[Video]

[neverfeltthatway]

[An abrupt and shaky view of Flamegard, from a vantage point that is both moving very quickly and several stories in the air, abruptly appears in everyone's mind. After a short moment, Armin's voice, high pitched and shaking with fear and adrenaline, rings out.]

There are... at least a dozen dragons heading due west from Flamegard. Young, about horse-sized, and working together, which is unheard of.

[The image pans up to the dragons for a moment - sure enough, there are many large shapes in tight formation flying low in the distance. After a moment, the image pans down again, a flurry of limbs and wires and blades and buildings. Anyone familiar with it will recognize that Armin is using his 3D maneuvering gear.]

Most of Flamegard's knights are on an expedition to the Ash Wastes - we can't stop them here. And any other method of carrying a message inland would come too l-

[The voice cuts off abruptly as he lets out a pained and terrified shout and lurches to the side - landing on a rooftop and tumbling to a stop, which luckily puts out the flames that had begun licking his sides. Throughout the tumble and after he lands, it becomes obvious that he's being chased by at least one of the creatures. Too close to stop unless it wants to take a similar tumble, the creature flies quickly past, breathing another gout of flame. Armin jumps to the side, and then follows, flying back into the air before the creature can turn around for another pass.

He manages to stay behind it when it does turn, and it doesn't seem to see him following. Then one of the cables snags onto the dragon's exposed neck and it seems to rush forward as Armin moves in for the killing blow. At the last moment, he hesitates, crashing into the dragons wing as his stroke goes wide.

Both Armin and the dragon scream as the tumble to the ground, falling a ways apart. With obvious difficulty, Armin struggles to stand - but when he does, he sees the dragon trying to flee Flamegard, struggling with a bleeding gash in the side of his throat and a probably broken wing. The rest of the flight are now little more than specks in the distance. Armin collapses, blades clattering to the ground, his breath coming hard.

His breath gradually slows, and, eventually, he continues.] Any other message would come too late. I don't know what they're doing, but... we need to get the inland cities prepared.

Someone with the expedition, please... let Eren know.

Comments

[bottomless_pit]

[ the only problem with that plan was how to spin it so that the other cities didn't believe they were all crazy doomsayers, but Hei ignores that for the more curious (and pressing) matter at hand, answering in the only manner available to him, with thought alone. ]

Why are they flying to the other cities? Did someone anger them?

[ this was Dolorosa however. Hei was starting to think that people didn't need to an excuse to fly off the handle. They just seemed to have a knack for it. ]

[neverfeltthatway]

From what I've heard, the dragons try to get past all the time. That's not unusual behavior - what's unusual is that they're working together, and so were able to actually get past us.

[bottomless_pit]

[ ah... what an interesting new development they had on their hands then, especially considering how difficult these dragons appeared to be to stop. He gave credit where credit was due after all: Armin held his own even if he did come away battered and bruised. ]

If it's unheard of, do you know if anyone in this world has the power to organize such creatures? They could be trying to stop us from finding the queen.

[ and working the problem from either end was always more advantageous then blinding chasing after a shadow. Isn't that what these barons and gryphon riders that Hei has learned of have been doing these past eight years? Either the queen went into hiding fearing for her life or someone has her hidden against her will.

If the latter, chaos was likely their aim. ]

[hakodate]

They can organize themselves just fine.

[Does someone sound a little sour? Well, yes, mostly because he's already run into the dragons here, and he's been asking around and observing in Flamegard. He knows exactly how bad this is.]

They're intelligent. Doesn't have to be anyone else behind this; they could've just decided it was in their best interest to do things efficiently for once.

[neverfeltthatway]

Unfortunately, what Hijikata says is true. They're smart, they're just paranoid and greedy - usually enough to prevent them from working together. It's probably impossible to tell who's idea it was...

[bottomless_pit]

[ Hei made a note of the name and carefully sent his words as text to both parties. ]

And if you ask a dragon directly, what then?

[ although he dismisses that idea almost immediately, moving on to his next question. ]

But if we can't determine the who, we can figure out the why. They must have a goal to work together.

[ especially since, by their words, it's so very out of character. ]

[hakodate]

I've heard trying to negotiate with them is like a peasant trying to negotiate with a king. If you ask...you might get an answer, you might get a brush-off, it's going to be condescending as shit either way.

[neverfeltthatway]

Even that's only if you can convince them not to attack you long enough to ask them the question. The one that attacked me seemed to do it just for the fun of it.

[bottomless_pit]

Ah... it's really that bad?

[ party poopers, all of you. But Hei wasn't exactly attached to the idea of committing potential suicide just to sweet talk a dragon. He did value his life.

Some of the time. ]

Then what are we supposed to do? I'm afraid I still don't know much about Dolorosa...