Chapter Two: Bilal's Menagerie

[killfire]

"How about quenching the fire with some water?" Bronze wets some extra rags and passes them out to everyone. "Also as a smith, I'm betting that that stuff down there is iron, it's going to be real heavy, and insanely hot." Bronze also tries and kicks some dirt on the fire to see if that makes much difference. "Maybe use a spell to conjure up something like ice, or snow, maybe even rain?"

 

[Sherwood]

Luna frowns. "Unfortunately, I don't have much in the way of cold or water based magics. My strength is towards making fire, not putting it out. The magic that I have running right now can protect me from the heat, its the smoke that is messing me up. Perhaps if I wrap a wet towel around my face and try to hold my breath, I can run into the crater and snag the object out of the flames and run out. Hmmm. Bria, do you have any magics at your disposal that could help out? I don't know as much about the Ko as I'd like."

 

[Purr]

"Hardly anyone does, good Luna," Bria winks. "We are a people of great mystery to many. As for magics, I don't have any to prevent your wounds, but I do have a few left to relieve you of them should you be harmed. I am ready to use them. Oh!" Bria's eyes light up. "I have a recommendation, if you don't mind? If your Detect Magic spells work the same way ours do, and I see no reason why the effect would be different, you might use that to provide you with what the smoke denies you. I see quite clearly the aura of magic coming from the object; the smoke does not get in the way."


Powerpaw raises a claw in thought. "If you hold yer breaf an' use da rag ta cover yer face, den you kin runs in there, grabs it by its face, an' run back outs? You haz boots dat make yer feets move quick like we does, don't you?" Powerpaw points at his enchanted boots. "Here." Powerpaw removes his belt from around his waist. He moves to Luna, and if she does not oppose the movement, he places the mighty-looking belt around her waist. The belt shrinks quickly to her size.


"Dere!" the feline killer cheers. "Now you haz moar muscles! MOOOAR! Good lucks, Luna!"


"Yes!" Bria nods eagerly. "Good luck!"


Sparkle flies to the group and seeing what Luna is apparently about to do, she flaps there in the air. Her eyes look to the skies with great caution. "Whatever you are going to do, Pyri, do it now!"

 

[Sherwood]

Luna nods as she wraps the cloth around her face. "Thank you, my friends. Lets get this over with." She takes several deep breaths to saturate her blood with fresh air then, with a final gasp, she fills her lungs as full as she can before racing forward into the flames once more. Pushing herself, Luna lets her other senses guide her to the object in the middle of the crater. She fumbles around in the smoke until she finds the object and grabs ahold, trusting her magic will keep her from being burned. With a sharp tug, she tries to hoist the thing up and into her arms to run back out of the fire.

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

The ranger had been gazing at the fire and pondering the situation - not just the recovery of the mysterious item, but also where it came from and why, as well as who else might be interested in it, considering the circumstances of its arrival. Thus busy, he didn't manage to catch Luna in time.


"Be careful..." he half whispered, realizing she could not hear him as she dashed off into the flames.

 

[killfire]

As the totally awesem sauce that Bronze is, he'll ready a bucket of water and soak a blanket as well, just in case. He also calls out Luna's name over and over, and claps to give her a sound guide just in case the smoke overwhelms her sight. Has other ideas but doesn't want to seem to pushy.

 

[Purr]

Powerpaw nods in thanks to Bronze for the wet rag. He covers his big nose and whiskers and lets out a muffled "moar." Meanwhile, Bria makes brushing movements with one hand along her robes. The robes comply and within moments, a form-fitting mask and hood cover her nose and mouth leaving only her eyes visible. This addition to her outfit matches perfectly, and given the small amount of effort Bria used to make it happen, astute companions might notice that the addition might not be one of her imagination, but one that fits her outfit by way of the original tailor's design.


Bronze's attempt at kicking dirt on the flames helps mildly. It becomes clear to all that a lot more feet would have to share in the kicking to make a serious difference.


Then Otiorin arrives to the scene, nearly late for it all, but present nonetheless. The half-elf is not there long when a curious sensation rushes through him - a sensation not caused by the obscured glow of gold in the fiery, smoke-filled crater. Otiorin feels a terrible oddness inside of him, one that begins to manifest in his hands and eyes. The rogue/sorcerer's eyes begin to tell him tales he has not before known.


Before him are his teammates and the crater. Otiorin's eyes begin to see every one of them as he never has before. Is it his imagination or does little Kitrin seem taller and stronger than a normal hobbit, her skin having taken on a silvery steel-like sheen? And since when did his companion Wolf's skin become darker, his bearing a little more feral, a little more gentle, than before? Did Bria always possess a comforting white glow, almost angelic in its likeness? It is hard not to rush up and hug someone with such a quality. Or Luna? Her skin, clothes, and hair are wavering as if aflame - a flame that she is clearly a part of. Did Bronze's muscled appearance have a tinge of purest gold and marble white? Where came this unstained aura of something about him? And what of Powerpaw? That fanged maul-wielding terror did not ever seem so filled with joyous and violent features as now - elongated fangs, sanguine eyes seeped in violent tendencies, yet coupled with a powerful purring in his chest. And why, now of all times, were Otiorin's hands and fingers twitching? It was almost as if his claws were attempting to come out. On their own. That had never happened before.


Throughout all of this, Otiorin is completely certain he had not touched that last glass of wine...


Wolf with his keen skills and senses notices the difference in Otiorin too. It is as if Otiorin is tipsy, but not by alcohol. Wolf glances to his right and there he sees Sparkle's head whip around and stare at the half-elf with an expression of ill-concealed astonishment. Sparkle trembles as she makes eye contact with Wolf. Then the little dragon turns towards Luna as if to call out, but finds her familiar gone...


Luna steps into the crater toward the glow of gold in the center and soon the cloud of ashen black smoke envelops her. Her feet crunch along the burning earth that fails to harm her, yet her lungs protest in their famine for air. Luna hears her friends and comrades shouting and clapping, aiming her in the right direction, and Luna finds her target in short order.


Luna remembers that Bronze had said,

"Also as a smith, I'm betting that that stuff down there is iron, it's going to be real heavy, and insanely hot."

...and those words were true. Luna finds her vision clear out of the pitch black of the smoke to be replaced by a fantastic golden glow of eldritch energies unlike any she has ever experienced, even from her own potent mentors. The calling is stronger than ever. The closer her hands reach, the more they tremble. It is hard to breathe, but not from the smoke. It feels like a momentary battle of will between her and some cosmic, unseen force. It is a battle Luna wins.


She grasps the smooth, incredibly hard surface of the object...


...and sudden changes strike!


The calling immediately disappears in all those who felt it. A great wave of force bursts out from the object and through all present. The energy is not violent, yet it is irresistible. It flows through every one of you and beyond for a very short distance. Then it dissipates. Gone. Those of you who possess the ability to cast spells find the memories and reserves filled to completeness, as if you had not cast a single spell all the day and night. The spells still upon you become replenish, as if just cast.


In the wake of this burst of energy comes another tremendous feeling - that of your mind opening to something beyond - something higher, if you will. For one precious moment, your consciousness feels as if it were called by the constellations of light twinkling in the skies so very far above you. Something in your very being expands and heightens. It is like being touched by the beyond. Then the moment and feeling are gone, resonating through each of you like the echo of a thunderclap from some invisible storm.


Your senses reel as if some titan had hurled you high into the sky. When you come to them, you notice the flames are still alight. The column of smoke continues to pour into the air. You are all lying down as if you had just fallen over. Luna is with you. There on the ground in her arms, glowing softly with golden/coppery energy, is this:

Spoiler

(Picture credit: Peacock Ore (Copper Ore) @ www.flickr.com)


Yet someone is shouting at all of you. Shouting like mad. As all of you lie there, you think its the Meadowsweets. You turn your collective heads and see them on the prison wagon with four agitated horses. The hobbits are also agitated. Their little fingers point to the sky as they jump up and down. Behind them, you see the Grand Wagon coming your way guided by Stewart. He looks agitated too.


They are all pointing up to the sky and repeatedly yelling one word...


"DRAGON!!"

About that time, Otiorin notices that his draconic claws have come forth as if on their own accord. His sight still possesses that dream-like quality of before, except that thing in the sky is no dream...

 

[Purr]

Prior to her adventuring days and in her earlier years of studying, Luna spent long hours among very credible scholars and tutors, many of whom had adventuring experience among many Sharseyan realms. In these studies and heated debates, dragons were the focus of much speculation, some facts, and long, long history dating back before the time when humans walked the worlds. From this foundation, Luna believes that the dragon above you all is definitely an adult. Her gargantuan size is probably only matched by her immense experiences and power. Unfortunately, Luna does not remember her name.


Luna does, however, recall that long before Highwind was built upon its mountain top, there were dragons in the area that fought and fought over everything in the Highwind territory - natural resources, hoards of treasure, lost knowledge, artifacts and relics of long bygone ages old even unto them, and who knows what else. The battles in the skies happened regularly. Yet despite the incredible power and ferocity of the mystical reptiles, there was no clear winner of the region.


That changed when two dragons fell in love. One bright silver, the other volcanic red. They did one thing dragons apparently have never done in the history of humankind - they joined forces long-term.


To this day, these two dominate their chosen territory. They suffer no fools and destroy all challenges. It is said that at least two races of creatures have gone utterly extinct after challenging this pair of dragons. Luna remembers that there is currently but one adult silver dragon known to hunt and roam between Summerset and Highwind, and unless something has changed in the great and mysterious game dragons play...


...you are looking at her...

 

[Sherwood]

Luna stared up into the sky as the majestic form beat its wings, her jaw hanging open. Finally, she is able to find her voice, "Oh, my stars and garters! A silver dragon! Whatever you do, don't attack it! I suspect that it would wipe us out in a heartbeat if we make it mad! But, how? Where? Was it trapped in this fallen star? Who could do such a thing to a elder dragon? Sparkle, can you tell if we are in any danger from your giant cousin up there?"

 

[killfire]

"Hum this is wonderful, I've never seen a dragon before, Miss Luna is there anything you can tell us about it?" Bronze stays calm in the presence of such a magnificent being. Remaining calm, but watching carefully. A Thought also crosses his mind, what if we get to distracted from this sight. "Hey everybody, keep a look out as well." Bronze also carefully walks back to the Meadowsweets, just in case they need some protection.

 

[Captain Hesperus]

Otiorin's eyes narrowed in a barely contained instinctual hate and fury. His lips rolled back to expose his pearly-white teeth as he growled deep within his throat. His claws were full-grown now, glistening in the light of the fires that flickered around him. If he's had wings, they would have been fully extended, flared out in a territorial display. If he'd had a tail, it would have been aggressively lashing the ground like a drumstick against a skin. Within the rational, Half-Elf part of his mind, this behaviour was ridiculous and futile. If the draconic part of his brain....shut the fuck up and get ready to subjugate this trespassing bitch!!!!!

 

[Wolf Rawrrr]

"A dragon..." Wolf said out loud, but more to himself than to anyone else, as his eyes were locked at the sight of the silver beast looming directly above. "A real dragon..."


The ranger doesn't do anything at all. Completely spaced out, he hears neither Luna's nor Bronze's warnings, though the last thing in his mind would be to attack such a creature. His bow rests on his back forgotten. There is only the dragon.


A dragon...

 

[killfire]

((YAY a moment of Sillyness presents itself in an actual serious RP! Note to the GM and Group, this is a moment of sillyness not to be taken seriously or be acted on with character violence, simply because it can't happen)) Bronze with a totally serious grin on his face "WHAPTS!" Wolf with a fluffy pillow! Now for the real action.


Bronze notes the changes in Otiorin, "Um, is there something wrong Otiorin?" and notes the look on Wolf's face so gives Wolf a bit of a shake. "Hello? Situation arising, need to FOCUS!" Bronze then proceeds to give everyone else a look of "Ok what we going to do now!?"