t going to work, so he tries to change his plan with Darkeye on his back as the dwarf’s voice dies between them and the rock golem. So he changes up his tactics, another growl leaving Sunjata as lightning crackles along his jaws, drawing further away from the cliffs in hope to get out of range of any retaliation.

And for added emphasis, tries to shoot a bolt of lightning toward it, far enough away that it’ll flit into nothing, trying desperately to lure it away from Stormbreak with every push of his wings.

---

Sunjata pulls back out of the golem’s range and shoots some lightning toward it (fully expecting the range to die out before coming anywhere near the golem) and continues to try and lure it away.

Dragon ability | Can breathe lightning (mastered lightning damage)

[say]"He doesn't seem to hear me. I don't know if a peaceful solution is possible here. I have never slain such a large stone giant before. To be honest, I've never slain a stone giant before!"[/say]he shouted, laughing. Even if he seemed macabre, Darkeye had fun with this situation.

The giant would probably speak a different language. And would not understand him anyway. [say]"How far away is Wessex? Can she really take on a thing like that?"[/say] He asked Sunjata against the noise. He still did not understand that in his condition he was not able to answer. Darkeye saw only the giant walking slowly in his Direction. A short prayer goes to Kor.