Sadly it hadn't been,but they thought that he still wanted to go to the castle either way.
Crysta warbled softly but didn't rouse. Her frills shuttered and pulled folded shut and her tail curled in as she cuddled against Ash. "mmmm~...Sh...Shada...Ash.." She mumbled,faint blue in her frills.

Jason paused at the middle height of the tree and sniffed again.Odd,the scent was...very strong like...oh go(d). He jumped down,not caring as he hit the ground hard,and he shot to a stumbling stand and began running but something leaped in front of him,forcing him to skid to a halt and try another direction. A huge monstrous creature with jaws unhinged and teeth like a black tips.Eyes of blood red and snout strong and long. Neck of deadly spikes like shark fins and claws an anglers teeth. She let out a heroundus screech of that of a something dying underwater. Wellwater,a nightmare of the sea. She gave chase and stamped after him,tail of a sharks swinging side to side as she stamped after him. He didn't dare go the way he'd come,dodging around trees and leaping cleanly over shrubs and thistles as he dashed. He must have gotten close to a new encampment because she unhinged her jaws to came wide as heck as she kept giving chase. He'd never seen her kind this vicious other than in fights.

Ash wondered why there was blue there, but he wasn't about to wake her up and ask.

Air Current lowered and motioned with their head for Ash to get on.

Jason was breathing hard,not sure how much longer he could do this. Wellwater was thrashing through plants and slamming into trees to get to him. He finally hit an opening in the canopy and shot into the air,beating his wings majorly as he went up,the beast of nightmares spine snapping and two wings that looked like lionfish frills burst out. She then shot up after him and he knew what to do now. He spun around as she tried to follow,wings real wings despite the frilly appearance. She screeched loudly and he laughed,not a real laugh,as he spun and swerved.Growing tired,yes,about to give up? No way.That wasn't Jason.

Crysta's breathing was faster and her tiny talons held onto Ash's shirt tightly.Desperately even.

Ash got on, tightening his hold Crysta, noticing how she clung to him

Air Current carefully lifted and made their way out of the grove and started toward the castle. From farther behind them screeches from the best and shouts from Jason could be heard,Jason teasing to get them annoyed and the beast screeching in her fury. She snapped her jaws at him and got so close he actually almost dropped from the sky but he didn't,just used it and swerved out of the way and gave a jocky laugh. "Ha! Slow poke!" He yelled and the beast screeched at him,thrasher her front talons in anger before going after him again.

Ash listened, the edges of his lips turning up

Jason ducked and then dove and Wellwater dropped after him,but as he opened his wings again and swerved up and to the side she couldn't stop and ended up trying to and she only was able to pull up before she hit the ground.She beat her wings and flew back up and after him but he wasn't dashing anymore. He was glaring with a large grin to her and his tail swishing. "Hi ya'.Fishy~."

Ash continued to watch, practically clinging to Crysta

And Crysta was clinging to him with trembling little talons,now awake from her own nightmare and staring in fright at the creature with wide,terrorfied little golden eyes.

The creature flew up and at Jason but he didn't move. He would get his tail snapped! But he didn't budge,smirking and arms crossed and right before she was close enough to snap at him he yelled something that made her reel back and stop. "I'm not scared of you!" She froze,hovering there in confusion. "RRrrgh~?" "You heard me! Your nothing but a puny!" She shrank back a bit. "Little." She shrank to a tiny thing. He then smiled softly. "Adorable." She then purred softly and looked less scary. "Gubby!" He then opened his arms and she came into them and he hugged her. Crysta relaxed and sighed softly.

Jason let icey edies swirl around the little creature and her goopy black stuff went away to reveal a sweet little dragonet with markings like a clown fish but frilled a bit like a lion fish. Her little snout a bit chubby and her little eyes a happy orange but her markings colored like an angel fish.

Ash continued observing, keeping his mouth closed so he didn't gape