The dark side of magic

Started by Lady Jenn, November 11, 2011, 04:35:55 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Lady Jenn

Halfway to Dragonblight they suddenly noticed strange flecks of light drifting around them. At first they looked like specks of dust but they were moving too deliberately to be an inanimate object. Barkeley reached uneasily for his sword.

"You have nothing to fear," Kira said, not even turning her head as she focused on her course. "They are Sky Wisps, there would need to be thousands of them to pose any kind of threat to us. I think they are merely curious who has entered their aerial realm."

"They're beautiful," Tea said, watching them dance around the three flying figures. "Can they understand what we're saying?"

"Not that we know of," Imrik replied. "If they can they've never made an attempt to communicate with other species."

albatross

Aurora lifted her head when she heard them talking and noticed the flecks of light drifting around them. "They kinda remind  me of tinkerbell," she said quietly. "From Peter Pan," she added, though she was sure none of the magic folk had ever heard of the children's story.

Her nose had gone numb and she was shivering now.

She turned her head and looked back at Barkeley. "Can you hold me? I'm really cold," she said quietly and looked into his eyes.

Lady Jenn

He put his arms around her, holding her close but blushing slightly as he did. Suddenly a shiver ran down his spine.

"That was the barrier around Dragonblight wasn't it?" he asked Kira, noticing the air suddenly felt a lot different.

"Indeed," Kira replied. "Its how the city is protected from the eyes of non-magic users. If you have an aura you enter the realm of Dragonblight, if not than you carry on over it as if there is nothing there but mountains. It is my aura that allows Aurora to enter this area." Suddenly they seemed to be buffeted by a wind which hadn't been there before. "Hold on tighter, this is the second line of defence around Dragonblight, and why Muroe couldn't fly this himself."

"You weren't kidding about how strong they are were you?" Muroe asked as he hung on as strongly as they could, impressed by the fact the fairies and dragon seemed barely fazed by the turbulence.

albatross

Aurora shifted so she was snuggled up against him, wanting to share as much heat as she could. "Thank you," she whispered and laid her head on his shoulder.

When she felt the shiver she glanced at Barkeley as he spoke then looked to Kira as she answered. When the wind picked up she reached down to grab a scale with one hand his jacket with the other.

She closed her eyes against the wind and ducked her head down a bit. "How is this not bothering you?" She asked, flicking her eyes up to look at Barkeley.

Lady Jenn

"When you've been through what I have this is quite soft in comparison," he said with a laugh.

"Here we go everyone," Kara said as she suddenly started flying downwards through the clouds, they could see nothing for a few seconds before they got below the clouds again and found themselves faced by two mountains, between whih stood the wall they had seen in the vision. The ogres on the wall had evidently seen them already because even at that distance it was evident they had caused a commotion.

"For our sakes let's hope they're planning a welcoming comittee," Imrik said. "I don't fancy our chances, even with Kara, if we've caught them in a bad mood."

albatross

She smiled before snuggling down again, keeping a firm hold on his jacket. "I would've brought my winter jacket if I knew how cold it was gonna be," she said then sat up a bit when they began to descend.

Her eyes looked over the walls then she squinted as she watched the ogres rushing about and looked to Imrik when he spoke. "If we did catch them in a bad mood. What'll they do to us?" She asked, glancing to Barkeley again.

"Just because the ogres are in a bad mood doesn't mean that Stormrider will be," she suggested hopefully.

Lady Jenn

"Each of those ogres has the strength of six men," Imrik said. "Remember there are at least 100 of them dotted around that city. They alone could rip us to shreds if we weren't careful."

"I bring visitors to see King Val'than," Kara shouted to the ogres on the wall. "By dragonkin law I can bring anyone I choose here." For a moment there was complete silence from the wall until a tall cloaked figure appeared from behind two of the ogres. "I have his father's relic, the one taken by the Fallen centuries ago."

"You may pass," the figure shouted out to them, turning to utter something to one of the two ogres who disappeared down the steps behind the wall.

"Val'than?" Muroe asked. "I thought it was Storm..."

"Stormrider is his human name," Kara replied. "If you said that name to the ogres or his herald and they wouldn't know who you meant. Val'than is his dragon name." She guided them over the wall, where they were met by an extraordinary sight. Hundreds of dragons of all shapes, sizes and ages dotted the ground, from fearsome mothers guarding clutches of eggs to younger dragons making haf-hearted attempts to fly and some even performing basic magic. A space had been created in the centre for them to land, where a vanguard of Dragon Ogres awaited them. "Welcome to the lost city of the Dragonkin," Kara said to those on her back as she landed. "You are the first humans to visit here in nearly a millenia."

albatross

Aurora looked over towards the wall and watched the ogres, a little nervous since there were so many of them.

Once they were over the wall her face broke out into a big smile and she looked around, trying to take it all in as she watched the dragons. She grinned as she watched the little dragons and pointed to a few of them, feeling giddy at how adorable they looked.

She climbed off of Kara's back once she landed and looked around then took in a deep breath of the clean air and smiled as she looked around. "It's so beautiful around here," she said and moved to the other side of Kara to look over that way.

Lady Jenn

"They don't seem too alarmed," Barkeley said, noticing the younger dragons seemed more interested than the adults, although some were keeping a watchful eye on them.

"You're five non-dragons in a city full of dragon-kin," Kara replied. "Only an idiot would try and attack them when they're outnumbered this heavily." The tall figure from the wall appeared again, bowing to Kara, who caught even the fae off guard by tranforming into a beautiful young woman, who bowed. "Meren old friend," she said. "It has been far too long."

"You have no need to bow Kara," the figure replied. "You are like an aunt to Stormrider, if anyone should be bowing it. I will go and tell Stormrider you have arrived. Wait here, I will send someone to get you when he is ready." He walked off towards the tower, as the ogres slowly dispersed and returned to the wall.

"What is he?" Muroe asked. "He doesn't feel like any human I've ever met."

"He isn't," Kara replied. "No-one's 100% sure what he is, it is said only the dragon king ever knows Meren's true nature, it does require a great deal of trust though."

albatross

Aurora did a double take of Kara when she saw her transform into a beautiful young woman. "Wow, she's a looker in that form too," she mumbled to herself and stared as the two of them talked.

She made her way over to Barkeley and looked up at him. "Is it impolite to stare at dragons?" She whispered to him, looking back at Kara and the other man.

When he left and Muroe spoke she looked towards him but stayed attached to Barkeley's side, determined she wasn't going to leave him no matter what. She trusted him more than anyone here. She didn't distrust them, but she felt drawn to Barkeley and safe with him.

Aurora reached up, grasped the chain and tugged the amulet out from under her shirt and began rubbing it again, it just felt right to rub it now.

Lady Jenn

"I think they'd expect it," Muroe said with a smile. "Dragons can be a little vain at the best of times, if they think you're admiring them they'd probably be quite flattered."

"I don't know many of the dragons," Kara said, before pointing to a male who was almost as large as her dragon form was who was watching a group of younger dragons carefully, while occasionally casting a glance in their direction. "He's the only relation I have left, my nephew, I call him Lightning for...well, you can see why." Running across the dragon's right eye was a lightning shaped scar which had evidently long since healed.

"I'm guessing its as bad an idea to get on his bad side as it is to get on yours," Barkeley said, a note of awe in his voice. "Can you imagine an army of these? They'd make a formidable army against just about anyone." A young dragon flew unsteadily over to where they were, walking up to Aurora and watching her with a look of curiosity on its face.

"Feel free to pet her," a female dragon who was sat watching another group of young dragons said. "She doesn't bite. I mean, literally she doesn't, her teeth are still developing. She couldn't do much more than leave a very slight scratch right now."

albatross

When Aurora saw the little dragon flying unsteadily she let out a cute noise but moved behind Barkeley since she wasn't sure what to do and didn't want to upset any of the dragons and get everyone in trouble.

When the female dragon spoke Aurora's face broke into a huge grin, she stepped slowly from around Barkeley and knelt down onto her knees as she approached the little dragon slowly.

She held her head out so the dragon could become a little familiar with her before she let her fingers touch the top of the dragons head and ran her palm down her neck. "Hello there, you're absolutely adorable," she cooed, shifting to sit on her butt to get comfortable as all of her attention was focused on the little dragon now.

Lady Jenn

"I haven't given her a name," the mother said, watching with a smile on her face. "We usually wait till they are able to speak for themselves, otherwise we see a name as slightly pointless."

"Maybe Aurora could give her a name, as a way of building some bridges between us," said a voice which seemed to come out of nowhere, Barkeley wheeling around to find himself face to face with a man who seemed almost seven feet tall but whose emerald eyes revealed he wasn't quite who he appeared to be. "My apologies, I wanted to see you acting more naturally than if you entered my throne room." He was wearing a ring on one hand which bore the same runes as Aurora's necklace.

"Stormrider, its a-" Muroe started saying before Stormrider put a hand up to stop him.

"I only expect formality from my own kind," Stormrider said with a smile. "My offer was an honest one however, you may give her a name if you wish."

albatross

Aurora pulled her eyes from the little dragon to the mother and smiled bigger when she saw the mother was smiling and looked back to the dragon, playing a little bit.

When she heard her name she looked back and stared at the man then looked at the dragon again when she was told she could name it. She noticed his height first, then the ring and glanced down at her amulet before she looked back at the little dragon. She was a pretty blue and Aurora had read some books about dragon riders, the start dragon, a blue female, was named Saphira and it was the only name which might be suitable for a dragon.

When Muroe said his name she looked back again, smiled a bit at how nice he seemed and looked to the mother dragon. After some thought and getting her voice to work she asked to the mother dragon. "Do you like the name Saphira?" She asked, her hand still stroking the little dragons powerful neck.

Lady Jenn

"It is a beautiful name," Stormrider said, turning to look at the mother who nodded in agreement. "She evidently likes the name too," he said, laughing as the dragon nuzzled Aurora's hand. "I have an especial affinity to that name, it was my mother's."

"Well this little one could be named after far worse dragons than your mother Tyke," Kara said, smirking as she saw Stormrider's embarrassment at the nickname. "I should introduce you properly. This is Barkeley, without whom we would never have retrieved your father's armour," she said as Barkeley bowed to the king. "Muroe, a talented young human animagus. I doubt Tea and Imrik need much introduction I'm guessing."

"My mother sends her best wishes," Imrik said, bowing to the king. "But for her being needed in Shadow Glade she may even have come personally."

"I could not ask her to come here," Stormrider said, returning the bow. "I would not be responsible for depriving Shadow Glade of its greatest defence. And who is this young lady," he said, turning to Aurora as a smile played across his lips. "I haven't met you but those eyes remind me of an...old friend," he said, bending down and kissing her hand. "There are only two people I've given amulets too and since you aren't fae I can guess who you must be related to."

albatross

Aurora grinned when the dragon nuzzled against her hand and beamed at Saphira, her mind reeling at the fact she was allowed to name a dragon.

She listened as they spoke but continued playing with Saphira until she heard him mention that was the name of his mother, she looked back and listened a bit more closely before she went back to playing with the dragon.

When he addressed her though she stood quickly and looked at him, returning his smile, flushing slightly as he kissed her hand and looked down. She looked into his eyes when he said he could guess who she was related. "Elaine," she smiled a bit. "She was my grandmother," she said after a moment and looked down at the amulet. "She gave it to me just before she passed," she said with a small smiled and fingered the amulet before looked back at him. "It was peaceful, and she was surrounded by family," she offered.

Lady Jenn

"There wasn't merely family there," he said, a note of sadness in his voice. "She made me promise a long time ago to leave a dragonkin to watch over her. When it became clear she was dying she begged him to send for me, and so I took a rare trip out of Dragonblight," he said, chnaging his form to a shorter, younger manwith more normal looking green eyes. "I don't blame you for not remembering me, I chose this appearance to ensure I would draw as little attention to me as possible. She wanted me to stay but...I told her I felt only her family should be there at the end."

"I hadn't realised," Kara said quietly. "I'm so used to seeing you're towering human form I suspect even I would've been hard-pressed to recognise you."

"I don't know about that," he said with a laugh before turning back to Aurora. "It was your grandmother who showed me humans were not the monsters I had long believed them to be. But for her I might not even be alive now but...I'm not sure that is a story to be told with quite such an audience around us. Shall we go to my throne room? We would have more privacy there."

albatross

She was confused a moment before she understood what he meant and when he changed she nodded her head, a sense of familiarity came to her but she wouldn't have been able to place. "I was only little when she passed," she said quietly. "About six," she said with a nod of her head. "I wish I could remember you though, if we'd have known how much you meant to her you would have been more than welcome to stay," she said quietly.

She looked to Kara as she spoke then back to him, surprised her grandmother had been such an influence on someone like Stormrider but when she thought about it she couldn't help but laugh. "She was the nicest woman I ever knew but my mom always told me she was stubborn to boot so if she didn't make you believe by accident she would've forced you too," she grinned.

When he offered to go to his throne room to tell her the story she nodded eagerly.

Lady Jenn

He led them into the tower and into a room which was empty but for a throne at its very centre. At the foot of the throne was a carving of a young dragon which seemed to stare at them, its emerald green eyes making its identity immediately obvious. Stormrider sat down with a sigh.

"I have rarely ventured beyond Dragonblight in my dragon form since the great Exodus but, for some reason, that day I chose to," he said, staring beyond them out into the city. "Unfortunately I drew the attention of a less than pleasant creature, a dark firebird."

"Imagine a phoenix," Kara said to Aurora, "but much bigger and vastly more dangerous. Sorry," she said, realising she'd interrupted the king's story.

"We fought and eventually I forced it to retreat," he continued, "but not before it would badly wounded me. I made a vain attempt to reach Dragonblight by my left wing had been badly damaged. When I saw I was landing near a human house I changed into my human form just before I hit the ground. Your grandmother nursed me for two weeks till I was strong enough to stand without help from her. When I finally came to tell her what I truly was she told me she knew already, she had seen me come down and had decided to help me anyway."

albatross

Aurora sat down, staring at him. When she was a child storytime was her favourite and she sat cross-legged, her elbows resting on her thighs as her chin rested in her palms and she stared at him, waiting for him to start.

Once he did and said a dark firebird she took on a slightly baffled look then looked to Kara as she spoke. "Thank you," she mouthed then looked back to the king, smiling more and more as he talked about her grandmother.

"You're Stromy! I never made the connection but my grandmother told my mom stories of a dragon king named Stormy and she told them to me!" She grinned then thought a moment. "Did you really set the kitchen on fire when she tried to teach you how to make toast?" She asked with a slightly amused smile.

Lady Jenn

"I did," he said, a smile playing across his lips. "I'm not sure your grandma realised how powerful my fire breath really was. I spent six months with her, forming a bond I have formed with only two other people in my entire life. But, eventually, I was needed at Dragonblight. I offered to take her with me, or to try and return whenever I could be she said no. All she asked was for a chance to see what I truly looked like. When she saw my dragon form she said it was more beautiful than my human disguise," he said, blushing slightly.

"You loved her didn't you?" Kara asked. "No dragon, king or otherwise, would leave Dragonblight for a human for any length of time except for love or if his king had ordered him to."

"I did," Stormrider replied. "Or as close to love as I can feel anyway. But for what she taught me even with Kara you would not have reached this city alive.  You and Barkeley may not realise it but you are related," he said, standing up and taking the dragon-tooth sword they'd brought with them. "Your grandfather had a brother, under who's protection the sword for opening the vault was kept until Barkeley decided to retrieve it." He held the sword as if it had been made specifically for him, spinning it in his hand deftly.

"My grandpa told me he had a relative who claimed to know a dragon," Barkeley said. "I thought it was the ramblings of an old man's failing memories."

albatross

She smiled at his brush, thinking it was cute. She glanced to Kara then back to Stormrider as he spoke. She looked confused and a little grossed out when he said her and Barkeley were related. She'd begun to think of him as attractive and perhaps date-able once this whole ordeal was over-with. But now that she knew she was related to him, those thoughts went flying out the window.

She looked at Barkeley when he spoke and then back to Stormrider. "Hey, wait, does that mean I can do magic stuff too?" She asked, looking around.

"Or was that only on his side of the family?" She questioned.

Lady Jenn

"Sadly no," Stormrider replied. "I can see any magical aura around any person or creature and I can't see any around you. I'm not sure not being a wizard is necessarily a bad thing," he said with a slight laugh. "I'm assuming you did not come here merely for a social call or to return the armour?"

"Are we that transparent?" Imrik asked, trying to supress a laugh. "We have come here to ask the Dragonkin's aid. The forces of darkness are building their strength again and I fear without your aid we cannot fight them and hope to win."

"I cannot afford to offer you every dragon in Dragonblight," Stormrider replied, "but if Elaine was here she would pester me to offer her family any help I can. I fear you do not realise the scale of threat facing you, I can show you if you wish me to though."

albatross

It was bit disappointing to know for sure she had no magical power but it's not as though she actually thought there was a chance she'd be magic. She'd never so much as seen a hint of it during her life so it wasn't about to change her life.

She eased her way over to Barkeley and looked at him, studying his face. "I guess I can see some resemblance," she said and brushed some of his hair to the side. "Not the hair, but maybe in the nose," she said, tilting her head as she tried to see some family resemblance.

When Stormrider spoke again about her grandmother she looked towards him and couldn't bring a smile to her face after hearing they didn't realize the scale of their threat and felt a little twinge of fear. When he offered to show them she nodded her head, not interested in surprises later.

Lady Jenn

"Meren, bring me the Seer," Stormrider said to Meren, who had been stood in such a deep shadow that none of the others had even realised he was in the room with them. Meren nodded and exited through a door in the opposite end of the room. "I'm assuming only Kara is aware who...or what...the Seer is?"

"Considering it is a secret kept by the Dragonkin royal family I'd imagine only we would know," Kara replied. "A creature fell from the sky into Dragonblight millenia ago, before even I or Stormrider's father had been born. The then king, Skyhorn, was about to kill it, believing it a threat to our kind when it warned him an army of Orcs were about to assault Dragonblight. Although Skyhorn's advisors were skeptical as to the truth of the claim he refused to be caught off guard and so reinforced the walls with fresh troops."

"The creature was proven right," Stormrider continued. "That night a horde of Orcs attempted to attack the great walls of Dragonblight, but found themselves opposed by a gathering of dragonkin the likes of which had never been seen before and may never be seen again, who showed no mercy. The few who weren't killed fled down the mountain but back then far deadlier creatures lived in the foothills so what the survivors' ultimate fate was is unknown. Anyway, having proven its worth to Skyhorn, rather than being killed the Seer was given his own chamber within the king's tower, and all it asked in return was that no-one, not even the king's own subjects, were to be told of its existence until the coming of something he called "The Time of Shadows."

"Its remained in the tower ever since," Kara said, finishing the story. "It mostly stays within its private chambers, only venturing forth if it has information the king needs or if the king seeks its counsel in making a decision. Stormrider is the fourth king it has worked for." Meren returned, followed by a figure who gave off enough light that even the dragons had to shield their eyes, before its light dimmed slightly, revealing what looked at first to be a human being but it was almost entirely of energy.

"My apologies," the figure said. "I have company so rarely that I am not used to adjusting my appearance for other species."