Emperor Valerian
First Post
Boredom, and the Party Hitch-hikes by Dragon
The party went to sleep that night, fully aware that the next day would be a day of boredom.
As expected, when they rose that morning, there was little to do. Siabrey, Tess, and Shaun attempted to help the dragons with their carpentry as much as possible, but due to their lack of experience, all three were limited quickly to ferrying water occasionally to a tired dragon... which meant nothing to do for half hour spans.
“Are you bored?” Xanadu came over, wiping some dust off of his half-elven hands, and the party nodded. He smiled gently and said, “Well, someone should comfort Renee and her mother. They went through some traumatic events two nights ago, and they could use some words of support.”
The party nodded, and headed towards the tower, happy to be doing something, but a little depressed at what would come...
“Now, Siabrey... let me talk to them,” Tess cautioned as the party reached the tower. “I am the silver tongued one here... you....” Siabrey put her hands on her hips, and Tess paused momentarily, “...um... well... you’re... steel tongued, dear.” Siabrey gave a huff, and Lucius chuckled.
The doors at the base of the tower were opened by a red eyed Renee, fresh tear streaks still coursing down her face. She breathed deeply, before motioning them to come in. Tess immediately buried the girl in a hug, and she sniffled some before breaking away and leading the party further inside.
“Please,” Renee said quietly, her voice weak but unwavering, “don’t... don’t apologize for what happened to the guards, or my father. You did what had to be done... and you did not kill my father... that monster did.”
”We are still sorry Renee,” Siabrey said before Tess could react, “We’re sorry that a family as nice as yours could get dragged into something as horrible as this.”
Whoa, Tess’ mind screeched to a halt. Did Siabrey actually say that? Hmm... maybe I’m rubbing off some... thank Honoria... Tess gave a slight, inward smile at this thought as the party was taken into the same small banquet room they had been in only two days earlier. A similarly red faced Brynhilda stood at their entry. The party bowed.
“That’s... not necessary,” Brynhilda said, her voice also weak but not breaking, “I... we... owe you a debt of thanks. My husband would thank you right now... for saving his wife and daughter, and who knows who else,” Brynhilda said before breathing deeply and giving a wracking shudder.
“Nonetheless... we are sorry for the lives lost, m’lady,” Tess bowed. “Is there anything we can do to help ease your pain while we are here?” I feel bad for the guards Grumki slammed around... they didn’t know what they were involved in...
Brynhilda gave a sad smile, and shook her head. “Your defeat of the monster was more than enough. As my daughter has likely already told you, you have done more than enough... we should thank you. My only wish is to know what that creature was... and to make sure none of its kind can come back.” Tess frowned, and went into thought for a second before looking back up.
“M’lady... your husband had a library... correct?” The lady of the manor nodded, and Tess grunted. “Hmmm... perhaps if we take a look there, then maybe we could find some clues as to what happened.” Shaun frowned immediately, and questioned whether it was trapped.
“Yes... his library is at the top of the tower...I can go ahead and take down his precautions,” Brynhilda volunteered. “Please give me a few minutes... Renee shall lead the way.” The woman’s face seemed to lose its sadness in favor of a purpose, and she left the room with a graceful bow.
A few minutes later, the party climbed up the long, spiral staircase inside the middle of the tower... that is, everyone save Tess, who floated up the central hole using her songs of levitation. At seeing this, an out of breath Shaun remarked that the bard was, “...nothing more than a show-off.” They found Brynhilda already looking through volumes, frowning.
“It is exactly as it was the last time I can remember... a month ago, if Renee is right... save his last diary logbook is missing...” She pointed towards one shelf where it appeared a single book on the third row was missing. Tess immediately grabbed the book next to the empty spot.
“Do you mind?” she asked quietly, looking to Brynhilda, who nodded in accepting. “Hmmm...” Tess flipped to the final page, and read aloud.
“Logbook...
Today I ran into an actual copper dragon... a real one! He was a large specimen, perhaps 80 feet long... maybe several centuries old. Once I discovered he spoke, just as the little ones did, there was an exciting and delightful banter. He was wise and witty, an excellent creature. I plan to go out soon and try to persuade him to come with me to my home... that he might meet some other people. Perhaps we can teach these commoners that dragons are not all evil.
Oh, and a side note. On the way home today, I found a little girl with black hair on the side of the road. She appeared very distraught and was crying for her mother. I comforted her, and brought her here, back to the tower, until I can finish some divinations to see if I can find where her parents are.”
”That’s where the demon child came from,” Tess said aloud softly as she read the description of the little girl, black hair... young... Tess and the party searched the books some more, but found no other useful information. After Renee asked if there was nothing more she could do, the party thanked her and her mother for their hospitality.
It was early the next morning when the party was awakened by the incessant shaking of a half elf’s hands.
“Wake up!” Xanadu would snap at each in turn, pushing them out of their pleasurable slumber and into the harsh morning light.
“Nghrgh!” Shaun groaned in anger and drowsiness, batting his hands for a few minutes before finally sitting up with a grouchy grunt. Why the hell are we being woken up so damn early? his mind growled... a growl that became verbal when he saw the half elf leaning down so his face was just in front of Shaun’s, merriment playing in his eyes.
“Rise and shine, sleepy one!” Xanadu grinned, patting Shaun on the head. He was clearly enjoying being the tormentor instead of the victim for once, “the harnesses and gondola are ready. You fly with dragons in an hour!”
“Stho,” Siabrey spoke around the mouthful of stew that the stout Alisandra had already cooked up for the party, “Xanthy... got oder da plan?” Xanadu turned his ear sideways slightly, before realizing what she said and nodding.
“Hmm... very well. I will carry the gondola carrying you all. You will be strapped in. Alisandra will come with... and she will carry your horses...”
“Um...” Shaun asked, his voice confused, “I don’t know about anyone else’s mount, but I know Kosher...”
“Kother... hoot the heh ith Kother?” Siabrey asked, raising an eyebrow at him, still chewing.
“Kosher! My horses’ name is Kosher!” Shaun pointed at the animal with annoyance. Siabrey and Elenya both looked at him strangely... he decided to ignore their looks and continue. “Anyway. I don’t know about Lightning or whatever Siabrey’s horse is named, but Kosher won’t like flying...” Siabrey cleared her throat.
“He’ll be strapped in, but who’d put the horses to sleep? Otherwise they’ll likely stru...” Before Siabrey finished her sentence, Xanadu gave a very annoyed look and raised his hand, waving it about.
“Um... yeah? 700-year-old wizard? Hm? I... I think I just might be able to handle that,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Siabrey looked at him sideways, and laughed.
“Do that face again, Xanny! That was hilarious!” she sputtered.
“No,” the wizard growled, before continued deftly to another topic, “Now. The other dragons will follow us... a day behind. We’ll go invisible with our magic, don’t worry, you’ll be invisible too, and fly low over Irulas, to scout things out before landing a bit outside the city so you can ride in.” He gave a smile, “Of course, we don’t want to unnecessarily scare them before Lucius can explain our plan to the Princess, and/or the Crown Prince...”
“What plan?” Tess asked curiously, and Lucius waved off her question.
“We dragons will then enter the city as humanoids the next day... so we will be in the city with you, should your blonde haired friend or the Princess try anything stupid.” He crossed his arms confidently. “Now... into the gondola with you. The others will help tie you in, and secure your supplies...”
It was a few hours later, and Siabrey sat in a huff next to Tess. She craned her head, and found she could only see part of Lucius’ head before the extra straps the cautious Xanadu had put on everyone stopped her movement.
The takeoff from the ground had been... amazing. The feeling of bouncing, jumping about as the dragon broke into a run, building speed before finally leaping into the air. Xanadu and the gondola had seemed to hang, dangling in the air for seconds that dragged seemingly into hours, even falling back slightly... causing Siabrey to cringe, before the first massive whumph echoed in the air, as his wings thundered through their first downbeat. Rather quickly, the ground underneath grew small, fading from sight almost, and the party shivered in the extra clothes Xanadu had given them to keep them warm in the cold of the great heights.
Dammit she growled. Only an hour before she had been sitting beside Lucius in the back of the gondola... the perfect place for the two of them to... keep themselves occupied. I don’t know why Xanny made us change places! We behaved! For the most part at least...
She knew exactly what caused the seating arrangement to change... the question she asked Lucius that she should have never asked. I should have just done it she thought. Of course when she asked, “Luke, is it ok if I... try you out airborne?” Xanadu immediately began chastising the two, and headed towards a graceful landing in a mountain valley. There, a seating order had been enforced... Tess by Siabrey, Grumki by Shaun, and Pellaron beside Elenya. Aris now held the rear.
Tess gave a noticeable sigh, which caused Siabrey to jump slightly.
“What’s wrong?” Siabrey asked, leaning close to her dear friend... her sister in her eyes. Tess smiled distantly, and looked back from the awe-inspiring view outside, towards Siabrey.
“See those mountains?” she leaned and pointed. Siabrey’s eyes followed her friend’s indications towards a towering line of peaks, perfect as a marching column of soldiers, crowned with helms of glaciers and snow. “Those, my dearest, are the Balarac Mountains... some call them the roof of the world, and the backbone of the sky...” Tess said in some wonder. “And all of that snow reminds me of home.”
“Where was home, Tess?” Siabrey asked, realizing that for all the intimate details she knew of her friend, even meeting his family (technically), she didn’t know where she was originally from.
“Far to the north... along the Northern Tundras, where there was a great amount of ice and snow... I can remember my snowball fights with Quin,” Tess smiled, “he would pack so much ice into...”
“I’ve only seen snow twice before today,” Siabrey said quietly, thinking to her own ancestral home... the Sipner family manor. Far far away from the Northern Tundras, indeed even from the deserts her father called home, it was along the southern coasts of the Empire.... where instead of snow, children baked in heat and along the sandy beaches. “I can remember seeing sand fights... never any snowball fights. I likely wouldn’t have been allowed to play anyway...”
“What!?” Tess turned, looking directly at Siabrey in a loss for words. “You’ve never been in a snowball fight? Ever?” Siabrey shook her head sadly. “Why, for the love of the gods?!” Tess asked again, incredulous that anyone would deny their child that opportunity.
“My wings... my mother thought it would scare the other children... she was protecting me,” Siabrey said distantly. She remembered the stares, the whispers that something was wrong with the Sipner daughter... she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and smiled at Lucius’ touch. The hand retreated away, and suddenly she heard Xanadu growl.
”What?” the dragon complained. He’d landed once already today... by the gods, if one of them had to go to the bathroom, they would have to hold it!
“Xanny... we need to land. Now. In the snow!” Lucius said rather firmly. They all heard a dragon snort.
“Why?”
”Siabrey has never seen snow up close! It’ll only take a few minutes!” Lucius’ voice edged towards a whine... Siabrey could tell from the one eye of his she could see that he was calculating... hoping this would annoy Xanadu into agreeing. It did.
Gently the great dragon circled round, coming down from great height and landing softly into the snow between two great peaks. As the party climbed out of the gondola, they sank several inches into deep, heavy snow. The snow was perfect for a fight.... and no winds whipped up around them... it was neither too cold, nor too hot so the snow would be melty... perfect weather as well.
This is... so strange! Siabrey’s mind thought in wonder as she sank up over her boot feet in the icy snow, One doesn’t sink this far in sand... and it doesn’t slide as much... Before more thoughts could be formed by her mind enraptured by the experience, a blast of icy cold lashed through her stomach. She looked down in time to see a large chunk of snow dripping from her stomach tunic, and looked up in time to see a laughing Lucius some twenty feet away. Her mind was in shock for a millisecond, before two and two came together, and she launched herself at the boy. “I’ll get you!” she laughed, scooping up some snow herself and flinging it at him, her random piling of snow breaking apart in the air... she hadn’t packed it.
A mad free for all ensued. Elenya, one of the most adept, avoided initially snowballing anyone. Instead, she gathered a great deal of snow in her arms, and with a small jump and careful timing, dumped the mass on Shaun’s head.
Siabrey’s chase of Luke didn’t fare well. She wasn’t used to having to hike up her step in order to run, and stumbled through the snow as the far more experienced Luke teased her, running slowly but staying just out of reach. As she lunched for him, another icy blast hit her in the middle of the back... and this one had a slight sting as well. Siabrey spun around, to see Tess hurriedly gathering more snow into her hands. With a cry of laughter and vengeance, the fighter hurled herself at the bard, knocking her into a snow bank, and the two began to wrestle, as Siabrey tried, with some success, to rub snow in Tess’ face.
Shaun and Lucius stopped whaling on each other long enough to see this, and jointly pronounce the event as qualifying for descriptions such as “wow,” “oh my,” and Shaun’s favorite, “that’s hot.”
It didn’t distract Shaun long, and quickly the rogue decided as Xanadu had gently mocked him early in the morning, it was Shaun’s turn for vengeance. Carefully he made a perfect snowball... perfect ice, perfect snow mixture, perfect size... and launched it at the dragon’s face. Xanadu gave a growl, flicked the snow away with a minute snap of his head, and ignored the rogue... to Shaun’s chagrin.
Siabrey had just arisen from victoriously rubbing snow all over Tess’ face when she felt a great shove from behind, and tumbled into a snow bank. An “Uf!” echoed in her ears as a warm body fell on top of her, and the laughter that came from her assailant marked him as none other than Lucius.
She was excited... it was once again a case where strenuous activity got her senses and needs going, and she needed an outlet... a way to expend all that energy, and her mind immediately flashed to her favorite method of getting tired. Her eyes looked up at Luke’s and smiled for a different reason than his laughter. I haven’t had a snowball fight before... heck, I’ve never fallen in snow before! Why not have another first in the snow? her mind purred, and she yanked close for a kiss. She could tell by his rather eager response that he had the same thing on his mind... but then he growled.
“Um...” he managed to pull away, rather reluctantly, “there’s people around. I’ll have to owe you,” he smiled. She sighed in slight annoyance, before giving him a smile to let him know it wasn’t him she was annoyed with.
”Very well... you know I collect on debts,” she grinned, before a loud “Ow!” brought both of them sitting up, and gathered the attention of all the non-dragons present.
Pellaron was standing in a drift of snow up to his waist, snow dripping off of his head, his shoulders, arms, and tunic. As he looked down with disgust, Grumki stood in front of him, arms crossed in self-satisfaction. As he saw the looks of confusion from the party, Grumki grinned, shrugged, and announced, “What? The strength of Kord requires large snowballs!”
Finally, the chaos began to wind down after Xanadu grew bored and began clearing his massive dragon throat. As the party started back towards the gondolas, Lucius picked Siabrey up from the snow, with a grin.
“So hon... how was your first snowball fight?” he asked, a big grin on his face. He sidled up next to her, carefully keeping an arm from view.
He’s smiling about more than me... Siabrey thought, knowing his face. “Yes... I had a lot of fun. Maybe when you build that villa you talked about, it should be partway... YEEAAAHH!”
Siabrey let out a scream of surprise as Lucius crammed a mass of snow down the front of her tunic, and burst out laughing. Once her mind got past the intense cold, Siabrey reached down her tunic front... a move that stopped Lucius’ laughing, and started some staring... and threw the snow in the stunned young man’s face.
“I win,” she said, before proudly sashaying back to the gondola. She then deftly avoided him as he approached as well, fearing retribution. As he civilly took his seat and they rose aloft again, she began to let down her nerves.
Surely a snowball would have melted by this time in his hands? Siabrey mused. She was not an expert on physics, but she did pick up quickly on how fast the snow could vanish if one held it too long.
”Tess, thank you for the idea of stopp... YEEAEAAGH!” she screeched again in surprise, as cold slammed down her back. Her hands flew towards the back bottom of her tunic, and felt a large lump of snow sitting there, as a low, quiet voice chuckled over her shoulder... and she knew she had underestimated her foe in that... match.
”No Siabrey... I win,” Lucius laughed. “I love the ability of chill touch.”
Siabrey turned, managing to twist the straps around until she could face him. “Luke... you complain about me misusing magic?” she grinned.
The flight continued at incredible pace, and it was only four hours later when a distant blob on the horizon made itself out to be the growing city of Irulas... its grey, brown, and stucco warrens contrasting with its great, white washed wall, temples, and palaces. To the party’s surprise, rather suddenly, Xanadu above them seemed to vanish... only clear blue sky was ahead. Below... only the rushing of the ground... as well as nothing to the front, and no one to the rear.
After a few seconds a fear, they realized they had been rendered invisible... and rather quietly, Shaun’s mind had a thought.
”Hey, Elenya...” he hissed, “No one can see us... which means....”
”Luuucius...” Siabrey’s voice also cooed, “where are you? I want to collect on your debt...” She evidently forgot who was sitting next to her, as the party had only a few seconds of silence before a sudden yelp, sounding like Tess, screeched through the air.
”I am not Lucius, in case you forgot!” her stern voice hissed a few seconds later, “and I do not appreciate being touched in that manner! Some ladies of the night might go for that, but I don’t!” While they couldn’t see Siabrey’s red face, some giggles went around as the imagined how crimson her face must have been.
As their flight brought them closer to the great city, they slowly were able to make out the landmarks they had known before... the Great Temple of Hieroneous, with its abasements and courtyards, the Temple of Sune, the large statute of the goddess standing in the square at the temple’s front. Of course, the Temple of Pelor, from above looking in the shape of a massive sun disk... and finally the massive columns and numerous terraced gardens of the Imperial Palace...
Where the bitch now resides, Siabrey thought darkly. Though this Alexander sounds interesting. I bet he’s nothing but a bitch too... but if Rogar was telling the truth, and they are fighting... an enemy of an enemy is my friend...
As the swooped low over the city, slowly down, the party began to make out a noise over the rush of air and the occasional wing beat.
“Um... Shaun? You hear that?” Tess called out, and a few seconds later Shaun replied.
“Yeah... it sounds like bells... but they aren’t ringing... they’re playing the same one... one of the deeper bells... again and again...”
“They’re tolling...” Lucius said quietly.
“What the heck does that mean?” Siabrey asked aloud. Maybe someone clocked the bitch in the palace, and the city is celebrating?
”Something bad happened,” Xanadu said softly, “A great defeat, a disaster... or the death of someone important...”
“Maybe Zoe died. We can all hope for that,” Siabrey spat in annoyance.
The party went to sleep that night, fully aware that the next day would be a day of boredom.
As expected, when they rose that morning, there was little to do. Siabrey, Tess, and Shaun attempted to help the dragons with their carpentry as much as possible, but due to their lack of experience, all three were limited quickly to ferrying water occasionally to a tired dragon... which meant nothing to do for half hour spans.
“Are you bored?” Xanadu came over, wiping some dust off of his half-elven hands, and the party nodded. He smiled gently and said, “Well, someone should comfort Renee and her mother. They went through some traumatic events two nights ago, and they could use some words of support.”
The party nodded, and headed towards the tower, happy to be doing something, but a little depressed at what would come...
“Now, Siabrey... let me talk to them,” Tess cautioned as the party reached the tower. “I am the silver tongued one here... you....” Siabrey put her hands on her hips, and Tess paused momentarily, “...um... well... you’re... steel tongued, dear.” Siabrey gave a huff, and Lucius chuckled.
The doors at the base of the tower were opened by a red eyed Renee, fresh tear streaks still coursing down her face. She breathed deeply, before motioning them to come in. Tess immediately buried the girl in a hug, and she sniffled some before breaking away and leading the party further inside.
“Please,” Renee said quietly, her voice weak but unwavering, “don’t... don’t apologize for what happened to the guards, or my father. You did what had to be done... and you did not kill my father... that monster did.”
”We are still sorry Renee,” Siabrey said before Tess could react, “We’re sorry that a family as nice as yours could get dragged into something as horrible as this.”
Whoa, Tess’ mind screeched to a halt. Did Siabrey actually say that? Hmm... maybe I’m rubbing off some... thank Honoria... Tess gave a slight, inward smile at this thought as the party was taken into the same small banquet room they had been in only two days earlier. A similarly red faced Brynhilda stood at their entry. The party bowed.
“That’s... not necessary,” Brynhilda said, her voice also weak but not breaking, “I... we... owe you a debt of thanks. My husband would thank you right now... for saving his wife and daughter, and who knows who else,” Brynhilda said before breathing deeply and giving a wracking shudder.
“Nonetheless... we are sorry for the lives lost, m’lady,” Tess bowed. “Is there anything we can do to help ease your pain while we are here?” I feel bad for the guards Grumki slammed around... they didn’t know what they were involved in...
Brynhilda gave a sad smile, and shook her head. “Your defeat of the monster was more than enough. As my daughter has likely already told you, you have done more than enough... we should thank you. My only wish is to know what that creature was... and to make sure none of its kind can come back.” Tess frowned, and went into thought for a second before looking back up.
“M’lady... your husband had a library... correct?” The lady of the manor nodded, and Tess grunted. “Hmmm... perhaps if we take a look there, then maybe we could find some clues as to what happened.” Shaun frowned immediately, and questioned whether it was trapped.
“Yes... his library is at the top of the tower...I can go ahead and take down his precautions,” Brynhilda volunteered. “Please give me a few minutes... Renee shall lead the way.” The woman’s face seemed to lose its sadness in favor of a purpose, and she left the room with a graceful bow.
A few minutes later, the party climbed up the long, spiral staircase inside the middle of the tower... that is, everyone save Tess, who floated up the central hole using her songs of levitation. At seeing this, an out of breath Shaun remarked that the bard was, “...nothing more than a show-off.” They found Brynhilda already looking through volumes, frowning.
“It is exactly as it was the last time I can remember... a month ago, if Renee is right... save his last diary logbook is missing...” She pointed towards one shelf where it appeared a single book on the third row was missing. Tess immediately grabbed the book next to the empty spot.
“Do you mind?” she asked quietly, looking to Brynhilda, who nodded in accepting. “Hmmm...” Tess flipped to the final page, and read aloud.
“Logbook...
Today I ran into an actual copper dragon... a real one! He was a large specimen, perhaps 80 feet long... maybe several centuries old. Once I discovered he spoke, just as the little ones did, there was an exciting and delightful banter. He was wise and witty, an excellent creature. I plan to go out soon and try to persuade him to come with me to my home... that he might meet some other people. Perhaps we can teach these commoners that dragons are not all evil.
Oh, and a side note. On the way home today, I found a little girl with black hair on the side of the road. She appeared very distraught and was crying for her mother. I comforted her, and brought her here, back to the tower, until I can finish some divinations to see if I can find where her parents are.”
”That’s where the demon child came from,” Tess said aloud softly as she read the description of the little girl, black hair... young... Tess and the party searched the books some more, but found no other useful information. After Renee asked if there was nothing more she could do, the party thanked her and her mother for their hospitality.
It was early the next morning when the party was awakened by the incessant shaking of a half elf’s hands.
“Wake up!” Xanadu would snap at each in turn, pushing them out of their pleasurable slumber and into the harsh morning light.
“Nghrgh!” Shaun groaned in anger and drowsiness, batting his hands for a few minutes before finally sitting up with a grouchy grunt. Why the hell are we being woken up so damn early? his mind growled... a growl that became verbal when he saw the half elf leaning down so his face was just in front of Shaun’s, merriment playing in his eyes.
“Rise and shine, sleepy one!” Xanadu grinned, patting Shaun on the head. He was clearly enjoying being the tormentor instead of the victim for once, “the harnesses and gondola are ready. You fly with dragons in an hour!”
“Stho,” Siabrey spoke around the mouthful of stew that the stout Alisandra had already cooked up for the party, “Xanthy... got oder da plan?” Xanadu turned his ear sideways slightly, before realizing what she said and nodding.
“Hmm... very well. I will carry the gondola carrying you all. You will be strapped in. Alisandra will come with... and she will carry your horses...”
“Um...” Shaun asked, his voice confused, “I don’t know about anyone else’s mount, but I know Kosher...”
“Kother... hoot the heh ith Kother?” Siabrey asked, raising an eyebrow at him, still chewing.
“Kosher! My horses’ name is Kosher!” Shaun pointed at the animal with annoyance. Siabrey and Elenya both looked at him strangely... he decided to ignore their looks and continue. “Anyway. I don’t know about Lightning or whatever Siabrey’s horse is named, but Kosher won’t like flying...” Siabrey cleared her throat.
“He’ll be strapped in, but who’d put the horses to sleep? Otherwise they’ll likely stru...” Before Siabrey finished her sentence, Xanadu gave a very annoyed look and raised his hand, waving it about.
“Um... yeah? 700-year-old wizard? Hm? I... I think I just might be able to handle that,” he said, voice dripping with sarcasm. Siabrey looked at him sideways, and laughed.
“Do that face again, Xanny! That was hilarious!” she sputtered.
“No,” the wizard growled, before continued deftly to another topic, “Now. The other dragons will follow us... a day behind. We’ll go invisible with our magic, don’t worry, you’ll be invisible too, and fly low over Irulas, to scout things out before landing a bit outside the city so you can ride in.” He gave a smile, “Of course, we don’t want to unnecessarily scare them before Lucius can explain our plan to the Princess, and/or the Crown Prince...”
“What plan?” Tess asked curiously, and Lucius waved off her question.
“We dragons will then enter the city as humanoids the next day... so we will be in the city with you, should your blonde haired friend or the Princess try anything stupid.” He crossed his arms confidently. “Now... into the gondola with you. The others will help tie you in, and secure your supplies...”
It was a few hours later, and Siabrey sat in a huff next to Tess. She craned her head, and found she could only see part of Lucius’ head before the extra straps the cautious Xanadu had put on everyone stopped her movement.
The takeoff from the ground had been... amazing. The feeling of bouncing, jumping about as the dragon broke into a run, building speed before finally leaping into the air. Xanadu and the gondola had seemed to hang, dangling in the air for seconds that dragged seemingly into hours, even falling back slightly... causing Siabrey to cringe, before the first massive whumph echoed in the air, as his wings thundered through their first downbeat. Rather quickly, the ground underneath grew small, fading from sight almost, and the party shivered in the extra clothes Xanadu had given them to keep them warm in the cold of the great heights.
Dammit she growled. Only an hour before she had been sitting beside Lucius in the back of the gondola... the perfect place for the two of them to... keep themselves occupied. I don’t know why Xanny made us change places! We behaved! For the most part at least...
She knew exactly what caused the seating arrangement to change... the question she asked Lucius that she should have never asked. I should have just done it she thought. Of course when she asked, “Luke, is it ok if I... try you out airborne?” Xanadu immediately began chastising the two, and headed towards a graceful landing in a mountain valley. There, a seating order had been enforced... Tess by Siabrey, Grumki by Shaun, and Pellaron beside Elenya. Aris now held the rear.
Tess gave a noticeable sigh, which caused Siabrey to jump slightly.
“What’s wrong?” Siabrey asked, leaning close to her dear friend... her sister in her eyes. Tess smiled distantly, and looked back from the awe-inspiring view outside, towards Siabrey.
“See those mountains?” she leaned and pointed. Siabrey’s eyes followed her friend’s indications towards a towering line of peaks, perfect as a marching column of soldiers, crowned with helms of glaciers and snow. “Those, my dearest, are the Balarac Mountains... some call them the roof of the world, and the backbone of the sky...” Tess said in some wonder. “And all of that snow reminds me of home.”
“Where was home, Tess?” Siabrey asked, realizing that for all the intimate details she knew of her friend, even meeting his family (technically), she didn’t know where she was originally from.
“Far to the north... along the Northern Tundras, where there was a great amount of ice and snow... I can remember my snowball fights with Quin,” Tess smiled, “he would pack so much ice into...”
“I’ve only seen snow twice before today,” Siabrey said quietly, thinking to her own ancestral home... the Sipner family manor. Far far away from the Northern Tundras, indeed even from the deserts her father called home, it was along the southern coasts of the Empire.... where instead of snow, children baked in heat and along the sandy beaches. “I can remember seeing sand fights... never any snowball fights. I likely wouldn’t have been allowed to play anyway...”
“What!?” Tess turned, looking directly at Siabrey in a loss for words. “You’ve never been in a snowball fight? Ever?” Siabrey shook her head sadly. “Why, for the love of the gods?!” Tess asked again, incredulous that anyone would deny their child that opportunity.
“My wings... my mother thought it would scare the other children... she was protecting me,” Siabrey said distantly. She remembered the stares, the whispers that something was wrong with the Sipner daughter... she felt a gentle hand on her shoulder, and smiled at Lucius’ touch. The hand retreated away, and suddenly she heard Xanadu growl.
”What?” the dragon complained. He’d landed once already today... by the gods, if one of them had to go to the bathroom, they would have to hold it!
“Xanny... we need to land. Now. In the snow!” Lucius said rather firmly. They all heard a dragon snort.
“Why?”
”Siabrey has never seen snow up close! It’ll only take a few minutes!” Lucius’ voice edged towards a whine... Siabrey could tell from the one eye of his she could see that he was calculating... hoping this would annoy Xanadu into agreeing. It did.
Gently the great dragon circled round, coming down from great height and landing softly into the snow between two great peaks. As the party climbed out of the gondola, they sank several inches into deep, heavy snow. The snow was perfect for a fight.... and no winds whipped up around them... it was neither too cold, nor too hot so the snow would be melty... perfect weather as well.
This is... so strange! Siabrey’s mind thought in wonder as she sank up over her boot feet in the icy snow, One doesn’t sink this far in sand... and it doesn’t slide as much... Before more thoughts could be formed by her mind enraptured by the experience, a blast of icy cold lashed through her stomach. She looked down in time to see a large chunk of snow dripping from her stomach tunic, and looked up in time to see a laughing Lucius some twenty feet away. Her mind was in shock for a millisecond, before two and two came together, and she launched herself at the boy. “I’ll get you!” she laughed, scooping up some snow herself and flinging it at him, her random piling of snow breaking apart in the air... she hadn’t packed it.
A mad free for all ensued. Elenya, one of the most adept, avoided initially snowballing anyone. Instead, she gathered a great deal of snow in her arms, and with a small jump and careful timing, dumped the mass on Shaun’s head.
Siabrey’s chase of Luke didn’t fare well. She wasn’t used to having to hike up her step in order to run, and stumbled through the snow as the far more experienced Luke teased her, running slowly but staying just out of reach. As she lunched for him, another icy blast hit her in the middle of the back... and this one had a slight sting as well. Siabrey spun around, to see Tess hurriedly gathering more snow into her hands. With a cry of laughter and vengeance, the fighter hurled herself at the bard, knocking her into a snow bank, and the two began to wrestle, as Siabrey tried, with some success, to rub snow in Tess’ face.
Shaun and Lucius stopped whaling on each other long enough to see this, and jointly pronounce the event as qualifying for descriptions such as “wow,” “oh my,” and Shaun’s favorite, “that’s hot.”
It didn’t distract Shaun long, and quickly the rogue decided as Xanadu had gently mocked him early in the morning, it was Shaun’s turn for vengeance. Carefully he made a perfect snowball... perfect ice, perfect snow mixture, perfect size... and launched it at the dragon’s face. Xanadu gave a growl, flicked the snow away with a minute snap of his head, and ignored the rogue... to Shaun’s chagrin.
Siabrey had just arisen from victoriously rubbing snow all over Tess’ face when she felt a great shove from behind, and tumbled into a snow bank. An “Uf!” echoed in her ears as a warm body fell on top of her, and the laughter that came from her assailant marked him as none other than Lucius.
She was excited... it was once again a case where strenuous activity got her senses and needs going, and she needed an outlet... a way to expend all that energy, and her mind immediately flashed to her favorite method of getting tired. Her eyes looked up at Luke’s and smiled for a different reason than his laughter. I haven’t had a snowball fight before... heck, I’ve never fallen in snow before! Why not have another first in the snow? her mind purred, and she yanked close for a kiss. She could tell by his rather eager response that he had the same thing on his mind... but then he growled.
“Um...” he managed to pull away, rather reluctantly, “there’s people around. I’ll have to owe you,” he smiled. She sighed in slight annoyance, before giving him a smile to let him know it wasn’t him she was annoyed with.
”Very well... you know I collect on debts,” she grinned, before a loud “Ow!” brought both of them sitting up, and gathered the attention of all the non-dragons present.
Pellaron was standing in a drift of snow up to his waist, snow dripping off of his head, his shoulders, arms, and tunic. As he looked down with disgust, Grumki stood in front of him, arms crossed in self-satisfaction. As he saw the looks of confusion from the party, Grumki grinned, shrugged, and announced, “What? The strength of Kord requires large snowballs!”
Finally, the chaos began to wind down after Xanadu grew bored and began clearing his massive dragon throat. As the party started back towards the gondolas, Lucius picked Siabrey up from the snow, with a grin.
“So hon... how was your first snowball fight?” he asked, a big grin on his face. He sidled up next to her, carefully keeping an arm from view.
He’s smiling about more than me... Siabrey thought, knowing his face. “Yes... I had a lot of fun. Maybe when you build that villa you talked about, it should be partway... YEEAAAHH!”
Siabrey let out a scream of surprise as Lucius crammed a mass of snow down the front of her tunic, and burst out laughing. Once her mind got past the intense cold, Siabrey reached down her tunic front... a move that stopped Lucius’ laughing, and started some staring... and threw the snow in the stunned young man’s face.
“I win,” she said, before proudly sashaying back to the gondola. She then deftly avoided him as he approached as well, fearing retribution. As he civilly took his seat and they rose aloft again, she began to let down her nerves.
Surely a snowball would have melted by this time in his hands? Siabrey mused. She was not an expert on physics, but she did pick up quickly on how fast the snow could vanish if one held it too long.
”Tess, thank you for the idea of stopp... YEEAEAAGH!” she screeched again in surprise, as cold slammed down her back. Her hands flew towards the back bottom of her tunic, and felt a large lump of snow sitting there, as a low, quiet voice chuckled over her shoulder... and she knew she had underestimated her foe in that... match.
”No Siabrey... I win,” Lucius laughed. “I love the ability of chill touch.”
Siabrey turned, managing to twist the straps around until she could face him. “Luke... you complain about me misusing magic?” she grinned.
The flight continued at incredible pace, and it was only four hours later when a distant blob on the horizon made itself out to be the growing city of Irulas... its grey, brown, and stucco warrens contrasting with its great, white washed wall, temples, and palaces. To the party’s surprise, rather suddenly, Xanadu above them seemed to vanish... only clear blue sky was ahead. Below... only the rushing of the ground... as well as nothing to the front, and no one to the rear.
After a few seconds a fear, they realized they had been rendered invisible... and rather quietly, Shaun’s mind had a thought.
”Hey, Elenya...” he hissed, “No one can see us... which means....”
”Luuucius...” Siabrey’s voice also cooed, “where are you? I want to collect on your debt...” She evidently forgot who was sitting next to her, as the party had only a few seconds of silence before a sudden yelp, sounding like Tess, screeched through the air.
”I am not Lucius, in case you forgot!” her stern voice hissed a few seconds later, “and I do not appreciate being touched in that manner! Some ladies of the night might go for that, but I don’t!” While they couldn’t see Siabrey’s red face, some giggles went around as the imagined how crimson her face must have been.
As their flight brought them closer to the great city, they slowly were able to make out the landmarks they had known before... the Great Temple of Hieroneous, with its abasements and courtyards, the Temple of Sune, the large statute of the goddess standing in the square at the temple’s front. Of course, the Temple of Pelor, from above looking in the shape of a massive sun disk... and finally the massive columns and numerous terraced gardens of the Imperial Palace...
Where the bitch now resides, Siabrey thought darkly. Though this Alexander sounds interesting. I bet he’s nothing but a bitch too... but if Rogar was telling the truth, and they are fighting... an enemy of an enemy is my friend...
As the swooped low over the city, slowly down, the party began to make out a noise over the rush of air and the occasional wing beat.
“Um... Shaun? You hear that?” Tess called out, and a few seconds later Shaun replied.
“Yeah... it sounds like bells... but they aren’t ringing... they’re playing the same one... one of the deeper bells... again and again...”
“They’re tolling...” Lucius said quietly.
“What the heck does that mean?” Siabrey asked aloud. Maybe someone clocked the bitch in the palace, and the city is celebrating?
”Something bad happened,” Xanadu said softly, “A great defeat, a disaster... or the death of someone important...”
“Maybe Zoe died. We can all hope for that,” Siabrey spat in annoyance.
)
