gameofmana | [log] Sword of the Skeleton

Skyfire nodded and grimaced slightly at the thought of a human running into something dangerous without at least some protection. They'd have to find him something to wear later, though the lack of money made things a problem.

"Well, as long as you don't expect me to do it all the time or act like a horse..." He huffs softly, offering a small smile. "Since you don't have any kind of armor and we don't know what to expect, you'd be safer on my back until we know what we're dealing with." Skyfire wasn't above taking things from whatever attacked them, and in this place? Who knows what they'd wind up with.

He nods. “That… That makes sense.” As much as Tsukishima is fighting to keep cool and collected, there’s no hiding the slight tremor of interest in his voice. Of excitement. Riding a giant dragon… Who wouldn’t be excited by that? He draws himself into another respectful bow. “I’ll be in your care.”

Although, now that he’s thinking of it- “If it reassures you at all, in exchange for the sword I’m looking for, the person I was speaking with in town agreed to trade it for something that offers magical protection. I had it looked over by someone else, and it seems to check out, although I can’t confirm it for myself with how little I know about things here.”

"Try to relax a little?" He didn't quite make the connection that the way Tsukishima was reacting was because of excitement, instead he mistook it for general nervousness and fear. Sighing softly he adds "I don't need to be bowed to..." Skyfire didn't think of himself as anyone special and was very uncomfortable with the way some people tried to bow and scrape around him when he first encountered humans. It was weird then and still weird now.

"It does help... sort of." He considered things a moment "Though not having it for this trip seems like a poor idea, I can't fault the one owning it in wanting a trade for their product. It just means we'll have to find something that you can use for the interim. It doesn't have to be anything too great, but I would feel better if you had some kind of protection."

Eying the room with a critical look, Skyfire offered a suggestion. "Shall we move this outside and see how well you can handle sitting on my back? I have a few ideas for some better temporary protection for you, but I need to think on it for a bit. We may as well try and figure out if you sitting on my back will work at all." Hopefully he didn't get motion sickness or something of the like.

The request to be calmer and not bow is a surprise to him, and he doesn’t have time to go over what the problem could be before the conversation is moving on. He listens to everything patiently, nodding. “I’ll see what I can find for myself as well. In the meantime, lead the way.” It’d be better to get Skyfire out of the way first anyway, considering how large he is and the difficulty Tsukishima would have moving past him.

It’s while they’re in the process of doing that which gives him the time to think over the dragon’s request to him, and he soon makes the connection. “By the way.. I’m not nervous. You don’t have to worry about that.”

Skyfire nodded at the request to 'lead the way' and started to work his way outside, the way he moves through the place makes it clear that while he's not used to being inside such a place, he is getting better at navigating it.

They were close to being outside when Tsukishima made the connection and clears up Skyfire's misunderstanding. "... Oh. Sorry..." When they finally step outside, Skyfire heads over to a clear spot with 'soft' ground. "You're the first in quite a while that hasn't been... Humans... Humans don't seem to like me all that much."

Well, he can’t say he’s surprised by the revelation Skyfire reveals. Even regular giant creatures with a lot of teeth and claws are treated with a bit of fear back where he’s from. A dragon is even more cause for concern. However, following after him, Tsukishima just shrugs.

“We’re already in an entirely different world, with a bunch of strange races I’ve never seen before. You’re not actively trying to do hurt me, so…” As long as that keeps up, things should be fine. That’s the view he’s going with, for as long as he can manage it. It’s sensible, which is as good as he’s getting in a place like this.

That revelation gets a chuckle out of him and he gives Tsukishima a wry smile. "That is very true. Too bad that view doesn't apply to the natives here or at home."

Skyfire pokes at the ground a bit and looks around, figuring that this spot was as good as any. There were no rocks and the grass would add a bit of padding in case of a fall... Not that he wanted him to fall off, but better safe than sorry.

"Are you ready to try getting up on my back?" He looks at Tsukishima with a tilt of his head, contemplating the best way for him to get up, finally shifting a wing for him to use as a ramp to climb up.

Idly, he wonders how much that’s true. What sort of things are the locals around here desensitized to? They hadn’t even batted an eye at a giant pumpkin causing havoc in their backyard. Would a giant dragon really be all that different?

It’s something to figure out another time. For now, he carefully approaches Skyfire and tentatively sets foot on his wing. Tsukishima would never count himself as the heaviest person around, but he’s still a tall teenage boy. “This doesn’t hurt or anything, right?”

While it might be true that the locals here might be desensitized to some of the more unusual things, at the same time, Skyfire wasn't ready to take too big of a risk yet by just walking into town. After all, being used to something wasn't the same as being friendly or welcoming to it.

"Relax, it's fine. As long as you don't start trying to pull out feathers or fur on purpose, it's not even slightly bothersome." Even at his reduced size since arriving here, Skyfire was sure he'd have no issue carrying a human. He was still made of metal and synthetics, no matter how organic he seemed at first, or even second glance.

Skyfire chuckled softly. "Who knows, you might even manage to help me work out the kink in my neck."

For a second, a smirk flickers across his face at the bit of humor. “I’ll let you know if I feel anything,” he responds before pressing on forward. It’s not a smooth journey, as unused as he is to walking on the structure of a wing- hard bumps in some places and softer thinner sections in others- but it’s a lot steadier than he would have first thought. Definitely not like the fragile wing of a bird as he was first imagining. After a point, he settles down onto his knees so that he doesn’t go tumbling off, coming up to Skyfire’s back.

Now…. the question is what way is best to settle himself up here? Kneeling down on Skyfire’s serpentine back, Tsukishima surveys his options. There’s no real way to sit behind the wings, not in any way he would say is advisable, and he could sit further up in front of them… But, as he cranes his neck to look around, it might get in the way of his front legs. Maybe… He adjusts himself right at the wings, stradling what he can of the before carefully lowering himself forward to grip Skyfire’s mane. “Does this feel too uncomfortable?”

Once he's up on Skyfire's back, Skyfire twists his neck around to try and still manage to speak somewhat face to face. "It's fine, but are you comfortable like that?" He paused and started to shift his wings a bit, trying to settle them in a position that could act like 'railings'... Without knocking Tsukishima off of his back or getting feathers in his face.

"We might have to see if we can find some leather or rope to make you some grips to put your feet in..."

“I don’t think there’s any way for this to be immediately comfortable, honestly,” he replies simply, trying not to react too poorly as Skyfire’s wings suddenly move. A pity he’s a regular high school student from 21st century Japan; they don’t exactly teach leatherworking as an elective. Although now that he’s thinking about it…. This would probably cost too much if they tried to figure things out in town, but- “Maybe we could ask one of the others in the tree if they know how to make something to help with this, if you were interested. But for now, I think so long as I grip tightly enough and with the help of your wings, I won’t be in danger of falling off so long as you don’t do anything ridiculous.”

"You might be right about that... This was certainly easier to do on occasion when I was larger..." Skyfire wasn't a stranger to giving a human the odd lift, and he had ideas on how to make things easier... but lack of materials was a problem.

"I wouldn't worry about it much. If we end up doing this on more than this occasion, we'll figure it then." He shifts a bit and starts moving slowly, trying to see how having Tsukishima on his back affects his ability to turn... without accidentally flinging him off.

"You up for a ride around the area to see how well this works?" Because better safe than sorry, right?

Having Skyfire move is definitely an experience. Despite the fact that his school and team have been teased on being “country boys” by Kuroo, he’s never really ridden any animals in his life before. So just this alone- the shift of powerful muscles beneath him, the constant small movements that aren’t anywhere smooth unlike a bike- is fascinating.

The downside is that, with no equipment, it’s all on him to keep his balance, although the position of the wings helps a little bit. “Yeah, I think it’d be for the best before we head out anywhere,” he agrees, still adjusting himself a little bit.

"Tell me if I move too fast, or if I shift in a manner that causes you to loose your grip? This is the first time I've actually done something like this without any kind of rope or harness..."

Skyfire is clearly a bit unsure about this, but he's still willing to give it a try. While he had given the odd human a ride before, it wasn't 'bareback' and when he was much larger. Depending on how observant Tsukishima is, he would eventually realize that Skyfire isn't quite as organic as he seems. His breathing is too regular, and some of the muscle movement may seem 'off' from what one would expect.

When Tsukishima seemed settled, Skyfire would start to walk slowly in the direction of one of the more open fields.

It’s definitely hard to ignore the strange shift of something not organic beneath his body, all the more telltale whenever he has to grab on tighter or straighten his position and there’s something sturdier than bone beneath his fingertips. Less flexible.

It raises up a lot of questions, but Tsukishima tries to keep them to himself for the time being. It’s something to ask later, when there aren’t more important things to focus on. For the rest of the afternoon, he focuses on working with Skyfire to find the exact right seating arrangement for both of them, pointing out if something doesn’t feel right or ways for either of them to improve. Only when the two of them find something that works does he call it quits for the day. So by the time the next day comes, he’s…. Somewhat confident that they’ll be alright.

Still. On the way to the caverns, he insists on walking there. His body will be sore if he stays on Skyfire bareback for too long, he’s pretty sure, so it’s better to stretch his legs out when he can. A good thing that it doesn’t really take that long before the cavern opening is looming before them, and he adjusts his sports bag that he’d brought along. “I’m pretty sure this is the place.”

It's easy for Skyfire to tell that Tsukishima has questions, but he won't pressure him into asking. While he's more than happy to answer nearly any question, he's aware that not everyone is comfortable asking said questions.

After they separated for the night, Skyfire spent some time looking around and scrounging for supplies. Managing to find some old canvas and some rope of questionable strength... but it would do as something to pack anything up they collected to haul back.

Even if he has no issues with Tsukishima walking for as long as he wishes, he does offer to carry his bag... since it weighs nothing to him. When they actually got to the cavern, Skyfire tilted his head and tried to get a sense of just what sort of task that they had in front of them.

"What are we looking for exactly? I don't want to accidentally bypass it or destroy it..."

“Have you ever heard of the phrase ‘the walking dead’?” Tsukishima asks, even as he presses his hand along the stone and peers into the darkness. To his surprise, it’s not that far from what he can see to get into the cavern itself- just a couple of steps downwards before everything opens up into enormous areas composed of plateaus and steps, all made of that same deep green rock. “It’s a walking skeleton, apparently. They wear armor and have swords, and it’s the latter that the person in town was interested in getting. I asked, and apparently they’re no bigger than most normal humans, so…”

Nothing compared to a dragon, is what he’s saying.

Skyfire grimaced at the words 'walking dead' and then sighed as Tsukishima finished the explanation. Really, after the monster pumpkin he shouldn't be surprised but...

"Lovely..." Peering into the cave a bit more, he huffed and drew attention to his back with a ruffling of the feathers on his wings. "Climb on up then. I'd rather not see what will happen if you go in there without any armor... and then we'll see just what's in here."

His claws leave a few deep gouges into the stone as he tries to settle himself, because who knew what else they'd find in there? Skyfire wouldn't say it, but he's actually a bit nervous. If it was just himself going in, he'd be less worried.

Well, this is already the whole point of why they teamed up, so Tsukishima doesn’t complain as he carefully makes his way onto Skyfire’s back once more. Already he can tell that the descents and curves of the cavern isn’t going to make things as easy as simply travelling along on the flat grassy areas of Home, but… Well. They’ll manage.

Although it’s not escaping his notice how unsettled his companion is. Gouges in pure stone are kind of a dead giveaway. So as he shifts into position, he gives an awkward pat to the dragon’s long neck. “We’ll be fine, if some of the things in there are anything like the pumpkins from that one weird event. I have a friend who I know has never used a sword in his life, and he was able to deal with them just fine. If anything bad happens, even if I can’t fight, I’ll be able to get out of here if nothing else.”

That much, after all, he can do. Sure, he’s not a fighter, but he’s an athlete. He has good reflexes, stamina, and knows how to run. That’s all he needs, as far as he’s concerned.

Skyfire settles himself a bit and nods, it's a bit of a mental fight to calm himself, but he manages. The terrain in the cave would make things a bit more difficult, but nothing he didn't think they couldn't manage.

"Alright... but the first chance we get that there's a weapon and armor that you can use, we'll find a way to rig something that you can wear. Even if you can run, I'd feel much better if you had some kind of defense besides hiding under my wings."

Still, once Tsukishima is settled on his back, Skyfire is very cautious as they enter the cave. He pokes his head in and looks around before ever stepping in. He looks for any kind of visible traps and not seeing any asks "So, you ready to get this show on the road?"

No traps are in sight. The further inside they go, even just a few steps, and the massive depths of the cave become more obvious. Certainly large enough in some places for a dragon, although there are just as many routes that only a smaller creature like a human could go through. Tsukishima hopes, as his eyesight adjusts to the gloom of the cave, that it won’t be necessary to do that however.

“Yeah, I’m good to go.”

Huffing a deep 'breath' Skyfire started walking, keeping his pace slow and steady. While he didn't see any traps, he was going to treat exploring the cave as if he'd seen signs of them. Making a mental note of the smaller tunnels, he sniffed at the air and tried to search the area for signs of 'traffic'.

"Did you happen to ask what the sword is made of? I might not be as good at tracking as I could be, but I can still sniff out metal fairly well." He wasn't that great at it, since he couldn't translate the information as well with so many of his systems still down, but it was better than nothing...

Good thing he’s the type to ask follow up questions. Making sure to keep an eye out for anything low hanging, although it doesn’t seem like a problem with how massive the caverns are, he starts to answer.

“I wasn’t expecting to recognize the metal on sight, so I just asked what it looked like. He said that any armor and weapons on them would likely be covered in rust- they’re apparently ancient, and this place can be pretty wet.” The soft dripping in the distance, echoing throughout the caverns, seems to support this fact. Tsukishima has to wonder about it. He hadn’t seen any sort of river above ground, so where was the water coming from? Is there a lake under the earth?

Maybe he shouldn’t think too hard about it all. Just getting to this place at all seems like it’s impossible, so what’s one more impossible thing? Instead, he looks around, raising an eyebrow as he sees the shell of something dull pink peek out from amongst the many rocks: a large crab with a doofy looking face on it, although not large enough to be of any threat to either of them, really. “I guess at least we know creatures live in this place…”

Tsukishima won't really have to worry about anything low hanging taking him by surprise, as Skyfire is mindful not to walk anywhere with anything hanging down at his height. Still, Skyfire is already thinking of planning a return trip to do some investigation into places not safe for humans.

At his comment about rust, Skyfire gets thoughtful and nods. "Rusty weapons? Well that should make them a little easier to track down..." He sniffs the air, then puts his nose near the ground to sniff there as well. "Rust on forged metal does have a fairly distinctive odor..."

Skyfire does stop when he sees that crab creature and looks at it curiously for a moment. He'd never seen anything like it before and he was curious, but then again, they weren't here for him to investigate the wildlife.

"Do you know anything about the creatures here?" The crab didn't seem like it was anything to be concerned about... but sometimes the smallest things could be the most deadly.

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Do we want to do a bit of a time skip to get them to the adventuring part of things?

sounds good to me

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