Roleplay

'Thank you greatly,' Shine nodded. 'These are wonderful examples, and certainly I accept them all, as tokens of sympathy. Now please enjoy your stay here and be sure to ask whether you have any questions or need something. Starlight will do her best to answer to your requests and if she can't she'll pass the request to me. As to me, I must return to my duties now. So Gelbu and me are now leaving. I wish you both good rest and good job here.'

Thus after saying goodbyes Shine and Gelbu left. Starlight turned to the ambassadors and asked merrily 'Would you want something now? More food, more talk or perhaps finally some good night sleep, hey? I'll find you tomorrow or just ask for me if you need something.'

* * *

In their private chambers, far from the guest chambers where Starswarm and Astraldust were lodged, Shine and Gelbu looked at each other.

'They are spies. Definitely,' Gelbu stated in his best low voice.

'Let them be. Diplomacy always comes with spying' Shine shrugged. 'If you're suddenly in some new place, wouldn't you do some looking around? So... let them see what they can. We have nothing to hide here. There are hundreds of small clans around, we're nothing peculiar.'

'And do you believe all these words about future learning and trade relations?'

'I take them as they are. This city is essentially a large trading clan, I've heard of these. Perhaps they really search for new trade partners... or want to secure some for themselves. Why not? A small clan one day can become large, rich and powerful, and it's good to establish trade relations beforehand.'

'And what about this Sparksburg? They mentioned it several times but never elaborated.'

'Perhaps they wanted to pique our interest. As I've understood, this Sparksburg is also something of a large trade settlement but somewhere in the Fire region. And they do have some relations with it, but whether friendly or competitive, I can't say.'

'All right. Forgive me my paranoia, Shine, but...' Gelbu trailed off.

'Your paranoia is very welcome,' Shine smiled. 'Only try not to pass it to me. We both do our job, and you're the best security I could find in the world. But I'm the clan leader. We can't close our doors and turn our lair into some tin can, right? If we're to live in this world, we're to deal with outsiders.'

'You're right, though I'd prefer this tin can lair, but that's just me,' Gelbu said.

* * *

But a bit of paranoia doesn't hurt even clan leaders. So the envoys' gifts were passed to Wynne the Castermaster, the clan chief magician, to detect any magic they had on them and discern the nature of that magic.

[i]And meanwhile... (Starswarm&Astraldust are talking to Shine and can't be present or somehow hear this) for @GamerDanger and all who are interested in the fate of the Jester![/i] [center][b]THE JESTER Part 3[/b][/center] 'Good to meet you, brother in Plague,' said Seafoam from the gallery. 'Good to meet you, sister in Plague' answered the Jester putting his lute aside. 'I didn't expect to see anyone from the Scarred Wasteland here.' 'I'm not from there,' the Fathom shrugged. 'I was born far, far away from here. I've never been to the Scarred Wasteland.' 'And would you like to?' the Jester chuckled. 'Yes,' Seafoam answered calmly. 'I do want to see the homeland of my legacy. But now it's not time to speak about my wishes. It's you who matter. Never having been to the Plague domain I still know about the flight of my blood more than anyone here. Whom do you hope to fool with this body paint? There have never been travelling entertainers from Plague. Perhaps they entertain their own children but never other Flights. Too many, well, cultural differences.' 'Why wouldn't there be the first one?' the Jester smiled calmly. 'Care to see a show?' 'A show? Here? Now?' 'Why not? Travelling entertainers have to adapt. They perform where and when they can,' the coatl male answered. 'And here and now I definitely can. Perhaps then you'll believe I'm really a performer.' And he started telling a story of a male Harpy Prince who lived in luxury but was so sick and tired of these endless scandalous and lusty females that he decided to run away from the flock and live alone at the seashore. The story was on the verge of decency, but Jester managed never to cross the border between funny and obscene. Still, that border was there, beckoned and teased, and the Jester used that fact skillfully, hinting and mentioning but never telling directly. All in all, it wasn't a hatchling show at all, but it was funny indeed, and Seafoam couldn't help laughing. The sight of a dragon impersonating a harpy, that well-known type of a female harpy, was very amusing, and the Jester knew exactly how to do it. When he performed the male prince, it was even more funny, with all this mocky dignity and arrogance. Attracted by the sounds and laughing, other dragons appeared on the gallery. They had to admit they liked the performance, as rude and saucy as it was. And the Jester even sang two songs, a spicy song of an interested female and a tragically funny aria of the prince. The final was expected, but amusing nevertheless, when the prince arrived at the Crystal Pools and found a whole group of other male harpy fugitives there. Their tattered, dirty appearance and emaciated faces weren't quite the idea of the free and dignified life the prince had nurtured. 'Good job, Jester,' said a carrot-toned Mirror male wearing some spectacular accessoires. 'A good laugh is just what we lacked here. My former mate has a too much serious view of life. My son sings only these angsty arias and ballads. I bet you'd be a wonderful party companion! If only Shine allowed you to walk normally around here.' [center][url=https://www1.flightrising.com/dragon/93248776][img]https://www1.flightrising.com/rendern/350/932488/93248776_350.png[/img][/url][/center] [center][b]Laugh the Lighthearted[/b][/center] 'You'd better stop it, Laugh,' said Orion who was also here. 'Too early. I'm all for a good party, what soldier wouldn't? But we must be careful.' The Jester smiled again. Another local dragon wants him close. Step by step, he'll get what he wants. The dragons went away, and only Seafoam stayed. She was lying on the gallery floor so as her head was tilted down and she was looking directly at the Jester's eyes. 'What do you want?' she asked. 'Just say it, name it. Perhaps it would be easier than all this your going-around.' 'I have already said it,' the Jester shrugged. 'I want to be accepted here. To have a home here. To perform for the dragons and for the hatchlings. To sing duets with prince Baurice and to celebrate with his father. Perhaps to have tours in the nearby clans. Why no one believes it? Is it so strange?' 'Whom do you really serve? Who sent you here? Which clan?' 'I swear to you by the sacred word of the Plaguebringer that currently I'm not of service to any clan.' 'And the Plaguebringer?' Seafoam squinted. 'Do you serve her?' 'And in this I swear by her word. I serve her as I am still living. With every my step, every word and every breath I serve her.' 'Really? Why aren't you contaminating all around with some horrible disease, then?' Jester laughed, softly and very musically. 'And even you, a Plague by blood, don't understand the Plaguebringer's ways. Somehow everyone who is not of the Scarred Wasteland is absolutely sure she is interested only in contaminating every part of the world with infections.' 'And isn't it so?' Seafoam was surprised. 'Do you know what immunity is?' 'Yes, of course. Invulnerability to diseases.' 'And do you know immunity is called the greatest gift of the Plaguebringer?' 'N-no...' the bewildered Seafoam said. 'Well, just think about it. And perhaps you'll understand that the death of the whole world from diseases is not and has never been the Plaguebringer's goal.'

The author's remark: Well Seafoam is a bit self-assured. She's very young and hasn't seen anything but the life in the deep ocean and some life with the Night Lights. Of course she can't oppose such a crafty snake as the Jester. And he uses it up to the point. And he didn't say even one untrue word to her! She played right into his paws.

I like it so far! Thanks for the ping!

For @GamerDanger and everyone interested in the Jester's fate!

The next day in the morning the Jester had a visitor. He was no other than Laugh, Lady Shine's former mate. The male seemed very outgoing. He brought with him a cream-toned Mirror lady and introduced her as Cream, his current mate. The female looked at the Jester with a bit of shyness and kind interest. Laugh asked the Jester for another performance.

'It's damnably boring here', he explained. 'Everybody is busy just doing their work or hobbies. No parties, no real merriment, well, I think you understand. Good thing the fate has brought you here!'

The Jester humbly nodded and said he wasn't currently quite ready, and perhaps the esteemed Laugh would agree to schedule the performance for just a bit later? Of course Laugh agreed and they settled for the early evening.

The Jester's plan worked. During these hours Laugh and Cream told a pair of his friends about the scheduled performance, these told others and so on. So when the time came the Jester had quite a few spectators instead of just two. The gallery was almost full. Many dragons who hadn't attended his previous show heard about it and were sorry for not seeing it, and those who'd been present wanted more.

The story was a continuation of the previous one. The harpy fugitive prince, having lived a bit at the Crystal Pools, understood that was not the life he was dreaming of. In the harpy city he had lived in luxury having nothing to want, and here there was nothing: no hot aromatic baths, no new beautiful clothes, no delicate food, no soft beds, no females for... embracing. It was a harsh and cold life in the male community. And the prince decided he should find... a female. So that she would care for him and all the rest. But he still didn't want to return to his home city or some other harpy settlement. No! He was a proud male and wouldn't be a slave to these crazy crouds of lusty hags. So he flew away and was trying to make some aquaintances with different females but everything went wrong. Stocky longnecks didn't want to mess with an avian and delicate dryads were appalled by his... smell. (Bursts of laugh were carried around the lair.) Finally somewhere in the plains the prince met a centauress. The equine had hever seen a male harpy before and was charmed. And when he told her of his suffering (Cold bath! Tattered clothes! Rough food!) she took pity for him and promised passionately that she would do anything for him. But it was a doomed love (sniff!) for the centauress' tribe had very strict mating rules and of course mating with other species was not allowed. So the lovers decided to run away. They settled at the edge of the Tangled Wood where as they hoped no one would find them...

The dragons were absolutely happy. They laughed heartily at the antics of the prince and the females' behaviour. The Jester sang another solemn aria of the prince telling of his sufferings to the equine. Everyone was heels over head laughing.

When the Jester said the the show was at its end, everyone thanked him, and Laugh offered him to schedule some performances beforehand. Soon a poster appeared at the entrance of the gallery announcing several upcoming shows of the Jester's.

'Daaaaaamn' Shine said when she saw the poster. These days she was busy with their first ever official embassy from another clan and some other urgent businesses and was overlooking the Jester's problem a bit.

'What? Do you want to forbid it?' Galaxy asked.

'Nope. It's pointless. The dragons here have already tasted his art and want more. And they are melting to him - or will be.'

'What will you do, then?'

'Perhaps attend a performance.'

* * *

The Jester's life became much more sweet, and even literally: the enraptured spectators began bringing different gifts to him, tasties including. Two females asked if he could do a custom show based on their wishes. The Jester said he certainly could and if the beautiful ladies give him the basics he would create a show specially for them. The females were happy and promised to think over it.

In fact, some females began having feelings toward the Jester. He was so handsome and exotic, with his striking coloration and bright red eyes, he was so polite and nice to others, and he was so wonderfully talented, and he had to sit there in his rooms! Of course the Jester wasn't a prisoner and could go away any moment should he just ask for it, but he still wasn't allowed to walk around the lair freely. In short, the females thought of the Jester with a very specific interest.

And in the night there was something inevitable when a handsome talented performer was met by a female admirer. One of the ladies visited him and left only in the morning.

Now, if there were a contagion, there was no way to avoid the epidemia.

* * *

Of course Lady Shine wasn't just sitting there. She wrote letters to some friendly clans explaining what was going. Some healers from the Viridian Labyrinth were ready to arrive and help Verethi to fight any contagion. But, as good healers as they were, they weren't infectionists. Only the Plagues were. And there was no Plague other than the Jester and the inexperienced Seafoam.

Or perhaps there were? In the embassy?

Astraldust let out a long breath after Lady Shine and Gelbu departed. Xe looks at Starlight almost hesitantly. “Could I… wander off on a walk, for a small while?”

'Of course', the Mirror answered. 'Shall I go with you or do you want to fly around on your own?'

Starswarm looks hopefully at Astraldust, who immediately cringes and waves the two of them off.

“I’ll… go alone.” Xe hedges. “Starswarm… stay on task.” Xe says, bluntly but not unkindly, as xe turns to take off, wingbeats fading into the distance.

Starswarm droops. They flick their own wings a few times as though shaking off a bad feeling and sigh, turning to Starlight with a subdued smile. “Ah, I should’ve guessed xe wouldn’t want anyone hanging around xem. Xe’s so-“ they shake their head, cutting themself off.

“I’d love to keep chatting if you’re willing, and perhaps you could show me where to grab food? I can hunt for myself if need be!” Starswarm tells Starlight, cheerful air returning.

'Ah, hunting is in the woods, seafood is in the ocean, but we do have a nice cafe here!' Starlight answered merrily. 'It is stocked by the clan supplies and works almost all the time, with a short break at night. We could chat there if you'd like it.'

“Ooo that sounds lovely!” Starswarm grins and shakes one of their claws in excitement. They follow Starlight’s lead as the two start towards the café.