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 Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:09 am
Briar flinched away slightly, then she was free from the wretched iron. She watched the blue boy try to explain things, she didn't want to cut in or think about it at all really.
Haru nodded, "I mean. I don't know. Maybe both, probably both? It's too risky to just think that we're invincible. Too dangerous," and it was. If they didn't accept the fact that they could be in danger, they were endangering themselves.
Haru let Vesuvia pick him up with her claws, he knew she was anxious, ready to be back to her children. He felt the air going through his air, the thrill of flying, flying as he would never truly fly on his own.
Ronin frowned a bit, "Sure." He scrambled up and clung on with his hooves spread out in the wind and his eyes closed. He was a dragon, a real dragon like his siblings. No, he was better. He was bringing dragons home...
It took some doing, but finally Briar was able to get Valiant to consent to fly on Jin. "Thank you," she said haltingly. "I can fly, a bit slower right now. But I can do it my own. I just...couldn't fly so far with him."
She took off in the air with them, the feeling of drifts under her wings making her body shudder with thrill. She had missed being up able to fly, it was a blessed freedom.
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Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:42 am
Jin kept pace with Briar chatting about stupid inconsequential things when he wasn't diving and rolling for Valiant's entertainment. Where she was from, who were her parents, what did she do, did she have a favourite food.
When he learned that she was a daughter of Unity and Rosa, he cried out and dropped suddenly in mock shock.
"Oh, my," he said as he rose back up. "That means that you and my Valmoriel and Carmine are related! You are their aunt!"
He pointed to the retreating black dot that was Vesuvia. "My Vesuvia had some eggs a while back with your sister Mirage. It will be a family reunion!"
Vesuvia beat her wings like they would snap off. She needed to be home, immediately. NOW.
She outstruipped Oriahull and even Rahar. The mountain loomed ahead.
Vesuvia lifted just before she landed in the entryway so she would not squash poor Haru, but it still wasn't a dignified landing. She released him immediately and found her daughters talking quietly, having been summoned. She immediately set herself upon them and wrapped them up in her long tail and limbs.
Valmoriel and Carmine Masque looked at each other with deep concern. If their mother was so unreserved, so unlike herself, something really big was happening. Of course, they enjoyed their hug, but they would have liked answers more. No-one present had any illusions about the efficacy of asking Vesuvia questions.
Brittania resigned herself to wait for her other children to find out the full story. She could see them coming, tired from their loads, but she did not send others or herself to get them- it would be better for all if some of them were fresh than if all were a little tired.
Oriahull lead Rahar and Jin unerringly home, if there was any doubt. She was very weary when she arrived, and Soren rolled away from her before she fell. He helped her over to the corner where Tasma lay, wrapped in blankets and semi-awake. Tasma opened the covers to her not-so-little sister and cuddled her aching body.
Soren looked around and saw Lilina waving at him. He walked drunkenly over to her and she put her arm around him for balance. "You got my message," he said.
"Yes, dear," she said, concern over her face. "Is being here okay for you?"
Soren shook his head in wonder at this beautiful woman who had decided to spend her time on him, how thoughtful she was. "This is fine," he said. "I promise, when it is not, you will be the first to know, and we'll go."
Rahar landed with more grace, but erhaps harder than he needed to. Ronin needed to stop being so superior all the time, and Rahar had never been good at talking. Actions were stronger than words.
By the time Jin arrived, the others were being plied with food and drink, but by agreement, they had decided to wait for his arrival before speaking on the matter at hand.
Brittania looked around. The entry way was a large, windy cavern but it looked very small today with all her children. It echoed with the sound they made, happy sounds, even in uncertainty. She glanced surrupticiously at her estranged children. Her tall, handsome sons. Her beautiful and proud daughter. She wished there were wordss for how she felt, words to make them believe her and love her again, if they ever had. Maybe there would be words, one day.
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Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 3:46 am
Hasselti's hands ached. Why? Why why? Did it matter? Why should she worry about wtupid things like why her hands hurt. They hurt because they hurt.
Why should she worry that she didn't know how she'd gotten to her sewing room? Why worry about anything? Just do this.
What was this? Oh she knew, of course... somewhere. Was knowing really important? Just do. Just finish this.
She snipped the last few threads and rolled her work up with fingers denying their pain. Then she made her way up to the mountain, following the secret way only those of the Green Lady's Clan knew.
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Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:13 am
Ronin fell off ungracefully, but hurriedly got to his feet. He wanted to rush up to mother, show her what he'd brough--
The look on her face quelled him. What he was seeing was definitely not happiness. How had he failed? What had he done wrong? For the first time the danger finally sunk in. He had brought danger to the mountain. Why had he even thought that a good idea?
He watched as Haru stood up, and he turned away. He'd failed again.
Briar glided down heavily, her body aching from the flight. She had learned alot on the journey, she was amongst some kin at least. She had not met them for a long time, if she had ever.It had been...so long.
Valiant eased up to her, his eyes aglow as he looked around at all the dragons. She knew what it must be like for him to see all this, it was amazing to see for herself. It seemed odd what was happening. Everyone looked so strong...
What was going to happen?
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Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:16 am
Mikuko felt a queasy lurch in her stomach as she assembled with the others. Dalila stood with her, as they watched the others land. She wanted nothing more than to run into Jin's arms and have him hold her. Nothing better than that, and to tell her mother her great news and joy. But...
Now wasn't the time or place. Something bad was happening, everything she had was in danger.
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Posted: Fri Feb 14, 2014 4:35 am
Jin stretched and flexed so that it looked like he rippled all down to his tail, working out the strain. He had not done anything so exerting in a long while. He kissed Brittania's scarred cheek and lead her over to Briar and Valiant.
"Brittania, this is Briar, of Unity, and Valiant, also of Unity. Briar, this is my lady, Brittania. Her children are..." he turned around, looking at everyone around him with his eyes narrowed as if counting. "They're..." he dropped his voice to a horrified whisper, "they're everywhere!"
Rahar set his father in a headlock and dragged him away. They wrestled until Jin got free and pinioned Rahar to the ground by sitting on him.
Brittania rolled her eyes enduringly. "Briar, is it? Unity's line? Well well," she turned and gestured to the tangle which was Vesuvia, Valmoriel and Carmine. "Come over here, girls, and meet your relatives."
Valmoriel lead the charge to meet Briar and Valiant. "Hello, I am Valmoriel and it is my pleasure to meet you," she said with the manners of a debutante. "These are my sister, Carmine Masque, and my dear mother, Vesuvia. Please allow me to escort you to some chairs."
Carmine turned around a pointed bluntly. "Hi. Chairs are over there."
"We should hear the news as soon as possible," said Brittania, arraying herself in the largest and most opulent chair. Jin, despite his tiredness, stood behind her.
Tasma and Oriahull abandoned their blankets and came into the group, staring at the strangers.
Yarrow peered over at Valiant. She steered her brood over to sit near him so he wasn't surrounded by large and strange dragons.
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 3:29 am
Briar felt overwhelmed with the courtesy and generousity that Jin introduced her with. She could feel herself turning pinker and pinker. Valiant was tickled, it was all his imaginings of chivalry and knighthood.
Rose bowed her head low, "It's my honour to meet you Brittania, I've heard much about you from my family.Valmoriel rushed her through the greetings, and Rose had the familiar disoriented feeling that she'd come to associatie with this whole trip.
And then they were all silent, looking at her.
For a moment, she glanced down at her talons. She had to rise to the pressure, she would. Bringing her eyes up, she made her voice steady and began the tale.
"Valiant doesn't have any dragon siblings. All his siblings are of the water, so I wanted to take him on a trip, let me be a dragon. He had to learn sometime. The time away from the sea would do him good. But then, we came upon some people. Nothing strange at all, until we realized that people were leaving their homes. I did not think we had much to fear, for we are dragons, and we are strong."
She paused heavily, "But I was wrong. The people coming after us are looking for dragons and dragon blood, I don't know why. Maybe they want us as slaves or offerings or..."She glanced at Valiant quickly. "It does not matter, for they come. I thought I'd escape them, find a stronghold and war others. But I was hit over the head by someone--I don't know who. I was left chained for them to come for me. An offering I believe. If you had not saved me..."
Her voice choked off again. A name began to swim in her head, a half heard thought that she couldn't place.
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Posted: Sat Feb 15, 2014 4:08 am
Hasselti staggered up the remaining loops of the mountain. She had not passed a soul, which was very odd. Perhaps if she had seen anyone, they might have stopped her.
Stopped her from what?
Hasselti didn't know, but this did not deter her. She did not know, either, whom she was looking for, only that she would stop somewhere, here and that would be it.
She heard a low drone of voices from the airy landing chamber and entered.
Vesuvia, along with everyone else, glanced up as Hasselti entered. It was strange, Vesuvia thought, that Hasselti had not been here before. She got up to lead her sister to a seat to listen to the pink dragon, but recoiled when she was near Hasselti.
There was something... wrong. Horribly wrong. Hasselti was not Hasselti. Her eyes were like squirming spiders writhing in torment; though they looked blank and green, Vesuvia could feel a disturbing struggle going on within.
Hasselti held something in her hand. It was a rolled up piece of material rolled into a scroll. Her hand was limp and when Vesuvia went to take it, the fingers clenched around it momentarily and then relaxed. She was staring at Brittania as she did it.
Vesuvia turned to those in the gathering but kept one blue eye on Hasselti. "Help," she said quietly. "She's not right."
The restraint of the volume of this request belied its reaction. Jin leapt forward from behind Brittania's chair and planted himself between Hasselti and everyone else. Rahar was shoulder-to-shoulder with him. They did not look angry, just determined and they did not try and shut Vesuvia out.
Hasselti did not move.
"Hasselti," asked Jin, "what is it you are here for?"
"For her," said Hasselti in a dry and cracked voice, lacking all tone. Vesuvia made a small plaintiff sound.
"Why?" asked Jin.
Hasselti did not answer.
Jin took the red scroll wordlessly from Vesuvia. He unravelled it and stared for a moment. Then his eyes narrowed and he reread the words on the scroll, woven from Hasselti's own hand, but not her mind.
"This... it says,' he began but he was interrupted by Hasselti.
"His Majesty the Prince of Eastlands and its Territories, including the lands of Nightmare Valley, to the Green Lady of the Mountain on this day sends his greetings and those of his people to her and her people in Nightmare Valley.
His Majesty the Prince requests tribute from the Green Lady as is his right as head of state of the land of Nightmare Valley.
His Majesty the Prince also extends to the Green Lady an offer of Surrender of herself, her subjects and her treasure to the discretion of His Majesty to pay tribute to His Majesty.
His Majesty the Prince allows this opportunity of Surrender in order that the fortunes of the Green Lady in blood and gold remain unwasted by the treatment of battle, which His Majesty the Prince would not wish to embark upon save upon the rejection of this offer of Surrender most generously granted to the Green Lady and her subjects at this time.
His Majesty the Prince will, with his discretion, remove and welcome certain of the Green Lady's subjects to his lands upon the act of her surrender or defeat. This is imperative to avoid any collusion which may hamper the peace between His Majesty and Prince and his lands and the Green Lady and her dominion.
His Majesty the Prince requests the sending of a delegation in the event of surrender to ensure no needless misunderstandings or loss in the interim of three days time.
His Majesty the Prince sends his royal word through the medium of the prophet and begs the indulgence of the Green Lady in doing so.
So ends this missive of His Majesty the Prince of Eastlands to the Green Lady as authorised by His Majesty the Prince."
Hasselti's diction had never wavered. It did not sound as though she had drawn breath at all.
Jin had followed the scroll with his eyes as Hasselti read. "That's exactly what is written here," he said in a low voice.
"What is WRONG WITH HER!?" screeched Vesuvia, to the shock of every person, except Hasselti.
Jin turned to Rahar and jerked his head at Vesuvia. Immediately, Rahar held Vesuvia's arms down in something like a hug, but was firm enough to stop her from moving.
"What is that?" asked Lilina, having come forward to listen. She stepped even closer, staring at Hasselti's neck. "There's something here... like a tick." She glanced around and saw that no-one would stop her and pulled out her wand. With a silent incantation and a deft movement of her wand, she magically removed something from Hasselti's neck. She caught it and held it suspended above her wand as she analysed it.
Hasselti remained still for a moment before going abruptly limp.
Vesuvia flung rahar from her and picked up her sister.
Hasselti's eyes cleared and she looked at Vesuvia with a small vacant smile. "Is it breakfast time yet?"
Vesuvia shook her head and put her face next to Hasselti's as she slowly fell into an exhausted sleep.
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