Altair was pacing slowly inside the clan's town hall, making sure everything was optimal. He had finished his own duties earlier, and decided that it was for the best to wait inside until it was time for the banquet. Dioramos insisted that he would take care of everything else, and to the mild surprise of Altair, he did. Apparently the leader had planned all this for a long time, and it showed. He couldn't say that it was one of the fanciest works he admired, but it was very carefully done. The large hall had been already decorated, according to Dioramos' tastes.
There was a section reserved for the presents. It seemed that the host expected to receive a considerate sum from his clanmates. Altair had already prepared a stash of gemstones, great for the money-loving dragon. He didn't mind to part with them, after all, it was but only a mere value to him (Not that Dio already knew). It saved him on having to part or think of a better gift. He prefered to have it all prepared beforehand.
The skydancer glanced to the large table in the center. Primarely, the feast consisted in meat, as it was clearly the food of choice of the imperial. Even so, there were other options for the non-carnivores, to avoid further complains.
Still, the second-in-command was wondering about the most obvious intrigue- why hasn't Dioramos, the main protagonist of today, showed himself yet?. He had spoke earlier with him, and while he was clearly having a good mood, he explained with glint in his eyes that he had 'something important that must be adressed' and then asked Altair to check the main hall and to wait for the guests.
So, there he was, acting like some sort of butler, waiting for the guests' arrival. But what good would that do if Dioramos didn't appear? The clock was ticking, almost noon, and no signals.
Actually....there
was something else to add to the situation. In the last days, the leader was behaving rather strangely. He often went to other places, not marked safe by the territory map, and was seen hiding something in a particular place
(what it was-he didn't know). He added more taxes as time passed but for some reason there was a period of inactivity of his part. Crowley relayed this info to Altair in one of its outings. Obviously, this was a kept secret as the skydancer didn't confront him. He played his usual serious advisor, with the birthday as the perfect excuse to divert attention. Was it wrong to spy on him? Perhaps, but at the end of the day, it did bring some benefits.
He relished in information, after all.
As if in cue, Altair's antennas glowed, tensing for a moment. He opened the main door, and with it, a rather snowed Crowley announced his presence. He closed the doors while his familiar went to his shoulder.
"Tell me."
As Crowley cawed, glad to be inside the building, Altair nodded.
"Very well. So they're gathering outside. Hopefully we'll cross everyone from the list."
He huffed "Since Dioramos is getting late, I'll let them in." With luck, they didn't forget the dress code or more importantly,
the gifts.
Altair opened the doors, stepping outside to check on the dragons that were present, unaware at that moment that a few of them were concerned about something that happened during the night...
About his clothes:
Altair had dressed accordingly, adorning his body with the most finest clothes he possessed. The green hue contrasted well with his body's eldritch and flint skin and accentuated his nature eyes. He also decorated his wings with help of his magic, the harmless thorns adjusting to his form. For the last touch, he put on some darksteel glasses, just for the aesthetics.
Elegant Altair
Altair votes for
Dioramos (just to mention it for now)
