Journey Chronicles - Scene 43
Fulfills task for: Day 149 (August 30, 2017)
Task completed on: June 19, 2020
Item of the Day:
Fulfills task for: Day 149 (August 30, 2017)
Task completed on: June 19, 2020
Item of the Day:
With their belongings secured behind the newly-built door to the crevice in the caldera, and with Atsuki taking the lead, Clan Ashfeather made its way to Flameforger’s Festival. The festival was held on a dedicated, flat piece of ground close to the immense volcano that housed the Great Furnace. The light and smoke from a hundred fires rose from the festival ground. The seven dragons could tell from the scents rising from the fires that some of them were forges, while others were cooking fires. The grounds were filled with dragons buying, selling, cooking, eating, crafting, dancing, and celebrating.
The borders of the festival grounds were marked out by an ornately-wrought iron fence, with a flaming torch at the top of each of its vertical poles. The largest torch of all stood alone in the center of the festival grounds, towering over everything. There was a single gate in the fence, but it was large enough for several dragons to pass through at once, and stood wide open.
Just inside the gates, there were tables where Mirror officials stood ready to greet festival-goers and hand out maps and small party favors. As Clan Ashfeather approached the gates, Milintica noticed that a fiery goblin had jumped up onto the table and was talking to one of the officials, while pointing straight at him.
He approached the table with the goblin. “Um… excuse me…” he said uncertainly. “Are you… were you expecting me, specifically? Am I in trouble, or something?”
“Not at all!” said the Mirror on the other side of the table. “In fact, you’re one of our honored guests today! I’m Burnish, and this is my familiar, Cediro.” Burnish was a Mirror, wearing the sash with the Fire medallion that indicated his status as an exalted civil servant. Cediro was the goblin who had pointed Milintica out.
“Hello,” said Cediro, “and welcome to Flameforger’s Festival. We were looking for you because we have a special gift for you. I was patrolling the region, which is my task as the eyes of the Flamecaller, and I saw that you and your companions stepped in to save your two local friends here from the Ashscale Ophiotaurus.”
“You did?” said Milintica. “Oh. I didn’t think anyone was watching. I wasn’t any good in that fight.”
“But you were brave enough to try,” said Cediro. “You were passionate enough to rush into danger to defend your friends without a second thought. An act like that gets attention - the good kind. What’s more, I saw you using your own magic to help rebuild the settlement after the attack, demonstrating that you are compassionate, as well as passionate, and that you are industrious and a hard worker. You have done a heroic deed, one worthy of recognition. Therefore, on behalf of the Flamecaller and all her exalted officials, it is our pleasure to present you with these tokens of her esteem and gratitude for your defense of her citizens.”
Burnish pushed a pair of rolled-up parchment scrolls, sealed with wax seals with the Fire Flight’s emblem on them, across the table. “Open this one first,” he said, tapping one of the scrolls with a claw.
Milintica broke the seal and unrolled the scroll. “No way,” he breathed.
There were words written on the scroll in the ancient, magical runic alphabet. Behind the words was a charcoal outline of a Coatl.
“This is… I… I don’t know what to say,” he said. “Thank you. Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this means, to me and to all of us.”
Milintica slowly turned to the rest of the clan, holding up the scroll. “Look.”
The others were just as astonished as he had been. “I’m so proud of you, son,” Rythorn said. “You do want to be a Coatl for yourself, right?”
“Absolutely!” Milintica said. “Be a better flyer, enjoy all the seafood I want - what’s not to like?”
“Language barrier?” Mithril suggested.
“Not a problem,” said Atsuki. “I’ll interpret for you.”
“Then the only question is, would you rather enjoy the festival as a Coatl, or as a Mirror?” said Burnish.
“A Coatl!” said Milintica.
“Go for it,” said Burnish. The rest of Clan Ashfeather nodded, watching Milintica with anticipation.
Milintica read the words on the scroll, wishing with all his heart to make them so. He felt the light, warm touch of the magical runes adhering to his hide. When he had pronounced the last syllable, the energy of the spell washed over and through him. He opened his eyes and - immediately closed them again. They were suddenly higher off the ground than they had been just moments ago, and it was giving him vertigo. He took a deep breath and slowly opened them again. He realized distantly that he had lost a sense - his heat vision - but this was worth it. He had feathers. He tried his new wings - they lifted him off the ground with a powerful whoosh. He laughed with delight and landed again.
“It worked!” he exclaimed - but the words came out as a series of tones and, yes, whistles. He experimented with the unfamiliar sensation. Coatls had forked tongues, much longer and more flexible than those of Mirrors. He whistled a few more notes, figuring out how to produce higher and lower tones, and grinned broadly.
“Congratulations!” said Atsuki. “He says it worked.”
“It did!” said Rythorn, beaming. “Well done, son. What’s the other scroll say?”
Milintica opened it - discovering for the first time that he could stand on two legs at will. The second scroll was written in the common draconic script and said, This voucher may be redeemed for any three gene scrolls of the bearer’s choice. Valid only during the Flameforger’s Festival. Vendor, return this voucher to the welcome table for repayment. Signed, Burnish, on behalf of the Ashfall Waste Civil Service.
“Wow,” said Rythorn. “That is some blessing.”
“It is,” said Kessel.
“Let’s go!” said Milintica. He picked up the second scroll and started to head off into the festival grounds.
“Enjoy the festival!” Burnish said to the whole clan. “And welcome to the Ashfall Waste!”
The clan proceeded into the festival grounds. Stasia, riding on Silviana’s shoulders, exchanged knowing nods and encouraging smiles with Cediro as she passed by the table. Stasia would be reporting back to her own elemental deity about this, too - as well as to Clan Adeptica, in a letter.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
At the stall where the magical scrolls were being sold, Milintica chose a wing pattern that complemented his Nature eyes, and two other scrolls that made the rest of him shine brightly, reflecting the lights of the torches all around him. As soon as their magical effects had been applied, he soared over the festival once again, delighting in his newfound freedom to fly as high and as far as he wanted.
“I’ve never seen that boy so happy,” Rythorn said, watching him.
“Neither have I,” said Kessel thoughtfully. “You know, this means Ember was right. It really is possible to become a Coatl just by being brave, passionate, and industrious enough.”
Kessel spoke the truth. Even though none of them had really known her, the members of the clan Ember had helped to found took a moment to marvel at the Flamecaller’s generosity, and at the power of Ember’s faith in her. They had seen Ember’s dream through to the end, and they were finally here, in the land of Fire.
Clan Ashfeather spent the rest of the Festival period enjoying all the sights, sounds, prizes, and special food it had to offer. It was a joyful time for all of them, but what meant the most to them was that at the end of the festival, they would be able to return to a real home of their very own.