Fantasy The Realm of Visifia: Dragons (DEAD)

[Yatasal]

"At least, keeping the chamber's clean will be easy,"

Hazel nodded. "Yep! Follow me. You'll get the hang of this castle in a jiffy, don't you worry!"
She led them through the castle, and while it may have seemed maze-like, to Hazel this was home. Lady Naforn's chambers were in the North tower, and it was Hazel's opinion that she had the best view. It was overlooking the Sundron river, even though the river itself was quite aways away. Out of habit Hazel knocked, but she almost immediately went right in. She knew no one would be there.

"I don't know if you'll get assigned to other people's chambers or not," Hazel said as they were standing in the room, "And it depends on who you're getting assigned to where the cleaning stuff is. For Lady Naforn, she always kept her own room clean, so the cleaning supplies are here." Hazel opened a closet just off of the main door. It was filled with a mop, two brooms, buckets, and a bag full of soap shards. There were also several feather dusters. "Here, Leia, you can dust off her shelves. She has so many books, and sometimes when I finish fast I read through some of them. They already took her diary so don't worry about that. Um... Skyler you can start sweeping. I'll go get her clothes freshened up."

The room was fairly simple. There was a bed against the wall, right between two windows that both had benches underneath them. There was a smaller, second room, and this had a desk, several candle stands, a large wooden closet, and a mirror. There was also a mandolin leaning in the corner. Lady Naforn had never been very good at it from what Hazel could hear, but she still tried her best. The desk had neatly arranged stacks of paper (with boring things on them like various trade routes), ink wells, quills and some hair things.

Hazel got to work, checking each dress for moths and setting new spells on the clothes to keep the moths off. She hoped Lady Naforn would come back soon--she had always been kind to Hazel, and to everyone else she met. "I hope you girls get to meet Lady Naforn," Hazel called out. "She's really nice."

RubyZoo AgWordSmith

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah finishes heating the metal, and quickly pours it into the mold, looking rather pleased with it as she goes to cool it. Then she takes it to the grindstone, making sure the edge is keenly sharp, and the blade is balanced. Finally, she puts the grip in place, wrapping the leather and wire around, bringing it back to the head Smith. “Done.” She says, confident in her work.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

Valdi took the blade from her, setting it level with his nose. The metal was of good quality to begin with, so there were few impurities. And she had cooled the metal quickly, which was a good sign. If you didn't immediately set the metal, it would form incorrectly and shatter if it was used. The balance was also good, and her leather binding was neatly braided around the dagger. An excellent job. Valdi looked at this strange wench, and handed her the dagger. "Good enough."

He moved past her and grabbed a warhammer, except the hammer head had been cracked in several places. "Tell me what I should do with this."

Eliasdagood

((OOC: I think I've replied as far as I can. Inheritance go ahead and roleplay the whole fight, including Gwen's part. I'll send you a PM with her specific fighting style.))

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah takes a slow, deep breath, trying to hide her stress. It’s been long enough. If all went according to plan, everyone should be in position. If it didn’t… well, then I’m already done for. She thinks grimly, and reaches out to take the hammer in one hand, flipping it around as if it weighed no more than wood, rather than the heavy metal it is.

Rookie mistake. A simple moment of absent mindedness that proves fatal. She wants this to look like a civilian dragon just trying to make a living, not a trained warrior. Otherwise things could seem far too suspicious. “I’d say you heat it up, and use a hammer to gently get those gashes closed. Pour some more steel in the larger ones, then buff it down afterwards to make it seamless.” She says calmly, flipping it back around in her hand to offer it to the man again, acting like this feat of strength is perfectly normal.

Here. We. Go. Good luck, everyone.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

((Nicely done.))

Valdi took the hammer back, and looked at the wench's arms. She appeared strong, but the way she flipped the hammer... Could she be a...? Valdi narrowed his eyes and put the hammer back on the rack. He glanced upwards at the soldiers lining the courtyard walls. They were at least twenty feet above him, and were ignoring him and his work. Good. "You're a fool, wench. Another mistake like that in front of the dragon-killing guards will land an arrow in your head. You care to explain why you decided to work here of all places?" As he talked, he grabbed some steel shards and dropped them into a melting pot in the forge, watching the steel melt inside the pot. "And speak low. I don't need blood anywhere near my forge."

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah’s eyes go wide in surprise. She certainly didn’t expect this… she isn’t sure whether the man is curious, or… is he actually trying to protect her? Did she just stumble across another thief on accident? No, definitely not, at least not an official one. A sympathizer or supporter at most.

She goes to stand at his side, extremely tense. She cusses softly under her breath, rubbing her hands together nervously. “Oh, gods damn it, I screwed up already…” She whispers, biting her lip. She has to keep up her image. She can’t risk the mission by doing otherwise. “I thought I could keep it together… damn it!” She glances over at him furtively, her eyes showing fear as well as frustration. “I thought if I could prove myself here… maybe it would mean something to them… make them see us differently, you know?” She continues to whisper. “I’m so stupid… they’ll just put me back where I came from anyway… if I’m lucky that is.” This peaceful protest facade might just work.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

“Oh, gods damn it, I screwed up already…” She whispers, biting her lip. She has to keep up her image. She can’t risk the mission by doing otherwise. “I thought I could keep it together… damn it!” She glances over at him furtively, her eyes showing fear as well as frustration. “I thought if I could prove myself here… maybe it would mean something to them… make them see us differently, you know?” She continues to whisper. “I’m so stupid… they’ll just put me back where I came from anyway… if I’m lucky that is.”

Valdi harrumphed. "If you're lucky is right. Listen. I ain't about to protect you. I got my own neck to worry about. So either you wise up or I feed you to the wolves. This isn't the rule of King Hest and Queen Valencia. This is Averian's court--where dragon killing is legal and encouraged. You're lucky, I was the blacksmith of the old court. Only member of the court Averian actually kept. Now. Fix the hammer, and for the love of Ena, pretend it's heavy."

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah looks over at him, swallowing nervously, and trying to figure out how she’ll get caught now. She dips her head, and draws a hammer from the rack, pulling the hammer out with staged effort to start closing the cracks. “I understand.” She says softly. “Thank you.” She works quickly, and with precision, knowing that the more times she has to reheat the metal, the worse for it. She’s going to do her goddamn best with her work at the forge. She owes Valdi that much before she’s inevitably captured.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

Valdi watched the girl work, before turning to look at the guards patrolling the courtyard walls. She obviously couldn't stay here, as there were several wards placed on random castle doors that stunned a dragon who walked through them. No one knew which doors though, or how many; that information was a highly guarded secret. He turned to tell the wench before a nobleman came over. Lord Generd, a young fellow whom Valdi hated. He was stuck up and treated everyone else as less than he was. Except the queen, of course. He was always fawning over her.

"Well well well. Valdi's got himself a new girl. Scared away the last one methinks," Generd snickered. His lackeys (other courtiers) snickered as well, and Valdi paused. He was melting some steel, preparing to make Lady Contesse a new sword. He narrowed his eyes at Generd and his little friends.

"Ignore him, go on with your work," Valdi gruffly told her, going back to his sword. Generd didn't like being ignored, but Valdi didn't care. He was in the Queen's good favor, and a little lord like Generd didn't pose him a threat physically, much less politically.

"You there, girl!" Generd cried, moving right into the forge. This made Valdi glare at Generd, who was avoiding his stare. "I'm hungry. Go into the castle and fetch me an apple."

"She ain't your servant girl, Lord Generd," Valdi reminded him. "And she's working for me, so leave her be."

Generd sneered. "I outrank you, blacksmith. And I want an apple. Girl, go fetch it for me."

 

[Eliasdagood]

Well, this makes things simple. Skorzah thinks to herself. This will definitely lead to a fight, but she doesn’t want Valdi to get too caught up in it. Still, it shouldn’t be hard to make sure she takes all the heat for this. Her tone is calm, and almost monotone as she speaks. “I’m sorry, I’ve been instructed to ignore you. However, I feel I must disobey that order to inform you that distracting a blacksmith while they’re in the middle of something is highly discouraged, and potentially life threatening. For your own safety, I suggest you find someone who gives a sh’t to run your errands for you.” She states, not taking her eyes from her work.

She hums softly, reaching to pour some steel into one of the cracks, and continue her work as if none of the nobles were present at all.

 

[Yatasal]

((OOC: I'M DYING this gonna be good XD))

For your own safety, I suggest you find someone who gives a sh’t to run your errands for you

Valdi chuckled under his breath, and Lord Generd sputtered. "You... You little... How dare you... Do you know who I am?" His lackeys weren't smirking any more, they were instead watching curiously, probably because they had never seen a servant disobey a nobleman before. "You'll pay for that remark!"

He threw his hand in front of him, and before Valdi could pull the girl out of the way he shot a spell at her. "Erif lalab!"

A fireball formed in his hand, and he launched it towards the girl...

((OOC: If she doesn't dodge, the spell passes through her harmlessly.))

 

[Eliasdagood]

(Glad you liked it! And yeah, this is going to be epic > )
By the time Skorzah realizes what’s happening, and gets over how stunned the action surprised and stunned her, it’s far too late for her to dodge and make it look realistic. She stares at what she was working on, the surprise giving way to a surge of fury like she hasn’t felt in a long time. She bares her teeth in a mirthless grin, anger radiating from her before she even looks at the noble.

“Really.” She says, her tone low, and extremely intimidating, especially for anyone that knows Skorzah. “Wow. Guess I was wrong. I thought if I acted human, you people would be kinder, and maybe, you know, not use combat grade magic on me!” She spins around, her teeth bared in a furious snarl, and pulls her arm back, before hurling the crucible, still full of molten metal, straight for Genard. Natallia’s warning not to kill anyone has left her mind completely at this point. She wants to tear this man limb from limb and taste his blood on her teeth.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

“Really.” She says, her tone low, and extremely intimidating, especially for anyone that knows Skorzah. “Wow. Guess I was wrong. I thought if I acted human, you people would be kinder, and maybe, you know, not use combat grade magic on me!”

"DRAGON!"

The calls went out just as Lord Generd dived out of the way. The crucible full of hot metal spilled out, splashing on nearby guards. Generd screamed as some of the steel hit him, and by this point his lackeys had completely left him. Valdi sucked in breath and grabbed the warhammer she had been working on. He really didn't need a full-scale dragon in his forge, and he didn't want to lose the queen's favor. He sent a silent prayer to Ena that he wouldn't kill her, and swung the warhammer into the side of the dragon girl's head. It was still badly damaged, and it wouldn't be effective enough--hopefully--to do any real damage. But it would be enough to knock her out.

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah hears the sound of metal against metal as Valdi grabs the hammer, and turns her head, seeing what he’s going to do. For just the smallest moment before impact, her glare softens, and she closes her eyes.

She could have dodged. She knows she could have. But for the sake of Valdi, and for the mission, letting him take her alive seems like the best bet. Besides, he’s one of very few humans to earn her respect as quickly as he did. She won’t give him more trouble than she already has.

Her body crumples to the ground, motionless, as blood flows from the side of her face. Her loose pant leg got caught on one of her other foot, and pulled up, revealing the dragon cuff she was wearing. Skorzah is officially in the one situation she hates the most: helpless at the mercy of humans.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

Skorzah is officially in the one situation she hates the most: helpless at the mercy of humans.

The guards surrounded her, and one felt her neck. "It's still alive!" He announced. He picked her up, slinging her body over his shoulders like an elk he was bringing home for dinner. No respect. Not that Valdi expected the guard to give her any. He took in a deep breath, and looked at the warhammer. There was blood on it--her blood. Valdi squared his shoulders and put the warhammer into the furnace to soften its metal head. He watched the guard carry the dragon girl inside the castle, where she no doubtedly would be taken to the prisons. He shook his head, and tried to focus on his project. He just needed to forget her--it would be easier that way.

(( Eliasdagood hold off on posting for a bit. I need to check on the situation in the prisons.))

 

[Yatasal]

Sikander Vell
As soon as he read Natallia's note, Sikander crumbled it and threw it in the fireplace. Sending more spies? Getting Alli out? This would put a damper in his plans. He had already orchestrated Alli's arrest, intending to reveal her true identity soon. He just needed the proper moment to whisper it into the queen's ear. However, with new people coming into the equation--people Natallia neglected to mention--meant he would have to stop his own plans and figure out what Natallia's plan was first.

In the note, she did mention that she was having a dragon get captured, and asked that he make sure she was in the same cell as Alli. Which made sense, because if Alli's children came soon, she was going to need help. Help she would not get from anyone who worked at the palace. Sikander whirled about, heading straight to the door. He got the note a few hours ago. Which meant that he needed to bribe the prison master now in order to ensure that the dragon would be kept alive and would go to Alli's cell. For now, he decided it would be best to cooperate with Natallia and her plans until the time was right.

Sikander stopped suddenly in his tracks, a new thought occurring to him. At first, he intended to deliver just Natallia to Queen Averian. But if he could deliver all of her co-conspirators as well... Sikander smiled darkly, and continued towards the prisons. He was going to become a very rich man. Natallia trusted him completely, and that would be her downfall.

He got to the prison master, and slid him a small plump bag, heavy with coin. "There's a dragon girl coming. Put her in the same cell as Syreece Naforn, would you?"

"Won't be a problem," the prison master accepted the coin, and Sikander left, already daydreaming of the kind of castle he would buy.


Alais Coppergold
Alli sighed as she paced her cell. Her stomach had swelled significantly, as did Alli's worry. She had been fed well, and they'd actually dragged in a mattress and blanket for her to sleep on. She also had some medical supplies left by Seraphina, the kind healer who had saved her life. The queen had been told of Alli's previous condition, and so things had improved. At least my identity is safe, Alli told herself. She knew Natallia must be working to get her out, but even Alli with all of her free time and knowledge of the castle had no idea how such a thing would be accomplished.

The door to her cell's room was opened, and two guards walked in. A woman was draped across one of the guard's shoulders. One guard opened the cell door while the other dropped the woman in the center of Alli's cell before exiting. Neither one said a word, or even looked in Alli's direction. Alli didn't move until both guards had left, the wooden cell door clicking as it locked into place.

As soon as they were gone, Alli slowly knelt. She turned the woman over, and saw that her head was bleeding, badly. Alli sucked in breath, and crawled over to her medical supplies. She cleaned the wound and bandaged it as best as she could, before trying to wake the woman. "Hey," she called softly. "Hey, my name is Syreece. Can you hear me?"

((OOC: Okay Eliasdagood you're good to go.))

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah’s slow, strenuous trek back to consciousness is a painful one, full of dull, muffled voices, the feeling of being moved, and then the feeling of stone beneath her. She feels someone touching her, and a soft voice, and finally manages to open one eye, the other already starting to swell shut.

She lets out a soft whimper of pain, the pounding in her head getting worse as she tries to move. She slowly lifts a hand to her face, forcing the keyword out of her mouth. “Oretse.” She whispers. The green light of her healing magic appears for just a moment, but all it really does is take down the swelling, and some of the pain. It doesn’t even heal the cut. “Concussion obviously.” She mutters, still talking to herself.

She looks up at the woman healing her, and glances around to make sure no one can hear them. “Here… to help.” She says with a weak smile, trying to sit up.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

“Here… to help.”

Alli shook her head. "No, don't get up. Here, sorry, I should've healed you. Elesa," Alli cast her magic, and the cut on her head healed. She scanned the girl's body, looking for other injuries, and spotted the dragon cuff. It took her a second to react, and Alli scooted away, her Syreece identity coming back in force. Will I ever be able to drop my guard?
"Of course they put a dragon in here. What more does she want?" Alli cursed. She sat down, her back to the stone. "Don't speak to me, dragon. I am in a station far above the likes of you."


((OOC: The code word is sunrise. Don't know if Natallia mentioned that, but if anyone uses that code word it means they're in on the plan.))

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah sighs, glad that the cut healed, she isn’t sure how the human did that though. “Sunrise.” She whispers, closing her eyes. She can’t do much other than talk, which is annoying. “You’re pretty good at this, Syreece.” She jokes, smirking slightly. “It’s going to be okay.”
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

Skorzah sighs, glad that the cut healed, she isn’t sure how the human did that though. “Sunrise.” She whispers, closing her eyes. She can’t do much other than talk, which is annoying. “You’re pretty good at this, Syreece.” She jokes, smirking slightly. “It’s going to be okay.”

Alli's mouth gaped. "You... She..." She couldn't get the words out. Sunrise is our code word, she remembered Natallia telling her, all those months ago. Anyone you don't recognize will use that word. They're a friend.
Tears welled up in Alli's eyes, and she cupped a hand over her mouth, trying to contain her sobs. Natallia was trying to save her. She was going to get out of this, she was going to be okay. Her babies were going to be okay.
"I-I'm so... I'm sorry, that was so rude..." Alli sputtered through her tears. "I'm... I'm sorry, I've been crying so much recently..."

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah reaches out a hand, resting it on Alli’s knee gently to try and comfort her. “It’s okay.” She whispers, looking up at her. “I’d have done the same in your position.” She finally manages to sit up, sighing. “They need me to be here for this to work. We’re going to get you out.”
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

“They need me to be here for this to work. We’re going to get you out.”

Alli nodded, wiping her face. She could use a bath, but the queen hadn't deemed that necessary. "Natallia's always got a plan. Even when they fail, she has one. How... How is Eton? Have you seen him?"

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah nods, smiling a bit. “He’s scared, of course. Angry that the plan went wrong. I’m just glad he’s not here. I feel like things would go badly. Desperate people can really be an issue for these kinds of things.” She glances at Alli’s belly. “How are you? They haven’t been starving you, have they? I heard that the prisons here do that sometimes.” She looks pretty worried, for both Alli and the children she’s carrying.
Yatasal

 

[Yatasal]

“He’s scared, of course. Angry that the plan went wrong. I’m just glad he’s not here. I feel like things would go badly. Desperate people can really be an issue for these kinds of things.” She glances at Alli’s belly. “How are you? They haven’t been starving you, have they? I heard that the prisons here do that sometimes.”

Alli smiled. "That sounds like Eton. He probably threw another bench off of Valerie's balcony, didn't he? She told me once that she puts those there just for him. I'm... We're good. The queen wants me to live, even though she wants my children to die. So for now, she won't do anything to risk our lives. Did Natallia give you a time? Or something?"

 

[Eliasdagood]

Skorzah sighs, relieved that they at least haven’t been hurting the poor woman. “Good. I don’t know the whole plan, better for everyone that way. You know Nat. Even if I was, interrogated to the point where I finally broke, they wouldn’t be able to catch everyone.” She chuckles dryly. “I’m just here to care for you, and be ready when the time comes.”
Yatasal