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 Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:11 pm
 
Well, what do ya know, the castle really was real! As sure as day, Zephyiote sat outside the most regal looking building she had ever laid eyes on! It had been silly, to even go on this little adventure. She’d just overheard a bit of gossip, while doing some trading, but…she had been longing to stretch her wings, and to get Xyturn out of the house. The little demon was behaving quite poorly, and was causing a lot of tension at home. Hopefully taking her away for a bit would give Seiki and Benvolio, as well as the other children, a break.
She sat outside what she presumed to be the door, if something so grand could be given such a mundane name, and pondered what to do next. It would be a shame to have come this far, only to turn around and leave, but at the same time, she was aware it might be a bit rude to just show up uninvited. Then again…this castle had just randomly appeared in the desert. If nothing else, she could act the part of a welcoming committee of one. Or two, if Xyturn counted. And besides, she was curious as to exactly how such a mammoth structure had found its way here in the first place. Magic? The idea of another magic wielder was exciting to Zephy. She looked forward to meeting the castle’s occupants, and sincerely hoped they were benign.
But…how to announce her presence? She looked at the door. Such a nice thing…she didn’t want to knock on it, for fear of damaging it in any way. It looked so pristine and perfect the way it was…she didn’t want to soil it with her hand. She was admittedly a bit dusty and sandy, from having chased Xyturn over a few sand dunes. Why the little devil thought it was funny to try and run away was beyond Zephyiote, but as her mother, she was obligated to take care of her. That, and she loved the little troublemaker to death. She was pleased that at least one of her Pan’lun offspring had carried on the legacy of having wings. Zephyiote felt they were her most pleasing feature. That, and her feathers. Which Xyturn also had the beginnings of. So Zephyiote was quite pleased. Now if only she could get Xyturn to behave…
The little black demon was in her hair at the moment, literally. She was sitting on top of Zephyiote’s head, nestled in her mother’s mane just between her horns. She was staring at the castle with a look of pure mischief. Oh, she couldn’t wait to get into trouble here!
Zephyiote wasn’t thinking of much beyond how to introduce herself. She was still torn between knocking and…that weird rope thing. Thanks to her reading, she felt it was probably a doorbell, but…you never could be too sure. Especially considering this was a magic wielder’s house most likely. What if the beings inside didn’t like visitors? What if the rope engaged some sort of trap? Zephyiote stared very hard at the rope, and then at the door. No…knocking seemed good. But…what if she got the door dirty? Zephyiote hated for things to be dirty. Especially after having children, she had become somewhat of a neat freak. Cleaning was compulsive at this point. She had just decided to knock with the back of her hand, to keep the door as clean as possible, when Xy took action.
Xyturn had a remarkably small attention span, even for a child. Though she was blind, those four ears of hers, as well as her nose, were constantly working, taking stock of her surroundings. Not to mention the fact that she was getting better with her magical ‘seeing’ and…she pretty much knew where and what everything was. And why, there was a pretty little rope, just perfect for little dragons to climb on! Without thinking, she hopped off her mother’s head, and right onto the rope pull. Making use of her fantastic set of claws, she dug them into the fabric, holding tightly so that she didn’t fall. Her weight was enough to pull down the rope, however, effectively ringing it. She was delighted by the sound, and chirped so that it would be known just how pleased she was. Such a magnificent noise! Did all ropes produce such sounds?
Well, at least it was a doorbell. But Zephy was horrified. Xyturn had made short work of what had previously been a beautiful piece of rope. With all those claw marks…she wasn’t sure if it was reparable. In all likelihood, a new rope was needed. ”Not now, Xy!” Zephy scolded, peeling her child off of the rope, and wince at the damage to the rope. Ouch. She would have to pay for it. Oh, why did Xy have to get into so much trouble all the time? At least their presence was made known though. One way or another.
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Posted: Tue Jul 07, 2009 8:33 pm
-insert smexy image here 8<-
The two female Pan'luns did not have to wait long for a response. While Zephyiote had been surverying the damage of the bell rope, One of the two statues standing on either sides of the grand entrance suddenly had a small opening appear in it's chest. With a click and the sound of stone tapping stone, a small doorway opened and out poked the head of a small mimicgryph.
Staring down at the two with friendly, sparkling blue eyes the female familiar spread white wings and flew down so she could greet Masters' surprise guests. After a few seconds of spiral downflight, she landed on the sands infront of the parental Paint and bowed.
"Good day to you, M'lady!" The familiar's voice held a light, exotic accent, yet she spoke perfectly good english. "What a surprise to see you and your daughter here. I don't believe Master was expecting any guests today..." She had only a moment to ponder before the tiny scraping of claws against stone forced her to glance up.
There, staring down at them with dark blue eyes, was a second but much larger mimicgryph of black and scarlet colorings. While Hikari's held a gentle and playful twinkle, this newcomer yielded almost no emotion as he stared. She flew to greet him and the two chatted for a moment in an unknown tounge before he disappeared back inside. Hikari flew back down the pair as the sounds of locks sliding open sounded, slightly muffled by the stone doors.
"M'lady, my Master wishes to speak with you and the little princess. If you would please follow me, I will take you to him." With that, she turned and flew through the now-open doors leading into a exotic but beautiful courtyard. A second archway beyond the oasis within lead to whomever had seen and summoned the two and this was where the little Mimicgryph flew through.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:16 pm
Zephyiote was rather suprised at the appearance of the two mimicgryphs. She hadn't been expecting that, really. But if they were here to take her to the owners of this establishment...she would follow. And apologize for the rope. She picked Xyturn up by her neck, in the same manner a mother lion might carry her cub, and trotted after the mimicgrpyhs. She was a little taken back by the magnificence of the building's insides. It was...beautiful. Not as pretty as her jungle home, of course; because to Zephyiote, her jungle was the prettiest thing in the world, but if she were to ever have an official house...she would have liked it to be like this one. It was more than nice. It ws fabulous, fantastic! Such a well maintained garden, such exquisite architecture. It was a paradise for the curious Zephyiote. Perhaps the owner of the building would offer a tour? Zephyiote thought she would very much like that.
She paused at the second archway, sniffing at the air. There were a few plants in the garden she could identify by smell, but...most of them were completely foreign. She wanted very much to investigate, but refrained. She would see them later, hopefully. It was best not to keep their host waiting. With that, she padded into the hall.
Xyturn was ecstatic! Just looking at all the shinies, all the smells, the marvelous sounds...this was like a big playground!...If only she wasn't in her mom's mouth. Still, she peered around excitedly, trying to decide just what she wanted to play with, or in Xy's case, destroy, first. Some of the plants might be good to dig up or chew on. But the water in the oasis looked nice to swim in too! Hrm, so much to get into, so little time. She just had to figure how to get away from her oppressive and controlling mother. Xyturn loved Zephyiote dearly, but didn't take well to how restrictive her mother was. Honestly, what fun was life without a little trouble and mayhem?
At this point, she didn't really care to meet the owner of the building. What could be better than the castle? No individual could measure up to the fabulousness she saw now, right? Wrong. She just hadn't seen Atemu yet.
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 12:48 pm
With Hikari still leading them onwards, the trio passed through the archway into a hallway of sorts with several walkways branching off in sveral direction, some going inside while others lead off into other areas of the large courtyard surrounding the palace. The one Hikari was leading them down lead to a magnificent set of doors, more grand than the ones at the entrance. These were wooden and outlined in a gold-like material with carvings of various but unknown events. Even if Zephiote was to ask about them, Hikari would not have been able to provide an answer.
Futhermore, on either side of these doors where statues of heavily-armored Paints. They stood at attention, looking almost...alive, ready to strike down anyone who wished harm to whomever was beyond those doors. Jewels implanted in the stone to serve as eyes glittered in the sunlight that flowed into the hallway.
Hikari puased and turned, bowing to Zephyiote. "If you would excuse me for a moment, I shall let my Master know you have arrived." With that, she flew up and into a small vent set into the wall above the door to whoever was on the otherside.
Just as soon as she vanished, something else strange and unusual happened. With the creaking and scraping of stone, and with low hisses of suspicion, the two statues that were not statues it would seem, moved on their stands and turned towards Zephyiote and Xyturn. They stared at the two of them for what seemed like an eternity before moving back into their original positions without another sound. At the same time, the locks of the doors scraped together and they opened, allowing the mother dragon a glimpse into the room beyond.
The room was indeed grand; it was open to a lush area on both sides, allowing the various smells and sounds of the outside world to penetrate the room. The breeze was cooling to those not use to the warm desert region, while the scent of incense tickled the sense of smell. Wind chimes rang gently as the calls of the birds from the pools filled with lilys and lotus flowers warbled. Yet these paled in comparison to the throne sitting on the opposite of the room and the being sitting upon it staring at them with patient violet eyes
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Posted: Wed Jul 08, 2009 1:11 pm
Zephyiote walked softly, quietly, delicately throughout the palace. Very carefully, as if her mere presence might somehow disturb the atmosphere and break this wonderful dream. Even Xyturn was quiet, ears twitching to take in every rich sound, nose striving to feel the pleasant warmth of the air, carrying a multitude of scents. It was marvelous! Exotic!
She sighed a little, closing her eyes for a moment. This must be a nice place to sleep. Why, were her business not so exciting, she would very much like to sleep right here! Or out in the garden, basking in the golden sunlight. She froze a little admittedly when the statues moved, sizing them up, figuring out what spells she could use to defend herself or destroy them, when the doors opened, to let her in. Oh...so maybe the statues were just guards. Still, one could never be too careful!
She took a few steps in and...nearly dropped Xyturn. The painter in front of her looked like something from a story book! Bedecked in regal robes and jewelry, Zephyiote had never seen the like. She wasn't sure what to say, or do. She set down Xy, her eyes never leaving Atemu, before she straightened. She cleared her throat quietly, and held her head high. Atemu was magnificent, but that didn't mean she would hold herself in any lesser regard. "Greetings, good sir," she began. "I am Zephyiote, and this is my daughter Xyturn. Pardon our intrusion, but castles don't exactly appear in the desert every day, and we were curious to your reason for coming here." Her voice was proper, steady, proud.
"In any case, on behalf of the rest of Hal'ia, I would like to welcome you, no matter how long you intend to stay."
Xyturn didn't care for pleasantries. They only thing she knew was that her mother put her down, and that meant it was play time! While Zephyiote was busy adressing Atemu, Xyturn was busy striding up to her wings. Or more like strutting, to show off her good looks. She paused at the foot of his throne while her mother was still talking, and looked up at him with positively huge silver eyes. Who was this stranger? And why did he have so many shiny things?
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Posted: Sun Jul 12, 2009 8:38 pm
He listened to the introductions, eyes flicking once towards the tiny hatchling before glancing back towards the odd dragonness with a sort of half-smile flickering on his lips. Chaos, however, did not find this well-mannered; black feathers bristled, he glared at the newcomer and would have started to scold her had his master not silenced with a wave of his hand.
"BUT MASTER! She-"
"Calm yourself." His rich voice echoed slightly in the large room. "She has done nothing wrong." Jewelry clicking as he moved, the slender Pan'lun stepped off his perch and walked towards Zephyiote while carefully side-stepping little Xyturn. Up close, it was noticed that he was much shorter that Zephyiote herself; yet there was something that seemed to make him bigger than he actually was.
"I accept your greetings and would like to extend my own to you and your daughter." Atemu gave an elegant blow as the large pendant hanging around his neck glittered, despite the fact no light was shining on it. "I can understand your confusion and I would like to clear your thoughts of such, but...." He looked up at her. "This is not a good place to exchange this information. Perhaps, if you like, follow me to the courtyard. There, we can talk more."
Atemu nodded to Hikari and Chaos, who bowed and flew off elsewhere into the palace, as he walked off in a different direction, motioning for Zephyiote to follow.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 8:44 pm
Zephyiote was not at all put off by the other painter. She found him fascinating, from a scientific standpoint. She appreciated his mild and calm demeanor, especially considering her intrusion, and looked forward to hearing his story. She made to follow him, glancing back to make sure Xyturn was following as well.
Xyturn didn't need to be told. This strange new painter...he was shiny! And he jingled he was like a playground! She forgot about the rest of the castle in favor of him. She was especially determined to inspect that oh so gorgeous necklace of his. It was too pretty not to touch.
She bounded after her mother and the strange Pan'Lun, her little legs working in overdrive to keep up with the adults mild pace. But considering how limitless her energy supply seemed...this was hardly a problem.
She ran faster, now with a goal in mind. Zephyiote was behind Atemu, but a little to the right. This gave Xyturn a clear shot at Atemu's back. With a few extra quick steps, and powerful leap from her leggs, and a few frantic flaps of her wings, she crashed squarely into the back of the male, claws digging into the fabric in an effort not to fall off.
Zephyiote didn't notice her daughter until she had lobbed herself onto the back of Atemu. She felt herself go pale. Well, not really, considering she was covered by a layer of scales, but she sure as heck was embarassed. She snatched Xyturn off of Atemu's back with haste born of experience, quickly and efficiently dislodging Xy's claws with only minimal damage to Atemu's clothes. "Pardon my daughter, she is a little excited by your presence. It is not often we get to meet new people,"
she explained rather calmly, despite how humiliated she was.
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Posted: Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:05 pm
Atemu stole several glances at the two of them as they walked along the decorated halls of his palace. Even though their unique appearance poked at his buried curiousity, it was the smell that drifted off of the Painters.
The scent of magic.
It was practically pouring from their bodies and, being one of magical blood himself, it was like the need to ask questions to them was nipping at the back of his mind. Though they had their own, no doubt.
But the silence of their walk would be broken, not by questions, but by the little imp oh so keen to keep up with him. Yes, he had seen the little creature following him instead of her mother. As she quickened her own steps, Atemu quickly flicked his thick cloak over his back as the little devil landed and clung with her claws tearing the dark fabric.
And when Zephyiote came to pluck her way, the royal paint only chuckled and stared at her. "It's quite lall right. No physical harm done."
Stopping for a moment, Atemu carefully unwrapped the cloak from his body. What happened next was but a tiny sample of his abilities: as the cloak was dropped to the ground, a pool of shadows gathered around the cloth. Thin wisps reached up and grabbed it before pulling it down into the pool, which faded as soon as the last edge of the cloth vanished from view. Atemu, however, simply stood up and moved to continue onwards.
"Shall we?"
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Posted: Fri Jul 17, 2009 8:14 pm
Zephyiote watched with fascination Atemu's display of magic. She knew it! He was magical! Before Xy could escape and cause more trouble, Zephyiote scooped her daughter up and carried her by the neck, so that she couldn't escape. Unfortunately, this also occupied Zephyiote's mouth, but...it wasn't like she intended to do much talking while they were walking anyway.
Xyturn, unlike her mother, was not surprised or excited about Atemu's magic. She was simply crabby that she'd been removed from so fine a specimen. How unfair! She sulked as Zephyiote carried her, trying her very hardest to look pouty, droopy ears and all.
Zephyiote couldn't agree, but she did give a nod of her head, and resumed following him. She had so many questions! What kind of magic was he using, where did he study, where did he send the cloak to, another dimension, or was it a trans-spacial spell. It had been a long time since she'd associated with any fellow magic users, she was very interested in getting to know this strange, new one. He seemed quite promising. Hopefully their walk would end soon, and they could engage in some more satisfying activity.
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Posted: Sun Aug 09, 2009 9:01 pm
Zephyiote would not have to wait long for the question and answer session between the two painters to begin. Atemu, ignoring the puppy eyes being sent at them, led the mother dragon through a decorated archway into a place that could only be described as a world away from the harsh desert.
Where sand once whispered beneath their talons, now grew lush blades of grass that were both cool and warm to the touch. Palm trees rustled on the wind while their boughs bore ripe fruit that looked like it was ready to fall to the ground at any moment; this is why Atemu avoided walking beneath them as he moved towards a lush pond in the middle of the courtyard. Surrounded by white limestone, little fish from koi to a species that was unnative to the Hai'lin waters swam under the crystal surface. Water plants were scattered across the surface, from lilies to cat tails, while ivy clung to the various statues of half human/half animal beings and the pillars the spanned the outside of the yard. The familiar sound of wind chimes rang out from somewhere unseen.
Glancing at the two of them, the painter led them to where a large cloth had laided out on the grasses by the water. Various foods and drink had been placed, all recently due to the fact none of the foods had cooled. There was even various wines and wines glasses placed out for Atemu and Zephyiote (Xyturn had to make do with drinks without spirits in them, which were also among the foodstuffs on the sheet.)
Laying down on one side, Atemu reached for a poured two glasses before handing one to his guest. "Now then...I am sure you have plenty of questions." A small half-smile flickered across his face. "You may ask me, but there are some that I will not or cannot answer."
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:35 pm
Zephyiote set her imp of a daughter down, and while the eyes on her head observed Atemu with casual interest, the eyes on chest and legs were all trained on Xyturn. She didn’t intend for her daughter to cause anymore trouble. It was already embarrassing as it was, to have her shred the bell pull at the entrance, and then to assault their host. And yes, she did have quite a few questions. But she would choose the best ones first, and space them appropriately. She didn’t want to assault him with words and curiosity. She would be patient. “I must admit, I am quite curious at this point. I will make the offer to answer any questions you have, if you do have any, as well. I cannot claim to represent the whole of Hal’ia, however, I will try to act the part of ambassador for the moment.” Of course, there was always the possibility he’d been here before but…it seemed unlikely. Something about this place wasn’t quite Hal’ian. Some of the plants, the architecture…it was foreign. She was sure of it.
“Firstly, if I may, I would like to request your name. I have offered both mine and my daughters, I feel it in good taste that the least you could offer is your own. Secondly, I am quite curious as to how you managed to transport your castle here in the first place, and why you did I am certain it wasn’t here before. Pardon me if I sound rude, but…this isn’t exactly normal circumstance, and pleasant as you seem, I still can’t rule out the possibility that you might be a threat,” this last statement was accented with a short flash of a white, toothy grin. It was friendly…enough.
Xyturn was hardly concerned with how or why Atemu got here. She was curious about him as an individual. She would like to get a closer look however, she was well aware that her mother was watched her at this point. She couldn’t be sure of it, per say, since she couldn’t exactly see the direction her mother’s eyes were looking, being blind and all, but Xy just had…a ‘sense’, if you will, for these things. She would just have to find some other way to cause trouble.
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 9:56 pm
Atemu calmy took a small sip from his wine glass before replacing it down on the cloth. "Your concerns are well justified, Zephyiote. I could be someone out to take this land for myself...however, I am not." No smile, he simply kept that natural serious expression of his on his face though amusement glittered in his eyes. "I am simply someone who wishes to live a moment of his life in peace, not fighting or anything of the like."
He fingered one of the armlets decorating his wrist as the royal-like painter pondered an acceptable response to the questions asked of him. "As you have stated, you have been kind enough to introduce yourself yet I have not." A pause. "You may simply know me as Atemu. As for why I came, and with my palace no less...well...it was simply a magical accident on my part." He chuckled. "I orginally had no intentions of coming to this fair place however...I seem to have grown attached to it during my few days here."
Atemu returned the "smile" the female had given him beforehand, though his (although still stern) was an attempt at a friendly smile.
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Posted: Wed Aug 12, 2009 10:34 pm
Zephyiote nodded, and scooped up a glass herself, settling herself into a more comfortable position as she picked up a glass, and swirled the contents idly by rocking her hand. She sniffed it experimentally, and finding it to be of good quality, indulged herself in a sip. It was excellent indeed.
“I am glad to hear it. For your seem like a decent enough fellow, and Hal'ia is a peaceful place. We do not have need for any would be conquerers or troublemakers.” She allowed herself another sip of her drink, and then took the opportunity to take a more involved look at her surroundings. Truly magnificent, really. She'd never seen anything that could compare, not even the Pan'Lun temples in the northern mountains were this beautiful.
“I must remark upon the ability of your architects. It seems to me that any place you go would seem fair, as long as this magnificent structure was there.” Her voice was serious enough, but if one knew Zephyiote, they would realize she was teasing him a bit. In a friendly way, of course. But really, how could he think the land fair, if he was in this castle in the desert. Or was he speaking of a different sort of 'fair'. Maybe a beauty beyond that of the physical one. Perhaps.
“It must have been quite the accident, to have moved a structure like this out here. I must congratulate you on surviving an ordeal like that. I have never attempted something near so large.” And that was true. She'd done some magic in her day, she still did, but nothing major any more. The biggest spell she'd tried was that to attempt to bring Xyturn's egg to life. She was still torn on that, and wasn't sure whether she'd really given Xyturn life, or insteas inflicted her with her problems. But that was an issue for another time. She would banish such ill thoughts as those for now, she was with company, and Atemy waranted more than a small portion of her attention.
Xyturn was getting fidgety. She didn't want to sit still. She wanted to do things. Swim in the pond, chase the fish, investigate all the shinies! She spread her wings and stretched in a feline fashion, while sizing up her surroundings, trying to decide just how she should escape, and where she should hide when her mother gave chase. She was becoming quite good at hiding from her mother, really. That's what had prompted her mother giving her the bell. Yet Xyturn found ways around that too. Now, instead of hiding, she would squeeze into spaces too small for her mother to follow. That was always entertaining. Xyturn found Zephyiote very entertaining when she was flustered.
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