Bright, sunny, warm. That was the sort of day it was panning out to be. Roaring water could be seen and heard rushing over the sharp cliffs with a drop that would take many if they dared to close. Birds singing over the noise even if drowned out, living out their wild lives in the nearby trees that grew so gracefully and happily towards the ray that shed their light to everything under it. It was a thriving area for the uncivilized, the wild, the untamed, and adventure seeking ferals.

It was by far not a safe area, no rails in sight and only your wits to save you from an end that was bound to be painful, but that didn’t discourage everyone from the area. It was a small amount for this time of day, small groups traveling and chatting as they enjoyed the sights it gave to them, showing them the rocky world under them without issues of jumping what would mean to be protectors in their life. That sense of danger only adding to their more quiet lives, or maybe continuing to make their interesting lives just as interesting but more relaxing.

“This way!” A loud voice called from the more forested area, only a single worn path leaving through it. Dancing along the edge of a cliff. “THIS WAAAAY!”

The loud orange blob called out again, shouting it’s commands in the cheery way they would while the slightly tanned but pale skinned male carried them. Walking along, his long sleeves covered most of his skin and also the slime as he paused, wondering what direction he was being yelled to go. The noble steed one to please.

“Which way is this way?” He asked softly, the wiggling slime looking up to him as they held their breath, a small arm popping out and pointing straight ahead. “Ah, thank you.”

“Yes! We must go to the berry land! Need more!” The slime told him, wibbling more in excitement of more delicious berries for the two of them.

“Yes, berries are nice.” The male responded softly.

Cloud and Rory were soaring south of Corli in clear skies, for once. They rarely had adventures that ended well, and the Rider was intent on changing that. He heard of delicious berries in the area, beautiful flowers, pristine waterfalls and tame wildlife. Judging by the looks of things beneath them, the terrain was rough–but that was no issue for a dragon and Rider pair such as them. They just needed to find a charming meadow to land and enjoy for a while. He even brought a loaf of artisan bread and fresh goat butter to enjoy the berries on. Cloud could make jam out of anything, so it would be easy enough to make a delicious jelly and butter sandwich.

They swooped onwards in the perfect weather and saw a small group of tourists walking close to the cliff. Perhaps this was a good spot to drop at. Why would people be here, if there was nothing here worth enjoying? He looked for a place clear enough for Cloud to land–Don’t forget a sandy area, to make a crater, the dragon reminded him–and saw a strange pair next to the target clearing. He hadn’t expected to find others among the forest, but he supposed it was inevitable with all the delicious berries growing here. Cloud landed before he could inspect the duo, doing his best to scatter dust out from underneath him, but doing a poor job of it. At least the mist swirled around him as he dropped.

Rory decided that, if they were close enough to civilization, then they were friendly. “Excuse me, would you happen to know of any wild berries nearby? I hear they are too difficult to cultivate, and I want to try them while they’re fresh.” He was addressing the humanoid of the pair–after all, humanoids were always the ones in charge of strange-shaped things, weren’t they?

“These berries right here?” Shiloh asked quietly, getting told no by the one armed slime as she flailed her single arm forward. Shiloh did pause to pick a few berries, jumping as they hopped off the bush nearest him and fled to the great beyond field that was currently empty. “Are.. those the Berry Blasts?”

“Yes! Look at those little arms wiggle in the air!” Excited wiggling in her dragons arms, she hopped off to go chase after some of the red tinted berries. Shiloh pulled out a small piece of paper that had a small picture on it of the creatures the locals wanted taken care of. Though known for the delectable taste, they were also known to make quite the mess in this part of the season when everyone had their fill and they would drop off the bushes themselves and go in search of places to paint red with themselves.

Shielding his eye from the slight upkick of someone landed, a small hoard of the berries hurried over to ‘greet’ the other landing. Squished under the light colored bat who stayed for a moment to let a human looking male off who immediately started talking to him. Blinking and the dark skinned but brightly colored hair male, he looked around for his rider before finding her holding a small hoard of berries before they splat and the rider squeed and hopped over to Rory.

“Hello there! There are many! Though they are currently trying to commit suicide against allllll the surfaces!!” With a single Berry Blast in her slime body, it was trying hard to squish itself, but ended up just staring at Rory with it’s extra set of eyes as Plip wiggled. “Who are you! My name is Plip! And we’re heading…” Puffing up her cheeks, another arm popped out of her body, pointing in the same direction she was leading Shiloh. “THAT WAY!”

Rory, wearing only the brightest linens he could find in his closet, was absolutely distraught as he watched the little plants run around of their own free will. Not that he minded living plants–there were quite a few living plants–but these particular ones…he heard a ‘splat’ as one of them hit Cloud’s left wing. Did a wizard bring these wretched things to life? This was not normal behavior for…anything. Anything at all.

They’re very tasty, though, Cloud replied. After mere moments, his face looked like he had murdered a horde of feral dragons. The rest of his limbs were quickly being painted in more of the blood-like liquid.A normal person would be terrified by the visage, but there were precisely zero circumstances where Rory imagined Cloud being a murderous threat. Except perhaps to these berries. He was quite glad to be on dragonback and out of the slaughter zone. He didn’t want these clothes stained. He had anticipated–at worst–grass stains, and only brought a small blanket to picnic on. A small blanket would clearly not work for an onslaught.

“My name is Rory,” he reluctantly said to the strange-looking dragon. “That way, then? Is it safer? Will there be…less of them?” He didn’t have time to pity the poor berry stuck in the slime for long as it was carried away by its most-certainly-a Rider. Cloud was quite happy to walk behind them, albeit in a clumsy wyvern fashion, and snap up all the delicacies that were spooked out of the bushes as they went.

“Hello Rory!!” The slime started off, wiggling in place before starting off” Dunno! But must eat them all! The townsfolk said so!”

Hopping away on their own, Plip was more than happy to be the leader and show them the way to the land of more berries or maybe less berries! The rider didn’t know and was merely on her way to an area she heard of that could hold treasures that were desired by many.

“It’s nice to meet you Rory.” Shiloh told him as he followed his Rider, his tail swishing behind him. “Though please talk to my rider, she is more informed and I merely carry her so things don’t get stuck in her slime.” His soft voice could almost get drowned out by the things all around him, always a soft spoken dragon who just listened to what his rider said and tried to obey best he could. “I’m Shiloh, let’s go after Plip before she wanders too far.” On the more shy and anxious side, the dragon was off after his rider, head down as he went after the slimeball that was revealed to be a rider, if an unconventional one by Rory’s standards.

“THIS WAY!” Plip shouted again, leading off into a new area full of who knows what, all she knew was it was this way. On the map anyways, though what THIS WAY held was a mystery in it’s own. Not even the leader knew where they were going, and she and her dragon were okay with this. The great beyond was always a great place to go after all, on an adventure anyways.