Valravn woke to a splitting headache.
Her chest and ribs were on fire with pain and breathing hurt tremendously, but she was alive, and that's what counted.
As her vision swam back into and out of focus, she vaguely recognized the wolflike dragon face in front of her. His horns branched upward in black from his skull, and his green eyes glimmered in his obsidian face. He didn't speak, mercifully, as this particular dragon's voice would have split her head worse.
"J-Jarad?" the elf murmured. "Jarad?! Where is everyone else? What--"
She was cut off by a hacking cough from deep in her chest.
"What happened last night? Where is everyone?" Val whispered.
Jarad whispered back, "They're all trying to subdue Valdiis."
"Why?"
"Last night, we were attacked. The food we traded for? It was all drugged with a mild, sleep-inducing poison. If I remember, last night was a fasting night for you." he replied, still hushed.
Val nodded. She took one night a week and skipped dinner for meditation. it had been last night.
"I was the last to lapse into sleep, Silvona. I remember seeing you try to come to our aid, but being clubbed in the back and violently and repeatedly kicked in the chest. I am honestly surprised you are alive." Jarad said.
"Why were we attacked? By who?" Val asked, cringing as she sat up. "And I'm a lot tougher to kill."
"The traders were in league with a mob of goblins. The traders drugged us, and the goblins came in to clean up the mess. They've..." he said, before pausing, as though debating how to continue. "They took all the hatchlings. Rhystalon, Marya. They took all of them. And Serylda. They sealed off her nest and broke it from the trees. Merlin is besides himself with grief and anger."
Valravn was enraged! Through the pain, she stood, and was about to stomp away to get her weapons.
"Who would do this, Jarad?!" she shrieked. "Who would steal hatchlings and a Fae?!"
"You know as well as I do." Jarad said. "Probably not the same ones, but slave traders, like the ones who took little Leucissa before Benioti and Malu rescued her. You remember her, don't you?"
"Plaguebringer take the miserable scum! Jarad, we can't let them get away with this!" Val shouted. Before she could continue, her screams were deafened by the roar of an enraged female Guardian.
"Valdiis!" Valravn realized. "Her son!"
She leaned heavily on Jarad's side as he led her to where the rest of the clan was trying to keep the ferocious mother dragon under control.
"Where is my son?! I will rend them if any harm comes to my Rhystalon! Bring them to me!" the thrashing dragoness roared. She was pinned down by thick, strong vines of Nature magic, unable to get up and carry out her threat.
"Valdiis! Calm down! If you continue to be irrational, you'll never get Rhys back!" Val shouted to her.
The great red she-dragon immediately quieted.
Her voice was dangerously soft as she asked the elf, "What do you suggest I do, little Two-Legs?"
"I'm going to get the children, and Serylda, back. Whatever it takes. Jarad told me it was goblins. You couldn't follow them if you tried, they live underground. Let me bring Rhystalon back. You can trust me." Valravn said, trying to reassure the grieving mother.
Somewhat mollified, Valdiis accepted her words.
"You're injured, though. How will you do it, Elf?" Valdiis asked.
"Leave that to me. I will get--" Valravn was cut off by an equally ferocious roar from across the fjord.
"That came from the Aerie." Mithril said. She was nursing a massive headache as well. It seemed the meat and fish-eaters were more susceptible to the effects of the sleep poison.
"I'll go. You all stay here and do this for me. I need a tracker, one of the Mirrors, preferably, a mount, and something to at least kill the pain, if not help me heal faster. I'll be back. If you're going with me, you can't be any bigger than Rhenahm." Valrsvn said. "Persephone, please give me a lift?"
"Of course." the iridescent Pearlcatcher replied, kneeling on her front legs to allow the weakened elf to climb on. "If you need a mount for this, I'd like to volunteer."
As the dragon lifted off, Val asked, "Are you sure about going with me?"
"Yes, Val. I think I can do it." she replied demurely. "But here we are. Hail them."
The elf shouted out, as loud as her sore ribs would allow, and waited for permission to land.
Her heart sank as none of the Aerie's hatchlings tumbled out to beg her for the sweet treats she normally brought them.
Valravn woke to a splitting headache.
Her chest and ribs were on fire with pain and breathing hurt tremendously, but she was alive, and that's what counted.
As her vision swam back into and out of focus, she vaguely recognized the wolflike dragon face in front of her. His horns branched upward in black from his skull, and his green eyes glimmered in his obsidian face. He didn't speak, mercifully, as this particular dragon's voice would have split her head worse.
"J-Jarad?" the elf murmured. "Jarad?! Where is everyone else? What--"
She was cut off by a hacking cough from deep in her chest.
"What happened last night? Where is everyone?" Val whispered.
Jarad whispered back, "They're all trying to subdue Valdiis."
"Why?"
"Last night, we were attacked. The food we traded for? It was all drugged with a mild, sleep-inducing poison. If I remember, last night was a fasting night for you." he replied, still hushed.
Val nodded. She took one night a week and skipped dinner for meditation. it had been last night.
"I was the last to lapse into sleep, Silvona. I remember seeing you try to come to our aid, but being clubbed in the back and violently and repeatedly kicked in the chest. I am honestly surprised you are alive." Jarad said.
"Why were we attacked? By who?" Val asked, cringing as she sat up. "And I'm a lot tougher to kill."
"The traders were in league with a mob of goblins. The traders drugged us, and the goblins came in to clean up the mess. They've..." he said, before pausing, as though debating how to continue. "They took all the hatchlings. Rhystalon, Marya. They took all of them. And Serylda. They sealed off her nest and broke it from the trees. Merlin is besides himself with grief and anger."
Valravn was enraged! Through the pain, she stood, and was about to stomp away to get her weapons.
"Who would do this, Jarad?!" she shrieked. "Who would steal hatchlings and a Fae?!"
"You know as well as I do." Jarad said. "Probably not the same ones, but slave traders, like the ones who took little Leucissa before Benioti and Malu rescued her. You remember her, don't you?"
"Plaguebringer take the miserable scum! Jarad, we can't let them get away with this!" Val shouted. Before she could continue, her screams were deafened by the roar of an enraged female Guardian.
"Valdiis!" Valravn realized. "Her son!"
She leaned heavily on Jarad's side as he led her to where the rest of the clan was trying to keep the ferocious mother dragon under control.
"Where is my son?! I will rend them if any harm comes to my Rhystalon! Bring them to me!" the thrashing dragoness roared. She was pinned down by thick, strong vines of Nature magic, unable to get up and carry out her threat.
"Valdiis! Calm down! If you continue to be irrational, you'll never get Rhys back!" Val shouted to her.
The great red she-dragon immediately quieted.
Her voice was dangerously soft as she asked the elf, "What do you suggest I do, little Two-Legs?"
"I'm going to get the children, and Serylda, back. Whatever it takes. Jarad told me it was goblins. You couldn't follow them if you tried, they live underground. Let me bring Rhystalon back. You can trust me." Valravn said, trying to reassure the grieving mother.
Somewhat mollified, Valdiis accepted her words.
"You're injured, though. How will you do it, Elf?" Valdiis asked.
"Leave that to me. I will get--" Valravn was cut off by an equally ferocious roar from across the fjord.
"That came from the Aerie." Mithril said. She was nursing a massive headache as well. It seemed the meat and fish-eaters were more susceptible to the effects of the sleep poison.
"I'll go. You all stay here and do this for me. I need a tracker, one of the Mirrors, preferably, a mount, and something to at least kill the pain, if not help me heal faster. I'll be back. If you're going with me, you can't be any bigger than Rhenahm." Valrsvn said. "Persephone, please give me a lift?"
"Of course." the iridescent Pearlcatcher replied, kneeling on her front legs to allow the weakened elf to climb on. "If you need a mount for this, I'd like to volunteer."
As the dragon lifted off, Val asked, "Are you sure about going with me?"
"Yes, Val. I think I can do it." she replied demurely. "But here we are. Hail them."
The elf shouted out, as loud as her sore ribs would allow, and waited for permission to land.
Her heart sank as none of the Aerie's hatchlings tumbled out to beg her for the sweet treats she normally brought them.
"Beware; for I am Fearless, and therefore powerful."
-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
"PLAGUEBRINGER MAKE THEM ROT WHERE THEY STAND!!! DAMN THEIR BLOODY SOULS TO SUFFERING!!! NO! I'll make them SUFFER UNTIL THEY WISH THE PLAGUEBRINGER WOULD GIVE THEM SOMETHING SWEETER THAN PAIN!"
Eclipse's roar echoed out across the stretch of water beneath the Aerie. The Luminous Aerie was roiling with emotional responses to a true nightmare: fledgling-napping.
Sanza was doing her absolute best to keep the adults under control, but even she was quickly oscillating between bone-chilling fear and molten-hot, helpless rage. Alizarin was beside himself. Not only had the kidnappers taken every young fledgling, even littlest Zamoro (youngest of Wracklii's small clutch), but they'd managed to subdue young-adult Palatina. Zamoro was considered to be Alizarin's grandchild, despite no blood relation, and the rose-hued Guardian was close to spilling the nearest blood available. Sanza finally had to roar loudly near Eclipse's ear to break the Imperial from his cursing stream.
"ECLIPSE!!! By the shell, you're NOT HELPING!!!" The darkly-striped Imperial's chest heaved for a bit longer as he stared hard into her eyes, fighting back helpless tears. "Go find Malu. Get her here. We're going to need some two-legger insight into this...disaster," she finally spat. The Imperial stormed into the den, deftly avoiding Alizarin's pacing up and down the main hallway.
He found Malu holding a cold cloth to the back of her head, wiping tears from her flushed cheeks, as she sat in the Aerie's library-study. The Aerie's resident alchemist/scientist/healer, Tsetsudo, spiraled his way over to Eclipse, concern flashing in his Light-golden eyes.
"She issss fine but for a lump. However, she isssss ssssick to her ssstomach. Do not upsssset her further," he warned in a sibilant manner. Eclipse quickly dropped his lips to hide his teeth - Tsetsudo was right, there was no need to argue with the healer - and quietly padded over to her.
"Lady Malu," he said softly, fluttering his wings in a gentle fledgling-like manner to get her attention. The young woman looked up and swallowed another sob.
"Oh, Eclipse, they..."
"I know, my lady," Eclipse replied around a lump in his throat.
"I tried to stop them, but they had ropes around her neck and wings and then something hit me..." Malu seemed close to gagging for a second, but composed herself and swiped under her eyes again. Eclipse's mane rose on end to hear how they had captured his Palatina.
"I have already sworn by the Plaguebringer that these thieves will wish for pain after I am through making them suffer, my lady..." he snarled in a low timbre. "Come with me, Malu. We need your knowledge of the Capitol City in order to get our fledglings back. To get my Palatina back." Malu looked up as his voice broke and the normally steely-stoic Eclipse seemed terribly close to tears.
"Let Tsetsudo finish the healing potion and I'll come out. Get Benioti, he'll know exactly where to start looking. He has a better memory of the back-alleys than I do," she mumbled, checking the wet cloth for any blood. Giving a short nod, Eclipse swiftly exited the library study.
"This is a nightmare..." the gembonded-Skydancer whispered, walking beside Eclipse as they neared the exit to the Aerie's landing shelf.
"We must be strong, for the Aerie and the fledglings. And Malu," Eclipse stressed, thinking of how mortified the young woman must be. Very rarely did anyone manage to sneak up on her.
"I'm fully aware of this, Imperial," Benioti snapped back in a rare display of bad temper. Both males paused in the tunnels, knife-like glare meeting razor-sharp glare. Finally, Eclipse let out a slow breath.
"Apologies, Skydancer. These are trying times."
That was all Benioti was going to get for an apology and that was fine by him.
"They are indeed," he replied as they exited onto the shelf. Malu was there already, looking less pale and more determined than previously. She was dressed in her warmest travel clothing with pack over her shoulders and belt completely covered in small satchels. The two male dragons saw that Valravn, the lady Elf from across the way in Clan Animar, had arrived with an unknown female Pearlcatcher, greenwood in coloration, and two dragons know to them, Kharahm and Merlin. Sanza turned to look at her clan-mates.
"Clan Animar was also attacked last night. They are missing fledglings and one of their Fae, little Serylda." The Matriarch had never been shaken so in her long life and the waver as heard in her speech. Eclipse was snarling again before he caught himself.
"Did the slave traders get any eggs? Anthera was able to defend her nest, thank the Lightweaver," Benioti reported. "Roux fought and was lightly injured, but he's fine." The Skydancer gave Val a sad nod of greeting. "Lady Val, how did the slavers get into your gardens? Tsetsudo told us that nearly every dragon here succumbed to a sleeping spell of some sort. There are no signs of anything like tranquilizers or poisoned food or anything like that."
Wonderful...a sorcerer... Eclipse thought to himself, staring out across the waters. If only it was all about strength and spilling blood with teeth and talons. Noble fights. Not this...underhanded, cowardly word war...
Malu had a hand gently resting on Val's shoulder, her face a picture of mournful attention, as she waited to hear the horrid explanation of how this catastrophe occurred in the lair of their dearest allies.
(( I wasn't sure who had accompanied Val besides Persephone; I'll edit in their names once I figure it out. Also, if we're picking three dragons, Benioti's mate Canari is already in the Capitol doing her own thing, like she normally does. They'll meet up with her there.))
"PLAGUEBRINGER MAKE THEM ROT WHERE THEY STAND!!! DAMN THEIR BLOODY SOULS TO SUFFERING!!! NO! I'll make them SUFFER UNTIL THEY WISH THE PLAGUEBRINGER WOULD GIVE THEM SOMETHING SWEETER THAN PAIN!"
Eclipse's roar echoed out across the stretch of water beneath the Aerie. The Luminous Aerie was roiling with emotional responses to a true nightmare: fledgling-napping.
Sanza was doing her absolute best to keep the adults under control, but even she was quickly oscillating between bone-chilling fear and molten-hot, helpless rage. Alizarin was beside himself. Not only had the kidnappers taken every young fledgling, even littlest Zamoro (youngest of Wracklii's small clutch), but they'd managed to subdue young-adult Palatina. Zamoro was considered to be Alizarin's grandchild, despite no blood relation, and the rose-hued Guardian was close to spilling the nearest blood available. Sanza finally had to roar loudly near Eclipse's ear to break the Imperial from his cursing stream.
"ECLIPSE!!! By the shell, you're NOT HELPING!!!" The darkly-striped Imperial's chest heaved for a bit longer as he stared hard into her eyes, fighting back helpless tears. "Go find Malu. Get her here. We're going to need some two-legger insight into this...disaster," she finally spat. The Imperial stormed into the den, deftly avoiding Alizarin's pacing up and down the main hallway.
He found Malu holding a cold cloth to the back of her head, wiping tears from her flushed cheeks, as she sat in the Aerie's library-study. The Aerie's resident alchemist/scientist/healer, Tsetsudo, spiraled his way over to Eclipse, concern flashing in his Light-golden eyes.
"She issss fine but for a lump. However, she isssss ssssick to her ssstomach. Do not upsssset her further," he warned in a sibilant manner. Eclipse quickly dropped his lips to hide his teeth - Tsetsudo was right, there was no need to argue with the healer - and quietly padded over to her.
"Lady Malu," he said softly, fluttering his wings in a gentle fledgling-like manner to get her attention. The young woman looked up and swallowed another sob.
"Oh, Eclipse, they..."
"I know, my lady," Eclipse replied around a lump in his throat.
"I tried to stop them, but they had ropes around her neck and wings and then something hit me..." Malu seemed close to gagging for a second, but composed herself and swiped under her eyes again. Eclipse's mane rose on end to hear how they had captured his Palatina.
"I have already sworn by the Plaguebringer that these thieves will wish for pain after I am through making them suffer, my lady..." he snarled in a low timbre. "Come with me, Malu. We need your knowledge of the Capitol City in order to get our fledglings back. To get my Palatina back." Malu looked up as his voice broke and the normally steely-stoic Eclipse seemed terribly close to tears.
"Let Tsetsudo finish the healing potion and I'll come out. Get Benioti, he'll know exactly where to start looking. He has a better memory of the back-alleys than I do," she mumbled, checking the wet cloth for any blood. Giving a short nod, Eclipse swiftly exited the library study.
"This is a nightmare..." the gembonded-Skydancer whispered, walking beside Eclipse as they neared the exit to the Aerie's landing shelf.
"We must be strong, for the Aerie and the fledglings. And Malu," Eclipse stressed, thinking of how mortified the young woman must be. Very rarely did anyone manage to sneak up on her.
"I'm fully aware of this, Imperial," Benioti snapped back in a rare display of bad temper. Both males paused in the tunnels, knife-like glare meeting razor-sharp glare. Finally, Eclipse let out a slow breath.
"Apologies, Skydancer. These are trying times."
That was all Benioti was going to get for an apology and that was fine by him.
"They are indeed," he replied as they exited onto the shelf. Malu was there already, looking less pale and more determined than previously. She was dressed in her warmest travel clothing with pack over her shoulders and belt completely covered in small satchels. The two male dragons saw that Valravn, the lady Elf from across the way in Clan Animar, had arrived with an unknown female Pearlcatcher, greenwood in coloration, and two dragons know to them, Kharahm and Merlin. Sanza turned to look at her clan-mates.
"Clan Animar was also attacked last night. They are missing fledglings and one of their Fae, little Serylda." The Matriarch had never been shaken so in her long life and the waver as heard in her speech. Eclipse was snarling again before he caught himself.
"Did the slave traders get any eggs? Anthera was able to defend her nest, thank the Lightweaver," Benioti reported. "Roux fought and was lightly injured, but he's fine." The Skydancer gave Val a sad nod of greeting. "Lady Val, how did the slavers get into your gardens? Tsetsudo told us that nearly every dragon here succumbed to a sleeping spell of some sort. There are no signs of anything like tranquilizers or poisoned food or anything like that."
Wonderful...a sorcerer... Eclipse thought to himself, staring out across the waters. If only it was all about strength and spilling blood with teeth and talons. Noble fights. Not this...underhanded, cowardly word war...
Malu had a hand gently resting on Val's shoulder, her face a picture of mournful attention, as she waited to hear the horrid explanation of how this catastrophe occurred in the lair of their dearest allies.
(( I wasn't sure who had accompanied Val besides Persephone; I'll edit in their names once I figure it out. Also, if we're picking three dragons, Benioti's mate Canari is already in the Capitol doing her own thing, like she normally does. They'll meet up with her there.))
(I'm taking Persephone, Kharahm, and Merlin. The hatchlings taken from us were Marya, Rhystalon, and the new ones I'll have tomorrow. Plus Serylda. And we're bringing another little Imperial Primcess, Sakuyahime, back with us. Go look at her. NAO.)
Val pulled Malu to her in a tight hug. Both women were shaken; these dragons were their families, too.
"Valdiis and Drakiel's son was taken. As was Marya, Jorgen's daughter. The food we bought last night from a trading caravan was drugged." Valravn told the human. "Then a pack of disgusting little goblins came through an took everyone they could carry."
Val still leaned heavily on destrier-sized Persephone.
"Kharahm. Go back and get my weapons and travel-pack. It's in my room in my treehouse. And see if anyone's found a painkiller. Kingsfoil, if we have it. Grab my scrying amulet, too.Fly fast and safe, my friend!" Val instructed the oil-slick black Mirror. She nodded and took off lightning fast to the Labyrinth.
Merlin sat teary-eyed on Persephone's withers, choking back hiccuping sobs.
"I want to go with you! My Serylda is in danger; I have to find her!" he sniffled, hurt mixed with rage that he couldn't keep them from taking her.
"Hush now, merlin. Of course you're going. You're the best mage I've got!" Val told him with a reassuring stroke.
Val turned to Benioti.
"Our eggs weren't targeted. it seems they only wanted the young, trainable dragons. Or in Palatina's case, the loveliest." she said.
"Rhys, I'm scared!" Marya whispered. "What's going to happen to us?"
The little black and purple Tundra was pressed into the young Guardian's side, far too close for comfort, but he endured the suffocating texture of her thick fur to comfort her.
"I don't know, Mari. Stay close to me and you'll be fine. Shh, Mari, you're okay." Rhystalon crooned at her. He was only a couple of months older, but already much bigger.
Rhys looked at the others who had been taken. There was himself and Marya, Serylda, the adult Fae, Lady Palatina, who was probably not conscious yet and on a different cart, Zamoro, who had been put in the smallest cage with Serylda, who had her wings protectively around him, and an Imperial who was still asleep.
She was lovely, like Palatina, and he hoped she'd be alright.
"Oi! Quitcher snivellin'!!" their goblin jailer growled at Marya, who burst into tears. The poor thing wasn't used to cruelty of any kind, and Rhys tried his best to calm her.
"Stupid beasts. Oi 'ope those dark elves pay us good for the little brats!" the nasty goblin spat.
"Dark elves?" Rhys murmured. "Ooh, I wish I could get a hold of Val!"
He wrapped his neck around Marya's back to comfort her, and wound his tail around the young Imperial's in her sleep. He hated to presume the familiarity, but he thought that some small kindness in this harsh situation would do her good.
He knew there were three carts. The one with him, Marya, and the Imperial on it, which had the cage containing Serylda and Zamoro attached to it, the one carrying Lady Palatina, and another that he could have sworn contained more hatchlings.
Rhystalon had no idea what to do.
(I'm taking Persephone, Kharahm, and Merlin. The hatchlings taken from us were Marya, Rhystalon, and the new ones I'll have tomorrow. Plus Serylda. And we're bringing another little Imperial Primcess, Sakuyahime, back with us. Go look at her. NAO.)
Val pulled Malu to her in a tight hug. Both women were shaken; these dragons were their families, too.
"Valdiis and Drakiel's son was taken. As was Marya, Jorgen's daughter. The food we bought last night from a trading caravan was drugged." Valravn told the human. "Then a pack of disgusting little goblins came through an took everyone they could carry."
Val still leaned heavily on destrier-sized Persephone.
"Kharahm. Go back and get my weapons and travel-pack. It's in my room in my treehouse. And see if anyone's found a painkiller. Kingsfoil, if we have it. Grab my scrying amulet, too.Fly fast and safe, my friend!" Val instructed the oil-slick black Mirror. She nodded and took off lightning fast to the Labyrinth.
Merlin sat teary-eyed on Persephone's withers, choking back hiccuping sobs.
"I want to go with you! My Serylda is in danger; I have to find her!" he sniffled, hurt mixed with rage that he couldn't keep them from taking her.
"Hush now, merlin. Of course you're going. You're the best mage I've got!" Val told him with a reassuring stroke.
Val turned to Benioti.
"Our eggs weren't targeted. it seems they only wanted the young, trainable dragons. Or in Palatina's case, the loveliest." she said.
"Rhys, I'm scared!" Marya whispered. "What's going to happen to us?"
The little black and purple Tundra was pressed into the young Guardian's side, far too close for comfort, but he endured the suffocating texture of her thick fur to comfort her.
"I don't know, Mari. Stay close to me and you'll be fine. Shh, Mari, you're okay." Rhystalon crooned at her. He was only a couple of months older, but already much bigger.
Rhys looked at the others who had been taken. There was himself and Marya, Serylda, the adult Fae, Lady Palatina, who was probably not conscious yet and on a different cart, Zamoro, who had been put in the smallest cage with Serylda, who had her wings protectively around him, and an Imperial who was still asleep.
She was lovely, like Palatina, and he hoped she'd be alright.
"Oi! Quitcher snivellin'!!" their goblin jailer growled at Marya, who burst into tears. The poor thing wasn't used to cruelty of any kind, and Rhys tried his best to calm her.
"Stupid beasts. Oi 'ope those dark elves pay us good for the little brats!" the nasty goblin spat.
"Dark elves?" Rhys murmured. "Ooh, I wish I could get a hold of Val!"
He wrapped his neck around Marya's back to comfort her, and wound his tail around the young Imperial's in her sleep. He hated to presume the familiarity, but he thought that some small kindness in this harsh situation would do her good.
He knew there were three carts. The one with him, Marya, and the Imperial on it, which had the cage containing Serylda and Zamoro attached to it, the one carrying Lady Palatina, and another that he could have sworn contained more hatchlings.
Rhystalon had no idea what to do.
"Beware; for I am Fearless, and therefore powerful."
-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Malu returned the hug and fought back tears. There was something about an Elf hug that was soothing to the soul. Perhaps it was in the way it was given, or that the Elves tended to be natural healers even without potions or herbs.
"I can't imagine what they would have done with Anthera's eggs if she hadn't stopped them. I hesitate to say this, because I'm not certain, but it seemed as if she alone was resistant to the magic aimed at the dragons. Perhaps...perhaps your Kharahm will be able to resist any spoken magic, should we run into this sorcerer who aided the goblins here. I don't remember any goblins here though..." she mumbled, gently touching the back of her skull.
"I find it odd that they would take an adult Fae," Benioti said softly, almost more to himself than anything else.
"Serylda is likely beautiful, like Palatina," Eclipse replied in an undertone, an edge of warning to his words. Benioti nodded; he didn't want Merlin thinking that the Skydancer was at all biased against his mate.
"I'm sure she's gorgeous," he said with honest conviction. Malu took a step back from Val and stared off across the waters, anxious for Kharahm to return.
"Once Kharahm gets back, we'll decide who's going and where our strengths lie," she announced. Tucking strands of strawberry-blonde hair behind her ears, she shrugged off her pack and set it down on the shelf for one last look-through. She hated forgetting anything and items got expensive in the Capitol City. Sighing and looking up at Benioti, she spoke to him. "You're coming along, yeah?"
"Of course, Malu," Benioti responded. "And Eclipse as well, without a doubt. Remember too that Canari is still in the city and she is quite adept at fighting in those narrow streets."
"Oh yes, that's right," Malu muttered, still rummaging through her pack. "Good ol' Canari and her spy-like ways... Well, I guess that's everything." With a grunt, she swung her pack up onto her shoulders once again. "Val, the Luminous Aerie's dragons joining us on this journey will be Benioti and Eclipse. You heard that Canari is already there. Sanza?" The ruby-red Guardian stepped closer, seemingly more composed than earlier. Hearing that a plan had been hatched settled her nerves quite a bit. "You and Alizarin will have to keep an extra-close watch on things while we're gone."
"Well, of course," Sanza said with a sharp frown. Malu sighed and reached up to gently pat the Guardian's chest-plate.
"You know I'm not trying to treat you like a stupid creature, Sanza. Sometimes...sometimes it's good to say these things aloud. It makes them seem more..."
"Normal. Doable. I understand, two-legger. With Zamoro missing, Alizarin will be like a nest of hornets. Little things will set him off." She sighed. "I doubt a mouse will get into the den while he's in the front entrance."
"Woe betide that mouse," Eclipse murmured as he rattled his wings impatiently.
Her mind felt all slow and groggy...
...full of moth-wings and nest-fluff...
Why did everything sound so loud and sharp?
Groaning, Palatina smacked her lips and squinted at her surroundings. Burry lines came into sharp focus... BARS!!! With a yowl that started strong and ended in a pained yelp from her skull smacking into the cage top, Palatina jerked about as she searched for an exit. The cage was small, cramped, and she was unable to unfold her wings. Looking back at them, she saw that her jailers had also hog-tied her wings shut. When she tried to open them, searing pain ripped along her joints to her shoulders, causing her to yowl again.
"Eyh! Shaddup!" A resounding blow to the cage through the tarp wall rang in her ears like a knell of doom and she winced, her Fire-bright eyes reduced to slits.
"By the shell...!!! Fish-hooks! In my wings!" she whimpered, trying hard to turn her head more to see if the membranes had torn. The weight she had thought was her copper necklace was abruptly realized to be a shackle, linked to the floor in unbreakable metal. It wasn't long enough to allow her much more than a side-glance and a tear of pure thankfulness inched down her cheek when she saw that nothing had torn. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision and rubbing her muzzle on her fore-legs, she tried to focus. What would Eclipse do...? No time more in her life, even since she had tumbled from her egg, did she wish he was here. Or even Benioti, with his foppish light-hearted antics. "What would Eclipse do...? What would he do...?" she mumbled, moving each leg and finding it too shackled to the bottom of the cage. The wagon was moving - at least, she surmised it was a wagon. Wood bottom, its roof supported by wood hoops covered in tarp. Whatever pulled it wasn't afraid of dragons. She heard heavy footsteps and guessed that they belonged to her jailer. A good long sniff told her that they were goblins and she wrinkled her nose; nasty beasts, the stuff of horrifying bed-time stories for fledglings. There was dragon underneath the rank smell and only one was familiar. She thought it was a little male Fae, which made it...Zamoro! "AUGH!!!" she gasped, realizing just what was going on.
Slave-traders.
Her blood ran cold. It was Benioti's dinner-tale come true.
Curling in on herself with a sudden lack of bravery, Palatina let more tears fall down her cheeks.
What would they do....?
Inside his small cage, the little male Fae was watching Rhystalon and Marya with wide Light-hued eyes. The goblins had scared him into silence a long time ago and he was loathe to speak again, especially after seeing how they had made Marya cry. He shifted to make his feet more comfortable and thought about what he'd heard.
Dark Elves.
He wasn't sure what those were, being so young, but they sounded scary.
His stomach grumbled loudly and he laid his crest-fans back in the best display of sad body language he could manage.
"I'm hungry..." he mumbled in a mono-tone. "Do they have food?" This was directed at Rhystalon.
(( We're going to meet Syenah and Cetan once they get to the holding cells. Also Xochiquetzal, I think...if I can keep track of that many, hah. ^^ ))
Malu returned the hug and fought back tears. There was something about an Elf hug that was soothing to the soul. Perhaps it was in the way it was given, or that the Elves tended to be natural healers even without potions or herbs.
"I can't imagine what they would have done with Anthera's eggs if she hadn't stopped them. I hesitate to say this, because I'm not certain, but it seemed as if she alone was resistant to the magic aimed at the dragons. Perhaps...perhaps your Kharahm will be able to resist any spoken magic, should we run into this sorcerer who aided the goblins here. I don't remember any goblins here though..." she mumbled, gently touching the back of her skull.
"I find it odd that they would take an adult Fae," Benioti said softly, almost more to himself than anything else.
"Serylda is likely beautiful, like Palatina," Eclipse replied in an undertone, an edge of warning to his words. Benioti nodded; he didn't want Merlin thinking that the Skydancer was at all biased against his mate.
"I'm sure she's gorgeous," he said with honest conviction. Malu took a step back from Val and stared off across the waters, anxious for Kharahm to return.
"Once Kharahm gets back, we'll decide who's going and where our strengths lie," she announced. Tucking strands of strawberry-blonde hair behind her ears, she shrugged off her pack and set it down on the shelf for one last look-through. She hated forgetting anything and items got expensive in the Capitol City. Sighing and looking up at Benioti, she spoke to him. "You're coming along, yeah?"
"Of course, Malu," Benioti responded. "And Eclipse as well, without a doubt. Remember too that Canari is still in the city and she is quite adept at fighting in those narrow streets."
"Oh yes, that's right," Malu muttered, still rummaging through her pack. "Good ol' Canari and her spy-like ways... Well, I guess that's everything." With a grunt, she swung her pack up onto her shoulders once again. "Val, the Luminous Aerie's dragons joining us on this journey will be Benioti and Eclipse. You heard that Canari is already there. Sanza?" The ruby-red Guardian stepped closer, seemingly more composed than earlier. Hearing that a plan had been hatched settled her nerves quite a bit. "You and Alizarin will have to keep an extra-close watch on things while we're gone."
"Well, of course," Sanza said with a sharp frown. Malu sighed and reached up to gently pat the Guardian's chest-plate.
"You know I'm not trying to treat you like a stupid creature, Sanza. Sometimes...sometimes it's good to say these things aloud. It makes them seem more..."
"Normal. Doable. I understand, two-legger. With Zamoro missing, Alizarin will be like a nest of hornets. Little things will set him off." She sighed. "I doubt a mouse will get into the den while he's in the front entrance."
"Woe betide that mouse," Eclipse murmured as he rattled his wings impatiently.
Her mind felt all slow and groggy...
...full of moth-wings and nest-fluff...
Why did everything sound so loud and sharp?
Groaning, Palatina smacked her lips and squinted at her surroundings. Burry lines came into sharp focus... BARS!!! With a yowl that started strong and ended in a pained yelp from her skull smacking into the cage top, Palatina jerked about as she searched for an exit. The cage was small, cramped, and she was unable to unfold her wings. Looking back at them, she saw that her jailers had also hog-tied her wings shut. When she tried to open them, searing pain ripped along her joints to her shoulders, causing her to yowl again.
"Eyh! Shaddup!" A resounding blow to the cage through the tarp wall rang in her ears like a knell of doom and she winced, her Fire-bright eyes reduced to slits.
"By the shell...!!! Fish-hooks! In my wings!" she whimpered, trying hard to turn her head more to see if the membranes had torn. The weight she had thought was her copper necklace was abruptly realized to be a shackle, linked to the floor in unbreakable metal. It wasn't long enough to allow her much more than a side-glance and a tear of pure thankfulness inched down her cheek when she saw that nothing had torn. Blinking rapidly to clear her vision and rubbing her muzzle on her fore-legs, she tried to focus. What would Eclipse do...? No time more in her life, even since she had tumbled from her egg, did she wish he was here. Or even Benioti, with his foppish light-hearted antics. "What would Eclipse do...? What would he do...?" she mumbled, moving each leg and finding it too shackled to the bottom of the cage. The wagon was moving - at least, she surmised it was a wagon. Wood bottom, its roof supported by wood hoops covered in tarp. Whatever pulled it wasn't afraid of dragons. She heard heavy footsteps and guessed that they belonged to her jailer. A good long sniff told her that they were goblins and she wrinkled her nose; nasty beasts, the stuff of horrifying bed-time stories for fledglings. There was dragon underneath the rank smell and only one was familiar. She thought it was a little male Fae, which made it...Zamoro! "AUGH!!!" she gasped, realizing just what was going on.
Slave-traders.
Her blood ran cold. It was Benioti's dinner-tale come true.
Curling in on herself with a sudden lack of bravery, Palatina let more tears fall down her cheeks.
What would they do....?
Inside his small cage, the little male Fae was watching Rhystalon and Marya with wide Light-hued eyes. The goblins had scared him into silence a long time ago and he was loathe to speak again, especially after seeing how they had made Marya cry. He shifted to make his feet more comfortable and thought about what he'd heard.
Dark Elves.
He wasn't sure what those were, being so young, but they sounded scary.
His stomach grumbled loudly and he laid his crest-fans back in the best display of sad body language he could manage.
"I'm hungry..." he mumbled in a mono-tone. "Do they have food?" This was directed at Rhystalon.
(( We're going to meet Syenah and Cetan once they get to the holding cells. Also Xochiquetzal, I think...if I can keep track of that many, hah. ^^ ))
"Lady Palatina, don't move. You'll just hurt yourself worse." Serylda whispered. "I'll try to heal you as best I can, but it won't be by much."
Serylda focused hard on the wagon behind theirs, containing the semiadult Imperial. A soft breeze blew through the cavern, revitalizing the poor victims.
"Miss Serylda!" Rhystalon hissed softly. "Thank you for that!"
He could feel the young Imperial moving at last, but turned his attention to Zamoro.
"Hello, Zamoro. Remember me, Rhys? We played together at the last picnic. You do remember the last picnic, don't you?" he murmured, trying to keep the goblins from noticing that they were talking. He knew they'd do something to try to shut them up again, and that it would scare Marya again.
"Rhys, I'm hungry, too." Marya said softly to him.
"I know, Mari, I know. We're all hungry. I'll see what I can do." he replied.
He had no idea what to do.
The youngest Imperial groggily lifted her head.
"Where...Where am I? What's going on?" she asked woozily.
"Hello, Miss. My name's Rhys. We've been captured by goblins. I don't know where they're taking us, but we'll escape. Somehow, I know we will. You can trust me." Rhystalon said, smiling warmly at her.
On the inside, he was terrified, but he was trying to be brave. For Serylda, Marya, Zamoro and Palatina.
She felt his tail around hers, and was in fact comforted by it.
"I'm Sakuyahime. I don't know where my family is. I don't know what happened to them!" she said. "I--"
"Shaddup, you lousy little pestilences! One more peep, and we'll cut out your tongues!" the burliest, and greenest, of the goblins snarled, beating a spear haft against the cage.
"EXCUSE ME, GOBLIN SCUM?!" the little Imperial raged, snarling at the cage. "You will NOT address me so disrespectfully! My father is an Icelord!"
The caverns chilled considerably the angrier Sakuyahime got.
The goblin waited out her onslaught, before grinning with his disgusting yellow mouth.
"Ya really think yer daddy's alive, don'tcha? Ha! He's on a dryin' rack! He'll make for a damn nice trophy taxidermy!" the goblin hacked a gob of phlegm onto the floor. "And yer mummy's right next to him! Haw haw haw haw haw!!"
The goblin prowled away laughing as Sauyahime broke into tears.
"It's not true! That can't be! Father i--" she sniffled "An Icelord! He's unbeatable!"
Rhys had no idea what to tell her, so he settled for extending a wing out over her back and scooting closer.
"Miss Sakuyahime. Please, listen to me. Miss Sakuyahime." he said. "Goblins lie. I don't know if what the brute said is true, but what would your father want you to do in this situation, Miss?"
Sakuyahime sniffled, choking back more sobs.
"H-he'd have w-wanted me to k-keep my head up...And be the P-princess h-he r-raised m-m-meeeeeeeaaaaaaaghh!!" she tried to say, before breaking into a howling sobbing fit.
Rhys wrapped both of his wings around the crying Imperial, trying to project strength and confidence to her.
Marya snuggled into the both of them, her fluff warming the Ice-elemental dragoness nicely.
"Let me try to grow some food right quick. Marya, step back and keep Miss Sakuyahime warm, please."
As she did so, Rhys focused hard on the wooden planks of the cart.
He managed to make one small strawberry plant grow in the cage. It was comical, in the floor of the worn, musty cart-cage, but the few strawberries the plant put off were fat and sweet. He gave two each to Marya and Sakuyahime, and ate one himself.
"Miss Palatina!" he whispered. "Eat this!"
He focused again, severely drained of energy, but made another berry bush, blackberries this time, grow up from the floor of Palatina's cart, just under her nose.
Rhys faded out of consciousness as the plant grew to full ripeness. He was drained almost completely of energy, and fell into a deep sleep.
"That was an idea, wasn't it, Zaamoro?" Serylda whispered to the young Fae. "Let me see if I can blow some bugs our way, shall I?"
Serylda's magic was much much stronger, and soon, a pile of wingless moths and cave bugs was accumulated at the floor of the smallest cage. Serylda was determined to look after Zamoro, and she felt she was doing a good job so far.
Sauyahime couldn't help her panic attacks. The child Tundra, Marya, was helping her stay calm, but just under the surface of her petal-patterned self a blizzard raged beyond control.
The surrounding air chilled again, and ice crystals began to form on the floor around her. She'd never felt so alone.
Rhenahm was back faster than expected, burdened with the load of Val's traveling supplies.
"Valravn, I'm so sorry. They...They broke your bow..." Kharahm said, placing the two halves of the ancient yew-wood weapon at Valravn's feet.
"Those little brutes! THat's bad! That was my father's! And my grandmother's before him!" Val complained. She sighed. "I'll have to buy a new one, until I can fix mine. I can do it, but I don't have time to now."
She checked the pack for her supplies. All of her weapons and armor were there, minus the precious bow, and everything seemed in order. Once she bought a bow, food would be no issue. Until then, she had her fishing set, a bug net, a pair of shears, and some other odd-and-end cooking supplies. Her best woolen cloak was rolled in the pack, and several rations of lembas were rolled inside of the cloak.
Val made one last check in her satchel pockets, and finally asked if Persephone and Khara were ready to go.
"Persephone, will you need to wear a saddle?" Val asked.
"Only if you're uncomfortable riding on me without it. I'd like to leave it behind, if we can." Persephone replied.
"We'll leave it, then. You'll be faster without it." Val said.
She looked to Merlin, hanging from her backpack.
"Ready to go, my friend?" she asked softly.
"I've been ready since they took her."
Val winced. She wasn't used to such hostility from the normally cheerful Merlin.
Valravn turned to Malu.
"We're ready when you are, Gwaem, Malu." she said, "Let's go."
Valravn turned her face toward the Capitol.
"Ready when you are. Let's get them back."
"Lady Palatina, don't move. You'll just hurt yourself worse." Serylda whispered. "I'll try to heal you as best I can, but it won't be by much."
Serylda focused hard on the wagon behind theirs, containing the semiadult Imperial. A soft breeze blew through the cavern, revitalizing the poor victims.
"Miss Serylda!" Rhystalon hissed softly. "Thank you for that!"
He could feel the young Imperial moving at last, but turned his attention to Zamoro.
"Hello, Zamoro. Remember me, Rhys? We played together at the last picnic. You do remember the last picnic, don't you?" he murmured, trying to keep the goblins from noticing that they were talking. He knew they'd do something to try to shut them up again, and that it would scare Marya again.
"Rhys, I'm hungry, too." Marya said softly to him.
"I know, Mari, I know. We're all hungry. I'll see what I can do." he replied.
He had no idea what to do.
The youngest Imperial groggily lifted her head.
"Where...Where am I? What's going on?" she asked woozily.
"Hello, Miss. My name's Rhys. We've been captured by goblins. I don't know where they're taking us, but we'll escape. Somehow, I know we will. You can trust me." Rhystalon said, smiling warmly at her.
On the inside, he was terrified, but he was trying to be brave. For Serylda, Marya, Zamoro and Palatina.
She felt his tail around hers, and was in fact comforted by it.
"I'm Sakuyahime. I don't know where my family is. I don't know what happened to them!" she said. "I--"
"Shaddup, you lousy little pestilences! One more peep, and we'll cut out your tongues!" the burliest, and greenest, of the goblins snarled, beating a spear haft against the cage.
"EXCUSE ME, GOBLIN SCUM?!" the little Imperial raged, snarling at the cage. "You will NOT address me so disrespectfully! My father is an Icelord!"
The caverns chilled considerably the angrier Sakuyahime got.
The goblin waited out her onslaught, before grinning with his disgusting yellow mouth.
"Ya really think yer daddy's alive, don'tcha? Ha! He's on a dryin' rack! He'll make for a damn nice trophy taxidermy!" the goblin hacked a gob of phlegm onto the floor. "And yer mummy's right next to him! Haw haw haw haw haw!!"
The goblin prowled away laughing as Sauyahime broke into tears.
"It's not true! That can't be! Father i--" she sniffled "An Icelord! He's unbeatable!"
Rhys had no idea what to tell her, so he settled for extending a wing out over her back and scooting closer.
"Miss Sakuyahime. Please, listen to me. Miss Sakuyahime." he said. "Goblins lie. I don't know if what the brute said is true, but what would your father want you to do in this situation, Miss?"
Sakuyahime sniffled, choking back more sobs.
"H-he'd have w-wanted me to k-keep my head up...And be the P-princess h-he r-raised m-m-meeeeeeeaaaaaaaghh!!" she tried to say, before breaking into a howling sobbing fit.
Rhys wrapped both of his wings around the crying Imperial, trying to project strength and confidence to her.
Marya snuggled into the both of them, her fluff warming the Ice-elemental dragoness nicely.
"Let me try to grow some food right quick. Marya, step back and keep Miss Sakuyahime warm, please."
As she did so, Rhys focused hard on the wooden planks of the cart.
He managed to make one small strawberry plant grow in the cage. It was comical, in the floor of the worn, musty cart-cage, but the few strawberries the plant put off were fat and sweet. He gave two each to Marya and Sakuyahime, and ate one himself.
"Miss Palatina!" he whispered. "Eat this!"
He focused again, severely drained of energy, but made another berry bush, blackberries this time, grow up from the floor of Palatina's cart, just under her nose.
Rhys faded out of consciousness as the plant grew to full ripeness. He was drained almost completely of energy, and fell into a deep sleep.
"That was an idea, wasn't it, Zaamoro?" Serylda whispered to the young Fae. "Let me see if I can blow some bugs our way, shall I?"
Serylda's magic was much much stronger, and soon, a pile of wingless moths and cave bugs was accumulated at the floor of the smallest cage. Serylda was determined to look after Zamoro, and she felt she was doing a good job so far.
Sauyahime couldn't help her panic attacks. The child Tundra, Marya, was helping her stay calm, but just under the surface of her petal-patterned self a blizzard raged beyond control.
The surrounding air chilled again, and ice crystals began to form on the floor around her. She'd never felt so alone.
Rhenahm was back faster than expected, burdened with the load of Val's traveling supplies.
"Valravn, I'm so sorry. They...They broke your bow..." Kharahm said, placing the two halves of the ancient yew-wood weapon at Valravn's feet.
"Those little brutes! THat's bad! That was my father's! And my grandmother's before him!" Val complained. She sighed. "I'll have to buy a new one, until I can fix mine. I can do it, but I don't have time to now."
She checked the pack for her supplies. All of her weapons and armor were there, minus the precious bow, and everything seemed in order. Once she bought a bow, food would be no issue. Until then, she had her fishing set, a bug net, a pair of shears, and some other odd-and-end cooking supplies. Her best woolen cloak was rolled in the pack, and several rations of lembas were rolled inside of the cloak.
Val made one last check in her satchel pockets, and finally asked if Persephone and Khara were ready to go.
"Persephone, will you need to wear a saddle?" Val asked.
"Only if you're uncomfortable riding on me without it. I'd like to leave it behind, if we can." Persephone replied.
"We'll leave it, then. You'll be faster without it." Val said.
She looked to Merlin, hanging from her backpack.
"Ready to go, my friend?" she asked softly.
"I've been ready since they took her."
Val winced. She wasn't used to such hostility from the normally cheerful Merlin.
Valravn turned to Malu.
"We're ready when you are, Gwaem, Malu." she said, "Let's go."
Valravn turned her face toward the Capitol.
"Ready when you are. Let's get them back."
"Beware; for I am Fearless, and therefore powerful."
-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
Malu's heart panged to see the broken bow. She suspected that beneath the calm composure, Val's soul was weeping for the loss of such a family heirloom. She also pitied the creature who broke said bow. If there was something she never wished lightly on anyone, it was an Elf's revenge. Shifting her shoulders beneath the pack's straps, she glanced around at the other dragons. Sanza had already moved off to begin an attempt to restructure the going-ons of the Aerie. Soft voices echoed from the entrance tunnel; she hazarded that the ruby-scaled Guardian was talking to her rose-petaled mate.
"Benioti... Eclipse... All ready then?" she asked of the male Skydancer and Imperial off to one side. Eclipse had turned to pace away from her, off towards the ledge where Palatina had been recently practicing her gliding, and he froze still facing away from the group.
"Gladly," Benioti replied in the same quiet tone and stepped nearer to Malu, offering his shoulder to her.
"The sooner I can set eyes upon my Palatina, the sooner the sun will rise again in my world..." Malu heard Eclipse murmur this as he turned around and padded back to stand beside Benioti. He was moving like a large cat, all silent strength and hair-raising contained rage.
"Wait."
Malu stopped with one boot on Benioti's forearm, her mouth slightly agape as she stared at the source of the single word.
Leucissa.
The snow-pale Pearlcatcher stood in the shadows of the den entrance, seemingly afraid to even step outside - as if it would burn her. The reflected light from the landing shelf caught in her icy eyes, making them seem to glow prophetically in their sunken sockets. Folding her rosy wings tightly to her body to make herself seem smaller, she looked from each face to the next, finally landing on Malu again.
"I know where you're going. I know what you'll face. I...I want you to know..." Her voice broke and failed her. Quickly, without a second thought, Malu darted over and wrapped her arms around the dainty Pearlcatcher. Though she was smaller than Leucissa, she still was able to hug her tightly about the chest with her head resting just at the base of the dragon's throat. Leucissa hugged Malu tightly to her, snaking her neck about the human's body and resting her cheek against Malu's shoulder blade.
"'Cissa, we're going to get them back. This nightmare won't be repeated," Malu said with a catch in her own voice.
"Ever again," Benioti said firmly. Leucissa blinked at him before releasing Malu from the embrace.
"I...I hope it won't," she whispered, her whiskers writhing with her emotions. "I know you'll get them back. They need to come home," she stressed with heart-felt emphasis. "You have the charm, Malu?" The young woman patted her jacket, indicating an internal pocket. "I will aid you in any way I can."
Malu frowned and ran a hand down Leucissa's shoulder.
"We may have questions, 'Cissa. ...hard questions."
"I will aid you," Leucissa repeated and Malu was thrilled to hear an edge in the introverted Pearlcatcher's words. It had been hard enough getting her, as a fledgling, to even acknowledge someone's presence. Any sign of confidence made Malu's heart soar.
"We won't regret your help." This came from Eclipse, who had been silently observing. Leucissa seemed to shrink in a bit at his presence, but still nodded mutely. She looked passively at the other dragons, the ones from Clan Animar, and chose to remain silent. Not knowing them was enough to cause her to retreat inside herself.
"Malu, let's go." The strawberry-blonde glanced over at Benioti and saw the Skydancer had a keen glint in his eyes. Foppish or not, he was game to get these fledglings back. Holding up a finger to ask patience of him, she turned back to Leucissa.
"The charm you gave me is next to my heart, 'Cissa. It's safe. You be safe." Leucissa inclined her head and Malu placed a gentle kiss on the downy-scaled bridge of the Pearlcatcher's nose. On a quick pivot on her heel, she marched back over and, with care, settled herself just behind Benioti's shoulders. Her knees tucked up behind the joints of his wings and she had his mane wrapped about her hands in a familiar manner. "Dragons of Luminous Aerie! As our comrade Valravn said...let's get them back."
Benioti shuffled to the edge of the shelf and spread his wings before dropping off with nonchalant grace. Eclipse was close on his tail, taking up a wing position to the right. They did a large, lazy circle back towards the Aerie in hopes of forming a formation with the Clan Animar dragons.
The breeze that wafted through the wagon, seeming to come from nowhere and slink through the nearly-impervious hide walls, brushed over Palatina with a soul-lifting coolness. She felt her fur riffle and then, the bee-sting heat of the fish-hook wounds ebbed noticeably. Flinching and glancing back as far as her head could turn, she saw that the reddish marks, previously weeping, had scabbed over and this provided a means of protection against the irritating metal. More tears of relief ran in the damp rivulets on her face and she found her voice after a moment of searching.
"Thank you, Healer, whoever you are," she whispered back. She was uncertain as the spell-caster, but already they had a special place in her heart. Eclipse had to know of their actions, as small-seeming as they were.
Now that the fish-hooks were less prominent in her mind, she got to wondering about what was to come. That quickly turned into a mounting panic attack, so she swiftly shut her eyes and practiced centering her breathing. Escaping seemed a much safer line of mental work. She eyed the shackles around her ankles thoughtfully, wondering about their make and the screws that bolted them to the wooden bottom. A moment of elation zinged through her at the thought of yanking them from their places with a show of pure strength, but that excitement faded when she realized that the noise would draw attention and then... Her spirit quailed at that possibility.
No...patience was necessary. Nay, paramount. As Lotus, the garden-Imperial, had taught her, she focused once again on her breathing and creating Breath, that mystical source of dragon-power. If she could create a reservoir, perhaps she could launch a surprise attack on their captors.
Palatina shut her eyes to her surroundings and focused on the slowing beat of her heart.
Everything dulled and time passed without contemplation.
She almost didn't notice the blackberry bush grow up beneath her nose, but the tickle of leaves made her jerk away with a gasp.
"What...? Oh, it's...blackberries," she mouthed, at a loss for words at the magical abilities of the captured dragons. As she ate every berry from the small plant, saddened at the inevitable end to their abundance, she once again began pondering the possible ways of attack... "But what is an attack without Breath? Nothing."
Back to her meditations she went. Sauyahime's lamentations were lost upon her.
Zamoro was once again disturbed by the emotions occurring one cage over from him and remained silent even after Rhystalon kindly reminded them that they'd met before. The fledgling Imperial Sauyahime was much too loud for him. Plus, she made the goblins yell at them.
He wasn't sure if he liked her.
But oh, miss Serylda. He liked her a lot.
A mouthful of wingless moths and bugs found in the deeper earth made him much happier than he had been the last day. As a fledgling, his thoughts were shallow and needs basic: food made a living nightmare into something tolerable. He grabbed another mouthful before pinning a few bugs to the bottom of the cage.
"Miss Serylda. You want some bugs?" he asked in his quiet, childish monotone, looking up at her with wide trusting eyes.
Malu's heart panged to see the broken bow. She suspected that beneath the calm composure, Val's soul was weeping for the loss of such a family heirloom. She also pitied the creature who broke said bow. If there was something she never wished lightly on anyone, it was an Elf's revenge. Shifting her shoulders beneath the pack's straps, she glanced around at the other dragons. Sanza had already moved off to begin an attempt to restructure the going-ons of the Aerie. Soft voices echoed from the entrance tunnel; she hazarded that the ruby-scaled Guardian was talking to her rose-petaled mate.
"Benioti... Eclipse... All ready then?" she asked of the male Skydancer and Imperial off to one side. Eclipse had turned to pace away from her, off towards the ledge where Palatina had been recently practicing her gliding, and he froze still facing away from the group.
"Gladly," Benioti replied in the same quiet tone and stepped nearer to Malu, offering his shoulder to her.
"The sooner I can set eyes upon my Palatina, the sooner the sun will rise again in my world..." Malu heard Eclipse murmur this as he turned around and padded back to stand beside Benioti. He was moving like a large cat, all silent strength and hair-raising contained rage.
"Wait."
Malu stopped with one boot on Benioti's forearm, her mouth slightly agape as she stared at the source of the single word.
Leucissa.
The snow-pale Pearlcatcher stood in the shadows of the den entrance, seemingly afraid to even step outside - as if it would burn her. The reflected light from the landing shelf caught in her icy eyes, making them seem to glow prophetically in their sunken sockets. Folding her rosy wings tightly to her body to make herself seem smaller, she looked from each face to the next, finally landing on Malu again.
"I know where you're going. I know what you'll face. I...I want you to know..." Her voice broke and failed her. Quickly, without a second thought, Malu darted over and wrapped her arms around the dainty Pearlcatcher. Though she was smaller than Leucissa, she still was able to hug her tightly about the chest with her head resting just at the base of the dragon's throat. Leucissa hugged Malu tightly to her, snaking her neck about the human's body and resting her cheek against Malu's shoulder blade.
"'Cissa, we're going to get them back. This nightmare won't be repeated," Malu said with a catch in her own voice.
"Ever again," Benioti said firmly. Leucissa blinked at him before releasing Malu from the embrace.
"I...I hope it won't," she whispered, her whiskers writhing with her emotions. "I know you'll get them back. They need to come home," she stressed with heart-felt emphasis. "You have the charm, Malu?" The young woman patted her jacket, indicating an internal pocket. "I will aid you in any way I can."
Malu frowned and ran a hand down Leucissa's shoulder.
"We may have questions, 'Cissa. ...hard questions."
"I will aid you," Leucissa repeated and Malu was thrilled to hear an edge in the introverted Pearlcatcher's words. It had been hard enough getting her, as a fledgling, to even acknowledge someone's presence. Any sign of confidence made Malu's heart soar.
"We won't regret your help." This came from Eclipse, who had been silently observing. Leucissa seemed to shrink in a bit at his presence, but still nodded mutely. She looked passively at the other dragons, the ones from Clan Animar, and chose to remain silent. Not knowing them was enough to cause her to retreat inside herself.
"Malu, let's go." The strawberry-blonde glanced over at Benioti and saw the Skydancer had a keen glint in his eyes. Foppish or not, he was game to get these fledglings back. Holding up a finger to ask patience of him, she turned back to Leucissa.
"The charm you gave me is next to my heart, 'Cissa. It's safe. You be safe." Leucissa inclined her head and Malu placed a gentle kiss on the downy-scaled bridge of the Pearlcatcher's nose. On a quick pivot on her heel, she marched back over and, with care, settled herself just behind Benioti's shoulders. Her knees tucked up behind the joints of his wings and she had his mane wrapped about her hands in a familiar manner. "Dragons of Luminous Aerie! As our comrade Valravn said...let's get them back."
Benioti shuffled to the edge of the shelf and spread his wings before dropping off with nonchalant grace. Eclipse was close on his tail, taking up a wing position to the right. They did a large, lazy circle back towards the Aerie in hopes of forming a formation with the Clan Animar dragons.
The breeze that wafted through the wagon, seeming to come from nowhere and slink through the nearly-impervious hide walls, brushed over Palatina with a soul-lifting coolness. She felt her fur riffle and then, the bee-sting heat of the fish-hook wounds ebbed noticeably. Flinching and glancing back as far as her head could turn, she saw that the reddish marks, previously weeping, had scabbed over and this provided a means of protection against the irritating metal. More tears of relief ran in the damp rivulets on her face and she found her voice after a moment of searching.
"Thank you, Healer, whoever you are," she whispered back. She was uncertain as the spell-caster, but already they had a special place in her heart. Eclipse had to know of their actions, as small-seeming as they were.
Now that the fish-hooks were less prominent in her mind, she got to wondering about what was to come. That quickly turned into a mounting panic attack, so she swiftly shut her eyes and practiced centering her breathing. Escaping seemed a much safer line of mental work. She eyed the shackles around her ankles thoughtfully, wondering about their make and the screws that bolted them to the wooden bottom. A moment of elation zinged through her at the thought of yanking them from their places with a show of pure strength, but that excitement faded when she realized that the noise would draw attention and then... Her spirit quailed at that possibility.
No...patience was necessary. Nay, paramount. As Lotus, the garden-Imperial, had taught her, she focused once again on her breathing and creating Breath, that mystical source of dragon-power. If she could create a reservoir, perhaps she could launch a surprise attack on their captors.
Palatina shut her eyes to her surroundings and focused on the slowing beat of her heart.
Everything dulled and time passed without contemplation.
She almost didn't notice the blackberry bush grow up beneath her nose, but the tickle of leaves made her jerk away with a gasp.
"What...? Oh, it's...blackberries," she mouthed, at a loss for words at the magical abilities of the captured dragons. As she ate every berry from the small plant, saddened at the inevitable end to their abundance, she once again began pondering the possible ways of attack... "But what is an attack without Breath? Nothing."
Back to her meditations she went. Sauyahime's lamentations were lost upon her.
Zamoro was once again disturbed by the emotions occurring one cage over from him and remained silent even after Rhystalon kindly reminded them that they'd met before. The fledgling Imperial Sauyahime was much too loud for him. Plus, she made the goblins yell at them.
He wasn't sure if he liked her.
But oh, miss Serylda. He liked her a lot.
A mouthful of wingless moths and bugs found in the deeper earth made him much happier than he had been the last day. As a fledgling, his thoughts were shallow and needs basic: food made a living nightmare into something tolerable. He grabbed another mouthful before pinning a few bugs to the bottom of the cage.
"Miss Serylda. You want some bugs?" he asked in his quiet, childish monotone, looking up at her with wide trusting eyes.
Serylda smiled softly at little Zamoro.
"Have you eaten all you like yet? It won't take me long to get more for myself, so you can have all of these, if you want." she said.
In reality, she couldn't. Not for a while. She'd poured most of her Breath into helping Palatina, and it would be a while before it recharged.
But Zamoro didn't need to know that. To him, she just wouldn't be hungry for a while.
Rhystalon was laid out in a heavily-breathing heap on the wagon floor. He knew how to use the small amount of Breath he had for growing things, or more typically helping things grow, but Uncle Jarad and Miss Val had yet to really teach him much about how to recharge.
Marya, glad for the strawberries, kept snuggling into Sakuyahime's side. It had been the last thing Rhys had told her to do, and by golly, was she gonna do it!
"Miss Sakuya? Will you tell me about where you're from? You're an Ice dragon, and I'm a Tundra! But I've never been to the Ice place before." Marya mumbled.
The young Imperial was slightly bewildered by the Tundra's request.
"You mean like about my family?" Sakuyahime asked.
"Yes!" Marya purred.
"Well, Father is an Icelord." Sakuya began. "Mother is a Plague dragon by birth, but she was travelling through the Icefields when she met him. Mother didn't know much about living there, so Father took her in, and they fell in love. Eventually, me, my brother, and my sister were laid and hatched. I feel like I'm Father's favorite. He calls me his "Little Princess", and says I have to be graceful at all times. I'm a Lady, and ladies don't start fights!"
"Tell me about your lair, please?" Marya asked.
The Tundra was inadvertently getting Sakuya to calm down, and taking her mind off of everything. Plus, she'd never met an Ice dragon before!
"Oh, Marya! We live in the most beautiful ice-caves you could ever see! It's always actually quite warm deep down in them, and the colors! Everything sparkles when the sun hits it. It's like living inside of a diamond!"
Sakuyahime was getting excited, but heard the clomping footsteps of the lead goblin again.
"Oop, hush now, Marya. " she said. The two stayed quiet as the goblin inspected them.
"Wot's 'appened ter this one, then?" he grouched, indicating Rhys. He poked the young Guardian roughly in the rear with the tip of a crude spear.
Rhystalon was out like a light, and the spear had no effect on him.
"Lazy Worm! The trainers'll fix 'at soon enough! Haw haw haw haw!" the goblin said, laughing as he left.
"Oh, what are we going to do?" Sakuya mumbled to herself.
She continued to tell Marya about her homeland, and the Tundras she knew, but before long, little Marya was asleep as well.
Valravn and Persephone were just as shocked that Leucissa had made an appearance. The lovely pale Pearlcatcher was cripplingly shy from her stint as a house-slave.
"Who is that?" Marlin asked from his perch on Val's shoulder.
"Her name is Leucissa. Malu and Ben rescued her from slavers a while back, and brought her here." Persephone replied. "She very rarely speaks. I wonder what she's told Malu?"
"Whatever she has, it looks like it was good advice. And that it's time for us to depart." Valravn said.
She swung up onto Persephone's back, with Merlin clinging to her pack. Kharahm had already taken off and was trying to get to the middle of the V, to better track. With Eclipse at the point to break the air, and hopefully Val and Malu at the sides, she could fly just slightly lower and have the perfect position to track the goblin caravan.
The hunt was on.
Serylda smiled softly at little Zamoro.
"Have you eaten all you like yet? It won't take me long to get more for myself, so you can have all of these, if you want." she said.
In reality, she couldn't. Not for a while. She'd poured most of her Breath into helping Palatina, and it would be a while before it recharged.
But Zamoro didn't need to know that. To him, she just wouldn't be hungry for a while.
Rhystalon was laid out in a heavily-breathing heap on the wagon floor. He knew how to use the small amount of Breath he had for growing things, or more typically helping things grow, but Uncle Jarad and Miss Val had yet to really teach him much about how to recharge.
Marya, glad for the strawberries, kept snuggling into Sakuyahime's side. It had been the last thing Rhys had told her to do, and by golly, was she gonna do it!
"Miss Sakuya? Will you tell me about where you're from? You're an Ice dragon, and I'm a Tundra! But I've never been to the Ice place before." Marya mumbled.
The young Imperial was slightly bewildered by the Tundra's request.
"You mean like about my family?" Sakuyahime asked.
"Yes!" Marya purred.
"Well, Father is an Icelord." Sakuya began. "Mother is a Plague dragon by birth, but she was travelling through the Icefields when she met him. Mother didn't know much about living there, so Father took her in, and they fell in love. Eventually, me, my brother, and my sister were laid and hatched. I feel like I'm Father's favorite. He calls me his "Little Princess", and says I have to be graceful at all times. I'm a Lady, and ladies don't start fights!"
"Tell me about your lair, please?" Marya asked.
The Tundra was inadvertently getting Sakuya to calm down, and taking her mind off of everything. Plus, she'd never met an Ice dragon before!
"Oh, Marya! We live in the most beautiful ice-caves you could ever see! It's always actually quite warm deep down in them, and the colors! Everything sparkles when the sun hits it. It's like living inside of a diamond!"
Sakuyahime was getting excited, but heard the clomping footsteps of the lead goblin again.
"Oop, hush now, Marya. " she said. The two stayed quiet as the goblin inspected them.
"Wot's 'appened ter this one, then?" he grouched, indicating Rhys. He poked the young Guardian roughly in the rear with the tip of a crude spear.
Rhystalon was out like a light, and the spear had no effect on him.
"Lazy Worm! The trainers'll fix 'at soon enough! Haw haw haw haw!" the goblin said, laughing as he left.
"Oh, what are we going to do?" Sakuya mumbled to herself.
She continued to tell Marya about her homeland, and the Tundras she knew, but before long, little Marya was asleep as well.
Valravn and Persephone were just as shocked that Leucissa had made an appearance. The lovely pale Pearlcatcher was cripplingly shy from her stint as a house-slave.
"Who is that?" Marlin asked from his perch on Val's shoulder.
"Her name is Leucissa. Malu and Ben rescued her from slavers a while back, and brought her here." Persephone replied. "She very rarely speaks. I wonder what she's told Malu?"
"Whatever she has, it looks like it was good advice. And that it's time for us to depart." Valravn said.
She swung up onto Persephone's back, with Merlin clinging to her pack. Kharahm had already taken off and was trying to get to the middle of the V, to better track. With Eclipse at the point to break the air, and hopefully Val and Malu at the sides, she could fly just slightly lower and have the perfect position to track the goblin caravan.
The hunt was on.
"Beware; for I am Fearless, and therefore powerful."
-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
With Malu comfortably ensconced on Benioti's shoulders, behind and to the right of Eclipse who flew at the front of the ribbon, it gave Kharahm ample room to ride in their slip-stream and use her sharp eyes.
"Kharahm! Can you see anything?" Malu called back, her words quickly whipped away in the fast-moving air. She hoped that the Mirror was able to hear her. Yelling any louder wouldn't help if she couldn't. Turning back to the front to look at the landscape unfolding before them, the young woman felt her heart do that familiar leap of wonder. As they angled up the middle of the bay that separated the Sunbeam Ruins from the verdant Viridian Labyrinth, she saw the haze of the distant dry lands of Dragonhome. To their left, light-dappled cedar and pines caught and held the warmth of the sun. A smile curved Malu's lips as she thought of how the heat made the forest surrounding the Aerie always warm and lush. She knew, as they flew on for another hour or so, those trees would begin to thin, lose their needles, and become skeletal as the territory of the Lightweaver fell off into the realm of the Shadowbinder: the Tangled Woods. Even at this distance, Malu knew that she would still get goosebumps looking at the impenetrable wall of leafy trees when they passed by. She also wasn't looking forwards to the dry, gritty air of the Dragonhome territory. At least the dust seemed to settle around the Capitol City.
Benioti was consumed with his own thoughts. Something kept pressing against his attention, vying for his focus, and it was awfully familiar-feeling. Locking his wings and going on an auto-pilot mindset, he turned his focus inwards. The message played like one on an answering machine:
Hello, my Ben. It's your Canari. I have this suspicion that you'll be visiting me in the City soon, so here is how to find me. I'm in the neighborhood to the north, not too posh and not too poor. Look for the stay-house on Sunsherry Lane. Also, I may have a surprise for you...
Her message ended on a cheeky note and Benioti felt his mane ruff up in suspense.
She couldn't... But maybe...?
Had their clutch arrived?
Zamoro tilted his head to look down at the few remaining bugs crawling on the floor. Miss Serylda was so nice.
"Thank you," he mumbled before swiftly finishing off the rest of them. His stomach was full and he was tired. All this riding-around was making him sleepy. He quickly moved over to lean up against Serylda, brushing up against her and closing his eyes. The warmth of her body was soothing and it was like his mother was there once again. The conversation between Sakuya and Marya turned into garble and faded out as he fell asleep at Serylda's feet.
Palatina's enjoyable meditation was broken by the hacking laughter of one of their goblin captors. With an instinctive hiss between bared teeth, she opened her eyes and looked about the wagon. She was still by herself, the walls separating her from their rough captors. One wagon over though, someone was having a conversation and she flicked her ears forwards to try and listen.
Whoever was speaking was talking about the home of the Tundra dragons and the Southern Icefields.
"Huh...an Ice dragon," she murmured, wishing dearly that she too could converse without drawing attention to her comrades. From the pitch of the voice, it was fledgling-to-fledgling. No fledgling could cast a healing spell, so there had to be at least one more adult dragon nearby. Hopefully they were near Zamoro. Palatina's lips rose into a gleeful sneer when she thought of just how these slave-traders would meet their end at Alizarin's talons. They'd be finding pieces of their flesh no bigger than pebbles for years. Her dark thoughts were interrupted by the sudden clunk of the wagon wheels, echoed by each wagon, and she realized that they were no longer on the rocky dirt. It sounded like cobblestone beneath them. "Not yet...not yet!" She knew that she hadn't saved up enough Breath for more than two or three pointed attacks and it made her blood cold to think of them unloading the fledglings first, where she couldn't see who and what had been captured along with her.
Her plan was to make a ruckus, bring focus to her, and then they'd unload her first. She'd give them one damnably difficult time...that she swore.
With Malu comfortably ensconced on Benioti's shoulders, behind and to the right of Eclipse who flew at the front of the ribbon, it gave Kharahm ample room to ride in their slip-stream and use her sharp eyes.
"Kharahm! Can you see anything?" Malu called back, her words quickly whipped away in the fast-moving air. She hoped that the Mirror was able to hear her. Yelling any louder wouldn't help if she couldn't. Turning back to the front to look at the landscape unfolding before them, the young woman felt her heart do that familiar leap of wonder. As they angled up the middle of the bay that separated the Sunbeam Ruins from the verdant Viridian Labyrinth, she saw the haze of the distant dry lands of Dragonhome. To their left, light-dappled cedar and pines caught and held the warmth of the sun. A smile curved Malu's lips as she thought of how the heat made the forest surrounding the Aerie always warm and lush. She knew, as they flew on for another hour or so, those trees would begin to thin, lose their needles, and become skeletal as the territory of the Lightweaver fell off into the realm of the Shadowbinder: the Tangled Woods. Even at this distance, Malu knew that she would still get goosebumps looking at the impenetrable wall of leafy trees when they passed by. She also wasn't looking forwards to the dry, gritty air of the Dragonhome territory. At least the dust seemed to settle around the Capitol City.
Benioti was consumed with his own thoughts. Something kept pressing against his attention, vying for his focus, and it was awfully familiar-feeling. Locking his wings and going on an auto-pilot mindset, he turned his focus inwards. The message played like one on an answering machine:
Hello, my Ben. It's your Canari. I have this suspicion that you'll be visiting me in the City soon, so here is how to find me. I'm in the neighborhood to the north, not too posh and not too poor. Look for the stay-house on Sunsherry Lane. Also, I may have a surprise for you...
Her message ended on a cheeky note and Benioti felt his mane ruff up in suspense.
She couldn't... But maybe...?
Had their clutch arrived?
Zamoro tilted his head to look down at the few remaining bugs crawling on the floor. Miss Serylda was so nice.
"Thank you," he mumbled before swiftly finishing off the rest of them. His stomach was full and he was tired. All this riding-around was making him sleepy. He quickly moved over to lean up against Serylda, brushing up against her and closing his eyes. The warmth of her body was soothing and it was like his mother was there once again. The conversation between Sakuya and Marya turned into garble and faded out as he fell asleep at Serylda's feet.
Palatina's enjoyable meditation was broken by the hacking laughter of one of their goblin captors. With an instinctive hiss between bared teeth, she opened her eyes and looked about the wagon. She was still by herself, the walls separating her from their rough captors. One wagon over though, someone was having a conversation and she flicked her ears forwards to try and listen.
Whoever was speaking was talking about the home of the Tundra dragons and the Southern Icefields.
"Huh...an Ice dragon," she murmured, wishing dearly that she too could converse without drawing attention to her comrades. From the pitch of the voice, it was fledgling-to-fledgling. No fledgling could cast a healing spell, so there had to be at least one more adult dragon nearby. Hopefully they were near Zamoro. Palatina's lips rose into a gleeful sneer when she thought of just how these slave-traders would meet their end at Alizarin's talons. They'd be finding pieces of their flesh no bigger than pebbles for years. Her dark thoughts were interrupted by the sudden clunk of the wagon wheels, echoed by each wagon, and she realized that they were no longer on the rocky dirt. It sounded like cobblestone beneath them. "Not yet...not yet!" She knew that she hadn't saved up enough Breath for more than two or three pointed attacks and it made her blood cold to think of them unloading the fledglings first, where she couldn't see who and what had been captured along with her.
Her plan was to make a ruckus, bring focus to her, and then they'd unload her first. She'd give them one damnably difficult time...that she swore.
Serylda shuffled awkwardly toward the side adjoining to the larger cage.
"Sakuya, is it?" she asked quietly. "Are you alright, dear?"
Sakuyahime looked up toward the Fae.
"Yes, ma'am. But I don't know about Rhystalon." Sakuya replied.
"Give him a little time. He'll be alright. And so will we." Serylda encouraged.
They both suddenly felt the jarring bump of the carts going from gravelly tunnel floor to paved roads. The tunnel entryway opened out to a looming cavern lit by luminescent moss.
The ceiling was high enough to be unable to see it in the darkness.
A large statue came into view on the right side of the cavern.
It was a spider, legs branching out over a pillared doorway, ready to strike. The carts were headed for the door beneath its stalactite fangs.
Sakyua shivered as the air began to chill again. She hated spiders. She'd heard tales from her older cousins of giant spiders trapped in the glacial prisons of the Icewarden's inner realm. Of partially melted ice-spikes, with their arachnid inhabitants beginning to move and emerge.
She prayed that this one was just stone.
Rhystalon stirred fitfully as the cart moved ever toward the mawlike door under the spider's head.
Marya, luckily, slept peacefully against Sakuya's flank.
Sakuyahime chanted softly to herself, repeating over and over, "Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel..."
She retreated into herself as they moved inexorably closer.
(They'll wake once they get past the door. There's a ceiling-high corral that they use for training new acquisitions, and that's where they're headed first. We'll have Palatina's Plan, Rhys's little bit of heroics when they try to make an example of Sakuya, and the meeting of the other hatchlings here in the holding pens. They stay in the holding pens for a long, long time. Palatina and Serylda are headed for the breeding area. I'm intending this slaver operation to be an awful, twisted version of the players of FR. Dig? The Drow own the caves that the goblins are renting, hence all the spider motifs, but they're actually a long ways from where they're to be sold off. Now is the training stage.)
Kharahm was a Shadowbinder-gifted tracker, but even she had lost the trail of the goblins. Now all the group had to look forward to was finding them through the Capitol at Dragonhome.
Valravn seethed over her broken bow. The heirloom could be easily fixed, but not quickly, and time was of the essence.
She pulled a chain from her armor, revealing a silver ring with a large, dark green gem set in it.
Dagorain. Lókëbar. Boe alyagen. she whispered to it, slipping the ring over her left ring finger.
She immediately heard his voice in her head.
Amaelamin! Silvona, what's the matter? Dagorain asked.
I am coming to Lókëbar. I need weapons and supplies, my beloved. Someone has stolen our hatchlings, and I am to get them back. I am bringing a friend, Malu, who holds a post like mine with the Luminous Aerie, our neighbors. They were also attacked for their children.
What?! he exclaimed. The human man's sense of justice had kicked in. What will you need? he asked her.
We will need more food, marching rations. I want two shortswords and a bow, if you can find them. I want a better set of armor for my friend, heavy leather like mine. And some skin paint. Purple skin paint and white hair dye. Silvona requested.
Whatever for, love?
Just in case. she replied. I will see you soon, hiril vuin.
Be careful, Silvy. I love you.
Gi melin, Dagorain.
Serylda shuffled awkwardly toward the side adjoining to the larger cage.
"Sakuya, is it?" she asked quietly. "Are you alright, dear?"
Sakuyahime looked up toward the Fae.
"Yes, ma'am. But I don't know about Rhystalon." Sakuya replied.
"Give him a little time. He'll be alright. And so will we." Serylda encouraged.
They both suddenly felt the jarring bump of the carts going from gravelly tunnel floor to paved roads. The tunnel entryway opened out to a looming cavern lit by luminescent moss.
The ceiling was high enough to be unable to see it in the darkness.
A large statue came into view on the right side of the cavern.
It was a spider, legs branching out over a pillared doorway, ready to strike. The carts were headed for the door beneath its stalactite fangs.
Sakyua shivered as the air began to chill again. She hated spiders. She'd heard tales from her older cousins of giant spiders trapped in the glacial prisons of the Icewarden's inner realm. Of partially melted ice-spikes, with their arachnid inhabitants beginning to move and emerge.
She prayed that this one was just stone.
Rhystalon stirred fitfully as the cart moved ever toward the mawlike door under the spider's head.
Marya, luckily, slept peacefully against Sakuya's flank.
Sakuyahime chanted softly to herself, repeating over and over, "Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel. Conceal, don't feel..."
She retreated into herself as they moved inexorably closer.
(They'll wake once they get past the door. There's a ceiling-high corral that they use for training new acquisitions, and that's where they're headed first. We'll have Palatina's Plan, Rhys's little bit of heroics when they try to make an example of Sakuya, and the meeting of the other hatchlings here in the holding pens. They stay in the holding pens for a long, long time. Palatina and Serylda are headed for the breeding area. I'm intending this slaver operation to be an awful, twisted version of the players of FR. Dig? The Drow own the caves that the goblins are renting, hence all the spider motifs, but they're actually a long ways from where they're to be sold off. Now is the training stage.)
Kharahm was a Shadowbinder-gifted tracker, but even she had lost the trail of the goblins. Now all the group had to look forward to was finding them through the Capitol at Dragonhome.
Valravn seethed over her broken bow. The heirloom could be easily fixed, but not quickly, and time was of the essence.
She pulled a chain from her armor, revealing a silver ring with a large, dark green gem set in it.
Dagorain. Lókëbar. Boe alyagen. she whispered to it, slipping the ring over her left ring finger.
She immediately heard his voice in her head.
Amaelamin! Silvona, what's the matter? Dagorain asked.
I am coming to Lókëbar. I need weapons and supplies, my beloved. Someone has stolen our hatchlings, and I am to get them back. I am bringing a friend, Malu, who holds a post like mine with the Luminous Aerie, our neighbors. They were also attacked for their children.
What?! he exclaimed. The human man's sense of justice had kicked in. What will you need? he asked her.
We will need more food, marching rations. I want two shortswords and a bow, if you can find them. I want a better set of armor for my friend, heavy leather like mine. And some skin paint. Purple skin paint and white hair dye. Silvona requested.
Whatever for, love?
Just in case. she replied. I will see you soon, hiril vuin.
Be careful, Silvy. I love you.
Gi melin, Dagorain.
"Beware; for I am Fearless, and therefore powerful."
-Mary Shelley, Frankenstein
((I dig. Also, Ben and Canari ended up having their clutch. Oh! Eclipse and Palatina did as well. They're purty dark-based babies. ^^
And OMG YOUR DESCRIPTION OF THE GIANT SPIDERS LOCKED IN THE ICE WITH THEIR LEGS MOVING AS THE ICE MELTED. HOLY BALLS. That is a terrifying thought. O_O))
Zamoro shifted and murmured in his sleep when Serylda moved, but it wasn't far enough to wake him from his slumbers. His little wings flicked and his feet shifted as he dreamed of something nowhere near to this present horror. Had he seen the giant spider statues, he would have been quite scared and probably regurgitated his food in fear.
Palatina's mind was whirring with panicked thoughts.
When to attack?
Who to attack first?
How to not waste her Breath? She'd need to heal if hurt, so she couldn't waste it all with spells. A Blazing Slash would go over well, however - it hurt on open flesh and she was almost certain that none of the accompanying goblins wore armor.
After all, fledglings couldn't hurt anyone badly.
But oh...she could.
...and would.
The wagons came to a creaking, shuddering stop and she heard the goblins unhook whatever unholy beasts had been dragging them along. The goblin speech was foreign to her ears and frustrated her; she wanted an advantage! At first, she muted her growling, but then remembered that she wanted the focus on her. Giving a resounding roar, she did her best to thrash about in her cage, being careful not to pull any more on the fish-hooks than necessary. She could hear the goblins rallying and then the back flaps of the wagon were thrown open. The torch light was blinding at first, but as the goblins filed into the wagon, spears in hand, she saw that they were inside an enormous cavern underground. The first spear poked at her ribs and her growl was more wail than snarl, but the goblin stumbled back regardless as her head whipped around, Fiery eyes blazing.
"Arg, stupid creecha! Shaddup and hold still!" Another goblin poked at her throat and she snarled malevolently at him. Chains were being wrapped around the bars near her hindquarters and the rest of the goblins heaved the cage out of the wagon. Without a ramp, it fell to the earth with a violent, clanking thud and Palatina yelped as the fish-hooks yanked on her delicate wing membranes.
"You gull offal! Refuse of this earth!" she snarled, yanking so hard on one of the chains that it gave. Now she had a front hand free and it was enough to scare the goblins. They screamed commands as she yanked at the chain holding her neck down. Every spear that was pushed through was summarily broken like a twig until the bottom of the cage was littered with crude-tipped splinters. Her rage broke the chain binding her tail to the bottom of the cage and she whipped it about, shattering any limbs caught between it and the bars.
"Get the hooks! The hooks!" Palatina singled out the goblin yelling this and saw that he was armored and unfortunately, knowledgeable about wrangling dragons. Narrowing her eyes at him, she inhaled and summoned the Breath she had stored. It was a badly-aimed shot, but the Flame Bolt still made a brushing contact with the head goblins shoulder, leaving him gripping the seared flesh and yelling in pain. "The hooks!" He still managed to yell over the injury and Palatina's desperate bid for some freedom was wickedly ended. Someone got a treble-hook around the thin lines binding her wings and viciously yanked, bringing her to her stomach as the delicate skin tore. She wailed, no longer able to move for fear of damaging her wings, and the head goblin came around the front of the cage. "Take 'er to the small corral. Leave the hooks in. Good job, Garplank," he growled at the goblin holding the length of rope attached to the treble-hook. "Use that to control 'er. Tear 'er wings if ya need to. Where she's goin', she won't need 'em anyways." Palatina didn't care that tears poured from her swollen eyes. She could feel blood dripping down onto her sides from the torn skin. They easily shuffled her across the open space of the cavern floor once she was yanked from her cage and even though she wanted badly to eviscerate the nearest goblin, she wanted more for him to untangle the treble-hook from the lines. Every time she dared to snarl, they pulled sharply, making her wince and croon. The thickly-barred door shut with a clang, leaving her with more room to move, but again in a cage. Palatina didn't care. She didn't want to look at her mangled wings, once a twilight-shade of violet and marked with crisp eye-spots. She didn't want to see them shredded like an old flag. Curling in on herself and feeling the cold press of the shackles about her wrists and ankles against into her chin, she wept silently.
"Kharahm! Find goblin trail? Goblin tracks?" Eclipse called back over his shoulder, his dark eyes slitted against the wind. He sincerely hoped that the Mirror dragon had been able to find something. Also, he dreaded the length of the flight to the city. Already, they were passing the eerily-shadowy trees of the Tangled Woods, but it meant another hour before they moved to flying over the land once again and then a few more hours before they reached Dragonhome.
Malu glanced over and saw that Val was holding a small object on a chain close to her face. She frowned, wondering what it was, until she realized that it was some sort of jewelry. Probably like the spell-laced charm that Leucissa had given her. She realized that Benioti was trying to speak to her then and leaned forwards over his neck.
"Yes, Ben?"
"Canari says that we need to find her at the stay-house on Sunsherry Lane. Remember where that is?"
"My goodness, yes. What a hoity-toity part of town for her to pick," Malu said with a grin.
"Only the best for my Canari," Ben said with a similar smile. "It seems that she had good reason though. I think she clutched and the eggs have hatched."
It took Malu a moment to process this and then a squeal erupted from her open mouth.
"OH MY GOSH!!! Guys! Guys! Ben is a daddy!!!!" She yelled loudly for all to hear. Benioti blushed beneath his scales and tried hard not to look any more proudly embarrassed.
((I dig. Also, Ben and Canari ended up having their clutch. Oh! Eclipse and Palatina did as well. They're purty dark-based babies. ^^
And OMG YOUR DESCRIPTION OF THE GIANT SPIDERS LOCKED IN THE ICE WITH THEIR LEGS MOVING AS THE ICE MELTED. HOLY BALLS. That is a terrifying thought. O_O))
Zamoro shifted and murmured in his sleep when Serylda moved, but it wasn't far enough to wake him from his slumbers. His little wings flicked and his feet shifted as he dreamed of something nowhere near to this present horror. Had he seen the giant spider statues, he would have been quite scared and probably regurgitated his food in fear.
Palatina's mind was whirring with panicked thoughts.
When to attack?
Who to attack first?
How to not waste her Breath? She'd need to heal if hurt, so she couldn't waste it all with spells. A Blazing Slash would go over well, however - it hurt on open flesh and she was almost certain that none of the accompanying goblins wore armor.
After all, fledglings couldn't hurt anyone badly.
But oh...she could.
...and would.
The wagons came to a creaking, shuddering stop and she heard the goblins unhook whatever unholy beasts had been dragging them along. The goblin speech was foreign to her ears and frustrated her; she wanted an advantage! At first, she muted her growling, but then remembered that she wanted the focus on her. Giving a resounding roar, she did her best to thrash about in her cage, being careful not to pull any more on the fish-hooks than necessary. She could hear the goblins rallying and then the back flaps of the wagon were thrown open. The torch light was blinding at first, but as the goblins filed into the wagon, spears in hand, she saw that they were inside an enormous cavern underground. The first spear poked at her ribs and her growl was more wail than snarl, but the goblin stumbled back regardless as her head whipped around, Fiery eyes blazing.
"Arg, stupid creecha! Shaddup and hold still!" Another goblin poked at her throat and she snarled malevolently at him. Chains were being wrapped around the bars near her hindquarters and the rest of the goblins heaved the cage out of the wagon. Without a ramp, it fell to the earth with a violent, clanking thud and Palatina yelped as the fish-hooks yanked on her delicate wing membranes.
"You gull offal! Refuse of this earth!" she snarled, yanking so hard on one of the chains that it gave. Now she had a front hand free and it was enough to scare the goblins. They screamed commands as she yanked at the chain holding her neck down. Every spear that was pushed through was summarily broken like a twig until the bottom of the cage was littered with crude-tipped splinters. Her rage broke the chain binding her tail to the bottom of the cage and she whipped it about, shattering any limbs caught between it and the bars.
"Get the hooks! The hooks!" Palatina singled out the goblin yelling this and saw that he was armored and unfortunately, knowledgeable about wrangling dragons. Narrowing her eyes at him, she inhaled and summoned the Breath she had stored. It was a badly-aimed shot, but the Flame Bolt still made a brushing contact with the head goblins shoulder, leaving him gripping the seared flesh and yelling in pain. "The hooks!" He still managed to yell over the injury and Palatina's desperate bid for some freedom was wickedly ended. Someone got a treble-hook around the thin lines binding her wings and viciously yanked, bringing her to her stomach as the delicate skin tore. She wailed, no longer able to move for fear of damaging her wings, and the head goblin came around the front of the cage. "Take 'er to the small corral. Leave the hooks in. Good job, Garplank," he growled at the goblin holding the length of rope attached to the treble-hook. "Use that to control 'er. Tear 'er wings if ya need to. Where she's goin', she won't need 'em anyways." Palatina didn't care that tears poured from her swollen eyes. She could feel blood dripping down onto her sides from the torn skin. They easily shuffled her across the open space of the cavern floor once she was yanked from her cage and even though she wanted badly to eviscerate the nearest goblin, she wanted more for him to untangle the treble-hook from the lines. Every time she dared to snarl, they pulled sharply, making her wince and croon. The thickly-barred door shut with a clang, leaving her with more room to move, but again in a cage. Palatina didn't care. She didn't want to look at her mangled wings, once a twilight-shade of violet and marked with crisp eye-spots. She didn't want to see them shredded like an old flag. Curling in on herself and feeling the cold press of the shackles about her wrists and ankles against into her chin, she wept silently.
"Kharahm! Find goblin trail? Goblin tracks?" Eclipse called back over his shoulder, his dark eyes slitted against the wind. He sincerely hoped that the Mirror dragon had been able to find something. Also, he dreaded the length of the flight to the city. Already, they were passing the eerily-shadowy trees of the Tangled Woods, but it meant another hour before they moved to flying over the land once again and then a few more hours before they reached Dragonhome.
Malu glanced over and saw that Val was holding a small object on a chain close to her face. She frowned, wondering what it was, until she realized that it was some sort of jewelry. Probably like the spell-laced charm that Leucissa had given her. She realized that Benioti was trying to speak to her then and leaned forwards over his neck.
"Yes, Ben?"
"Canari says that we need to find her at the stay-house on Sunsherry Lane. Remember where that is?"
"My goodness, yes. What a hoity-toity part of town for her to pick," Malu said with a grin.
"Only the best for my Canari," Ben said with a similar smile. "It seems that she had good reason though. I think she clutched and the eggs have hatched."
It took Malu a moment to process this and then a squeal erupted from her open mouth.
"OH MY GOSH!!! Guys! Guys! Ben is a daddy!!!!" She yelled loudly for all to hear. Benioti blushed beneath his scales and tried hard not to look any more proudly embarrassed.
