Fall of the House of Adir

[WesteriaVale]

OOC
​

Blood soaked the killing field just yards away from where Captain Lashita was standing. The older woman carried naked steel in her hand. Her grey eyes surveyed the field dispassionately. Next to her stood her mount, a dragon named Ash. It was an Alitium dragon, large enough to carry the small woman in battle and over short distances. Currently it was happily munching on a bush of some sort.

Lashita brushed at a stray hair that flickered over her face in the lazy wind. On the field before her walked soldiers. They were from both the Empire and the Kingdom. Despite the Kingdom's hatred for Myst and the fact that they had won this battle, they couldn't completely wipe out the other side in good conscious. They'd send home the defeated warriors to Myst and let the Empire dole at their punishment. For these men wouldn't be seen on the field of battle again. The Emperor didn't tolerate failure. Especially not towards the Kingdom.

"Captain."

Lashita turned at the sound of her title. One of the boy squires had a letter clutched in his hands. Lashita took it from him without a word and the boy ran off. The younger ones were always afraid of her. Rumors of her ran around camp like wildfire. Only her longest friends knew the truth. And those who served in the Dragon Knights were fiercely loyal to her. Lashita took care of what was hers and the Dragon Knights were hers.

Lashita sheathed her blade. The warrior slid a slender finger under the seal and opened the letter. It was simple in it's wording, but the meaning far more complex.

They have Gathered.
​

With a small motion Ash turned his head and Lashita dropped the letter. The dragon burned it to a crisp even before it hit the ground. Not that she watched. Instead she was already mounted and by the time Ashe was finished they were both ready to take off to the skies. The meeting place was still a good three hours off. But she was prepared for the ride. Had been prepared for days since she had talked to the King.

Lashita had been summoned almost a week ago by the King. In secret he had told her his plans and what she must do. In secret they conspired on how to defeat the Empire once and for all. At the end of the day five letters had flown clutched in the talons of small dragons. Five days for the chosen to gather. Now it was her turn. To the North West of the Mountains, by the sea, laid a small monastery of Nadim and his wife. A secret place that they could meet.

Lashita gave Ash his head and he rose higher into the frigid air. Time passed swiftly for she was used to this sort of travel. During the interm she recalled what the king had said about her soon to be travelling companions and allies. A mountain man, a defector from Myst, a mermaid, a bookworm, and an experiment gone wrong. Hell of a group. But the King had said they were loyal and that was good enough for Lashita. (Even if she wouldn't give 100 percent of her trust to them.)

The Monastery was stout. perched next to the ocean. Some of it even looked like it went into the ocean, which made sense. The wood was weathered and tared to keep it sealed against the elements. Lashita left the dragon in a small dip next to the monastery. She rung a small bell attached to the weathered wood and waited.

Soon a small girl, probably about twelve, appeared. She was covered in blue robes and some blue paint on her face.

"Greetings." The girl said with a small bow.

Lashita returned the bow. "Greetings little one." She straightened. "I am here on errand." Lashita watched the girl bob her head. As the girl did so Lashita noticed a mark on the girl's neck. The Captain reached out but the girl back away hurriedly.

"Right. You're the last one to show. Everyone's this way." And off the girl skipped down the small corridor to another door. This one she pushed open and gestured for Lashita to enter. Lashita looked down at the girl once more, the bruise covered, but the woman would remember.

 

[Hisoka]

Never look into the eyes of those you kill, their faces will haunt you for the rest of your days.

That particular bit of advice was perhaps the most sound the figure interlocked with a nightmarish construct half wolf and half only gods knew what had received. But contrary to those sage words He was staring directly into hunger filled orbs colored a hellish shade of sulfur green. Could smell the foulness of rotten meat emitting from its tooth filled maw.

Right now though the man was more concerned with the tug of war he was involved in. The beast had managed to knock the armour clad figure onto his back. The warrior though had managed though to draw his sword which the monster had promptly bit down on. Scrabbling in the tough but sparse grass plain of their battleground beast and man worked mightily to end the others life. The harsh noon day sun slowly but surely cooking the metal clad combatant in his protective shell. But the man was glad regardless for the monster's claws could find no purchase upon its engraved surface. But at the same time its weight already added to burden his body carried for the beast had pinned him to the ground.

The saliva of the man's opponent flecked off his blade held in the monster's jaws. All the strength of his lean and sinewy body was being put to the limit and all it was winning him was a stalemate. This battle had been reduced to a contest of stamina and it was not going his way. The unforgiving sun was sucking every ounce of moisture out of his body and their struggle was raising a suffocating cloud of dust from the scrub plain they were fighting on.

All of this combined to quite a dispiriting situation. But the warrior was no berry picking girl and would not die here because of discomfort. It was not his time the man kept running through his mind. A mental mantra that lent strength to depleted limbs and hope to a seemingly hopeless situation.

Wrenching his arms sideways the armour clad figure shouted a raw throated battle cry. The keen edge of the sword slid a few centimeters and started a steady flow of hot blood down upon the warrior. The beast howled as well, the sound distorted by its full mouth. The man shouted another raw scream right back and yanked on the blade's hilt once more. This time the blade slid free of the monster's jaws.

Suddenly free of their tug of war the hell sent wolf stumbled to the left. The warrior used this chance to regain his feet and unlimber the ugly looking shield hung upon his back.

Staring at each other across the sunblasted grass beast and man knew only one would live to tell this tale. Saluting the monster He fell into a ready stance, his body held ever slightly sideways and his shield angled to protect his flank and front. The sword presented in a challenging angle the warrior prepared to accept his fate.

The beast clawed the sparse grass a few times, the blood pouring from its mouth raising puffs of dust as the steady but small stream hit the ground. Then with a final howl it charged the man with all the speed its fury filled frame knew.

Covering the distance between them rapidly the hell sent wolf leaped towards the man fang filled maw leading the way. The warrior altered the angle of both his stance and blade and thrust that dealer of death forward.

With a bone jarring crash he was back upon the ground, monster atop him. But with one notable difference. His sword was buried to the hilt in it's chest. A howl of pain and defeat echoed from the beast before life left it's hellish sulfur green eyes. Shoving the thing to the side he got up and clutched sore and bruised ribs.

His job however was only half done though. Grabbing a flask of moonshine from his pack the man pried those green orbs from their sockets and dropped them in. That done he put the flask back in the pack and grabbed a water skin. Taking a deep swallow of the life giving liquid he then recapped it.

Walking a few steps away he sat upon the ground and began to clean the gore of battle from his sword. Wiping the filth away the blade once more gleamed in the perfection of its making. Rubbing the cloth over the engraved crest the warrior frowned a little. That crest had gotten him into a lot of trouble. And yet he would not trade the blade in for a king's ransom, there was no better steel to be found then from where that crest came from.

Sheathing the now clean sword the man began to trudge back to the nearest bit of civilization, a backwater called Holijem Crossing.


Arriving several days later he was once more struck by the sameness of it all. He had seen a thousand back water villages like Holijem Crossing and not one looked much different. A few farms on the outskirts, a mill and a lumberyard, a few plain cottages, and of course the ever present temple to the gods and the tavern next door. This one though had the bad luck to be between the middle of nowhere and who gives a damn.

Striding towards the most impressive cottage ( it earning that by viture of glass windows and a second story) He rapped on its door and was swiftly admitted to a large but plainly decorated room. The only real furniture were three chairs built only somewhat fancier then a kitchen chair. Currently occupied by three equally slender women they looked at him expectantly. By way of answering the armour clad figure took off his helmet, revealing dark red hair and a harsh planed face covered in scars. Setting the helmet carefully upon the ground. He then slung his pack off his shoulders and dug around until he found the flask of moonshine. The scarred wanderer then tossed it at the feet of the middle woman who flinched ever so slightly.

" Its done." He added, his voice sounding harsh and short, as if displeased by it all.

" We don't know how to thank you." The left woman replied, her voice honey sweet and even toned. The right woman was looking into the flask with a slightly queasy look upon her face

" Don't bother, just teach those bumbling farmers of yours how to fight and not shit their pants when a lone monster shows up." He answered before turning his back on them and striding back to door and out to the streets. Striding towards the tavern he entered a found himself a stool at the bar. A lone barmaid was idly scrubbing down the tables and the bartender was doing the same to the taps of his kegs. Realizing he had a customer he turned to face him.

" Ah Mr.Blackstone good to see you again, what can I get you."

" Ale." Was Blackstone's one word reply as he put down the proper amount of coin.

" Sure thing, oh and this came for you while you were gone. " The bartender spoke as he made the coin disappear and made a pint of ale and a letter appear.

Slowly sipping the ale and reading the letter Blackstone adopted a sneer. " Bloody sheep shagging King thinks he can order me around because he spared my life. I help his soldiers win victory and they repay me by trying to set me up with a date with the headsman axe. All because of the bloody crest on my blade. Then the King acts all superior and spares my life. Can you believe the gall of it. If I wanted to kill his soldiers I would have remained a Janissary Company Commander. Bloody ungrateful tiny pricked fools. "

" My grandfather always said you can never wholly trust anyone sitting their ass on a throne. Looks like he was right." The bartender replied sympathetically.

" Well looks like I'll be on my way. Here's the rest of my bill." Blackstone spoke with an angry shake of his head as he dumped a small pile of coin upon the bar.


Two weeks of walking later the scarred wanderer was looking down at what was obviously a monastery, though a poor one if its weathered condition was anything to go by. The scent of salt and the sound of waves upon cliffsides added a aura of isolation that was reinforced by the hilly terrian.

Deciding he wasn't going to learn anything more by simply looking at the place he strolled down from his perch atop a nearby hill. His steps took down to the door, about to knock Blackstone noticed a small bell. Giving it a good ring he waited. A few moments later a girl about twelve answered the door Dressed in blue robes and face paint the former Janissary didn't give her time to speak.

" Point of this trip right now. " He demanded with a certain heat in his voice. " I'm not some dog your King can command to heel girl."

" ahhh. .Right this way sir." She replied before turning and walking away.

Following the girl Blackstone walked down the entrance corridor to a side door and into a chamber reminsent of the meeting rooms familiar to any military man.

" If you would wait hear the others will be here soon. " The girl said speaking up.

" Yeah really looking forward to that. " He muttered.

 

[Hitomi Forsyth]

Inside a very large Library made of marble and stone there sat a stranger in a black cloak with a book in their hands. There was no way to tell the gender of the stranger though, the cloak covering everything that might hint upon what this person was. One thing was very plain though, they were intelligent; near them sat two huge piles of thick books, at least twenty in each stack. If you assumed that one stack was what they had read then they had been here for hours or days, maybe longer if they couldn't read well, or maybe far less time if they were a keen reader.

Nobody ever disturbed the cloaked stranger because of the rumors that had begun floating around about people like them. "Demons on Earth, I say!" One person had yelled this at the cloaked stranger one time, not too long ago and when the stranger had paid attention to the person bothering them they panicked and had run away. 'Coward.' The stranger had thought to themselves before moving on, at that time they had been going to the library that day as well. Everyday the stranger was in that library calmly reading anything and everything, especially since the King had allowed the stranger to have access to even the most rare books, hidden in the back in a private section.

All around this person were books, this section was finally getting back towards some of the much harder to understand books but the stranger read them perfectly understanding everything. Normally every other day the stranger would switch between sections, private and rare to public and easy to read, today was different though, this person hadn't felt like going back to the very rare books, which was unusual as normally they had a very unchanging routine. So even the library keeper was shocked when she found the hooded stranger quickly and easily. "Uh...sir?" The Librarian started and the cloaked stranger looked up. "I have a letter for you... From his Majesty." Without missing a best the woman ran over to the figure and put he letter down before running away.

'Seriously? What did I do to terrify people so much?' With no thought but that the figure reached out and picked up the note with slender fingers that had fairly long nails on each hand, a woman's hand. Nobody noticed that the 'sir' was actually a she though, they hadn't bothered to try although she didn't care honestly. As she picks up and reads the note she makes a 'tsk' sound and stands shutting her book. "I guess I don't have a choice..." She mutters to no one in particular and she heads out of the library.

It had taken the bookworm quite awhile to reach the old monastery that had been talked about in the note but the girl hadn't traveled since she had gained access to Udir's library, too much knowledge to pass up on. After she found the place though she was relieved and traveled down to the entrance, not caring about it's weathered state as the only thing on her mind was if there were any rare books here she could read. She looks around only briefly before a young girl dressed in blue with face paint comes up to the stranger in her black cloak. "You are the bookworm I presume, you are the second to arrive, please come this way." As the little girl walks forward the hooded figure follows close behind walking into a room with an old soldier already there.

She was sure she would look sketchy to anyone there, after all no one could see her face or determine who she was or even that she was a she with her cloak on. That doesn't bother her though as she sits down with her bag and pulls out a small book that she begins reading from in silence, while leaning on a corner that's covered in shadows but providing enough light for the strange girl to read in. Calmly she zones out tuning everything else out while she awaits the others arrival so she can find out what she was needed for and go back to the library.

 

[Rainjay]

She was hiking through the dense forest, her boots treading on dried leaves and twigs settled on the ground. Each time her laden footfalls hit the earth, a sharp crunch resounded back to her as the leaves broke into pieces, scattering across the heavy-packed dirt. Faintly through the collected masses of leaves and dead plants, she could make out the worn hunting path along the forest floor, which she followed serenely, the soft wind tossing back strands of her loose hair. Around her torso was her recently restrung bow, and a sheath filled with polished arrows was slung over her shoulders. She held herself cautiously, as to prevent the instruments from clanging into each other and creating unnecessary noise.

When she reached a particular tree, recognizable by its hollowed out trunk and the jagged carvings into it's wood, she paused, leaning her side against it's sturdy form for support as she slid off her boots, tucking them away into the hollow compartment in the tree. Then, she stood only in woolen stockings, and continued through the forest. Without the boots, her footsteps were muted, her presence nearly undetectable.

The woman reached back and carefully retrieved her bow, grasping the grip in her right hand as she traveled forward. She was nearly at her favorite hunting grounds. Gingerly stepping over a fallen log, she walked past ancient oak trees and a rocky crag before lowering herself into place beside a mulberry bush. From here, if she sat in just the right spot, she could view the clearing just ahead. A crystal clear pond sat towards the upper left side of the glade, surrounded by water plants and foliage. Wildflowers bloomed in the tall, unkempt grass. She could see where the plants had been flattened down by animals, and where they had been chewed on.

Almira frequented this glade, arriving every two months to hunt for large game. She knew from experience that not only hares and foxes periodically came here for water- deer did, as well. If she managed to bring home a deer, she would have more than enough to last the week, and she would have plenty to trade off as well. She needed this kill almost as much as she desired it.

She waited for hours for her prey to arrive, but her attention didn't waver. She kept her eyes focused on the still clearing until she spotted movement in the bushes. A small nose appeared through the leaves, and then a full head, and then a body. The graceful animal made its way towards the pond, bending it's head down to reach the cool water. He was positioned perfectly for her.

Silently, she slid an arrow from her sheath, loading it onto the bow. She would only get one good shot at killing the deer- chasing it through the dense foliage around here would be pointless. She crept a little to the left, and lined up her shot, aiming for the lungs of the animal. And then she waited.

Roughly a minute later, the animal lifted its head. Before it could move to leave the clearing, Almira had let loose her arrow, and it found itself buried in the deer's lungs.

The creature made a panicked cry and began to flee, leaving behind slick blood on the grass. Almira hurried to her feet, slinging her bow back around her body. She gave chase to the deer, following it's floundering movements through the underbrush. The chase didn't last very long- it collapsed in the bushes, gasping for air. Its eyes watched her wildly as she approached and pulled a sharp knife from her belt. She knelt down and quickly finished off the animal before it could suffer further.

The trek back home took nearly as long as the wait did, and dusk was falling as she arrived at home. Her housemate, her step-brother, exited the house as she arrived, helping her haul the animal to the yard in behind the house. Here, he would handle the cleaning and breaking apart of the animal. It was always his role to handle the kills, and hers to hunt them. Surprisingly, her step-brother preferred to stay from the woods, for a reason unknown to her. She never questioned it.

"There was a letter left here, from around noon," He told her as she sat at the table that evening. "Here."

He passed her a piece of smooth parchment. She scanned over the words, before looking up at her brother in bewilderment.

"It's from his Majesty. I've been given summons for a gathering in five days time." She explained. She clambered to her feet wearily, pulling her cloak back on. "I must go now- from here, it will be a full five days journey to get there."

"Rest, first. Or you'll fall unconscious before you can even bother!" Her brother exclaimed. She smiled softly at her brother and wrapped him in her embrace.

"I'll be alright. But I will need to take the horse with me. There's absolutely no way I can get there by foot." She said. Begrudgingly, he agreed to let her go, and swiftly packed her travel bags before seeing her off.


Five days later she arrived at her destination, a nearly decrepit monastery in the middle of seemingly nowhere. She held the reins to her horse in hand as she approached the door warily, knocking twice. The door promptly opened, with an adolescent girl standing behind it.

"Ah. You're the third to arrive. If you'd follow me-"

"Is there a place I can keep my horse?" She interrupted. The girl hesitated before nodding.

"Tie him to that post there. Someone will come back to bring him to someplace safe," She assured Almira. Was it wise to trust the words of a twelve year old youth? She had no other choice to- after all, she was here for a meeting with the king. After tying her horse to the post, the young girl led her inside.

 

[Alice Falling]

"Isn't it about time you go back to your life in the Kingdom of Udir? Afterall, you hardly spend this much time in the water with your tail." Ryliana, a green tailed mermaid, spoke to Coralie as they swam around the Reefs of Nadim.

"I love it here with all the mermaids. This is our kingdom and my original home, Ryliana. And I'm sorry that it offends you so much that I only spend a week here at a time. But the longer I have my tail the weaker my legs become. I worked-" Coralie was interupted by Ryliana who finished Coralie's sentence for her.

"Yes, you worked hard for your legs. And trust me, many mermaids are jelous. You may not have as much talent as the rest of us, but your ability to walk is something valuable. And I would never ask you to waste it. I just wish you could stay. We miss you." Ryliana glanced carefully at Coralie, showing a bit of remorse in her eyes.

"Ryliana. I promise I will return more often then I have in the past. Besides, the war is increasing and it's nice to be underwater where it's neutral and peaceful." Coralie smiled at her friend, hoping to show comfort. Though she wasn't sure if she could keep her promise to return more often. Although it was nice to be in a peacful setting, Coralie wasn't an average mermaid. She had taken a side in the war and if she spent to much time as a mermaid, not only did she grow weaker, but she put her fellow mermaids in danger. The Empire of Myst, if they knew about Coralie, could assume all mermaids also took the Udirm side. Merfolk didn't want to take a side, in fact they had made it law to not take any sides. If she spent to much time in the Reef she could be punished for her own personal stand point.

"Goodbye, Ryliana. I'll be back." And with that Coralie swam off to the beach of the Tears of Nadim to return to her human form.

---

Pulling herself out of the water and onto the beach her tail, which was peach in scales at the top and slowly turned into a gold color as it went down to fins, shined in the sunlight of the hot day. For a moment she sat bathing in the sun, still in her mermaid form. As she finally came to a quiet place in her mind, a familiar male voice spoke out her name.

"Ah! Coralie, I was told I would find you here by a little birdy."

"I left a note, Prince Omaty. In my little house in Udir, in case someone who knows about my life sought me out. And if you are going to joke about how you found me, I suggest you make it more personal to me. I don't like birds. A fish would have give you more information about me."

"I see you're in good spirits. But I didn't find you to joke about life or fish. I found you to give you a message from my father, the king."

Coralie's bright eyes stared up at Prince Omaty, who now stood beside her. "Where is the message?" She expected a parchment, a royal decree, or at least some kind of writing.

Prince Omaty, sensing she expected a written note, spoke up, "I didn't think a parchment would make it's way to you in the water. So I told him I would see you out personally and tell you."

"Yes? I don't have all day. I have places to go and people to see. If he needs something, it better be urgent. I have people to help."

"You will be helping the people. You are being summoned in five days time. It's important you be at the location on time. And in human form." He stared at Coralie, who still sat in the sand with her tail.

"Location? Five days? Summoning? A mermaid? Has he lost his mind?"

"I didn't think you would turn down an adventure."

"I'm not. I was just stating all the wonderful vague facts of your message."

Coralie smiled at Prince Omaty, who didn't seem to find her very amusing. A small sparkle circled around her tail and soon her peach and golden tail transformed into a full peach and golden skirt. Her two legs fully alive underneath. Carefully and slowly Coralie stood up, feeling a little off balanced of course.

"I'll go." Coralie said, stubbornly. She didn't like feeling like she had no option. She hated obligations, things expected from her. She was a freelance, going where the water took her. But one simply cannot turn down the king.

---

Five days was barely enough time for Coralie to regain enough balance and grace to pass off as a human. She made her way to the meeting point Prince Omaty and her talked about five days before. "Well, it looks like I'll be on time." Half of her golden hair was pulled up into a small bun directly on the back of her head. Around the bun small shells circled it.

"Hello. You have made it. You are the fourth to arrive." A small girl wearing blue with paint on her face spoke to Coralie. Coralie had seen stranger things in her time and didn't question or distrust the girl. Silently she allowed the girl to led the way.

 

[LystraVess]

Killian slipped into an alley way, his chest heaving only slightly as he tried to keep his breathes even. He pushed his hair out of his face as his jaw moved nervously. Please let them just run past. he thought, not relishing the idea of getting into a fist fight in the middle of the plaza, atleast not with a group of the Royal Guards who had been chasing him for the past week. He hoped after they had lost him the first five times, they would just lose interest, apparently not so much.

Footsteps pounded closer to the alley with the sound of jingling chain mail and weapons. With his cold blood, Killian could feel a group of people getting closer but that meant almost nothing in the normal crowds that lined the plaza. Sure enough, five guards ran past the mouth of the alley, searching in vain for him. In his relief, he didn't realize that the King had sent six men, not five.

He stepped towards the plaza again and walked, weaving in between people easily as he kept his eyes averted from catching anyone's. It was bad enough that his fangs tended to show when he spoke, he didn't need to add the glinting red serpent's eyes that made it almost impossible for most to keep eye contact with him for very long. Thank the Gods I got out of there. he thought with relief as he turned down the street to get to the small tavern that he had found lodgings in the night before in exchange for him ridding the place of rats.

When he was inside, he leaned back against the door of his room and let his body slid slowly down to the dirty floor and he pinched the bridge of his nose. "Can't I just be left alone?" he muttered under his breath, closing his eyes. The heat from outside had raised his core temp, which made him uncomfortably lethargic. As he yawned, his jaw popped out of place, making his fangs completely decend from behind his normal teeth, beads of poison that he was immune to gathering at their tips before he closed his mouth again.

The sound of a crossbow being pulled back made his eyes snap open but he couldn't move fast enough to escape the bolt that didn't hit his skin, but went through his shirt to keep him pinned to the door. Hissing furiously, he looked around for the owner of the bowman and silently crsed himself for being too warm to realize that there had been someone else in his den.

The sixth Royal Guardsmen stood against the opposite wall in a shadow that hid him almost perfectly before he moved. Killian could just barley make out the uniform in the shadows. The sound of paper unfurling filled the room over his hisses before the Guardsmen moved into the light from the window.

"You have been giving a reprieve from death if you so choose it, creature." he said in a slightly annoyed tone. "I have been instructed to either bring you to a meeting place with fellow people who owe the King favors, or put a bolt between your eyes."

Killian hissed at the man again, a long forked tongue flicking from between his teeth as he pulled at the bolt, snapping the shaft in half. as he did. The man didn't seem to think him a threat, which was true. Even he was't stupid enough to try and go against the ROyal Guards by himself. He didn't want to end up becoming someone's tunic.

"What meeting place?" he asked, his voice still a hiss between his teeth.

-------------

Killian looked at the place where he was supposed to be and hissed. He had changed out of the ripped loose shirt that he had been in, choosing a deep white shirt with a deep charcoal tunic over it and loose fitting pants that tucked into a pair of boots. His hands were uncovered, revealing snow white scales that absorbed the heat like the rest of his body. His unruly hair fell in his eyes and he shifted the strap that fell across his chest that held his scythe across his back.

Well this should be interesting. he thought, his tongue flicking out again to taste the air. The faint scent of the people that had pasted by the spot made him grimace. "You're here." a child's voice said making him hiss and turn. Standing a few feet away was a small girl that made him tilt his head to the side perplexed. "Please come with me." she said before bounding into a doorway.

 

[Tanstin]

"Your livestock, give them to me."

A merchant cowered as a large, bearded shadow crossed over him. Not forty seconds earlier had a large bearded man with an axe intercept an entire caravan and decapitate a majority of the guards, the rest running away.

"B-but this is all we have sir!" The wealthy man whimpered in response "I-if it would please you, I could offer some food if you leave us be?"

"So be it." He muttered something else that was inaudible.

He grabbed the sack of food from the quivering hands of the merchant and set off. Before he left, he noticed the merchant's wife and stopped. For a brief moment he examined her head to toe, like a noble shopping for clothes.

"Ill take this too." He said so as he picked up the woman and slung her over his shoulder"

The merchant, too frightened to do anything, simply watched as he walked down the path and fade into the distance with an occasional cry for help.

He strayed from the path, preferring to follow the wood, for the earth speaks truth where men cannot. It would have been a peaceful, scenic walk if not for the woman shouting every other second, but his grip only tightened.

He was to make a large journey, straying from his home every year to cross miles and miles of earth. The path changed always, as is the way of nature, but the destination was always the same. He had just left the outskirts of the Ironwood, and he was to head to a nearby town. Skipping ahead a few days, the man had made sizeable distance, and he had also gathered a flock of women that he did not bother to leash, nor to carry. At this point they seemed drawn to him, though they cared not to admit it, those that tried to run always found themselves crossing paths with him and his flock. It was a strange sight indeed, especially when he was passing through towns. Things like this continued until he had reached a rather peculiar place, it appeared to be a place of gathering, and somehow, fate had made them cross paths.

"Greetings sir, I believe you are the sixth to arrive, are these woman under your ca-"

He walked up to the girl with paint on her face and picked her up with his sinewy hand.

"Why do you speak of me, young one?" He said in a grave tone

"Augh! You were summoned of course! Didnt you get the letter!?" The girl responded in between her feeble attempts to free herself from the vice grip.

"What letter?"
"This one! I have a copy, just lemme go!"

He let go, the girl gave him the letter and ran off, whining about her bruises. Fargrim opened the letter and looked over it, he studied over it carefully, as if deep in thought. After a few moments he removed the letter from his face.

"I cannot read."

He gave it to a noble woman that he captured a few miles back who read it for him.

"Why would the king summon me?" He pondered, though investigating this would take precious time out of his journey, it was still something worth seeing into..He continued down the path and into the meeting area, his flock of women were given a seperate room to lounge in. He kept one with him for translating purposes.

 

[WesteriaVale]

Lashita walked through the door frame refusing to duck, even though the frame was low enough if she raised her hand she could have touched it. The older woman's eyes had adjusted to the gloom on her short walk to this very room so she was able to see everyone quite clearly. It also helped that the room was lit by candle light. It was probably purposeful, because the room looked like it was underwater from the way the light danced. The people who had gathered were thrown into relief and Lashita could barely tell what they looked like.

Not that the King had told her much more than their goal, and the first step of their destination. The latter was safely hidden away, enchanted by the best sorcery known to the King. It would be their first step on what would probably be a very long journey. The Dragon Knight counted the people on the room and came up with two extra. She frowned, but took a seat anyways. Though she did keep her sword free, just in case.

"You all know why you're here." Lashita said as she sat. Her hard eyes watched those in the room. "I neither know, no care to know why, or even who you are." No, at the moment she needed to complete her first task. "If you don't want to be here, you're free to leave and continue whatever it was you were doing before you came. If you don't want to be here, I don't want to be here."

If Jurind was here he'd be laughing his bottom off. 'Way to win friends and win over Enemies Captain'. He'd say though fits. The rest of her men would just shake their heads. They knew Lashita and her charm. She spoke better with a sword, or a fist. Not that she couldn't be diplomatic if the occasion called for it. The royal family all thought she was a very nice woman. Those at the end of her blade called her a demon. Each to their own.

Lashita leaned back in her chair, a picture of casualness. Though in reality she was ready to harm anyone at a moment's notice. Coming off the battlefield always left it's mark. It would be days before she slept properly even if she was with those she trusted. With this group? It would be a very, very long time.

"Well?" The woman drawled as she looked at each person in turn.

 

[Hitomi Forsyth]

'Has it taken forever or is it just me...I'm almost done with my book already,' the woman in the cloak thought to herself with a quiet sigh off in her corner. Normally she didn't read so fast unless she was bored, it just so happened today was one of those days. Without really looking around at the people Luna begins to walk around the room, looking for a book maybe? Although she wasn't sure if she would find one she lifted her head when she heard the door open again, just to get a look at the older woman who had just come through the door.

When the woman begins to speak Luna turns her whole attention to her, the only thing she wanted to know was what the king needed a useless alchemist for. No one knew she could actually fight, her cloak and attitude had scared people off from fighting the mysterious woman. She would, after all, rather read her books then be here but she would hear the woman out, although when she actually looked she realized she knew who this person even if the Dragon Knight didn't know Luna, she wasn't sure she wanted to deal with Lashita for the task she had been called here for, whatever it might be.

The quiet woman under the cloak never moves from her new spot, even after they are offered the chance to leave. 'Damn my curiousity...' Her thoughts twirl around trying to figure out why they were here so she remains unmoved as her answer. She was very curious to what the King needed of her after all, perhaps the Dragon Knight would have Luna's answer. Her gaze never wavers from the older woman, although her eyes couldn't be seen it was quite obvious she was looking, simply from the position she held her head, letting the Dragon Knight know she had Luna's full attention.

 

[Hisoka]

The dullness of waiting in the gods forsaken room was broken for the former Janissary as the entrance of others heralded a change. And after counting the exact number cracks on the wall and floor any change was welcome to his mind. If the King took this long to convene a simple meeting twas a wonder Myst hadn't conquered them already by now. After all taking ground quickly was what a Janissary did best. Never give the enemy time to breathe.

Of course tactics aside the others seemed as lost and confused as him. Kyle knew nothing going on in this Kingdom that required such a odd looking group of people. Aside from the war with Myst and his fellows at this meeting clearly knew nothing of the soldiers art. Or at least to a skin deep look over they didn't, the one time commander of a company of Jannissairys knew anything could be hidden beneath the surface. Still none of them stood as a solider would.

And after their less then amicable parting he seriously doubted the King would require Kyle's services ever. After all no matter how good a single soldier like him wasn't going to turn the tide. Fighting a God-Emperor wasn't exactly unexplainable summons to a run down monastery either. And yet here the man stood gazing upon the visages of others drawn here by that selfsame summons.

So what in the gods name were they doing standing here looking at each other like punished recruits.? That answer came in the form of a woman Kyle knew much about reputation wise.

The Dragon Lady herself. Must be important if they are rolling her out. Wonder if that rumor is true He mused with the slightest sardonic smile. Most Jannissairys thought little of Dragon Knights, seeing them as a lazy answer to an easily solved problem.

Still the rumors about her short and brusque manner were evidently underplayed. Kyle felt somewhat insulted by the presupposition in her manner of address. Offering no further details she seemed hell bent on getting a yes or no answer.

" Great people skills you got there lady. I thought for a second that ugly ass dragon of your's was doing the talking." The warrior opened up with, that same sardonic smile written across his face. " And no I have about as much clue about why am I here as I do about your tits. So how about we get the terms of the contract before I get my quill wet?"

This was his way, for after forty six years of life Kyle learned not to rush into helping anyone. Especially the Kingdom, he still had not forgotten the near brush with the headsman's axe. That being said the former Janissary was piqued to see exactly why they were needed altogether.

 

[Rainjay]

She had been waiting quietly in this room, along with a handful of others, for longer than she could count. There was nothing to tell time here, except for the slowly melting candles. One girl read, one seemed to stare at the walls boredly, with no intent or aim whatsoever. Almira was driven by curiosity, more so as she waited in the silence. Why were they even here? What could His Majesty want from her, or this rag-tag group sitting with her, for that matter? As far as she was aware, he didn't typically call on random commoners for aid. Perhaps they had committed some crime, unbeknownst to them. She could only hope not.

She stared at her hands for the first stretch of time, and then took to leaning back in her seat, eyes closed, head tilted against the back of the chair. It was incredibly uncomfortable, but at least she appeared relaxed and asleep to the other men and women in the room. Then she got bored of sitting with her crooked posture, straightened up, and with a sigh, took to staring at the wall. There was absolutely nothing intriguing in staring at it, but she could lose herself in her thoughts while she waited.

Finally, there was movement near the entrance of the room. People had slowly arrived after her, but she had a feeling this person would be the last. She was a scary looking woman, with silvered hair and hard, cold eyes that scanned over them before she spoke. Almira did not want to upset this woman. She began to speak, nearly dismissively, inviting them to leave if they chose so. Weren't they summoned by the King? That would be a crime, to just leave when they were ordered to come here, at this time.

" Great people skills you got there lady. I thought for a second that ugly ass dragon of your's was doing the talking." Someone spoke from his corner of the room, with an irritating smile plastered across his face. " And no I have about as much clue about why am I here as I do about your tits. So how about we get the terms of the contract before I get my quill wet?"

Well then.

I guess it's his choice if he wants to become mince meat, courtesy of coal-eyes, She thought to herself, rolling her eyes. She wouldn't dare say it aloud, lest she be pummeled and kicked out of the room, but she still thought it nonetheless. It hardly seemed like this stranger had people skills either. So far, this rag-tag group wasn't giving the greatest impression. She nearly wanted to get up and leave.

 

[Tanstin]

The room would be rather quiet if not for the sound of Fargrim ravenously devouring a plate of mutton legs on one side of the room. He gave little heed to others, though he did notice a girl with a bow who seemed akin to a hunter or one simply attuned to the wilderness. Truly perceptive eyes can reveal things that are often overlooked. He looked at his hands, calloused and raw they were. The callouses on his fingers would reveal that he was an experienced forester, or enjoyed running your fingers along coral reefs, (which would develop similar callouses). In this case, the girl must have been the former.

At this point he had finished another plate of meat and patiently waited for Angeline, her translator and assistant to arrive with another. He got a better glance of the room. His gaze shifted from a bored man, a girl with a book, and a hood that served no purpose indoors, and a few other inconspicuous fellows. While he waited he thought of the roads ahead in his venture. How they have changed and what he may come across. He always had followed the same paths, and roads. though they would never be of the same appearance. Be it at fault of natural disasters, growth, and even men, he would find a way.

Angeline had come back carrying a plate of assorted, cooked meats and whatnot and sat down with him. His flock of women had grown somewhat loyal to him. Just as he picked up another leg of mutton, another woman had arrived, a rather staunch one at that. Her presence seemed to demand the attention of the others, but only those whos willpower was weaker would succumb.

Her briefing was rather insulting at the least, she had made a myriad of assumptions about a party so seperated and diverse, many of them endlessly pulled out of her gaping rectal cavity. One assumption had stuck to him however,

"You all know why you're here."

That was something he did not know. All he could muster from this, was that it was an errand of kings, politics that he cared naught of. Part of him urged him to leave, and continue his pilgrimage. The other part wished to see this through the end. There seemed to be an engaging mental battle inside his mind, trying to construe his next plan of action. He decided he will stay a little longer and see what will arise from this.

From the other end of the room, the rather bored man had spoke up, in a crude, blunt manner that Fargrim respected. His dialect was strange as is most language here. Much of the conversation was translated for him by Angeline.

"From what I hear, she's one of those dragon ladies or some rubbish like that, *tch* she wouldn't even last a minute as a midwife."
Angeline whispered to him.

"Shh..I will see what will unravel myself."
Was his only reply as he took a generous bite of his mutton leg.

 

[LystraVess]

Killian had stayed against the wall when he got into the room that he needed to be, his eyes darting to around to everyone's face and his tongue flicking out nervously from between his lips. He tried to be a people person at times but these two habits were part of the reason it never worked. It unnerved people to see someone with his colored eyes starring at you or to see the brief almost blur of thin black when his tongue came out to taste the air. His sense of smell worked perfectly, unlike the serpent creature that.had been used to make him but he had always found it easier to distinguish scents by taste rather then actually smelling them.

As he waited for whatever it was they were waiting for, Killian slowly tooth the scythe out of the sheath on his back and sat down, leveling the weapon across his legs. The other people in the room made his scales crawl a bit only because he wasn't sure what he had to do with any of them.When the door opened to the room, his eyes snapped to the side, locking on the woman that stepped in. He tilted his head to the side and let his tongue flick out. She smelled like wind and smoke. 'Dragon.' He thought with recognition before he played attention to what she was actually saying. He agreed with her people skills but didn't voice his opinion other then with a slightly amused hiss that was as close to a laugh as he could get to.

 

[WesteriaVale]

For a long moment no one moved. Then it was broken by one of the men in the room. His scathing remark nearly brought a smile to her lips, but it didn't. Why everyone brought up that little fact both amused an annoyed Lashita. The Dragon Knight looked over everyone else in the room. No one else was speaking. Very well then, right to the point. That worked fine for her.

"If you desire to know, come." Lashita said standing. Nadim's house was a good meeting place, as neutral as the seas themselves. However that meant anyone could be listening. She wouldn't share any valuable information within their walls unless she absolutely had to. And this case, it wasn't necessary at all. Plus, the waving candle light was giving her a headache.

Without waiting to see if anyone followed Lashita left the room and went out of the building. After being in the dim for even that short of a time, her eyes had to readjust to the bright daylight. She left one arm to shield her eyes as she walked over to Ash. The large black dragon made a happy "murring" sound as she approached. She ran a hand down it's side as she passed him and went to the saddle. There, she pulled out a scroll. It was in every way a complete replica of the more valuable one she had hidden. She couldn't risk their only lead. Hence the replica.

"This," She said quietly, holding the scroll reverently. "Has laid in the sealed vaults of the capital since it's birth." She knelt down and opened the scroll on the ground. The scroll on first glance was nothing special. Lines squiggled across the page in an ancient language few could still read. Though she had no doubt that the reader probably could. But on closer inspection new revelations appeared.

"The words of the prophet. The Light of Vallis." Lashita said still in a quiet voice. "Long has the original recording been kept, and now is the time for it's use." She closed the scroll and replaced it in her saddle bags. "The scholars of the King have determined that we need to head to the Isle of Udirn. It wont be an easy trip." She glanced over the group. "It will probably be a weeks travel on foot." She sighed. Not counting the fact that the Isle itself was under siege by the Empire and had been for the last few years. Gaining the Isle in secret would be no easy task.

 

[Hitomi Forsyth]

Luna followed the Dragon Knight outside being sure to keep a distance from herself and this woman who seemed either rude, cold, or just anti-social. She decides that the woman is all three and is done with it, still she holds respect for Lashita and makes a mental note to treat her with that respect. As Luna trails along after Lashita she's trying to decide if she should try and speak to the Dragon Knight or not, she opts to do so, and asks her, gently and in a soft tone, "Lady Lashita , I have a question...I know I owe his Majesty a favor, but this bunch is an awful group of mismatched madness in my opinion, and yes I include myself, I'm a crazy bookworm/alchemist...What I'm trying to say is, do we have particular skills you need for whatever task we have." As Luna steps outside she keeps her eyes on the ground as they adjust to the light, she was glad for her hooded cloak, it shielded her sensitive eyes from too much light.

Luna doesn't get an answer yet, which is fine, Luna is a patient woman after all, she may read quickly but when dealing with people she was a bit more patient when learning to read people. As soon as Lashita pulls out the scroll though Luna's eyes land on it instantly, she's got an itch to read it but from the way the Dragon Knight holds it she knows there's no way she would be able to read it. Instead she waits patiently watching as Lashita unrolls the scroll, when it's open she looks at it but is too far away to actually see much. The only reason she opted to stay so far away though was because of the big black dragon that was near Lashita. Unfortunately Luna had only been half listening to the Dragon Knight as she spoke of how long the scroll had been kept, she just wanted to read it, what could you do, she is a bookworm after all and rare things are her favorite to read.

When the scroll is put away Luna looks up listening to Lashita once more mumbling a repeat of Lashita had just said, "The words of the prophet. The light of Vallis?" Slowly Luna starts to think still listening to the things Lashita was saying and making mental notes of them as well, so they were to travel to a place known as Isle of Udirn? That didn't sound safe, despite her tendency to stay in the Library she listened and overheard conversations many times, she knew the Myst Empire was ravaging that particular location. A slight nervousness sets in as she thinks of this but something in her is also excited about the journey. Her hands are inside her cloak at this point and she brushes the hilts of her twin blades lightly, it had been awhile since she'd even thought about using them but she wasn't going to back out on this journey, she could only imagine all the rare books she might find if she chooses to help Lashita. A shiver runs down her spine as another idea strikes her too; she'd also get to fight most likely, that idea appealed to her quite a bit. "Well...I see no qualms in going with you, Lady Lashita." Luna says this time a little louder so it would be more clear for others to hear.

 

[Hisoka]

The room in the monastery was filled with those summoned, their various faces filled with questions. And yet only the former Janissary felt the need to speak his outloud. Had Kyle known the other thoughts perhaps he'd less surprised. After all the Dragon Knight was not exactly the hostess type putting them at ease. Then again the wandering warrior needed no coddling.

Regardless the purpose their little meeting seemed ready to be revealed. Their hostess as it were suggested the answer lay outside. And with nary a by your leave about faced and marched out of the room. Shrugging his shoulders, the motion causing a slight metallic whisper from his pauldrons, he followed. After all what was the point of not doing so. He had already had been traveling two weeks what was another fifty feet.

Once outside amongst the sea breeze and rolling hills Kyle felt slightly different. For one the presence of the dragon suggested the fact to his mind their hostess wanted an advantage. Of course that could simply be a soldier's paranoid mind talking. One did not survive long on a battlefield if they thought lightly of any situation. Not to mention the last time he was this close to the flying lizards the former Janissary was standing behind a ballista. Which was one of the few equalizers infantry had against them.

This situation however was no battlefield Kyle reminded himself as the Dragon Knight removed a scroll from her saddlebags. Such an innocent looking object seemed an odd thing to come out here for. Surely whatever was contained within could have been shared within the monastery. Such thoughts were silenced though as their hostess laid it open upon the ground. The text scrawled across the surface seemed vaguely familiar but even as he struggled to decipher it the scroll revealed it's true purpose.

" The Light of Vallis." The former Janissary murmured along with the representative of the King. Her words seemed dull as if heard from a distance. Images only half recognizable and words that made no sense echoing in his mind. It seemed an age to Kyle as the secrets he barely understood flooded his mind.

The reality proved that it was only a few seconds as he caught the words Isle Udirn.

" Last time I checked the Isle of Udirn was surrounded by a naval and army seige. I know my countrymen, there is no way onto that Island save punching through them. And I seriously doubt the handful of us is capable of that..Unless your King is willing to launch an attack to distract them....no that might tip off the Justiciars. " Kyle spoke of his feelings concerning Udirn, his voice for once devoid of his bitterness. The ghosts of the scrolls revelations still haunting him.

The more he thought about the Light of Vallis and the Isle of Udirn though the more suspicious he became of it.

" That being said does anyone but me find something odd about this whole thing. What's the one place we have to be, Udirn right? And what's stopping us, a siege crew of Myst soldiers. Does that not sound the least bit strange to you lot. That the God-Emperor would put an army and navy between us and our goal?"

 

[LystraVess]

Killian hadn't said anything only because he didn't feel the need to. When she was ready to say everything she meant to say she would, and he could be very patient when he wanted to be. Her brief order made Killuan's scales prickle with something as close to excitment as he could have. With abflyid motion, he stood and twirled the handle of his weapon between his fingers before slipping it back into the sheath on his back.

Once outside, it didn't really take much for his eyes to a just and the sunlight seeped into his scales, warming them. His breath caught a bit when he saw the dragon, his tongue flicking out and a soft hiss escaping between his teeth before he could stop it. The sound wasn't threatening, only surprise. He wasn't always used to seeing another thing with scales aroundx even if they weren't the same as him.

It took a moment for the woman's words to mean anything to him but once his mind processed them, his tongue flicked out in interest. Viktor had spoken about the Light when Killian was younger, so he was familiar with the name but not much else about it since he hadn't bothered to pay much attention when the old man talked at times. He looked over at the others in the group when they spoke and found himself popping his jaw in and out of place as he thought.

" They might be looking for it as well or only trying to deny us any access to any hope we might have." He said softly, more musing then anything else. He didn't much like the idea of having to go through a siege to get what they needed but if it would make peace shouldn't he be willing to go through with it?. His red eyes blunted in the light as he thought about that but he didn't say any more then that.

 

[Rainjay]

The woman barely responded to the harsh words of the man, and simply said, "If you desire to know, come.", before turning heel and leaving the room promptly. The people inside seemed to pause before slowly rising to their feet to follow her. Almira hurried after them, curious. Surely the king had to have a good reason to send out for them. Then walked back outside, the sunlight burning her eyes that were so used to the dim light of the room, causing her to shield them against the glare. After her eyes began to adjust, she noticed the dragon that stood there, with black scales, murring at the approach of the woman, who retrieved something from a saddlebag and turned to show them.

Almira leaned forward around somebody who stood in front of her to see the scroll that the stranger was now holding. "This has laid in the sealed vaults of the capital since it's birth." She began, rolling the scroll out on the ground for them to see. She couldn't make out a single word on it. "The words of the prophet. The Light of Vallis. Long has the original recording been kept, and now is the time for it's use. The scholars of the King have determined that we need to head to the Isle of Udirn. It wont be an easy trip. It will probably be a weeks travel on foot." The Light of Vallis wasn't something she had heard of before; a prophet of some sort, she assumed. So the king had them gathered to go on a ... quest, of sorts. A week long hike to Udirn- the Isle of Udirn.

"Last time I checked the Isle of Udirn was surrounded by a naval and army seige. I know my countrymen, there is no way onto that Island save punching through them. And I seriously doubt the handful of us is capable of that..Unless your King is willing to launch an attack to distract them....no that might tip off the Justiciars." The same man from before spoke. His countrymen? He was from the Empire of Myst? She couldn't believe her ears. Why was he even here then, why did the king trust him? "That being said does anyone but me find something odd about this whole thing. What's the one place we have to be, Udirn right? And what's stopping us, a siege crew of Myst soldiers. Does that not sound the least bit strange to you lot. That the God-Emperor would put an army and navy between us and our goal?"

"They might be looking for it as well or only trying to deny us any access to any hope we might have." A third.. person, spoke. He didn't look quite human to Almira- slitted pupils and a smattering of scales that nearly resembled the dragon nearby- but he was still here nonetheless, and everyone here was by order of the king. Although wary, she deigned to trust this strange person.

"What's so strange about Myst trying to stop us? We're the enemy. It sounds perfectly rational to stick an obstacle between us and the goal. What's worrying is how he knows about our 'goal'." She spoke, trying to be logical and level headed. Whatever that scroll prophecized, and whatever they needed because it, was probably already something the great God-Emperor Myst wanted. Why else would they be traveling to the most disputed land in the area? If the Vallis, or whatever it was, wasn't at the Isle, then they would be going someplace else, and that someplace probably would be just as heavily fought over as the Isle of Udirn actually was. "If we've got an army and a navy blocking us from the Isle, then he seriously must want whatever is hidden there."

 

[Tanstin]

"Mister Beard sir..everyone else is leaving with the dragon lady, would it not be wise to go with the-"

A hand quickly shushed her lips

"You go, follow them, speak on my behalf, tell me what you learn.

With that he waved Angeline away and went back to tending his meal. To him, a meal was sacred; a ritual that would be outright disrespectful to the animals that were culled to make it, and hence should be uninterrupted. He began to doze off, dreaming of the forests and oceans across many leagues.

Angeline​

Angeline followed the others outside of the building, passing the other women that had been talking amongst themselves in the lounge

"Oh, hello Angeline" A rosy-cheeked lady by said "Does he need another batch? They let me use their kitchen, so made one a few minutes ago, its still hot."

"Oh, no need Wendy, he wants me to act as his representative as I attend his briefing, doesnt want to be disturbed.

"Ooh, a briefing, sounds very important, can me and some of my friends come along?"

"I'm sorry Wendy, Im not sure if he'd allow it, you know he's not one to have a very high tolerance, you remember what happened with Jane."

"Ah, may the soil lie lightly on her, yes.. I suppose I'll pester you another time, take care!"

With that she found herself outside. The first thing her eyes caught was the dragon, she was terrified of it, though she felt oddly safe at the same time. She inched as close as she dared, enough so she could hear the conversation. They spoke of the Light of Vallis, a concept familiar to her through her years as a bookworm, scholar and now assistant to a terrifying, bearded lumberjack with a passion for meat and blade.

They were to head to the Isle of Udirn and work their way through a myriad of adversities and whatnot, but some facts were still a bit blurry to her.

"Excuse me er..ma'am.." She shuffled upward slowly, her eyes refusing to look upwards lest they catch sight of the dragon. "I'm mister Beard's representative and assistant... You know, the large fellow with the axe eating a plate of mutton legs? Er..anyways I'd like to where are we going next after we get past their troops...On the isle, I mean.."

 

[Alice Falling]

Coralie didn't understand why she had been brought before a group of misfits. She couldn't wrap her mind around the idea of a quest. Once she had heard an ancient rumor of the Light of Vallis, but it was different from what she was hearing now. After all, ancient rumors were just gossip spread and changed throughout years and years.

Coralie followed the rest outside, a little slow at first. She had to think hard about using her legs sometimes. And when the sun beat down in her eyes she couldn't help but feel a little sick to her stomach. She could feel her smooth skin slowly turning more rough and dry.

As the others spoke she let out an inaudible sigh. She knew better than the others the hardships surrounding the waters and the Isle of Udir. She herself found the journey in the water difficult, even as a mermaid who took neither side. She couldn't begin to imagine what it would be like outside of the water.

It would be easier, and save them a day or two journey, if they all were mermaids. For a second Coralie imagined the different solutions to this problem. She could travel in water, but she could not grant the others the ability to. Though getting others to temporarily breath and maneuver underwater was probably easier than getting a mermaid legs. Still. The idea was next to impossible.

The other thing that scared Coralie about this journey was the idea of walking for a week on her legs which she still had to get used to, since she spent a week in the water. It would probably take her a few more days to be back to normal, if she had to fight in these next two or three days, Coralie would be out of luck. She's a strong fighter but not in her current condition.

It was at this moment she noted the dragon, which she automatically became enthralled with. Coralie absolutely adores creatures, suddenly she forgot all her other thoughts and wondered how she could have missed this majestic dragon.

Coralie had to fix her eyes off the dragon, she wanted to take this time, where she had nothing to say, to observe the people around her and their reactions. The perks of being unnoticed meant she could take more in of her surroundings in a more natural way.