[Call the fire brigade] Zack VS Intolo [Clash of the teenies]

The bright mid-morning sun was cheerfully deceptive over the forest of Intolo, lighting up the tops of the trees like it was just the standard day. Underneath the trees however, the scene was a completely different story. Long ranks of pale featureless figures were lined in rows, completely motionless as they awaited the command of their general. Behind them, up in a tree (but not too high) a tiny dragon- Zack, to be precise, a ferocious smile on his face- padded up and down a branch, whipping his long tail from side to side as he awaited his opponent. He had thought that he was running late, having had to wait for his sorcerer-friend to enchant the many paper figures that now made up his army, but it seemed that Intolo, that slimy little forest spirit, had decided to be even later. Why, where were the manners? It just wasn’t courteous to keep your enemy waiting when they were expecting a full out battle (and had to get it over with before the next day too, before the enchantments wore off on his army, and all he was left with was a mound of paper).

He clawed at the bark underneath his paws, frustrated. They didn’t make a mark, but it was sure to annoy the hell out of Intolo if he was nearby. Ooh, he couldn’t wait to get his claws into that annoying little ball of fluff. Suddenly abandoning all facades of patience, he gave an angry shout across the forest, his eyes flashing this way and that, seeking out any movement that he might provoke.
“Hey puffball! Get the hell out here and face me! You’ll rue the day you thought you were cuter than me, yes you will. This’ll prove once and for all that I’m the one people like more!”

((Hope you're okay with me going and starting this up, I'm in a melodramatic mood and needed a break from the biology :3 Commence the cuteness!))

"Zack!" Shouted a chittering voice from the tops of the trees, emenating down to the paper creatures on the forest floor and the trees. "Long have you been a bane of my existence! You have been made out of my brothers, my friends, andyet you offer no remorse! And here, you bring an army of your abominations into my forest!? Surely you wish death upon yourself!" Almost as if in approval, the lewaves and pines on the trees rustled, though no wind had blown past. Then a small form darted straight down the trunk of a tree on the opposite side of the glade from the paper dragon, smashing against a tree limb that was at equal height to the one Zack was on. It had flattened into the form of a pancake from the impact, but inflated slowly to reveal the source of the voice: The Spirit of the Forest Intolo! It glared at Zack for a moment then opened its mouth wide to continue its tirade. "Now feel my wrath, and the wrath of my brothers!"

"Present!" At this, a change began to take place among the forest. The ground began shaking slightly opposite the paper army, the leaf litter shivering and shaking, new and old leaves joining in harmony as their master called. They stood on stiff and stumbley stems, turning their bright and browned faces to face the enemy. Some were teardrop-shaped, and stood out in front, the first wave to strike. The next wave was made up of linear and reniform leaves, all with waxy coatings on the outer sides, and sat firly on the ground, acting as shields from land attacks against the third wave: The archers. These leaves were palmetely lobed, primarily maple leaves, and they started preparing stick bows as pine needles climbed into pyramids, ready to be used as arrows. Intolo smirked at his foe, pride on his furry face. "Come at us, then."

“Oh shut up, nature boy, you’re just as much as the bane of my existence as you say I am of yours!” squealed back Zack, flaring his wings angrily at Intolo, who had decided to finally appear. And about time too! He was starting to get quite impatient with the little spirit. That little showoff, pretending he was a pancake! Well, he had seen much better looking pancakes in the dustbin, that was for sure.

He watched fearlessly as Intolo’s army assembled, trusting in his own soldiers to rip the pathetic bunch of leaves in front of them to pieces. “Is that it? A few fallen leaves? Ha! Ha ha ha, my warriors will shred those before we even get to the good part!” He gave a little pouf! of scorn, looking to the sky for a moment. They might have had bows and arrows, and that would pick off a few of his men, but he had swords! Scratching at the branch under his feet in excitement, he commanded; “Soldiers! Take them down! Don’t leave one leaf standing!”
There was a rustle of paper as those soldiers at the back of his forces pulled swords from their paper belts, the sharp edges strong enough to give a nasty paper cut if they were crossed. Those who were at the front had no need for even that movement- He had specially asked his sorcerer if a few could be made with their arms turned into blades (really inconvenient for the everyday eating and drinking and the like, but they made for fabulous soldiers!) With a defiant roar that (he imagined) echoed back from the very tops of the trees- not that it did, for anyone of normal size, it probably sounded like a mouse having a bad dream- he leapt from his branch, fluttering towards Intolo with his paws outstretched, ready to claw him to death when he had crossed the gap between them. Below, his forces sprung into action, running forwards to engage the enemy.

"Watch yourself, nature zombie! We're more powerful than you'd think! At least we can stand when we're wet!" Seriously, what good was having sharp edges if the dulled with a drop of water? Intolo's fur began to stand on end, his eyes narrowing as Zack gave his attack order. It was on.

Intolo let Zack's forces start their charge, then looked down and gestured to the paper army. One leaf saw this movement, and it looked down to draw its bow. The leaves on its sides drew their bows as well, and this continued down the ranks within seconds, quickly sending a flurry of sharpened pine needles to the paper warriors at the back of their ranks, looking to take out all of the armed soldiers before the actual battle started.Right after the inaudible twang sounded out, the warrior leaves in the front ranks rippling foreward to meet their enemies. Bristling, Intolo looked up from this almost as soon as he had looked down, to see Zack barreling for him. His whiskers twitched, then the furball stretched out diagonally, looping a circle around the paper dragon as it whooshed by where he had been. He landed on a nearby, higher branch and glared down at him. "Is that the best you got? I've seen faster mushrooms!"

“Shut up!” shrieked Zack, Intolo’s snip about the rain catching him hard. It wasn’t his fault that paper wasn’t waterproof (although if logic really taught everything, then it should have been, considering it was made from wood, and that most definitely was). “At least we don’t go all brown and crinkly in the autumn!”

He let his forces attack without his guidance as he tried to catch Intolo, squealing in annoyance as the little furball avoided his attack. So intent he was on catching him, he nearly rammed right into the branch, saving himself only by some quick wings and a fair bit of paw-scraping. He gave an angry snarl, clawing his way back upright where his front paws had slipped into empty space, then bolted for the trunk of the tree, half scrambling up its side, half flying as he headed for Intolo’s new branch, bowling along it like a squirrel on the tail of another squirrel. He only hoped that his attempt at catching the annoying forest spirit wouldn’t be as futile as most of the little scuffles that happened between squirrels. Probably not, considering he was a dragon and his prey was just a stupid ball of fur.
“If you’ve seen faster mushrooms, you must be growing some right toxic stuff in this cesspit!”

"Hey, brown is a /very/ flattering color, and it's helps the trees grow even more! We regret nothing!" Intolo roared proudly, though it would only sound like a cute squeak of defiance to most people. Besides, lucky for them it /wasn't/ autumn; it was the high of summer, which meant all of the trees were covered in thick, luscious green leaves. And all of that positive life energy not only enhanced Intolo's abilities, but it also filled his leafy legions with life and pride, making them fight vigilantly.

But he had to hand it to the little piece of scrap paper, he was giving him a run for his money. Not long after he got onto his new perch, the little mite started clambering up the trunk of the tree, looking more than a little peeved. Taking a deep breath and puffing his fur out until it all stood out like the pricks on a hedgehog, Intolo jumped off of the branch and started gliding, light weight and his hair out to catch the air and carry him safely to another branch, then turned to face Zack, the trunk of the tree right behind him. Unfortunately, Intolo wasn't built for battle unless the need was dire, so rather than rely on strength, he usually had to try and outwit his opponents. And so, he used his favorite battle tactic for flying creatures: get them blind with anger, then taunt them to rush him. Then, once he's sure they can't change their course, he jumps out of their way, leaving them to collide with the object behind him.

"Cesspit, says the creature made out of a material made to be soaked in ink! I bet you've seen more than your fair share of happy dreams, you little shred of a book!"

To Zack, whatever Intolo said, it was just a load of rubbish. Rubbish, rubbish, rubbish! He was just a mean, spiteful, good-for-nothing-but-kindling, stuck up furball! Such accusations had to be true, of course, as they came from Zack himself! He hissed in anger, tiny claws clutching at the bark beneath his paws as he bowled towards Intolo. The fluffball would pay for his insults.

Before he could even get his claws into Intolo though, the forest spirit had puffed himself up into a balloon and was drifting off through the trees, looking even more like a balloon than such a befitting metaphor could demonstrate. Zack skidded to a halt, his long tail whipping from side to side in anger.
“Hey cowardly coward, get back here and fight me properly, like a proper person! Are you so leaf-livered?” He almost overbalanced on the branch, flicking his tail to straighten up as Intolo landed safely in another tree. Like the silly scroll dragon he was, he had forgotten for a moment that he too could fly, and looked frustratedly around for a way across to the other branch before he remembered and launched himself into the sky, wings fluttering furiously to keep himself aloft until he landed on the other end of the branch Intolo was sitting on.
“So, you thought you were clever enough to think you could out-fly me? How foolish- nobody can out-fly me! I’m the best in the forest!”

Damn, he's smarter than I thought. Intolo thought, clicking his teeth in agitation. But, nevertheless, he had to find some way of defeating this crafty handcraft.
"Oh, so you're a big flier, eh? Well, I bet I could fly twice as good, if not more! In fact..." Intolo leaned forward - which, considering he was a ball with a face and arms, looked more like he was just rolling forward - and closed his eyes, concentrating hard as his paws slowly made their way to his back, signs of a transformation in the making. They slowly fell into place and began elongating, and then the little spirit opened his eyes and let out a loud roar, mouth open at a ninety-degree angle and showing off a giant row of teeth, and suddenly the long, spindly were-arms became long, fluffy wings, which he flapped experimentally as two clawed feet sprang from his bottom, holding him up and giving him the appearance of abeakless owl. Eyes narrowing, Intolo stepped closer to Zack, and was about to offer a challenge when--

"HothothothothothothothothotHOTHOTHOOOOOOOOOT!"

Suddenly a ball of fire at least double Intolo's size zipped into the glade below them and began dancing around, scorching the unheeded armies below the two combatants. The flickering flames blew past every inch, sending the armies into disarray, the dry and crisp paper soldiers dying quickly in short bursts of flame, while the slightly damp leaves got to enjoy burning slowly, their running forms trying desperately to extinguish themselves as the imp continued frolicking, shouting the same phrase over and over in a seemingly endless increase in volume. It didn't stop until the entire clearing was a scorched ruin, at which point it zoomed about quickly, then shot off, headed for the exit of the forest, the shouts slowly losing volume.

Intolo... couldn't believe it. This glorious patch of life, which took decades to reach its prime perfection... destroyed. Ruined, in a matter of moments. He looked down at the carnage, ash and soot blowing listlessly in the breeze, as Intolo stared down into it, his transformed parts slowly returning to where they originated. Speechless, he looked up at Zack, the only other surviving witness to that horrible event.
"... I think we're done for the day."
Of course, spirits couldn't cry. They had no need for tears, right? But Intolo did notice that he got a new ability; he could make dew flow from his eyes. Useful, if he ever saw a plant that needed water.

Zack tried not to be too daunted by Intolo’s leer, the big round fluffball looking a tad creepy as he leaned forwards, but he couldn’t help the little shiver of dislike that ran down his spine. It was just plain weird how the forest spirit could stretch and change like he did. The whole point Zack was making to himself in his head (about Intolo being weird) was just made even clearer when the fluffball suddenly grew wings. Who knew Intolo could even do that???

“That’s so weird!” said the little paper dragon, backing away. He had no wish to be so close to Intolo, not with those big teeth and, now, freaky looking wings. Who knew what else he could suddenly produce? Why, he pooped nuts and sprouted wings… “You should really see a doctor if you just start changing shape like that… and a head doctor if you think those are wings!” Really, they were so distasteful. And fluffy!

The little paper dragon was just about to think up another quip when he was interrupted by a sudden commotion down in the clearing- he had thought that it would be okay to leave his own paper soldiers and Intolo’s leaf pansy-pretend-cadets to wage their own little wars, but apparently they needed a little more guidance.

Or possibly not; what happened next was completely beyond Zack for a moment or two, before the actual events made sense. Everything that had just been there… just burnt. Without heed, or remorse, or anything, just some delusional creature destroying everything he could get his… flames… on. The little dragon recoiled back from the ground as far as he could go, fear rushing into his chest as everything went up in a blaze. Even once the fire spirit had rushed on, he still trembled. Fire… fire was horrible.

Mutely, he nodded at Intolo’s suggestion. Yes, they were done. Definitely.

Then all of a sudden he felt very ill and rushed off round to the other side of the tree to be sick.

After a minute or two of spilling dew from his eyelids, Intolo had enough. He hopped up the branch and rubbed his face against the trunk of his tree, then pressed his body to it and slid to the forest floor, alighting lightly on the ash-covered floor. Almost immediately he seemed to lose all of his energy, his fur taking on a grey sheen and the light draining from his eyes, visibly deflating from the death surrounding him. Taking a heavy breath that quickly left his body, Intolo hefted himself up and started pulling himself up the tree with his small paws until he was at the lowest branch, slumping down again and exhaling heavily as some of his color returned to him.

Such a travesty.

Intolo looked over to Zack, hoping that he was at least in a similar state of disarray. Thinking seriously, Intolo realized that the shock would be just as great for Zack, a being similarly horrified by fire. What were they to do now? There was no way Intolo would be able to concentrate on that little paper dragon, knowing a fire imp was on the loose. Finally straightening up, Intolo turned to Zack. "I'm going after that thing." H esaid simply, ruffling his fur a bit.

It took a while for Zack to recover. Being sick was never nice (especially since he had eaten rather a lot for breakfast), and just thinking of the sight of all his paper soldiers and all those leaves-come-plebs made him feel sick all over again. Intolo probably wasn’t feeling too hot either (hopefully not, that might mean the fire spirit had come back again!) so their battle was over for the day, there would be no doubt about that. The scroll dragon just felt like curling up in a ball somewhere small – a pillow, that would have done nicely- and bawling his little eyes out. Metaphorically, of course. Literally would spell disaster for the paper-made dragon.

He finally made it back to some sort of useful state and reappeared near to where Intolo was, plonking himself down morosely next to the forest spirit, forgetting their quarrels for the meantime.
“You’re going after it? Are you bonkers?” squeaked Zack as Intolo announced his plan, looking at the fluffy ball like he was crazy. “Oh yeah, I forgot you actually were,” he added onto the end, a little more quietly. There was a pause, then the little dragon flapped his long ears up from the sides of his head. “Well, if you’re going, then I’m coming too. No spirit destroys all my… my paper warriors and gets away with it!” He made sure to not look down at the ground, where all his soldiers had been, lest he be sick again. That was the last thing he needed, really…

Maybe he was bonkers.Maybe following after that, that... thing was nothing more than a suicide mission, but there was no way he was just going to sit by and let a fire run rampant in his forest. Why, of all the gall, how does something like that get off on so much destruction-- "You're coming?"

Intolo looked back at Zack with a puzzled look, one ear perked cautiously as he scanned his foe. True, he was also going through the same thing as he was, but could he really trust something so unnatural? He eyed Zack for a while, nose twitching in thought, then let his guard down. Turning to face the paper dragon, Intolo bounced closer to him and held a nubbin arm out, a simple yet powerful peace offering. "Very well. Just know I won't be able to do anything if you catch fire."

Zack was a tad offended by the surprised tone Intolo took at his announcement, nodding decisively. “Yes. Yes, I am. That monster’s going to pay for all this.” He flicked his tail groundwards, not daring too look. He had no desire to be sick again. It was obvious Intolo didn’t like him, from the way he acted (and Zack was likewise inclined towards the forest spirit), but on some things, petty hate was to be put aside for the greater good of the world. This was a matter of dire importance, of life and death! The fire demon had to be stopped, before it ruined anything else. What if it managed to find its way to Foen’s house and destroyed Zack’s home?

He eyed Intolo’s outstretched arm warily, then shook it quickly with his own front paw, resisting the urge to wipe it along the branch afterwards. If he had to put up with Intolo for the rest of the day, then insulting him so early on (as much as he wanted to) probably wasn’t a good plan.
“Let’s go, then! It went this way,” he pointed with his tail, looping it underneath the tree branch. “We’ll catch it, and then, and then… well, I don’t know, but it won’t be happy!” He flared his ears, then leapt off the branch into the air, snapping his wings open and fluttering them ferociously like a butterfly. “Come on!”

Well, at least we can be on shaking terms for this. Intolo thought, wrapping his claws around Zack's paw and shaking quickly, then brought his paw back and rested it on his stomach, ears drooping gently. Oh, what awesome and horrible powers tragedy has, to bring mortal enemies together to fulfill their mutual desires. Ah, but what else could they do at this point? It's not as though he could simply forget what he had just seen, and yet... the direction that creature went... would it be worth it? Intolo bowed his head and sighed, ears drooping a little further. "I'll be right behind you." He said as Zack took off, then with a jolt he sprung forward, bounding from branch to branch with ease, keeping to a few feet behind Zack at all times.

(Timeskip)

The next two hours were fairly eventless, save for the breathtaking sights of nature's beauty: Flowers and other plants unknown to the outside world, wondrous creatures in the trees and in the underbrush, the whole wood buzzing with life in a way that sent pleasant shivers down Intolo's spine, making his fur stand slightly on end. But also, an impending dread swept over his spiritual form, as he knew they were going closer and closer to territory that Intolo had no jurisdiction over. For you see, some folks seem to believe that each forest gets one spirit; And sometimes they're right, especially with the smaller ones that are only an acre or so large. However, in a forest such as this, there is simply too much life for just one spirit to govern. So far they had only been in Intolo's area, but not all spirits are as inviting as he...

Suddenly, Intolo's ears pricked up, and he suddenly zoomed in front of Zack, hovering in mid-air to stop the dragon dead in his tracks. "Wait." the spirit commanded, eyes piercing and voice full of nature's power. Their journey thus far had given Intolo much of his strength back, which he would need from this point on. "From here on in, things won't go so smoothly. We're about to go into another spirit's territory, so we must abide by his laws. We travel on foot from here."

With that, Intolo sank to the ground, landing lightly on a mattress of dead leaves and moss, the scent of the two mixing as he landed infusing him with more power. In just a few steps, they'd be there, and he could only hope he would be able to face this spirit as he could the last time...

Zack didn’t really enjoy the journey through the forest that much, but it was for entirely self-indulgent reasons. The forest was wonderfully beautiful, and he caught himself smiling at the sunshine coming through the leaves and making dappled effects on the ground below more than once, but he made himself stop and told himself off for it- only because, if Intolo saw that he was enjoying himself, there would be no end to the stick he would receive. And so, he made himself even more miserable, forcing himself to be annoyed at everything they came across.

He had been using branches to travel for a bit, letting his poor sore wings rest, when Intolo suddenly leapt in front of him, almost knocking him off his branch as he slid to a halt, ready to pounce onto the next branch in front of him like a squirrel might. The little scroll dragon didn’t like the power-enfused tone that the spirit used, long black ears waggling unhappily. “Hey, watch what you’re doing. It’s not fun, falling off branches.” He snuffed out a breath, turning his head slightly at Intolo’s words. “Oh wonderful,” he said sarcastically at this new information, flicking his tail irritably from side to side. “My wings hurt from flying, and my shoulders hurt from jumping, and now you’re going to make my feet hurt from walking too.” The forest spirit was a masochist when it came to Zack. But he did as he was told anyway, leaping off the branch he was sitting on and spiralling around in a wide circle down to the ground, unintentionally crossing over the boundary into the next spirit’s forest with his spirals.

Oh, you origami fool. Just those few inches may very well have sealed your doom. If only you could have been just a little more patient and perceptive, Intolo would have had some time to prepare himself. But now, as matters stood, he had about one second to save his nemesis. On one hand, he never really liked Zack. Too unnatural, too proud for a mortal being. However, he was definitely going to need the little dragon's help in defeating the fire spirit, so... did he really have a choice? Mustering up all of the power he could spare, Intolo shot down to hover right in front of Zack's face, holding one claw out in front of him, just in time...

... To stop a giant head dead in its tracks, just a hair's-width away from touching the tip of Intolo's claw. The scaly head stayed in place for a few seconds (which seemed an eternity to Intolo), contemplated, then pulled back. Now that the 'dust' had settled, and they were going into place, what the thing that had attacked them was became apparent. Ten feet of long, corded muscle made up the spirit's body, covered in dark scales which seem to blend in perfectly with the environment, making it near impossible to see without concentrating fully on it. A murderous head tops the body tops this spirit off, with fangs brimming with poison and a tongue dripping quicksilver. The snake spirit, Uuma.

After looking over the little brown forest spirit for a moment, Uuma tilted his head slightly, the slits in his eyes narrowing to thin black lines across orbs of bright yellow, shining like topaz. "Ah, Intolo." it cooed softly, lowering his head, his long form rippling and waving gently, creating a near-hypnotic effect that would have made any mortal succumb to his will. However, and he knew it, to Intolo it was nothing more than an obvious party trick. "I thought we made it very clear last time that our borders are not to be broken... or are you looking for another test of our powers?" A feint aura began emanating from the snake, a power matched by a similar pressure coming from Intolo for a few moments until he quelled it. A small smile playing on his lips, Uuma put a stopper on his power as ell. He turned his head away from Intolo and looked over him, eyes focused now on the little paper dragon. "And why is he protecting you, hm? I thought Intolo, if anyone, would want to destroy you."

Zack yelped in surprise as Intolo suddenly shot in front of him, cutting his flight pattern right off. It was only his quick wits and fast wings that saved him from plummeting straight towards the ground, instead fluttering like a bat in mid air. His mouth dropped open, ready to make some sort of snide comment, but instead he just shrieked again as a huge, bloody giant snake head just came out of nowhere!
“Holy ink bottles and quills!” he shrieked, twisting backwards in the air in a half somersault to get further away from the beast, heart beating like a drum. Even the metre or so he had put between himself and the snake wasn’t quite enough for his liking (how could Intolo stand to be so close to it still?), and he made sure to put even more distance between them, flying up to a nearby tree and resting on a branch. Only then did he properly realise how sore his wings were, hardly even bending to flatten back down by his sides. Ooh, Intolo really was a slave driver!

His eyes flicked between the two forest spirits as they eyed each other up, not quite understanding that they knew each other. Did the forest spirit just keep really weird company? They looked very strange next to each other- and the snake was becoming more and more alluring looking by the minute. Why had Zack been so frightened of him to start with, he was fantastic! It was obviously the spirit’s magic working on him as he leaned forwards from his branch.
“Your scales are so pretty,” he said giving a silly smile. “And how do you do that wriggling thing? It looks cool, am I long enough to do it?” He looked back at his tail, then tried it too, not really achieving the effect to the same level of awesome. In fact, he probably looked just a tad foolish. But then the snake’s words sunk in, and he leapt back, wrapping his tail around the branch and flaring his wings out, spell broken.
“Destroy me? He should be so lucky! No, I shall be the one to destroy him! If… my paper army hadn’t been roasted alive.” He looked morose for a second, then the challenging look on his face reappeared. “I will avenge my poor fallen soldiers!”

At first taking delight in seeing Intolo's companion so enamored with himself, Uuma was quickly shaken by the word 'roasted'. The rippling effect that dazzled on his body came to an abrupt halt, then his scales flared in vibrant, violent colors, cycling through reds, yellows and oranges. Eyes narrowing sharply, he turned his head toward Intolo, the rage and fear palpable. "Am I to understand that there is fire in the forest?" He hissed harshly, the soothing lilt in his voice lost in the trunade of rage. Could fire have even entered the forest without anyone else noticing it as well? Why hadn't he sensed it, if it had led these two to his territory.

Seeing Uuma so enraged gave Intolo a confidence boost that he drastically needed, as he was previously afraid that Uuma's charm would make Zack lose track of himself. Turning and grooming himself nonchalantly, intolo tried to play the snake right into his claws. "Just a little one, mind you. Though I'm sure you already knew, being as powerful and in tune with the forest as you are." He said, glancing up at Uuma. The colors were still blazing brightly, the muscles along his body contracting and relaxing. This was either going to work, or backfire horrendously. "And I know the only reason you haven't gone after it yourself is because you are too busy with up keeping your section, correct?" Hopefully Uuma's pride would make him play into these words, in order to save face. Knowing the snake all too well, Intolo was betting on Uuma caring more about appearance.

Distracted by Uuma’s pretty scales, the colour of autumn leaves and bright red paint, with nice oranges and a few yellows thrown in there too for good measure, Zack wasn’t paying much attention to the conversation at hand. The forest spirit was a lot more impressive than Intolo, both bigger and more imposing by a mile. Although he knew he shouldn’t be, the little scroll dragon couldn’t help but be entranced by the shifting patterns the spirit snake made, watching him with wide, bright eyes. The thought passed him that, if he could get hold of a few pots of red ink, and some orange too, he could duplicate the effect on his own sides- now that really would make him stand out from all the other scroll dragons! Man, now there was an idea and a half to try later in the week…

Intolo seemed very chilled out in the face of Uuma, preening at his side like it was just a friendly chat with one of his minions. Zack didn’t think his minions’d be very good company though, they seemed the stoic, silent type, being leaves and all. Not quite being able to keep up with the conversation, the little dragon satisfied himself with fantasising about how to decorate himself with inks as the two talked, crawling along his branch above Uuma a bit to look more closely- the better look he got, the better he would probably be able to reproduce the patterns on the snake.

The blazing array of colors adorning Uuma's scales seemed to slow in their flickering, eyes staring holes into Intolo, as the snake contemplated what the little forest spirit said. Intolo was trying to play him, he knew, but there was a bigger risk that Intolo was introducing as well; If there really was a fire spirit in the forest, and Uuma didn't notice it, he may be banished from the forest for not performing his duties. But if he went along with Intolo, he would only have to provide him and his companion safe travels through his woods. Dammit, that little fuzzball could always find a way to play him like a puppet. Clenching his jaws and shaking his head, Uuma's scales took back the cool colors that they normally had. "Yes, of course." He hissed, forcing a fake smile. "And I know how much free time you have on your hands, so i know that you can get it done." He offered one last death stare to Intolo, then turned and slowly slid into the undergrowth, tail licking as he disappeared into the growth.

Grinning wide as Uuma spoke, head still turned, Intolo's ear's twitched in acceptance. "Of course. You can count on me." Of course, he knew that the snake would find his revenge, probably by sabotaging his sector of the forest. But no matter, he could deal with a few weeds or invasive bugs, but a fire had to be stopped. Looking up at Zack and chuckling, Intolo popped his head in the direction they were going. "Coming?"

“Hmm? Oh, yes,” said Zack, tuning back into the conversation again. He was thinking of other things, and hadn’t seen the conversation come to an end. He stretched his wings and bounced off the branch he had been perching on, a little more invigorated now that he had had a break. He landed neatly on the ground near to Intolo, ears pricked forwards after Uuma. “I rather like your snake… friend. If he’s a snake. His scales are fantastic.” Cheerfully, he pottered after the quickly disappearing spirit, swishing his tail from side to side with a bit of a swagger. He hadn’t a clue where they were going, but it was all in good spirits, and then erm… well, more adventure, it seemed. Revenge!

It didn’t really register with the little dragon that Intolo had actually asked him nicely whether he was accompanying him this time, but he did feel a slight warmth (well, barely, but it wasn’t outright annoyance at this action, as many others had been) towards him. Not as much as towards Uuma though, but even that was decreasing, and he hurried less as the gap between them widened. He wanted to keep up with his new acquaintance, but it seemed less important to be right next to him as he fell behind, with Intolo. Hmm, maybe it was just tiredness.

Intolo scoffed, which sounded more like he was hacking up a hairball, at the paper dragon's comment. "Hardly." He said, bounding in front of Zack, the seeds that he normally laid not forming out of respect for Uuma's property. "We're just unwilling neighbors. And forget about those scales, unless you wanna end up like this." AS he spoke, he casually lifted an unidentifiable bone from the undergrowth and tossed it back at the little dragon, the fragment partially rooted and soft from decay. "Or whatever happens when your kind returns to nature."

As they explored Uuma's section of the forest, Intolo was sure to tread carefully, as he had no idea what life the snake allowed to grow. As guardians of the forest, every spirit had their own thoughts on how it should be protected. Passive spirits, such as himself, were content to let their forests grow as they would normally, only using their powers to make the native plants and animals stronger and more durable. However the more aggressive spirits, like Uuma, were likely to introduce new plants and animals to their forests, in order to repel or remove those who wish it harm. And there were plenty of animals that Intolo knew weren't native to this forest, from giant scorpions hidden away in rotted logs to large constrictors coiled lazily in the branches, and more than once they had to make a sudden detour in order to avoid thick bramble and noxious fungi. I wonder if that scrap of paper still likes this spirit after all of this....

After a few hours of search, Intolo saw something odd; He knew there were odd species here, but these vines looked a little dried-out. Following the trail of parched plants, Intolo found what they were looking for. Apparently, the flame spirit was running low on fuel, the heavy forest much more damp than Intolo's drier area. But it finally found a patch of bramble, which was dry enough for it to ignite and reenergize its power. And it left a trail out of Uuma's sector, a clear and scorched path that would lead them to it in no time. But following the trail meant eposing himself to the absence of life, which would deplete his own energy and tire him. Best to go slow and break often. Standing at the edge of the scorched area, Intolo leaned against one of the trees and looked to Zack, ears and whiskers drooping. "We follow the scorches out of this part of the forest, then take break on the other side. I have an aqquaintance that will let me take some of the energy from his land."

Zack “hrmphed” under his breath at Intolo’s words, his ears flicking back against his neck disagreeably as the forest spirit picked up a bone from the ground and showed it to him.
“Well, well, I don’t have bones like that, so I can’t turn into something like that,” he said harshly, strutting ahead like he knew exactly what was going on. He was clueless, but he thought it looked good. Thinking about it, he didn’t even know if he had conventional bones, never having seen another paper dragon around the forest, or nearby- or one that’d copped it and been preserved. He didn’t know if he quite liked this trail of thought, but he did feel somewhat unconventionally curious. He would have to ask his sorcerer, or find a book on scroll dragons. There must be one around somewhere.

All those thoughts properly left his head as they delved deeper into Uuma’s realm however, and he had to focus properly on where they were going. The look of some of the creatures they passed was…distinctly off-putting, and he found himself more and more uneasy, despite the fact that he was with Intolo. Who knew the forest, yes, but more the fact that he had to put on the show that he was Zack, the invincible, fabulous, scroll dragon! To be scared of a few strange shaped plants, or bugs hardly half as big as him (well, some of them were quite big, in comparison), it wasn’t quite the ferocious, scared-of-nothing view he wanted to portray.

And yes, by the time that a few hours had passed, Zack was starting to have doubts about Uuma and his trustworthiness.

It was rather a… well, relief, when they finally found some trace of the fire spirit they had been hunting. After all, it most definitely led out of Uuma’s territory, and that meant they wouldn’t have to always be on the lookout for dangerous spiders, and scorpions, and snakes, and all manner of other nasty things beginning with S. Zack stretched his paws and tried to stop them from aching while Intolo decided that yes, this was the right way to go, avoiding the scorch marks on the ground too. It was actually getting rather late, by this time, and the sun was starting to graze the horizon, like the fire spirit had tripled in size and taken over the sky.
“Ok, let’s go, and then once we’re out of this place, and I’m not about to be eaten by a giant flying rabbit-bat, or something else like that, then can we stop?” He tried to get his paws to soften up again by kneading them in the dirt, but that just made him dirty. He wasn’t being impatient this time, he was just tired, and wanted a break. And a nap. And some dinner, would be nice.

Heaving a heavy sigh, Intolo leaned further on the tree he was against. "Yes, we may rest. It seems that the horror went into the sector an acquaintance of mine owns. We could rest there." But, they had to get there first. If he even had the energy to make it that far. Because of his spiteful relationship with the snake spirit, Intolo hadn't been getting any energy for the past few hours. That, coupled with being so near the charred remains of the fire spirit's flight of fancy, Intolo was slowly being drained of his power. But, he wouldn't be getting any better just laying around, so with a grunt the little fluffball hefted himself into an upright position, shook out his fur, and began to hop slowly to his destination, making little thuds every time he came in contact with the floor. This was going to be a long trip.

After a good hour of travel, the two small travelers came across quite a sudden change; the dank, dark forest gave way to a bright, lush grove, with sparsely-placed trees and thick, lush grass. The sun shone bright on this Eden, and a variety of birdsong could be heard emanating from the tops of the trees. Intolo nearly collapsed when they crossed over into this new area, laying face-first in the grass and breathing a heavy sigh of relief. His fur suddenly took on a very plush appearance, and he began making a loud purring noise. "We'll rest here." He said, the sound muffled because he couldn't bother to look away from the ground. Such a nice feeling, being surrounded by life. It didn't even cross his mind that the scorched path abruptly ended at the barrier, leaving this side completely unmarred. He was just so happy to be around life!

Zack hadn’t enjoyed the dark forest they had been travelling through for hours, and over time, Intolo’s torturous method of walking had started to annoy Zack to no end. He was ready to scream, it was so annoying, by the time they crossed out of Uuma’s realm and into new fields. He gave a wavering smile at the sight of bright greenery and cheerful plants, rather than the dark, damp vines and creepers that the snake spirit seemed to favour. Still feeling a little grumpy, he didn’t smile as much as he would have any other time, but happiness was there.

A call to halt and rest did make his smile grow, however. He immediately flopped down onto his belly, stretching out his legs in front of him and his back legs behind him, sighing happily and not really caring if he got dirt on his paper. Ahh, that felt good. He stretched his wings out too, as if he was flying fast through the air, but on the ground instead, then shut his eyes. He could do with a long kip right now, he was worn out from all this walking. They must have walked miles and miles, more than any other dragon or spirit had walked before!

But of course, they were very small, and a mile and a half or so was a much longer distance for little legs.

As he was trying to get to sleep for a few moments, he suddenly had a thought. Why was everything so green all of a sudden? They had been following a wasted trail from the fire spirit. That couldn’t just disappear, could it? Unless… the spirit had gotten no further than this place.

He suddenly shot up into the air with a terrified squeal, eyes wide and searching for any signs of the monster. He could have been burnt alive!
“Where’s the fire spirit?” he squeaked, alerting Intolo to the danger.

» Into The Shadows
» [Watch yourself] Rogue X Liz [Fire or Lightning?]
» | | A Power Clash | | - Guardian Dragon Verses Top Slayer - Monty + Zay *Gaspgasp* It'll never end O_O
» Sea of fire
» FORGED IN FIRE