Ascending Legends

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed and ruffled his fur. "You surprised me, is all... I admit, it kind of hurt. I didn't mean to hurt you back, though, so we're fair." The corridor opened up into a massive cave, half carved, half smooth natural stone, the floor smoothed to the perfect combination of smoothness and traction. The massive cave was filled with shelves of books, lit by magic lamps about the room and a fire in a central fireplace. Arryn looked around, then called, "Libro! It's Arryngale!"

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn looked about the cave and admired the intricate design that went into it's design. Obviously someone of magical talent lived there. Dayn listened to Arryn's voice echo through the hall. He added a short bark to the end of her sentence, if nothing more than to add emphasis. <I'd howl but that might not be socially accepted everywhere.>

 

[Dragongal]

A white-haired and white-beared little dwarf, small and bent with age, waving a cane as he walked from behind a bookshelf on some scaffolding in the corner, climbed down the ladder. "Ah, Arryngale! It's been long, surely." He walked up to Arryn and Dayn, looking Dayn over, then glancing up at Arryn. "Who is your friend?" "Libro, this is Dayn, my betrothed. He's a lycanthrope."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn stood, his ears drooping suddenly. How do I great someone? He had only ever dealt with Arryn and Alistair in this form, and Alistair was the exception to the rule as far as telepathic communication went. Dayn just decided to wing it. He walked forward, lowering his ears politely before bending his head down to sniff the dwarf's hand. He raised his head back up and looked from Arryn to Libro. <Do you think he understands?>

 

[Dragongal]

"He's trying, that's what counts," Libro commented with a little chuckle. Arryn smiled to Dayn. "I believe so." "So, miss Arryngale, to what do I owe this unexpected pleasure?" Libro said as he pushed his tiny golden spectacles up on his nose. "Well... we had a few questions, about... things. For example, Dayn's a lycanthrope, and he's in full control, he can shift at will... on full moons, will he shift no matter what?"

 

[BookWyrm]

Libro scratched his beard as he looked down at Dayn. He listened to what Arryn had to say about him, that he was in full control and able to shift at will. "If he is in control of himself and his ability to shift it would seem he is a Moon-Born, not just your average lycanthrope. You've heard about them right?" Dayn barked, nodded his head slightly. "Good. Now, will he shift on the full moon no matter what? I'm not sure. I know it happens to both forms, but I'm not sure if they ever recorded it continually happening to Moon-Born. My advice would be to take him out on a full moon and see."


Dayn was paying attention before something started to irritate him. Behind his ears he felt an itch. He shook his head slightly as he tried to get it to leave, to no avial. Finally he looked up at Arryn, licking her hand before rubbing his head against her hip. He leaned his head down as if to show her where to scratch and bumped her lightly with his head. <Please?>

 

[Dragongal]

“You’re pitiable,” she laughed, scratching behind his ears. She looked to Libro, hesitating with her next question. “The banshees used a spell on me… some kind of curse or tie, I’ve been weakened toward mental magic… what can you tell us about that...?” He looked her over for a second and said, “Well, I suppose you best avoid mind mages.”


Arryn continued to scratch Dayn’s ears, though her pace slowed, until eventually her hand was just on his head. “... What would it have taken for the banshees to do this…?” Libro stroked his beard slowly, then replied, “They’d have to have a summoning circle of a kind - a kind of temporary ley line. They can’t make it themselves, they’d have to have a human make it for them, and it’d have to be very close to their graveyard.”

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn had closed his eyes, enjoying the wonderful head scratch before feeling Arryn slowly stop and let her hand come to a rest on his head. Dayn opened his eyes and leaned up to lick her hand gently to say thanks before leaning against her slightly. He could feel her getting slightly anxious, maybe nervous about this subject. I'm here for you love. Something was off. How where banshees entering a church to begin with? Weren't undead barred from moving onto holy ground? The better question, was the church truly "holy ground"?

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked down at Dayn, smiling slightly to her fluffy knight-errant. “The banshees came into the church through the back door,which led to the graveyard. I remember, I was standing by the pulpit, my team was basically grazing about, waiting for the fight, and the back door opened, and -" Arryn paused. “We knew banshees wandered through graveyards, but only some, and we didn’t know that this graveyard had banshees… we hadn’t been told, or seen them. Banshees are protective over their graveyards….”


She thought for a few seconds and said, “We’d looked over the graveyard from a distance, and we’d checked the area around the church… there was nothing inside, no marks…. Except… we were told there was a compound under the pulpit, but the pulpit was sturdy, it didn’t move, it was attached to the wooden platform as it was supposed to be, and the platform was attached to the wall… Unless…” Arryn looked at Dayn, seeing if he’d catch on.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn looked up at Arryn, himself picking up on what she was leaning towards. <The pulpit....was the summoning circle?>

 

[Dragongal]

“No, I saw it, there was no marks on it… however, what if there wasn’t a compound under it… but instead the summoning circle? That might explain why I couldn’t go near the church, even in the daylight, and it was worse when I approached at night.” Libro nodded, saying, “It is difficult to communicate with banshees, and a temporary dark ley line in the area would help. The banshees then drew from it, I do not doubt.”

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn growled. Just the thought that someone had activated a dark ley line to curse Arryn, it made his hackles bristle. <When I find the bastard that did this, I'll tear him to shreds.>

 

[Dragongal]

"You get the remains love. If my suspicions are correct, he not only had ten of my team killed, he also hired the assassin that attempted to kill Kalie, mistaking her for me, and he also had something to do with your nearly dying. But don't think on that now." Arryn gently petted his head, letting her hand run down his back, smoothing his hackles. She looked to Libro and said, "Do you know any way we coudl contact each other in an emergency?" Libro paused, stroking his beard. "Well, you shouldn't have telepathic tools in your state. His connection to you is different, but the charms and enchantments needed? No. However, I could make some of the locators I made for your team ages ago." Arryn looked to Dayn, her eyebrows raised.

 

[BookWyrm]

At the mention of his near death experience Dayn growled even deeper. <This is just getting personal.> Dayn mellowed out some as Arryn began petting him. When she ran her hand down his back he felt tingles run down his spine. Her touch seemed to have a magical quality, and not just because she was a mage. When she eyed him, her eyebrow raised, Dayn titled his head. <What are the locators he is talking about?>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn put her head in her hand, grimacing. "Sorry, I forgot you wouldn't know." She sighed, and went back to petting him. "They're these tiny hollow glass balls you can shatter - they make coloured markings show on a flat, black stone on a bracelet, and then the markings will move to lead to the person, like a compass. I destroyed my bracelet years ago, but kept the locators themselves. Thing is, they only work within a certain range, that's why I had to get you to the pass before shattering one, summoning Matthias, Theodas, and Kalie."

 

[BookWyrm]

<Ah, I see.> Dayn thought over everything for a bit, enjoying Arryn's attention. <I couldn't hurt to have them could it? You did happen to save my life with one you know.> Dayn sighed slightly, knowing what was going to come next. <If something were to happen I can always track people by smell, but that means that we have to tell them, tonight if not tomorrow. I know they don't trust me, but I don't want to be in a situation and wolf out without them knowing what I am ahead of time.>

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn looked from him to Libro. "Please make a few locators so I can find him." Libro nodded. "I will have them ready in the morning. The usual price." Arryn nodded, then turned to Dayn. "Ok. I'd like them to get to know you first, though. We'll do that tonight, love. Do you have any questions for Libro before we leave?"

 

[BookWyrm]

<Nothing, unless you are unhappy with what I am.> Dayn leaned up and licked Arryn's face. <I have made peace with it, but if it would make you happy for me to be normal again, I will consent.>

 

[Dragongal]

"I just don't want to risk you, my love. But you seem to enjoy it, so I think we can work with it." She smiled and hugged him around his neck for a few moments, then pulled back. "I've nothing wrong with your wolfiness.

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn gave a slight wolfy smile before nuzzling against Arryn's neck. <Seeing you smile is enough reassurance for me. If you are ready then we should probably go see your friends.>

 

[Dragongal]

"Alright." Arryn thanked Libro, then led outside, the cave entrance disappearing behind them and the false entrance reappearing. She got onto Dayn's back again. By the time they returned to the village, it was mid afternoon, both of them were completely human-looking. She had his hand in hers, smiling. "I say we find out what everyone's doing tonight first. You should meet them before we tell them."

 

[BookWyrm]

"Well I didn't really want to just walk in all be-wolfed seeing as how I can't speak to anyone but you." Dayn laughed heartily at the thought. "Is there anything I need to know about them? You said Theodas already knows, but what about the others? Do they suspect anything about my past or my secret?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn shook her head. "It's not exactly something you commonly suspect people of." As they returned to their borrowed house, She saw a note on the door from Norim, saying that the party would be this evening. There was no time, as dwarven parties had no true start or end times. She handed the note to Dayn. "Well, you can talk with them then, and we'll tell them tomorrow."

 

[BookWyrm]

Dayn grimaced slightly at the thought of a dwarven party. "I promise I will not drink tonight. I don't think I could stomach it anyway." Dayn turned around and looked to Arryn before asking, "Where might this be taking place?"

 

[Dragongal]

Arryn laughed quietly. "You think dwarves can keep it on one place? It'll be down by the common building, and in the streets around it. Better dress nice. Though it doesn't start till evening. What should we do? "