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 Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 5:26 pm
«We’ll have to land,» Lithian called out to Casseth, the statement loud even given his dragon form in order to be heard over the howling of winter winds. They had travelled out over the ocean, touching down briefly on small spits of island, but ended up — apparently — going farther south than originally intended, since the land beneath them was too stark white and icy to be anything but Aisko itself. Another storm had picked up around them before they had even made it to Aisko’s coastline, and now, several hours in, it seemed only sensical that they attempt to find someplace at least vaguely sheltered. «There are some rock formations just before us — there might be caves in them, but I cannot tell from here…perhaps if we fly lower, we’ll be able to get a better idea of what we’re dealing with. I can see little else but snow at this point.»
That said — and wings already tired and battered from the prevailing, frozen winds battering at them from every angle — Lithian dipped into a downwards swoop towards the mentioned mountainside: mostly ice and white, but irregular enough to suggest that they might find a nook that could shelter them from the worst of the storm for the night at least. It wasn’t until he had nearly landed that he first spotted evidence of them not being alone in the storm. Two small blips on the snow: figures, heavily hooded and clothed in thick winter attire, that couldn’t be older than their teens or younger.
«Casseth,» Lithian warned as he stretched his wings to land, «…we have company.»
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 6:05 pm
Asi’wi laughed as he dodged a snowball thrown by his older brother, Tylik, eyes glinting with mischief as he pulled at his magic and formed one of his own in mid motion. He chucked it towards Tylik, proud of having at least mastered such a simple work of his magic. He pouted, though, when a small fireball melted right through his snowball, causing it to fall short of its intended target. “Not faaaiiir,” Asi said as he kicked at the snow beneath his feet. “Everything’s fair, when you have magic.” Tylik grinned, moving over to Asi and ruffling his hair. “You’ve gotten good making snowballs. You’ll move up soon.” Tylik’s eyes flicked up to the sky, brows pinching together as the wind started to pick up. “A storm’s coming,” he said as he patted Asi’s head and moved over towards the fire he’d set up for them. “We should head back into the city. Mother will be worried.” Asi’wi pouted, lower lip jutting out as far as it could. “But I don’t want to.” He mumbled, moving over to gather his things up as well. When he straightened up, something flickered in his peripheral vision and was out just as quickly. His gaze jerked up to the sky, eyes narrowing in on a couple of large shapes descending towards the ground. “Tylik,” Asi said as he quickly moved over next to his brother and tugged at his sleeve. “What are those?” Asi pointed to the sky as he asked. Tylike’s gaze followed Asi’s gesture, brows pinching together at the sight. “I’m not sure.” He motioned for Asi to get behind him as he held his hand out, palm up, and a flame burst to life out of thin air. “If they attack, you run. Ok, Asi?” ••• The last place Casseth had wanted, or expected, to stop was Aisko. It was at the bottom of his list as far as places to visit were concerned. He had good memories of the place, that much was true, but he had not expected it as a pit stop on their adventures to warm, tropical places. So when they got stuck in the storm, Cas rumbled grumpily. He knew, though, that Aisko’s storms could get much worse than what they were currently traveling through and so he conceded, following Lith in his downward swoop towards the ground. At Lithian’s warning, Cas spread his wings to slow his descent, eyes narrowing in on the two below. He wondered what could possibly possess them to be out in weather like this. When a flame flickered to life, Cas growled low in his throat, gaze flicking to Lithian. «What do you want to do?»
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 6:17 pm
«Placate them,» Lithian answered, shifting moments after his talons crunched into the snow and holding his hands out, palms up.
Having edged into cooler territory over the past several days, his dress was warm — thick winter boots, a fur-trimmed tunic, and a heavy cloak — but not quite so warm as he might have hoped for given the storm. He nudged those thoughts back for the moment, though, pinning his focus on those before him and giving them a non-threatening smile.
“We are dovaa…and not here for a fight. I am Lithian Fedele of Eowyn, peisio and a healer by trade…my company is my mate, Casseth. You are…” His gaze flicked down over the two children. A boy in the case of the teenager, he assumed, though with the younger one it might just as easily have been a girl. Too young to tell. Ten, perhaps. “You are a touch young to be out on your own are you not? Do you need shelter…?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 6:37 pm
Casseth opted to stay in his dragon form for the moment, still wary of their company despite the two of them clearly being children. Their parents could be nearby or the older of the pair could be stronger than they would anticipate. At least, as a dragon, Casseth could do better with protecting his mate. So, when he landed, Cas settled down next to Lithian, tail curling around and laying on the ground around his mate.
Asi clung to his brother’s shirt as he curiously looked around him, gaze following the smaller dragon like creature as he shifted — into a dovaa? Asi frowned, head tilting slightly. Though there were plenty of master dovaa inside the walls of Targallah, Asi had not yet had the privilege of seeing one shift into their true form. He was jerked out of his thoughts, gaze flicking up to his brother, as Tylik began to speak.
“I’m fifteen,” Tylik said as he squelched his flame, squared his shoulders and puffed out his chest. “Plenty old enough. Besides, our city is not far from here and we were just about to head back.” He hesitated, gaze flicking between the Dovaa — he called himself Lithian — and what appeared to be a dragon but was actually the Dovaa’s...mate?
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 7:19 pm
“Our apologies, then,” Lithian answered. “We are strangers here and did not intend to land but for the storm. We would be headed into the neighboring caves otherwise, and that was our intention before we spotted you, but…you mention a city?” he asked. “I was not aware that there was a city on Aisko…hence my concern and confusion. I would ask if your city takes travelers burdened by long journeys, but…” He eyed the children, assessing. “I do not come to burden you, and I am sure we can make our own way in peace if not.”
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 7:35 pm
Tylik eyed the pair for a moment before nodding and turning. “Let’s go, Asi.”
Asi frowned, gaze flicking between the stranger and his brother. How could he just turn his back and leave the two of them stranded in the storm. Tylik, both of them, knew just how bad the storms on Aisko could get and it wouldn’t be any good for those not used to them to get stuck out in the middle of nowhere. “But Tylik…” Asi snapped his mouth shut as his brother turned and gave him a look but he was soon returning the look, just as stubborn and hardheaded as his brother. “We can’t leave them here. Certainly everyone would understand.”
Tylik frowned at Asi, gaze flicking over to the strangers. He grunted and sighed. “Fine. No trouble, though.” His gaze moved over to the dragon. “And she has to shift out of her dragon form.”
Casseth lowered his head to the ground and snorted, sending snow flying into the air to join that of the storm’s. He let go of his dragon form and the next moment he was standing next to Lith, all four wings stretching out as he crossed his arms.
Tylik’s gaze narrowed. “You’re...male..and a hybrid?”
“Yes?”
“But he said you were his...mate…”
“Yes. Is that a problem?”
Tylik’s mouth remained open for a moment before he promptly closed it and he shook his head. “Or course not. I just was not...expecting it.”
Asi stared, head tilted to the side as he listened to the conversation. Men could mate with other men? He had thought that something only a woman and a man could do. Before he had a chance to voice the multitude of questions running through his head, Tylik was ushering them all off in the direction of the city. The winds picked up as they traveled and Asi tightened his cloak around himself and held back from his brother, curious about the strangers they were leading back to their city. “You’re tall.” Was the first thing he said as he craned his head to look up at Lithian.
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 7:46 pm
Lithian opened his mouth to state that they didn’t need to burden them, but stiffened a fraction at the mention of a female pronoun in regards to Casseth. He ought to have expected it, he realized, given that he hadn’t directly insinuated his mate’s sex and — as a dragon — it was not immediately apparent. But then, Casseth shifted himself, and Lithian moved on instinct, layering a hand lightly, barely there, to Casseth’s hip in silent support as the exchange went down between him and the young dovaa.
When the boy, to Lithian’s surprise, accepted it without incident, he found himself flushing and relaxing, more relieved than realized. The smaller child’s curious, wide-eyed and puzzled expression told him everything he needed to know about how much previous experience he had with such a thing, and he smiled gently as he and Casseth stepped into line beside them.
“No trouble,” he promised. “We are very grateful, and happy to provide whatever services we can to the people of your city in payment for their hospitality.” When the smaller boy spoke, his smile spread, eyes warming with friendly amusement. “I suppose I am a bit, aren’t I?” he responded. “It happens, sometimes…perhaps one day you will be too. You look as though you’re well on your way, mm? My name is Lithian…might you honor me with yours?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:01 pm
Asi grinned, puffing his chest out and standing up just a bit straighter. “Asi’wi,” he sai as he motioned towards his brother. “That’s Tylik. He’s my older brother.” Tylik responded by giving a small grunt and waving his hand in acknowledgment, but didn’t turn around. Asi’s gaze flicked to Casseth, taking in the different — much different — features of the man. “You’re...a hybrid?”
“Sure am.” Cas raised an eyebrow at Asi, wondering if this was going to lead to more questions.
Asi opened his mouth, intending on asking Casseth just what kind of hybrid he was, but then Tylik was speaking. “We’re here.” Asi closed his mouth, giving the strange pair one last look before moving up beside his brother as Tylik turned to face them. “We don’t usually make it a habit of letting strangers in but my brother was right. We couldn’t just leave you. Just don’t do anything stupid.”
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:13 pm
Lithian nodded — understanding, but not entirely sure what to expect. So far as he, and Casseth until this point, had known, Aisko was little more than a wasteland of ice. Blizzard cold and almost inhospitable but for its fish and the furred creatures that made their homes here. Some managed to survive it, yes, but not a great many, and while there was the occasional fishing ‘village’ on the outskirts by the open sea, it was nothing like what these children seemed to be speaking of.
That assumption was proven when the approached the spoken of ‘city’, which was indeed a city. A fortress, even, which towered high in its walls of ice, beyond even the range of sight in the storm as it was. They were faced with guards at the city limits, guarding the gate, and there was a tense period of clipped commentary back and forth between the older of the two children — Tylik — and those guarding the entrance. Eventually, however, after inquiring into his and Casseth’s status, checking them for weapons and inspecting what they brought with them, they were permitted in. Great doors of ice, metal, and more ice scraped and groaned as they were moved out of the way by dovaa of apparent aiskala and gaili inclinations, each door closing again firmly behind them in a tunnel formation before they made it into the city proper.
And what a city it was.
Glistening like an eternal winter, but lively unlike anywhere else on Aisko — and even, unlike anywhere else anywhere — that Lithian had ever witnessed in person, it was an obscure but marvelous sight, layered with icy steps and homes, shops, and shelters. Well-bundled people in winter gear bustled through the streets, enough in number as might be expected of any other continent.
“I’ve…never seen anywhere quite like it,” Lithian murmured on entry, his eyes darting about from one sight to the next. “How long has this city existed…? It’s so large…you’ve lived here your entire lives, or?”
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Posted: Sun Feb 22, 2015 8:26 pm
“A few hundred years,” Tylik said as he lead the way through the city, towards their home. “We were both born and raised here. As were our parents.”
Asi beamed, cutting into the conversation. “Momma’s pregnant.” He held his arms out in a circle around his waist. “She’s big and said she’d pop at any moment.” Asi’s smile faded quickly as his little brain thought that statement over. “I don’t want her to pop. What if it hurts her?”
Tylik rolled his eyes at the same time Casseth gave a small chuckle and glanced towards Lith. “Mom’s not gonna pop Asi. Jeez.” He shook his head and glanced towards Lithian. “I’m sorry, ignore him.”
Asi’s bottom lip jutted out and began to quiver. “But I don’t want mommy to pop. If she pops then she might die and I don’t want her to die.”
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:07 am
“Come now, then,” Lithian said, shaking his head and softening his voice as he directed his words towards the youngest of their bunch. “Your mother won’t be hurt — her body is doing a very normal thing, mm? She’s carrying a little baby in her and keeping it safe while it grows, but when it’s ready — big and strong enough to eat and breathe on its own — it comes into the world. I’ve delivered infants before…I was with one of my best friends when she was pregnant, and she carried two little ones in her at once, can you imagine that? She was very large in the belly when they were coming near time to be born, but she made it and both were born healthy…do you know if you’re going to have a little sister or a little brother?”
Lithian walked as he spoke, curious as to whether they ought to still be following with the children or not at all, but the older boy seemed to be leading with purpose, so did not second guess it for the moment. At length, though, when they seemed to be heading down a set of winding paths amidst a very residential looking area, he felt the need to speak up.
“Does the city have an inn, or…? We don’t mean to be a burden on you, obviously…”
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Posted: Mon Feb 23, 2015 9:23 am
Asi’s eyes widened at the thought of two babies in his mommy’s, anyone’s, stomach. He listened intently as Lithian spoke, glad that his mommy wasn’t really going to pop open. At his question, his nose wrinkled up slightly. “We’re gonna have a little sister.” With that question answered, Asi ran off ahead of the small group, practicing forming snowballs as he went along.
Tylik glanced back at the question about the inn and shook his head. “We don’t usually have outsiders visit and those that do stay with family. We have a place for diplomats, when they come, but it’s not usually open for anyone else.” He shrugged and glanced back towards his brother. “My father will figure out what to do. There,” he said as he pointed to a two-story house just ahead of them, as Asi took off running and calling for his mother.
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Tangled Puppet Vice Captain
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