Arrival: Rhydin
Purpose: Investigate rumors of disappearance of Lord of Dragons
Rhydin has been my destination and temporary residence for 2 weeks. I came to investigate the rumors of our Dragon Lord, Tasslehofl. Rumors abound in the city: the fires in Dockside, the fires in Dragon Gate, the rumors of terror and havoc with livestock in the surrounding countryside all point toward a dragon. Is this the missing Lord of Dragons? That is why I have come.
I have begun going to the dueling areas seeking information and I was in a place known locally as The Outback when 'he' came. Nithhoger.
For a minute, I was uncertain, but one look into the great dragon's eyes
left no room for doubt.
My fight finished in a loss, which was shameful enough, but that loss
happened in front of the greater dragon.
Nithhoger, the great dragon of Yggdrasil had come to Rhydin! Devourer of the Dead, normally coiled around the roots of the Tree of Life - here.
He lifted his head, tasting the air as though searching. He would know I
was here through that simple act, and I could not avoid him, and so I moved cautiously toward the legendary dragon. He leveled his head to look right at me, and in those eyes, I saw the fires of life blazing.
"Looking for someone in particular?" I asked of him very quietly.
He curled his lip, baring a single dagger like tooth at my temerity. I had
forgotten myself in his presence, and quickly submitting to his dominant
status, hoping he would forgive my failure to be properly respectful.
He growled low, but the rumble rattled the chairs and tables near where we stood. "whr's lrd wy am hre..." His words were very old, and I could just make out the ancient dialect. He was here to find Lord Momus.
Keeping my eyes lowered, I told him that so far, there were only rumors to go on, but that I too had come searching.
He growled menacingly and demanded of me, "Whr?"
His menace was clear and I nearly dropped the wine glass I held, "I do not know where. Rumors fly, but I have not seen him. I would not hide such from you milord."
His growl deepened, "hwa r'mor?"
Keeping my eyes downcast, not daring to push his wrath further, "The fires milord. They say a dragon has set them."
His words came out in a snarl, "ond ths s Drihten?"
He'd asked if htis was Lord Momus, and my answer softened, "I believe it
might be, but until I find him, I cannot be certain."
Hazarding a quick glance up at him, his next words hurt, "gen ep 'r her
play'n"
He accused me of being here playing rather than seeking Lord Momus. I
cringed, I could feel it. "I partly hope to garner news milord."
His snarl was as hot as the fires of creation, and I did drop the glass,
which shattered upon the stone at my feet. "you've come a long way milord, news has travelled so far?"
He glowered at him, "Ic hieren micel."
The great dragon hears much, and I raised my gaze slightly, "I meant no
insult, but there is so little news right now."
"Gen ic giet hieren it."
Very softly, trying not to anger him further, "many hear it milord, but
none have yet found."
"nænig 'r beseon" he accused.
I felt the blood rush to my feet, "I have been looking! And there are new
comers that have been asking questions."
His growl revealed another dagger-like tooth, I'd gone too far openly
disagreeing with him, and I had to rein in my mounting temper for I would
be no match for this dragon.
"Beseon forheardr."
I nodded, "Yes milord, I shall." He'd ordered me to try harder.
His attention wandered over the room, and I took a tentative step back,
hoping he was dismissing me from his presence. When that first step was
not stopped, I took a second, but his gaze shot back to me, "ge æman."
He accused me now of running, and maybe I was, "I thought you had dismissed me."
"Ge 'r abreoðan, afaran."
My head shot up in open defiance, "I am NOT a failure!"
His snarl snapped dangerously close to my face, and I went absolutely
still.
"Ge pla ond don nic gedeorf... abreoðan." With that final insult, he
turned and headed for the exit.
As he reached the door, I whispered, "I am not a failure, despite what you
think." Kicking the broken glass at my feet, I watched his retreat through
the doors.
Nithhoger had come to Rhydin. This was not good.
Searching
Scouting
Jacob flew through the clouds, skimming below them from time to time. He had volunteered to go scouting for two reasons and both were bringing a grin to his face at this moment. First he loved to fly. It had been more than two centuries since he had the cybernetic wings installed and he had yet to even begin to become tired of feeling the wind rushing past him and watching the ground flow by like a tiny model. Second, he had recently shown Tobias a new trick with his telekinesis and Jacob had enough survival instincts left to know that he'd better not be there when it got tried out for the first time. Besides Tobias would tell him about the look on Sai Jon's face later and the stories were often more fun anyways.
A flash of blue caught his eye as he dipped below the cloud cover again and he spun in that direction. He hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary all day and he was getting bored. Getting bored was not a good thing with Jacob, he tended to seek out problems when that happened. Luckily no one is around to talk any sense into me. Jacob thought to himself with a grin.
As he popped out of the cloud cover a huge blue dragon blew by him, it's passage blew him backwards head over heels into the cloud bank. Jacob flew upwards again, slightly more cautiously this time. The dragon had turned and was hovering in front of him with ponderous flaps of it's batlike wings. Jacob hovered opposite the dragon and for just a moment a voice in the back of his mind (that sounded suspiciously like Saltera) screamed for him to run but he shut the voice up with disturbing efficiency.
Jacob grinned and yelled out in a loud voice, "You wouldn't happen to have seen a dragon named Tass around here have you?"
((Cross posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
A flash of blue caught his eye as he dipped below the cloud cover again and he spun in that direction. He hadn't seen anything out of the ordinary all day and he was getting bored. Getting bored was not a good thing with Jacob, he tended to seek out problems when that happened. Luckily no one is around to talk any sense into me. Jacob thought to himself with a grin.
As he popped out of the cloud cover a huge blue dragon blew by him, it's passage blew him backwards head over heels into the cloud bank. Jacob flew upwards again, slightly more cautiously this time. The dragon had turned and was hovering in front of him with ponderous flaps of it's batlike wings. Jacob hovered opposite the dragon and for just a moment a voice in the back of his mind (that sounded suspiciously like Saltera) screamed for him to run but he shut the voice up with disturbing efficiency.
Jacob grinned and yelled out in a loud voice, "You wouldn't happen to have seen a dragon named Tass around here have you?"
((Cross posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
Flying Lizards
Hothhoger believes I'm a failure, but the old dragon has not been able to find Lord Momus either. I believe my best chances are to seek public gatherings to listen for the stories told by people who see the events allegedly perpetrated by this dragon.
I'd entered the arena and found the peasant carpenter Rab seeking a fight. From the rings, I would be able to hear many conversations.
There is a very strange man in the arena, I've heard him called Max. He told Rab that his winning was vital and to "treat (me) like you paid for it."
Rab choked, "did you hear that? You gonna let him get away with that?"
This Max person grinned, "of course she'll let me, she totally thinks I'm hot."
I slid the dragon dagger between Rab's ribs before looking at Max, "you
wouldn't know what to do with it if you did pay for it."
There was no new information to be garnered from the Arena, and so I left. Heading into the night, I sat atop the burned out brewery in Dragon Gate. If Tass was setting fires, perhaps he was still in the area. Leaping from the wall, stretching my wings wide before rising toward the clouds. A flicker of movement dropping from the cloudbank caught my attention, and I wheeled around to face the most absurd sight. A lizard like creature, flying with artificial wings!
He called out to me, "you wouldn't happen to have seen a dragon named Tass around here, have you?"
A morsel! A crunchy morsel of lizard, once I removed the mechanical parts. Those were the first thoughts I had, but his words brought me up short. Why did he too seek Lord Momus?
As I pondered speaking to him verses eating him, I saw a new column of
smoke rising behind the odd lizardman and my world narrowed to a singular purpose. I stopped hovering and flew straight at the lizard. If he got out of the way, fine. If he didn't - too bad.
I felt my tail thump against him as I sped toward the new flames in New
Haven.
I'd entered the arena and found the peasant carpenter Rab seeking a fight. From the rings, I would be able to hear many conversations.
There is a very strange man in the arena, I've heard him called Max. He told Rab that his winning was vital and to "treat (me) like you paid for it."
Rab choked, "did you hear that? You gonna let him get away with that?"
This Max person grinned, "of course she'll let me, she totally thinks I'm hot."
I slid the dragon dagger between Rab's ribs before looking at Max, "you
wouldn't know what to do with it if you did pay for it."
There was no new information to be garnered from the Arena, and so I left. Heading into the night, I sat atop the burned out brewery in Dragon Gate. If Tass was setting fires, perhaps he was still in the area. Leaping from the wall, stretching my wings wide before rising toward the clouds. A flicker of movement dropping from the cloudbank caught my attention, and I wheeled around to face the most absurd sight. A lizard like creature, flying with artificial wings!
He called out to me, "you wouldn't happen to have seen a dragon named Tass around here, have you?"
A morsel! A crunchy morsel of lizard, once I removed the mechanical parts. Those were the first thoughts I had, but his words brought me up short. Why did he too seek Lord Momus?
As I pondered speaking to him verses eating him, I saw a new column of
smoke rising behind the odd lizardman and my world narrowed to a singular purpose. I stopped hovering and flew straight at the lizard. If he got out of the way, fine. If he didn't - too bad.
I felt my tail thump against him as I sped toward the new flames in New
Haven.
Tailgating
The dragon hung in the air for a moment and then charged Jacob. He dodged to the side and the dragon barely noticed as it sped by. Well at least it's not attacking Jacob thought as the tail swung towards him in the air. It hit him like a freight train but he reflexively wrapped his arms around it and held on as the dragon sped away. Jumbled quotes about tiger tails flashed through his mind but by this point he'd quite made up his mind, he wasn't letting go until he and the dragon had sat down for a lizard to lizard talk. Besides it still hadn't answered his question.
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
The smoke column rose ominously into the air over New Haven. A blue streak darted across the night sky, but as she'd passed over / through the flying lizard, her tail had struck him solidly, but the drag on her flight caused her attention to snap toward her tail. There clung the mechanical flying lizardman.
She flow low over the roof tops, bouncing her tail against several tiled roofs. He continued to cling there, and she spiralled high into the night sky, looping as she went. Climbing far into the air before she sent a jolt of electricity over her scales, allowing it to cascade down the length of her tail before diving straight down.
She flow low over the roof tops, bouncing her tail against several tiled roofs. He continued to cling there, and she spiralled high into the night sky, looping as she went. Climbing far into the air before she sent a jolt of electricity over her scales, allowing it to cascade down the length of her tail before diving straight down.
Ms Dragon's Wild Ride
Jacob bounced off several rooftops as the dragon stove to knock him off. "Sorry...Send the bill to big blue...watch out below..." Jacob yelled as he hit the various buildings. An electric shock surged through him and he screamed out with excitement. "Yee Haw! Ride 'em doggy." He was going to pay in pain tommorow (and probably for weeks to come) but he was getting the ride of his life now. As he crashed through another chiminey he wondered where the dragon was going to.
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
She snarled at the uninvited hitch hiker, slamming her tail into the curtain wall around one of the homes.
Landing in the park near the central fountain of New Haven, she spun around snapping at the lizard clinging to her tail. Foot long, dagger like teeth snap at him.
"I enjoy lizards for appetizers. You have a death wish?"
Snapping her tail sharply.
Landing in the park near the central fountain of New Haven, she spun around snapping at the lizard clinging to her tail. Foot long, dagger like teeth snap at him.
"I enjoy lizards for appetizers. You have a death wish?"
Snapping her tail sharply.
The dragon slammed Jacob into a few more tons of stone before finally landing in a park and snapping its teeth at him, "I enjoy lizards for appetizers. You have a death wish?" The tail snapped again and Jacob's response was knocked out of him with his breath. The tail stopped for a moment and he looked up into the dragons blazing eyes. The thought once again occurred to him that this might not have been such a good idea but again he dismissed it as sheer foolishness.
He gasped in his breath as the dragon glowered at him waiting for a response, "Well not a death wish as such, but you didn't answer my question and I thought that was a bit rude but then i figured that as you are a fellow reptile that you must not have heard me since you would never be rude like that being a fellow reptile so I figured I'd tag along just in case you could answer my question and then you took me on that great ride I've never had one like it before it was so cool and now since you've stopped I can ask the question that you obviously failed to hear before," he sucked in a quick breath and continued before the dragon could respond, "So, you wouldn't happen to have seen a dragon named Tass around here have you?" Jacob waited panting for an answer still maintaining a death grip on the tail.
He gasped in his breath as the dragon glowered at him waiting for a response, "Well not a death wish as such, but you didn't answer my question and I thought that was a bit rude but then i figured that as you are a fellow reptile that you must not have heard me since you would never be rude like that being a fellow reptile so I figured I'd tag along just in case you could answer my question and then you took me on that great ride I've never had one like it before it was so cool and now since you've stopped I can ask the question that you obviously failed to hear before," he sucked in a quick breath and continued before the dragon could respond, "So, you wouldn't happen to have seen a dragon named Tass around here have you?" Jacob waited panting for an answer still maintaining a death grip on the tail.
She’d stopped in a large park-like area near the fountain, and despite giving the lizard a fair warning that she WOULD eat him, he remained clinging to her tail for dear life. She glowered at the one clinging so tenaciously to her tail scales. Abruptly, he went off on the longest string of words put end to end she’s ever heard spewed at one time.
Curling her tail and head toward one another, she lowered her head to look him eye to eye, “I heard you the first time, but clearly you failed to see the new plume of smoke over yon.” She pointed to the burning structure behind him.
Zapping him with a sudden jolt of electricity as she stuck one taloned claw against his chest, “Tell me why you seek Lord Momus, and do so quickly before I give in to hunger and use your femur to pick you out of my teeth after I crunch you."
Curling her tail and head toward one another, she lowered her head to look him eye to eye, “I heard you the first time, but clearly you failed to see the new plume of smoke over yon.” She pointed to the burning structure behind him.
Zapping him with a sudden jolt of electricity as she stuck one taloned claw against his chest, “Tell me why you seek Lord Momus, and do so quickly before I give in to hunger and use your femur to pick you out of my teeth after I crunch you."
Ask a Simple Question
The dragon curled its head around and brought itself face to face with Jacob. He could feel its hot breath curling around his face and fought down several comments about breath mints since it seemed less than receptive to personal hygiene pointers at the moment. “I heard you the first time, but clearly you failed to see the new plume of smoke over yon.” It pointed to the behind him but he was too facinated by the veins that seemed to be pulsing around the corners of its eyes. Jacob had observed the phenomenon before but only in Sai Jon curiously enough. A sudden jolt of electricity lanced through him and it stuck a claw against his chest, “Tell me why you seek Lord Momus, and do so quickly before I give in to hunger and use your femur to pick you out of my teeth after I crunch you."
"Well," Jacob started and sucked in a deep breath, "you see, we went to visit our friend Giles who was dead but then he was alive and we found him and he was Tass' butler now which makes since execpt he was a dragon too which didnt because it would have helped before he died but then he explained that he was on vacation and didn't know he was a dragon so I guess that explained it but I still think that's an awfully big thing to forget but but anyways...what was the question again?" The dragon's eyes narrowed and Jacob continued, "Oh yeah, so when we found the island thingy, Tass was hurt so my friend Sai Jon, his eyes bulge like that when I explain things too, tried to heal him but then he disappeared and we found out that an army of the dead were coming to take over and we needed Tass home and well and I went to get the rest of our friends, we're professional freedom fighters you know, Sai Jon doesn't like that name but I do, I think it sounds daring, but then when we came back we couldn't get in but then we found out that Sai Jon was brought here my the nice lady Alais and Tass was here so they sent me out to scout and I found you but you're not Tass but being a dragon I thought you might know where he was so I asked you and then I got to go on that great ride and here we are...can I go again?"
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
"Well," Jacob started and sucked in a deep breath, "you see, we went to visit our friend Giles who was dead but then he was alive and we found him and he was Tass' butler now which makes since execpt he was a dragon too which didnt because it would have helped before he died but then he explained that he was on vacation and didn't know he was a dragon so I guess that explained it but I still think that's an awfully big thing to forget but but anyways...what was the question again?" The dragon's eyes narrowed and Jacob continued, "Oh yeah, so when we found the island thingy, Tass was hurt so my friend Sai Jon, his eyes bulge like that when I explain things too, tried to heal him but then he disappeared and we found out that an army of the dead were coming to take over and we needed Tass home and well and I went to get the rest of our friends, we're professional freedom fighters you know, Sai Jon doesn't like that name but I do, I think it sounds daring, but then when we came back we couldn't get in but then we found out that Sai Jon was brought here my the nice lady Alais and Tass was here so they sent me out to scout and I found you but you're not Tass but being a dragon I thought you might know where he was so I asked you and then I got to go on that great ride and here we are...can I go again?"
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
Crazy Lizards
The lizard dragged in a deep breath, a prelude to another long string of words. She glowered at him as he remained clinging to her tail.
He went on about some friend who was dead and then wasn't dead, and mentioned that some Giles was a dragon too. That garnered her attention a moment.
"What was the question again?"
She narrowed her gaze to mere slits at him.
He rambled on about being something called a "freedom fighter" and someone named Sai Jon. He'd been sent out to scout, and at that, she reached out a taloned foreleg grabbing him in a crushing grip. "Scouting for what? Why are you here looking for Lord Momus?"
As he finished, his final words had her looking incredulously at him, "...so I asked you and then I got to go on that great ride and here we are... can I go again?"
Talons dug into the lizardman.
"You DO have a death wish. WHY are you looking for Lord Momus?" Her golden amber eyes were mere slits as she got right into his face. Dagger like teeth mere inches from his face.
He went on about some friend who was dead and then wasn't dead, and mentioned that some Giles was a dragon too. That garnered her attention a moment.
"What was the question again?"
She narrowed her gaze to mere slits at him.
He rambled on about being something called a "freedom fighter" and someone named Sai Jon. He'd been sent out to scout, and at that, she reached out a taloned foreleg grabbing him in a crushing grip. "Scouting for what? Why are you here looking for Lord Momus?"
As he finished, his final words had her looking incredulously at him, "...so I asked you and then I got to go on that great ride and here we are... can I go again?"
Talons dug into the lizardman.
"You DO have a death wish. WHY are you looking for Lord Momus?" Her golden amber eyes were mere slits as she got right into his face. Dagger like teeth mere inches from his face.
Mad Lizards
The dragon seemed to zone out during his explanation but Jacob was beginning to realize that this dragon really was quite a rude person. He grunted slightly as the dragon dug its talon into his chest, "You DO have a death wish. WHY are you looking for Lord Momus?" the dragon rumbled at him.
He had tried to be polite but the dragon was starting to piss him off. "If you would listen you would realize that I already told you that I'm a friend of his and me and my friends are trying to heal him because he's been hurt!" Jacob moved forward until their snouts were almost touching and he stared into the dragon's eyes, "now if you would stop being rude and answer the blasted question I can get back to trying to help your liege lord. Or do you REALLY want to have a go with me while he's out there hurt?!"
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
He had tried to be polite but the dragon was starting to piss him off. "If you would listen you would realize that I already told you that I'm a friend of his and me and my friends are trying to heal him because he's been hurt!" Jacob moved forward until their snouts were almost touching and he stared into the dragon's eyes, "now if you would stop being rude and answer the blasted question I can get back to trying to help your liege lord. Or do you REALLY want to have a go with me while he's out there hurt?!"
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
The little lizard had spunk! I smirked at him, "If I wanted a go at you, you'd already have been crunched and swallowed."
Narrowing my gaze at him, "now just why should I believe you, and your nearly incomprehensible story?"
The fire raged behind him, so there was no time to wait, and I told him he could either climb on, between the wings and tell me enroute, or he could stay here. Somehow, I suspect any story he has to tell is a long one, and I needed to be airborne to search for traces that might tell me if this was Lord Momus' work.
Narrowing my gaze at him, "now just why should I believe you, and your nearly incomprehensible story?"
The fire raged behind him, so there was no time to wait, and I told him he could either climb on, between the wings and tell me enroute, or he could stay here. Somehow, I suspect any story he has to tell is a long one, and I needed to be airborne to search for traces that might tell me if this was Lord Momus' work.
Jacob dropped to the ground eagerly and scrambled up the dragon's tail and back and sat down quickly just forward of the wings. He barely restrained himself from boucing up and down in his excitement. He'd never ridden on a dragon's back before and he was all set to go. As it leaped into the air he grabbed on with his legs and let out a whoop of joy. The wind roared past him and after several inneffectual attempts at conversation he reached out tentatively with his mind, Can you hear me? Her response to the affirmative was laced with suspicion. He realized that the dragon was female and he searched his mind for the times Sai Jon and Saltera had struggled to teach him manners, it was difficult. I'm sorry Miss Dragon Lady, I forgot to introduce myself before I grabbed your tail. My name is Jacob. I used to have a longer name but it got to be a bother to remember all the names after I got to twenty-seven so I shortened it again. Impatience and confusion washed over him so he continued quickly. Here, this should explain. He pushed all of the memories he had since he had arrived on the Emerald Isle into her mind in an instant. And that's why I'm looking for Tass.
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
((Cross Posted to Emerald Isle/The Priest))
Easing my grasp, the lizard leaped to the ground, taking a route up my back to settle just before the wing joints, and with a leap, we rose into the air. Smoke was spreading, and people were running to watch the goings on, and I was busy seeking movement that might tell me where the elder might be found.
The tentative touch of psionic surprised me, and I could not help being suspicious, but I'd told him he could come along and explain it to me. He started talking about his names, but that was not why I'd told him he could come along, he needed to get to the point.
The images he shared were convincing. He was a verbose creature, but his tale rang true. A small group of non-dragons had come in search of Lord Momus. Further, the rumors that he was afflicted with a wasting malady were also true.
We circled around the source of the column of smoke before slowly widening the circling search area. Nothing. No familiar sensation of kindred dragons nearby.
A small group of goblins stood in front of the remains of the Red Orc brewery, pointing up, but they were of no consequence.
Nothing.
I perched atop the local church steeple. *Not here, he's not here* My mind shared with Jacob almost unconsciously.
A group of militia moved through the streets, armed with various weapons, including cross bows, long bows, and javelins.
The tentative touch of psionic surprised me, and I could not help being suspicious, but I'd told him he could come along and explain it to me. He started talking about his names, but that was not why I'd told him he could come along, he needed to get to the point.
The images he shared were convincing. He was a verbose creature, but his tale rang true. A small group of non-dragons had come in search of Lord Momus. Further, the rumors that he was afflicted with a wasting malady were also true.
We circled around the source of the column of smoke before slowly widening the circling search area. Nothing. No familiar sensation of kindred dragons nearby.
A small group of goblins stood in front of the remains of the Red Orc brewery, pointing up, but they were of no consequence.
Nothing.
I perched atop the local church steeple. *Not here, he's not here* My mind shared with Jacob almost unconsciously.
A group of militia moved through the streets, armed with various weapons, including cross bows, long bows, and javelins.
Who is online
Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 5 guests