Fantasy Observations

[Renia]

The gloom of his cave was still within his mind, even as Tristan roamed through the much-lighter shadows of a forest, only a short flight from his home. He was lonely... though dracolings typically did not feel such an emotion, and therefore Tristan had no way of knowing what the feeling was called. He only knew that sitting alone with his treasures had somehow lost its appeal. In fact, he was no longer certain he even cared about his hoard. He was certainly beginning to wander farther and farther from it.

He tossed wild, golden locks out of his eyes with a careless motion of his head. Tristan still found this body strange and irritating. As a dragon, he had no hair to fall into his clear-blue eyes and hinder his vision. And the lack of his wings was more than a little unsettling. But his human form could navigate forests so much more easily that he hat taken to using it more often on his outings. He scratched at his arms as he walked slowly through the shafted sunlight dappling the forest floor. Despite the warmth of the day, he was wearing long sleeves to hide the bright-crimson scales that covered his wrists and forearms like armor. And the fabric frequently caught against those scales, making them itch and tug. Another thing he rather hated about being in human form.

Up until today, Tristan had not come across another person. Only the typical wildlife had come into view for him. So when he sighted ahead a human form hunched down over the grenery that grew at the base of a large tree, admittedly Tristan did not quite know what to do about it. Curiosity got the better of him quickly, though, and he moved quietly to a better vantage point where he could watch the human creature, and perhaps figure out why it was studying those leaves so intently. How odd... Leaves were in no way rare in a forest. Why was she so interested in those?

 

[Regynleif]

Aria was gleeful as she had finally found a patch of hemlock growing at the base of a tree. "A little bit a hemlock at night to keep away the frights." She hummed quietly to herself, her little rhyme she had created for the plant to help her remember it's properties. "I'm sure Edgar will be glad to know I'll have a new supply of sleep medicine, he sure has been bothering me enough about it.." she grumbled mildly irritated as she plucked the plant at it's base and carefully stored it in her satchel.

After she finished gathering what she could, Aria stood and stretched her limbs. Her chestnut hair brushed along her back, just below her shoulders as she spun around softly in search of some more medicinal plants. Her warm brown eyes paused in their search for a moment, because something seemed off. She knew this part of the forest like the back of her hand and something was... different. The subtle sense of potential danger creeped up her spine as she picked up the walking stick that had been laying on the ground beside her and held it firmly between her hands.

"Whoever is there, come out!" She called into the forest. She was proud of herself, her voice had barely wavered and hopefully hadn't betrayed the fear she was feeling. She continued to look around for the source of her discomfort, wondering if maybe she was just imagining things from being alone for too long.

 

[Renia]

Tristan again tossed his head, dislodging the hair from his vision even as he blinked from his hiding place among the bushes and trees. He was in the shadows, so he should not have been very noticeable, and the female seemed unaware of exactly where he was. But she certainly knew he was there. Were humans that perceptive? He'd never known.

But, if she already knew that he was there, then he couldn't just slip away and leave. Well, he could... but what fun would that be?

So, slipping out from the shadows, he merely stood where she could see him and answered. "As you wish. I wanted to ask you about those leaves, anyway. Are you going to eat them?" He felt fairly certain that humans were carnivorous.. at least he had seen them hunting his prey from time to time. Did they also eat plants? He'd tried eating a flower once as a fledgling... he still could not get the memory of that bitter flavor out of his mouth. "You do know leaves taste terrible?" He was sure he was making a disgusted face at the memory. Maybe he could warn her away from trying them.

 

[Regynleif]

Aria let out a small yelp at the sudden presence of a man and turned to face him with her walking stick raised in defense. She had honestly been hoping she was imagining things and was just kind of yelling into the trees but he squashed that thought quickly.

Her face donned a confused expression as she quietly listened to his questions. Leaves? Did he mean the hemlock she had been harvesting? And what was with that face he was making? He looked... constipated. But other than his obvious strangeness he seemed to mean her no harm. She calmly lowered her walking stick and decided to address him. "They're not just leaves, it's a plant called hemlock. If you distill it in small quantities into tea it helps those who suffer from sleep maladies." Her voice held a studied air. "Alternatively, in large doses it's also a poison. So no, I will not be eating it. I do enjoy living." She easily slid into a snarky tone.

 

[Renia]

He managed not to laugh outright at her startled reaction, though he did not bother to contain an amused smirk. Such bravado had been followed by that squeak of fright... She honestly reminded him of a squirrel, who had been frightened and then, once safely away from the supposed danger threw acorns at the assumed predator. He hoped she would not resort to throwing that stick in her hands.

Tristan's smirk vanished, however, when she began to explain the qualities of the plant he had seen her pick. And although he did not quite understand some of what she said--he had no knowledge of distilling and had never heard the word 'maladies' before--he did get the gist of what she told him. Giving her a decent birth as he circled around her, wary of that stick in his current form, he approached the plant in question and studied it more closely. Its leaves almost appeared to resemble ferns to his untrained eye, though it grew much taller on a stalk. It was even beginning to show tiny white flowers in clusters.

"Hemlock, hmm? I will make certain to remember that." He turned to face her once again, his head tilting slightly to the side. "And you know a lot about plants, then?" He was very curious at this point. He'd always taken the flora of the forests for granted, never realizing that they had such powers as to put someone to sleep or kill them outright. He was beginning to think he had better learn more. And luck seemed to be on his side there, for he had stumbled upon someone who might be convinced to teach him a little. "What else can plants do? And how do you know about them?"

 

[Regynleif]

She watched him warily when he began to move around her and towards the patch of hemlock. She was tempted to escape while he seemed distracted with the plant but something kept her there, something she couldn't quite explain. The way he seemed so curious suddenly at the world around him after her explaination was almost cute.

"Plants have many uses, different plants help heal different sicknesses. Some have aromas that simply improve a person's mood. And some can even be used to make beautifying cremes."

"As for how I learned, I'm simply self taught. I didn't have much to do in my childhood other than read and books on the properties of plants were easily available in my village." She mused while shrugging. "Most of the information just stuck and when it came to needing to make a living this seemed like the best option." She set the walking stick down and leaned on it gently. "Now it's my turn to ask questions," she stated while looking at him through narrowed eyes, "what are you doing out here? I forage in these parts of the woods specifically because they aren't travelled. You're the first person I've seen out here. Also, while we're at it, who even are you? You don't look like you're from these parts." She gives him a solid once over. "Are you a foreigner?"

 

[Renia]

He listens intently to her explanations, committing the information to memory. Learning about this world was indeed a goal worth pursuing. If even plants had such complexities, then he could likely spend the rest of his life learning about the world and never be bored again. And as for his earlier condition, the loneliness he still could not identify in himself, it had vanished so suddenly that he felt a little lightheaded from is disappearance. So many changes today.

But the human was likewise suffering from intense curiosity, it seemed, and when her questions turned to him, Tristan leaned his back against the large tree--careful not to tread on the hemlock in the process--and crossed his arms over his chest in a comfortable position, a small grin on his face.

"Interested about me, are you? I can answer your questions, but I doubt you will be satisfied with the answers. My name is Tristan. And I am both from here... and not entirely from here. I am not what you would call a foreigner, but I am not really a part of these lands either. As for why I am here, I got a bit bored of the forests around where I live and decided to explore a new one."

He became a bit distracted from his semi-cryptic answers as his sleeve once again snagged at the scales on his arms, and he frowned before scratching at the itchy sensation. "Why is it that you prefer to forage in places devoid of your own kind?" he asked, since it was apparently his turn at this game. "Do you prefer to be alone, or are travelers a detriment to the plants you seek?" He imagined any people wandering through a forest would not think twice about trampling through the hemlock. But could they really destroy all the hemlock a forest could produce?

 

[Regynleif]

Tristan's cryptic answers and lack of threatening behavior had Aria getting more curious, and as a consequence more confident, so she stepped toward him as she answered his round of questions. "I'm not fond of a lot of people, I've yet to find any whom I actually enjoy being around more than in a passing sense. And yes, foraging requires a certain delicacy that most lack the patience for so I prefer to do it by myself."

She continued walking toward him until she was a couple of feet away. "Now what did you mean by my own kind?" She asked while steeling herself to meet his gaze. As she looked at him she made a conscious effort not to fidget and too appear confident but when she did make eye contact she noticed, curiously, she wasn't put off by the look in his eyes as she normally would be. Most people had a darkness that lingered there, thinly veiled behind whatever they felt fit to use to hide it. But his? Crystal clear. She was captivated for a moment before blinking herself back into reality.

"Who are you, really?" She whispered as her face held a simple wonder and she leaned closer to inspect his eyes, unaware of how close she was becoming.

 

[Renia]

Tristan shrugged his shoulders carelessly as she approached. "I suppose I can sympathize there. I've never been around people before today, at least not without them irritating me." A chuckle as she asked what he meant by 'her own kind'. "Is that such a strange reference? There are many races about. Human, elf, even some half-dog creature I hear. And though I think the races mix now and then, they generally like to keep to their own kind. You, however, seem to want to avoid them."

He met her gaze easily, no fear or hesitance surfacing. He lacked any sense of ill-will from her, and he felt more the dragon than anything at the moment. As though he were in his true form instead of his pitiful human form. Tristan felt capable of handling her if she should try to attack. Not that he was dim enough to provoke her. But there was little to fear from her, so her nearness did not bother him in the least. And her gaze, as close as it came, was met only with a tranquility laced with a hint of near-arrogance.

"I've told you," he murmured with a smirk. "The name is Tristan~"

 

[Regynleif]

Her brow furrowed as she pulled back quickly, suddenly very aware of the position she was in. After he just repeated his name to her after her last question all she could do was huff. "Well if you insist that's all to answer than I'll have to simply accept it." She glanced up at the sky and quickly made note of the sun's position. "It's getting to be about supper time, I suppose this is where we say goodbye. It certainly has been an ... interesting experience meeting you." She gave a quick nod before turning around. She still had to head home and get the hemlock on the drying rack before nightfall and she had spent maybe too much time interrogating the stranger. He certainly had captivated her attention, but she doubted she would see him again.

She looked back over her shoulder with a quick wave before beginning her trek home. Before she got far she suddenly remembered how to socialize correctly, after all it had been a while, when she called out to him "By the way, my name is Aria. It's only fair if you know my name if I know yours."

 

[Renia]

Tristan laughed a little as she pulled back so quickly. It certainly did not take much to frazzle her. He quite enjoyed the interaction, but it looked like she was eager to leave him behind. He had no reason to follow her, and no wish to make her truly uncomfortable, so he remained leaning against the tree, simply watching her walk away. He knew where she liked to pick herbs, which meant that he shouldn't have any trouble finding her again if he felt like antagonizing her a bit in the future... and he certainly planned on it. How else was he going to learn more about the plants?

He returned her wave, though, in farewell. It was a pity that she was already leaving. This had been the most fun he had had in... how long? Years... centuries, maybe? He couldn't remember the last time something interesting had happened to him. Maybe she would come back tomorrow?

Her voice calling to him brought him glancing up again, out of his musings. And he smiled at the name. "Aria. I do hope we meet again soon. I want to know more about other plants, you know. Hemlock was quite intriging... I cannot wait to see what plant you teach me about next~" He grinned roguishly, knowing that he was imposing on her alone-time away from her own species. But he was a dragon. What did he care~?

 

[Regynleif]

Aria shrugged off his statements, she doubted they would run into each other again. She quickly jaunted home and finished her chores before eating supper and laying down for bed.

As she tossed and turned that night however, she couldn't seem to get the image of Tristan's eyes out of her mind. She had never met anyone with such clarity, someone she had actually felt comfortable around, after the initial scare of course. She almost found herself missing him. Which was just absurd they had just met. She shook her head vigorously to get the idea out of her mind and eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

--------

The next morning Aria awoke just before dawn and went about her usual business. Hygiene, breakfast, rotate her supply and get ready for another trek into the forest. After all this the sun had just crested the horizon. The feel of the world just awaking gave her a pleasant feeling as she headed back to the small clearing she had been yesterday. If she remembered correctly, she may have spotted a small lavander field not to far off from there. She hummed to herself along the way.

 

[Renia]

There were advantages to being a dragon. One of which was the ability to fly fairly long distances at a much greater speed than walking would accommodate. But another was that he could spend the night in unfamiliar territory without fear. And that was just what Tristan did that night. He had decided to wander the forest a bit more that day, with a brand new interest in looking for leaves and flowers that might have special powers like the hemlock plant did. Of course, he found a great many interesting plants, but without Aria there to teach him, he would never know what their talents were.

One of his discoveries, though, was the very field of lavender Aria had seen. He found the blanket of purple flowers and, stepping through them, found that their wonderful aroma strengthened the more he stepped through them. It took only a little movement for the flowers to release their scent in abundance, and Tristan ended up sleeping in that patch of lavender that night. In fact, he discovered their talent completely on his own... for he had never slept so soundly before. The light of dawn disturbed him not at all, and not even the soft crunch of footsteps brought him awake this day.

Unfortunately, not having predicted that he would be caught unawares the next morning, he had opted to sleep with his sleeves rolled up to give him some relief from the itching of his scales. The morning sunlight caught them easily, and scarlet light reflected brightly from his wrists and forearms. But even that was quite normal to Tristan, and failed to wake him. He continued to snore peacefully in the lavender field, even as someone approached.

 

[Regynleif]

Aria walked carefully through the field, looking around for a good place to start harvesting. She took a deep breath in, delighting in the fresh scent of one of her favorite aromas. Lavendar fields were few and far between, mostly because the plant was very picky about it's growing conditions. Most fields had quickly been claimed and farmed which meant the price was rather obnoxious if she wanted to by some for her stock. But to discover an untouched field that she would have all to herself? It was a dream come true. A peaceful smile had just graced her lips when she spotted something gleaming not to far off. It wasn't difficult for curiosity to get the better of her and her feet were moving towards that direction before she noticed.

Softly brushing past the lavendar stalks she crept towards the light and very suddenly had to stifle a gasp. There was that man, Tristan, lying in the field. And the source of the light was from him. She stared in wonder, kneeling down quietly next to him so as not to disturb him. Upon her closer inspection she discovered with fascination that he had, in fact, actual scales adorning his forearms and wrists. Where they organic? Some weird fashion trend she never bothered to learn? Was this some sort of rare disease? She was absolutely baffled and before she could think, she reached out and gently brushed her fingers over the crimson scales. They were so beautiful..

 

[Renia]

A light touch to his scaled arm brought clear blue eyes instantly open and focusing on the source of the invasive caress. But finding Aria there settled his defensive twinge almost as quickly, and Tristan merely gazed up at her. "Hello, Aria," he mumbled sleepily, not bothering to move at all. "Find something you like?"

His scales... he had meant to keep them covered from anyone's line of sight. But he was also of the opinion that since it had been discovered, there was little he could do to rectify the situation. Besides, he had a feeling that she was going to have more questions to ask now. Which meant he had a bargaining chip to get more information out of her, as well. He could not call that a complete loss.. Added bonus: now he wouldn't have to cover his arms around her. No more itching wrists to distract him from their conversations. He moved one scaled wrist away from her and placed it beneath the back of his head as a pillow instead, but left the wrist she had been touching there for her to inspect at her leisure. If it held her interest, then he couldn't really complain.

 

[Regynleif]

Her fingers drew back quickly, her body stilling when she learned she had been caught. "I'm so sorry, I don't know what got the better of me." She held the hand that had touched him close to her chest, a blush creeping up the back of her neck and onto her cheeks. "I didn't mean to wake you, did you spend the night here?" She didn't know why that was the first question she asked, there was clearly one burning in her mind and fighting it's way out but she couldn't bring herself to ask. If she did, it would just make this strange and wonderful discovery real. She didn't know if she could handle that quite yet, not this early in the day.

She watched him shyly as he lazed before her, finding her eyes drawn back to the scales frequently. She was sure he would find her incredibly rude, and for some reason that bothered her. When had she decided she wanted him to like her? She barely knew him, so what was it that drew her to him? She suddenly felt uncomfortable. Was she putting to much expectation on him? Was she just lonely? Her thoughts began spiraling.

 

[Renia]

It never failed. Seeing Aria so nervous was simply endearing, Tristan enjoyed it far too much. He smirked at her reaction, thinking that the revelation of his scales was worth this moment. "It's fine. You did not hurt me, and I have not slept in this late in years... It's likely high time I did wake up. I imagine it was these flowers that caused me to sleep so soundly. You told me yesterday that hemlock is able to make someone sleep, but I never imagined these flowers would be the same."

Noticing that she had drawn back and yet still could not keep herself from glancing back at his scales, Tristan huffed a small, amused laugh as he held his arm out to her. "Take a look if you like. Have you not seen dragon scales before?" He knew the answer. Very few could ever get their hands on even one dragon scale. There was certainly no way she had ever seen so many, at the very least. But teasing her was still a bright spot in his life.

 

[Regynleif]

"Of course, lavendar has a soothing aroma. It's much more gentle than hemlock." She mumbled distractedly as she gently took his arm in her hands. "No, I've never seen dragon scales. We're taught that dragons are a myth or that if they did exist it was such a long time ago there couldn't possibly be any left." She said softly, before actually registering what he had said. Her gaze snapped to his. "Wait- wha- drag- how-" she began sputtering. Dragons weren't real! There was no way!

Her eyes were wide as they held his and she unconsciously tightened her grip on his arm. She was dreaming, right? She had lulled off to the smell of lavendar and for some reason was dreaming that the strange man she had just met yesterday had confessed that he had actual dragon scales on his arms? Right?

 

[Renia]

Chuckling, Tristan pushed himself up into a sitting position so he could look her directly in the eyes, even as she continued to hold onto his scaled arm. "So... I am a myth? A legend? Well, that makes me quite important, then~ Tell you what, let's make a little wager. If I am telling the truth and can actually turn into a dragon, then you have to teach me something new about plants every time we meet. And if I cannot transform into a dragon, you can ask anything of me and I must comply. Does that sound like an interesting wager to you, Aria?"

Truth be told, now he simply wanted to show off. "Come on, I'll even take you for a flight over the forest if you like~ I'm an amazing flyer, almost as skilled as you are at plant lore, I bet," he smirks playfully.

 

[Regynleif]

"Turn..into a dragon... fly over..the forest.." Aria was shell shocked. This was definitely a dream. Well alright then, if this was indeed a dream then anything really could happen. She shook herself quickly to help clear her head and donned a determined look on her face. "Alright, I accept your wager." She let go of his arm and stood, taking a few steps back away from him. She wanted to know how far she could go with this dream.

She crossed her arms and watched him expectantly. Would her imagination be able to conjure something? She had never seen any illustrations of dragons, so what would she come up with? "I am ready whenever you are." She called to him.

 

[Renia]

Tristan was more amused than ever by this human girl who was so fearless in the face of the possibility that she could come nose to nose with a dragon in a moment. Obviously she didn't believe him. And though he stood, ready to prove her wrong and win his bet.. he suddenly wondered if he /should/ go through with it. She obviously was not prepared to be wrong. What would happen if he became his true self now? Could she really handle the reality of it?

"I..." He hesitated, for the first time. It had all been fun and games, but now... If he frightened her away, or if she was hurt because of him... "Perhaps this is not the best time for such a wager," he admitted quietly, refusing to meet her eyes. "I am not sure a human could truly handle being so close to my true form without going mad. And who is going to teach me if not you?"

 

[Regynleif]

She waited impatiently as he stood, but what he said next had her somewhat disappointed. Until she realized that he seemed to actually be worried about showing her. She took a few steps toward him and softly spoke. "Hey, I realize that I'm desperately trying to hold on to the thought that I must be dreaming this, but I know somewhere in the back of my mind that all of this is too incredibly detailed for me to have come up with on my own. I'll believe you when you tell me you're a dragon, I pride myself on being able to tell when someone is lying and I can tell you are not. You dont have to show me if it makes you uncomfortable." She reached out and placed a hand on his upper arm. She may have been comforting him just to keep her mind off of the true reality that was sinking in around her but she truly didn't want to see him in distress.

"And since I believe you are a dragon, I guess that technically means you win the wager. I'll teach you what I know about plants." She gave him a light smile, hoping to ease his tension.

 

[Renia]

His eyes were on her hand, where it was placed against the scales of his arm. The touch was warm and soothing. He liked how he felt when she touched his arm. He felt.. like he was no longer alone in the world. So he raised his eyes to hers.

"Well, I did make you a promise to take you flying. I'll keep that promise. But, perhaps it would be better if you did not witness my transformation just yet? If I go to a clearing nearby and transform, you can come and see me when you are ready. I.. believe that would allow you to adjust a little easier." Perhaps if she could come to him rather than have a dragon suddenly staring her in the face, then it would not be such a shock? That, and if she became frightened, she would be far enough away to feel safer about running away.

"What do you say, Aria? You will know me when you see me there. My entire body will be covered in these," he stated, taking her hand and placing it over his scales once more. "It will also be quite a lot larger, but that really isn't the important thing," he joked with a mock-serious expression.

 

[Regynleif]

She was nervous, hearing his proposition but she have his arm a light squeeze. "Ok." She nearly whispered before grinning slightly. "Though I should know it's you simply seeing as you're the only dragon I've ever met and I hardly see any others around here." She joked. She didn't know what to expect but... The care he was taking with her even after all of his teasing made her feel as though she could trust him. And she of course was incredibly curious to see a real live dragon, because that definitely did NOT happen every day. She gave him an encouraging smile as she gently let go of his arm.

"I'll wait here for a few minutes after you leave, will that be enough time for you to change?" She asked, fiddling with the hem of her shirt.

 

[Renia]

He nodded, though he found himself reluctant to remove his arm from her grasp for some reason. He knew that letting her come to his dragon form was the best way to introduce her to his true form, but leaving her behind for that amount of time seemed almost sorrowful to him at the moment. "It will be plenty of time. Just remember, if you see a large lizard with crimson scales, it's only me~"

Slowly he eased away and turned toward the nearest meadow large enough for his true form to inhabit without doing the forest any permanent damage. He didn't look back. She would follow, he felt certain of that. And he only had a minute or two to get comfortable.

When he reached the clearing he situated himself in the exact center of the open space and welcomed his dragon form back into existence. Crimson scales grew larger and multiplied as his body morphed into what most people equated to a giant lizard with wings. His tail began to lash back and forth, but when he accidentally felled a tree Tristan reigned the response in and decided a new approach was needed in order to not appear menacing when Aria turned up. So, carefully, he curled his body into his sleeping possition and pillowed his chin on his forearms and tail, choosing the most docile position available to greet her with. Now he only had to wait and see how well she reacted...