Fantasy Mountain Magic Mayhem (Luc/Sazz)

[St. Clover]

So that was it, then. This was a sacred place to whoever built this Chamber, and this dragon was its protector. But the question remained, "What's the Chamber's purpose?" Milianor squinted up at the feelers, noting the fog that poured from the dragon's nose. The more she saw of this thing, the more questions she had. "And how do you determine how to protect it? Do you find everyone in this land to be an intruder? Are we all a threat?" she asked.

 

[Anshelical]

It was the Dragon Stones, or so the knight assumed. There would be no other reason why the Dragon would attempt to kill them if it knew about his origins. A blur of a claw went by his eye right before Diger flung to the rocky edge. The Dragon was definitely aiming for him... but it missed. So, why was it tamed now? Perhaps his intuition was wrong, and yet, he being a master of stories and lies would definitely know how a Dragon Stone descendant would act.

"De Chaumber reguvates the Auphautic Reavm," another swirl of fog drifted upon the ground. "Such Reavm enkumpaussed weid de Stounes uf Shaudow. De Stounes uf Shaudow are oozed in deyer claun fur protection aund staunding uf deyer preschieg. Dese Stounes dreateuned by de cults oozing ut for unerjay." Swish, swish, went the tail. Holey eyes of glitter glared to the travelers. "Une uf dese traveveres possess de Bloud Stoune Aua, une to knauw und sei descundaunts uf families laucking prior encunteir. Und, to seik owt de Shaudow Stoune wus ei despleising untaunt."

Lier lied a straight, motionless glare into the Dragon's eye. A lot of it was gibberish to him, but for sure he heard "Stones of Shadow."

 

[St. Clover]

Beginning to understand a bit better now, Milianor chanced a look back at the others. "So one of them was coming here to take the stone?" she slowly asked. "Whoever it was, were they part of these cults you mentioned?" She wasn't sure about a few things after the dragon's words, so probing the waters felt right. "Say they were able to get the stone, what'd happen then? What would they use it for? And what's this aura they possess?"

 

[Anshelical]

Moving about the entire group, the Dragon's narrow pupils honed back onto Milianor. "De Aua poivts en deir diretion no longaer, for I hauve sleid de duscendant."

"D-D--?!" Iso was surprised. Diger sure did know his stuff about this place, but he didn't know somehow he was directly involved with the matter. "He couldn't have been! I would had known."

Liernoine was quite shocked as well, but he had always suspected Diger's higher knowledge was definitely a product of a higher entity. Not that being intelligent could make one a demi-god, though. And then for a quick moment, he pondered, How does Iso know what it's saying?

When the Dragon curled its head toward the fearful lad, it huffed another whirl of smoke. "Dunial souves noding. Hes impudunce to de Shaudow Stoune drough de Bloud Stoune saupped de huddin knewludge uf de family trei, dat drough our untunt to extund de Chaumber." It turned back to Milianor. "De Bvoud Stoune Aua not unvy exposus de famivial vine to de uppeir worle, but ut engaugus uts maugic en usauge vuvnerabivity. De Stoune caun onvy toveraute sooch caupacitay. Und for dese coovts whuch dese travevers caume to oose Aphautic maugic for de parpetual var agaunst deir iwn cvauns und for deir cuties vere mistaukin."

 

[St. Clover]

"So you were just trying to prevent this thing from being used for war..." Milianor whispered, lowering her eyes. She stared at the dragon's chest for a while, contemplating its words. Turning a source of potent magic into a tool of war wasn't something that sat right with her. She'd seen firsthand what the effects of unchecked magic usage led to, the scars of the Great War were still vivid in many places across Citiria, and the greater Whirlotuian continent. Powerful, potentially world ending horrors and devices that'd been born from that conflict still threatened civilization to this day.

She shook her head, shivering. "No... No this isn't right," she said. She lifted her head and looked the dragon in the eye. "Are you absolutely sure they were coming here to turn this stone into a weapon?" she asked, her tone hardening with concern. "All of them?"

 

[Anshelical]

"Dey are uf de saume," the reptile bended its head to Iso, who froze in place. "De descundunts uf de Stounes."

"A tool for war?" Liernoine said. "From the Seconds of Huujar?" He waved to the dragonness. "Hey, translate for us will ya? I can't understand a damn thing."

"De Seikounds ire uvsoe uf de saume. De Huuzhare hauve stoven more stounes und seik to plundeir moori un beihave uf de Bvood Creseis, dose unvoved undeir de Bvood Stoune Aua."

 

[St. Clover]

"The dragon... He's saying that you came here to plunder these stones on behalf of some people called the Blood Crisis," Milianor began slowly, turning to regard the others with a conflicted look. She didn't believe they were as guilty as the dragon believed. But she also couldn't deny something like this was within the realm of possibility. "That they're goal is to use it for war against the tribe your people oppose. He seems to think you all came here with that intent, not just your friend. He acted only to keep that from happening, so he says."

She turned back to the dragon.

"And what about me? Why are you talking to me when you didn't spare them a chance at talking before?"

 

[Anshelical]

"Haha," Vine smirked. "That Chief knew this, I think."

"What a way to set us up," Erro said. "But... didn't really surprise me. Here to get it and go and get some money."

Lier eyeballed Erro's blatant response then Iso, who was relieved the Dragon no longer watched him, wondering if Iso knew about Diger's intentions after all. He turned back to Milianor. "Could be the case."

"But... that's kinda how it is," Vine said. "No need to deny it." He wanted a piece of Diger's body, the Blood Stones, Milianor's tough skin, and definitely that dragon's head now.

The tail of the beast swished more. "Yvu ure ei draugonbiorn und rupresent un behavf uf iur troost to eur kind. De descaundaunts uf de Aphautic Chaumber, iven I, have seveired iur ties to toveraute sooch dumeinor frum de cratures uf pertitiun -- deir kind." It glared from the Huujari and back to Milianor. "Fur war es no reisoun to spaur dis comfvict. Do yiu accomoate deir fooly?"

 

[St. Clover]

Milianor's snout wrinkled in a nasty frown. She shook her head, "Of course I don't," she sneered. "War without a damn good reason is just stupid. It takes more lives than it's worth, and the marks it leaves on the world aren't easily healed." Her hand waved back to the others. "But I honestly don't believe that these people set out to help that cycle of violence. Not all of them, at least. I'm willing to bet my entire hoard that they were being duped by whoever that Blood Crisis bunch is. Cut them some slack and at least let them plead their case. Please?"

 

[Anshelical]

The tail came to a stop. The Beast contemplated with its slowing breaths, the fog about its nostril less dense and spread out. The feelers floated about at the side of the head, darkening.

"Thus es de trud," it said. "Waur weith no cleir und reisonuble objuctive wiv hauve conseiqunces unacciunted faur. Derefour, ut us umparutauve to hult uts succussion."

"B-B-By killing o-one of us?!" Iso balled his fists. "You could had said this to us and we would had left!"

"Hey, hey," Vine nudged the lad, "Easy."

The narrow eyes glossed to the outburst. "My farst cov to de Bvood descaundant wus ugnared."

Lier could not understand the creature, but he knew that at their initial confrontation it roared at them. Perhaps that was the first and only warning. And then Diger... Yes! That's right; Diger gave the statistics of the Dragon right away after the roar. It most likely thought they were going to attack, so then it was no mercy.

"Why didn't he respond?" Iso scowled. "Vine!"

"What?" The leader said.

"Why didn't he respond? I-If he knew?!"

"Who now?"

"D-Diger! Didn't you know, too?"

"I mean... not really? I didn't know what the Dragon was doing except being one -- a monster." He held his hands up to the Dragon. "But, but of course with little meaning. We didn't know you were trying to get our attention or whatever."

"You should had spoke to us," Iso's voice lowed. "Could had prevented... We could had t-talked to you."

"Unfartonautevy, undeir de Ordeir uf de Aphautic Chaumber, no mercay shav bei grauntid to uny sospucions uf afore suid uction."

 

[St. Clover]

As much as she hated to admit it, she knew that the dragon was partially right in its mentality. She'd seen firsthand what could happen when magic went awry, especially powerful magic. The image of the Eldritch Infuser flashed in her thoughts, sending a chill down her spine. There were some things in the world that needed to be kept under lock and key, and no one let within a hundred miles of them. And here, it seemed, that hundred miles was protected by a dragon not afraid to shoot first and ask questions later.

"This whole thing is just a big mess," she grumbled under her breath.

She scratched the back of her head, kicking at the gravel in annoyance. "So, we've got an ancient magic chamber somewhere in the region." She waved to the mountains. "Some shadowy group making scrape goats out of their subjects, and a plot to weaponize said chamber for a senseless war."

Her hand turned to the dragon.

"And a misunderstanding that might've killed you all had I not screamed at rocky road here." She looked to the dragon. "That sound about right?"

 

[Anshelical]

"S-Scrape goats?" Iso frowned.

"Whoa, a war?" Lier said. "I don't think our Chief sent us to do something like that, now." But, there was really no reason to deny, either. Vine was sure of the Chief's foolishness from the start, marking just a piece of his greed to outdo him. And if Lier's leader could think this, then his ties with this particular mission had more to offer than obtaining a Dragon Stone.

The Dragon swayed its tail up to its spine, contemplating.

Erro hinged the canvas upon his thigh. "I mean... It's not like it isn't a possibility. I'm just trying to fathom why Diger had to be killed, though."

 

[St. Clover]

The best Milly could do was offer a shrug. "He posed the greatest threat, if I had to guess. Dragon seemed to indicate he was directly linked to this whole mess, so it'd make sense." Her attention returned to the dragon. "With that said, though," she began, more confident than before. "It's pretty clear now that we don't pose any threat to you. I don't give two shits about taking whatever's in that chamber, and all these guys want to do is get their friend and go home. Don't see any reason we can't part peacefully, now."

"Unless," she added. "You just like wasting people for the hell of it."

 

[Anshelical]

Liernoine pondered on Vine's slightly displeased look -- that nuance expression between agreement and denial where his brows would stay in place but his lips would pucker out. Did he know after all about the Chief's true intentions?

"Hey," he nudged over to Erro. "Don't forget about that letter."

"I didn't," the historian said. "Just thinkin' about it a minute ago."

"Were you really?"

"Tck. Yeah, really. Aren't you supposed to be paying attention, anyway?"

"Same goes to you." Lier turned over to the main conversation again, only to meet Vine's eyes in front of him. "Whoa, whoa."

"Hey," Vine whispered. "Give me that container."

"What container?"

"The... the one with the... what was it...?" Vine whispered. He had to compensate his losses somehow. "Oh, shit. The Fool's Valor Tonic. That container. Give it to me."

And behold, the container sat in the knight's pocket. He pulled it out and handed it to him. "I forgot I put it there anyway. Probably should... you know..." He glanced to Milianor. "Give it back."

"It empty," the leader scoffed. "She probably don't want it back now." He nodded to Lier's shrug, feeling the container in his dry hands. And then he remembered Diger.

"Wheich coumraude shall bei deilivared?" the Dragon hissed, to say "Which comrade shall be delivered?"

"D-D-D--!" Iso couldn't finish.

 

[St. Clover]

Her brow ridges's furrowing, Milly swiveled to fully face the dragon. She crossed her arms and said, "Delivered?" Her pulse picked up, a twinge of concern blooming in the back of her mind. Things weren't set in stone now, and if they went south, she needed to be ready. "Explain," she added. "Who's being delivered where? And why?"

 

[Anshelical]

The scaly tail returned to swishing side to side. "Yus, deilivared, us uf de decaesed comraude," to say, "Yes, delivered, as of the deceased comrade."

Vine turned the vial's neck within his palms. "Tck, tck."

Iso was shocked to hear the Dragon even say that. It was like their nemesis-feeding relationship turned into a cooperative one. No, something was up with this Dragon submitting this easily. Or, is there? He kept denying the plausible truth.

"Aund thein," the Dragon lowered its head, "Yiu ull moost leive." It did not want them to continue their activity there and cause further misunderstandings, after all. But, then again, the longer present widens the prevalence for exposure of its plausible truth. Only those born of the Draconic Circle have pure reason.

 

[St. Clover]

More than a little weary at the dragon's words, Milly rolled her options around on her tongue. Her hands opened and closed, and her jaw worked an unseen wad of gum. "Deal," she eventually said with a nod. "But we'll collect him ourselves. More to the point, I will. Tell me where he is, I'll find my way down and bring him back. Then we'll be out of your scales. Can we agree on those terms?"

 

[Anshelical]

"Cuncurred," the Dragon's tongue slithered above its rocky lip, making attention to the four travelers.

"S-So it's going to take us to 'em?" Iso winced to the eye contact. "We're going to f-find Diger?"

"Yeah, we are," Vine said. "No need to stutter about that." He smirked to Erro behind, twisting the container in his hand.

 

[St. Clover]

Nodding, Milly was happy to hear they were finally, hopefully, in the clear. "Come on, guys!" she called back to the others, relaxing her posture ever so slightly. "The quicker we can get this done, the better!"

 

[Anshelical]

That Dragon possesses dark magic, Lier considered. For sure, he was on the premise of caution for this strange agreement. Just as Iso questioned earlier, why did the Dragon want to cooperate now? "Sure it be," Lier notioned to his gang. "Lead the way," he waved to Vine.

"I got to be up front," Vine took to Milly's side. "Just don't let it do some silly things."

The Dragon awaited them, turning around to the trail behind, raising its glittering wings.

 

[St. Clover]

"Trust me, I'm keeping my eyes out," Milly nodded as she began walking back towards the trail. She glanced down and checked the straps on her Spell Slapper, ensuring they were ready if a fight broke out. While she was at it, she also checked the wand she kept stashed in her coat. Warm, as always. "All fifteen of them."

"Come on!" she called to the dragon. "Lead the way!"

 

[Anshelical]

The reptile was slow to move, flapping more sparkles onto the trail and over the cliff. Its tongue hung out with lolling saliva glittering in the light. And then flap, flap, flap went the wings.

"I-I-Is it about to f-fly?" Iso shivered.

"Looks like it," Lier said. "Guess he's in another location."

"De destiounation es afaur," the creature affirmed the distance. Clearly it did relocate Diger for whatever reason.

 

[St. Clover]

"Looks like we're in for a bit of a hike," Milly observed as the dragon began to take flight. She kept a mental note of where it was at all times, not risking a sneak attack if it decided to change its mind. "How're you all holding up, by the way?" she asked, looking to them. Her expression softened a bit. "That couldn't have been easy to watch. Stressful as hell, even."

 

[Anshelical]

Erro thumbed up to the dragonborn, while Vine sneered at its disrespectful casualness. "We're good," he said. He nodded to Liernoine, who slid the blade at his leather hip sheath.

Iso shivered outwardly, but inwardly his desire was to slay the dragon regardless of its yielding. "W-W-We're going to have to fly, too?"

"No, dumbass," Vine said. "Just need to follow it. Can't even do that on our own anyway." He smirked to Lier at his side, who didn't entertain his brewing greed. The knight started beside Millanor, rolling his dull sore shoulders.

 

[St. Clover]

"Wouldn't take to the air anyway," Milianor grunted stoically. "Don't like being off the ground unless I'm the one in charge. Too much could go wrong, and if shit goes sideways, least then I can accept that it was my fault. Speaking of, I'd keep that scroll handy, just in case." She looked up to the sky, watching the clouds. "Speaking of, thanks for, y'know, not doing anything stupid back there. After coming face to face with our mystery dragon, I can tell you with absolute certainty we would've been screwed if he was mad. Like, no contest."