#It should be obvious that the Hatchling did not enter the Eye

[anomander-dragnipurake]

Haunted Castle Chapter Four: Secrets

They had to fight through more ghosts on the way to Kamek’s lab but despite that it didn’t take them too long to reach it. It was an absolute mess; books and magical objects were all over the tables or stacked semi-haphazardly on the floor. Even the bookshelf wasn’t immune to the random object or piece of paper placed on top of or in front of its books. Other than the large empty cage off to the side, pressed against a wall, it reminded Luigi of E. Gadd’s lab; messy but in a way the owner probably knew where almost everything was.

“There shouldn’t be any ghosts in here,” Bowser Jr. said as he closed the door behind him. “He’s got spells and stuff to keep people out. You two could only enter because you’re with me. Though uh… I guess I don’t know if it works on ghosts or not.”

Gooigi was already checking things and tidying other things, they’d begun the moment they’d entered. Luigi joined them, starting on the other side of the room. It never hurt to make sure that there were no ghosts about. Bowser Jr. groaned and probably rolled his eyes again but made no proper complaint.

 -

Turns out Kamek’s protection spells either didn’t work on ghosts or they’d found a way around them. A couple ghosts had found hiding spots amongst the clutter in the room. Once they were dealt with, Bowser Jr. led way through another hidden door into a room that contained nothing but three wardrobes. “That one leads to outside,” he said, pointing to the one on the left, “that one leads to the throne room,” the middle one, “and this one here leads to Papa’s room,” and finally the one on the right.

Luigi walked around to see that there was nothing on the other side of any of them so… “Uh… how do they work?”

“Magic. You step in, close the doors, and then when you open them, you’re on the other side.”

“So, like the warp pipes then?”

“I guess so yeah.”

Luigi hadn’t even considered that that kind of magic might be used on other things but there was no reason why it couldn’t be, right? But… “Why does Kamek have one leading to your dad’s room?” That was kind of odd, wasn’t it? Bowser didn’t seem the type to be comfortable with someone having easy access to his private space.

“He set it up when Dad was a hatchling to make it easier to keep doing stuff in the lab and tend to him at the same time. Which is weird to think about because like he’s my dad. But speaking of that, let’s go save him and beat up King Boo… hopefully anyway.” He open the appropriate wardrobe’s door and gestured for Luigi and Gooigi to step in before him. Upon stepping in after them, he reached up as if to pulled the doors closed but paused instead.

“These secret passages and stuff are super-secret,” he said, “no one’s supposed to know about them who isn’t super important in the castle. I would never even dream of showing them to you if it wasn’t for everything going on so don’t you ever tell anyone else about them. And don’t let my dad know I showed you them to you either, he’s uh… not very understanding about things sometimes so it might make him mad.”

“Uh… I promise I won’t tell, neither will Gooigi.” Luigi was good at keeping secrets and Gooigi was even better due to the fact that they rarely spoke.

“Cool… thanks.”

After a beat or two of silence, Bowser Jr. pulled the doors closed, waited a few seconds and opened them, revealing another secret room.

After stepping out, Luigi grabbed hold of Gooigi’s arm to turn them around with him before Bowser Jr. could order them to this time. It’d be easier if he knew the secret to opening the walls but there was no use arguing about it especially since it seemed Bowser Jr. was likely to stick with him throughout this whole adventure whether he liked it or not anyway.

Before the sound of the false wall opening finished Bowser Jr. let out a small squeak that was echoed by another being. Luigi snapped around to see another group of ghosts in the room, stronger ones this time, one of which was directly in front of the opening wall.

Even while flinching Luigi managed to press the button on the flashlight that made it flash, stunning the ghost. Gooigi hopped into the room to start vacuuming it immediately, leaving Luigi room to recover from the scare and Bowser Jr. to step back behind the two of them again.

Stronger ghosts or not, they quickly proved no match for Gooigi and the Poltergust. Honestly this ghost busting business might’ve been fun if it was anything other than ghosts they were hunting. But once they were all cleared out it was pretty obvious that Bowser’s portrait was not in here.

There were signs of a fight between King Boo and Bowser, stuff knocked over and burn marks on the walls but that’s all that remained. A bit disappointing but Luigi really hadn’t expected much anyway because things could never be easy, could they? Just like the prior three time’s he’d have to fight his way through the entire castle’s worth of ghosts before reaching King Boo.

Before he could do more than sigh about that his phone started ringing. It was E. Gadd’s tune.

“How goes the ghost busting?” E. Gadd said with an almost grating amount of joviality in his voice as soon as Luigi answered it.

“It’s scary but nothing new.”

“Good, good. Be careful though who knows what King Boo might have up his sleeve this time. But anyway, I’ve arrived. The castle gates are locked though so I had to set up my mobile lab outside them for now. Whenever you have a minute stop on by to let me in and drop your ghosties into the vault.”

The Poltergust was almost full to capacity by now so… “We’ll head down there now.” And hopefully he’d be able to drop Bowser Jr. off with E. Gadd, probably not but it was worth a try.

He hung up and pocketed his phone as he turned to Bowser Jr. to tell him where they should head next. Bowser Jr. spoke up before he could do more than take a breath though. “You think my dad’s okay? Like… you know more about the portraits and stuff right, being trapped in one isn’t like… torture or anything, right?”

“Uh… Mario and the Toads all say they don’t remember anything about their time in the portraits so it’s probably like sleeping or something. And therefore, you dad and everyone else is fine, we just got to rescue them.” Luigi gave him his best encouraging smile; Mario had always been better at those but his was pretty good if he did say so himself.

Whether it worked or not was hard to tell, Bowser Jr. still looked worried, maybe slightly less though? “I hope so,” he said. “Let’s go talk to E. Gadd though I guess since I assume that was him on the phone.”

~

Getting to E. Gadd’s lab was made very easy through use of the magic wardrobes. The one that led outside led all the way outside the castle walls, making it a simple trek to where E. Gadd had set up his mobile lab. Polterpup greeted them just outside it with an excited bark – he certainly got around quite a bit.

“You have a spare Poltergust?” Bowser Jr. asked as soon as they were inside and Luigi was emptying the Poltergust into the mobile vault. “I want to help hunt ghosts.”

“Hmm… I probably should’ve brought one, huh? Just in case.” E. Gadd replied with a slight grimace before shrugging it off. “Oh well, too late now. But even if I had, it probably wouldn’t fit well on your back.”

Bowser Jr. frowned. “Can you make one that would fit then? … Though I guess that’d take too long, huh?”

“And you don’t need to be hunting ghosts anyway,” Luigi cut in. It felt weird taking such a hard stance on it, normally he preferred to just role with whatever people wanted to do because that was just easier but Bowser Jr. was a kid and at this point Luigi was basically babysitting him – with help from Gooigi of course but there was a very real chance they didn’t know what a child was – so he was responsible for his wellbeing and therefore felt the need to insist he stay out of harm’s way. “And speaking of that, I think he should stay in the lab with you E. Gadd.”

“No, no, no.” Bowser Jr. stamped his foot, proving his childishness beyond any shadow of a doubt. “I’m staying with you. I’ve already proven I can be helpful.”

“Yeah, but…”

“But nothing, I’m staying with you and Gooigi and there’s nothing you can do to stop me. You’re on my side on this right, Gooigi?”

They looked at him and then at Luigi and then back at him before shrugging. Either not wanting to take sides or not really carrying either way.

“What about you E. Gadd? You agree with me, right? Ghost hunting’s too dangerous for a kid.” As far as Luigi was concerned it was too dangerous for him and he was full grown adult.

“Well, while I agree that’s true, I don’t think there’s any way you can convince Junior not to tag along with you. Also, he’s a Koopa so he’s tougher than your average child and thus as long as he’s with you and Gooigi he should be fine.”

“Ha, I win!” Bowser Jr. crossed his arms triumphantly. “Now, what all can you do in this lab that can help us save everyone and stop King Boo?”

~

Counter to Luigi’s hopes but not expectations, E. Gadd’s lab scanners still had no way to sense where the portraits were. It also still couldn’t detect the difference between an energy signature that was a large group of ghosts or a small group of stronger ghosts or even one big ghost, meaning there was still no way to pinpoint where King Boo was for sure. It’d still be helpful though and that’s about all Luigi could ask for; going around without the option to call E. Gadd for advice if needed hadn’t been an issue so far but it easily could’ve turned into one.

Before heading back out to hunt more ghosts, E. Gadd set Luigi up with his latest communication device. Like all the other ones, it was mostly a tracker so E. Gadd would always know where they were at all times. Why he kept changing the design was beyond Luigi but a lot of what E. Gadd did didn’t make sense so it was excepted at this point. With it in hand, their unfortunately short respite from the ghosts was soon over.

Stepping back into the secret room in Kamek’s lab, Luigi flinched and flashed his light at the boo floating in the middle of the room. All it earned him was an annoyed look because the flash didn’t affect them. It was fine though because thankfully it was the flag boo again. Luigi didn’t trust him still and probably never would but at least he wasn’t an immediate threat.

“Young sir,” the boo said, his eyes shifting to Bowser Jr. as he stepped out of the wardrobe behind Gooigi, “we’ve found Kamek’s portrait. It’s in the throne room. It’s well guarded though so be careful.”

“Awesome,” Bowser Jr. said, far too eager. “We’ll head there next. But from here on out, you’re going to report to E. Gadd. He can contact Luigi remotely so you won’t have to come find us next time you or your squad find something important. E. Gadd’s lab is in the trailer just outside the main gates, Luigi will call him to explain what’s up.”

“No offense young sir but I’d rather report to you directly. I’m not sure how well we can trust these people.” He glanced at Luigi with a slight glare before returning his gaze to Bowser Jr. Ah yes, he’d said he was aware while in portrait so he’d been witness to Luigi’s attempt to prevent him from being freed, whoops. It had still been the right thing to do though; something turning out fine didn’t mean it had been worth the risk.

“Too bad, as long as my dad’s in danger, I’m in charge and I trust them. We’ve dealt with E. Gadd several times before and he’s never betrayed us, Luigi’s too much of a goody-two-shoes to even think about it, and Gooigi is made of goo and that’s cool so I trust them the most. If you disagree then you’re just going to have to deal with it.”

Apparently pleased by the compliment, Gooigi formed their hand into a thumbs up. Bowser Jr. returned it with a grin. Flag Boo frowned at them both before sighing.

“Okay, you’re the boss for now,” he said. “I’ll report to E. Gadd from here on out.”

“Very good! Now get back to work trying to find everyone. And you,” Bowser Jr. said, turning to face Luigi as the boo vanished, “call E. Gadd again and tell him to trust and listen to what Captain Boo says. And I don’t care if you still don’t trust him, we need him and his squad to help find the portraits.”

Luigi couldn’t exactly argue with that, it made sense. Even if the boos couldn’t hide from other ghosts as well, they could travel through walls and floors/ceilings and were thus better suited for searching for the portraits and King Boo himself than anyone living was. And so Luigi kept quiet and didn’t protest as he pulled out the communicator. He wasn’t even going to ask about that the supposed prior dealings with E. Gadd thing because E. Gadd was in it for science and would sell his talents and/or inventions to anyone willing to buy them to fund his ghost research or anything else he wanted to work on. The sooner this adventure was over, the better.

#My writing #super mario bros #Luigi's Mansion #luigi #e. gadd #bowser jr.

[space-australia-stories]

I always see posts about how awesome humans are in pretty much every way. But lately I've been wondering what would happen if an alien met someone, say, wheelchair bound, or missing a limb. How would aliens, or an alien captain for that matter, handle seeing one of these unstoppable humans that's been crippled, maybe even since birth? I bet it'd be a bit of a trip.

I’m sure an alien race wouldn’t be unfamiliar with birth defects or deformities. Oh, I just thought of something! It’s not really what you asked for but it’s neat, I think. (sorry this answer is so late, I hope you’re still here!)

Imagine some alien being born with a disability. In their society, any sort of disability or deformity renders you pretty much useless in the eyes of the government. Those born with disabilities or who acquire them usually work the worst of the worst jobs and are payed next to nothing. Keep reading to see a more in-depth story.

Aro was always considered the outsider. As a young hatchling, he was not allowed to attend school with his more abled peers. Instead, he learned with the other Rejects. Rejects of different age groups all shared one teacher, who had to split her time between all of them. As such, their education was severely lacking when compared to the more privileged children. He was barred from entering university when the time came because he was deemed unfit due to his disability.

He found his first prosthetic in a waste bin. It was broken and uncomfortable, but it allowed him to finally apply for a job in a factory as a sanitary worker. He worked long hours on his feet, and his wages were miserable. At the end of each day, his hips would hurt from the height difference between his real and prosthetic legs, and he had bruises and blisters where his prosthetic fit incorrectly against his skin. 

Aro’s biggest dream as a hatchling had been to become an engineer for the Federation, but given his disability, he was not allowed anywhere near the Space Center. He had always been interesting in tinkering and mechanics, and used his natural skills in those areas to repair his prosthetic, but once he started working, he was unable to pursue his passion. Aro had given up on that dream long ago, but when rumors started spreading through the factory that a group of Federation warships were coming to resupply on their planet, Aro couldn’t help the fantasies that flooded his mind. He dreamed of spending his days in a ship’s interior, unaware of the heat, where he would get to know and work with the mechanisms that made those beautiful ships run.

As the day of the resupply drew closer, Aro began to hear whispers of an all-Terran crew on one of the warships. The Terrans were highly regarded throughout the Federation as being practically unstoppable. They were amazing healers, and would run head-first into danger with no regard for their health. It was scary to think that nothing would slow them down. Aro had never met one before, but it was hard to imagine that such an intense race of creatures would have any place for a Reject like him. Upon hearing that a crew of them would be with the Federation warships, Aro became increasingly nervous about their visit. The ships would visit his factory for much needed parts, and Aro regretfully decided to take the day off. The Terrans would be disgusted to see a Reject like himself, and he wanted his planet to give them the best first impression as possible. He had wanted to see the warships, but, he did not want to shame his people.

On the day of the resupply, just as Aro was leaving the factory, he passed by a large group talking in hushed tones. They silenced when he approached, but not before he caught someone finish, “-captain is a Reject.”

This thought was met with disbelief and shock rippling through the crowd. Someone in the center spoke up. “A Terran? Not possible. They would not allow their reputation to be tarnished in that way.” He looked pointedly at Aro, who had slowed his walk so as hear the conversation better. At the other’s glance, Aro turned his eyes down and walked away, his mind swimming.

A Reject Terran? And a captain, no less. Aro could not believe his ears. Like his coworker said, the Terrans would never allow a Reject to hold such a highly respected position.

Lost in his thoughts, Aro must have made a wrong turn somewhere, and when he realized where he was, it was already too late. Somehow, he had ended up in the hangar, where the Federation warships were already docked. The hangar crew were already running around cleaning the ships and running maintenance checklists, preparing for their relaunch at the end of the day. Aro’s heart was beating in his chest. He knew he shouldn’t be here, but he couldn’t help himself from stepping further into the hangar. He had never seen a Federation ship up close before, and he was in awe of the beauty of the large warships in front of him.

No one seemed to notice him approach the closest one from the back. He reached up reverently to touch to cool metal of the thrusters. He did not notice when someone came up behind him.

“Beautiful, isn’t she?” Aro jumped and yanked his hand away at hearing the choppy voice, obviously spoken through a translator.

Sure enough, when he turned around, there was a Terran with a translator wrapped in front of his mouth. He was sitting in a chair with large wheels. Was he tired? And why did the chair need wheels? Only then did Aro notice that the man was wearing a Federation captain’s uniform.

How does one act around a captain? Aro did not know. Should he bow, as is customary when speaking to an Elder? Hastily, he bent at the waste and lowered his eyes in submission. He cleared his throat and bunched his fists to keep his hands from shaking.

“S-sir, I apologize. I did not see you behind me.” He swallowed the lump forming in his throat, and shifted his weight to conceal his crude prosthetic. The captain would be furious to find out a Reject was allowed near his ship. He spoke again without lifting his eyes. “The ship is beautiful, Sir,” he confirmed quietly, but meaning every world.

The captain chuckled, which surprised Aro enough that he looked up at the Terran. He had a warm smile on his face, but had not gotten up from his chair to return Aro’s bow. “There’s no need to bow, son,” he said, which caused Aro to cringe in embarrassment and stand up hesitantly.

“Your people are awfully fond of that,” the captain continued, “but a simple handshake will do.”

He extended his hand, and it was obvious that he intended for Aro to do the same. Aro was unfamiliar with Terran customs, and did not know what to do after that. Luckily, the captain completed the gesture by grasping Aro’s hand in his and jostling it firmly up and down once before letting go. He still did not stand from his chair. 

“What’s your name, son? Are you interested in the ship?” asked the captain.

Aro’s nerves were going haywire. He remembered what the others in the factory had said. The captain is a Reject. Could this be him?

“M-my name is Aro, Sir,” Aro stuttered.

It took a moment for the captain to respond while he waited for the translator to convert Aro’s words into the Terran language. Finally, he smiled. “Nice to meet you, Aro. My name is Captain Brewster, but most people just call me Brew.”

Aro caught a hint of the Terran language just seconds before the translator said them. It was more breathy and less harsh than his. It lacked the hard clicks and stops that made his language difficult for others to learn. In that moment, he desperately wished to know Terran.

The captain continued. “So how long have you worked here, Aro?”

“Three years, Sir.”

“Any interest in space travel?”

The question threw him off. Aro could not think of why Captain Brewster would ask something like that.

Luckily, the captain explained. “You seem to like my ship.”

“Y-yes, Sir. I do like engineering.” Aro looked away shyly.

Captain Brewster smiled again. “Would you like to see something? Follow me.”

Without waiting for an answer the captain started moving around the back side of his warship. Aro watched him grab the wheels of his chair and push down, which moved him forward. He followed slowly, attempting to hide his limp. Captain Brewster wheeled up and into the ship and Aro followed after the captain urged him that it was alright. The captain guided him to the side of the ship near the hatch switch. The metal wall in this area was etched with hundreds of markings in languages that Aro did not recognize.

“Whenever we fly to a new planet,” the captain explained, “I like to get a message from a planet native carved right here, so that every time we go out, I am reminded of all the people we’re fighting for.”

Aro nodded along, studying the scrawlings that covered nearly half the wall.

“Would you like to write something here?” the captain asked bluntly.

Aro startled back, and his eyes went wide. “S-sir, I could not. It would not be right,” he apologized.

The captain tilted his head in confusion. “Why not?”

Here it was. Aro would have to reveal his undesireable condition to the captain. He could not ignore a question from a Federation captain.

“I-I have a condition, Sir.” Aro’s voice got quieter as he spoke. “I was born with no right leg. I am a Reject. I am unfit to even be talking with you now. I apologize for disrespecting you so.” He bowed again in an attempt to hide the tears welling in his eyes.

“A Reject? Aro, I promise you, you are anything but disrespectful. Now stand up.”

Aro did as he was told, and found that Captain Brewster had moved his chair closer to him.

“If I am correct, a Reject is your peoples’ term for someone with a disability, yes?”

Aro only nodded. He could not find his voice.

“And this makes you less of a person than others?” Aro nodded, now terrified of where this was going.

To his surprise, the captain reached up and placed his hand on Aro’s shoulder. He looked into his eyes as he spoke next. “That’s bullsh*t. If that’s what your people think of guys like me, then you’re wrong.”

Realizing what he said, he added hastily, “I apologize, Aro.” He moved away from Aro and folded his hands in your lap. “I’ve worked hard to get to where I am today. I don’t like that people like me are denied from pursuing their dreams just because of a stupid disability. And people like you.” Captain Brewster was looking at Aro directly in the eyes, expecting a response.

Aro blinked, then asked hesitantly, “S-sir? If I may ask, a-are you a Reject?”

The captain nodded. “But I don’t like that word. It’s demeaning.”

Aro worried that he angered the captain, but he looked more sad than anything else.

“Aro, would you like to be an engineer?”

Aro was unprepared for the blunt question. He thought his dream was dead, but at the captains words, he knew he was still just as passionate as ever.

“Yes, Sir,” he said, more confidently than anything he said before.

Captain Brewster smiled knowingly. “Why don’t you write something here.” He gestured to the wall. “I’ll see what I can do.” The captain winked and wheeled away.

Aro stood in shock, not knowing what to do. After a moment, he heard the hangar crew shouting outside, and knew that the warships were preparing to leave. Pulling a screwdriver from a pocket in his pants, he scratched a short message into the wall and hurried out of the hangar, just in time to see this ships take off.

He spent many restless nights mulling over his strange conversation with Captain Brewster and thinking about what it might mean. Weeks passed and soon, Aro had all but forgotten the conversation. The captain was just being polite. He probably couldn’t wait to be away from Aro as soon as possible.

Then one day, after coming home from a particularly grueling day at work, Aro noticed a thick green envelope poking out of his mailbox. When he opened it, several papers and a photo fell out. The photo was of Aro’s message on Captain Brewster’s ship, which Aro found confusing. He set it aside to read the letter, and his heart rate increased the more he read.

TO ARO —- OF THE PLANET WINOA

We are pleased to announce your summons to the FEDERATION SPACE CENTER OF TERRA in preparation of your enrollment at the Intergalactic University’s College of Engineering. We have reviewed your profile, and find you to be a perfect candidate for the Intergalactic Trade Scholarship, which provides qualifying students from all over the universe with the opportunity to study their fields of passion, all expenses paid by the Federation. Included in this summons is a more in-depth description of the Intergalactic Trade Scholarship, as well as a ticket to Terra, for the date of MAY 13, 2576..

Sincerely,

Ursula Moody

Academic Advisor

IU College of Engineering

Aro looked again at the photo, and on the back, a short note was written sloppily in Aro’s own language. 

Aro, I pulled some strings and got you into IU! I could see the passion in your eyes, and I would have beat myself up if I didn’t help you out somehow. Call me at [phone] when you get to Terra so we can meet up!

                                                      - Captain James “Brew” Brewster

P.S. I loved your note. “Mistakes are just happy accidents. Our meeting was no mistake, but it was happy nonetheless.” Very Bob Ross of you.

Aro did not know who this Bob Ross was, but he assumed it was a Terran compliment.

He could not believe it. His dream of becoming a Federation engineer was finally coming true, and he could not wait to start.

#space austraia #space australians #humans are space australians #humans are weird #aliens #humans and aliens #space australia stories #disabilities #heartwarming #long post #this was really fun to write #ask #please let me know if there are any mistakes

[crysta-cub]

Crysta’s Lamia Experience: Looking for a Hero

It’s been a while since I last posted about our adventures on this blog. But I missed writing about my Lamia family. One that is ready to grow.

Since the time that the Lamia’s have discovered that I’m not exactly human, we have experienced loss, all three ferrets had passed due to their age and illnesses. It was a rough time for us all, Moonstone and Guardian took their passing hard, but I taught them about the human’s poem about Rainbow Bridge and that seemed to help them out. 

There was Guardian’s eggtastic find. Having Munchkin as a hatchling had brought a lot of warmth into the household, giving Alpha and Butterscotch a young one to care for as they struggled to produce their own young. Guardian and Moonstone excelled as older siblings, helping where they could. Guardian was especially proud of Munchkin, protecting him and teaching him how to swim in the bathtub. Maybe one day I’ll post pictured. 

We’ve even taken on the challenge of adopting a puppy named Eevee. This pup really turned the household around. Wrestling with Alpha and Guardian, providing rides for Moonstone and Munchkin and having cute naps with Butterscotch. She really fit right into our humble abode. She has also been a handful, an adventurous spirit who wants to get into everything and anything. Too smart for her own good at times. Took Butterscotch a longer moment to accept her ‘in your face’ approaches. 

Life has been great with this bundle of lamias. And soon our unit will be growing. After a dancing affair at Vex’s shop, something finally sparked for Alpha and Butterscotch and they are expecting their first clutch of babies. Apparently, whatever Butterscotch whispered to Alpha that night to cause the latter to flush so brightly, did the trick. But that’s a story for another night and the other blog. Alpha’s been doting on Butterscotch like nothing else, making sure he’s comfortable and not doing too much. Guardian and Moonstone took extra duty with Munchkin, especially since he’s now too big for either of the older lamia’s to carry. 

It's been a fulfilling life, this is the best family anyone could ask for. I do still feel something is missing, a connection that was lacking. I’m surrounded by all these loving lamias and yet, I feel like there’s still something more I need. I had originally wondered why I never felt that soulbond with Guardian. I read all the adoption stories on Chains and I never got that feeling of a tug on my soul, just the forever engrained memory of a panicked baby Chain tugging on my pant leg to get me to help his Papython friend. 

I asked him about it, about his soulbond. That’s when he revealed that he actually already had a soulbond with Moonstone. It explained so well why those two had always been so close, so intuned. Part of me was relieved. I don’t know how I'd feel if Guardian ever felt pain from me through a link. My life on this earth has been relatively peaceful, but I have known battle from my homeworld and some not so pleasant encounters from the humans of this world in times where my true self was revealed to a select few. Humans don’t take different well. It sucked to hide, but it was better than when trust was betrayed. And if anything happened to me, I’d hate for it to harm him, my little Guardian.

But I kinda still felt wanting, wanting of that close bond that other Chain owners had. Maybe another Chain would come into their lives, though I have been finding myself admiring the King form as well. Those heroic poses and grand stature and size. Ok, my mind was beginning to wander. 

I’m sitting here, rocking little Munchkin to sleep after his feeding. Such a sweet little Twister. I give him a little kiss on his head before placing him in his nest. I quietly left the room, kneeling down to give Eevee a head scritch in thanks for guarding the door before going into the livingroom to throw on some shoes. There were a few errands to run and a spot to check out.  Deciding against taking anyone along this time, just a little me time and maybe to get a little surprise treat for everyone. 

I left the house, telling the household to behave themselves before hopping into the car an driving off. A few stops here and there, nothing eventful really, a tasty cake in the passenger seat for the fam and a chew bone for Eevee. I pull up to the entryway to a trail I heard about, wanting to check it out before I bring everyone out there. It looks inviting and private, maybe a place I can shift into another form and run with Alpha, Moonstone and Guardian. Maybe Eevee too. The Lamias seem to love my snake form, it looked much like a mixture of this planet’s Cobra, Anaconda and Diamondback rattlesnake, but it was a bit too large to really shift into at home, but in open space, it worked well. 

With a large inhale as a strong breeze cut through the trees, I let myself relax. Close my eyes and take in the peak of sunlight escaping through the branches. I didn’t expect the presence of another coming up behind me and grabbing me, a cloth being placed over my mouth. I began to fight the stranger as my head began to swim. I nearly slipped out of his grasp before the world grew dark. 

The last thing I remember hearing is the person behind me calling out. “Wooowee, lookit here Mick, I caught teh Alien!”

Well Shit.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Munchkin begins to cry, alerting the household. Being close by, Alpha and Butterscotch slither over and began trying to console the distraught Lamia. 

“shh, shhh, it ok Munchie, it’s ok.” Butterscotch cuddles close to Munchkin, rubbing his back, he glanced up at Alpha. The fact that Munchkin was crying for no noticeable reason was concerning. 

“Are you hurt? Hungry?” Alpha began questioning. Munchkin shakes his head, his tail thrashed in his tantrum. 

“Wan Mama Isssta! Wan Mama Isssta!” Munchkin bawled. This was odd of Munchkin, the young one never demanded, never complained, always a warm bundle of sunshine. 

“Shh, shhh, It’s ok Munchie. Mama Crysta will be home soon. She just went out to do a few things. You’ll see, she’ll be home any minute now.” Butterscotch continued to console Munchkin. Soon the baby Twister is brought down to sniffles. Butterscotch smiles and cuddles with him.

Moonstone and Guardian come in, while Eevee pokes her nose into the room through the small lamia door. 

“Is Munchkin ok?” Moonstone asks, coming over to pet the baby lamia on the head. 

“Yes,” Alpha answers. “Just got a little upset. Wants his Mama Crysta.” 

“Should we give Mama Crysta a call?” Guardian asked, his brow bone crested in worry.

“That should be fine. The phone is in the living room.” Butterscotch informs Guardian, who nods and slithers off to try to contact Crysta. He adjusts himself so that his gravid belly wasn’t uncomfortable. Munchkin snuggles close to Butterscotch, still sniffling but much calmer. 

Guardian slithers by Eevee, who playfully nips at him. Guardian giggles and pushes her muzzle away before going over the cellphone left on the coffee table. He presses the saved phone number labeled Mama Crysta and listened to it ring. He glances over at Moonstone who ended up following after him. 

“She didn’t pick up.” Guardian informed. 

“Maybe she didn’t hear it? Or accidently put it on silent again?” Moonstone offered, taking Guardian’s hand in his own. 

“I guess. Sometimes I wish I had a soul bond with Mama Crysta so I knew she was ok.” Guardian squeezed Moonstone’s hand, feeling his worry through his bond. “Not that I regret having it with you. I just worry when she’s gone so long.” 

Moonstone smile and brings Guardian in close for a hug. “I know. But Mama Crysta is strong, can take care of herself. I like our bond too.” It wasn’t unknown that the two young Lamias were developing a little puppy love for each other. They never considered the other a sibling but as their best friend that they got to grow up together. Though they were still merely young teenagers, their connection was obvious. 

“I’ll call Mama Crysta again in a bit.” Guardian pulled away giving the phone a glance. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I wake up in a bright room, laying in a pad of a bed. I groan as I sit up, looking around, 3 solid walls and one glass wall. Cameras mounted at each corner, leaving no room for privacy. There’s a door at the far corner. I stretch from my stiff position. There’s something around my neck, kinda poking at me with cold metal. I lift my hands to it and feel… a shock collar… with multiple shock devices. 

What the fuck was going on. I get up and go to the door, testing it. Locked obviously. I look to the glass side of the room and I see a table and another door showing what I can guess is a hallway. 

“Hello? Is anyone out there?” I call out. 

It didn’t take long for a scraggly looking man to enter the room, head full of dreads, clothing looking unwashed. “Wooowee, look atcha. Well, miss alien, the name’s Tic. I’m so glad ta finally meet cha. Tis was so worth not going to that there Area 51 Raid. Yessiree.”

“I’m sorry, Tic.” Oh god, this guy was off. Hopefully I can reason with him. “There seems to be some kind of misunderstanding, I’m not an alien. Just a normal person. I kinda just want to get back home please.” 

“No Alien mam, You can’t trick me that easy. I’ve seen whatcha can do. That transformin’ thin’. Got it all on camera on one of my wildlife cams. Blew my mind. Was hopin’ for a Big Foot but got me somethin’ better. Was mighty nice seein’ ya handle that there couga’ when ya shift to a Lion.” 

There was a camera in that clearing? The clearing where Alpha got hurt when defending Guardian from the Mountain Lion? 

“I don’t know what you’re talking about. I can’t do anything like that.”

“Nah, nah, You surely can. Wanna prove et to.”  He picks up a remote and turns on a projector. The projector shows a video of her confronting the Mountain Lion. Alpha getting hit and her reacting and transforming to stand protectively over Alpha and Guardian. Its a bit blurry and gets staticy during the transformation. It’s hard to tell that it is even me. 

“That’s some impressive CGI, that’s not me, I was never at that location. Dude, you have to realize how ridiculous this is. I’m not an alien. Please, I just want to go home.” I’m getting nervous. This guy keep replaying the transformation. 

“Nah, Yous an alien, gonna prove et too. Now we can do et the easy way and ya show me what ya can do or I’m gonna make ya.” Tic holds up another remote and my eyes widen.

“Please no, I can’t do what you want me to do. Please, you don’t have to aaaaaahhh.” I scream as the collar begins to shock me. These shockers were altered to deliver a higher voltage than those of normal dog shock collars. I reach up and grip the collar, trying to pull it away from my neck. It’s over quickly and I collapse to my knees, breathing deeply. This guy is insane and by the look on his face, there’s no convincing him. 

“Teh easy way out is still an option.” Tic begins writing something down. “But if cha keep insistin’ that cha won’t transform, well. That collar will go off every hour. I figured if anything, a little dangah will spark your transformation. After a few hours the power should increase. It should help in encouragin’ ya ability. I have video recording live and with a push-o-a button, I can reveal whatcha are ta tha world. I’ll be famous. Once you show whatcha can do” 

I look up and see a crooked smile, teeth yellowed or missing. I could almost imagine the bad breath. “No, you’ll kill me. Please, you can’t do this. I’m Human!” My heart dropped as I saw him shake his head and walk away. “No Wait, Please let me out.” 

Realization sets in, I’m alone, no one knows where I am, and I’m at the mercy of some mad man. I look around the room, taking a few calming breaths. I can either reveal myself and break out, giving Tic what he wanted and further putting my life and the Lamias at risk. Or hope somehow I am rescued, or the mad Tic would come to his senses. 

I just wish I could see my Lamias. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

A few phone calls with no answers and it had turned dark outside. Moonstone and Guardian go back to the lamia room where Alpha stood watch over the snoozing Butterscotch and Munchkin. 

“Anything?” Alpha whispered, moving a short distance away so not to wake the sleeping duo. 

“No, Mama Crysta hasn’t picked up or called back. The last call went straight to voicemail.” Guardian informed with worry in his voice. 

“This is very unusual of Mama Crysta. What if something happened to her?” Moonstone looked a little scared. 

“I agree.” Alpha glanced back at Butterscotch and Munchkin. He couldn’t leave them on their own. His instincts telling him he should stay close to his mate at all times. It was getting very close to their due date. He also didn’t feel comfortable about sending Guardian and Moonstone on their own to search for Crysta afterdark. They were still small enough that the threat of birds of prey was valid. The last thing he wanted to do was to put them in harm’s way. 

“We’ll wait til morning, If Crysta doesn’t show up, well give Miss Vex a call. She’ll know what to do.” Alpha decided that would be the best course. He had to believe Crysta was fine. Crysta has gotten herself distracted before, hopefully this was the case but the whole thing seemed off. “She’ll come home, we just got to believe in her.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’ve woken up from another shock attack. Hours have passed since I first woke up in this place. I don’t know how long I can stand this. This human form won’t be able to take this very long. Everytime the shock collar goes off, Tic appears and writes something down. I plea with him, to let me go, that I’m not the alien he’s looking for. 

He still doesn’t listen. I pound on the glass wall and he laughs and says “It’s bulletproof, You can’t break it.” I sag against the glass wall. My body is shaking from the assault, add hunger, thirst and lack of sleep. I look over at Tic, watching him write. “What are you even writing?”

Tic smiles at me. “the difference tween screwin’ round and science is writin’ et down.” He jots a few things down and leaves. 

Did he just quote Mythbusters at me? I rub my face with my hands. I can hear voices from the hall. I strain to listen to Tic talking with the other. What was his name, Mick?

“Eh, Tic, wha if she isn’t one-o-those aliens? Wha if she es tellin’ the truth? 

“Ya saw the video, Mick. She really es one. We just gotta prove et. She’ll come around, just takes time.” 

“But wha if she does die? Wha then?”

“Eh, we’re in tah middle of the woods, ain’t nobody finding us out here. We just bury her a ways from here and move on. There’s still tah Big Foot to find.”

I can hear them moving away. Great. They don’t really seem to care that they could be killing someone with this ‘experiment’ they have, either I’m an alien or I’m dead. I begin to hope that something happens soon. My soul reaches out. All I need is a Hero.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Morning dawns, and Moonstone brings the cell phone over to the group huddled in the Lamia room. Crysta still hadn’t come home. Alpha and Guardian are arguing about Guardian going out on his own during the night when Alpha explicitly said not to. 

Moonstone knows they’re worried, he is too. He presses the button to call Vex and turns on speaker phone. Both Alpha and Guardian shut up and move closer, waiting for the line to pick up. And once it did, Moonstone doesn’t even wait for who ever picked up to say anything

“Hello, Miss Vex.” His voice is shaking. “Mama Crysta didn’t come home last night and we’re worried about her.” A tear runs down his face as he speaks. “We think something is wrong and we need help.” His voice hitches as Guardian wraps his arms around him.

Alpha then takes over. “We need help looking for her. My mate, Butterscotch, is due to have our hatchlings at any moment and I can’t leave him alone. I also need help with Munchkin cause he’s too big for me to handle on my own. I can’t send Moonstone and Guardian on their own to search for her. We don’t know where she went or how far she’s gone. Her phone just goes to voicemail.” Alpha glances over as Moonstone begins to sob and can see Guardian trying to hide his own tears. He glances over at Butterscotch, still curled up with Munchkin. Their eyelights meet. He feels helpless. 

Suddenly Butterscotch gasps and clutchs his belly. Alpha drops the phone and rushes over. Guardian quickly picks it up. Waiting for a reply from the other end of the line.

Butterscotch looks up at Alpha. “They’re gonna be coming soon. I can’t have them without Crysta here. I need to know Crysta is safe, they can’t come without Crysta being here.” Butterscotch is beginning to panic and Alpha try to console him as Munchkin begins to whimper. 

Guardian looks between the minture Lamias and the phone. “What do we do?” his voice shakes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I’m shaking after the last shock. It’s gotten more intense and it’s starting to feel like it’s happening more often. I can only assume he’s getting impatient. I’m leaning against the glass plane wall, the cool surface giving me some relief. I’ve tried pounding on it, hoping I could call for help in the off chance anyone else was around. Maybe Mick would have a change of heart and go against Tic. It didn’t seem likely. 

My vision blurs before I see it. The slide of a distinctive large tail, glowing with magic.

A Lamia!

I begin pounding on the glass wall in desperation. I couldn’t tell if it was a King or a Chain but I didn’t care. It was a Lamia, and hopefully a way out. Hopefully it wasn’t blind to these insane peoples’ experiment. 

“Help, Help, please help me!” I call out, ignoring how hoarse my voice sounded. My vision is swimming and I’m feeling faint. I try to shoulder the glass, trying to make as much racket as possible. 

That’s when I felt it, another unscheduled shock. I cry out, leaning against the wall as I wait for it to pass. I can’t see the tail anymore, but my vision is darkening. The shock ended and I slide down to the floor against the wall. 

“Help, I need a hero.” I mutter before I lose consciousness. 

( @vex-bittys or @vexy-sins (not sure which blog this would be better for...since there is some element of torture of my person in the story.)

Yes this is a Lamia adoption scenario, I’m looking to be saved by my next Lamia. 

I had this Idea for a while and am kicking myself for not doing it sooner. I’m either looking for a (and leaning more towards) a large King-Chain Hybrid that can hopefully still do a soulbond, or I can be happy with just a large full size King (or both a king and a chain, so I can still get that soulbond? :P I’m indecisive). Also any other unique features or background for him (them) would be nice. This is going to be a love interest(s) for my character. I hope I’m not asking for too much. 

Also, I chose not to have a soulbond with Guardian as I could have sworn that I remembered that a Chain can have a soulbond with another Lamia and I kinda liked the Idea of him having one with Moonstone instead. I never got that soulbond feeling during their rescue/adoption. I just couldn’t find the post to confirm it. 

I do want Butterscotch to have his babies after I’m rescued. If you wanna throw me what they are having that would be great because I don’t even know what I want yet. So surprises are the best. Again, hoping I’m not asking for too much Please take your time in replying, I know you have a lot of asks in your mailbox and I don’t want to be jumping ahead of anyone… but this needed to be a story rather than an ask. I can be patient.)

#Crysta-cub's lamina experience #vex-bittys #vexy-sins #Intro of Eevee pup #In need of a hero #Alpha #king lamia bitty #butterscotch #honey bo lamia #guardian #Chain lamia #moonstone #Papython lamia #kidnapping #shock torture #electric torture #crazy people #They think i'm an alien #they're not fully wrong but I won't let them find out #Munchkin #Baby Twister lamia #adoption scenario #Lamia adoption #Take your time

[clan-of-reaching-stars]

Colrath’s Charge

Colrath rolled off the table he was on with a snarl, the Skydancer, Vincent? Victor, that was it, looked up and didn't try to stop him. Colrath glared at him, "what, you're not going to say anything?" Mock him for his inglorious death, say anything really... "I don't have to be a Skydancer to sense how angry you are," Victor remarked, he organized a few things on his desk as he spoke, "you're furious."

Colrath bared his teeth, "you bet I am," he'd come so close, but the Tundra had gotten tangled in, and Colrath had been thrown off, now fighting on two fronts, before the Skydancer had struck them both down, he hadn't even sen it coming. Victor was obviously seeing what Colrath was thinking about, as he watched the Skydancer's hands grew less steady on the various equipment, almost dropping several things, "Well yes, and I think you should go." Colrath turned and head out, snarling under his breath, he didn't want to deal with anyone right now. Unfortunately, he didn't get that relief, as Gaila popped up beside him. "What do you want?" he bared his teeth at her, but that didn't phase her. "If it makes you feel better I died in the bloodbath of my first game too," for a moment Colrath almost lowered his guard, but he doubted Gaila had come just to try to cheer him up. "Of course then I started training with Shadowclaw and I got better, lasted longer in my next one," she smirked, and Colrath glared at her, how dare she imply he lacked training, as though he didn't already know he wasn't strong enough, hadn't the battle to save his Clan shown him that? As he opened his mouth, ready to tear into her, she pushed him back, at the same time, claws sank into his coat, and pulled him. Colrath cried out in surprise as he was pulled back into a cave. Gaila followed him in, dodging his attempt to claw her easily, Colrath got a blow to the side of his head from whoever had also jumped him. He swung to face them, staring down into dark green eyes, one with a deep scar over it, "I should've guessed," he drawled upon coming face to face with Shadowclaw. "I was told to talk to you when you got back," Shadowclaw informed him, "and I doubted you'd accept an invitation so I had Gaila bring you instead. Listen, Iskal and Shalestone wants us to get along, and I may not like you, but I respect them." He offered one hand, "so for the Clan's sake I'll be willing to train you." "Who do you think you are?" Colrath demanded, dropping his voice to an ominous growl, "I am not some hatchling to be spoken down to, we are the same age, and I will not be treated like some errant student." Something slapped him across the face between the armor and the force it hurt, making him almost stagger. He glared at Gaila, the blur of pink suggested it had been her tail. She glared back at him, and grinned toothily, "bring it big boy." "Enough!" Shadowclaw snapped, the smaller guardian stepped between the two of them, "enough. Colrath..." he paused and made a face as though someone had just offered him rotting flesh, "I'm sorry," he gritted out, "that I offended you. I did not mean as your teacher, I meant that you, Gaila and I would be a good team." Colrath dragged his claws over the stone floor below him as he considered it, "very well," he admitted, "I will think about it." He did need to be stronger. And Gaila and Shadowclaw made for powerful allies, that was certain. "Good," Shadowclaw nodded to Gaila, "go ahead, go find your boyfriend." "Faolan isn't my boyfriend!" She yelped, Colrath almost laughed, which surprised him as much as her denial, maybe he could work with these two. Maybe. The image of blood red eyes staring down as him as he struggled to breath, try to keep fighting, the red eyes that stared at him as they tore his Clanmates to shred reminded him of the truth. He could make allies, but he could not make friends. Not again. "He's probably down in the hatchery suggesting names for the hatchling," she admitted and then went still. Colrath paused, there were no nest expected to hatch today except for- "The plague egg hatched?" He asked, trying to sound calm. To sound collected. Like he wouldn't lash out. Like he didn't think the Clan had just done the most foolish thing it could've taking in an abandoned plague egg. Shadowclaw studied him, and seemed to believe he wasn't about to snap, but still spoke carefully, "yes. A little mirror girl." Colrath fought back an intense surge of rage, "well then, perhaps I should meet this little... bundle of joy." "You lay one claw on her and I will tear you limb from limb," Gaila warned, pointing one black claw at his face, "Victor and Phyllis will not be able to put you back together, do you understand me?" Colrath gave her a look, he wasn't stupid. If he wanted to kill the little disease ridden whelp he wouldn't do it in front of witnesses. He just wanted to see his new enemy. The trio made their way to the hatchery, Colrath ignored the glances the other two kept sending his way, let them think what they wanted, if they wanted to turn a blind eye until they were killed in their sleep that wasn't his concern. Several of the Clan was clustered around, they looked up when he entered. The change was obvious, several dragons moving between him and the hatchling. He huffed, "if I was going to kill it, do you think I do it in front of all of you?" He went still when a small mirror popped her head out to look at him, it's red eyes still an almost light orange, it made a mewling noise, as his mouth went dry. No. No. What had he done to the Plaguebringer to bring this fate down on him. "You have to be kidding me," he breathed, then repeated it, "you have got to be kidding me!" There was no way. "What?" Lethe asked, trying to wrangle the little one, "what is it?" "That... it's my Charge."

#Colrath's Vengeance #Colrath #Shadowclaw #Panacae #Gaila #Lore #clan lore

[azvolrien]

Anchored Tempest - Chapter Ten

In which several mysteries are solved.

~~~

           The light had gone out of the pebble by the time they woke, however many hours later that was. Una conjured a witchlight to float above them as they all made their way out of their little campsite and ventured deeper into the High Citadel, down a high-ceilinged tunnel as wide as the alcoves and archways in the dragon hall.

           Nirali gave the light a poke with the tip of one claw, to no visible effect. “I thought it would be hot, somehow,” she said. “But there’s just a sort of… very faint humming feeling.”

           “Witchlights are just light,” said Una. “Light without heat, completely harmless – unless you make it too bright and shine it in someone’s eyes. Back at the College they’re a good way of finding out how much power the new apprentices have to throw around.”

           “Your College sounds like an interesting place. Is it like the Warren?”

           “A little, I suppose. Lots of scholars running around. More of a focus on magic, though. And not underground.”

           “There’s something up ahead,” said Ikara. “There, against the wall. It looks like…” She trailed off as they moved closer.  

           It was the body of a man in Balaurin clothing, slumped on the stone floor of the corridor with his back to a wall. Star arched her back, her spines standing on end and rattling against each other. Una laid a soothing hand on her muzzle and waved the witchlight over to hover above the man. Like the food in the Citadel kitchens, his body had been preserved in the cold, dry air within the mountain, though by no means perfectly: his skin was shrunken and waxy, pulled taut over his bones. Despite that, he looked strangely peaceful. Although his teeth were bared in a death grin, there was no agony in his pose or obvious wounds to his body.  

           Nirali crouched down for a closer look, cleaning specks of frost from her glasses. “I think it’s the man from the Sky Stone,” she said, peering at his withered face.

           They gathered around to see.

           “I think you might be right,” said Karash.

           Ikara nudged the man’s chest with her foot. “Looks like he got sleepy in the cold, sat down for a nap, and never woke up,” she said. “Poor bastard,” she added philosophically.

           “There are worse ways to go,” said Nirali. “This ‘River’ must be in here as well somewhere.”

           Star crawled forwards, snuffling at some deep scratches in the stone floor. They were much too old to still hold a scent, she informed Una, but they could only have been left by the claws of a dragon. She reared up on her hind legs, stretching out her wings and tail for balance, and awkwardly measured the nearest gouges against her foot. A much bigger dragon than her, she added.

           “Look, unless River was very young when it and our friend back there locked themselves up here, it’s probably in the same state,” said Ikara, several thoughtful seconds after Una had passed this information to the others. “Let’s keep going. Unless we hit some weird magic trap, there’s nothing to be scared of up here.”

           “Oh, you’ve done it now,” muttered Karash.

           They carried on, following the tunnel around and down in a wide spiral. It was largely featureless grey stone; every now and then, an empty sconce like those in the Throat was bolted to the wall. Occasionally they passed a bit of graffiti, where somebody long ago had scratched or painted a name or a picture on the stone. Here and there were what looked like direction signs carved into the walls, but they had been hacked into illegibility.

           After at least half an hour of brisk walking, the tunnel came to an end in a dragon-sized archway. Beyond it was total blackness. Una fed a little more power to her witchlight, but it did not illuminate more than a few feet through the arch.

           Everyone looked at each other.

           Nirali took a deep breath. “Well, we’ve come this far.”

           They stepped through the archway into the dark.

           “Is it warmer in here?” asked Karash.

           “Feels like it,” said Una, closing her eyes in concentration. “The air in here is saturated with magic.”

           “Is that good?” asked Ikara.

           “Could be. I’ll see if I can make use of it. I don’t have quite the same knack for drawing on outside sources that my father does, but I should be able to…” Una held up one hand, pointing upwards; the witchlight floated up in response until it hovered twenty feet above their heads. She closed the upraised hand, and the light flared bright enough to cast at least a little illumination on the entire chamber.

           “Well, that’s something you don’t see every day,” said Nirali.

           Huge crystals, each one at least the size of a grown man and most even bigger, covered every inch of the walls within the roughly spherical cavern. It was nothing less than a geode the size of a Kiraani amphitheatre.

           “You said crystals are good at holding magic,” said Karash. “The Sky Kings must have filled all of these before they flew out for the last battle.”

           “There’s something down there,” said Ikara, pointing with her spear.

           The archway they had entered by was cut at the geode’s equator, opening onto a raised metal gantry; the crystal-coated walls formed a dome high above and a bowl below, but the witchlight was still not bright enough to clearly show what Ikara had seen.

           Nirali bounced on her toes.

           “You want to go down for a closer look, don’t you?” said Karash.

           “I absolutely want to go down for a closer look,” said Nirali.

           Metal steps led down to more gantries below, each one slightly smaller than the one above as they encircled the cavern. “I’ll go first,” said Karash. “I’m the heaviest – if they hold me, they’ll hold all of you.”

           Star made a noise of protest.

           “Yes, but you and Tsheer can fly,” Karash pointed out. “Besides, you’re both big enough to easily climb down the crystals.”

           Karash was right, Star admitted to Una, but she had better not tell him that. Una just smiled.

           The steps held firm as Karash climbed down to the next gantry. Una lowered the witchlight to help see where they were putting their feet. The crystals they passed were etched with spell-markings: spells to hold the scrying block, spells to keep the storm in place, spells for translation, and other symbols that Una had never seen before, either at the College or with the Balaurin. A few levels down, the gantries got wider. Crystals had been cut down into pedestals or carved into alcoves, each one padded with specially-shaped cushions of leather or fabric to provide a comfortable nest for its inhabitant.

           “Harbinger’s fire,” whispered Una.

           Dragon eggs. All around the full perimeter of the huge geode, level upon level down to the bottom of the cavern. Una tried to count them, but had to give up; there must have been hundreds of them.

           “These must be the ‘treasures’ the man spoke about,” said Nirali, studying the nearest egg in its nest. “Hidden away during the Last Revolt, kept safe here for centuries…”

           “They must be dead by now,” said Ikara, not harshly.

           “Dragon eggs are tough,” said Una. “It takes a lot to addle them, much more than a bird’s or a lizard’s. But after this long…” She sighed.

           Star chirped to get their attention. As everyone turned to look, she hopped from the edge of the gantry, stirring the air with her wings, and glided down to the bottom of the cavern.

           “You shouldn’t go off by yourself in here!” said Una, following her down the stairs almost at a run. “You don’t know what kind of trap they might have left behind, or – oh.” She stopped dead at the foot of the last flight of stairs, where the crystals had been filed down to leave a wide, level space. Karash, Nirali and Ikara, jogging to keep up with her, failed to stop in time and ran into her back one by one. Tsheer glided down with considerably more grace and landed next to Star, preening his feathers as if absolutely nothing was out of the ordinary.

           At the very base of the cavern, curled up in the centre of the open space, was a dragon. His pose made it difficult to tell his size, but he was at least three times the size of Star with deep forest-green hide mottled with gold all along his back. Unlike his companion in the tunnel, he did not appear mummified; to look at, he could have fallen asleep minutes ago.  

           “That must be River,” said Nirali.

           “Is it… alive?” asked Karash. “Even in the cold up here, dead things usually don’t look that well-preserved.”

           Nirali looked thoughtful. Ikara just scoffed.

           “He’s not breathing,” said Una after watching closely for a few quiet seconds. “But you’re right. It’s weird how fresh he looks.”

           “He? You can tell?”

           “You get your eye in after living with them for a while,” said Una with a shrug.

           “How big is a dragon hatchling?” asked Nirali, turning back to the eggs. She held both arms out, measuring the nearest egg against their span.

           “It can vary depending on how old the mother is,” said Una. “Bigger dragons can lay bigger eggs. But they’re usually about the size of a horse.”

           Nirali nodded. “How old is Star, then?”

           “Twenty-seven, same as me. She’s still very young for a dragon, though – she won’t be laying any eggs for a while yet.”

           Star crawled in a wide circle around River, inspecting him carefully. His wings were folded tightly against his back and his legs were pulled in close to his belly, while the tip of his tail was coiled beneath his head. Unlike Star with her four rather stubby horns, he possessed eight: six long and pointed and two much shorter ones near the hinge of his jaw, all forming an impressive half-collar around the back of his neck. She leant in for a closer look at one. Each of his horns had been decorated with a broad gold ring around the base. The four on each side were linked to one another by a length of fine gold chain, while the two shortest also bore pendants of precious stones dangling like earrings. A polished, egg-shaped emerald the size of Karash’s fist rested on River’s brow, its gold setting welded to the rings on the central pair of horns.

           It was all rather gaudy, thought Star. Not something any of the dragons at home would have worn. She nudged the huge emerald with the tip of her snout, seeing how firmly the gold held River’s horns, and her jaw brushed against his scales.

           A flickering shimmer of light ran through the crystals – a wave starting from where River lay and radiating outwards. Everybody froze for an instant. Star took two cautious steps backwards.

           River’s chest heaved in a sudden deep breath.

           “Ohhh,” said Una. “That’s probably not good.”

           “Probably not, no,” said Karash, something gradually approaching hysteria in his voice.  

           River uncurled, stretching out all of his limbs one by one. His tail swept across the crystalline floor without leaving a scratch. He arched his back like a cat; his jaws gaped in a massive yawn. Finally he opened his eyes. Oval pupils like Star’s swivelled to focus on the younger dragon.

           Then he spoke.

           It was not like talking with Star, with her thoughts and emotions expressed as meaning without language, and speaking directly to Una alone. River’s voice echoed inside all their heads, and he spoke in words.

           I do not know you, little one.

           She had come from the north with her rider, Star explained.

           River let out his breath in a long sigh. What is your name?

           She was Bright Star in the High Cold Dark.

           I am Halted Flow of the River of Time.

           That was an interesting name.

Whatever god grants dragons their strange abilities saw fit to give me the power of stasis. So I have held myself and these eggs, still and unchanging. Tell me, how went the battle against the savages? I knew we would prevail – this was merely a precaution.

Errr…

“We should kill him,” said Ikara in a loud whisper. “Here and now, before he can fly out to cause trouble.”

River slowly turned to look at her. Nirali smacked her in the back of the head.

           Savages, he said, a hiss coming into his mind-voice as he bared his teeth. Here, in the High Citadel! He whipped back around to glare at Star, his spines bristling along his back. You brought them here! Why?

           They were friends…

           Savages are slaves, not friends! Kaayo! Kaayo, there are intruders in the High Citadel! Raise the alarm, we may still call the others back!

           There was, of course, no answer from poor frozen Kaayo. The spines on River’s back slowly settled to lie flat against his scales.

           Kaayo is… is gone. How long has it been? He stared into space, his pupils narrowing in sudden desperation. How long have I been in here?

           Una stepped forwards, raising her hands soothingly. “It’s been a long time,” she said.

           How long? HOW LONG?

           Una swallowed. “You’ve been sleeping here for six hundred years,” she said as gently as she could.

           Then the others…

           Dead, Star sadly confirmed. The orcs had won the war.

           No…

           But it was all right! There were still Balaurin in the north, in the Dragon’s Teeth; River could take the eggs north to live with them there!

           To live with creatures like you, who make friends of savages? No. The northern Balaurin were always weak, always! I will not go quietly back to the ones who scorned us and cast us out!

           “Someone’s got a selective memory,” muttered Ikara.

           “Not! Helping!” said Karash and Nirali in unison.

           River threw his head back in a roar. The eggs will last without me for a while. The savages destroyed my people? Well, then – I have work to do.

           He spread his wings, beat them once, and made it to the entrance archway in a single powerful leap. In moments he had vanished into the tunnel. Soon even the scraping of his footsteps was barely audible.

           “Oh, no,” said Una.

           “Well, don’t just stand there gawping!” said Ikara, scrambling onto Tsheer’s back. “After him!”

~~~

River’s just kind of an arse.

#az writes stories