Lasciel

Wishlist: Cherub and Noxtide/Seraph

Crossroad Blues:
Lash lay under a tree by the side of the road, waiting for some poor lost soul to come her way. This stretch of road was not often traveled...at least not intentionally.
After some hours of waiting, a bright-eyed Gaoler came down the road, looking to the trees with annoyance. Lash watched her approach and tried to keep her expression neutral. The Gaoler slowed as she drew nearer, watching the other dragon but unwilling to start a conversation.
"Good afternoon, friend," Lash said politely.
"Good day," the Gaoler said gruffly.
"Excuse me for asking, but, have you lost your way?"
The Gaoler examined Lash before answering. One of those so-called "Guardians. Garishly ornamented and lazing about. Typical, she thought. "I may have made a wrong turn," the Gaoler grudgingly admitted.
"Ah," Lash said, nodding. "It happens. Confusing stretch of road; and with all the trees looking the same there are hardly any proper landmarks. Where are you headed?"
"I was sent to collect a...package, from the Dragonhome," the Gaoler said.
"Well, I can give you directions back to the main road, if you wish," Lash said, standing. If Lash was bigger, the Gaoler had more muscle.
"Yes, if you would," the Gaoler answered.
Lash cocked her head to the side, trying to look thoughtful. "Hmm. Come to think of it, it might be simpler to show you," she said, stepping onto the path.
"Fine," said the Gaoler.
Lash nodded and started down the road. The Gaoler kept pace beside her. "If we're going to walk together, we might as well introduce ourselves," Lash said.
The Gaoler didn't answer.
"I'm Lasciel Nighteyes. Most folks call me Lash," said Lash.
"Arla," said the Gaoler.
"Pleasure to meet you, Arla. You know, you meet the most interesting people here. Just the other day I ran across these two Fey--they had gotten off track coming back from a fishing trip. Lovely singing voices, those two. "
The Gaoler merely grunted.
"I also met an interesting Nocturne a few days ago. Must have been right around noon, by the heat of the day. Obstinate, fellow. Absolutely refused to listen to my advice. Probably managed to get himself lost in the woods. At least he's got enough leaves to eat, until he manages to get back to civilization."
Another grunt.
Lash suppressed a grin. "So, what's so special about this 'package,' Arla?"
"Nothing," Arla answered, a little too quickly.
"Well now, it can't be nothing if a Gaoler's been sent to fetch it," Lash said.
"Then it is none of your concern," Arla said gruffly.
Lash smiled wider. "Fair enough, friend. Well, if there's a specific part of the Dragonhome you're headed to, I might be able to show you a shortcut."
"I simply need to reach the southern border," said Arla. "That's where my contact is. And I would appreciate it if we might pass the rest of the journey in silence."
"As you wish, friend," Lash said.

As they walked, the woods grew wilder, and the road more grown over and harder to see, until the Gaoler was left unsure how the Guardian could possibly still be following a path at all. Yet her companion had not slowed and still seemed as sure of her direction as ever. If anything, she may have sped up.
"Shouldn't we have reached the border by now?" Arla asked.
"We're nearly there," Lash said cheerfully.
A moment later she stopped so suddenly that Arla nearly ran into her. The Guardian moved aside, and Arla stepped forward to the edge of a cliff. Perhaps thirty feet below, a fast river current continued its work of carving a crevice into the ground.
Lash unfurled her wings and leapt into the air, clearing the gap with a couple of wing-strokes.
When she had landed and turned around, Arla mimed flying with a pair of wings to short to produce lift.
Lash threw her head back with a slight laugh, and flew back. "My apologies, friend. My mind slips, sometimes. Now, let me see..."
"Hmmph. I do hope you have another route. If this sets me back by to much, I may miss my meeting. It's very important," Arla grumbled.
"Well, if it's that time-sensitive," Lash said, "we'll just have to get you across the river."
"And how exactly do you propose to do that?" the Gaoler asked, exasperated.
"I'll carry you," Lash said cheerily.
"I doubt that," Arla said with a derisive snort.
"I'm a strong flyer," Lash said defensively. "And it's a little hop, really. Barely even flying."
Arla glared.
"You're the one who said they were in a hurry, friend," Lash said.
Arla glared a moment longer. "Fine," she finally said. "But not a word of this to anyone."
"As you wish, friend," Lash said.
Lash took flight again, and swooped around to grasp the Gaoler by her shoulders. Somewhat to Arla's surprise, the Guardian lifted her off the ground, and carried her smoothly over the edge of the cliff and partway over the river.
At which point the Guardian released her grip.
The Gaoler dropped into the water with a yipe and a splash. She was quickly carried away by the current, futilely fighting to get back to the hovering Guardian.
Lash smiled broadly.
And now, it would seem I have a package to collect, Lash thought to herself, and laughed.

The Prisoner's Tales
There was a commotion down the corridor. A pair of gaolers flank a shackled guardian dragon, who is alternately shouting and laughing as they drag her along.
"I'll get out of here!" She bellows at them. "There's not a prison in the world that can hold Lash!"
"Quiet!" one of the gaolers orders.
Lash laughs like a piece of pipe being dragged across glass. "Still bitter about that little swim, eh, friend?"
The gaoler knocks the guardian's front legs out from under her. "You will address me as Keeper or as Ma'am, or you will not address me at all, thief. Now, move!"
The guardian grins, her face twisting into something that had no right to call itself a smile, and stands. She looks in on the skydancer as she is lead past, and chuckles.
"You know something, don't you?" she taunts as she passes.
She laughs unpleasantly as the gaolers lead her further down the corridor and around a bend, out of sight.