Between Scales and Fire

[Kattz]

Adalina relayed the previous events of what had occurred to her brother as they flew home. He hummed in thought as a response. They hadn't exactly failed their mission per se, however they hadn't exactly solved the dilemma either. This development could even serve to aid the potential dissenters in undermining Matriarch Tiamat's power over all in the forest. As the sun rose just before landing in the Elder Forest, Ada dreaded the potential coming of events. She, however, couldn't let that be shown on her face as a daughter of Tiamat, so she held her head high and stoned her facial expression as her brother padded along to the meeting place beneath her.

 

[Syrrus]

Deciding that sitting on his butt all day wouldn't make his life any easier, Ryoke decided to pick up and leave, which was exactly what he did. Carrying his backpack on his back, wearing his heavy cloak and carrying the dragon on his shoulder he set off, away from the castle grounds through a old passage way the Guards seemed to have forgotten a long time ago. He walked out into the great field, without looking back. He was used to great journeys were he wasn't sure how it was all going to end. He knew exactly where he was heading too, towards his death probably. He wasn't certain the dragon lady was going to be very happy when he decided to walk into her part of the world on his own, nor did he really care.

 

[Kattz]

"Quiet!" Tiamat roared as she thumped her tail on the ground. Adalina stood stark still when the clamour raised around her after recounting the events. As predicted, the situation did not bode well with many of the dragons. "Daughter, continue. How did you choose to respond to the situation?"


Ada wished that she could swallow the nervous saliva that had begun to form in her mouth, but gulping could be seen as a sign of fear or, worse, weakness. "Unfortunately the human was a Prince, a being second only to their king, their patriarch of sorts. There was not much I could do besides form a future meeting for peace talks to remedy the situation." Everything from murmurs to growls to scratching claws to thumping tails could be heard as Ada's decision was both questioned and praised.


Tiamat was silent for a long while before she finally spoke. "Very well Daughter. Given the circumstances, you're decision was a sound one that avoided potential all out war." She rose her voice to speak to her kind so that it could still be heard over the angry chorus as it began to bubble. "However that does not mean that we will trust them to honor the code of the peace talks. Set up sentries around the Forest. No one approaches without my knowledge."

 

[Syrrus]

The trees seemed taller than he remember, that wasn't actually true of course; they hadn't crown an inch. The feeling of guilt made his steps feel slower and he couldn't stop staring at the ground in front of him. It was annoying, perhaps a bit too difficult to deal with it all. The whelp on his shoulder seemed more than happy however and was watching its surroundings with great interest, he hadn't been outside of the castle for a very long time. He curled up around the prince's neck, making sure he couldn't fall off and that he would get as much warmth from the man's skin and cloths as he possible could. Ryoke sighed and peered beck at the head of the big lizard. "You annoy me." He said and the dragon simply barked back and licked his cheek.

 

[Kattz]

Adalina was napping against her mother as she often did since she was adopted. The fires in Tiamat's belly never failed to warm her and make her feel safe and comfortable. Just then, she awoke to the call of a messenger dragon speeding with urgent news through the trees. "Lady Tiamat! A human has arrived with the youngling in tow. He has come alone!" He shouted in the draconic language of mental speaking.


"I suppose 'shouted' therefore would not be the proper term for it since the words are magically broadcast into the mind..." Ada thought to herself lethargically as she tried to rub sleep from her eyes.


"Daughter, bring him to the gathering place." Tiamat ordered as she got to her massive feet and padded towards there herself. Ada made a face but she didn't care argue with her mother of all creatures. With a sigh for her lost nap, she grabbed her spear and went off to meet with the Prince.

 

[Syrrus]

Ryoke didn't notice her at first, it wasn't until his whelp started to hiss her way that he looked up. He had been staring at his feet, clearly upset. He wondered to himself if this was going to be his last few steps as he peered up at her, frowning slightly. "Afternoon."He bowed, at least he had manners. "I decided to come alone, the King won't return until late next week." He couldn't sit around in the castle, not after he had learned that there was a place where the dragon belonged and could live in peace, even if it seemed as if the whelp didn't want to leave him, at all. He was going to give it back to its family, if it so was the last thing he did.


"I hope I didn't impose." Not that it mattered, he had already killed one of their kind... Her... kind? No she was like him, a daughter of man. With some weird fashion of interest and she didn't seem to know how to behave, as a human that was. He probably behaved very well for a dragon or... lizard? He wasn't certain.

 

[Kattz]

Adalina dropped down from the massive tree she had been standing in, spear in hand. After he spoke of himself possibly imposing, she said to the Prince, "I don't understand the point of your empty words. Surely a dragon slayer such as yourself cares not whether or not he is imposing." She had gotten a bit sidetracked as she spoke her mind. "Well no matter, let's be off then. Matriarch Tiamat wishes for you to come to the gathering place." And with that, she swiftly spun on her heel without another word and headed to the clearing.

 

[Syrrus]

"Okay, first of all, I am no Dragon Slayer; I am the prince. If you even bothered to read up on your pray like I did on 'mine' out of bloody honor we wouldn't have a problem." The little whelp barked, clearly agreeing with him. He was a good dragon, he really was. Sometimes.


The prince sighed heavily and started to follow her. Dragon-raised or not, did she really have to walk around like she did? Some would think that the whole dress code wasn't only the civilized humans deal but every humans. She clearly were no dragon, maybe she thought she was? "So..." He decided to test the water, he wasn't afraid. "Dragon or human?"

 

[Kattz]

"Hmm?" She stopped and half turned to face him. "Dragon or human what?" Ada frowned in irritation and confusion. Why did this man chatter so much? They had a task of great importance to accomplish. Couldn't he see that?

 

[Syrrus]

"I was just asking, are you human or dragon?" Was that a rude question? He surely hoped not, he didn't mean it as a rude question. "For one you're not sprouting wings or tails... or fans... not even claws so I was just wondering." Or perhaps trying to provoke? Even the little one on his shoulder thought his question to be awfully rude.

 

[Kattz]

Adalina stood in thought for a moment. The expression on her face was unreadable. Memories of her life flowed through her head as she recalled that she often wondered the thought herself. Did she stick out like a pulled claw that much? Ada turned back and began walking again as she called back in an emotionless, factual voice. "I suppose I am neither."

 

[Syrrus]

"Is that a deep answer? Because I don't think that's true." The man continued as he followed her, hands on the straps from his heavy backpack. He was tried, yes but not tired enough to need rest. "You got the same type of body structure as females of my race, so I'd guess that you're human." That reminded him of a book that his mother used to read to him about a boy being raced my wolfs.

 

[Kattz]

Adalina was saved from coming up with an irritated response when her brother arrived at her side. "You should have waited for me." Tatsuo roared over their mental link.


Ada smiled and rubbed his snout in a calming response. "Peace brother, I can handle myself." Ada continued on, leaving the males to catch up behind her as the trees began to thin out and the clearing began to come into view. "Clearing" was and understatement as there were no trees for at least several miles. The only things that blocked the view of the ground were rocks and boulders that could be sit upon and streams of water for the more aquatic dragons. But the meeting grounds were far from empty. They were a small tribe, but scores of dragons both local and visitors were in the water, on the ground, on the rocks, in the skies, and in the trees that made up the borders. In the very middle of the meeting ground sat the matriarch of the Tiamat tribe, the massive Tiamat herself. The crowds parted to let them pass.

 

[Syrrus]

The Dragon hunter and prince of man couldn't help but feel a bit taken back by what he saw. He knew dragons were a problem but he never figured it was a big problem such as this. He peered over his shoulder at the little whelp who was sitting on top of his backpack, watching the scene in the same fashion as the man had done. "Did you know about this?" Ryoke asked the dragon and it simply looked at him and blurted a puff of smoke into his face causing the man to cough. He figured that meant either 'yes of course' or 'you're an idiot' whichever one stung a little.

 

[Kattz]

Ada led her small band to the center until they stood before her the matriarch. As customary, Tatsuo and Adalina bowed their heads in respectful greeting. "I have brought him mother."


"Yes I see." Tiamat responded in a low and amused voice. It was always a funny site to see her usually fired up daughter so somber at serious events.


Tatsuo left to take his place at their mother's side just behind her so as not do demean her authority. Before joining him Ada turned to the prince and warned, "Look alive human, you are in the presence of Matriarch Tiamat herself. Show disrespect and it will be the last thing you do." She ignored the disapproving glare she received. This may be a peace talk and no place for threats, but the human needed to know his place.


Turning her massive head towards the young male, she stared at him her golden and amber shifting eyes. She took note of his vary being from all that she could see both inside and out. Finally, Tiamat spoke. "What is your name boy?"

 

[Syrrus]

The prince glared at the human girl too. He was the future King of men, he wasn't allowed to show anyone more respect than he showed his people. He simply stood there, after removing his backpack and placing it next to him on the grass. Boy, a term he didn't much care for either. "I do realize that I am of a disadvantage and that my costumes is very different from yours but I would prefer that you didn't call me boy. My name is Ryoke, I'm the Prince of Man." He patted the little whelp as it nuzzled against his cheek when he said his name. Damned thing probably thought he was talking to it.


He continued to watch the dragon in front of him. With proud and strength, there was little else he could do.

 

[Kattz]

"Ryoke." She mimicked, letting the foreign name roll off of her tongue. Her eyes flicked to her grandson and he nuzzled the human's cheek. "I am Tiamat. Matriarch of this Tribe and a Voice on the Council of all Dragonkind. We have no ruler over all. We head each tribe or clan with a single dragon of great power, wisdom, or both. Then each tribe or clan is given a voice on the Council through their Head. Tell me Ryoke, do you rule over all of your kind as if it were a single Clan?"

 

[Syrrus]

"My father rule over our kingdom, or people like the head of a family." Ryoke explained. It was difficult, he didn't quite know what 'Clan' meant in this context and therefore he simply decided to explain it his own way. "We protect each other and has been in piece for many generations with little poverty. The King cares much more his people." More than he cared for his son too. It was what being a prince meant, he was worth the least in the entire kingdom for the King saw to the people before his own flesh and blood. Ryoke didn't recent his father for this, in fact he understood it perfectly.

 

[Kattz]

"I see. Your father is a 'king', you are a 'prince', and are therefore 'royalty'." The foreign words spilled out of Tiamat's mouth like water. The crowd around them was silent, but somewhat restless. They did not see the point that she was driving towards. "If I recall correctly, royalty means that leadership is passed down from one head to their kin. So why, pray tell, would a member of this 'royalty' take my remaining grandchild hostage after murdering my daughter and her children?" Ada could tell that she was trying to keep calm and her voice even, but the raising of her tone gave the matriarch away. Ada had to force herself not to shiver. Tiamat was one who advocated peace, but she was still not a force to be reckoned with when angry.

 

[Syrrus]

"I never took anyone hostage. I did kill the brood mother, as we call it. It is what all future Kings and Queens has to do. For the thing that threatens our people daily is not war, nor sickness it's the likes of you." He looked around, strangely fearing very little at this point in time. "I admit that it's cruel but what your kind does to my family, my people is just a cruel. We have to abandon our home monthly, leaving corpses, husks and ash behind. I am not saying there is any right in revenge but that's not what this is about either. We are smaller than you, we can still kill you as I am proof of but you can slaughter an entire city in minutes." He folded his arms and the little whelp decided that it was a perfect place to sit, so he sat down on top of the man's arms, peering up at him. "You can raise your tone at me all you want." He continued calmly. "But your kind is no different from mine. You kill, we kill, you die, we die. And I might have killed your child but I have lost far more to your... talons... than you'd lose in a lifetime."

 

[Kattz]

"Do not speak to me of loss!" Tiamat growled. "You who are so short lived have lost more than what I have lost in a lifetime? I highly doubt that you have had to watch as your children, brothers, sisters, parents, and entire Clans under your command have fallen to senseless war and carnage." Her eyes narrowed dangerously as she recalled centuries of loss and all those she ruled over bristled with anger and anticipation of an attack command. The matriarch calmed herself, however, and let out a deep breath of steam and spoke from her nostrils. "But you misunderstand young one. I hold no ill will towards the killing of my kind. As senseless and despicable as I find it, it is simply the way of our world. You murder ours and ours murder you. Such has it been since a time before even my birth. No. My anger stems from the fact that you hold my grandson in your possession and have not released him. Why?"

 

[Syrrus]

(Wow, just realized that my last respond never posted. What the absolute...)


The prince was about to shout back. How dared the over grown lizard speak to him in that manner?! Yes fine, they killed dragons, one or two might be taken down a year, sometimes even the eggs depending on if they managed to kill a brood mother, which wasn't as easy as it sounded. Man was weaker, frail. A dragon could step on an entire village if they so desired. It made him shiver, just the thought of it. The conversation changed it topic and Ryoke frowned even more.


"What make you think I've kidnapped him? He's the one following me. Do you see any chaind?" He asked as he held the whelp up towards the dragon speaking to him. The whelp snorted fire and went to crawl back up the prince arm to sit round his neck. "I surely wouldn't let a hostage weigh me down in this type of manner."

 

[Kattz]

Tiamat narrowed her massive eyes at the smaller being. Such an attachment between species was an unusual response for a young dragon to have. She hadn't seen such closes since-. Tiamat turned her head slightly to look at her two youngest children. "Adalina, have you possibly seen any evidence of this human being Marked?" She asked with narrow and calculating eyes.


Tatsuo visibly stiffened beside his sister. "This man? Bonded with our nephew?" He shot smoke and steam from his nostrils at the ridiculous accusation.


Ada, however was lost in thought. She shared her mother's knack for thoughtfulness as the possibilities ran through her mind. "Is it possible?" She said in a barely audible tone before finally looking her mother in the eye and speaking in a loser voice. "Yes. I believe so Matriarch Tiamat." Murmurs of disbelief and cries of outrage filled the air as the news was passed back for the others who weren't close enough to hear.