The Dragon's Workshop

[Sir Ethaan]

Ethaan picked up on the lack of the guards as well, and it set him instantly on edge. A sudden drop in security levels was a fairly good indicator of a trap. He gritted his teeth, and looked out the window.

"...It does look bigger," he said. "... I don't like this."

[Celia Hand]

Celia looked around and frowned. "What... does it mean?"

[Sano YH Splikitt]

"Ah! Thats right!" Sano cheered up. "The blonde ones right? Oh theyre adorable. I hope they dont cancel out on me because I have the cutest dresses in mind!" he squealed and clasped his hands together like a high school girl.

Sano waved a hand at Ethaan. "Stop being so tense man! The dragons are tired of pulling me over and listening to me insult them in draconic. And how frustrating would it be to leave your post to follow a floating egg shaped object with me in it?" he laughed.

[Lord Dror]

Dror looked out the window. Everything seemed fine, and his back wasn't even tingling.

"We're at the waterfall." Dror said blankly.

The carriage rose up, heading towards the dark tunnel while dragons flew around and resumed their business as usual.

[Sir Ethaan]

"...Fair point, but still." If he'd been in charge of the guards of a fortress like this, he would have never issued such an order. Especially not an order involving ignoring a spazzy wizard like Sano. He folded his arms, alert and uncomfortable.

[Celia Hand]

Celia made herself focus on Sano again. "What are the twins like? I don't believe I met them."

[Sano YH Splikitt]

Sano rolled his eyes. "Whatever man."

"Oh they're actually really adorable! They're very young, maybe six in human years if I could guess. Hard to tell. Dragon age to human age is hard to calculate since dragons are born after fifty years of being in eggs. Dror I think you're what, in your twenties? Goodness how old are you?" he stared.

[Lord Dror]

Drors brows lowered, and he thought about it carefully. "I think I hit a hundred sometime, but I'm not sure. I've lost count."

The carriage inside lit up as soon as it became impossible to see out of the windows.

The dragons in the tunnel shifted as the carriage moved past them. By the darkness in their scales, it was impossible for anyone to see them, but Dror picked up on them, and for the first time, was starting to suspect there was something unusual going on. The guards never would move.

But Dror kept it to himself. It was not good to get excited when he wasn't sure about anything.

[Celia Hand]

Celia laughed. "Well, goodness, I feel rather ridiculously young now. Even in human terms the girls are older than I am."

[Sir Ethaan]

Ethaan's feeling of foreboding only grew, as they drifted through that silent, black hall. The palms of his hands itched, and he leaned back a little, reassured by the sword slung there.

He smiled, at Celia. "It's all quite relative, really," he said. "Hailong's in his high five hundreds."

[Sano YH Splikitt]

The carriage soared right into a beam of light from the holes in the cave ceiling. The keep of Ignear with its grey stone glowed, and reflected off its many paned windows.

Sano laughed. "I think most of the Ignear family is older than most of us..however, there is a rather interesting question, on how old Dror's father is." Sano mumbled.

[Lord Dror]

"Is he?" Dror gasped. "Would have never guessed, he..." he laughed. "Hes aged well if I could say."

"Well I feel like a child in comparison to Hailong's age now." Dror said casually.

Upon Sanos question, Dror had to pause to think again. Actually, that was a good question. His father had fought in many battles, but--the carriage hit the gravel and Dror's thought escaped him. He peeked out the window, but everything seemed normal. Even the metal glazed guards stood as statues.

[Celia Hand]

"You don't know?" Celia said curiously, seeing the look on Dror's face. She was getting a little better at reading him - there were many subtle shades to his usual blankness, she was coming to notice. Though perhaps it was just her imagination.

[Sir Ethaan]

Ethaan shook his head a little.

"Hailong's kind of dragon ages slower and lives longer than yours, I think," he said. "His parents are older than I am." And made his genteel elvish speciesism look positively tame in comparison to their levels of racism.

[Lord Dror]

"No, I was born very late in my line of sisters, so I really have no idea. He is at the very least 500 from each hatching of my sisters. But, he was around during the Color War, the War of the Wells, the First Invasion.." Dror trailed off. "Hes got to be in his thousands by now." he said casually.

"Are they? Interesting. Considering how long it takes for us to hatch, I can imagine their lifespan is better spaced then ours." he said. "But, is it unusual that Hailongs parents be older than you?"

Dror kindly offered his arm to Celia to help her up the steps and towards the gate. For the first time in years, he had confidence supporting his back.