Fantasy Dragon's Revenge

[Kain]

Darius staggered, his head feeling like it was going to split in two. It hurt. It hurt bad. His vision blurred over for a moment, but he caught on, desperate to not fall unconscious. The thought of the thief and the red woman still lingered.


Holding the railing with a strong grip, a few people falling over him, he let one of his eyes peel open. What in Talos was that? A bellowing roar ripped into this establishment, now the patrons were looking around them, trying to detect the place of where that sound was made. It didn't sound like small fry. It sounded like if 50 wild wolves combined their voices into one to create that monstrous sound. Of course, no long after, a angry grunt as heard and people pushed aside, the rushing inn owner stomping towards the rooms, with long enraged steps. This cacophony will certainly cost a few patrons, too scared to encounter the beast who bellowed that sound. Even if in the corner of his brain, he wanted to go investigate that, he still had to find Svana. Perhaps, he will go see the carnage once he found her. He wasn't sure she would be enthusiastic about it. After all, she was but a sheltered noble.


Still mildly dizzy, the blacksmith rubbed his temple with his right hand, cringing. He glared around him, more to check how many people had fell down.


"Svana." Darius muttered, with a smooth voice. He detached himself from the wood and walked towards the surprised noble. "Did you find out anything? Did you see what was in there?" He began, but soon stopped himself, seeing that she was still confused. Sure, he wasn't good to talk with people, but he knew how to pick up social clues.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer watched Altus quietly with her book in her hands and his weapons on her lap. She knew he'd be carrying extras, but it was the crossbow that worried her the most. The knives she could handle no matter how good he thought he was, but the crossbow was another story. It would fire a bolt faster than even her reactions could pick it up and she'd run a very serious risk of taking a bolt in a bad place. He wasn't what she'd call an expert with any of his weapons, but he was good enough for a humble thief to get the job done.


She began to hum softly to herself as she put her book away. She looked at the sky above and admired the moon and stars through the leaves in the trees around them. It was a nice warm night, perfect for enjoying the peace and quiet so long as Altus remained calm and got the rest he needed. She hummed to herself all night until the sun began to peek over the horizon and she looked down at his crossbow as he continued to sleep.


I could destroy it and be rid of the most immediate threat, but he'd lose it if I did that... She thought to herself.


No, she couldn't do that. She said she'd give it back and she intended to make good on her word. But if he ever tried anything, and that meant anything at all to hurt her, then she'd kill him... Slowly. Now that Altus knew she was a Dragon she had to be careful. There was a reason mortals weren't allowed to know the secrets of the Dragons. Their tiny and lesser developed brains often couldn't handle the strain which the Dragons' existence put on them due to how many general societal and religious rules and doctrines they violated. The fact of a Dragon's existence alone went against over 85% of religious teachings of modern day human societies.


She just hoped that as a thief Altus wasn't the religious type. If he was going to keep following her, she needed to know he wasn't going to go crazy on her again. She didn't want to kill him, but she would if she had to.


(Ya'll can speed things up a bit and find them now if you'd like. Once Altus wakes up, they're leaving and you'll have missed your chance.)

 

[roboblu]

As she saw Darius approaching, Svana gave a sigh of relief and went to meet him. However, at her companion's eager questioning the noble shook her head, distressed. "No, I didn't see anything ... But they packed up and left in a hurry, even after taking the trouble to switch rooms," she answered him, fingering the torn sleeve of the old coat. After a second, the lady spoke again. "Whatever that noise was, sir- ah, Darius, I have a feeling it has something to do with them." Svana surprised herself; why had she automatically formed a link between the thieving couple and that horrible, monstrous sound? There was an abundance of criminals in the world -no, in this town alone- but few creatures or machines could have made a sound like that- of this the lady was sure. Why, then, was she so certain that it was somehow the doing of the two strange thieves?


A thought suddenly struck Svana, and she leaned a little closer to her blonde companion. "Darius! This could be our chance to- to leave," she said in an excited whisper, motioning toward the city streets through shattered windows. Swarms of people were milling about, rushing past the city gates, and generally creating chaos. If they were careful not to draw attention to themselves, Darius and Svana would be as good as invisible. The little noblewoman gave her companion a nod and slipped through the cracks in the crowd, occasionally being stepped on by particularly unaware passerby. There was an empty space just past the bridge of the city ... If they could make it to that spot and into the forest, they were golden. And maybe then we'd get some rest, Svana thought, rubbing her eyes distractedly as she wriggled through the jostling bodies.


Svana was swept easily across the bridge, carried by hordes of curious villagers all fighting for a glimpse of the monster. The guards, on the other hand, were fighting to maintain order- and failing miserably. Other guards were carrying swords and rushing across the bridge with an air of urgency, no doubt on the hunt for whatever had made that enormous sound. Svana couldn't have cared less- she was nearly there, nearly there ...


And, with a final burst, the noblewoman was thrown outside of the crowd and into the smooth trunk of a tree. She gripped the tree for support as she scoped the scene for Darius; surely he had seen the opportunity, as she had. In a few moments she was certain they'd be finding a safe spot to rest, and laying down for a few hours.

 

[Kain]

"Good Talos, this crowd was thick." Darius muttered under his breath, just yearning for a time when he could rest. Slipping a glance towards Svana, he straightened up, being out of the crowd in a few seconds. Even if he didn't say anything about the plan, he could agree with Svana, although he was sad because he didn't get to get a refund for his money..... The inn keeper would need it anyways, considering the amount of damage the beast has done to his inn.....


He rubbed his tired eyes with the palm of his hand and shook his head in an effort to wake him up a bit. The more time he spent awake, the more he would feel irritated and less talkative. Good god did he need to rest. The rumblings of the crowd just made him more spent on his nerves. "Let's go." He said, at last. Looking above the crowd, he saw that spot was empty of people. Of course, he didn't go there often, preferring the more traveled routes, but this was necessary to their escape. With a sigh, he glimpsed back at Svana and, with a awkward little nod of the head, he began to walk towards that point.


It was much more easier than he thought. After a kilometer and such, he was at the edge of the forest, accompanied by the small noble. Looking back at the torches streaming about in the city, racking about, checking the nook and crannies, they probably still didn't find the monster.


Heading into the forest's darkness, his nerves steeled. The noises of the branches, the distant wolf howling...it was unnerving. He slapped a bug that landed on his skin. His hand was crisped on the strap of his knapsack. He lightly moved branches out of his way, glaring around him. An hour in the forest, his fingertips were aching. Then, he heard a sound.


It wasn't an animal. It wasn't a branch falling. It definitely wasn't natural.


The distinctive sound was a page flipping. Of a book. He thought he was deluded, having hallucinations because he was so tired. He completely stopped, trying to focus on that special sound he had listened to so many times in his childhood. Once in a while, the noise would be heard again. Darius followed the sound on a whim, curious about its origin. By the time he arrived in a small clear area, the sound had stopped completely.


What he gaped at was quite infuriating. The red haired lady had a book and a crossbow on her lap, looking up into the dark sky dotted with white stars. The thief was taking a nap, on grass floor, making no sound in that endeavor. The instant he contemplated this scene, he immediately knew they had something to do with the beast. The large paw prints that were graved in the mud were not helping either. Too tired to think of a better course of action, Darius stood there, standing like a rock statue. His mouth was set in a hard line. If he stepped out of the bushes, she would undoubtedly shoot him.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer hummed a sweet little tune to herself for a few minutes before her nose picked up a new scent in the changing winds. She kept humming, making no other indication of her knowledge of the fact that she and Altus had guests. After a moment, her humming stopped and she took in a breath and let it out on a sigh through her nose.


"You can come out now," she called softly, not wanting to wake Altus who was still sleeping.


She turned her head, looking in Darius' direction as she smiled. She had no intention of using the crossbow, and to prove it she took the bolt off of it and fired the empty weapon towards the ground before setting it down completely a foot or two away from her.


She kept her pleasant smile on her face as she tilted her head slightly.


"Something wrong?" She asked quietly.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus was never sleeping when Slifer told him to. It was in his nature to just close his eyes and feel like resting while all his senses are still active. He has no idea why he had this kind of routine. Basically, he was just used to keeping his guard up while letting the rest of himself refresh. He ignored the sound of Slifer's book, tagging it as part of this moment. This will help him quickly notice the sudden changes of the atmosphere.


He disposed of it first, but the noise of the bushes were not normal. And it grew louder and louder accompanied with a herd of footsteps. He rolled himself facing Slifer with eyes barely opened, slowly slipping his hand into his pack of bolts. The storage was not any other quiver of bolts. Altus was very creative and curious. He was also specific, which gave him some advantages and disadvantages. He'd experiment with his bolts and explore different types of ways to change the tables of combat. His quiver was strapped tightly to his thighs, making no noise of some sort. It had an easy-to-open lock design and inside the quiver were divided sections of every type of bolt he crafted.


Altus lifted the lid and took a normal bolt unseen by Slifer. He closed the quiver slowly and hid the bolt together with his hand at his back. He waited for suspicious activity to reveal, maximizing his senses as if he was looking in every direction. Until Slifer began tilting her head and spoke to the bush. Finally, he confirmed that the figure was Darius from the inn. He just hoped that whatever Slifer wants him to do with Darius was necessary.


With a decided decision, he pulled himself up, uncovering the bolt and stared at the event. He moved closer to Slifer and stood straight and ready. And speaking of ready, he took another bolt that was combined with a flashing powder that could stun and blind Darius for a small time if he tries to escape. Now, he had a bolt on each hand...

 

[Kain]

Without any actions left to do, Darius stepped out of the bush, praying that the small noble still hid behind him. The blue blood had no reason to make her pay for his curiosity. He patted his coat and glanced at the red haired woman, who was no longer clad in a silk robe. He questioned the suspicious dame.


"You...You had something to do with that roar." He said, without any hint or question but as a fact. Although, he didn't have any proof or facts of any sort so that kind of played against him. "Didn't you?" Darius added, seconds later.


His hand was gripping the hilt of his short sword firmly, as he glared at the woman, examining her next actions.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer looked at the man with confusion and indignance.


"That roar nearly split my head into two pieces. How could I possibly have had anything to do with it?" She asked calmly and softly.


She closed her book slowly and set it down next to her. She could see Altus out of the corner of her eye and she didn't need him jumping to conclusions about what to do around this man. She stood up slowly, brushing herself off and giving her bottom a quick pat to dust it off before turning to the man with a pleasant smile on her face and a bow of her head.


"Please do understand that while my student and I left in a hurry, we had nothing to do with that sound," she said.


"We're on a journey and must be off very soon, as we've a short time frame within which to accomplish our goals. If you must know, I'm taking him to a special training ground which is only accessible during specific times of the year due to wether conditions being favorable. Eighty percent of the year they are inaccessible, and we must reach them soon if we are to make the most of his training."


She looked over her shoulder at Altus and gave him a glare, indicating she wanted him to calm down and relax his stance. He was rigid and ready for a fight, and that was not something they needed to project at this time. This man and his sword were no threat to Slifer, and Altus didn't need to think about protecting himself when Slifer could easily deal with the situation at hand.


She turned back to the man before her.


"If you'd be so kind, could you take your hand off your weapon? You're making my student rather nervous. He tends to act aggressively when he's unsure of what to do, so please rest easy in the knowledge that we had nothing to do with that horrific sound last night."

 

[roboblu]

To say that it was a challenge to keep up with Darius was an understatement. At first Svana did alright, dodging branches and sidestepping rocks with care, but after a few minutes her untrained body began to wilt with exhaustion. Several times the noble tripped, but still somehow managed to keep her footing, unlike in the alley earlier that night. However, there was a more urgent sense of desperation in the lady's stride now than there was before. Slowing down or taking a break would mean losing sight of Darius, which Svana knew was not an option in the dark, twisting forest. She never lost him completely, but still lagged considerably behind his wide strides.


It seemed like they'd been walking for hours when Darius finally halted at the edge of a clearing, though by the tension in his stance Svana guessed that the stop was unplanned. Stepping quietly, like a mouse, the woman slowly crept up behind him and peered through the bushes. There, sitting quite calmly in the center of the glade, was the mysterious red-haired woman. The thief sat nearby, apparently sleeping.


After a moment the woman called Darius into the clearing, which came as a surprise to Svana since Darius had been very inconspicuous. For the second or third time that night, the noblewoman got the strange feeling that this Slifer was somehow not normal- different not only from herself, but from people in general. With silver eyes Svana watched the exchange between Darius and the criminals, and noted with alarm the thief's slow and sure movements to arm his crossbow. Slifer disarmed the thief with an elegant phrase, then addressed Darius with another lie.


Of course, Svana could not be completely sure that the woman was lying, but something in her mannerisms suggested that she was not telling the complete truth. And that did it: Svana was sick and tired of politicians, of thieves, and of strange red-haired women who spoke in lies and dealt in trickery. Why weren't people clear-cut, honest ... black and white? Why did every situation have to be coated in an ambiguous grey?


The noblewoman stepped out behind Darius, genuinely unconcerned for her own safety. "Who are you both, really?" Svana asked stubbornly, her hands tightly gripping the strap of her satchel. Few people would believe that this thief would ever consent to being a student, much less the student of a woman. His posture, his face, his body language were just not right. It was true that the thief seemed to have some respect for Slifer, but a student? He had the look of a mercenary, if anything.


"Even if you didn't make that ... that sound, madame, you seem ..." Svana searched for the right word to express Slifer's attitude and appearance. The mysterious woman carried herself like a queen, had the weapons of a soldier, and spoke like a politician. A word came to mind. "Important." The little lady stared at Slifer with curious but suspicious silver eyes, trying to glean the truth from her face. It was a useless endeavor. "If you're on the run, which I suspect you both are, then you have nothing to fear from us. We aren't exactly on good terms with the law ourselves," Svana added, vainly hoping that it would somehow improve the likelihood of these criminals telling the truth.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer watched Svana approach and caught the scent she left on the light breeze blowing passed Slifer's crimson red hair.


... That's the scent from the inn...


Slifer's eyebrows rose slightly when Svana mentioned that she looked important. It was interesting to hear such words from such a proper young lady. Likely a noble now that Slifer got a good look at her. She hadn't noticed before, but this young woman carried herself with the same kind of grace which Slifer did. She almost laughed at the thought that anyone would consider her important, but managed to contain herself.


"Well, thank you for thinking that I look important," she said with a small chuckle.


"I can assure you that we're not on the run from anyone, though I do admit that the situation back in the city was less than favorable and I wanted away from there as soon as possible."


She walked over towards Altus, taking notice that his hands seemed to be hiding something. She halted her advance, unsure of whether or not to continue approaching given his previous outburst. Her trust in him had been shattered with that attack, and it wasn't going to return anytime soon. With that being said, she stared at his hands for a moment longer before deciding on a safer course of action.


She turned back towards Svana and the other gentleman with the same pleasant smile on her face.


"I do apologize if I have been keeping things close to the chest, so to speak, but please know that when I said our journey was a personal one that I meant it. What I am hoping to accomplish with my student here goes beyond the typical level of danger anyone would expect to encounter on the road, so I am afraid that I must ask you both to leave things be and go about your business."


She did her best to keep her voice calm, though assertive. It was pleasant and sweet, but did nothing to hide how serious she was. She had enough problems with the fact that Altus knew she was a Dragon, and if anyone else found out about it then she could get in big trouble. If her King found out about the fact that mortals had discovered her identity, even a single mortal like Altus, she could be subject to any number of horrible punishments. The worst possible in her eyes was being banished here to the Mortal Plane. This world was nice, but it was nothing compared to her home in the Higher Plane.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus loosened his grip on his bolts slowly slipping down from his palms and to the grassy field just like Slifer asked him too. To be completely disarmed is not tolerable for Altus, his bolt with the flashing powder could still work if he stepped on it.


He again felt insulted as to be told a student. It was a very brilliant disguise, but an irritating one for Altus. He gave Slifer a questioning facial expression as if saying, "Really...?" to her. The face didn't last long, since they were again in deep trouble by the couple. His face again faded into a serious one.


Altus locked his eyes on the couple, "I let her do the talking..." he started. He slightly smirked, "...because both of you'd already be dead as you are so annoying. Besides, killing is much more easier than reasoning...agree..?" Some words he did not mean. He couldn't possibly kill innocent and just curious youths...

 

[Kain]

At first, Darius was surprised, he didn't expect Svana to jump in suddenly as she did. He breathed out something that sounded like a snort. Even exhausted, she had a poise of a lady. Her court taught her well.


Slowly taking off his hand off his sword, he sat down on a tree trunk, leaning on his arm. He closed his eyes momentarily, trying to collect himself and ponder about the situation, putting his fingertips on his gruff chin. If it wasn't for Svana, he would've been careless and probably killed himself. The thief may be cocky, but he did have a point. They both looked like they could strangle a man in plain sight and no one would notice. Darius mentally groaned and ached for a moment in peace.


"By his words, I will assume that you both are thieves or/and assassins." Like wanting to keep his calm, he took another deep breath. For a teacher-student relationship, they didn't look...close. For one, that thug looked annoyed and wary. Two, she seemed to keep a distance from him. While it may be just be caution, it was strange that they have totally different bearings and their attitudes seemed borderline hostile. Three, he had sneaked up behind his... teacher, with two bolts in his hands, the ones that he dropped with a thunk. He was damn sure that it wasn't just for practice. "Even so, it still strange that you remain so close to the footprints of a large creature...wouldn't it be?" He jabbed towards the huge prints in the dirt. "....One that could have made such a sound. I've been here for a while, and I've seen no such creature this size in the forest."


Darius was fairly sure that they had something to do with that bellow, and he would be determined to find out why.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer shot Altus a glare when he mentioned killing and she bared her teeth at him slightly with a slight tremble in her jaw from grinding her teeth in anger. Her eyes carried a very serious warning to him. She hadn't taught him how to read very many of her gestures and facial expressions, but she needed to as this one meant a solid and unmistakable "shut up!"


She let out a sigh through her teeth, coming off as almost a hiss as she clenched her fists and continued to glare at Altus before turning to the couple.


She'd already told Altus. If she were to receive punishment for mortals finding out, two more wouldn't make a difference.


"Very well, if you want the truth then you shall have it."


She shot Altus another glare over her shoulder before looking at Darius.


"Since some people can't keep their arrogance and overconfidence in their ability to kill in check, I have no choice but to confirm that Altus is a thief and I am something... more. But I only kill when I know it's absolutely necessary. Altus here has threatened to kill you, but he'd never follow through with that threat either..."


She slowly looked over her shoulder.


"He isn't the stomach to kill the innocent..." She mocked, keeping her eyes on him the whole time.


"As for me, my hair color should be a dead giveaway that I am not normal as this is my natural color. There is no dye in my hair, nor am I using any liquids to change my eye color to the amethyst color that you can see."


She finally looked away from Altus, but moved further away from him so as to keep him in her peripherals.


"I have nothing to do with the creature's footprints you see in the ground, but I am responsible for the roar as it came from me..."


She straightened her back.


"My name is Sil'eph Niir, and I am a Divine Dragon," she said proudly, letting her eyes glow with power as her pupils changed slowly into slits rather than circles and steam began coming from her nose and mouth with every soft and even breath.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus focused his eyes on Slifer with an unpleasant face. He could feel how annoyed and angry Slifer is. Mocked and insulted, he deserved it. He too, was mad inside with guilt.


It was unbelievable to again hear Slifer speak of the truth. Now, 3 people have witnessed the strange. Altus knows himself, he only needs the coin and he's done. He's just not sure about the couple. Lady Svana is a noble, just and head strong, and nobles are not easily trusted for their tricky minds and intentions. Paranoids, most likely. Slifer was again revealing her form to them. And whatever happens, Altus still has his foot on the bolt.

 

[Kain]

There was a long silence.


When she admitted to being a dragon, he was caught by surprise, that somewhat turned into admiration and a sliver of interest. His parents talked well about dragons and the Temple too, though they were supposed to be dead and extinct for ages. For thousand of years, he hadn't heard one sighting. Even if he worshipped Akatosh, Darius thought he was just a long lost legend that Temple clinged upon.....


Among other questions, tons of interrogation marks filled his head. How can dragons turn into humans? Whose prints are they, if not hers? Does that mean there were more of her kind out there? What is a Divine Dragon? How powerful are dragons? Despite all those, he remained calm and put his excitement under the covers. "I see...." He simply murmured, "The Dragons are back, huh." The noble continued, nonchalantly. It wasn't like he could trust her word that she didn't kill innocents, but he shouldn't try to shrug it off either.


But then, he remembered that most of the population hated Dragons from their very core.....no, not hated...feared. His hazel eyes quickly flicked towards the thief, wondering if it was for that reason why they were so tense.

 

[roboblu]

Svana had to force herself not to roll her eyes when the thief loosed one of his trademark not-so-subtle threats. Although she had originally left the city to send word to Nazkohr of her father's death, the lady was just beginning to realize that the news would travel with or without her help; she had no purpose, her family was scattered and possibly in danger, and the bordering nation of Gilfaryl was on the verge of revolution. What did it matter if she lived or died, at this point? There were other, more meaningful lives to wage the war, fight the fight, do good for the sake of making the world a better place. Her life now seemed like a mockery of true living, and did not seem to be worth much.


If Darius was worried about the thief's death threats, he didn't show it, instead breaking down the situation and demanding the truth. Svana could not help but admire the blacksmith's stubborn determination, and even envied it a little. Sure enough, Slifer buckled and began to uncover some of her hidden truths. One, the thief was indeed a thief- and his name was Altus. Two ....


Two. Slifer was a Divine Dragon.


The silence was palpable for a few moments as Svana and Darius digested what was said. Oddly, neither seemed to question the validity of the red-headed's woman's incredible claim. Svana didn't know what she had been expecting; something outlandish, or bizarre, but certainly not a dragon. The dragons had been dead for hundreds of years, gone without a trace, their only memories passed on through stories and art. As a child, the noblewoman had spent many hours poring over illuminated scripts and fairytales about the famed beasts; she had touched beautiful tapestries and sung songs about the daring deeds of knights fighting monstrous dragons. To see a part of those fairytales come to life before her, even though dragons had always been considered "bad" or "evil," caused Svana's silver eyes to fill up with tears.


Mara must have placed them in my path for a reason, the lady thought, her head swimming with questions. As Darius brushed off the reveal in a fairly nonchalant manner, Svana brushed away the tears with a ragged coat sleeve. "How- why are you here?" she asked, at a loss for words but for that one solitary question.

 

[Kyero]

Slifer looked to the man and woman before her and let herself relax. Her eyes stopped glowing and her breath returned to normal, content that they weren't going to just blindly attack and try to kill her for knowing the truth. She decided to answer their questions in turn, and hopefully this would bring an end to the mystery and annoyance of their being followed.


"No, the Dragons are not "back," my good man. Now it's just me and a handful of others."


She then looked to Svana.


"To answer your question, I am here to discover the truth behind a great mystery that causes my kin to suffer every day."


She relaxed her posture, taking a deep breath.


"My kin and I are bound to human form, unable to reveal our true selves. Powerful magics are at work the likes of which our even our king, the most powerful of all Dragons, cannot break. I, along with others, have been sent to the Mortal Plane to discover the truth behind this turn of events, and Altus and I have come across a lead."


She looked to Altus.


"Put your weapons away and take a seat or something. Your constant tension is making me nervous."


She then looked back to the others.


"There is a cult in the nearby mountains who claim to be on the verge of resurrecting an evil Dragon lord known as Maglissos. Perhaps you humans have legends about the atrocities he committed before being banished to the Void Beyond Time? His power rivals that of our king, and if he were to be freed from his eternal prison it would be a death sentence for your world. We are here to stop that, and to regain out ability to transform."


She looked between them for a moment, making sure they were getting all of this.


"If you want to know where the Dragons disappeared to, they have not been extinct. We migrated to the Higher Plane and live alongside the Gods which you humans worship on a daily basis. Being here in the Mortal Plane is not exactly what I'd call a picnic, as I've been stuck here for one hundred years searching for answers. Now that I'm this close to finding them, I'm not about to stop. If you two wish to stand in my way, I will gladly remove you from my path. So speak now, and be honest. Do you intend to stand in my way?" She asked.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus couldn't believe how careless and straight Slifer admitted her secret to two people they hardly know of. What was worse was Slifer keeping these things away from Altus yet Slifer openly explained these to two persons they just met for how many minutes? It had almost made Altus form an expression as if saying, "And I've been with you how long?". On the other hand was he at least satisfied that the couple didn't try to panic after perceiving Slifer's act.


In some measure did he obtain a slight information of this travel. Slifer demanded Altus to release his guard. He did so, but not completely. He dropped his body exacting to a big rock and remained seated there. Still, he didn't store both bolts back to his quiver. There was still a chance the blacksmith could assault Slifer, "You know I can't get paid when you die, right?".

 

[Kyero]

Sil'Eph kept her eyes on the pair, but heard Altus's remark and smirked.


"As a Dragon, my body is much more durable than yours is Altus, even in this human form. I will not die as a result of anything that happens here today from the likes of you humans."

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus smirked back at Slifer's reply, "I'm glad you said that..."


He was glad yes, but he was also worried. What more if she transforms back into a dragon? These dragons were hated and feared for some reason. Those reasons he did not want to know.

 

[Kain]

"I stand with you." Darius replied, instantly, after rubbing his chin. This situation confused him tremendously, even more after that last information made its way through his brain. Dear Akatosh, I need a break. It was very strange looking at a dragon, yet he worshipped one. Akatosh must be more powerful than her, then, to be worshipped by humans. She must be a less...flashy dragon, he supposed, shrugging it off, not willing to think anymore about that case. "If it's to avoid Magglisos coming back, I stand with you." He had heard certain verses about that dragon in the books, though it was very few and scarce, the phrases that talked about him dictated of that his evil were on par with his power.


"So, it is him that makes you unable to transform then? What would happen if you finally do?" The noble leaned back and crossed his legs, eyeing the thief from the corner of his eyes, persuaded that he was still nothing but a assassin.

 

[Kyero]

”My kin and I have been here for a century searching for answers to our sudden predicament, and now we have a lead… It’s time.”





----------------------------------------




​

Slifer looked to Darius as he spoke to her about standing with her. She was grateful to hear that, but at the same time she was a bit concerned. Now she had two mortals to protect. Three if the girl said anything similar, but it was what Darius asked after that which troubled Slifer even more.


"... I don't know if I will be able to transform again," she said sadly, finally dropping her guard and standing straight and with a relaxed posture.


"I do not know how or why the Dragons cannot transform, but all I know is that even our king does not have the power to break this accursed spell. There are dark and powerful magical forces at work here, the likes of which have not been seen in millennia. It will be no small feat to find the source of this curse upon my kin and I and dispel it," she said.


Slifer sat down for a moment on a boulder, collecting her thoughts as she rubbed her temples.


"For now, we need to be away from this place. The best place to be right now is following the trail the cult who worships Maglissos has left for us. It leads to Quezrevah, in the mountains bordering its southeastern shores. I found a few items, namely weapons, in the last temple which Altus and I raided not long ago in the nearby mountains outside the capitol city which were unmistakably Quezrevahnian steel. I have a strong hunch that if we can locate their lair in those mountains, we will find more answers. Until then, all I can promise you is that following me will put you in great danger."


She looked up to Darius and the girl.


"Can you deal with that?" She asked them in a serious tone.

 

[ANONASAI]

Altus' eyes widened in surprise with his head rapidly lifted facing after the blacksmith's reckless response. The reply was unexpected for Altus. And this made him worry and confused,"What?!" He exclaimed as he tilted his head down again now with a complaining sigh. And that reaction was not enough, he kept muttering repeatedly with a soft tone, "No,no,no,no,no....no..."


He listened carefully to Slifer's explanation with head down until Slifer mentioned about the travel being dangerous. Then she asked if the couple could handle it. Surely the couple would say yes, because of the brief explanation. If Altus wanted these persons out of his sight he needed to do everything he can. He had to explain deeply to them what kind of dangerous Slifer was talking about.


"That is a serious question needing a serious decision, my friend..." He started to the blacksmith.


Altus took a simple bolt and landing it hardly down to the ground, making its way to the soil as it pierced it. He then focused on Lady Svana.


"You have already witnessed a small portion of the capabilities of a dragon, that is already enough for your life to be ended by a single second. The dangers you will confront will be nothing like thugs and bandits. Instead the horrors of this journey is worse. What horrors you ask? I do not know. Nobody knows what horrors we will confront. For nobody ever got out alive to warn us..." He explained purposely trying to frighten the couple, doing what he does best: Speechcraft. Normally he would use speechcraft for bribing and cheating. But not like this.

 

[roboblu]

The red woman's words were stunning. The dragons had been living with the gods? The gods? Svana blinked in amazement, her heart suddenly light once more. So many nobles were unbelievers, choosing to satisfy their higher needs with science instead of spirituality. That this Slifer character had been living with the gods was nothing short of incredible, awesome, and wonderful. The little lady now had no doubt that Akatosh had arranged for this to happen, and that the mother Mara was watching over her now.


When Slifer mentioned choosing sides, Svana was relieved to hear Darius voice exactly her opinion. She had read quite a bit about the dark deeds of Magglisos, and was horrified by the prospect of his return to the human world; if there were something she could do to prevent that, she would do it. Her father would still be dead tomorrow, and in a year, and in one hundred years: Nazkohr could wait. But despite her conviction toward the matter, Svana was troubled by her own inferiority, especially as Slifer described the depth of the crisis at hand. What use would this pair of trained soldiers have for her? Darius fit in much more easily, with his strong shoulders and skill with the forge- but Svana was small, slow, and weak. What could she possibly have to offer?


The answer came when Slifer mentioned Quezrevah, and Svana brightened considerably. The Quezrevahnian government was a monarchy, just like Nazkohr, and the noblewoman's status might hold some weight. Better yet, Svana knew of a fabulous library in southern Quezrevah that might have some more information about Magglisos ... And no one, not even sellswords and dragons, could maneuver a library as well as Svana Varzhan.


Slifer asked a serious question; Svana had a serious answer. "Yes," she said firmly, though the potential dangers of the trip sat heavily in her mind. A part of the lady did not believe her life could ever come to an end, and another part understood but did not care. In either case, Svana was willing to go. She felt like she needed to go, because nothing in her life had ever been as important as this. So, when Altus did his best to dissuade her from accompanying them, the lady shook her head politely but stubbornly. "No one survives life as it is," she answered him carefully, folding her pretty little hands neatly in front of her stomach. Next she turned to Slifer. "There is an old library in Quezrevah that may have some more information on Magglisos. It may be worth a visit on the journey to the coast."

 

[Kyero]

”My kin and I have been here for a century searching for answers to our sudden predicament, and now we have a lead… It’s time.”

​

-------------------------


(Maglissos has a double "s," not "g." Just clearing that up)

​

Sil looked to the girl, who said that a library in Quezrevah might provide answers. In contrast to her usually bright and energetic demeanor, Sil'Eph scowled at the girl furrowing her brow and rubbing her temples at the girl's ignorance.


"There's no reason to visit a library for information about Maglissos. If you want to know the truth about him, just ask me. I know everything we need to know of him, but he's not my concern. It's the cult who's trying to bring him back that concerns me."


She looked up at Darius.


"This city is going to fall to the rebellion that's been brewing here. I will not waste time trying to save it. If you wish to save it, then you may remain here to do so. But I'm moving on with or without you," she said, looking to Altus.


"... That goes for you as well," she said, her voice low.


She said so because Altus had threatened her the first time when she mentioned leaving it to its fate. She would not be tolerating such behavior again. If he wanted to save this city so badly, he'd have to do so by himself and in his condition, that would not be possible. He was tired and still healing from his previous injuries. His combat prowess would be less than half of what he'd be capable of when fresh and rested. If he had any true intelligence at all, he'd realize how futile it was to try and save this place.


"As a Dragon, my interest is not in one human city. My interest is the survival of my race. In protecting my race from destruction, I protect yours from destruction. Whatever attachments any of you may have with this place is now part of my past and I refuse to worry about it any longer."


She stood up, taking a moment to breath as she looked to all of them in turn.


"I'm leaving, so if you are going to follow me then do so quickly. I have no patience nor time to waste chatting about this any longer. Dealing with the cult that worships Maglissos is my objective, so steel yourself for the road ahead and we'll get along just fine."


With that, she turned away and began walking up the northern pathways towards Quezrevah. The Typhoon Pass was the name of the thin stretch of land between Tanmaek and Quezrevah was a very dangerous place, and that was where her immediate attention would need to be focused. Dangerous beasts swam those waters, and the pass itself was treacherous enough with its unpredictable weather and rugged terrain. One slip and it would be all over.