[RPG] Hana: Growth

[Quinth]

((I apologize... I have been lacking in my DM duties for Hana: Growth. Luckily it seems the "OMGSKOOLWTF" phase is over, so homework shouldn't be death-worthy anymore. Btw, I'm going to start using icons for these massive catch-up posts.))

~PAN: Peep, Answeri, Blue Sen~

"Ehlonna." Peep awnsered. "The wilderness herself." He smiled rather foundly as he pulled her symbol from his pocket.
Answeri examined it curiously. "I never had a symbol of Wee-Jas... there weren't any available in the Shadow Plane, and hardly any mortals have temples to him these days. It's all 'Pelor this' and 'Pelor that'."
"Pft, tell me about it, their a bunch of freakish cultists if you ask me. He dreams that hes a little girl you know..."
Answeri guffawed, "what!?"
"yup, my dad told me about it. A tiny little girl that picks flowers and skips." He chuckled. "Calls himself 'loper'"
"Oh, an anagram... antonym... whatever that thing is with letters," She trailed off and began laughing again. "I guess it figures a big strong man would dream of being a little girl, hah!"
"My dad says its sick ^^;" Peep fell into laughter with her then smiled warmly. He sighed content then looked thoughtful.
"You know..Quinths been away a awful long time..."
"Really? Oh, I guess so... how time flies, right? Then again, I remember stories about time being strange here..." Answeri shot the door a glance thoughtfully.
"Well I'd assume all time within the Home would be the same, wouldn't it?" he stood. "why don't we look for her."
"Right," Answeri agreed, and marched outside, looking in both directions. The hallway stretched on infinitely both to the left and right, with identical doors spaced every twenty feet or so from one another. "Crap."
"Hm...there must be some trick to leaving.." peep looked around. "Do you see any signs or anything?"
There didn't seem to be any signs on the walls or the polished wooden floor. "...should... we... just... pick a direction...?" she offered.
"I suppose...left or right?"
"Right! 'Cause it's always right."
".........allright.." he turned right and started down the hallway, trying to walk quietly.
Answeri kept pace beside him, turning her head to stare carefully at each door they passed. She whispered in Draconic, "Peep... these doors are... all the same."
"each must be a room peopl are sleeping in.." He sighed and stopped. "and this walking is making me get hungery....I wish we could find the kitchen.."
"N-no, I mean, look. Look." Studying the doors carefully, Peep realized she was right. Each line in the wood matched up, each little dent and the exact place of the doorknob was identical. It was as if all these doors were one in the same, with a copy and paste program used over and over to infinity.
Peep blinked suprised then carfully knocked on a door.
There was no answer. Answeri shifted from foot to foot. "Would it be rude to barge in if no one answers?"
"...excuse then intrusion but-" Peep opened the door.
Strangely enough, the door did not open to a room, but rather to a long hallway. This one was familiar, but not the one they had just come from. Rather, before them was the sign with a pointing hand which had once led them to the Dining Hall. The sign had been changed again, this time reading: The Great Stairway.
"Mmm.." Peep looked at the sign to see if there was any more options.
The Great Stairway, The Dining Hall, The Kitchens, The Music Room, The Bedrooms, The Library, The Sitting Room, The Workshop.
Answeri considered. "If Quinth went to find armor, that would probably be in The Workshop."
Peep nodded and switched the sign for the Workshops.
Waiting a moment he started down in the direction that the arrow now pointed to fo the Worshops.
Following the hall, it eventually ended by opening up to a large room that extended multiple stories high by five large pillars: four near the corners and one supporting the middle. Each level was attainable by means of the ladder-like pillars, for each pillar had deep grooves in them which could be used as hand- and foot-holds. Little, medium, and large desks littered the many levels, a bright, homey candle lighting up the work that each faerie was creating on their desk. All was made of a dark, rich wood.
"Wow." peep uttered as he looked up and all around. "It sure goes high..then again most fae can fly." he frowned a bit though. "I don't see lady quinth though."
"Let's ask," Answeri suggested, and promptly did so, walking up to one of the workers on their level. "Exc- I mean, greetings and fortune!" she started out. The winged gnome looked up at her, peering through large eyeglasses. "Uh-uhmm... have you seen Quinth here recently?" The gnome stared at her, unresponsive.
"maybe he doesn't speak common?" peep suggested.
"I don't know Faerie," she glanced around helplessly.
"Merry time and merry tide to you both," the gnome suddenly spoke. "Who be you seek of?"
"Ah, good fortune and kind winds sir. We are seeking ambasador Quinth, have you, prartay, seen hide or wing of her?" Peep smoothly strode forwards looking hopeful.
The gnome blinked and Answeri stifled a creeped-out gasp when the eyelids blinked sideways. "Be she near me not again of time," it explained.
"What?" Answeri hissed, inching away.
You know, alot of lizards blinked like that, in fact in his dragon form peep had a 2nd layer of eyelids that were transparent for when he swam that went sideways like that....
"Ah." Peep bowed. "Thank you greatly for your assistance kind sir."
"Does that mean 'no'?" Answeri wondered aloud, still confused.
"Yes." peep awnsered her.
"Good, let's go," she grabbed his arm and started dragging him away, trying to not shiver visibly, though the gnome had long since returned to his work. "Brr, he was creepy!"
"....hey awnseri."
"Hm?" She didn't stop moving, back in the hallway.
"Do aqutic creatures creep you out?"
"Like fish? No. That... I thought that guy was just a gnome, but- brrr!" She really did shiver a little this time. "And thos big glasses made his eyes look huuuuge..."
"It was just a swiming lense." peep gave a small smile. "and nothing is as it seems here in fey, you should know that by now." He laughed and slipped into front her, leaned down so there noses almost touched.
He suddenly blinked, a clear eyelid slipping for his eyes sideways.
byakko koneko: She paused in confusion when he moved forward and her eyes bugged out when he showed his sideways-blink. "AAAAHH!" Answeri flailed and jerked backwards, but her floundering arms grabbed the edge of Peep's sleeve while her legs kicked up, just missing hurting him, and she tumbled to the floor with her fellow dragon.
Peep hadn't expected her to react so violently to his little prank and as he was jerked forward he just narrowly got his hands out infrot of himself to catch himself in a rqther pushup like posture. Saving Awnseri from his weight coming crashing down at her he lifted up a little, legs spread to either side of awnseris. He stared a moment.
"....Are....you alright?"
Answeri panted a little, trying to lower her freaked-out mind and heartbeat, blinking rapidly. Her head ached from coming down straight onto the wooden floor, and she opened her mouth to voice protest of Peep's 'prank' when she realized how close they were and flushed red.
"...Awnseri?" he questioned again this time a little more concerned. "Are you alright?" he leaned in a little more as he slipped his knees further under him. "did you hit your head."
Answeri's face became redder and redder until she was the color of a cherry... or perhaps more like a beet, with a slight violet shade present too... "n-n-P-P-P-P-Peep-p-!" she tried to form a word, staring straight at him with bug eyes.
Now peep looked trully worryed.
"A-ah? Whats wrong?! Where does it hurt?! What do I need to heal?!" He hauled her up by her shoulders worried.
"W-we- I can't-! Nooo!" Answeri scrunched up her face and shoved her arms forward, throwing him off her with her fighter-type strength.
"Eiiii." Peep squealed as he slid along the polished wood floor on his butt.
Blinking, the dragoness realized she'd used force and scrambled up, her blush lowering but not disappearing. "S-sorry! Sorry Peep, I didn't mean to throw you!"
"Yes you certainly did or I wouldn't have been flung a good 10 feet down the hall." He looked annoyed as he stood, brushed the seat of his pants off. "What was with that anyway, you pulled ME down! You can't get angery for me falling on you for that! I didn't even hurt you."
"I..." She hesitated where she stood, trying to find the right word. "I wasn't angry at you, um, I just... I just... overreacted. Um... yeah. Sorry."
"Yesh, maybe this is why daddy only courts men.." Peep shook his head. "Well Lady Quinth wasn't there..where else should we look next?"
Answeri stiffened a little at 'courts' and coughed roughly to focus her mind. "Ahem. Um... I dunno what a 'Sitting Room' is. I'd say there, or The Great Stairway."
"mm a sitting room wouldn'y make sense so..the stairway is a better chance, she may of had to pass through there."
Heading back to where they started Peep hung up the sign for the great Stairway again and started out for the new destination.
As they walked down the hallway Answeri lingered behind a little so that Peep stayed in the lead, sorting out her thoughts silently. At the end of the hallway, it once again opened up to a large room - this one had a brilliant wooden spiral staircase that was at least 30 feet wide curling around the edges of the room all the way to the top floor, a good 200 feet from the floor. In the middle of the staircase was an enormous fir tree, upon which little pixies in glowing yellow uniform perched and gave orders to the silver-uniformed pixies that spun and slitted across the room hanging decorations. The entirety of the place was bedecked in silver and green, with occasional warm yellow and brown color blended in. Atop the tree was the most sparkly of the pixies, and she was arguing with a large bumblebee who'd been stuffed into a green ribbon and was only just managing to keep afloat beside the pixie.
"For iron's sake, my name is Blue Sen! I don't want your damnable green ribbons!"
She gasped innocently. "Are you refusing my gift!?" The silver pixies twittered around her in shame.
"No, I'm re-gifting," the bee spat, and tossed down the green ribbon. "Glimmer, see here, you owe me-"
"Re-gifting! How cruel!" wailed the little faerie.
Interrupting her, one of the yellow-uniformed pixies pointed down eagerly. "Glimmer! Newcomers! THEY DON'T MATCH THE ROOM!"
Glimmer shrieked and pointed a finger, as hundreds of silver pixies swarmed down.
Peeps green eyes went wide.
"DAMN THE BELLS!" he ducked behind Awnseri, throwing her frowarded into the swarm of pixies first. "HER FIRST!"
He rememberd in deep detail his fathers hatred of this place now...
"YEEK!" Answeri screeched, as the pixies swooped upon her with a rush of ribbon and glitter. Without pause the remaining silver fey attacked Peep into similar getup. When the faeries finally parted again, sighing with admiration and releif, Answeri worriedly looked the two of them over. Silver glitter was everywhere - in her hair, in her mouth, on her eyelashes, down her dress - and somehow her red dress was now a sultry green one, and green ribbons were curled throughout the black of her hair. The green high-heels had been replaced by little silver slippers and she eyed them distastefully. Peep's own clothes had changed color, too: now his pants were a rich forest green and his shirt was a silken silver. The silver glitter on Answeri was green glitter on Peep, and a large green gift-ribbon was stuck to the top of his head. "What the hell!" Answeri shouted angrily. "I liked that dress, damn you!"
Peep sighed. "At least green matches my eyes...but the silver.." he started as he curled a lock of his gold hair around his finger. "Gramma would say I clash." he plucked the gift bow of his head . "...what, am I going to be a gift like my father?"
"Merry time and merry tide, newcomers!" Glimmer welcomed giddily. "I must say you both look adorable. My fashion sense has only grown stronger... here now, put that bow back on, it balances out the gold of your fair hair."
"Merry time and merry tide," Answeri ground out in recital. "Where's Qui- Ambassador Quinth?"
Peep sighed. "Yes maam." He stuck it back on his head. "Good fortune and shiny sparkles to you." Peep greeted, trying to brush the excess of glitter from his shoulder. "Were lookinh for the lady ambassador Quinth, perchance shes passed this way and had fortune with your fashion sense?"
Answeri growled low in her chest with annoyance, but kept silent. "You are the mortals that Ambassador Quinth wanted armor for? My apologies, I didn't know where to find you or who you were," the bee spoke for Glimmer. "Merry time and merry tide, mortals. Your faerie companion has had something of an accident."
"What?" Answeri looked worried. 'They're all against us! Aaaah!'
Peep patted her gently.
"Aye good sir, and a fair wind for yourself." Peep did his best to not look grim. "..not to much of a accident I pray.."
"Again I apologize. I didn't believe she would have such a reaction to my words. It was I that dismissed her away." The bee bowed deeply. "My name is Blue Sen, and as my court has no need of me I wander. Your previous guide is no longer fit to take you through the Trods to Summer. Since I bestowed this curse upon you, I offer myself as a guide in repentence."
"How noble," Glimmer sighed sarcastically, as if disappointed. "Blue Sen, you are horribly bored."
"I fear it's none of your concern, pixie kin," Blue Sen's tone had a razor edge.
Answeri looked to Peep and spoke in Draconic. "I don't trust him. Or these... hmph, things."
Peeps brow furrowed. "Dissmissed her?" he questions. "I'm afride I...don't quite understand. Just what has befallen our friend and compaion good sir bee."
"Something a mortal couldn't know of," Blue Sen jumped to immediately. "She came to me for your needs and we played a game. I didn't expect her to lose so horribly. Ambassador Quinth has retired to Origin for something of a rest."
Peeps eyes widened. "A game?! You call somthung with such dire ends A GAME?!" peep scoffed, now irrate."Well sir, not only did you cost us our guide but our gaurd as well, somthing i had to pay with that had a very high price indeed." Peep looked very sour.
"Games come in all shapes and sizes," one of the silver pixies murmured in passing. Answeri turned and noticed that the pixies had all returned to their decoration jobs.
"Yes, and I cannot begin to repay such a thing as my court... as I am a wanderer, now. You may have a wish, if you please, ask away, and I will try to make it come true for you."
Answeri's eyes lit up as her mind jumped to all sorts of treasure she could ask for.
"A wish then?" Peep looked thougthful again as he closed his eyes letting the ideas dance through his head. --will be more asfter short disscusion
"...if you wander then you are without a sire to serve.." peep started slowly as the idea formed.
Answeri gave him a curious nudge. "...Indeed." Blue Sen answered.
"Then I ask your severitude to myself as payment to your debt to myself and m'lady." Peep folded his arm over his chest.
"Gweh? You just wished for a bee!? Peep!" Answeri protested loudly.
Blue Sen remained firm. "Agreed."
"Eh? Nooo! He takes it back, he takes it back!"
"Awnseri, think about what eves just gained. A life, a life is of far more value then any mere item we could otherwise gain." He smiled finnaly. "And father has said yhe Blue sen is a master chef."
"Aww, but I'm questing for treasuuuuure," she complained, latching onto his arm.
"Life is a treasure." He nodded. "Besides with his service we'll have a much easier travel...which will lead to chances from much more treasure then a singal bee could give."
"...okay," she gave in, accepting his logic. She turned to Blue Sen without letting go of Peep, happily attatched. "So, can we have that armor?"
"Yes...while these clothes may match....these shoes still will fair little with a long walk."
"Certainly. Here, some of it is in fact stored in this very Court; if you'll follow me..." Blue Sen buzzed his way up a few flights of the spiral staircase.
Peep followed up the stairs quite content with himself and his own wit. He'd never had a sevant of his own before.  

[Quinth]

Answeri followed after, bluntly waving her arms to keep any more of the silver pixies from adding glitter as they seemed to want to do. The two dragons reached their guide's chosen floor and he led them down a stretching hallway to a particular door. "If you could open this? My appendages aren't so perfect for doorhandles." Answeri did so, and the three of them moved inside. The room was slightly misshapen, as though the architecht had felt lumpy walls would be pretty, and all manner of weaponry and armor lay scattered about flags, wagons, and other such leftover items from the war so long ago. "Woohoo!" Answeri reached for a suit of leather armor in the Hollow Prince's army fashion, ignorant of it's significance. "This looks just my size."
Peep gave a sour look. "Hallow princes army..." He picked up a pair of boots that looked near his size. "....it will have to do." He sighed as he slipped into him. Then the idea dawned on him. "Saaaaaaaay....I bet theres some cold Iron left over from the war."
"Nnn... that most certainly isn't kept in the Home," Blue Sen warily buzzed in a circle, dancing. "Asking to store such a perversion of nature here would be rude."
"Iron's perverted?" Answeri repeated unsurely, as she also put on boots.
"It's simply unnatural to us," Blue Sen shook his head.
"Oh," Answeri noted aloud carelessly, and glanced around before moving behind a group of flags to change.
"Iron and bells." Peep awnsered. With a simple shrug he streched and smiled. "Well once Awnseri finds what she needs we can start to bright summer." He grinned nearly to his ears. "It will be nice to see uncel Aodhan again, its been so long since my last vist with him."
"You're related?" Blue Sen perched in his glittery hair before deciding that avoiding sparkles was annoying and buzzing off again.
"Well, not by blood but my father, Dirk Fox, is his consort...much of my childhood was spent in fiddlers green, playing amounst the trees and great stone throne." He smiled warmly at the memory. "So hes rather like a uncel to me."
"I see," hummed Blue Sen distractedly, as Answeri came out. "Great Queen, save me now, the fey will kill me."
Answeri tucked a loose strand of hair under the official Hollow Prince's army's wooden cap and tilted her head. "Why?" The leather armor around her was thick, for wintertime, and baggy as the army uniform had to be mass-produced rather than tailored properly. Her shirt was a snow-white-blue, with folded cuffs pinned by black snowflakes. Two black belts looped around her waist, one tight to keep her shirt from sagging and one loose to carry the bag of smooth rocks and the sling she'd picked up behind the flags. Tight black leather pants followed down into the depths of her tall boots, the tops of which folded over. Above the pants was a short, white over-skirt that was actually a continuation of the baggy shirt. The silver glitter on her matched, though the green ribbons stood out awkwardly in her hair.
"You simply look the part, my dear," Blue Sen mumbled.
Peep hummed a little as he looked at her, making a full circle.
"....were going nto terrifie a few people i have a feeling...the caps a bit over kill Awnseri." He took it off as well as her bow. "...well...its a bit better I supose....do you want me to tailor the shirt for you?"
"Nah, it's fine, nice n' breezy," she reassured, grinning. "We should set out as soon as possible, right? The faster the better."
"I have no protest," Blue Sen calmly allowed.
"....alright." He nodded. "Lead the way then Blue Sen."
"We three must first get permission to leave," the bee reminded.
"Ahh, crud. Can't you just give him some of this stuff?" Answeri motioned to the room's contents.
Blue Sen buzzed. "No, how rude. He's already given me the gift of space for such things. To give him something of the reminder of one of Faerie's worst possible downfalls would be wretched."
Peep frowned. "...i have...very little of vaule on my person.." He tried to think of a proper replacment for there stay.
"Offer up something personal or creative," Blue Sen suggested. "Perhaps The Workshop or The Kitchens could lend a hand in making something of value for you to offer as a gift?"
"..I alredy gave him the most personaly thing i had.." He sighed. "but making somthing should work...its what elly does on birthdays..."
"I don't know how to Craft, I just know how t..." Answeri stopped and trailed off, as if a lightbulb in her mind blinked on. "Okay, let's go." Blue Sen spiralled out of the room and began flying toward the hallway.
Making there way back to the worshop Peep was strainign on what to make that would be sutible. Well he'd just have to see what they had within the worthshop to work with.
The trio entered The Workshop after short alteration of the hall's magical sign. There were few free desks, each one peppered in random places throughout The Workshop. Answeri resigned herself quickly. "I'll meet up with you when I'm done, or you come find me when you're done. I'll find a spot on the third or forth level up."
Peep nodded as he looked around for a spot to sit and looked at what laid before. Slowly a rather ironic idea dawned on him as he toy with some colored yarn. Tieing many tiny knots and winding the yarn he crafted a rather handsom dream catcher. He relized the irony behidn giving a dream a dreamcatcher but...its not like they worked.....right?
He stood and looked for Awnseri.
Answeri was easily found climbing down the pillar-ladder from the third floor. She was having some difficulty due to the oddly-colored rainbow shortsword she held in one hand, without a scabbard.
"....what are you doing?" Peep asked rather bluntly.
"Climbing. Here, take this for me so I don't fall."
He took it from her.
Answeri reached the bottom without falling and retook the shortsword. "Great, our presents even match! We're rainbow-y. C'mon lets get outta here," she marched forward to the hallway.
Blue Sen buzzed without speaking his thoughts above Peep's shoulder.
Peep started at the shortsword. "..you made this?!"
"No one can make a shortsword that fast," she laughed quietly and used her other hand to drag him along. "And you already know I'm a monk, not a knight or something."
Peep just look confused as she tugged him along. "....where is our great host...the dinnnig hall still I assume?"
"His Majesty is... always... at The Dining Hall..." Blue Sen replied.
"....I thougth so, well....its a jolly throne room in the least." It was rather quite till they reach the Great dinning hall, the smell greating them first.
Answeri tried not to drool. "I can almost taste being so full and sleepy again," she daydreamed.
"Don't, please," Blue Sen looked annoyed. "Your Majesty!" The King looked to them and beckoned them over. "We ask for the gift of permission for us three as a group. I give you the gift of a newly-shedded wing," he spun around and let the King literally pluck one off, though it grew immediately back.
"Um, I give you the gift of this newly-made sword," Answeri offered, and King Merilin handed off the wing to a running candle, another candle accepting Answeri's sword and dragging it off.
"And I give you this newly created Dream catcher as my gift to your majesty." He offered out the circelar object, feathers hanging from it.
King Merilin nodded and gulped his wine. "I grant you three the gift of leave. Though I am sure you will return Home, as people always do," he laughed merrily.
Blue Sen fluttered away simply, and Answeri paused a moment before following after.
Peep bowed. "And good tideings to you." And he turned to follow after his compainions.
He was excited to be on their way finnaly, looking forward to seeing king aodhan.
As they reached the hallway-sign Marion trotted up to them jerkily, his strings lifting him into movement as before. "Good fortunate and tidings, dear guests, please visit back soon," he bowed politely.
"Good fortune and tidings," Answeri repeated.
"Merry time and merry tide, puppet," Blue Sen answered the greeting a bit disdainfully, flying past quickly.
"Fair winds and gentel waves good sir." Peep bowed to the puppet. He followed after his small bee compaion. "Answeri I think you'll like Uncel Aodan."
"Oh?" Answeri asked, interested. "How come?"
"He has a good sense of humor for one, and he likes shiney objects." Peep was ticking off on his fingers. "Hes alot of fun too."
"Perfect, then," she agreed with a laugh. Blue Sen wavered about in the snow as if hesitating his choice of direction. Answeri noticed this and the humor dropped. "...You're lost!"
Peep frowned. "Blue sen?" He folded his arms over his chest. "Is somthign wrong?"
The bee sighed. "Ohh..." Answeri's hand curled into a fist and she looked ready to smush the faerie.
"Oh?" He glared. "Oh what."
"I'm not sure if we missed the Escargo or not..." Blue Sen finally answered. "If we did, we ought to trek through Fall. If we haven't, we should try to get tickets."
"We missed... a food?" Answeri puzzled.
Peep shook his head no.
"Its a bit like a caravan...but its a gaint Snail.." He frowned a bit. "..where would we get the tickes Blue..."
"...Don't call me Blue, if you would please," Blue Sen buzzed irritably, hovering between the two directions. "This way leads to an Escargo stop, but that way leads to the safest walking-Trod of Fall. Ohh..."
Answeri folded her arms. "Just pick one already."
"....lets just walk throught Fall, Unless Sen feels thats to dangerous." Peep sighed, this was going to be a long trip.
Blue Sen zig-zagged around Peep's head in his anger. "My name is Blue Sen, and I don't go by nicknames!"
"Aren't you being rude to your master?" Answeri reminded him slyly.
"Pah, this isn't Home, I'll be as rude as I wish to be," snapped the faerie.
"Don't pick on the poor little fella awnseri, he can't help his short tempter." Peep waved it off. "THough, hes changed quite a bit from hwo my father described him...." he tcked his tongue.
"Your father is one of our most currently well-known causes of change," Blue Sen reminded, and sighed again, depressively. "I don't believe we'll catch the Escargo. Let's head on to Fall, then."
"I thought Quinth called it Autumn... or does that matter?" Answeri asked.
"It does but it doesn't. Two different names for the same place, or possibly two places left in one."
". . . . . . . ."
"...Just lead on before we hear a snap." peep guestered for his little insect servant to lead the way.
As ordered, Blue Sen led the way down the leftward snowy trail, meandering along as his fast pace was matched by his many swirls, turns, and dips so that he moved at the same pace as Answeri and Peep. Answeri stretched her arms as they walked and placed them behind her head, looking around at the scenery and wondering what to say to start conversation.
"......Blue sen.....have you ever heard of a Fae with black fox ears?" Peep asked suddenly.
"I have indeed."
"Who?" Answeri pressed.
"Ah... that's a secret."
Peeps eyes glittered. "Hm, seems he has some intersting friends if they include you and Mew..."
"Mew! That silly thing's been missing since before I left Court!" Blue Sen sincerely seemed surprised. "You ran into him recently?"
"Quite recently, I ran afoul with it when I was presusing your foxy friend in hope for aid...." Peep gave a wry grin. "Had a bit of game with him, that I did."
"I never did say he was a friend," Blue Sen reminded carefully. "But wonders never cease. Mew! Where was he?"
"The tree maze in Dark winter." peep said with a tone of distate.
"The what now? I've not heard of such a thing..."
"Quinth mentioned it was new to King Merry..."
Blue Sen sighed. "It's 'His Majesty, King MERILIN'."
"Oh bug off," she laughed.
"Its a large maze of trees thats near the edge of dark winter...somthing about a free gift at the end of it." peep tried to remember the vague information.
"Yeah but really they just hit you in the head and give you brain damage!" Answeri stomped in the snow, and yelped as she managed to hit a hole in the ground and sunk knee-deep into the ground, snow coming up to her waist. "ACK! Help!"
"Awnseri....you can fly can't you.." Peep pointed out.
"Only in dragon form, and if I transformed I'd be stuck even worse in this little fox hole!"Answeri tried to pull herself out but squeaked as her hands only met with a hole beneath the snow as well. "It-it's... getting bigger!!"
Peep sighed and offered her his hands. "Here, I'll pull you out."
Blue Sen buzzed nearer, staying out of the way as his small form meant he was unable to help. Answeri's eyes widened and she took a sharp intake of breath as her whole face darkened. "Th-there's- something- on- foot!!" She grabbed Peep's hands with all her strength to haul herself out, forgetting Peep's lesser strength in her fear.
"W-wait!!" peep was yanked forward loosing his footing in the snow and falling forward into the snow and on top of awnseri.
"AAAAHH PEEP!" the shadow dragoness was pushed another foot before her elbow caught on the edge of the hole. She huffed as she threw Peep off of her and away from the hole, in the direction of the ground where her elbow lay, and then grasped at snow as she fell a couple more inches. "s**t! What is this!?"
"Hmm... the Trod doesn't seem to be shifting..." Blue Sen mumbled to himself, studying the scene curiously.
Peep swore to himself as he pulled a long rope from his left and otherwise unsed sleeve.
"Grab this!" He tossed her the ropes end, tieing the other around his waist.
Answeri scrambled for the rope and wound it around her hands a few times, gripping it, and hissed, baring her fangs at the snow-covered hole.
"Somehow always hidden..." Blue Sen noted aloud.
"What?" peep snapped, trying to dig his heels into some solid ground.
"Leg, pain, ow," Answeri chanted over and over again, pulling herself up with the rope. She hissed once more before it turned to a dragon roar of anger towards whatever had hold of her.
Peeps teeth griited in open frown as his feet dug into solid ground, the rope straining as it was pulled taunt. Peep held the rope tight with two hands as he started to pulled Awnseri up and out.
"I...Won't...Let You Go!!" he insisted.
The rope inched forward as Answeri cursed and hissed under her breath, her face screwed up in pain. She used her own strength at the same time to pull herself further up as Peep dragged her forward. Finally all that was left within the hole was her leg. "F***! Let go!" she screeched at it in Draconic.
Peep snarled as he dove forward. "Let go of her!" he all but screamed aas he yanked up on her leg.
Answeri moaned gratefully and slumped into the snow, panting, as her legs finally emerged from the hole. One was squeezed so tightly the bone had broken and there were thick pink marks left from where a long appendage had held tight. Out of the snow a long, large plant root reared up at them and Blue Sen darted far out of it's range, aware that his measely hit points meant his uselessness in battle.
Peep started at as the roots rose high above his hand, his hand resting on Awnseris leg.
"W-what..." was all he managed to utter.
"Happen to have any fire spells?" Blue Sen suggested loudly from his far-off position.
"Damn it, all my spells are frost!" Answeri cursed, struggling to sit back up and aid Peep in the fight. The thick root snapped down at Peep.
Peep pulled somthing from his rigth sleeve, a wand.
"Flaming Sphere!" he yelled pointing and shooting a large flaming orb at the attacking root.
Fire landed upon the root and it twisted in pain, but still flung itself wildly at the two. A flaming root slapped across Answeri's leg and she roared again, as three violet beams of light leaped from her form and swirled after the root's jerky movements to hit it three consecutive times.
Peep hissed and waited with a aimed wand to fire again should the root survive Awnseris assult.
The root slumped down after being hit by Answeri's Magic Missiles, and the fire slowly consumed it. Answeri slowly caught her breath as she waited to make sure it was dead as well, until she was fairly certain and she groaned loudly, clutching at Peep. "Heal heal heal heal heal..."
"....Shhh." He purred gently, calming himself down as placed a warm hand to her badly damnaged leg. "Just relax." he cast his healing spells one after another till it was fully healed.
"...Blue sen, what was that?"
Answeri let out a long, shaky breath of releif and relaxed into the snow, uncaring of the chill and wet as warm divine magic coursed into her injuries. Her eyes closed as she let Peep heal her, and the wet from the snow and tears earlier froze into a thin frost on her cheeks. Blue Sen buzzed near and landed gently on her breast unknowingly. "I'm not entirely sure."
Peep bit his lip, brushing the frozen tears from Awnseris face.
"....I'd never heard of anything like that before..."
He looked around at the surounding snow banks.
"....I hope that was the only one..."
"At first I considered it to be a shift in the Trod, but it isn't that," Blue Sen thought aloud. "There's a certain magic to that which I can't sense here. Yet... it does look like a second path. A well-guarded one... I'm curious to know if this is one work of the Underground."
Answeri stirred only slightly at Peep's hand, letting herself lay down and relax for a minute while they talked.
"Underground? Quinth mentioned them didn't she?" peep looked puzzled again. "Who...or rather what are they?"
"That's... a secret..."
"And what would i need to to do to pry yet another secert from your lips my dear Blue sen."
"I'm not dear to you," Blue Sen deadpanned. "And I'm simply stating that it's a secret. I know little of it because it is a secret."
"Oh but you are dear to me my little friend, though you most certainly could use with a nice glazing of honey on that tongue of yours. Its sharp enough to cut a man." He tsked standing and brushing the snow from his body.
Answeri's eyes opened up again wearily and a depressed look flitted across her features before she jumped up energetically and laughed loudly. "Whattan adventure! Traps and monsters and magic! If only that thing had carried gold... ah well. So! Let's be on our way again, hm!"
"Adventure..." Blue Sen repeated, unconvinced.
"...." Peep looked down the hole. "...so you think this is a trod then."
"Possibly one of the self-made Trods the Underground boasts in rumor. Either way, it would be filled with such traps, and one was plenty in my mind. It also might lead somewhere besides our destination, where members of the supposed Underground could be gathered."
Peep made a mental mark of this location and nodded.
"....it may...be of use at a later time....and yet." He grinned a bit as he placed hsi hands in his pockets. "I can't help finding the cats curiosity in it."
"Ah, and yet Trods are ever-shifting, this place could be somewhere else in but a moment..." Blue Sen buzzed in a circle thoughtfully. "One of the flaws in the idea that there could ever be an 'Underground'." "Weird," Answeri announced, peering at the disturbed but still covering snow. "Here's proof, and somehow it disputes itself... right?"
"Correct..."
"Pardox seems very at home here." He sighed. "But let us not waist any more of our mortal time linguring at a hole in logic.' He looked to blue sen. "If you would please my dear blue sen and lead onward?"
Answeri laughed appreciatively. "Hole in logic!"
"But of course," sharply buzzed the bee, and Blue Sen flew in a few spirals before going forward again.
"...I miss quinth." peep muttered to himself.
They walked along the Trod for a long stretch of time, yet could hardly tell what true time was passing. The snow and fir trees gave way to many types of trees within colorful autumn red, oranges, yellows, and browns, as above them the sky darkened at each step. Answeri halted suddenly, her eyes glued to the sky as they had been for the past hour or so. She frowned and moved after Peep and Blue Sen a few yards before stopping again and voicing her concern: "is it actually getting to be night or are we walking away from the sun?"
"Both, obviously," Blue Sen bluntly answered.
"WEre passign into Dark Fall." Peep said with a soft nod. "...tell me my dear blue sen, what is the ruling queen here like?"
"Unseelie, evil... chaotic, too, I think, but you can never tell with unseelie..." The bee considered. "We ought keep going lest we'd like to end up sleeping on Hunting Grounds."
Answeri gulped. "On... wha?"
"The unseelie playing fields. You won't find them pleasant."
Peep noddend and quickened his pace. "Oh well...all unseelie rulers can't be like grandfather i suppose.."
"You refer to His Majesty King Aeryn of Dark Spring, I suppose..." Blue Sen laughed in a hum. "He is very much a unique ruler."
"....ruler is a looselu used word there...my poor uncle." Peep laughed softly. "But gramma is no ordenary queen either.."
Blue Sen coughed. "It's difficult for the members of her Court, since her mortality brings such constant change." He shook off the conversation and flew ahead a few paces.
"You know so much about this place," Answeri noted aloud, hands behind her head again as she watched the sky with only half an eye on the ground before her so as not to trip.
"Much of my family lives here." He said simply. "And I've spent much time in the courts of bright summer and both the springs. "Really its a bit suprising that I havn't picked up a bit of fae essence yet."
"Hah! Wouldn't that be a sight!" guffawed the dragoness. "A faerie dragon! You'd breathe sparkles or something, hahahaha..."
She stopped to gape at Peep. "Wait... what?"
"I've met one once when I was smaller..." he sighed. "Father thought it be nice for me to meet another dragon...It was in Uncel Aodhans court.."
Answeri resumed her walking, speeding up to keep with Peep and Blue Sen, zipping up and down a good few yards in front of them. "What's a faerie dragon like, then?"
"...annoying." Peep deadpanned.
"How so?" she pushed.
"How did father put it......Oh, hes a man whore."
Answeri nearly choked on her surprised sputter of a laugh. "Wh-what!"
"Man whore...would put a saytr to shame." he grouned out, annoyed by her interest.
She tried not snort as she snickered long and loud. "You're so funny!"
"...funny?" peep looked apalled. "No gentelman should act as he did!"
"And yet your tone soundsss... jealous?" she offered with a teasing smile on her lips.
Peep redend and he folded his arms. "Of that whore? Never. They way he conducted himself to not only my Grandmother but BOTH my fathers is in excusable." he seethed, had he been a dragon surly he'd be smoking right now.
"What happened?" she asked more seriously.
"...its in the past." peep tried to dissmiss.
"It's in the present conversation," Answeri protested.
Peep gritted his teeth. "He ruined severl things for my family, lets leave it at that."
"Why? If you're not jealous or anything, why can'tcha just tell me? I'm only curious about my own species."
"You want to know?" peep fumed. "Fine, he had a affair with my grandmother and my uncel foudn out and ran away from home, and he all but raped my papa who now, refuses to step foot in fae again thus making my fathers life harder since he has to come here alone or try to look after elly at the same time withtou help. Not to mention that if Uncel Aodhan hadn't been there he really would have raped my father!"
Answeri backed off fast. She blinked at Peep silently, without being able to summon up something to say. "..."
"Hes a ignorant man who I wish to never see again in my hopfully long life." He fumed now, anger aparent. "Hrmp."
Awkwardly, Answeri wiggled her mouth in again trying to think of a reply and again failing. Finally she inched up next to Peep and gently put a hand on his head before running her fingers through his hair soothingly, still not speaking.
Slowly he sighed. "...I'm taller then you right now...and yet your treating me like i'm still tiny." he glanced at her with a small smile. '...thank you though for trying. You...were just curious." he took her hand off but left it laced with his own.
"Sorry," the dragoness finally spat out, and was once again left speechless as a light blush rose to her face as they walked hand-in-hand.
"....his name was Gossamer." he added after a bit of walking. "Gossamer Erid Complexion of lofty winds and loves." he snorted at the end.
Answeri chuckled once before biting the rest of it away.
He grinned swining there arms alittle.
Soon enough the night had fallen upon them completely, and the full moon was a frightening orange hue. Luckily this creepy feature left them enough light to see with, Answeri being able to see even better since shadows were her normal terrain. On occassion Blue Sen would have to backtrack and make sure they could still hear his buzzing to follow, since his tiny form was hard to perceive amongst the natural night bugs. "Great," Blue Sen sarcastically commented as the trio came upon the Hunting Grounds mentioned earlier. A large field of only fallen leaves was the playing ground for a group of unseelie fey upon nightmare steeds. They were chasing a large group of shadow bunnies.
Peep frowned deeply. "...can we go around?" he asked softly.
"Not unless you wish to wander." Blue Sen crossed into the field through the air, and Answeri noticed the puff of shadow that he floated through like a light veil, making her hesitate.
Peep still held her hand and walked forward, grim look set on his face.
A light black veil shadowed over Peep as well, and he felt no resistance until Answeri's hand tugged him backwards. Answeri still held onto his hand but stayed solidly in place at the edge of the leaf-field.
"Awnseri, are you alright?" he looked behind to her.
Answeri made movements with her mouth and jaw as if she were speaking, but no sound reached Peep's ears. She tugged on his hand.
He frowned and moved back twordes her. "Awnseri?"
The veil reappeared and let him move out of the field again, and Answeri explained immediately, "it's to keep their shadow prey from escaping. I can't get in."
Peep frowned. "..not...at all?"
"Well I can't shadow jump, since Faerie isn't connected to the Shadow Plane normally, so I don't see how I can get in." She paused. "I mean, I haven't tried going in, but I recognize these spells. I dunno what effect they have if a shadow creature tries to move through the barrier."
Peep frowned more deeply. "Its to dangerous to chance you passing through and geting stuck...Blue sen." he called to the bee.
Their guide had paused after realizing the two's hesitation and sighed as he looped his way back. "Yes?"
"She can't pass through the veil."
"The what?"
"The hunters have a barrier around their field so that shadow creatures can't escape, and I don't think they- we can enter."
"....."
".......is this the only way? What if i walked along in side holding Awnseris hand and we make a full half circel to the other side?"
"She'd be off the path. Never stray from the path!" Blue Sen insisted.
"Well I don't have much of a choice!"
"well....we could ask the hunter to put the sheild down.."
"Bargaining with a Hunter and his companions whilest on a hunt... perfect."
"You don't have any better ideas."
"Sure I do, but they involve me leaving you behind."
"Hey!!"
Peep rubbed his temple thinking. "....how..high is th eveil Awnseri."
"I... haven't a clue," she admitted, looking up. "You can't see it unless something walks through it."
"So...you couldn't fly over it then." He sighed, irrated by the problem. "And i know of no way to dispell the veil..nore does it seem a good idea.."
"I-If we can 'bargain' for passage, I'll go in with you," she said, and then puffed up and grinned confidently. "At the very least, they won't be able to catch me on horsies like dumb shadow bunnies."
Peep frowned. ".....are..you sure?"
"No," Blue Sen muttered.
"Yep," Answeri nodded surely.
He nodded slowly. "...alright, but don't let go of my hand."
"...Right."
Blue Sen sighed in annoyance and busied himself with getting a small headstart.
Peep waited for AWnseri to carfulyl enter and held her hand tightly, determind not to lose her.
"Lets jus try and hurry though."
Answeri nodded and lifted their joined hands, running headfirst into the veil with a determined look. Rather than prevent her from entering, however, the shadow pulled her faster and Answeri squeezed Peep's hand. "They used... a Fear spell," she trembled, resisting.
Peep frowned and touched her brow. "Calm down." he purred, casting a calm emtion spell.
She smiled gratefully. "That's better."
"Bzz..." Blue Sen hummed.
"Buzz off, we're coming!" Answeri shouted at the bee.
Peep laughed gently and started after BLue Sen, still holdinf her hand.
They continued along through the field of fallen leaves and could make out stands full of fey, watching the hunt from afar, at the corner of the field in the direction they were headed. Blue Sen rocked on the chill wind. "Perchance a luck..." he hummed.
"Hmjawha?" Answeri's pointed ears caught it.
"Just a thought..."
Peep was a little more nervouse but assumed the hunter already be intered in the prey they had...
The wind picked up and blew back his gold hair that still had the green glitter clingin to it, giving him a more bronze look to match his true nature.
"Aww, crap, I guess I didn't expect anything else," Answeri swore, as the Hunter and his group rode nearer on their black nightmares.
"Just a moment, if you please," Blue Sen decided, and zipped away suddenly on an air current hurtling toward the exit by the bleachers.
Answeri gawked. "YOU TRAITOR!! COWARD! I'll squish you!"
Peep sqeezed her hand. "Calm down, don't jump to conculsions Awnseri." he said gently, watching both the huntsmen and Blue sen.
She fidgeted as they continued nonchalantly, and the Hunter smirked down upon them. Peep's eyes widened to saucers as he recognized the once-seelie Hunter his father had labeled "daddy two".
"My, oh my, a far more interesting shadow has come to my attention here," the Hunter grinned, revealing his teeth had grown pointed.
"G-grandfather?" Peep asked in full suprise. He hadn't seen him in some time but still as his father did regaurded him as family.
The Hunter's dark face turned to an unpleasant frown. "...what?"
"T-that's your-" Answeri tried to say, but was gawking still.
Peep glanced to her. "My fathers father of sorts." he tried to explain though it was a bit complicated. "Ah, grandfather its me..Peep. Dirk's boy."
A realization crossed his features and looked conflicted, just as a piercing whistle blew from the stands. The Hunter's companions swore and groaned, throwing their hands up and screaming insults toward the referee. "Keh. And the hunt is over," the Hunter growled. His eyes slid onto the two dragons and he said quietly enough so only they could hear, "good timing for you pets." His voice and kindness darkened a bit. "Strangely, especially good timing."
"A...haha... ha..." Answeri tried not to look guilty.
Peep was unfazed. "Luck is a talent I learned well from my father." Peep said simply, holding Awnseris hand still.
"Its good to see you well grandfather."
"..." He turned to his hunting group. "Release the game. They can wander, 'til we need sport again..." his eyes flashed toward them dangerously, as if in warning, and the nightmare snorted, turning to follow the horses of the other huntsmen.
"If I call him rude here does he get cursed?" Answeri whispered angrily in Draconic.
-No, were not in the home- Peep sighed. "....this will be news to father I think." He started twordes the edge of the feild and the bleachers.
"...be sure to thank Blue Sen awnseri."
"Nnnff," she grumbled. They approached the emptying bleachers and Blue Sen flew over.
"Luck with us," he hummed, almost cheerful.
"Yeah, thanks for blowin' the whistle for us."
"Hmm?" Blue Sen shook with laughter. "I'm a bee! I can't blow a whistle, you idiot, someone else did that."
Answeri's jaw dropped. "Don't call me an idiot, I'll flatten you, you damn bug!"
"Now now children." Peep sighed, holding up hands between them. "Let us just move along out way before they decied to resume there game."
"Oh they're so horrible at planning things it won't happen again for a long eve yet!" Blue Sen buzzed about happily.
Answeri huffed poutily but dropped her temper for the time being.
'Thank you Blue Sen...I wasn't sure what was goign to happen there for a moment." he smiled gently at his bee servant. "you truly are a great aid."
"Mmm, I won't refute any thanks given," he wiggled. "Let us continue. Following this group should keep us from harm aside the unseelie pranks of normal class."
"Pranks..?"
"...Yes. Pranks." Blue Sen didn't elaborate, making the dragoness shoot him a glare which he ignored.
"....aslong as I don't hear the word pillow I think we'll survive." Peep hummed finding a brighter moood to wear.
The unseelie were surprisingly nonviolent tonight, though it was easily obvious that most were drunk off their asses. Some of the pixies would let themselves be tossed at one another like beanbags and fly to avoid hitting another pixie, and when they did clash into one of their kin both pixies would throw up glitter and confetti of their own colors on all around them, which led to spriggan brawls and redcap quarrels. Blue Sen buzzed uncaringly above it all, guiding two dragons down the Trod. "I bet I could win that," Answeri smiled impishly at the pixie-throwing game.
".....I'd rather you didn't try." oeeo said softly. "Low key would be a coudl key to be in right now." he hissed softly.
"You're no fun," Answeri told him without meaning it, hand still holding his, impish smile in place as she watched pixies explode in glitter.
"And your irresbonsable.' he remarked half heartedly.
"We ARE still children," she reminded, turning to look back at him with the happy thoughts of 'winning' still in her shadowy eyes. She poked his nose playfully. "Especially you."
He twiched. "Yeah well I acted a thousandfold more mature then you."
"Yeah, yeah, that's the point! Live out your youth, who cares about rules!" Answeri paused. "Well... rules in the normal Planes. Here they're... kinda scary."
"See, Unless you want to end up liek getting turned into a gaint slug i suggest you follow the rules." Peep sighed, tugging on her hand. "Keep up awnseri, your suposed to be the one protecting me."
"I am protecting you!" She searched for something to reply with quickly. "I... I'm just so amazing about it you never even notice!"
"....Mmm hm." he shook his head in disbelife.
She touched his cheek with her fist playfully. "Watch it mister or I'll slug ya." Above them, Blue Sen sighed irritably.
Peep looked up at him. "Bee in you beret Blue Sen?"  

[Quinth]

Blue Sen buzzed. "..."
Before them rose up a daunting black castle of spikes, with cruel dead ivy hung limply from every niche. The harvest moon positioned itself just so, looming out eerily from the top right towers of the castle. Around the entrance doors were symbolic stalks of wheat, cut from their stalks by the two blackened scythes and tied by red ribbons freshly dyed. In the castle entrance, floating candles gave just enough glow to flicker moving shadows, and Answeri settled into the setting homily. Carved pumpkins stared out at the passerby spookily.
"Blue Sen," Answeri piped up in a whisper, as the fey had fallen dead silent in the hall. He buzzed near to her quietly. "Why are we coming in here if we're headed for Summer?"
"Since we must pass by Autumn, we need permission to leave. We'll also need a gift to reciprocate her audience for asking permission to leave."
Answeri's expression flattened.
Peep sighed. "...I wish i had my travel bag, i'd have more gifts to give with me then...And i feel that this gift will be a bit harder to choose..."
"Her Majesty definitely won't like you," Blue Sen agreed.
Answeri bristled. "Thanks for the vote of confidence!"
"...why wont' she like me." peep asked.
As he asked this, they reached the end of the long, candle and jack-o-lantern filled hall which they'd been moving through. The red carpet at their feet blew up slight dust, and the wide, black metal doors before them creakily swung open. The Court here was decorated by druidic style, with long oaken tables at each of the four walls laden with autumnal fruits, wheats, and delicious-smelling cooked and seasoned meats. Answeri drooled.
"You'd best present yourselves separate from me," Blue Sen advised, and disappeared within the crowd of unseelie. In one corner of the large throne room between two tables was a band of unseelie grigs, their nature marked by the fact that their eyes were not eyes, rather sockets. In the middle of the room was the raised dais and earthly throne of peeled willow wood, though the Queen did not sit in her chair presently. In a tight circle around the throne were animated skeletons dressed in the cloaks and dresses of Sileni (followers of the beast-god of wine) dancing merrily without regret for lack of muscle and flesh, adorned with grapes and wheat and more of the autumn's harvest. In a larger circle around these dancers were the wildly dancing fey, drinking all the while as their faces turned red. Above them, the ceiling faded into blackness penetrated only by the shape of the harvest moon outside.
Peep looked at AWnseri a little nervouse.
"...what do we have to give?" he frowned. "..maybe I shoudl let you do the talking.."
"Umm, I dunno... maybe we can make her another pumpkin head?" Answeri looked around and tilted closer to the sweet-smelling foods. "Well since she isn't here yet........."
"..no eating =.="
"Fine!" Answeri laughed, and made a dash toward the bowl of violet liquid nearby, with crystal cups and a ladle to match the bowl.
Peep Latched onto her waist.
"Awnseri! Were not even accepted into this court yet, dont' be rude! I'm to young to dieeeeeeee."
"It doesn't matter if I'm rude here, we're not at the Home," she insisted, dragging him forward with her far superior strength. "It's okay to eat and drink if we're gonna give a gift in return for being guests later, I'm sure!"
"What gift?! What of worth coudl be possibly give a queen." he whimpered still attached to her hips as she dragged him along.
"I dunno, Quinth gave King Merry an acorn she got for free."
"That was King Merilin!"
"King Merry, King Merlin, you know who I'm talking about." Answeri reached the bowl of drink and picked up a glass.
"Awnseriiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii!"
"Yyyyyyyyess?"she giggled, and poured a ladleful into the cup, offering it to Peep. She winked. "It's not like we're stealing her babies, Peep, it's free drink lying out for everyone."
He opened his mouth to protest again. Grinning at her own prank, Answeri put the cup to his lips and tilted, forcing it to spill into his mouth so he'd either have to swallow or spit it out. "Spewing punch on the nice carpet would be horribly problematic and rude for Her Majesty~"
Peep glared at her mouth full. Disdainfully he swallowed and perpared to chew AWnseri out fully.
Answeri pulled the cup back so she wouldn't overdo it and proceeded to drink from the same cup as well. She swallowed with a slightly surprised look. "Hoo, tough stuff..."
Peep gave a slightly ill look as it burned going down. "Ugh..thats too strong for me." for him at least, he always preffered a nice dry sherry..
"And you always think yer so much older than me in everything," Answeri teased, ladling more out for herself.
"I only casully drink, not to get drunk." he grolwed, letting go od her waist and standing up. "Don't get dru-"
Laughing loudly, Answeri had again placed the cup to his lips and forced him to drink it.
"Mrffff!!" He looked at her furious, being forced to swallow again. He wipped his mouth with the back of his hand .
"Now see here!"
She drank the rest of the ladleful and went back for another, grinning. "Okay, okay, just for me. You were just sooo asking for it that second time!"
He glared the tips of his ears red. "I wasss not!" he steamed, crossing him arms like a child and pouting as his chest burned.
"Hey, Peep-" Answeri began, alarmed, looking down to the opposite direction of where Peep was standing.
Peeps eye brows raised and turned to look. "What is it.."
Spinning back around with the expert poise of a monk, she drank a long swig of the alcohol and the one arm not holding her drink curled around his arm and back to pull him to her hip, where she leaned forward to make him lean backward due to his extra height, and kissed him forcefully on the lips.
Peepes eyes went wide as his world spun.
What...she....They.....
OMG My first kiss!!! Peeps mind screamed. His face went red and it wasn't from the wine. His head was swimming and he wasn't evrn aware he was swallowing what was being given to him.
Awnseri...just kissed him..
After Peep had all of the drink, Answeri leaned back and gingerly licked the edges of both their mouths. "Tastes like grapes," she mumbled absent-mindedly. She noticed Peep's redness and giggled, shaking against him as they were both still pressed together. "You're so red; you drunk already, lightweight?"
Peeps mind spun and the room suddenly decied to join in. With his heart racing hard the alchol quickly took effect and peep still couldn't compreahend getting his first kiss. So it did the easiest thing it could come up with, shut down.
Peeps knees crumpled first as the rest of him went limp on the way down.
"P-Pe-? PEEP!" Answeri yelped, catching him with both arms quickly by dropping the glass without a second's hesitation. She lifted him up anxiously. "Peep? Peep? Peep! Peep wake up! Answer me! AAAAHHH I KILLED HIM WITH WINE!!"
"You got wine on my carpet. How... problematic." Answeri looked up and saw the Queen standing before her, and the jaw dropped once again. "And you aren't even welcome. How rude..."
That was the end of what Peep could hear before he completely succumbed to the darkness.
~ZZZ~
Dimly, and with spots swimming across his eyelids, Peep awoke slowly. Blinking away the dots, the shadowed stone ceiling above him was the first thing he saw, and the feather blanket and pillow were the first thing he felt beside the slightly itchy hay beneath him. He looked around and saw Answeri sleeping curled against his chest, with one arm thrown over his middle and the other wrapped around his arm. A yard from them was a flickering candle, with hardly an inch left, and the rest of the wide open room was bare and shady like a dungeon.
Peep stared at the room with a empty mind for a long moment before he remembered the piror events. Awnseri had kissed him, and it wasn't any old little peck either.
His heart started to race again as he felt her hot breath on his chest.
"Ah...eh.." he tried to form words in his mouth and in his mind but lacked the ability.
He reached up and covered his mouth and nose as he felt the heat rise further in his face.
His first kiss...and he passed out! He'd never live this down..
Sighing softly in her sleep, the arm around Peep's middle curled tighter and Answeri wiggled closer, nuzzling her nose into his shirt and breathing deeply as if smelling him.
And peep was suddenly alot more aware of the fact that awnseri was a female. A female dragon even, his own kin...
He blushed a deep maroon, choking on his own heart.
Awnseri kissed him! Did...that mean...
"A-aw-awnse-ri.' He mnaged to croak, shaking her a little.
"Ya... Ramen..." Answeri answered sleepily in Draconic, making fists in Peep's clothes.
And peep felt his heart constrict.
"...awnseri wake up."
She clutched at his clothes and scrunched up her face before sighing deeply. "Ramen ya smell new..." her shadowered eyes opened slowly, staring at Peep's silvery shirt and only just starting to register the confusion of being awake.
Peep pushed her back, maybe a bit harder then he went too and sat up and away from her as best as he could on the bed.
"I'm not Ramen." He hiss in a chilled tone.
Answeri woke up with the shove and scrambled to sit away from him. "P-Peep! Sorry! I'm so sorry! I-I was dreaming, I guess I fell asleep waiting for you to wake up!" Her mind raced back to the pervious events quickly as she continually grabbed at apologies. "Oh! I'm so sorry, I made you faint! I shouldn't have done that! I swear I won't ever force you to drink again! I'm sorry! I didn't know! I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry!"
Peep felt his face heat up again.
She was apologizing?
"...your taking it back?" he asked in a soft, hallow tone.
"Yes! I'm sorry, I didn't know you would faint like that," she leaned forward, eager to be forgiven. "I should've listened to you. Sorry. I won't do it again, I promise."
Peep gripped at the blanket hard. She took it back? He felt his heart break and he didn't know why.
"....you..." he muttered to himself.
Answeri's hope fell when he didn't forgive her. "I'm sorry, it was just a joke, I guess, I didn't mean to force you..."
She tentatively touched his arm. "Peep... please don't be angry with me? Please?"
He smacked her arm away. "Dont' touch me!" he snapped, face bowed and eyes hidden by his bangs.
"I can't belive you!" he hissed, tone obviously hurt, angery.
"Just a joke?! I hate you!!"
Answeri's arm froze where Peep had hit it along with the rest of her, her own chest aching terribly. "P...Peep, I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean for you to faint..." She watched him carefully, searching to see his eyes and whatever he wanted her to say.
"Just leave me alone!" he snapped turning his back to her, shoulders tremebeling.
"D-damn it all.....h-hate you.."
She didn't care, not all. Not only did she take it back but she...
"P-Peep..." she trailed off helplessly. She realized this couldn't just be over making him faint and her eyebrows snapped down, stubbornly determined. "What did I do!? Why're you mad at me!" she demanded, moving to follow Peep's face and get a look at him.
He turned his face away from her, whishing to be anywhere else but trapped in this small room with here.
"Get away!!" He tried to push her back without looking.
Answeri got pissed. "Tell me what's wrong, damn it!" She lunged forward and grabbed his shoulders, pushing him back onto the hay-bed and looming above him, pinning him down and staring to see his expression.
Tears still rolled down over his cheeks, green eyes wide and still watering. He was flushed and at the same time pale, staring shocked up at Awnseri in that moment, finding himself unable to speak.
She stiffened, shadowed eyes wide uncertainly, at the sight of his tears and expression. Her grip loosened so she didn't hurt him but she stayed frozen above him, staring at him unblinkingly as she had before in the Home Beneath the Snowy Boughs.
"G-get off."
Peep managed to squeak out weakly. He was still trembeling, tears still falling from the corners of is green eyes.
"P... I..." Answeri couldn't think of what she wanted to say. She had to say something, she could feel it, but what was it! "Why are..." One hand left his shoulder, wavering, to brush his cheek warmly of the tears.
He winced and jerked his head away from her touch, eyes squeezed shut sending a few for tears out. He almost looked afride of her like this. really is awnseri reversed there genders in this situation...
She more determindely followed his face, and gripped his chin gently to tug it back towards her gaze. "Peep, tell me what's wrong," she commanded seriously, letting her care and concern show on her features.
"W-whats wrong?" He hissed bitterly. "What wrong!" His voice raised. His eyes nartowed though they stayed just as waterly.
"How can you be so inconsiderate as to ask me whats wrong!! Its plain as day what you did!!"
"The..." Answeri thought back carefully until the lightbulb FINALLY went off. "...kiss?"
Peeps cheeks blushed.
"Get. Off." he comanded, getting a grip on himself.
Answeri stayed put for a minute before letting up and leaning back, crossing her arms and staring off in the distance, troubled. ". . ."
...but she was still ON him.
Peep growled frustraed and managed to roll onto his side, hiding his face into a arm.
"How could you.....just to take it back...just a joke.."
Her sight fell back on him, puzzled. "...I don't get it. What's so bad about a kiss? I'm not that horrible and we're friends..."
And that cinched it.
Peep started to laugh to himself.
Answeri's eyes became wide with bewilderment. "What!?"
"Ha ha...of course..ha..I'm such a idiot..." He curled further into his arm. "Just a kiss right" his laughter was a little more wild. "Its absolutly nothing hah hah!" His first kiss was just a prank.
Answeri recognized the edge of sorrow to his laugh and desperately tugged at every corner of her mind for some explanation for this to help her know what to do. With that huge, final pull, the dots all suddenly clicked together and she stiffened with realization. "You... like... you want..." She leapt up off of him, the shadows hiding her own face. She breathed deeply. "But you're..."
Peep curled up fully, not wanting to hear what was going to follow. "A runt? A freak?" He offered up still laughing at his own idotcy. "I'm a fool....it was just a kiss...'
Answeri felt tugged in two directions, by her mind and by her instincts, and was torn - but only for a second; since when did she ever listen to her brain? Pfft.
She knelt back down and then lay parallel to Peep, and tugged him close to her warmly, still breathing deeply, blushing a little. Answeri tried her best to manuever so she could be near his ear or that he would turn his face to her. "You aren't a runt or a freak or a kid or a stranger or just another dragon... You're Peep.
"My Peep."
Peep felt the heat come back to his face, but the cold stayed setteled in his heart. THis was like one of those, were just friends speaches...
He didn't look at her and his hair his eyes still.
"...yeah.....i'm sorry for yelling I just....never been kissed by a girl before..." He frowned. "...it wasn't your fault.."
"This is stranger than anything I've ever even heard of, even with scryovision and sorcerer's tales," Answeri told him, in some frustration. "I don't know you for more than a day or two but you're even closer to me than Mama or Ramen were..."
Peep tensed.
".....awnseri..." Slowly he rolled over to look at her, chest to chest. ".....I'm sorry.."
"And... I... don't even know what I'm doing, except that I want to hold on to you and follow you wherever we go. Like I have to do it, more than anything in the world! More than- than- adventure, or fun, or treasure, or food, or strength, or anything." Answeri's shadowy eyes lifted up from where they'd been staring at the collar of Peep's shirt to meet his eyes and she fell silent hopelessly.
Peep chuckled softly and rapped his knuckle on her forhead softly.
"That easy stupid, you promised to protect me. Remember?" He gave her a weak smile. "And a monk always keeps her word."
"No, I... it's something more than that," she insisted, and glared at him. "It's even more than a promise or a friendship or an adventure! Hardly two days I know you and I'm completely lost - and not in the good, plotty scryovision way!"
Peep looked a little suprised that she hadn't taken the out hes supplied her.
"....prove it."
"Huh?"
"Prove it."
"Prove what!" She squeezed her eyes shut. "You don't make sense."
"That you really feel that way...let....let me kiss you."
Answeri's eyes snapped back open and she blushed, her shoulders curling up reflexively. "Ah..." She stared at him searchingly for a long time. "Oh... bu-okay."
"...r-really?"
She glared at him again in her blush and her shoulders curled up to her neck. "Yes! Just do it!"
He blushed and ran his down from his forehead to her cheek, leaning in, hesitently turning his head the side to not wack there noses together. He was sure even his ears were bright reds as he gently pressed there lips together, his eyes closed.
Answeri closed her eyes for it and scooted closer, letting the hands that had pulled Peep to her before run softly back to his chest. She hazily lifted her eyelids after a second and thought that she was already in deep beyond measure, to hell with boundaries- "Okay, stop, stop, I mean it, you two are NOT screwing in here, its disgusting enough already." Answeri jerked back at least a yard, blushing so hard her face hurt.
Peep was more then starttled by the voice and sat up in a switch jerk, bright red.
Before him stood a lovely young woman in a dark black and autumn-red dress with long sleeves and slight orange in the front decoratively. Her black curls were pinned mostly out of her weathered but beautiful face by multicolored leaves made of different gemstones. Her dark eyes were cold and cruel, as if the eyes belonged in winter, and her thin lips formed a familiar sneer. Her gloved hands folded impatiently as her eyes narrowed. The Queen of Dark Fall wore her jewel-leaf crown proudly at the front of all her hair pins. Her voice turned syrupy, "hello, sweetlings."
The Queen of Dark Fall tsked as finally she was recognized as Haggard.
And peep started open mouthed at her. Oh...he was dead, or even worse. Well at least he'll die having been kissed.
"Y-your..m-majesty." Doom settled into peeps heart. Haggered...they haggered, he'd seen many a portrate of her and knew of her hatred for his family.
"Ahh... thank you for letting Peep and I stay here, Your Majesty," Answeri bowed her head before looking back up at the Queen. "I-I would've called you before but I fell asleep and, um..."
"Eww, don't talk to me about it," Haggard wrinkled her face in disgust. "Human biology is the most vomit-producing subject I've ever learned." Her disgust turned to a fond smile. "Though I must say firsthand experience is the way to learn if you really must..."
Peep felt very figgetly suddenly under haggards keen eyes.
Peep bowed low. "I have been a horrid quest your Majesty, For that I must appoligive and offer myself to your judgment and whims. I will sever what ever punishment you see fit to reply my ill behavior." He was gunna die..
Haggard glanced around in annoyance at the room's lack of furnity and waved her hand so the throne appeared just behind her. She sighed as she fell into it gracefully. "You're a weird little demon-child of that pest. To know all... I take it back. To know know of what I have done, and still offer yourself to me in apology? Mortals dare not be so polite on my bad side in my own castle," she cackled.
"It is all I can offer you." he stayed bowed. "My transgressions against you must be paid as is the law. And So I humbily await your will." Doom, death, pain, tourter. Hopfully elly could get home one his own...
"Wonderful!" chimed the Queen delightedly, and both dragons felt a sinking in their guts. She leaned forward as if being friendly. "You two little miscreants can pay off your debts to me by becoming my temporary subjects."
Peep looked a little confused at that. "Temporay subjects....can mortals do that?"
"No one said they can't," Haggard allowed.
"Ah.......well if its not in the rulse its not cheating I suppose." peep touched his chin in thought. "...and its not like we have a choice.."
Answeri pouted suspiciously. "What's your evil plot?"
"...my what now?"
"Your evil plot! Obviously Peep an' his family have a grude with you and you have an evil plot to use Peep to get revenge!" She posed dramatically. "Since Peep was raised good-alignment you must be evil-alignment and thus your plot is one that will be foiled eventually by the hero and or heroin!" Haggard gave her a stare that told her plainly she was insane. Answeri stood by her accusation. "It always happens! You can't fool meeeee!"
".....what the hell is on the scyovison that you watch?!" peep looked at her bewildered and sighed. "I have no grudge against her majesty really, I've never even met her. My fathers quarrles are his own for they exists in a past that I was not part of." He shrugged. "as for plot...awnseri shes a queen, she could kill us in the most painful way right now just by thinking it....didn't you learn anything when Queen Maeve beat you up..."
Haggard burst into cruel laughter and Answeri glared, ego wounded. "You attempted to fight Queen Maeve? You idiot! You complete moron!"
"........................" A little vein popped up on Answeri's forehead and she ground her teeth.
"She didn't know who she was." Peep quickly deffened. "It was in deffense of myself. IT was my own fault for not properly informign her of what to expect from this relam."
"Blehhh, don't get me involved with your psycho romance, you freaks," she held up her hands to them as if to say 'stop'. "As ever I'm in this for the power."
"A-HA!"
"...So is every faerie, you nincompoop. I'm just better than most everyone." She leaned her head in one hand boredly. "But being Queen isn't so glam. Leave for one second and some upstart gets dumb ideas. Anyway... as my new servants, I want you to go find your brother, and bring him back here." Answeri's eyes widened and she glanced to Peep worriedly.
Peeps face had no expression. "I see." He nodded he head. "May I ask of your majesty as what is to befall him once I have retreived my kin?"
"You may ask. Will I answer? Oh... nope, suppose not," she sneered happily. She rose from her throne and it disappeared. "You'll both change into more proper attire, find my Chamberlain for that. Your personal guide is still in the throne room, so I'll send him to you whenever."
".....I am to retive him, no matter when then? Weither he be dead or alive, or under the protection of another royal?" Peep asked in all seriousness.
Haggard shot him a glare. "Within all your power and ability, bring him back before he reaches Spring's protections and before he dies. If you have to, fine, bring back a corpse. It's better than nothing."
"I understand and Obey your majesty." He bowed again.
Answeri paused and repeated him in word and action. "I understand and obey Your Majesty." Haggard scoffed, and swept out of the room, leaving the door open behind her.
Answeri stood and walked over to Peep. "Peep?"
Peep was grippings his knees so hard that the nails had bit through the pants and into his flesh, drawing blood up to the surrface.
"...damn it all.." He muttered a mix of furry and absoulte loss on his face.
The dragoness gasped at this and dropped next to him, throwing her arms around his neck tightly. "It'll... be okay... somehow..." She buried her face in the crook of his neck soothingly, for the both of them. "We just... gotta figure out what to do..."  

[Quinth]

~DIRK~Played by club, posted by moi.~

Alighting from the skies, Revered Gwenllian and her aerial mount, a bronze dragon, noticed the crow-man waiting for them. Gwenllian waved in friendly manner, already aware that he waited for her with Sky's permission. "Avatar, it has been many moons since we last met."
"Will you help me, Anwheel?" Rubix asked immediately, lines under his eyes. "Dirk's inside. He... he should go. He knows your lands far better than I."
"It's been far longer since I was addressed by my faerie name," mused the archdruid, sliding carefully off her dragon's back. She told the dragon in it's language to fly free until she was finished, and away the bronze creature went. Gwenllian turned back to Rubix and smiled weakly. "I know you worry for your children, and now your lover. Come, you need to relax before we can begin anything."
"Who knows how long they've been in there already with fey time," Rubix groaned, as Gwenllian led him inside to where Dirk awaited.
Dirk was pacing back anf forth, eyes watching at his own shadow as his claws clicked on the stone floor. His tail was twiching left and right in a anxious rythem. His jaw was locked as he muttered to himself in ancient, ears twiching at any little sound.
His babies..both of them...lost.
He jolted as he heard the approaching footsteps. "Rubix?!" he gripped against rubix's arm. His eyes though were just carved amber but his deep worry still seeped out from them.
"An- Gwen's here, she'll get you into Faerie," Rubix reassured, hugging Dirk tightly. He sighed shakily into the top of the smaller boy's head.
Revered Gwenllian moved past them and sat serenely at the table. She pulled a teaset out of a leather sack tied around her shoulder like a purse and then cast a Create Water spell before getting out a few teabags and preparing to cast a fire spell to heat the water.
"Tea?!" Dirk asked in a weak strained voice, clining to rubixs waist. "is...it part of the ceremomy? Will it help?" he begged honestly, obviously desperate to get his children back. "..please gwen..." he wimpered finnaly pulling back from rubix. "I have to get them back.."
"The only way we have a chance to get past the loss of Fading Lands is if Sky's teleportation is completed accurately," Gwenllian explain, and the tea heated. Her gray-green eyes turned to the two men and her sympathy was obvious, though her expression stayed clear. "Rubix must be able to concentrate only on the location, and you must concentrate on leaving yourself open to a god's magic."
Rubix left his arms around Dirk and pulled him to the table, nodding at Gwenllian's words in helpless understanding.
Dirk gave a shakey and nodded, weakly sitting down at the table.
"...so your sure it can work." He looked hopeful, folding his to keep them from trembeling. He bit his lip, "Right?"
"Nothing with Faerie is stable right now, I'm afraid," she averted her gaze back to the tea and carefully poured the finished tea into two cups. "I've had a hard time collecting the fey stuck outside, bringing them here to the Greenman's protection... each story is different. The way they describe what's happening is bizarre and the fey themselves seem to be distorting. Only the part-fey and feytouched are unaffected... and who knows how long that will last?"
Rubix had sat down as well, and he frowned deeply with this information. His entire family was involved in this, as was he... though he'd be the only one left outside. He accepted his tea and sipped without noticing.
Dirk gripped rubixs free hand. "Once I've found the children I'll keep my ears open." he promised. He took the tea cup and drank it deeply, eyes closed. "I'm worried for mother too...." He sighed, he had so many good friends in fae.
"...Gwen...once I have found the children, how do I get them back here to the material plane.
"Use that shadow dragon's ability, or the box. Those are the only ways I've heard at all to get in or out." Gwenllian shook her head. "The best thing to hope to be able to do while this is happening is protect the boys. I don't know if you'll be able to come back without that box's destiny magic at all, while the Fading Lands are in such shape."
"You think this is temporary?" Rubix asked hopefully, heart breaking at the thought of losing his whole family for so long. "How long will it last, then?"
Gwenllian shifted and pushed her fingers along the table. "Time is strange for them and their plane, I haven't the slightest. There's the possibility that it isn't temporary, but... something tells me this has happened before, actually."
Dirk put his cup down.
"....its a risk I have to take.." he looked pained to rubix. "I have to many enemys in fey to let them wander alone....rubix...I wish we could both go.."
"It's only temporary," Rubix repeated to convince himself, though a feeling of dread had already settled. "Gwen, when did this happen before?"
"Not 'when'..." She considered. "The distortion in those I've been able to find... it's the part of Faerie's illusion which distorts time. If I could go into Faerie, I'd want to check on Origin for some clue of what it could be. It's what makes them immortal, and means only mortals can bring about their change. This is somehow refuting that, possibly the work of a powerful fey hunter. As if trying to make them mortal by... disproving their immortality? I can't describe the magic too well, I'm not experiencing it since I'm half..."
"A hunter.." dirk echoed, hands over the top of his cup. '......even if i get the chidlren back they may be endangered by this distoation if it spreads to those of us that are half anf fey touched." dirk leaned back staring up at the ceiling.
"....and the shadow relam isn't connected to fey..It will be harder to search for them."
"Use every boon from my father's court and plead your mother's assistance in the search," Gwenllian suggested seriously. "As Anwheel, I gift to you my place in the Court of Fiddler's Green for this journey. Please use it." Dirk felt a slight twist in the faerie part of him, the charm and beauty that illusion had left upon him since last he was there.
"Thank you," Rubix said sincerely.
Gwenllian shook her head. "If only the Sad Lady's gift did not weight so heavily on me I would ask a gift in return as is custom, but I fear for your children as if they were mine own. Please find them."
Dirk nodded, touching the small tear shaped stone on his forehead. "I swear to repay your kindness some day Gwen." He spoke softly. "Just as I swear to find and save my children...as well as Alys." He stood, fighting the urge to place again.
"Finish your tea," Gwenllian commanded sternly. Rubix returned to his own cup, eyes moodily distant. "The Great Mother looks out for all. She will protect your children. They are her own. You carry a part of her burden, too, Dirk."
He gave a weak smile. "A small part." he picked up his cup, draining the rest of the tea. He sighed as he swallow, anxious.
".....I'm calm." well calmer at least. He folded his arms over his chest again, tail swishing again.
Rubix finished after Dirk and stood. "Please, let's go. The more time we waste..."
"Okay. Follow me," Gwenllian also stood, and left her shoulder-sack with the teaset, leading them through the castle of Tenwalls and to the roof. A few sorcerers were shooed away by a mere glance of the archdruid, who controlled all the elements and beasts of the land. "Sky isn't picky about ritual as the newer gods are, this will be short... say your good-byes, now."
The crow-man turned to Dirk without being able to speak, loss evident in his eyes and sad expression, as his feather-light hands cupped Dirk's face preciously.
Dirk laughed gently, placing his own hands over his lovers. "Hey, whats the look for?" His eyes were watering a bit. "Don't worry, you know me, I'm the luckiest damn fox there ever was." He rubbed rubixs hands with his own. "I'll bring them back, all of them." He smied though it was pained. "I promise....so...be strong, kay?"
"Don't just be lucky, love," Rubix croaked, and plainly cried. He pulled Dirk's face up as he lowered his own to kiss him sweetly, putting everything he loved and hoped and cared for through himself into it.
Dirk limped at at rubixs deep kiss, resting against rubixs chest as he returned the kiss, reaching up and stroking back rubixs black hair.
"...I promise to be carful." He said sweetly as there lips parted. "I'll come back to you with out family. but you have to do your part out on this end..."
"I know... I love you," Rubix said softly, and closed his eyes as he stopped himself from crying anymore. He smiled weakly. "Don't go drinking strange potions."
Dirk chuckled softly. "You still havn't forgiven me for that...just think of this, you could of drank it instead of me." he pointed out, kissing rubixs cheek.
"...I love you."
Rubix joined him in a breathy, half-hearted laugh, and Gwenllian coughed lightly. "Time passes. Are you ready?"
Dirk nodded. "Yes...I'm ready."
Rubix nodded in slow agreement. Gwenllian chanted a few phrases in Druidic. Both boys felt suddenly empty of emotion, as if it had all drained out into nowhere. "Don't speak. If you speak you could return to normal, and you need to be able to focus on the task at hand, not on your emotions." She handed Rubix a freshly-peeled thin tree branch. "Repeat after me."
The crow-man nodded and Gwenllian chanted slowly in Druidic, making motions with a normal-looking stick as Rubix copied every word and every motion, while Dirk stood nearby, waiting hollowly. He wondered if the spell would fade off as soon as the teleportation was finished, or slowly. It was very peaceful, and he could think so much more clearly with the spell that he decided it would be awfully handy to have until his children had been brought back home. The spell finished, and Dirk's thoughts were held as a tingling magic embraced him. Jeweled amber eyes closed serenely, and he accepted the silver god magic with no resistance and was whisked away.
Rubix choked and fell to his knees, weeping, the hollowness vanished. Gwenllian sympathetically knelt by him and stroked his hair. "Little crow, you have grown so much beyond what your flock-mates could imagine," she breathed. "Gods are cruel and loving for this burden upon you."
"Dirk," the Avatar wailed, and buried his face in his hands.  

[Quinth]

Dirk's amber eyes timidly let themselves open. He felt a rush of releif at the familiar feeling of magical illusion around him, but the releif was instantly replaced by danger, the fur on his ears and tail prickling. He was within a cave, similar to that of the Caves of Twilight Resplendent, but this was not ornately curved out with carvings all around, rather roots were left hanging from the walls and ceiling and the floor was plain dirt. It seemed empty, and he could hear nor smell any water, but nor could he smell any other creatures' recent presences.
He sniffed around, running his hand carfully along the wall, feeling for moister and how well the dirt was packed.
Well who or what ever made this place didn't know the first thing about digging a good burrow. The height was a bit impressive though. It reminded him a bit of his own first burow that he'd dug out in the back yard when he was 32.
He sighed and quitly walked through the cave in the darkness, looking for a to or a fro.
According to all he knew of dug-out caves, this one had been man-made, not naturally-made, centuries ago. The fact that it was still sturdy was impressive - then again, it was only an illusion after all. Water hadn't run through here at all, as far as his nose could tell. As he walked along he realized something suddenly: he was seeing the cave as if in plain daylight. The fox-boy spun around confusedly, tilting his neck at every angle to peer for a light source. He found none.
His brow furowed, he hadn't noticed it at first since he was used to using his dark vision but this...this was as if the sun itself shown. Was it some strange glamor? Or maybe....somthing Anwheel had done?
He frowned as he began to wonder if there was even a way out of this cave or if he was just stuck in a air bubble in the ground.
He continued walking for a long period of time. It was hard to tell, but to Dirk it felt like an impatient eternity. His emotions were back from Gwenllian's tea and the anxiousness over his sons' safety was strangling him.
"...ou're not really supposed to be talking in here, there might be someone around," a female voice floated nearer.
With his ears perked dirk slid along the wall, listening silent as the worm in a birdsnest.
Oh ho, so he wasn't here alone..
Two pairs of feet were coming closer, and there was absolutely nowhere to hide. The shadows here were as illusionary as the light, and Dirk couldn't use his techniques to meld away afely this time.
"Right, because random spies against us teleport themselves miles into the earth," replied a man's voice.
Oh...this was going to suck if he had to dig himself out if he was miles in.
Dirk took the only course of action he knew, walk backwards. He coudl listen and hopfully not get caught too! That is till he found a dead end, but then well....he'd cross that bridge when it came along.
Keeping pace ahead of them carefully, Dirk listened with ease. "Rules are rules, Kadraig, you should follow them."
"Ooo, but you just said my name~ If there's a spy here what will we do?" the man laughed sarcastically.
The girl sighed. "I know. Rules are stupid, but still. It's not your real name."
"And what is my real name?"
"I don't know."
"Would you like to? <3"
"Not particularly."
Ugh, enough flirting, say somthing useful damn it! Like..where the exit was >o<
With that the two fell silent, only their footsteps audible anymore. Again the walking went on for what seemed like an eternity.
Dirk was a more then a little agitated by this.
If there was two he could kill one and pump the other for information...but ther ewas no telling how strong they might have been.
He almosted sighed in his depression but kept in pace and walking bakwards glancing over his shoulder.
Now that he thougth abotu it, he'd never heard of any secert societyes in fey..
In the distance a creature became visible. From his far-off spot he could see that it had at least three heads, and was kept in place by a large circular ring of sylvan symbols, magically charged. He was stuck between the multi-headed creature and the two gabbers.
"...." CRYPHYDRA! His brain screamed at him.
Oh how he hated those.
Perfect so it was either face a cryohydra with none of his shadow abilites or face the two unknow fey....or worse case seneorio, all three.
He bit his lip and looked up at the ceiling. Maybe he could wedge himself up there..
Finding no better option he puled a small stone out of his pocket and popped it into his mouth and scilently, and i do mean scilently, scaled up the dirt wall with his claws.
The owners of the two voices approached. The female was a sidhe with cerulean-blue hair that wisped into bangs around her orangish eyes and was pulled back into a long, wispy ponytail at the top of her head. Her pale skin was a half-blue color, veined with purple, and she wore a dark scarf and bandana that hid nearly all her face though her torse was only clad in a very revealing black swimsuit-like armor. Her feet wore knee-length leather boots that looked sexy but damn uncomfortable to wear. A pale blue ribbon hung loose around her hips, and her hands were hidden by black gloves.
The man was also wearing a black scarf and headband to cover his facial features, and his long wine-red hair poofed out of the top messily while the rest of it dangled wild, unbrushed. His black shirt and casual brown leather pants and boots were entirely the opposite of the girl's outfit. His hands were resting in his pockets, relaxed.
Dirk clung for dear life, wondering how they planned to pass the cryohydra and fi it could be duplicated, it would be easier to follow then lead.
He watched, his eyes openly half open as he thought dirt colored thoughts.
They approached the cryohydra and the girl motioned to her companion who rolled his eyes. "That takes too long."
"It's in the rules."
"Rules, schmooles, we don't follow the rules! We're the f*cking Underground!"
"Shut up," she snapped. "I've had it up to here with you."
"I don't give a damn, you have to guide me anyway," the man chuckled cockily.
"You have to obey the rules," she told him right back, seriously.
"Damn but you b***h too much. You need to get laid, sweetheart. I'm open to helping you in that department." Despite his words, he fished out a pinkish crystal and handed it over to her. She began chanting in growling sylvan, which sounded odd. Dirk felt the air go stiff around him. Crap.
He held his breath but had the distinct feeling that he was going to have to run his furry tail as far and fast from here as possible.
The chanting stopped and the magic around him solidified. "I told you it was a waste of time," the man repeated, just as Dirk, frozen, fell with a 'CLUNK' onto the earth.
Both humanoids jumped in surprise, staring at the tense fox-boy who found he couldn't move a muscle. The female addressed him in cold Common. "Spy. You will be taken hostage and brought before Origin to repent."
"What?" the man gave her a confused look and she made fists to keep from hurting him.
"We're taking him to Origin because he's a spy, you idiot!"
"Why Origin? That doesn't make sense."
"Shut up! He can still hear you, dumbass!"
Dirk spit the stone from his mouth, letting it land at the feet of the two in front oh him.
He sighed.
"Um..I'm aware how this looks and all...but I'm really not a spy!" he plead, aware the stone would effect them so they couldn't argue with him.
"I just..kidda ended up here by mistake...I don't even know wher ehere is.."
The girl began saying something, but realized her words were silent. She glared at the stone and threw it as far as she could, grumbling a few sylvan words and shooting orange fire at it. The Dispell hit, and faded away. Dirk knew Permanency was far stronger magic. "You were clinging to the ceiling and eavesdropping, no doubt to get past our traps," the girl declared. "Thus you are a spy." She paused. "Kadraig, carry him."
"What! No way, he's -your- spy."
"He doesn't belong to me, pick him up! We're going to Origin!"
The man folded his arms purposefully and the girl grit her teeth.
Dirk frowned.
"Look at me! Do I LOOK like a threat? This is all just a big misunderstanding! I was only up there becuase cryohydras scare the tail off of me.."
"You eavesdropped, and you're Underground. You. Are. A spy." A silence. "Pick him up!!"
"No. I'm not responsible for this. Besides, look at him!" At least the man was enchanted... -_-;;
"Oh you cocky little b*****d," stomped the blue woman, finally snapping, as her gloved hands glowed with orange-colored Ancient magic. "Pick him up or I'll fry you myself!"
The guy blanched. "You can't do that, you're a guide!"
"I can do whatever the f*ck I want! I'm only in the Underground because I want to help people! Now PICK HIM UP!!"
Growling beneath his scarf, the wine-haired man picked up Dirk like a sack of potatoes from the floor. He was frozen in place, though Dirk didn't feel cold, so the man carried him like a lightweight statue. The orange magic faded away and the girl huffed in annoyance before turning to the cryohydra again.
"..ancient magic scares you too huh." Dirk said rather blatently to the man that carried him.
"It's all magic there ever was, and turns into whatever the crap you feel like," the man complained. "People are either born with it or they aren't, you can't learn it. How can you not be afraid of it?"
"Don't talk to the spy!" the girl snapped. She reached the cryohydra and pulled out a pink crystal to match the pink sylvan marks that kept the cryohydra in place. "Hey, you ready?"
"Eh? I'm not fighting that thing, I've got a spy to carry!" the man claimed innocently.
"...whoa wait, what!? YOU HAVE TO FIGHT THAT?!" Dirk paled. "Unfreeze me damn it!!!!!"
"No," the blue woman answered stubbornly. "Just run past it, I'll do it, you lazy bum."
"You asked me to carry this 'spy'," he reminded her.
"Deflate your ego for one second, you p***k." She began chanting in Sylvan without another word, and the man yawned as if taunting her. She shot him a glare even as her words took life and the pink symbols and crystal flared up. The beast before them roared with all its heads, shifting in anticipation of freedom.
Dirk closed his eyes. "Nmm >_< I hate cryohydras!"
"No worries, kid, you'll end up fine." Under his breath the man grumbled, "we're hoping she doesn't. Heh."
The spell finished and the cryohydra charged. The woman didn't have time to put away the crystal as the man charged forward as well, and she had to cast quickly to send a burst of flame at the cryohydra's left side, so it would stumble away from that direction where Dirk and Kadraig were headed.
Dirk watched quietly but then had to ask.
"Soo....if its yoru own trap shoudl it be like...trained not to attack you? Wouldn't it be a pain to have to replace it ever time you defeat it if you have to come through here? It seems a little time consuming....you should get it trained to like some kind of spell or pass word or somthing." He spoke allowed since he was froze, talking was all he really cuold manage.
"That seems like a much more economical idea to me, its what mortals do at least."
"Ah, but if one turns traitor," the man reminded him. He weaved to dodge a cone of fire breath from one head. "Besides, what gave you the idea that we kill it?"
They reached the other side of the cryohydra and ran a few yards before the man turned to see how his companion was faring. She had Ancient magic dripping off her like glowing orange raindrops, within each droplet a symbol of Ancient that she could harness as a spell. She was using a Fly spell to hurry to their side.
Dirk winced at that sight, lookinh away quickly at the painful memories that surface.
"Oh...you just run past it then refreeze it in place? What a horrible life for it..."
"Whatever."
The woman got hit with a bite attack from one head but let her leg partially rip off rather than be dragged to the other heads, before yanking out the crystal again and chanting one short sylvan word. The creature was stuck in a circle again, and it howled in anger, licking up what blood and meat it could from the girl's leg leftovers. She winced and used a trickle of Ancient magic on her leg to heal it before landing and letting the orange symbols fade away.
"Oh look, hes hungery. You don't feed it do you." Dirk Tsked.
"Shut up or I'll freeze that mouth of yours with a less than pleasant spell," the woman threw up her hands in agitation.
Kadraig giggled. "You're such a complainer."
"She reminds me some one i know of.." a image of aly formed in hsi mind. "Sooooo...Kadraig was it?" he lookd thougthful. "Arn't cha gunna ask my name? I'd be polite and indroduce mysfel but the whoel beign frozen and all has dulled my mannors."
"You're not supposed to know his name," the woman answered.
"But on the opposite end of that, what's yours?" cheerfully asked Kadraig. The woman fumed silently.
Dirk grinned as best he could with numb cheeks.
"His Most Royal Highness of Bright Spring, Royal Highness of Dark Spring, Royal Highness of Bright Summer, Consort to His Most Royal Majesty King Aodhan, Dirk Fox of Beory's Children. Its a pleasure to meet you good sir."
The two of them paused, staring at him.
Finally the woman managed, "what?"
Dirk blinked. "Oh, I didn't speak clearly? I'm sorry. I'm His Most Royal Highness of Bright Spring, Royal Highness of Dark Spring, Royal Highness of Bright Summer, Consort to His Most Royal Majesty King Aodhan, Dirk Fox of Beory's Children. Better?"
"Holy crap, no way Origin's gonna take 'im," Kadraig pointed out warily. "He has a ton of f*cking rank."
"Really I didn't notice. Shut up and keep going."
"Um..if i may ask, when you say origin you mean THE origin right....with happy spazzy it makes my mind hurt to think about haggard right.." He frowned.
"With... what?" Kadraig raised an eyebrow.
"Haggard, last time I was at origin she was all..happy. Its even worse then her bitchy self >.< PLease, I hate dealing with her..."
Kadraig burst into laughter. "If that's the last you've seen of Haggard, you haven't been to Autumn recently. Hah! Origin... and Haggard."
"Well people in high places are expected to have enemies in similar spots," mused the woman. "Now come on, we have to get to Castle Grimorie (spelling?) before the next snowstorm arrives."
"...wait...what "
Dirk didn't like the sound of ANY of that..
Kadraig sighed and didn't answer, speeding up to keep pace with the blue-tinted woman as she determinedly kept forward to wherever they were headed.
Dirk, now bored and still unable to move, decided to hum! He picked a familar song that he'd learned from pwyll.
"Hmmm mmm mm~ Mmmm mmmm mmmn"
He was aware this may be annoying but since they were his captors he really didn't have to care about being polite, now did he?
Though at least this guy wasn't molesting him like his last captor did....humans were icky like that he guessed.
He was getting bored again.
"Hey Kadraig, do you like riddles?"
"Not really, but you're welcome to tell me some."
"No he isn't."
"Yes he is."
"Wow, shes a real stick in the mud." Dirk said bluntly. "You know if you act so serious all the time you'll get worry wrinkles, or evens wrose, crow feet."
"You shouldn't talk with a spy," she ignored his remark.
"Pffft like I care..."
"Well even if I were a spy theres no need to be rude lady, yeesh. This is why I like men, there no wher near as moody." He sighed at his own woe. "Are we there yet?"
"You're gay?" Kadraig asked bluntly.
"He'd have to be if he's His Majesty's consort, you moron..."
"Am I Happy? Well not at the moment.."
"You know what I mean, do you f*ck men?"
"Oh! OH!" he laughed. "That meaning for gay." He mused at his mistake a moment. "Well, obviously yes since I'm aodhans consort. But I've been with woman as well."
"So you're just greedy," he grinned, laughing. "Anyway, get out those riddles, I'm bored."
"Kadraig..."
"What? It's not like I'm telling him all the secrets of the damn Underground, woman!"
"....what is the underground anyway, I've never heard of you guys before."
"End of questions," the girl insisted firmly, and Kadraig agreed.
"Sorry, Highness, but she's right. We must keep our secrets, even from your rank."
"...especially from his rank..."
"I'd shrug but I can't move. Well...whatever, unless you got my kids it makes no difference to me who or what you are." He sighed, suddenly depressed. "..."
"Your kids? Is that why you're down here, the Underground has 'em for some reason?" Kadraig asked curiously.
"..I don't know." he awnsered honsetly. "I was just teleported into Fey and this is where I ended up...I came to fey to look for them...they were stolen from me."
Kadraig nodded to himself. "Ohhh, that's what you meant about not being a spy..."
"Turns out randomly spies can teleport miles below the earth," snickered the woman unkindly.
"Oh shut up! That was a one-in-a-million chance."
"One-in-a-million chances happen nine of out ten times."
"What?" She didn't answer. "Ok..."
"I really wish no ill to you or yoru compainions..I just want to find m children. There just babes and wandering around fey all on there own." Pain graced his face. "If...I lose them.."
"Sucks for you," Kadraig declared unsympathetically. "Now what about those riddles? You've made me curious to hear them."
"........" Dirk sighed. "My best games require my hands but lets see.....Johnny's mother had three children. The first child was named April. The second child was named May. What was the third child's name?"
He thought to himself for a moment. "Johnny."
Dirk smiled. "Right. Try this, What is too much for one, enough for two, but nothing at all for three?"
Again Kadraig thought about it for some time. "What?"
"A seceret."
AT the answer he laughed appreciatively. "That one was good."
"What can be measured, but has no length, width or height?"
"Hmm... I dunno. What?"
"The temprature."
"...It can be measured?"
"Yes, mortals do it all the time." Dirk nodded.
"I always thought there was just... y'know, hot, cold, medium, etcetera. Huh. Mortals."
"Those are measurements too, idiot."
Kadraig put on a snobby voice. "Don't eavesdrop on my conversation, you 'spy'."
Dirk giggled a little.
"It wasn't my sister, nor my brother, but still was the child of my father and mother. Who was it?"
Kadraig looked stumped. "A hermaphrodite?"
Dirk laughed again. "No, the one speaking."
"Oh.."
In his defense he argued, "well it could have been a hermaphrodite..."
"....whats a hermaphrodite?" dirk asked, curious.
The woman dragged her hands over her face wearily of the two beside her. Kadraig answered happily. "A hermaphrodite is a person with both male and female parts. It came from the myth of Hermaphrodite, the daughter of Hermes and Aphrodite, who jumped into a magical river where her lover had drowned himself and begged never to be apart from him again."
"Ohhhhhh." Dirk looked thoughtful as he imagined that. "...that must be interesting."
"Usually it's just sad, because both bits end up deformed and too small for much pleasant usage," Kadraig explained thoughtfully.
"Oh? Well thats too bad." Both men entertained the thought a moment.
"...What can you hold without ever touching or using your hands?"
"Uh... my.. organs?" Kadraig tried.
"Your breath."
"Oh!" he laughed good-naturedly. "I liked that one, too."
"What flies when it's on and floats when it's off?"
"I dunno, what?" Now he was just asking for the answers rather than thinking.
However, the woman interrupted. "We're here."
'Here' was a very small hole in the ceiling, leading up into darkness.
".....it was a feather." dirk awbsered looking at the tiny hole. ".....were..going through that?"
"Yes," answered the blue-tinted woman dismissively, staring up at the little hole. She summoned her orange magic to her and used a Fly spell to reach up and place the pink crystal from before into the hole. She touched it with an Ancient rune and it shot up through the hole, heading for wherever was above them. The woman levitated back down and waited. Hardly a few moments of silence passed before a glimmering Ancient rune came back down through the hole and landed, shining, upon the floor. She considered it and then spoke a syllable in Sylvan, before adding the number "three" in the faerie language, and the three indeed disappeared.  

[Quinth]

~More Pan~

"Umm... these are... actual outfits...?" Answeri questioned in embarrassment, peeking out from behind a changing screen in the large room provided by the Chamberlain. "They look like some ridiculous getup from scryovision episodes."
There was a half hearted sigh from beside her, a thing wall screen seperating her from peep.
"I think thats the idea." he said dramaticly. "After all we ARE now serving a fae queen...you saw her taste down stairs."
he tugged his boots, fiddeling with the buckles that secured then.
"It can't be any worse then mine."
Her already red face turned redder. "You can't see the frills."
"So what if shes got you in lace, your a girl!" peep fumed. "I've been forced into a womans corest, I swear! If I was any border if would break my ribs."
Answeri shook her head unhappily and whined, still not coming out from the changing screen. "I don't want to wear thiiiiiiiis..."
"We don't have a choicce." he countered. "You think i'm happy with what I have to wear? I have stockings that arn't even this tight!" He growled. "Look, I'll show you if you show me, we'll start with that at least."
Answeri withdrew, then peeked out again, then repeated the two movements in her indecision, both curious and embarrassed.
"....do I have to pull down the screen between us?"
"F...fine," she agreed, and waited for him to step out first suspiciously.
He did, his back to her, a tattered forest green half manle hanging down his back to just above the waist line of his pants. THe tatteredfabric slowly faded up to a softer dusty green around his shoulders and a high neck was sticking up and around peeps neck in a soft grey color, peeps own bright bronzed blond hair resting neatly on it, offset from a leather head band up near the top of his head.
Answeri smiled lightly and continued to stare at him, forgetting her own end of the bargain.
His pants were indeed tight, they even had black leather strips that wrapped around to the front . They still had the cuffs of his old pants, the fabric darker on the inside. With his arms fodled over his chest she couldnt' see his sleeves.
The shadow dragoness let her shadowed eyes rove where they pleased, head happily in the clouds and content not to come back on her own.
"Awnseri?" he asked annoyed, looking back.
"Aah... ya?"
"Are you coming?"
"Huh?"
"Well?" he looked as annoyed as he sounded. "come out."
Her eyes flicked back up to his face and she fidgeted, straightening behind the screen and trying to convince herself she wasn't wearing this frilly piece of costume before she stepped out. The black dress was sleeveless, the dark red collar reaching up like thin tendrils to circle around her neck and sit upon her collarbone. The middle was tight, and a ruffled effect was added to make her stomach seem even smaller, with the sides of the square collection of ruffles there pulling around to her back in a huge bow which swept almost down to the floor. Unattached black sleeves poofed around her shoulders like Symphony's dresses always did, and they wound tight to her elbows before loosening and cutting off halfway down to reveal layer after layer of orange-white ruffles. Around her legs, the dress was shaped so the front only covered half her thighs while the back dipped low enough to brush her covered ankles. Ruffled white skirts underneath were just a few inches longer to match the black dress' bottom perfectly, adding a few inches to its length. Finally, Answeri's pale feet and most of her calves were hidden within tight black leather boots, tied by many small black ribbons crossing the front part of the polished boot. Answeri fidgeted again and unconsciously stuck one of the lacy ruffles of her sleeves in her mouth, nibbling nervously.
".pfffffffffffffffft!" peep covered hsi mouth to styffle the laugh. He may have looked like a childrens book villian from robin hood, but she looked like a frilyl witch!
Answeri's face flared red again and she leapt behind the screen. "I TOLD YOU!!" she cried.
"You look like such a girly girl!" he laughed.
"Maybe I do but at least I'm not a pipsqueak like you!" she screamed at him from behind the screen, only the top of her head sticking out to glare at him.
All the humor fell from peeps face quickly and he scowled.
"Lets just go, we have to find my brother before he entered the safty of the court of fashinable symphonies."
"I can't go out looking like this! I won't! Gimme back my old clothes!"
"Fine, I'll leave you behind then." peep said coldly, stalking out of the room, a draft catching the small cap and sending it with his hair fluttering back.
Answeri shifted her glare to the Chamberlain, who had been one of the large dancing skeletons. He twiddled his bone fingers and her previous clothes lit on fire. "I'm afraid what you're wearing is all we have, madam."
She gawked for a second before roaring in frustration and darting out after Peep, blushing as the showy skirts lifted easily with breezes. "These are so damn uncooperative!"
Peep glanced back.
"Be glad they cover as much as they do and it wasn't a nymph that dressed you." his arms were still folded over his chest, one sleeve tight till the elbow where it suddenly flourished out into a long wide sleeve with a trim of fall leaves on the edge. the other was no sleeve at all rather a large leather bracer to protect his arm as a sort of shild.
"we need to find out if theres a gate of the Ways here."
"A gate of the what?" Answeri asked, hands reflexively tugging on the front of her loose skirts.
"the Ways, it easily lets you travel to almost anywhere in fey." He glanced around. "There should be one around here.."
She huffed. "Maybe you shoulda asked the Chamber-Lane."
Peep touched one of his now peirced ears. "...I'll ask someone else for assistance." he muttered darkly.
"He lit my clothes on fire," Answeri sobbed. "This Realm just hates my poor dress."
"Its just clothing." he said rather deatched as he looked for someone to ask to the way of the worlds.
They moved together down the candlelit hallways of stone and autumn chill for a while, until they came across a little redcap looking sleepy, carrying one candle.
"Excus me." peep started. "Do you know where the enterance to the way of the wolds is here?"
"Hmmnnm..." the redcap said through his nose. Answeri tried not to give him an annoyed, disgusted look, and failed. The redcap blearily rubbed his eyes. "Th' dolmensh'r... nt... in th' cashhl..."
"...come again?" peep failed to understand him.
"NA IN TH' CASSHL!" the redcap hollered, and then made a whining noise and rubbed his eyes again. "Mm shho tired..."
"So its not in the castle....wonderful." peep threw up his ahnds aggervated.
"Woah, points for you for understanding that," Answeri muttered, frowning at the redcap who trudged onward through the dim hallways.
Peep rubbed his eyes as he through, findinf himself tired.
"...we'll have to see if there a trod."
"What happened to the pest?" she mentioned. "You think he's still in the Throne room?"
"...................blue sen?" thats a good question. "well..we shoudl ask for elave any way before we go...I have no intention of offending out new queen ._."
"Well she's already offended me with this," Answeri grumbled, tugging at her skirts again grumpily.
"Shes a queenm she gets too." He started back twordes the main hall. "so don't offender her and you'll get to keep yoru finger nails."
"Eeew, you mean she might peel 'em off like in those horror shows on late-night scryovision?" Answeri protectivly rubbed her fingers and fingernails.
"Only after she jams several splintered under them and they turn all black." He sighed. "shes unseelie."
"Blech. I miss the mortal realms," she replied, making a face. They reached the large doors of the Throne room and Answeri easily pushed one open for the two of them to enter. Inside, all was exactly as it had been before, only this time Haggard was present on her throne, with the dancing skeletons chattering on in Sylvan with her.
Peep glanced around for the tiny bee but when he failed to see him he sighed and went before Haggerds throne, kneeling before her.
"Your royal majesty..."
"Chamberlain, shut up," she ordered calmly to the skeletons. Answeri wondered how to curtsy in her short skirts and instead knelt next to Peep, wondering if all of the animated skeletons were Haggard's Chamberlains. "Have you a request of me?"
"We ask for leave to fufill out duties as well as knowlage of the quickest trod or path to Bright spring, My queen" He kept hsi head bowed in respect as he spoke.
"I see," she smiled down at them pitifully, like little children. "Your previous guide will be sufficient for the time being, and you need not ask for leave, my darling Ambassadors."
Answeri's jaw dropped a centimeter.
Peep faultered as he wrapped his mind around that word.
"....f-forgive me my queen, I...was unaware that you had bestowed such...a endless gift upon us."
Haggard's smile stretched creepily. "I expect better of you in the future, of course. You should always make sure to keep updated and aware at all times. Now, go on to Bright Spring - oh, and take a gift for Her Majesty, Queen Symphony." She nodded happily to the nearest skeleton, who produced a bottle of precious wine to the Ambassadors. "I'm sure she'll be most pleased to celebrate your new Rank while you're there if you happen to cross her."
"As you desire My Queen." Peep took the bottle and craddled it in one arm as he stood and bowed.
His green eyes glanced to Awnseri, signaling her to rise.
"I will do my best to serve you." With that and quick turn on his heels peep started to leave for outside the throne room.
At the door, a familiar bee drifted to join them. "Somehow I knew you'd get in trouble, but this was rather unexpected," Blue Sen remarked.
"Where have you been you traitor!" Answeri accused, baring fangs, as the door shut behind them and they walked past candles and lit jack-o-lanterns toward the exit.
"Just bee-ing useful... I got the buzz, while you two played romance games."
"Played what!?" Answeri blushed again and swatted at the little bug, who maneuvered around her hands easily.
"Please then My dear blue sen, Knowlage will be of even more use to us right now then ever before." He sighed, looking at the bottle in his arms. "Just what have you learn."
"Zzz... let's wait a while on the road."
Answeri gave up trying to squish their guide, finally, and crossed her arms in annoyance.
Peep nodded. "Then please lead on, I trust you."
"Dangerous thing to do, man, dangerous thing to do," Blue Sen hummed without sounding threatening at all.
"Well I don't trust you enough for us both," Answeri informed him.
"Still dangerouszzzzz~"
They left the castle and Blue Sen led them through very small paths between high stalks of unsheared wheat. The night breeze was cool and comfortable, though the darkness and the moon overhead were anything but.
Peep sighed, relaxng in the moonlight a bit, just glad for the distance between him and the court.
"....ambassador..' he muttered to himself, fingers druming the bottle. "...what ever will father say."
"Well, he's involved in this whole Faerie thing. If 'Rank' is so special, won't he be happy for you?" Answeri let her arms slip behind her head as she'd become accustomed to the pose.
"I serve his most hated enemey..Some how I think he'll be far from pleased." Peep frowned a little. "Not to mention I'll be expected to betray my family." He waved his long sleeved arm which gave a biy of flare to his words.
"..oh well I'll cross that river when I get to it. Maybe i'll get lucky and befoer I get elly the queen will have a change of aspect."
Refraining from a question about rivers and how Peep could know he'd get to one soon, Answeri asked instead, "what's an aspect?"
"A side of what they are. Most fey have Seelie and Unseelie as aspects. Queens and kings have many more but are still the two cores. SO....i'm hoping shed become seelie while were away."
"Unlikely, you know," Blue Sen added, circling. "Changing Aspects takes some major change, and it would have to change Her Majesty or Her Majesty's husband, the King of Bright Fall."
"Change like... what?"
"Death, for example."
"Whihc can have more then the meanign we would know....My father brought king Aodhands death to him, which in truth was a large bouncy orb...But those tend to be well hidden."
"Wait, wait, wait. Brought his death... like... it's a... thing?"
"Well everything's a thing," Blue Sen stated bluntly.
"That's not what I mean!"
"Yes, it was a tangable thing." peep awnsered. He sighed again, taking a deep breath from the night hair.
"Are we far enough my dear blue sen?"
"Oh, right, the wind was so sweet I forgot. My apologies." He sighed and swooped up and down before them lazily. "Get the buzz: the Underground has taken over Origin. It's finally happened, and no one believes it but the wanderers."
"You spoke of the underground eariler." Peep said softly thinking. "...what does it mean if they have indeed taken over Origin?"
"The Underground is as much a myth as anything else," Answeri interrupted. "Tenknives told us about it - just a bunch of fey pranksters."
"Of course..zzzzz..." Blue Sen seemed amused by her disbelief. "If the Underground were real, and they could 'take over' Origin, it would mean the reforming and rebirthing of fey could be controlled - the essences within the 'pot' could be separated and kept separate."
Answeri nodded. "Fey would have 'souls'."
Peeps eyes widdend and he stopped walking suddenly.
"....souls?"
Blue Sen took the stage. "Because we are dreams, creations, and we never die to go to a heaven or hell with our worshipped gods, fey do not have 'souls'. Having a soul would mean we would be completely mortal, to be born and die and be judges of our life by the god whose hand reached out in the afterlife. Because of our nature, however, we instead have Origin, the giant 'pot' where dead fey essences are 'poured' back into and mixed, and then 'ladled' back out with some other fey essence to birth or reform a new fey or a new aspect. Origin has always been overseen by one of our own, traditionally the faerie most recently born, since they remain very pure in their perfection of illusions rather well..."
Since he was rambling, Answeri interrupted. "Anyway, the whole idea behind the 'Underground' is that they're a secret sect of fey who want to control Origin so the essences are never mixed, but rather separated into pure, individual creatures, which would ideally give faeries 'souls'. But that can't really happen because there is no 'pure' anymore, since the 'pot' has been 'mixed' and remixed and remixed again and again for so long."
"She's got the gist," Blue Sen took a sharp turn through the high wheat field.
"But..." peep looked up. "My father once told me of two fey that did not return pot." He shook his head. "Wouldn't you able to consider that 'pure' since they still be themselves in some form? I mean...look whats happened with the fading lands, dosn't the seem strange? Why woulds the idea of the underground be so unlikly?" He followed after Blue sen carfully.
"But they came out of Origin before, meaning that they're mixes of some other dead fey," Answeri tripped over one of her ribbons and swore under her breath.
Blue Sen ignored her but paused in his flight. "The Fading Lands could be connected, if the Underground were real... but I can't see why they'd become so enclosed because of a new little faerie idea sprouting."
"Maybe its nessasary to close this world off from the next for the sprout to grow.' peep said, pounding this information, trying to figure out the puzzle of the underground. Again he sighed as he found himself to be doing so often as of late. "Hm....well I'll need to keep my ears to wind now....this underground may have a way home for us."
"I'd doubt it, even if they are connected to the Fading Lands." Blue Sen started forward again as Answeri stood, grumbling a string of curses above fey and costumes and queens.
Peep shook his head. "I'm not willing to rule out anythign at this point." He glanced at the high wheat. "....say just who is the queens king?"
"Her Majesty Queen Haggard's king?" Blue Sen buzzed in amusement. "You won't believe me. No one ever can."
"I will take every thing with a grain of salt."
"There's not any salt here," Answeri pointed out.
"....its a expresion. It means i'll take everything for a bit of worth."
"...oh. Yeah."
Blue Sen laughed to himself at the mere thought of saying the name of the King of Bright Fall.
"Well?" peep looked at him, interested. "Why is it so funny? Who is it?"
"His Majesty of Bright Autumn, as of very recently, you see..." Blue Sen did a flip in the air. "King Romero."
"...........PFTTTTTTTTTTT!" PEep started to laugh extremly hard. "Pahhahahahaha! W-well thats a move up for him!!"
"Who's Romero?" asked Answeri confusedly.
"He was much better suited to the freedom of his princehood, but yes, His Majesty is certainly enjoying being King of the 'harvest', if you get that breeze," Blue Sen chuckled.
"Well he was the prince of saytrs." peep tried to explain between his laughs. "Oh ho ho, father has yet to forgive him for wooing grandmother."
"As if Her Majesty Queen Symphony can help but be wooed... and that's a comment on both involved parties, mind you, not one or the other."
Answeri sweatdropped and let the conversation float over her head with a mental sob.
"Poor father, he was right outside the door trying to stop it.' He wipped a tear away. "Ah...I supoose thats what they mean by a frolic in the woods."
"Oh, His Majesty King Romero has always had a palace within which he entertains young women. The woods are used by those less caring for plans and more for the moment, like His Majesty King Aodhan."
"Eh heh." peep rubbed the back of his neck. "I supose so...well theres nothign wrong with...erm..passion. I guess." He laughed softly again, glanceing back a awnseri.
Answeri was still off in I'm-Not-Listening-Land, her eyes swirling dizzily as she walked behind Peep with her frilly skirts swaying in the breeze. Blue Sen grinned to himself and let a low hum fill the air cheerfully.
"Awnseri...Are you cold?"
She snapped out of her daze and blinked at him. "Hm? What?"
"I asked if you were cold." He gave her a winning smile.
"U-uh..." She sent him a reassuring smile. "The breeze is a bit chilly, but I'm used to wearing a dress! This one even has sleeves, though the back is lacking... Besides, you used up your Endure Elements scroll already, didn't you?"
"Well here." he unclasped his cape and wrapped it around her shoulders. "That will keep you warmer."
Of course what he didn't tell her was the endure elements was one of the most basic cleric spells he had learned.
A warm, shy smile replaced her earlier half-hearted one and she grasped the edges of the cape. "Thanks."
"Mm hm. Don't mention it. Whats a gift between friends."
Her eyes and face quickly steered back toward their path. "Yeah. Right." (not sarcastically)  

[Quinth]

~ARBOR HARBOR~

The two half-fey companions followed after the crewhand who'd been thrown overboard, climbing up a rough spiral staircase which wound around the great tree and was made of knots in the thick wood. The long-eared fey heaved a sigh when they finally reached the docking branches of the Arbor Harbor and were surrounded by flying ships of all kinds. Lahn recognized with shock the famous Dreamship docked nearby, a craft held aloft by a net of physical dreams and steered by crafty germalaine faerie-rats. Lirit's golden ship was being secured by other crewhands, while the black dragonfly-winged rats were being carefully untied from the ship and led down into the Court of Fashionable Symphonies for food and short rest. Examining this ship, the two grudging companions couldn't help but notice that the flag, an erect red feather on black fabric, had only recently been put up and one faerie was hustling away with a different black flag crumpled secretively in his arms.  

[clubanimon]

Elly pointed and gave a childish laugh.
"See! See! It's not just LIKE a pirateship, it IS one!" He laughed against in amusment. "How cool, I've never really seen many ships, let alone pirate ones."  

[Maeth]

Lahn turned to the excited Elly, "You know I was in love with a pirate lass, it was an interesting love affair, although I doubt one so young as you would care."  

[clubanimon]

Elly blinked. "Well...I think the only girl pirateon that ship was the one with the wings." He pointed to the ship as he walked down the dock to it. "And...she reminded me of a my auntie an'a. You know, the nest sitting type."  

[Maeth]

"Indeed. Best to keep away from those type. They can be such mother hens... uh... and not just because of the feathers."  

[clubanimon]

"Yeah yeah, they want eggs and such." Elly waived him off as he climbed over the ships edge looking aroudn egerly. He was on a real life pirate ship! How cool!
Sniffing the air Elly caught Saryas sent and decied to was the best course to go and find her.