Welcome to Gaia! ::

Alright then!

Maximos said with a bright smile, plopping down on the bed between his stuff. A nap. It felt wierd sleeping after just dreaming, but its what he was going to do. It was a very long walk, and he had a few injuries to nurse. And so, he laid down in the bed, his head resting against the soft pillow.

He felt a few stings.That bite to his neck, the sword wound to his arm, the sheer impact damage from that winged ice creature...Maybe when he woke up he could find a Healer, amongst the monks. Was there a healing plane? Maybe light?

Maybe....Zzzzzzzz.

Maximos was out cold.

Ahh, a quiet calm sleep. Maximos dreamt he was running through a field full of butterflies. They brushed against him and flapped around him, and as much as he disliked insects at times, it was very relaxing even though he only vaguely remembered the dream.

He slipped out of sleep at the sound of the voice. It was nothing sudden, but a rolling awakedness. Through groggy eyes he could see the figure, and he turned in bed. Strangely as he turned to rest on his side, he felt a soothing set of tingles. He could feel bandage around the soft spot on his neck and shoulder, and the deep slice in his bicep.

It was relaxing. It made him smile, as he started to push off his arm.

And then he froze.

Max did not change before sleeping. He slept with his clothes on. His jacket, his vest, his dress shirt, and move his necklace. And the later was linked to his magical energy flow! That meant to put these one someone had to undress him...in his sleep. Some stranger he'd never met, and may never meet. Sure, it was completely possible, Walter did it all the time, and he was rather old himself. But the idea of someone other than Walter doing it...

...Was it this old man? He wasnt too keen on being groped in his sleep. And suddenly, the Shadow seemed very awkward, as he sprung to a fully seated position and his eyes darted back and forth across the room as if he was suddenly expecting a dragon to pop out of the shadows and undress him.

Erm...well indeed.

He said, awkwardly scratching the back of his head.

Maybe too well...

Thank you, indeed. My wounds feel much better, please thank whoever dressed them for me.

Maximos was trying his best to shuck off his uncomfortable vibe so as not to appear rude. When Ryugi bowed, Max bowed. This dragon was old, he could tell, he didnt even bother pulling out the Deathwatch. No, instead, he took a deep breath and brought a wide half apologetic smile to his face.

The one thing Ryugi had advised him to do was be polite. And he really was trying, but those eyes. It felt like he was being looked through, it was feeling he was familiar with, a feel he gave others. The old monk asked a question, but Max had the distinct impression that it was out of courtesy, not necessity.

He wasnt quite sure how to handle the situation, and so left the answer in the hands of Ryugi. His guide to the world of dragons.

Maximos gave a steady bow of the head, it was a silent way of agreeing with the man when words were truly superfluous. The dragons smile reassured Max he had done no major transgression and brought a smile to his own.

The monk seemed confident, despite Maximos' disability that teaching him would be possible. That only made him smile even wider. He met the dragons eyes head on, looking himself much like the young adventuring youth he used to be.

And on top of that, he knew of Ancalagon? Well that was just too much to let slip away, his happiness bubbled right to the surface, in a rather excited exclamation.

Haha! So the book was right! He does exist!

The oldest.....oh my....well...I've got a problem.

Max said, a bit serious, a cheerful tone on a sharp yet warm pale face. His right hand rose and his index finger poked his right eye, right beneath the lid where the dark shadows from a usual (albeit recently absent) lack of sleep pooled.

I'm sure you've noticed this.

Just to be sure, as he said the word "this" the eye ignited a bright white illuminating absolutely nothing but itself, and none of Maximos' face. Perhaps active the dragons senses could read it better.

With it I can see lots of things, life, death, souls, magic, time....many things. But using these higher abilities, or more than one vision at a time, takes a horrible toll, and very often leaves me with dreadful headaches or infact blind in this eye.

He lowered his hand, and the glow faded with it.

But, with a scale from the Glass Dragon, I could construct lenses, and a pair of glasses which could help me handle the stress of using this gift, until such time as I can sustain it on my own.


He nodded. A swordsman with no depth perception was no swordsman at all.

Maximos' attention was locked. Every detail was key, he had never seen his place but the location played in his mind. He imagined the long expanse that was a desert, he would need a completely change in gear and attire, especially if it was every bit as hot and dry as this nameless wise monk had said.

Max knew the desert, he knew it well. Despite the aversion to the sunlight that a shadow should have, Maximos rather enjoyed the climate, fondly remembering a time and place long past. His minds eye took him across sands and to a cave.

A cave full of powerful glass, he seemed beside himself with a wide grin. The uses of such a thing were absolutely endless. He shared his grin with the monk, Maximos enjoyed learning not so well known facts, it seemed, as much as much the monk enjoyed sharing them.

His eyes widened. He had just learned of this strong glass, and now there was a stronger? And strongest still. The strongest glass in all of Angara. And as Angara held some of the oldest and likely wisest creatures on Gaia it stood to reason this was the strongest glass on Gaia. He couldnt believe his hears, he had to hear it again...

You seek one of Angara's most treasured artifacts, a Tooth from the Dragon of Glass.

A tooth, and whats more a tooth from one of the oldest dragons on Angara. This quest was turning out to be a bit larger than he had originally guessed. And yet inside, his adventurers heart jumped for glee. It took him a minute, he had to adjust to the weight of the statement before he finally spoke up.

Walter was right...I sure do have expensive taste.

A smirk stretched across his face.

I dont suppose he's going to just hand something like that over, is he?

I...

Max felt a bit surprised. A challenge from a great wyrm. Or was he old enough to count as an ancient? There was no telling. But still, the prospect was larger than he had expected, and yet in the same breath it was more than he had hoped for. That meant it was perfect.

But still he couldnt help that the rush of this moment had made him forget something else.

...there was something...

There was more than one something, there were countless things he could spend hours in conversation discussing with this monk. But more immediate was this quest across the desert, for that he'd need preparation. And for a challenge to the scale he'd be facing he would need all the tools he could get. Tools. That was it!

...would it be too much to ask for a lesson or two on your elemental magics? I fear my physiology might make it difficult for me to perform as easy, or even like you do. But, I'd still like to learn whatever you'd be willing to teach.