Roleplay

Part Two:

The mirror nodded and whooped and hollered as he did his best to run towards the market. He had to stop and rest halfway there, but he kept going afterwards. When he had reached the market, the other dragons had followed close behind. "Otay you taddies. Can we move to booze over here?" He stood next to a stand that was close to the entrance, but not too close as to look obviously planned. A few of the dragons were taken aback by the sudden demeanor change in the old man, but they didn't argue. Most of them would have preferred if the mirror had been placed in charge over Longfellow. The spiral had almost no leadership experience and was merely a mapmaker and painter. One of his paintings was actually in a crate somewhere. It depicts the Twisting Crescendo and its surroundings in great detail.

The crew quickly collected as many of the cases and kegs of alcohol as they could find. The mirror went about creating a makeshift bar, He placed mats and rugs all around the stand for seating. He meticulously, or as meticulously as his eyesight would allow, organized all the alcohol into decreasing alcohol content. He had a coatl crew member paint the words, "Spirits, Wine, and More." The coatl added peach blossoms because she thought that it might attract more customers. A few other dragons went about pricing the alcohol per the mirrors criteria. The brews that were harder or more expensive to make were of course more expensive. Cheaper alcohols and moonshines were less expensive. The mirror's stand was finished first as he had the most help. He then went to help with the organization of the other stands and with the decoration with the help of the coatl.

The stands consisted of jewelry, tools and weapons, food and drink, medial/scientific supplies, armor and clothing, alcohol, a miscellaneous trader, and a stand just for magical items. Each one was manned by a few crew members chosen by the mirror for their particular skills. The jewelry was manned by a male pearlcatcher. The tools and weapons were manned by a male mirror. The food and drink was manned by a female mirror. The medical and scientific supplies were sold by a vaguely male looking tundra. The armor and clothing were being sold by a female coatl. The alcohol was managed by the old man. The trader was manned by the painterly coatl. The magic was handled by the battle mage fae. He kept a close eye on the box with the enchanted snow that was chained down behind him.

Longfellow decided that he would take a nap and fell asleep inside the ship on his Hammock. Eureka was tossing and turning next to him. The remaining crew members dispersed into the town with their pay to spend it as they wish. They are a rough and rowdy crowd, but they won't do anything unwarranted. Now all the crew had to do was relax for a while until all of their stock is sold. Most didn't think it would take too long. Anything they still had after a few days would be repacked and brought northward to smaller clans.

~~~~~~

"The bitter and the broken? Are you describing yourself or someone else? I'd sure be bitter if I was coughing blood and fire," Said the physician. He was still working quickly from what Lodon could see and hear.

"You're bitter anyway," The other dragon muttered. He was still making medicine it sounded like.

"What was that?" snapped the doctor. A large blast of air buffeted Lodon as a large dragon landed. From what Lodon could see and smell, the dragon was a lightning dragon and was pink. Lodon could hear the popping of sparks as they jumped from the dragon. The dragon's aura was visible even if Lodon couldn't physically see. Mind's eye and all.

"Tama said there was a medical emergency. Is that him?" The imperial Lodon guessed based on landing and shape nodded but Lodon couldn't see to whom.

"Obviously," said the doctor. He looked at the other dragon. "Get him to the laboratory, please." He continued.

"Thanks for coming, Genim," added the other dragon. The dragon began to pack his supplies. Genim reached out and picked up Lodon and the cat that clung to him. A shock hit Lodon and the cat. Lodn's aura bloomed slightly revealing a pale green stained with dark violet flames. It quickly dissipated. Lodon's aura absorbed some of the shock, but it still electrocuted them both. The cat hissed.

"Sorry," the imperial apologized. He turned awkwardly and made his way to the tower that Lodon could now see with some distinction. The blood that Lodon had shed was a pitch black crust on the ground and on his fur. It looked like dry lava rock. When they reached the labratory, which was large enough to fit the imperial, but was dwarfed by the tower, was sealed with a blast door by the kook of it. There were a few windows but most of them were shuttered. An acrid odor hung in the air and a smell not unlike something burned was there too. Genim made his way to one corner, swept some cushions into it and laid Lodon and the cat down. "Will this do?" He asked.

Lodon was far more comfortable now that he had something besided ground under him. He smiled meekly at the Imperial but could not speak. Lodon could hear the other two dragons unpacking nearby. In the gloom, a dull glow could be seen through Lodon's fur and skin. It flickered in his chest but glowed steadily in his wounds. From what Lodon has learned, the embers that burn in his skin burn infection too. The wounds have never gotten infected while in a fit or rarely before or after.

~~~~~~

The coatl stepped forward first and greeted Mardikan. Perhaps he wouldn't get his direct answer. A waft of incense floated by, and it almost sickened Mardikan. He was used to his own that probably still hung on his feathers, but not the other types. "It depends on the type of magic you're inquiring after," The coatl said

He took a deep breath as if to continue, but the imperial interrupted him, "Very skilled," The dragon lowered its massive head to Mardikan. His eyes were narrowed and asked, "Who's asking?"

A pungently yellow spark jumped from the tip of Mardikan's mask to the Imperial's nose. Mardikan didn't move. His arrogance didn't get the better of him luckily, "Good." He said. "That's not important. Do you know how to seal the Veil?" If he was in a worse mood, he may have tried to turn the imperial into stone, diamond specifically. He wouldn't have threatened either. You don't pull a sword unless you intend on using it. Mardikan has learned that the only thing scarier than an angry foe is one that isn't afraid of you enough to draw their weapon. The bramble's spines extended and made a skittering noise as they shook.

Legend was momentarily distracted by the sight of a bird "grooming" a tundra nearby - he was glad most of the time that he didn't have fur, personally - but his attention snapped back at Striker's question (along with the jerky she was waving under his nose). "Well, I doubt it's as exciting as adventures you and your sister have had on the ship! For me it's mostly guard duty and patrols. I sometimes escort some of the hunters and gatherers when they're going far afield, or travel with merchants, but usually I'm here in the port or over on the island. I haven't really traveled much. I mean, I came here from Dragonhome when I was little, and I keep thinking maybe my brother and I should go back to visit someday, but there's nothing for us there. Our parents are dead.

"What about you?" he continued. "Do you ever want to go back to where you came from?" He shifted position a bit to scratch under his armor. The day wasn't too warm, but the shiny metal and leather certainly retained heat.


***

The gathering of dragons near the dock scattered when an old mirror galloped through them in a somewhat rheumatic fashion. Those who were shopkeepers cursed (mostly of them mentally, though a few out loud) when they saw the crew members gear up to explore the town - they'd need to get back to their shops to sell their own wares rather than check out the newly imported ones. Those businesses with more than one dragon quickly argued over and decided on who would stay and who would shop. The handful who won hung back, waiting eagerly for the booths to be set up. Those who happened to look toward the island would see more dragons flying across the channel - Nathaniel had sent word to Evrain to change the light's color and pattern to communicate that the market was in full swing.

Right as the booths opened, the would-be shoppers were joined by the ferry's occupants - Quercus and Avery, plus their passengers, the pearlcatchers Sift and Blain. Avery caught Query eyeing the alcohol curiously and nudged his charge well away from it, steering him toward the general trade booth. Blain trailed after them. "Do you have any books for sale?" inquired Avery. He wasn't quite tall enough to see over the booth. Quercus meanwhile was trying to figure out a puzzle crafted from two little pieces of metal that he found displayed on the booth - there was supposed to be some way to get them separated. Blain looked about for anything to distract himself from the discomfort he was experiencing. He had forgotten to take his medicine when the physician had rushed off to care for a new patient.

Sift meanwhile made his way over to the medical and scientific supplies, deciding to start there and work his way around. He had a list he kept of requests from the clan's dragons, and he pulled it out and examined it as he approached the booth. "Excuse me, sir - or ma'am," he said to the tundra of indeterminate gender. He smiled his most charming smile and doffed his feathered hat. "I don't suppose you would happen to have any concave lenses or crystal beakers for sale, would you?"

The wine-colored bogsneak Burgundy was the first to reach the old mirror's drinking booth. He wasn't altogether thrilled with the thought of the lost business - he was used to his inn being the only drinking establishment in the area - but if he could acquire some new vintages, perhaps he could make up for it later. He would have to keep a close eye on what the island's residents drank. The bogsneak ambled closer to the mirror, pausing to study the offerings. "I don't suppose you would be interested in a trade?" he asked, his tongue flicking out, enjoying the faint taste of spirits on the air. "We have some lovely peach-flavored brews that are popular exports."


***

The distant rumble of the blast door sliding up heralded the arrival of another dragon in the laboratory. "Blasted blast door," the white-petaled coatl Hugh grumbled as he made his way over to the small gathering around the tundra. Tama had come to him after fetching Genim, though his friend had been cryptic as to what was wrong with him. "Anything I can help with?" he asked, a tad gingerly. Cindermoon had quite a temper, and he didn't want to inadvertently steal a patient and provoke him.

"Definitely something magic, so he's all yours," Cindermoon said. "Haz's medicine seems to do some good, though, so we'll leave you with a couple doses of that. And the darn cat, though I'm not sure it's really helping," he said, aiming a mock kick at it, though the blow stopped well short of both the cat and Lodon. "If you need help moving him, I think Genim went to go fix some wires, but he should be in here somewhere."

The coatl moved to Lodon's side, opposite the cat, and he smiled at the tundra as reassuringly as he could. "Hello, I'm Hugh. I have a bit of skill in healing magic. Would it be alright with you if I examined you? Anything you can tell me about how this happened?" He didn't care for the dull glow in the fellow's chest and wounds - it felt like something other than the tundra's personal aura, something foreign. He wondered if the tundra could speak - Tama had mentioned coughing up fire and blood, so his throat was likely damaged, though Haz's medicine ought to be helping a little.


***

Darkshine didn't flinch as the spark touched his nose, though he refrained from returning the favor, tempting as it was being a lightning dragon. He didn't much care for the skydancer's attitude or his actions up to this point, and he wasn't inclined to give out information unless his own questions were answered. He didn't much like masks, either. The spirits who had ran his home clan had worn masks, had never let others see their visage. He was skilled enough now to know that the skydancer was no spirit, but masks always left a foul taste in the back of his throat. Deepsea had helped him realize that not everything that wore a mask was a spirit, but the fellow was lucky they had run across him now and not back when he hadn't known better - he would have tried to bind him first and asked questions later.

Deepsea smiled. It was sweet, a little sad, with just a hint of threat behind it. "Please don't do that. We can seal the veil, yes. Where is it sundered?"

Echo wandered over to Mardikan and pulled on the end of one of the brambles, narrowly avoiding the spines. "Ooo, what are these?"

"Oh...did you lose your family too?" asked Legend. The nocturne's voice was deeper than he'd ever heard it...maybe it was spending too long in his company? She could be imitating him, especially with her sister not there. Or maybe it was something else. He wasn't the best at reading emotions and was often berated by his teacher Indil for being obtuse and dense, for not intuitively observing his opponent.


***

(Skydancer? Do you mean Blain, the pearlcatcher? I do have some skydancers in Lantern Port, so I just wanted to be sure.)

Quercus stopped playing with the toy long enough to lift the box over the counter and set it down by Avery, who flipped through the titles with interest. Tundra cooking? The clan's chef would probably like that. His tundra father would likely find the other titles more interesting than a cookbook, though at least he usually remembered to eat and might actually enjoy some new cuisine. He felt a small pang as he thought about his tundra brother - he wondered where Evin was now. It should have been him taking the path of the warrior and leaving the clan on his search. Instead he was a too-small guardian with a charge he couldn't adequately protect. His frustration over his situation made it difficult for him to read the titles as he sorted them mechanically. At least books didn't discriminate. When he read, he could be anything, do anything. Finally he ended up with two stacks. He put the larger of the two neatly back into the box and nudged it toward Query, who lifted it over the counter and handed it to the other coatl. "We already have copies of those, but I'll take this stack down here," he said, nodding at it before feeling stupid because obviously she couldn't see him. "And the puzzle, too," he added, enjoying the smile that broke on Query's face as he handed up a small pouch of coins to pay for his purchases.

Blain tilted his head a bit at the booth-keeper's offer. He didn't mean to be skeptical, but he'd tried so many treatments over the years, and there were some quacks who would call anything medicine so long as they could sell their "miracle" cure. "What's in this ointment, and how much is it?"

"Ah, excellent," said the other pearlcatcher to the (apparently female) tundra. "Those items will do quite nicely. I'm afraid we don't need any materials at the moment-" (he was pretty sure the clan's alchemist had an almost dangerous amount of oozes and slimes and whatnot squirreled away in various nooks and crannies in the lab) "-but I would like some of that wire as well." He thought Genim would make good use of it, though the imperial electrician hadn't asked for any. "How much for the lot?"

The bogsneak smiled slowly as he looked at the old mirror. It seemed here was another dragon who shared his refined taste in drink. His tail lifted a bottle of peach brandy over the counter and set it right by the fellow. The glass was tinted faint pink, and the label contained a small book in tiny print about the vintage, who made it, what went into it, and other factors along with the stamp of the clan's symbol. "This one's on the house, so long as you tell your fellow crew members where it came from and that they're welcome to visit Tiresias Tavern for a glass or three. We have many other offerings on tap as well." He once again turned his attention to the wide assortment arrayed before him. "Do you have any particular favorites among these?"


***

Hugh heard Cindermoon and Hazelmist packing up to leave - they likely had some appointments to keep in their office on the mainland. He also heard the younger skydancer arguing with his father about attempting mind-healing on the tundra and Cindermoon's adamant refusal. Physical wounds often caused - or were amplified by - mental ones, however, so Hugh thought that perhaps mental healing wouldn't go amiss. They would assuredly need the tundra's permission and cooperation, however.

He thought he saw the tundra mouth "Yes" and decided that would have to be consent enough. The outlines of the petaled pattern on his hide glowed softly as he activated his magic. In some ways his aura was more similar to spirits than to other dragons, though he was never sure why. Perhaps it was spending so much time in a place where the spirit realm was so close to theirs. He reached out tentatively with a tendril of magic and lightly touched one of the wounds, then frowned. Violet fire, he thought. He racked his brain, trying to recall if he had seen or read of anything like it before. It didn't quite feel draconic, but then again, there were many magics he had never seen. Perhaps the fire had its origin in the spirit realm, but he wasn't certain. At any rate, the wounds resisted his healing magic, even as he tripled his efforts to close them. "I don't think I can heal these," he said sadly. "Perhaps a spirit might be able to." He didn't know of any spirits on the island who specialized in healing, regretfully. "The most I can do is try to ease your pain." The air around him smelled like blossoms, full of the freshness and revitalizing power of spring, as he used his magic in an attempt to soothe the tundra's throat and lungs and care for his other aches and pains.

The cat yawned as the magic washed over him and snuggled closer to Lodon.


***

(If "she" was Mardikan's perception of Echo's gender, that's fine, and Echo really wouldn't care, but I wanted to let you know that he's male. :3)

The imperial continued to eye the skydancer distrustfully as the masked fellow turned and spoke to Deepsea, who nodded in response. The coatl's words had been geared as much toward his mate as it had the stranger - Darkshine was occasionally prone to overreaction, and the skydancer seemed rather on edge. Either that was his usual personality, or the situation was quite serious. "We've sealed breaches of the veil in more than one location, and we certainly don't mind journeys. In which region of Sornieth is this breach located?" His mind drifted to the mental map he maintained of the weak spots he knew about in the veil, of where along the line such a breach might have occurred without them noticing or hearing of it.

"Is it in plague? I hope it's in plague. I like plague," interjected the nocturne. Echo had spent quite a long time there in the past after accidentally getting lost, and through imitation and adaptation he had become an (almost) competent plague dragon. He smiled in delight at the brambles. "Are these from the Scarred Wasteland? Lots of things that eat other things there."

(No worries, I completely understand being tired/lacking time! Please never sacrifice sleep to reply - I can wait! Don't feel obligated to reply every day; take your time and write when you have time and feel like it. This is supposed to be fun, after all! I often either lack the time or the brain power to come up with coherent replies, and even after lots of proofreading, I'm not sure they always make the most sense. I just wanted to make sure I wasn't misunderstanding anything - hence my questions.)


"Aw. Sorry to hear that," said Legend. He had eaten all of his jerky and was eyeballing the piece Striker dropped, but she seemed unexpectedly angry. He wondered what had happened. "My family was killed by bandits," he said. "They imprisoned my brother and me, though, and kept us in chains in their camp. Then Indil came and killed all the bandits. They had killed his family, too. You met him when you were here last, I think. He's my teacher! He didn't want to teach me the way of the sword at first, but I kept pestering and pestering him until he caved." Legend let just a bit of pride color his voice. He looked around at the tranquil park and thought how different it was from the land of his childhood. There were probably parks and gardens there, he supposed. Certainly not in the bandits' camp, though. And there was danger here, too. He shuddered involuntarily at the thought of rogue spirits kidnapping hatchlings and holding them hostage in the spirit realm, wondering if someone like Indil would have the power to save them...or if he would, if they ever invented something that would let him see and affect incorporeal spirits.


***

"Hmm," said Blain. The ingredients sounded legitimate, but there was no knowing if it might help without actually trying it, and he couldn't help but be skeptical after so many false hopes. "What do you usually use it for? Is there anyone else in the crew who knows more about it?"

Avery looked up from his pile of new books at the mention of medicine. "Any ointments to make me taller?" He was only half joking. Quercus was also listening to the medicinal discussion, though most of his attention was still on the puzzle in his claws. He had almost separated the two pieces of metal. Almost there...

Eugene strolled over to the booth with a coatl in tow - the pearlcatcher had won the right to represent the Stitchery dragons at the market, though he hadn't had much competition. Ember and Winternight both hated crowds and haggling, and both Yew and Rosa wanted to be in the shop to promote their wares to the ship's crew. The hatter Rettah had decided to accompany him, however. "Do you have any silk, satin, or other materials for sale? Or..." the pearlcatcher furrowed his brow, struggling to remember the colors Ember had wanted. "How about red and blue dyes?"

The dapper black and white coatl smiled at the other coatl behind the booth and doffed his top hat at her, revealing a smaller top hat underneath it. "Apologies for adding to the list of questions, but I make wondrous hats and am always seeking new materials. Do you have anything that might suit?"


***

One of the reasons that Sift was the acquisitions dragon was because he rather enjoyed bartering. "That's a bit steep. I can offer fifty a meter of wire, seventy for each lens, and a hundred per beaker," he countered. Some of his clanmates hated arguing and would pay any price to avoid confrontation, but he quite liked the game and knew they would likely settle near the middle, both of them feeling satisfied that they had gotten a decent deal. "Are there any materials or goods you or your crew are seeking while you're here? I can see if I can round up some supplies for you, if so."


***

"This one, you say?" The bogsneak leaned in and sniffed the bottle with the askew cork that the mirror had indicated. A nice aroma, reminiscent of far-away places...plus he had a soft spot for rum, though it wasn't considered one of the more "refined" drinks. He also knew a spirit on the island who was very fond of rum and would pay dearly for it (though he claimed it was his due and didn't always understand the "paying" part of the transaction). "How much for half a case? And do you have any other recommendations?"


***

"Sorry again I couldn't do more," Hugh said. He hated seeing someone in pain and not being able to help, and he felt like he had barely taken the edge off of this fellow's suffering. "Would you like to rest here for a time? You're welcome to, of course, or we can see about moving you into one of the lairs, though unfortunately it's a bit of a walk. I'm happy to bring you something to eat or drink, if you'd like." As he talked, he fluffed the cushions around Lodon. The cat meowed crossly at the coatl when it was disturbed by what it considered to be unnecessary hovering.


***

The coatl made a humming noise as he thought, trying to associate the place the masked skydancer had described with his mental map of the veil's weak spots. "I'm unfamiliar with that part of Starfall, though I'm sure we'd be happy to make a journey there to examine the breach," said Deepsea. He didn't think their work was done on the island of Prufrock, but this situation would certainly take some time to unravel, and it wasn't at a breaking point - not at the moment, anyway.

"Doesn't sound too far," said Darkshine. At least it wasn't in the Viridian Labyrinth. His wings still ached a bit from their long journey from there to the Starfall Isles. "What sort of spirits, and how many have come through? Are they attacking dragons? Possessing them? Disguising themselves?" He voice deepened to a growl as he spoke the last few words.

The nocturne seemed, if possible, even more fascinated by the brambles. "Ooo, neat! Can you teach me how to make them?" Echo asked eagerly.

"I don't think that's a good idea," Deepsea and Darkshine said simultaneously.

(I just only have so many periods of time when I can write these. They tend to be late at night or early in the morning. I do have fun writing these and then also reading your replies and I feel that my writing abilities are developing, even if only by a little. Also, we're up to 40 k words and about 100 pages. I send my work through a Word document grammar checker to catch as many mistakes as possible.)

Striker was nervously chewing her remaining jerky but she pushed the remaining unmarred meat towards Legend's head. "Aw. Sorry to hear that." Legend consoled. "My family was killed by bandits," he said. "They imprisoned my brother and me, though, and kept us in chains in their camp. Then Indil came and killed all the bandits. They had killed his family, too. You met him when you were here last, I think. He's my teacher! He didn't want to teach me the way of the sword at first, but I kept pestering and pestering him until he caved." Striker, from her impression of Indil, would not have cracked under pressure. She would have guessed that Indil planned on training Legend anyway but wanted to see just how committed he would be towards his goal. That is what Striker thought at least.

Striker tapped her claws on the stone tier. Her fury had subsided. If you bottle up emotions for too long, they become slightly flammable and they tend to explode at the worst times. Luckily, the Slattern wasn't a ship of peace. It is a ship of war and it's good at it. "Yeah." Striker said weakly with a sniffle. "Thanks. All I really have left of my family is my sister." She added. Maybe if she sees them again, she'll throw her parents into the ship's boiler. She'd probably put them in a room with sulphur dust. She of course is just fantasizing. She would probably not do that. Probably. She laid down and curled up. She looked around again. She wondered what the pit was actually used for. She began to imitate a pan flute sound in rising and falling tones. She was humming a sea shanty that she learned about not dwelling on the past.



The pearlcatcher seemed hesitant and skeptical. The Trader didn't really know why. Most would try anything to soothe their hide if it was bothering them. Perhaps this pearlcatcher had already tried everything and had seen plenty of rip-offs. "What do you usually use it for? Is there anyone else in the crew who knows more about it?" Blain asked. Background information is usually a good thing to have.

The trader smiled patiently. "Sure. It's mostly used for burns. Rope burn, sunburn, chemical burns, fire burns, you name it. It also works on dry skin, scales, and hide, and small cuts." She paused. She knew most of the crew had used it at some point. She doesn't really need it though. "Most of the crew knows it, but only the doc knows how it's made. She's over at the smart stand."

"Any ointments to make me taller?" Avery asked jokingly. Quercus was busy with his new toy. The trader almost giggled, but she held it at a grin.

"Fraid not." The trader said. "Mogi's over there." The fae waved from on top of a nearby stand that had all sorts of books and scrolls on it. A sign next to the stand read "Magic." He was levitating a polished rock off the tip of his tail. "You could ask him." She looked up and saw a pearlcatcher and a coatl strolling to her stand.

The pearlcatcher spoke first. "Do you have any silk, satin, or other materials for sale? Or..." His brow furrowed. "How about red and blue dyes?" He asked.

The coatl, who was dressed quite formally, added, "Apologies for adding to the list of questions, but I make wondrous hats and am always seeking new materials. Do you have anything that might suit?"

The shop keep had a few ideas. "I've got a bit of all of those." She said to the pearlcatcher. She had set aside spools of fabric somewhere just for this type of event. She put a heavy roll of fleece next to one of tundra cotton. Next to that looked like a small bundle of fabric made from Tundra fur. She didn't have any red dye though. She had some blue she thought, “I might have some blue. Purple too I think." She pulled a small tin of blue powder from inside a box and dug around but didn't find any purple or red. She scratched her head. She thought that she had everything, but apparently not.

"As for the hats, we have a few Ermine furs." The Coatl said. They were draped over a rack next the stand. She nodded to them and pulled one down. She put it down on the rather cluttered counter. She was quite pleased with herself though for having most of what was needed.



The Tundra expected bargaining, so she had placed the price higher than she needed. "Can you go sixty for the wire and a hundred and ten per beaker?"

"Are there any materials or goods you or your crew are seeking while you're here? I can see if I can round up some supplies for you, if so." The pearlcatcher asked. The crew bought most of what they needed on the way, but they could always do for fuel a maintenance material.

"I don't know really. I'm just the doctor." The tundra admitted. She wasn't a mechanic or engineer. To know what's needed, one would need to talk to the dragons at tools or general trade. "Could you find any antiseptic, bandages and sutures?" She asked. The infirmary had plenty of medicine, but antiseptics were needed whenever she had to do any work usually. "I don't really have any time to go myself." She added sheepishly.



"This one, you say?" The bogsneak asked as he leaned forward and sniffed the rum. Rum probably wasn't the most formal drink though, but it was just right for a bar, or when you're alone. The old man had to admit that drinking alone is less fun though. "How much for half a case? And do you have any other recommendations?" The bogsneak asked.

The old man smiled his broken smile again and replied passionately, "Well, I'd say one fifty for half the case. I'd recommend the mead. It's over here." He arthritically dragged himself to the crate and carried a bottle stout, round bottle from the case and put it on the counter. "It's honey, water, and raspberries." Said the mirror. Winter's delight to be exact. It was still cold from being near the eternal snow too. He was quite proud to be showing off all these deliciously inebriating substances. He smiled delightfully. The other nearby dragons were happy to see the old man get out and have fun. Maybe his calling in life was alcohol in general. The old man actually thought that the color of the mead matched the color of the bogsneak closely. Both were roughly purple. His bones creaked as he stood. Luckily, that rum he had earlier had settled in.




Lodon smiled warmly as the coatl apologized. "Would you like to rest here for a time? You're welcome to, of course, or we can see about moving you into one of the lairs, though unfortunately it's a bit of a walk. I'm happy to bring you something to eat or drink, if you'd like." The coatl said as he fluffed the pillows surrounding Lodon. A smelled the sea breeze and his eyes widened. He stood quickly and without apparent handicap from his injuries. The cat clung to his fur and mewled angrily. "Mardi." Lodon said. Mardikan had gone down the beach. He could be looking for Lodon or may have found somebody to help. He would have to see if he could get somebody to help just in case the spirits were unable or unwilling to help. "Vespers?" Lodon asked Hugh.



The coatl hummed as he thought. Mardikan had known many dragons that do that. The obnoxious twins do that when thinking or after speaking. They could imitate other things though, so it didn't always sound like humming. The unfamiliarity the coatl had for the breach was understandable, but he was glad that they were willing to help. "It was only two years ago." Mardikan said, "It wasn't so bad then, but it's been getting worse."

The imperial at least thought that the distance was paltry. Mardikan once travelled all across Sornieth but usually stayed within the area of the Starfall isles, southern Dragonhome, western Scarred Wasteland, northern Windswept plateau, and the small islands near the Southern Icefield. "What sort of spirits, and how many have come through? Are they attacking dragons? Possessing them? Disguising themselves?" The imperial asked. He basically growled the last question.

Mardikan returned his unseen eyes to the Imperial. "Most are harmless. Mostly underworld." Mardikan cracked his neck, "Most are ethereal." He added.

Behind his mask, Mardikan's wicked grin was hidden, "I had to rip one from a dragon that had summoned one inadvertently." He nodded as he said it. The dragon had been attempting to scry a place from his childhood but had caught the attention of a not so pleasant spirit. Lodon had been unable to convince the spirit to leave and Stein was unreachable. Mardikan had to remove the spirit forcibly. The host was not unharmed though. When you start a fire to burn a stump, you also burn the grass it sits upon.

Mardikan's memory was interrupted by Echo again who seemed even more fascinated. "Ooo, neat! Can you teach me how to make them?" Echo asked excitedly. The other two simultaneously vocalized their objections.

Mardikan couldn't teach Echo how to if he wanted to. There wasn't really any skill involved besides those needed to not fall into the Wyrmwound and great patience. "No." He said. The splinters made a skittering noise again.

(Sorry for the delay - apparently I need to unsubscribe from a thread or two since this got lost in a sea of pings. >.>;; Glad I checked the thread today. I usually have more time to write at night, since I'm rushed when I write in the morning. Hopefully my writing's getting a bit better as well...maybe. xD;;)


Legend tried to appear sympathetic as he wolfed down the jerky Striker pushed his way. He was sympathetic - just also hungry. "All I have left is my brother. Thank goodness for our siblings, eh?" He wasn't familiar with the tune she was humming, but he tapped his tail in time with it.

He was mostly relaxed, but his attention kept returning to the other dragon in the park. He seemed familiar, but not one of the clan's dragons. Someone off the ship? It was hard to see from this angle, but he didn't want to move.


***

"I'll go inquire at this 'smart stand' then, thanks," said Blain, attempting a smile. He didn't mean to be rude, but it was hard to be patient and pleasant when one was in pain. Usually Sift helped him with the social delicacies and niceties...and thankfully Sift was at the "doc's" stand.

Sift smiled at Blain before turning back to the tundra. "A hundred and five per beaker, and I'm sold," he said. "As for medical supplies, I'll check and see what our physician has on hand."

"Speaking of medicine," said Blain, "I'm curious about the ointment for sale over there." He used his tail to gesture at the stall where the coatl was now digging out fabrics and furs for the duo from the Stitchery. "I have a condition," he said, tugging down one of the bandages to reveal the inflamed and oozing skin around his gembond, "I've tried quite a lot of medicines over the years to treat it. Do you think your ointment might help?" He tried to be more polite this time.

"Ooo, magic," said Quercus, though Avery rolled his eyes a little. They had plenty of magic on the island, in his mind, though his father would be disappointed if he didn't at least check out the spell books. His coatl charge had already darted over to the fae's stand...never mind that they would have difficulty understanding each other thanks to their intonation differences. At least the small guardian didn't feel like a dwarf next to a fae. "What spell books do you have for sale?" Avery inquired before Query could start some sort of misunderstanding.

"What's the thread count on this?" Eugene asked, rubbing the fleece with pleasure. It felt quite soft to him, but he knew Yew would berate him if he didn't check. "And what is the price on a bolt of it along with the blue dye?"

Rettah clapped in delight at the ermine furs. "These will do quite nicely!" he exclaimed. "How much?"

The bogsneak thought the price fair for the rum - less than he had expected, actually. "I'll take the rum, then. Any chance of sampling the mead before buying - for a fee, of course," he said, jingling a couple of coins between his claws.


***

Hugh gasped as his "patient" stood up suddenly. "I don't know if you should...okay then," he trailed off as he went unheeded. At least he sounded better - Hugh could understand his words now, or at least hear them clearly. "I don't know a Mardi, but I do know Vespers - if by Vespers you mean a coatl who is one of our clan leaders. He'll be in the assembly hall now, most likely. It'll be an uphill climb - are you okay with that?"


***

"Two years?" said Deepsea, exchanging a sideways glance with Darkshine. That tallied with when this clan said they'd had a similar breach. Had it been that wide-reaching? Or were these two separate events - related or not?

"Ah. So like the ones up the beach, except unmanifested," Darkshine said, nodding, his glasses somehow maintaining their perilous perch on his nose. "Did the summoning take place after the breach, or before?"

Echo laughed with delight as the splinters skittered at him. It was miraculous that he hadn't managed to yet snag the silks he wore on their thorns. "Well, that's a pity. Maybe I'll make some on my own one day."

The imperial briefly turned his attention away from Mardikan. "If you start wearing thorns, that'll be the end of free rides," he warned the nocturne.

"Apologies, we haven't introduced ourselves yet," smiled the coatl. He didn't want debates about the thorns derailing the matter at hand. "I am Deepsea. The imperial is my mate, Darkshine, and the nocturne is Echo, a friend of ours who has been quite helpful in the past in routing spirits."

Striker wasn't too surprised by Legend's appetite. He is much larger than she is. He began to tap his tail to the shanty that Striker hummed. He kept looking back behind him, but Striker didn't know what drew his attention. "Siblings." Striker said after a sigh. She curled up and closed her eyes. They hurt from the stress of magic use. Luckily she wasn't a skilled mage or she probably would have burned her eyes out long ago.

Stern huffed then sneezed which sent a plume of pollen and bees into the air which promptly fell back down. The bird perched on his head protested with a mighty squeal. He rolled over to see Legend looking at him. The guardian was lying down, so he wasn't too worried. Stern recognized him, but Stern was covered in bees and yellow and fuchsia pollen. Identifying him from a distance could be tough. The bird pecked his ear and Stern barked at it. It fluttered onto his back instead. He proceeded to eat a flower that lay near his head. He should have grabbed something more substantial than crackers for breakfast. He could hear the commotion in the market a little and wondered how the sales were going.

~~~

The coatl nodded to Blain as he left her presence. The other coatl seemed quite interested in the magic, but from what little of Avery the trader could see, he was not so amused. The coatl had rushed over to Mogi's stand. Mogi looked at the dwarf guardian quizzically. He had never seen a small guardian really. At least not one as small as he was. The guardian spoke before the coatl could. Mogi didn't speak but his frills showed a train of thought. The stone spun quickly. He crawled down from his perch and hopped on the counter. There were plenty of tomes and scrolls. Most of the books had knowledge on forming magic in specific ways, like manipulating fire or ice. Only a few had specific spells as subjects. The fae pulled several books to the edge of the counter, but couldn't really put them on the ground. He looked at the coatl for assistance. The titles were in a strange cuneiform language. The fae could read them as a book of alchemy, namely the production of various reagents in a cauldron, a book on a silencing spell, and a spell of time magic were among them.

The coatl watched Avery and the coatl with interest with how they would deal with Mogi. She knows him to be sheepish, but she wasn't entirely sure. He does make noise, but he doesn't use words. He doesn't write too well either. He seems to understand it just fine though. The Pearlcatcher Eugene interrupted her thoughts though. She wasn't sure what the answer was, so she gave her educated guess, "About two hundred I think." The tailor in the flows had given her and a few others the basic. Higher count is better or something like that. That particular bolt had a count of near two hundred. "Ten per foot?" She offered. "Fifty for the tin." The dye was made of cobalt. It's safe as long as you don't ingest or inhale the powder.

The coatl was quite pleased with the furs and clapped happily. "Those'll be twenty a pelt." The trader said. Ermine were quite common in the Southern Icefield and made good clothing. The coatl thought so too apparently. The trader returned her eyes to Mogi for a moment.


The tundra smiled and nodded. "I can do that." The tundra watched another dragon near. "Thanks. I'll be here." She added.

A second pearlcatcher arrived at the Tundra's fair little stand. He was covered in bandages. She hadn't set up an infirmary though. "Speaking of medicine." He had said. The tundra was surprised by the interest in the ointment. She had two jars as well but wasn't sure why one had ended up in the general trader. He seemed to force the politeness. The tundra inspected the sores closely. Most of them just seemed like open wounds. A few were infected and inflamed.

The tundra nodded and said, "Yup. I'd say it'd work just fine. It won't heal em, but it'll help with the discomfort." She had known alchemists that could change the traits of dragons. The magic was tough and expensive, but she had seen dragons with similar afflictions be healed. The most common treatment it removal of the trait, but some spring for replacing the gems for stripes or a shiny underbelly. The tundra pulled two jars out from under the counter which made three in total.

The bogsneak seemed pleased to buy the rum and the old man was happy to "sample" the product. "For a discerning customer, a free sample?" The mirror offered. He pulled two bowls from under the counter and poured the purple liquid from an already open bottle into both. The mead was sweet and tasted of honey and winter's delight. Due to the chill of the bottle, the raspberry was quite sweet as well. The alcohol gave the mead a slight, tart taste to the sweetness of the honey and raspberry though. The mirror smiled. "How is it?" He asked.

~~~

The coatl gasped as Lodon abruptly stood up. His muscles ached and he immediately leaned on a wall. It wasn't a surprise to know that Hugh didn't know Mardikan's name. Vespers was so close. Lodon straightened himself. The fire was gone for now and he limped forward on old limbs. "Can you lead me?" Lodon asked. His vision was still returning and he didn't know the island beyond what he had seen from the ferry.

~~~

The coatl seemed concerned at the time frame and shared a glance to the imperial. "Yes." Mardikan said. "They're similar, yes." The Imperial nodded. "It was after. The dragon was unaware of the breach due to its small size at the time." The breach had essentially begun as small cracks in the Veil. They split and formed fissures quickly.

The nocturne laughed in delight as the splinters shook. How he hadn't been stuck yet was beyond Mardikan. The nocturne still seemed interesting but the quip from the Imperial made Mardikan smile. Mardikan purposely avoided looking at the water as it lapped at his feet. The coatl proceeded to introduce the three. Their names match. Deepsea, Darkshine, and Echo. Mardikan turned his acute hearing back to the two coatls behind him to see if they were still there. "My name is Mardikan." He greeted.

The guardian curled closer to his friend. "Lots of siblings in the clan," Legend mused, partly to Striker but mostly just out loud. "I can't imagine going somewhere without my brother. Then again, he's my charge, but I think other people feel that way about their brothers and sisters even without the charge aspect." Some siblings had traveled to Prufrock together, as he and Splinter had; others had been reunited after a long period of absence. Eztli's half-brother Etsu hadn't even been born when Ez had left the Southern Icefield, and Ashes had been surprised to run into his brother Winternight on the island when he came with the Obscurum Castrum Bellatorum. There were a lot of siblings from the clan of Oakrest in Dragonhome, too, but they'd heard about the island from others who'd migrated to arcane territory before, so Legend supposed that was cheating. He knew some families were spread all over Sornieth, but he personally thought that would be hard.

Finally he could contain his curiosity no longer. "Do you know who that is lying over there?" he asked a bit sheepishly, indicating the tundra-shaped ball of fur and pollen with a bird perched on it.


***

Quercus was confused at first when the fae didn't respond, but then he noticed him moving the books closer to Avery and finally figured out what he was doing. He grabbed a stack and set them down on the ground so that he and Avery could look at them together. "Ooo, time magic. Do you think your father would--?"

"He has that one," Avery interrupted, pushing it aside and turning to study the silencing spell. He remembered his father telling him about acquiring works on time magic after a couple of dragons had accidentally come to their location from the past. It had taken some persuading, but Emrys had finally allowed him to read some of them, and he definitely recalled the strange syntax of that particular tome. It had made it difficult to read, but the ideas were sound.

Query wasn't quite as quick as Avery at reading the cuneiform language, but he was decent enough at translating titles. He pulled down a few more off the counter, hoping the fae proprietor wouldn't mind - some he thought looked interesting, while others he felt Avery would enjoy. There was one that seemed to include transportation magic, which was of particular fascination to him since he used something similar on his ferry.

"Eight per foot and forty for the tin," countered Eugene. He stroked the fabric with satisfaction - usually he preferred to weave his own, but he appreciated fine craftsmanship. The pearlcatcher lifted the tin with his free hand to read the ingredients, though even after spending a lot of time with Ember, there was much he didn't know about dyes. He did recognize cobalt, though, and thought that sounded right.

"I can do twenty - that would be fine," the coatl said agreeably, pulling out some coins. Eugene rolled his eyes as discreetly as he could while he studied the tin. In his mind, coatl dragons just didn't know how to bargain. They were too quick to please...except maybe the one behind the counter of the booth. She seemed shrewd for one of her breed.

Blain sighed as he looked at the ointment, but Sift butted in before he could respond. "We'll take them," he said, sweeping the jars onto the pile with his other purchases and adding the coin for them to his total. "Worth trying, at least," he said to the other pearlcatcher as Blain graced Sift with a long-suffering look. "C'mon, let's go see Cindermoon and Hazelmist and find out if they have any medical supplies they can spare to trade with the ship's crew. We'll be back," Sift said, turning to wink at the tundra before the two pearlcatchers gathered up their purchases and made their way out of the market toward the main street.

The bogsneak's red eyes glowed with delight as he sampled the mead the mirror had so generously offered him. "An excellent balance of flavors," he said. "Exquisite. Though might I inquire as to what has given it its chill? The coolness would be lovely in the heat of summer."


***

"O-of course," Hugh stuttered as he hurried in front of Lodon to open the blast doors leading out of the laboratory. The library next to them immediately made its presence felt, both physically as it dominated the sky as well as magically, but Hugh turned away from it and took the path leading up toward the cliff top. They passed more terraced gardens like the ones on the lower path leading up from the beach, and they seemed to have been largely tended by the same dragon - though each was different in appearance, they all had a common theme, inspiring thought and creativity as well as a sense of calm. They weren't entirely impractical, however - some contained edible plants and herbs in among the sculptures and ornamental flowers.

Hugh tried to keep a slow pace on account of the uncertain state of the tundra's health. "Let me know if you need to stop and rest," he said. The incline was fairly steep and included more than a few stairs. "We're heading for the buildings at the top there," he indicated. Stone structures with slate roofs similar to the ones in Lantern Port were visible further up the path. "The assembly hall is across from the guardhouse and overlooks Coatl Cove, where the lairs are."

They were passing the nesting grounds - a few eggs were floating amid the pink crystals of the nests, and a couple of watchful parents eyed the darkly cloaked tundra warily, drifting closer to their future offspring unconsciously in a desire to protect them from the unknown. Hugh could feel the intense hum of the magical wards as they walked by. The clan's mages and exorcists had pretty much tripled the magic protecting the nesting grounds after the nests containing Quercus and Avery had been attacked at their hatching by a malevolent spirit. It was hard to fully protect against entities like spirits who had so many variations on their abilities and powers, however. Still, the protections were enough to make Hugh's feathers ruffle, and he hoped they would deter the vast majority of potential threats to the clan's most vulnerable.


***

"Good to know," the coatl nodded at Mardikan. "When did you wish to leave?" They were used to traveling and kept most of what they needed on them at all times, but it wouldn't hurt to make a few arrangements before departing from the island.

"I still wish we were going to plague territory," Echo sighed. "But I guess other places in arcane are fine." His pink eyes blinked behind his glasses. "What's the place we're going to like - is it like here at all?"

The underworld spirits had watched the exchange of the four dragons with some interest, though they had remained removed from it. "Curious that the breach was so widespread," Kherty remarked to Lazarus.

"Yes. Disconcerting," replied Lazarus, privately pondering if Kherty had caused that as well.

"I suppose we'll have to see how they resolve it," Kherty said, almost lazily, though Lazarus wondered how many of the underworld spirits threatening the other clan answered, ultimately, to Kherty. Perhaps none, though he doubted it. Would Kherty withdraw any under his command from the breach if he knew those dragons were going to confront the situation, or would he fight? That was the question.

"Perhaps they'll prove up to the challenge," he said. The skydancer seemed powerful, as did the coatl and the imperial - the nocturne less so, but he had a skill for adaptation which could be useful in the right kind of situation.