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FlounderingAway: Cover Zero

Something was clicked. A visual came up. It was a square-shaped. A red button blinking at top. Before the shape was sands and roaring waters that came by at the bottom picture of the screen. In the center was a silver dragoness; behind her were six other dragons. They all waved at the screen momentarily and at the same time. But neither of them all spoke out except for the female dragon. All cheerful and smiling, the dragoness responded to the coming silence that fell on top of her.

"Hello everyone! Welcome." She started, hoping this would be a good intro to start on. "We are currently on the beach. Right where the last story had taken place before the hiatus." "Hiatus, Virkaol? Could you bloggers call it: Stopped momentarily or something?" Spoke another voice that was right next to Virkaol. She turned her head towards the spoken male and glared at him as a pause of spoken words fell between them. It was the voice that shattered the silence afterward with risen claws held up against his chest. "Fine fine... Say it how you wanted it then." Then he left the scene and leaving behind Virkoal who grinned back before resuming whatever she was trying to say.

"Anyway. Despite the recent interruptions..."Virkaol started resuming right where she had left off, "There has been a lot of things. I had wanted to talk about lately. None of which were related to what our first goal was... in accordance with our writer- I mean, Author here." She lowered her voice and muttered something, "Wish I was writing this." "What was that?" Xenao responded, walking into view as Virkaol turned to him in a frightened panicked. "Nothing. Nothing, Xenao! Just... er... continue whatever you were doing." "Why are you recording this? This is not a blog." "I thought it be something interesting and could catch readers along the way. As well as reunite the old ones." "By doing a blog?" Xenao asked Virkoal nodded in kind. A great smile emerged from her face that was so big it covered her cheeks. Xenao looked at her without hesitation, his face was frozen into a stare as all he could was to look at her and shake his head.

With a grunt that finally jump-started his engines, he walked away across the screen to see what others were doing at this moment. Leaving Virkaol alone as her mouth was opened; eyes went wide and she spread her arms outward that they were cut off at the corner of the screen. Despite all that, just as she was about to say something. The screen went blank. She had ran out of battery. With a whined, Virkoal frowned and ran towards her camera which was planted into the three-legged stand on top of some sands. She grabbed it yanking it off the stand as she turned it around showing its backside; then ripped off the label showing four heavy-duty dragon batteries inside. She frowned and threw the camera onto the sands running westward towards her guardians with a scream that could rival a five-year-old girl.

Virkoal is a silver dragoness. A descendant of Neriax and Kesir. Her scales were polished and brightened against the burning sun above. Her personality is similar to the likes of Neriax and she also inherited Kesir's serious side look, although that was not mentioned at all in the other previous story. Regardless, Virkoal was running straight for the other dragons who were gathered in a circle, inching themselves closer to the cold waters behind them. Some of those dragons shivered; others did not. As Virkoal closed in onto them; Shinron gave a sigh then signaled the other dragons as they took note. Nodding before raising themselves onto their feet; allowing the sands to fall from their butts and tails. While Shinron turned his attention towards Virkoal, he crosses his arms and narrowed his eyes before responding to her.

"What is it that you wanted now, Virkoal? Is the subject of the matter right now?" "It is!" She responded claws high above her head. "My camera is out of batteries. I do not suppose that you have any?" "No. But there are some good news, however." Shinron started and turned to the others who smiled emerged from their faces. "We are going into the first town. It is not far from where we-" "In what direction is it then?" She interrupted him, grinning with her wings spread wide. Shinron slapped his forehead in impatience before answering her. "To the-" But a gust of wind blew passed him and sands were upon everyone's mouths. As they raise their heads onto the skies and spotted Virkoal flying away towards a random direction in the sky, Shinron growled and flapped his wings. Thus raising himself leveling with her in terms of attitude while he screamed at the top of his lungs against the rising winds surrounding them.

But fell upon deaf ears. The winds surrounding both of them were high on drugs and is roaring passed their faces silencing Shinron's voice while he bit his tongue growling and flapped his way towards her so they were wingtip to wingtip. He tried to speak to her and she ignored him afterward for instead, she dived to the surface of the ocean waters below. Feeling the winds rushing past her body as waves of water try to knock her down. It was almost like a contest. But only she was the contestant. When she lifted herself up, she hovered next to Shinron. Waters were dripping out from her scales all the way down to her tail. It felt like raindrops were falling down. But was not coming from a cloud.

As her smiled widened, Shinron growled at her and responded with anger dripping from his words. Virkoal could tell that he was frustrated with her and with a tail tuck between her legs; submitted dropping onto the sands. Folding her wings while she regrouped with the others whose eyes were turned to Shinron. He too dropped from the skies and landed without hesitation. With his eyes staring and scanning each dragon before him, he coughed explaining to them.

"Alright everyone. Despite the hiccup, we have with Miss. Danger over here..." "Hey!" She gasped, almost felt hurt by the title Shinron gave to her. Shinron continued, "We should be able to head onto the first town by nightfall." He raised his eyes to the blue skies above, muttering something to himself before turning around and spread his wings. Everyone else did the same including Miss. Danger also... I mean Virkoal; as the group of seven dragons lifted themselves up into the skies and flew Southward towards the nearby town.

So they finally reached the town and dropped to the ground. Whereas they landed with their feet touching the solid gray bricks underneath them, Virkoal looked around her surroundings and frowned complaining to Shinron "When you said a town. I thought there be some citizens here either walking about or buying or selling around here. Why do I see other dragons wearing stripe shirts and black pants as if they were going to some swimming pool?" "Stripe shirts and black pants?" Xenao asked, raising an eye towards her. Leonar and Tzico smirked at her despite Shinron hitting the back of their heads growling. There was something he muttered to them that Virkoal could not hear. Sadly though, she was not paying any attention towards them and instead kept her eyes lingering around her surroundings staring at the pirates doing stuff. Afterward turned her attention to Shinron asking him, "Well then. Where do we go in this piracy filled place?" "It is not piracy, Virkoal. We're pirates." Shinron commented but she ignored him and walked off.

With a face slapped by his claw, Shinron groaned and motioned the others. It had seemed the pirates do have a plan after all. But what kind? No one knew except for Shinron. In the meantime, Virkoal entered into the pirate market. There were pirates here taking sides of either side of her; all shouting screaming amongst one another and pointing claws and hooks with narrowed glares and glances. Virkoal wondered if she had stumbled upon some kind bar fight. The only difference was there was no beer or wine to get drunk from and she does know pirates loved to get drunk. Or was that some kind of myth? Either way, she continued walking; her eyes shifted from one side to the other and watched the conflict between pirates unfold before her very eyes. With the screaming and yelling filling her ears to the point that she could not take it anymore, she decided to run. But Shinron grabbed hold onto her wing to prevent her from running. For she glanced over to Shinron and smiled only faintly; he in turn scowled at her and shook his head before looking around also staring at the pirates to return the favor.

"Shinron? That be you?" spoke one of the pirates. Shinron nodded as everyone grinned and shouted over top of one another; speaking questions related to Virkoal and Neriax. But he declined them all and asked something else. Something related to their quest for the north and everything fell silent. Neither of the pirates had wanted to speak of it; for they had remembered the kingdom that fell due to the betrayal. Upon the mention of the topic at hand, Virkoal rushed forward to one of the pirates who spoke of such a thing. Slammed her claws against the wooden plank and growled, narrowing her eyes at him who reeled back in shock. "What do you know of the Northern Kingdom?" She snarled. "What happened there that my father never wanted to speak of?" "I...I..." The pirate stuttered, paralyzed with fear while the other pirates muttered whispering to themselves. Shinron stepped forward to Virkoal and snatched her away pulling her to the side. For as the two stared, neither had any words for one another as narrowed eyes and short muttering growls escaped from their mouths as if they were having some kind of disagreement.

Luckily, it only lasted for a short while with running that came to their ears. Both dragons lifted their heads and turned to the right spotting Tzico running to them. He looked exhausted; but his eyes were wide and wings were spread although flapping at times. He spoke in between breaths towards the two "Two... Things..." He started, breathing heavily after he caught up with them. "One. I had... received news... that... the eight are here." "Them idiots are going to get what for!" VIrkoal growled through clenched fangs as she raced passed both Shinron and Tzico, her eyes started seeing red. Shinron looked to Tzico with an annoyed looked upon his face. As he sighed and rolled his eyes, he whirred his claw prompting him about the second thing. Tzico, taking the clue, nodded resuming "The original members of the kingdom had split and are heading South. Although every one of them are hiding from the Sharia eight and someone else..." Shinron looked at Tzico and tilted his head to one side, asking 'Someone else'? A nod confirmed it as Shinron scratches his scale and ran after Virkoal leaving behind Tzico as he looked at him.

He later found her standing isolated away from everything else. Shinron walked up to Virkoal who turned around and looked back in response. As the two stared upon one another, Virkoal crossed her arms and growled at him. "What do you want?" "What are you doing here? Isolated and away from the town?" "Looking for the eight." "But they are not here." Shinron finished ending the conversation as Virkoal sighed and released her crossed arms, lowering her head glaring at the grounds underneath her feet. She watched the sands as Shinron turned around hearing rapid footsteps behind him and screaming. For therein result, he spotted his crew running after him. All waving their arms rapidly as their eyes widened with fear. Shinron growled at them wondering and Tzico answered. "The prices at the pirates sell are fifty percent off." "The food and weapons?" "No. The toys." Tzico remarked, a smile upon his face. Shinron shook his head saying nothing else as he returned his look over to Virkoal who asked.

"Why do you guys need toys? You are pirates, after all." She started. Neither of them wanted to answer it and left the conversation at that as their wings were spread. Jumping off from the sands, they flew to the skies leaving behind Virkoal and Shinron as they looked to one another in silence then shrugged. Repeating the procedure, they also lifted themselves up into the warm air whereas the sun sent rays down their spines. Shinron and Virkoal flapped their wings rapidly as they caught up with the rest of the flock. For once they had, Virkoal started "So... Once we are doing with the pirate island or whatever it was. Where are we going? What direction? And our destin-" But before she could finish her parade of questions, Shinro interrupted her answering most but not the last. He was worried about something. But he knows he cannot shake it off unless it is answered for himself. As they silently sailed the seven breaths of air heading Northward, Shinron wanted to know something...

And he theorized that the audience wants to know too...