Sangue looked around, as though she had forgotten where they were. She had gotten so into her discussion with Lephyntylth that she had forgotten her offer to take the other dragons to Lake Leptos. She nodded slightly at Greattail, smiling beneath her mask. "Right, of course. Follow me."
Sangue dove off of the branch and latched onto another with her front talons. She swung easily from the branch and held onto another with her tail. She occasionally stretched her wings out to angle her jumps. Oddly, unlike the other times she had gone through the woods, her trail wasn't as painfully obvious. It was as though she was trying not to damage the plants.
It was only a short trip to the lake. As they approached the lake, the air became noticeably hotter and more humid. The lake itself was boiling. Steam rose off of the lake and the surface was roiling. The bottom of the lake couldn't barely be seen through the haze. Sitting in the middle of the lake was a gorgeous boat. It was polished and clean.
Sangue flew above the lake and landed on the deck of the boat. It looked like some sort of kitchen had been built on the deck.
"This boat is a tea shop. The owner is visiting some friends right now, so she parked her boat here. There might be some ghosts around here, but they shouldn't be bothering us."
Sangue looked around, as though she had forgotten where they were. She had gotten so into her discussion with Lephyntylth that she had forgotten her offer to take the other dragons to Lake Leptos. She nodded slightly at Greattail, smiling beneath her mask. "Right, of course. Follow me."
Sangue dove off of the branch and latched onto another with her front talons. She swung easily from the branch and held onto another with her tail. She occasionally stretched her wings out to angle her jumps. Oddly, unlike the other times she had gone through the woods, her trail wasn't as painfully obvious. It was as though she was trying not to damage the plants.
It was only a short trip to the lake. As they approached the lake, the air became noticeably hotter and more humid. The lake itself was boiling. Steam rose off of the lake and the surface was roiling. The bottom of the lake couldn't barely be seen through the haze. Sitting in the middle of the lake was a gorgeous boat. It was polished and clean.
Sangue flew above the lake and landed on the deck of the boat. It looked like some sort of kitchen had been built on the deck.
"This boat is a tea shop. The owner is visiting some friends right now, so she parked her boat here. There might be some ghosts around here, but they shouldn't be bothering us."
Greattail eagerly took off after Sangue, occasionally pushing off of branches in a poor imitation of Sangue's movement that slowed him down more than it helped. Lephyntylth glided smoothly and silently behind, still carrying the wolves which Sangue hadn't noticed and Greattail had forgotten in his excitement. It would, she thought, be impractical to carry them all the way back to the Zephyr Steppes. Her mind wandered, considering the ways she could more easily transport them. She had yet to figure out teleportation, unfortunately - though she had several new ideas she could test...
Greattail didn't notice Lephy getting distracted until he was circling above the steaming lake, navigating the thermals as he prepared to land. He had to call to her several times before she turned to him with a surprised twitch and followed him down, landing on the boat's deck and glancing idly around. Still, her attention didn't return to their companion until Sangue mentioned ghosts.
"A nuisance," she said, a touch of distaste coloring her words.
"Eh, ghosts aren't always bad," Greattail replied, hoping to pull her focus back before he lost it entirely and she disappeared into some project.
"But always a nuisance."
Greattail glanced towards Sangue; she'd been surprisingly good at keeping Lephy's attention so far, but she probably wouldn't appreciate the necromancer wandering off on her.
Greattail eagerly took off after Sangue, occasionally pushing off of branches in a poor imitation of Sangue's movement that slowed him down more than it helped. Lephyntylth glided smoothly and silently behind, still carrying the wolves which Sangue hadn't noticed and Greattail had forgotten in his excitement. It would, she thought, be impractical to carry them all the way back to the Zephyr Steppes. Her mind wandered, considering the ways she could more easily transport them. She had yet to figure out teleportation, unfortunately - though she had several new ideas she could test...
Greattail didn't notice Lephy getting distracted until he was circling above the steaming lake, navigating the thermals as he prepared to land. He had to call to her several times before she turned to him with a surprised twitch and followed him down, landing on the boat's deck and glancing idly around. Still, her attention didn't return to their companion until Sangue mentioned ghosts.
"A nuisance," she said, a touch of distaste coloring her words.
"Eh, ghosts aren't always bad," Greattail replied, hoping to pull her focus back before he lost it entirely and she disappeared into some project.
"But always a nuisance."
Greattail glanced towards Sangue; she'd been surprisingly good at keeping Lephy's attention so far, but she probably wouldn't appreciate the necromancer wandering off on her.
Sangue carefully navigated through the kitchen, lifting her tail up like a cat to avoid knocking anything off of the counters. She settled herself into a large couch. It looked like a waiting area for customers of the tea shop. The couches were in all shapes and sizes, including tiny ones set on counters and barrels for faes and smaller spirals.
"Admittedly," Sangue began, "despite all my work with death, I've never actually met a ghost, or a spirit for that matter. Rumor has it, these woods are infested with spirits, but as a woman of science, I can't quite believe things like that."
Sangue looked out at the woods skeptically, as though she expected to be struck down for her arrogance. When nothing came bursting through the trees, she turned back and shrugged.
"I don't think dragons have spirits or souls, or whatever you choose to call them. It's all science, flesh and blood and bone. If we had souls, the gods would care more about us. If we had souls, perhaps there wouldn't be an emperor rampaging through the countryside and maybe the Tidelord wouldn't have yeeted himself into the abyss." Sangue stared up at the sky. She continued talking. It seemed as though she was talking more to herself than to the others around her. "Maybe it's not a lack of soul but a lack of love. I thought that if we had souls the gods would love us, but maybe they are simply incapable of love."
Sangue carefully navigated through the kitchen, lifting her tail up like a cat to avoid knocking anything off of the counters. She settled herself into a large couch. It looked like a waiting area for customers of the tea shop. The couches were in all shapes and sizes, including tiny ones set on counters and barrels for faes and smaller spirals.
"Admittedly," Sangue began, "despite all my work with death, I've never actually met a ghost, or a spirit for that matter. Rumor has it, these woods are infested with spirits, but as a woman of science, I can't quite believe things like that."
Sangue looked out at the woods skeptically, as though she expected to be struck down for her arrogance. When nothing came bursting through the trees, she turned back and shrugged.
"I don't think dragons have spirits or souls, or whatever you choose to call them. It's all science, flesh and blood and bone. If we had souls, the gods would care more about us. If we had souls, perhaps there wouldn't be an emperor rampaging through the countryside and maybe the Tidelord wouldn't have yeeted himself into the abyss." Sangue stared up at the sky. She continued talking. It seemed as though she was talking more to herself than to the others around her. "Maybe it's not a lack of soul but a lack of love. I thought that if we had souls the gods would love us, but maybe they are simply incapable of love."
