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rallis-fatalis · 2 years

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Miscellanious Troubles

And so on and so forth, to a land of many unimportant things, the tensions between two kingdoms rise until all who are around them begin to feel the consequences. It’s about time someone put an end to their nonsense. Too bad these two rulers in their thrones are rather royal trouble…

A shimmer of purple illuminated the ominous stone steps standing in the early morning light of the Rellekan forest. The purple flickered and out of the glow popped Rallis the blue dragon. She stretched with a smile and jumped down the steps. The light flickered away, leaving her in the pale morning rays. Normally, Rallis hated waking up early, but the newest addition to her family, Twist the cockatrice, was an early riser. He woke her up at dawn for breakfast and the dragon decided to stay awake instead of going back to bed for a few more hours. After spending part of the morning preparing breakfast for her other children, the seven red dragons and Skorch the void torcher, and leaving treats and milk out for the cat trio, Rallis decided to get some food for herself as well. Although she could easily go down to her own private lake for some fish or her garden for fruit, Relleka was right outside one of the portals to her home and she really didn’t want to work for her breakfast this morning. Besides, there was no denying that an entire loaf of honey bread with some porridge sounded amazing this early morning.

Rallis waved hello to Sigli, the ever-watchful hunter guard, as she walked into town. He silently waved back, a small smile gracing his face at the sight of her. Rallis strode straight into the market square, waving happily at everyone she passed. It took a while for the residents of Relleka to feel like Rallis belonged there with them, given her strange appearance and her outlander status, but now people happily greeted her and showed her respect with the Rellekan name Denkir. It made her feel a bit more at home, more than any other human town or city. She purchased a huge loaf of honey bread, tipping generously as usual, and quickly scarfed down half of it before making her way to the Longhall in hopes of some porridge. As she entered the cozy firelit hall, she nabbed a bowl and dunked it into the pot of breakfast resting over the fire. It seemed she was one of the first few to grab a bite; a ton was still left in the pot and the hall was close to empty. Only Thora the barkeep, two others she didn’t recognize eating breakfast, Sigmund the merchant, and Chieftain Brundt himself sat in the massive hall. Sigmund and the chief were speaking in serious hushed tones over a table in the far end of the room. Rallis’ excellent hearing and desire to eavesdrop let her listen in on the conversation as she sat down at a nearby table to eat.

“--not looking good. Without their support, we will need to cut back more of our own forest, and I don’t think I need to tell you why that isn’t a wise decision.”

Chieftain Brundt huffed into his bowl. “No, you don’t… The last thing we need is the spirits invading again. Those cursed wolves alone nearly wiped us out. That bloody Fenrir…”

“Crafting goods will also be in short supply, unless someone would be willing to brave the mountains. Then there’s also the matter of produce. We’ve been running low and the frost will destroy what little we have left. And our stockpiles will go to waste if they aren’t traded soon.”

“I think it’s time we send a visitor to the islands,” Brundt concluded. “As you have been listening in, Rallis, why don’t you come over here and assist.”

Ralls squawked in surprise in the middle of a spoonful of food. “Hey, how’d you know I could hear you?”

Brundt chuckled. “Your ears face what you’re listening to. Come over. Let’s talk.”

She obliged and plopped down next to the chief, bowl in hand. “So, what’s up? Whatever you’re talking about sounds bad.”

“It’s awful,” Sigmund muttered. “Our most important trading ally has seemingly cut us off. Their trade ships are a month late and we have received no message as to why, nor a reply when we ask where they are! Now our plans for the next five months need to change and adjust to this predicament.”

Rallis looked confused so the chieftain clarified. “We give some of our things to other Fremennik provinces that they need, and they give us some of their things that we need. It’s called trading. Each province specializes in certain things and we all rely on each other to survive. If one province stops trading, it harms all others, including us.”

“Oh so you’re not getting stuff you need anymore,” Rallis said. “Can you get it anywhere else?”

“We don’t trade with outlanders,” Sigmund huffed.

“And even if we did,” Brundt began gently, “we’re rather cut off this far north. Some of what we need only grows in the other provinces as well, not any of the outland kingdoms to the south.”

“That’s not good,” Rallis said as her ears drooped. “Will everything be okay if you don’t get what you need?”

“We’ve survived far worse,” Chieftain Brundt assured. “It will just be hard for these next months. And we will need to adapt and learn new trade routes if we truly are cut off from this province. Thankfully it seems we haven’t been cut off from the others.”

“Can I help then?” Rallis asked. “I can grow stuff like food and I can fish! I can do lots of other stuff too!”

“Thank you for the kind offers, but I believe having you go to the provinces to investigate would be a better use of your skillset,” Brundt said.

“Oh, you’re right,” Rallis blushed with embarrassment. “Show me where to go and what to do and I’ll do it! I like to help!”

“Excellent!” Sigmund exclaimed. “I’ll get a boat prepared.” With that, he ran off toward the docks.

“Thank you again, Rallis,” Brundt said with a pat of her head. “You’ll be heading to the Miscellania and Etceteria provinces. Here’s what you’ll need to know…”

____________________________________________________________________________

As dawn burned away and the sun rose high, Rallis was sailing toward the Fremennik provinces of Miscellania and Etceteria. She could see the islands appearing quickly on the horizon. They looked far more summery and warm than Relleka, which seemed odd to Rallis since this was farther north. She decided not to think about it.

Chieftain Brundt gave her a crash course on the provinces and what she might need to do and look for. Miscellania and Etceteria have always been volatile provinces for as long as anyone alive could remember, trying to outdo each other in every aspect and even sabotaging each other at times. They would each strive to have the best relations with other provinces and be considered the better ruler than the other. Oddly enough, this led each province being extremely well-off and well-liked by everyone else instead of the usual hatred and neglect other kingdoms might see if they were to act in such a way. The citizens were kind and generous, the locales were scenic and bountiful, and the trade was more than great. So it was odd that they would so suddenly cut off ties from their biggest partner, Relleka, without so much as a word.

As Rallis neared the shore of the islands, nothing seemed to be out of place. It just looked like a regular island with no nefarious going-ons. If anything, the warmer weather and clean fruity-scented breeze heading her way was inviting and gentle. Soon, she hit the docks of what seemed to be the western province, Miscellania. No fishermen or dockworkers greeted her. The piers were empty. Rallis hummed in concern as she tied her boat and headed down the nearby path. On each side of the path were lush fields full of produce enough for all of the Fremennik provinces, maple trees that had never seen ailment in their lives that towered over Rallis as she walked, garden plots of herbs and spices more meticulously taken care of than even Taverley’s, shimmering waters devoid of pollution and teeming with huge fresh fish. This kingdom was beyond well-off, it was perfect! So why weren’t there any people? There were hundreds of chirping birds, adorable families of bunnies hopping around, and squirrels hopping from branch to branch, but not a single human. A castle stood in the distance to the west. Perhaps Rallis would find people there. At the very least, the royals of Miscellania.

Rallis strolled up to the castle. The gates were closed and even a good shove did not make them budge. A quiet gasp and scared whispers greeted her from behind the gate. It seemed she finally found the people of the province and they seemed rather nervous.

Not wanting to possibly get attacked by these strangers, Rallis chirped a chipper greeting. “Hello! My name is Ra– Denkir. I come from Relleka on behalf of their chieftain. Can I please come speak to your king?”

More whispers grew, this time not as quietly. Rallis could catch words like ‘talking monster’ and ‘thief’ amidst the discussion of Relleka. She rolled her eyes at the insults. Why were they calling her a thief? She hadn’t even stolen anything! …Yet.

A voice from behind the gate spoke up. “How do we know you are to be trusted, beast? You look a monster and are stranger to these lands. How do we know you are not here to pillage and plunder?!”

Rallis huffed. “You can check my boat at your dock. It’s got the Relleka sigil on it. I’m a Fremennik there, honorary and everything. And I’m not here to steal, just talk.”

Some more discussions ensued, and after a long pause, the gates opened a crack. Rallis was roughly grabbed by the shirt and thrown inside before the gates slammed shut once more. She tumbled to the dirty ground and found herself in the castle courtyard, filled with market stalls and what looked like the entire province. They circled around her, nervous, skeptical, scared, angry. In response, Rallis just timidly waved hello.

“Why do you wish to see King Vargas?” one of the people looming over her asked.

Rallis dusted the dirt off her clothes and rose. “Chieftain Brundt of Relleka asked me to speak with him. You guys all stopped trading with him and it’s messing everything up!” At that, many of the people gathered around looked ashamed or at the very least lost their looks of fury and skepticism. “I’m here to see what’s wrong and get things moving again. So, what is wrong?”

At once, the entire group started to shout and complain. Thievery this, Etceteria that, and so much more Rallis couldn’t latch onto.

“I think I’ll just go ask the king myself,” Rallis barked over the crowd. “Thanks though!” With that, she sprinted away from the cacophony and into the castle. The castle was elegantly adorned with tapestries, banners, paintings, and more. Framed paintings of the castle royalty decorated every wall where a banner wasn’t, paintings of a man with a crown and two younger people, a boy and a girl. Presumably, this was the king and his children. A guard stopped Rallis at the top floor by the entrance to the king’s throne room. Once she explained the situation once again, he let her through. Rallis was immediately going to jump into the explanation of why she was here, but stopped with a choked sound as she laid eyes on the king.

Chieftain Brundt failed to mention King Vargas wasn’t human.

The king was massive, towering over the wiry bald bearded bespectacled man at his side. He stood over his throne, much too large to actually sit in it. He wore no clothing, instead clothed head to toe in thick white fur. He looked like a giant covered in three layers of kyatt fur. Despite the king’s imposing appearance, he greeted his unexpected guest with an almost kind voice.

“Greetings. I saw your approach and encounter with my people from my window. Who seeks an audience with the king of the great and fair Miscellania and what do you desire?”

Rallis didn’t know if she was supposed to bow or kneel or something else, so she opted for a small awkward bow. “Greetings, King Vargas. My name is Denkir and I come from Relleka. I come to investigate why trade has stopped with Relleka and to see if it can continue again.”

“Hmm, someone came sooner than I thought,” Vargas muttered. “I didn’t expect someone so… unique looking. Are you cursed to be a monster as well?”

The idea that being a dragon could even remotely be considered a ‘curse’ rubbed Rallis the wrong way and she had to stop herself from hissing. “No, sir, this is how I have always looked. I’m a dragon.” She could tell he was about to comment something else, so she steered him back on track. “So, why has trade stopped sir?”

The king growled. “It’s the fault of those filthy Etceterians and their despicable queen, Sigrid! It is people like her that keep this war between our nations alive. There will never be peace with the likes of her around! That lying thieving witch!” Vargas roared and slammed his massive furred fists onto a nearby table, shattering it to splinters. The wiry man next to him seemed used to such behavior and simply backed away while muttering a note about needing another table again. The king calmed himself with a huff. “We have stopped trade because our supplies have routinely been going missing. Produce, fish, poultry, bread, everything. All our consumables have been stolen and we can barely keep our own kingdom fed. We have closed off our kingdom so that we may survive, hence why the gates were closed.”

“And you think the other kingdom is taking your food?” Rallis asked.

“I don’t think it, I know it!” Vargas shouted. “Sigrid relies on trade for most of the food for her kingdom. She’s too busy growing her precious hardwoods to make any decent farm plots. The chill and weather must have finally driven her meager patches to death and now she has to steal to survive. If she had just come to me and asked for assistance and bowed to me like she should, then she would have food, the kingdoms would be open, and none of this would be happening! But no, she decided to lower herself to that of a common thief and slink into our stores in the dark of night and steal like an animal. Pah!”

Rallis nodded as she listened along. This sounded like a serious problem. “What can I do to help? Relleka, and probably the other provinces, need your supplies.”

“Have Queen Sigrid admit she’s the thief and have her provide payment for everything she has taken. That is the absolute least she could do. I should make her pay interest and have her swear fealty and end the war too but V knows she’s too stubborn for that.”

Rallis grimaced and slowly backed away. “Okay, I’ll go talk to her. Just across the island, right? Alright, gotta go!” She ran out of the castle, through the gates, and breathed a sigh of relief in the maple forest, happy to be away from the king and all his complaints and anger. “Why do I feel like this isn’t going to be as easy as a little talk?”

__________________________________________________________________________

Etceteria was nowhere near as vibrant and lush as Miscellania. It was like a storm cloud perpetually hovered overhead, darkening the land. The castle that loomed in the distance was darker and more foreboding. Instead of a maple forest, perfectly spaced teak and mahogany trees grew. Small plots of land dotting the open landscape here and there had obviously been growing some sort of food but had semi-recently been dug up and weeds began to take over. Like before, the gates to the castle were shut and the citizens huddled hushedly on the other side. And like before, Rallis explained why she was here until they let her pass and enter the castle.

The castle seemed more homely than Vargas’, more lived in. It looked like more than just the queen lived here; some guards and civilians appeared to have rooms downstairs. Despite the outward appearance, Etceteria seemed more welcoming on the inside, more realistic than the perfectly manicured front of Miscellania. There were no guards hanging outside of the queen’s chambers, nor were there any advisors or regal paintings and banners. Rallis knocked on the queen’s door and a very tired ‘come in’ responded. Inside, an exhausted looking woman with short brown hair and a tastefully elegant red dress greeted her. She was seated at a desk, scribbling on a stack of papers. At the sight of her guest, she dropped her quill with wide eyes.

“Oh, my!” she gasped. “What in Gielinor?!”

Rallis calmly bowed. “Queen Sigrid?”

She seemed shocked that Rallis could speak. “Y-Yes, that is me. Who wishes to know?”

“My name is Denkir. I come from Relleka to investigate why trade with the other provinces has stopped. I was first told to go to Miscellania to speak with King Vargas, and he sent me–.”

“Vargas,” the queen spat, all fear of Rallis gone and instead was replaced with fury. “So that idiotic oaf has sent you. What does that thieving fool want with me now?”

“Well, a lot of supplies have gone missing from Miscellania, and the king thinks you’re responsible.”

Before Rallis could even think of continuing, Sigrid flew into a fit, face red with anger. “Oh he does, does he?! He can’t blame himself because that would mean he admitted he did something wrong, so instead he blames his poor neighbor who can barely scrape up ends meet! Well, you talking lizard, you can tell that giant idiot that I have nothing to do with his misplaced snacks and he better stop stealing my own kingdom’s food to make up for his own losses!”

“Do not call me lizard,” Rallis hissed, startling the queen out of her anger. “And Vargas said you’re stealing his food. But now you’re saying he’s stealing yours?”

Queen Sigrid regained her composure and nodded. “Yes. Some time ago, our food stores began to deplete and no one knew why. Every citizen was interviewed and all of them have no idea where the supplies could have gone. I know they are telling the truth as over the time since, my people grow thinner and the food still disappears no matter where we put it. So it has to be the Miscellanians stealing our food!”

Rallis thought to herself with a hum. That seemed rather odd. Both kingdoms had the same story. “How come you haven’t been getting food elsewhere then?” Rallis asked.

The queen sighed. “That filthy lout King Vargas has blocked our ships from sailing out for trade. I had no idea why until now. Is this monster trying to starve us to death so he can steal my kingdom?!”

“I don’t think that’s the case,” Rallis hurried. “Could I see where you store your supplies?”

The queen gave her visitor a look but relented. “Sure. I have little to lose. Follow me.”

Sigrid led Rallis out the castle toward a hole in the castle courtyard. A guard watched over it and bowed as the queen came near. Sigrid led Rallis down the hole. At the bottom was a forked path. The queen led her one way toward a huge door locked with three locks. Whatever was here was most definitely secure. The queen unlocked the door and swung it open. Inside was a meager amount of supplies.

The queen sighed. “This is all we have left for all of Etceteria. Soon the people’s personal stores will run out, then this will too. Even the fishers can’t be of help. Nearly all the fish that used to swarm our shores have gone missing. I don’t know what to do.” Her voice cracked and her eyes began to water.

Rallis shot her a sympathetic glance and stepped inside. She began to investigate the room for any signs of forced entry or thievery. One of the many joys of being a decent thief was identifying signs of thievery others may have left behind. She checked the locks but there were no scuff marks from a lockpick. Next she checked the walls and roof for any secret paths or holes, but there was nothing worth noting. Nothing seemed to be hidden under any of the remaining supplies either. This was just a regular, albeit sad, room. As Rallis was about to step out, something did catch her attention. In the dirt where the door would be when closed were some rather odd-looking dips in the earth, like something had been slid across that same area over and over. She led the queen out and closed the door and leveled herself with the ground. Those dips in the dirt were decently deep, certainly not long enough for any human to find useful, but Rallis could slide her arm through up to the shoulder.

“Have these grooves always been here?” Rallis asked.

The queen kneeled down beside her. “No, they have not. The storage rooms have always been secure in every way. I can assure you these were not here before this thievery started. How could I not have noticed this since?”

Rallis ran her hand through the dips. “They’re very smooth. This wasn’t carved with a tool, so it wouldn’t have happened overnight. With everything you’ve been going through, it’s understandable you wouldn’t see or feel these dips growing by the day.” Rallis followed the trail of the dip down the underground path until it led to a hole in the cavern wall down the way. “Is anything down there?” she asked.

“Down that path is housing for my citizens. Both kingdoms have homes underground so we may use our minimal land for maximum produce. But down this specific hole in the wall, no I haven’t a clue.”

Rallis peeked into the hole but could see nothing, even with her excellent night vision. She placed an ear to the hole and could faintly hear the sound of water, far far away.

“It sounds like the ocean,” she said. “It might be an underwater cave. Do you have any paths that might lead to any underground alcoves or caverns? Possibly changing with the tide?”

The queen shook her head. “No, our houses down here don’t go too deep into the earth. I’ve never seen or heard of anything like that.” She scowled at her next thought. “King Vargas might, however. He has many more civilians and far deeper underground caverns.”

It was time to head back to Miscellania then. “Thank you for helping me. I’ll be sure to get to the bottom of this.”

“Thank you, Rellekan. Denkir, was it? I will not forget this. And if you could, please ensure King Vargas understands that we were not the ones to steal his stores.”

“As long as you can understand the same,” Rallis chided. “I don’t think a human did this. Or whatever big thing the king is.”

The queen huffed but relented. She supposed it could be possible that something other than the Miscellanians were at fault. But what, she wondered. With that, Rallis ran back to Miscellania.

___________________________________________________________________________

When Rallis told King Vargas the news, he was furious. He smashed a flimsy chair in his rage and the wiry man beside him sighed through his nose rather loudly.

“How dare Sigrid think we stole her food!” he shouted. “Like we would want her soggy cabbages and old tuna fish! This is unacceptable!” He roared and pounded his fists on the ground.

Rallis groaned. Vargas was completely fixated on that detail from the beginning of her story rather than the important details of the clue she found underground. He refused to believe what the queen said about her citizens not stealing Miscellania’s food either.

“King Vargas, please calm down and listen,” Rallis tried. “I need to see your food storage as well to look for clues. Can you please take me?”

The king growled out the rest of his tantrum and regained some composure. “My advisor can show you,” he said, pointing to the wiry man beside him. “Ghrim, show Denkir what they need. I need a moment to myself.”

The advisor bowed and silently led Rallis out of the throne room and down to the castle courtyard. Just like in Etceteria, a hole descended into the ground, where at the bottom a path forked in two. Advisor Ghrim led Rallis to the food store and unlocked the metal door. Inside was, in Rallis’ opinion, still a great deal of food, far more than these people would need for a long time, but it was definitely apparent it used to hold more. Knowing what to look for, Rallis checked the ground under the door and sure enough, smooth dips in the earth slid under the door frame. She followed their path, and this time they did not lead to a hole in the cavern wall, but instead traced the wall farther down the second path.

“Does this other path lead down to your homes as well?” Rallis asked.

The advisor was surprised she knew such a thing. “Yes, it does. There you will find the rest of our fine kingdom with its bars, shops, homes, and more.”

Rallis followed the smooth dips in the earth. “Is this path heavily traveled?”

“Quite. Hundreds of people every day walk this route back and forth.”

Rallis hummed in thought. So whatever made these dips definitely had to be inhuman. There were no human tracks in the stone even after so much walking, but only a month or so of whatever made these tracks was enough to make a lasting impression. Rallis followed the tracks around the edge of the town until they disappeared into a hole in the ground by some kind of drilling machine.

“What is this?”

“A project on hiatus,” Ghrim said. “We intend to tunnel farther into the caverns to create more spacious housing and other facilities. Dwarves had been hired for the work, but they up and left one day, very unprofessionally I might add. They were raving about terrifying monsters with glowing red eyes and fangs the size of swords deeper in the caves, but I can assure you we have looked numerous times and have never found anything of the sort. Bloody raving mad, those dwarves.”

Rallis hopped over the machinery and investigated the cavern on the other side. Tools were very hastily abandoned and foundations for new builds left unfinished. But underneath the crumbling rocks and broken parts were indeed continuations of the grooves from before.

“Well whatever made those dips in the ground came this way,” Rallis called back. “They seem to be going farther in too.” She poked her head through a hole where the grooves continued. On the other side was another large cavern system, leading deep into the darkness. “I’m gonna follow them. You coming?”

“I think not,” the advisor said. “I will not be climbing over rubble and rusted gear to flail around in a damp dark cavern, thank you. I will return to the king’s side if you need anything.” And with that, he strutted away. Rallis snorted derisively and climbed through the hole.

The other side of the hole was pitch black. Perhaps it was a good thing that stuffy advisor didn’t join along. Rallis could see just fine thankfully and began to investigate. The caverns were far thinner here than where the citizens of Miscellania were living. The corridors were tighter and more naturally ragged and rocky. The grooves in the ground were far more prominent here and led deep into the dark depths. Whatever made these were definitely hiding down here. Rallis moved along quickly.

The farther she went, the warmer the caverns became. Vents of natural gas heated geysers and pools of water, making the cavern sweatier than the saunas in Corsair. A person might find it uncomfortable and stuffy, but Rallis felt great. She relaxed a bit as she followed the trail and stretched out her wings. If she wasn’t on the hunt for a mystery culprit, she might’ve partaken in a little soak in one of those vent-heated pools. As she continued along, something by one of the vents caught her eye. It was thin and translucent and very long. It had a smooth texture in her hand, with slight imprints of… scales?

“It’s a snake skin!” she whispered. “Those grooves must be snake trails! But why would a snake steal human food?” She put the skin down and moved on.

Soon, Rallis reached the end of the cave. Food scraps and empty wooden crates piled around the edges of the cavern Rallis now stood it. A massive pool of water, this one not heated by a vent, rested at the end of the cave. As Rallis stood by it, she was surprised to feel the water rush and recede against her claws. This water had a tide unlike the previous pools.

“Is this an ocean cove or something?” she mumbled. She stuck her head under the water to look around…

…and was greeted with many pairs of bright red glowing eyes.

Rallis shrieked and leapt backward out of the water and scrambled away. Out of the pool rose an absolutely massive serpent, striped different shades of blue, glowing red eyes staring down at the little dragon menacingly. It hissed and flashed its lengthy set of fangs, splashes of venom dripping down the tips. Rallis immediately threw her hands up and hissed to the snake in a language it could understand.

“Whoa! Calm down, friend! I’m not here to hurt you, I promise. I was just following a trail and it led me here.”

The serpent stopped its hissing but still remained on alert. It flicked its tongue at Rallis, trying to get a good read on her. As it emerged from the water to get a closer look at the unexpected guest, the dragon realized just how huge this snake was. It coiled around her, tongue flicking every which way. Rallis sat still, making no sudden movements.

“Was it you taking food from the humans?” Rallis asked. The snake eyed her suspiciously. “I won’t hurt you if you say yes. I’m just here to find out the culprit.”

The snake settled in a comfortable coil around Rallis. It informed her that it was not the one who stole the food, but it knew who did.

“Can I talk to them?” Rallis asked. “I need to tell them what’s going on so they can stop.”

The snake flicked its tail into the pool of water, and right on cue a small horde of much tinier snakes slithered out. They too were striped shades of blue and looked up at Rallis with bright red eyes. Rallis couldn’t help herself. She squealed with glee.

“Baby sea noodles!” she squealed excitedly. “Oh you’re all so cute! Yes you are! Look at your widdle faces with those cute boopable snoots!”

The giant serpent was pleasantly surprised over the dragon’s reaction, uncoiling just enough to let the smaller snakes investigate their visitor. Rallis cooed and giggled as the tiny serpents slithered into her lap or sniffed at her tail.

“Awwww, were you cuties the ones stealing food from the humans? You must be hungry little babies, aren’t you?” As she carefully stroked one of the serpent’s spines with a finger, it dawned on her. “Oh! You’re a momma! A momma sea serpent! Well I must say your children are the absolute cutest little friends I have ever seen!”

The mother snake dipped her head with what looked like a smile. It was in fact her children stealing food from both of the kingdoms. She was far too large to get the food herself and the meager supply of fish in this cave had quickly vanished.

“Why not go back into the ocean then?” Rallis asked. “You are sea serpents, right? There’s loads of food to eat out there.”

The mother serpent slithered away from Rallis and back into the pool, and her many children followed suit. She flicked her tail to ask Rallis to follow. The serpent vanished into the dark watery depths and Rallis dove down after her. Under the water, the mother snake led Rallis to a tunnel. Rallis could feel the tug of the tide here; it must lead to the ocean. However, it seemed something had closed this pool off from the outside world. A rockfall had caved in the tunnel and there was no way through. Water could still flow through the gaps in the rocks, but there was no way any of the sea snakes could slither through. The mother snake looked at the rocks sadly and Rallis understood. This family of sea snakes was trapped.

Rallis swam back to the pool’s surface and shook the water off her clothes. The mother snake poked her head out of the water. “I understand now. You did what you needed to survive. I don’t blame you for what you did, but I know the humans up above will. We need to get you out of here. If you keep taking the humans’ food, there’s going to be a lot of problems.”

The mother bowed her head sadly. She had tried everything to move the rocks. Bashing against them to lodge them free, trying to dig her way out by moving rocks, making the gaps bigger to set at least her children free, but nothing worked. It was a sturdy immovable wall of earth. She hadn’t expected her kind’s usual nesting ground to become both the place of her children’s birth and now death.

Rallis smirked and patted her purple velvet tube pouch. “Lucky for you, you’ve bumped into someone with magic. I’ve got all kinds of runes in here! I’ll get you all free, I swear it!”

Rallis checked her rune pouch and dove into the water once more. She investigated the cave-in more closely. There were many small gaps in the rock for water to flow through and circulate. Definitely not big enough for any kind of animal to swim through, but large enough to wedge a rune or two in. Very carefully, Rallis slid some various dangerous runes into every crack she could find. Chaos, death, blood, any catalytic rune she could find she shoved into a crack.

She resurfaced once more to warn the snake family. “You should get your family out of the water for a moment,” she warned. “I basically just built a bomb of magic in that tunnel and I don’t want any of you getting hurt.”

The mother snake hurriedly hissed and herded her children out of the water. Dozens of curious glowing red eyes watched Rallis dive back into the water as they huddled by their mother away from the pool. Back in the tunnel, Rallis fished out a heaping handful of water and wind runes.

‘Here goes nothing!’

She slammed the runes together and in her hand formed a raw spark of ice magic. She let it loose on the cave-in and immediately it reacted to the catalytic runes hidden in the crevices. One by one the runes sparked into explosions of frost, cracking the rocks in two or bursting into an explosion of ice and rock shards. A dagger of icy rock shrapnel flew by Rallis’ ear in the water as the entire blockage crumbled and exploded. She yelped and hurried out of there before more shards flew her way.

With one final blast, this one strong enough to shake the entire cavern, Rallis sailed out of the water and back into dry land. The snakes looked at her in wonder. The dragon panted with a smile and proudly proclaimed to them.

“You’re free now! The ocean awaits!”

The serpents could hardly believe it. One by one, they took to the water, and when the mother dove down to investigate, she hissed with joy at the sight of the tunnel opened up once more. It would be a tight squeeze with the remaining rocky debris, but she could still make it and her family could finally be free! The mother serpent gave Rallis a bow back on land, and all the little snakelings did the same.

“Stay safe, you guys!” Rallis cheered as the family went on their merry way. “Enjoy the ocean!”

And with one last sploosh, the snakes were gone. Rallis breathed a sigh of relief. She was glad she could help such wonderful creatures. And she figured out what was ailing Miscellania and Etceteria to boot. Now the provinces will be happy with their problem solved, Relleka would get their trade goods again, and all’s well that ends well. With one last shake in an attempt to dry herself, Rallis began the trek back through the dark caverns to Miscellania. There had better be a warm towel waiting for her when she got back.

___________________________________________________________________________

“Ah, the adventurer is back! Did you find and beat down those foul Etceterians?”

Rallis sulked in front of King Vargas, still soaked and dripping water all over his fine luxury carpet. She was not, in fact, offered a towel and was beginning to shiver.

“Your problem was not caused by Etceteria,” Rallis told him. “It wasn’t even by a human, in fact. It was a family of starving sea snakes that had been imprisoned in a cavern under the kingdoms. They were stealing your food to survive. But they won’t bother you or Etceteria anymore! I helped them get back home and you’ll never see them again!”

King Vargas growled. “So now that evil queen employs the use of monsters! How long has she been raising these serpentine terrors to raid my kingdom?! It will continue no longer! I shall ensure all paths to that cavern are barricaded immediately! Miscellania must stay safe!”

“No, sir, it wasn’t the other kingdom’s fault!” Rallis said again. “It was just a family of wildlife. No relation to Etcetria at all!”

But the king didn’t seem to hear her. He kept muttering to himself about how those foolish Etceterians would pay dearly. Rallis stared at him in confused disgust. Like sea snakes would care about stupid politics and try to sabotage two kingdoms. Advisor Ghrim waved Rallis a gesture that told her to not even try arguing. It seemed even he knew the king could be a fool at times.

“Well,” Vargas said abruptly. “I suppose you deserve a reward for your efforts to this kingdom, Denkir. For such an unusual-looking stranger to come into our home and immediately help us without even so much as knowing a single citizen here takes courage and kindness another kingdom has never deigned to show us. And as such I shall provide you with an equally courageous and kind reward. I would like to offer you… marriage and my kingdom!”

“WHAT?!” both Rallis and the advisor screamed. Rallis staggered back, face red with a mixture of embarrassment and something akin to anger.

“Oh come now!” the king boomed. “You have only been here for a single day, yet you show kindness to my citizens and a talent for heroism and diplomacy! You have the makings of a ruler in you. Becoming regent to my kingdom would be beneficial for both of us.”

Rallis stuttered at the offer. “Wh–?! I-I don’t want to rule a whole kingdom! I don’t want to rule anything involving humans! And MARRIAGE?! Sir, I don’t think you understand how offens–!”

“It wouldn’t be my hand in marriage, I can assure you,” King Vargas rushed. “I’m sure you would rather prefer the hand of one of my children. They are used to the guise of a monster given their own father’s appearance from an unfortunate curse so they will not mind your hideous countenance at all!”

Rallis self-consciously rubbed at her face. ‘Hideous? Well I think I’m pretty…’

“You should meet them!” Vargas exclaimed, and before Rallis could argue, the beastly king shouted so loudly the walls of the throne room shook. “Brand! Astrid! Come meet our helpful guest!”

On either side of the throne room, a door opened and out walked a young man and woman. The man, a rather pompous and snobbish looking boy, strode in with a rather bored look on his face. A tacky red cape fluttered behind him and he held himself with far more elegance than the situation needed, making him look more full of himself than graceful. The woman, on the other hand, was clad in ranged armor (thankfully not dragonhide, Rallis was happy to note) and a rather short but combat ready skirt. Her blonde hair was tied back out of her face. This young lady seemed far more competent than the boy just by looks alone.

“Meet my daughter princess Astrid and son prince Brand,” the king said proudly. “My incredible daughter is a master of the bow, and my talented son is on his way to becoming a legendary bard. Both will make fine rulers at your side.”

Rallis snorted softly. ‘Bet this Brand kid isn’t even half as good as Olaf.’ The princess seemed nice enough at first glance, but she eyed Rallis with something that made her scales itch. She recognized that look on hunters’ faces when they spotted something new to track and kill. Rallis paled.

While Rallis was looking the royalty over, King Vargas was explaining the situation of Rallis’ reward to his children. Both looked rather displeased by the mere suggestion of wedding a monster, but they knew better than to talk back to their father about such things as kingdom politics.

“So, whom will you decide to wed,” the king said eagerly.

“Neither, sir!” Rallis shouted. “No offense, but this is a horrible reward! You can’t just offer a dragon a mate they’ve never even met before! Listen, I don’t need a reward, and I definitely don’t want one that comes with marriage and a kingdom. Just please promise you’ll start trading with Relleka again. That’s all I want.”

The king scowled. “Hmph! Well if you can’t understand the incredible one in a lifetime offer before you, then perhaps you would not do well to rule here. Fine, return to your province, Rellekan, and know your mission was successful. Our supply ships shall sail to your shores within the week.”

Rallis breathed a sigh of relief. Her mission was done. She quickly thanked him and bowed a hasty goodbye before sprinting out the throne room, out of the castle, and far away from Miscellania. She decided to update Queen Sigrid on the events as well, as a professional courtesy. The queen took everything far more well than the king, completely understanding the situation and hoping for a less tense state of affairs with Miscellania in the future. She even offered Rallis an actual reward of money and a dry towel and pair of clothes. She denied the money but gladly took the cozy Fremennik clothes and fluffy towel. With a proper goodbye to the queen, Rallis walked back to her boat, all cozy now in her dry fur-lined clothes, and sailed back to Relleka. She gave the two provinces one last look from the sea.

‘If I ever have to go back, it’ll be too soon…’

____________________________________________________________________________

Chieftain Brundt and Sigmund the merchant were ecstatic with the news Rallis brought.

“I knew we picked the right dragon for the job!” Brundt cheered.

“And supplies in only a week!” Sigmund said excitedly. “I shall go prepare our goods for the arrival.” He practically skipped out of the Longhall. Rallis giggled as she watched him scurry off.

“So,” the chieftain said as he slid a drink (thankfully non-alcoholic) over to Rallis. “How were the kingdoms? Still in as much turmoil as I think?”

“It was awful,” Rallis groaned loudly. “That king is so… so… DUMB!” She could think of no other word to describe him and Brundt howled in laughter at her honesty. “He thinks Queen Sigrid is always out to get him when all she’s trying to do is take care of her people. She’s not perfect either but at least she isn’t crazy like Vargas. And he’s so rude! And he wanted me to marry his kids!! And he doesn’t listen to anybody!!! And! And!”

Brundt cut her off with more laughter and a wave of his hand. “Oh, you don’t need to tell me about how foolish and downright crass Vargas can be. I knew him before he was a king and I can assure you he wasn’t any different back then. If anything, he was worse! At least now his children have calmed him slightly and he can focus his anger and foolishness on Etceteria instead of the entirety of the Fremennik.”

Rallis frowned thoughtfully. “I feel kinda bad for Queen Sigrid though. She’s going through so much more than she needs to because of King Vargas. I hope their situation gets fixed some day. Are all the other provinces like that?”

“I’m afraid so,” Brundt said. “Each province seems to have a quarrel with one other. Miscellania and Etceteria, Neitiznot and Jatizso, and so on. I suppose it’s in our Fremennik blood to crave a good fight.”

“Relleka doesn’t have anyone they fight with, right?”

Brundt grimaced. “Well…” Rallis’ face dropped at that alone. “We’ve had a rather long-standing feud with Lunar Isle. Like I said, every province has that one they quarrel with, even us. Ha, maybe you can fix our problems with Lunar Isle one day too! Denkir the Fremennik mediator!”

The chieftain howled with laughter. Rallis paled and shoved her snout into her tankard. Hopefully she wouldn’t have to mend any more relationships between countries any time soon.

#oc tag #my writes #runescape #osrs

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rallis-fatalis · 5 years

Text

Little Moments

Life's all about the little moments. It's about playing with friends, and watching sunsets, and being with someone you love. It's about living in the moment and loving it too. Even a rambunctious blue dragon and a hopeless Fremennik bard can have such moments. Though for Rallis and Olaf, their pile of little moments would eventually lead to something maybe not so little.

It was a particularly quiet day in Relleka, the last solemn days of Winter fading away into Spring. Most people were huddled somewhere warm or passed out drunk in the Longhall. There was a line between how much alcohol kept a person warm and got a person drunk, but it appeared some people never bothered to learn. Active and moving unlike the rest of the people in the hall was Olaf. He was lost in his own little world as he walked the length of the room, back and forth, trying to figure things out. He grew antsy when he stayed still for too long, especially when he was trying to think.

"What the hell are you doin', bard?" a man with a half empty tankard called to him from a bench. "With all that pacing, Yrsa'll have to make you new shoes again!"

"I'm just thinking," Olaf said without stopping his march along the room.

The man snorted into his tankard. "Dont hurt yourself now."

"Thanks, I'll try," Olaf replied with an equal amount of snark. He stopped his pacing in the center of the room, directly across from the man. "You know the dragon that visits every so often? Rallis? Or Denkir I suppose."

"Kinda hard not to know her," the man said between drinks. "She's a bloody talking dragon!" Rallis had been visiting often since her completion of the trials six months ago, using the town as a sort of home base. The dragon made her rounds enough for everyone to get to know her whether they wanted to or not. She had especially become fast friends with Olaf, at first just having a nice time talking the day away, but soon evolving into lunch dates, duet performances, out of town adventures, and more. There wasn't a day that went by where he didn't wish she could stay forever or he could travel alongside her.

"She's so interesting," the bard started, already completely enamored. "And not just because of what she is. She's so sweet and kind too. I want to get to know her better, like really know her, but I want to do something nice for her as well. I just don't know what! What do dragons even like?"

The man looked at him oddly. "You sound like a boy trying to plan a date. Don't get too carried away now." The bard would think that notion idiotic. A date?! You don't date your friends! And that's all she was! The man put his drink down. "Wait a minute, you mean to say you heard nothing about dragons on all your trips around the world?"

Olaf thought about it for a moment. "Hmm... I suppose I did hear things. Not much though. I'd love to know more." He really only had a few myths and hearsay to go off of. Not many people were willing to tango with dragons in any part of the world, and the lack of information showed. Most he had were old stories and tales of mass destruction. Not like that applied to Rallis! "I suppose I'll work with what I've got," he mumbled to himself and ran off with a noncommittal thanks.

The man raised his tankard to the bard as he dashed out the Longhall. He shook his head when he was sure the bard was gone. "What a hopeless romantic."

A few days later, Rallis came to visit. She bounded into town with a smile, waving hellos to everyone. She still wasn't quite used to being called Denkir yet, forgetting to greet some of the people who said hello to her using that name. She caught up with Askeladden by the market square, threatening to smack a gull with a giant fish he had presumably stolen. Rallis barely spoke to him when she did her trials, but she became fast friends when she learned how much he loved to play around. Rallis laughed and joined him with a fish of her own (though she actually bought hers) and the two laughed like idiots as they chased each other with smelly beatsticks. Everyone watching rolled their eyes and ignored them, save one person who couldn't help but stifle a snort of laughter as he watched Rallis trip and fall, fish bat sent flying into Askeladden's laughing face. The bystander walked over to help the dragon up.

"Hello, Rallis. Welcome back."

She turned to the voice and smiled, taking its owner's hand. "Hi Olaf!" The bard pulled her off the ground. "Nice to see you again!"

The boy ran off, realizing his playmate was off to talk with boring adults now. "How have things been?" Olaf asked as he walked her to the Longhall.

"Alright I guess. Been helping my new friend out in Ardougne lately. She's so nice! And her family is too! Though it's been one crazy adventure. How about you?"

"It's been alright," he said. He smiled down at her. "Better with you here though." Rallis giggled at the comment and all but bounced into the hall with him. Some of the people inside waved hello, more than a little red in the face and tipsy. Rallis smiled and waved back. Olaf pulled up a seat for her and sat across the way, waving down Thora for a drink and food. She scoffed something about a tab not being paid and walked off with a glare. Olaf rolled his eyes and turned back to Rallis. "I'm glad you came by. I actually had some questions for you if you'd be willing to help me."

"Sure thing! What's up?"

"Well, I've been wanting to learn about dragons," he started. That immediately got her interest. "I've heard some tales here and there over my travels but I wanted to make sure they were correct and learn anything else I could."

"Of course! I'd love to help!" Rallis said cheerfully. "What do you want to know?"

Thora came back carrying two glasses of ale and two plates of roasted chicken. Rallis couldn't help but drool. If that was the same chicken that was roasting over the fire not a minute ago it was bound to be amazing. It certainly smelled incredible. Thora muttered something about not being able to leave until she was paid to the bard and flashed the knife she used to cut the fruit for her drinks at him, making his face grow pale. She left before he could reply.

He would think about that later, though. "I've heard this one a lot," Olaf continued as if nothing had happened. "Is it true dragons collect treasure?"

Rallis was already stuffing her face with chicken. She was not wrong, it was amazing. "Well, it's treasure to us," she said between mouthfuls of food. "Not all dragons collect gold or gems or what humans think of when they think treasure. We collect what we consider treasure. For example, I collect woad leaves not gold."

He took a sip of beer with a thoughtful hum. "So it's different for every dragon. How interesting. I wonder why all the stories only ever portray them as gold hoarders." Rallis shrugged. "Is it true they like music just as much?"

"Oh yes!" she nodded. "You can calm nearly any dragon with good music. Dragons are beautiful musicians themselves if you listen too. Mom sings so nicely." She smiled as she remembered her mom singing her and her brothers to sleep when the nights were rough. She missed her mom. She'd have to pay her a visit soon.

'Oh I know how beautiful a dragon's music is,' he thought with a blush. He dared not say that out loud. "So they like music and treasure, but is there anything else?"

She had to think for a moment. "They love to fly high in the sky, where there's no limits." Her ears drooped a bit. "I wish I could fly... I like to walk instead." Olaf frowned at that. He supposed you'd need something bigger than deformed bird wings to lift off the ground. 'Must be frustrating having wings but not being able to fly.' He chewed on a chicken wing, not missing the irony in that. Rallis gave her glass a sniff and recoiled with a grimace. How anyone could drink such foul tasting and smelling stuff, she didn't know. Her face lit up as she thought of something else. "If they trust you enough, they love to be pet too. Behind the ears or between the wings and they'll just melt. And warm places are the best!"

"I see," he said, making sure to remember everything she said. "That makes them seem so adorable! Not like the monsters the stories make them out to be. This has all quite fascinating. I can't thank you enough."

"Despite what human stories say, we aren't monsters! And any time! It's nice to see someone interested!" She grinned ear to ear. "If you ever want to know anything else, let me know!"

They finished up their discussion and food, Rallis' plate picked clean. It was just so good. Her drink remained untouched and Olaf couldn't help but chuckle. "A Fremennik not into ale? I afraid that's cause for exile," he joked.

Rallis wrinkled her nose in disgust. "No way! That stuff is gross! You know what's good? Fruit juice! It's sweet and good and doesn't taste and smell like old burnt sock!"

"You mean this gross stuff?" he teased as he slammed back her entire drink. He wiped his mouth and laughed at the face she was making, something between impressed and horrified. "Oh that's nothing. You should see how much Manni can drink. Speaking of, how did you even get his vote if you don't drink?"

"Oh, you know! I just did!" she said nervously. "Anyway! Was there anything else you wanted to do?"

"Yes, actually. Come on!"

The two left money behind on the table and ran off. They spent the entire time together, nearly five days, and made every moment wonderful. When it came time to leave, he felt sad to watch her go. She was so charming and entertaining and really brought life to this dreary fishing town. It would be all the more quiet and drab without her. They waved goodbye and she ran off in search of another adventure. Now armed with information, Olaf got to planning. He'd have to have some surprises ready for the next times she came back! Friends did nice things and surprises for each other after all! And friends were all they were!

Winter was finally coming to a close the next time Rallis visited. The season gave one final hurrah and covered the town in ice and frost and cloaked the forest nearby in a blanket of snow. Rallis slunk into town with a shiver. It was much colder where her new kyatt friends were, but for a reptile even this lessened amount of snow was dangerous.

Few people were insane enough to stand out in the cold doing nothing all day, but that certainly didn't stop Sigli who was stood like a statue at the entrance to Relleka. His hooded head was topped with a pillar of snow. He had to have been standing still there for a while for all that to pile up! Rallis waved hello and trudged over to knock the snow off, frozen unicorn horn decreasing to a more large forehead shape. Sigli pat her head with a smile to which the dragon purred and bounded into the Longhall. She could feel the ice melt off her scales instantly upon entering, warm fire and smiles greeting her.

"Hello~!" Rallis trilled.

A group by the entrance raised their drinks to her in greeting before continuing their conversation. Manni sauntered over, red-faced and drunk, and plopped a tankard into her hands. "Hey Denkir, buddy!" he drawled. "Here have this! It'll keep you warm."

"Thanks..." she smiled. As soon as Manni turned around she slid the drink across a nearby table. She'd rather freeze to death than drink that swill.

Rallis spotted familiar faces closer to the fire in the center of the room. Brundt was chatting with a small group, fully engrossed in his chat. With a devious smile, she crept behind the Chieftain and covered his eye with both her hands. "Boo!"

The man laughed. "Hello Rallis!"

Rallis' ears drooped. "Aww you knew it was me so quickly!"

She let go and let him turn around. He tapped his eyepatch. "You covered the wrong one. The four-fingered blue hands are quite a giveaway."

She pouted for a moment, but quickly began to giggle as he pat her head. Then suddenly something cold exploded against her back with a poof. Bits of snow flew off her wings as Rallis spun around to find Askeladden with the most devious grin on his face and snowball in hand. "Welcome back, dragon!"

The boy threw his last round of ammunition, snowball missing Rallis and exploding against some poor soul farther away from her, and ran away with mischievous laughter. Rallis grinned and readied to run after him, but was stopped by a hand on her shoulder. She turned around with a questioning chirp before smiling again, this time hiding a snicker. It was Olaf, face serious and head topped with freshly thrown snow. She couldn't hold her laughter in, giggling as she pointed at his snow covered head. "Snolaf!"

Olaf's serious facade melted into a smile as he laughed and rubbed the remainder of the frozen fluff off his head. "It's nice to see you again, Rallis." He placed a dollop of melting ice atop her nose. "I didn't expect you'd be here again so soon! But the surprise is a pleasant one indeed. How are you?"

"Cold and ready to play!" she shouted. "I must strike back!" She pointed to the entrance of the Longhall where Askeladden was sticking his tongue out at her, more snowballs at the ready.

"You can't go out in the snow like that!" Olaf exclaimed as he motioned to her light attire. "You're not even wearing shoes!"

Rallis scowled at the idea. "Shoes... are awful! I refuse!"

"You don't even have appropriate clothing! No cloak or hood or anything! Even your playmate has at least that much." Rallis side-eyed the taunting boy to see Olaf was correct. The kid was bundled up like an overstuffed pillow. "Come on, if you want to go in the snow you need more than a scaly skirt," Olaf told her as he dragged her away by the arm. He knew just where to get her some clothing.

Yrsa threw shirt after shirt, glove after glove, every article of clothing and more at Rallis. At this rate she was going to be buried alive under all of this! She groaned at Olaf as the pile of clothing in her arms grew larger. "Do I really need all this? I was in the snow with the kyatts just fine earlier."

"I may not know how dragons work, but I'll assume it's a miracle you didn't get sick then! I know enough to know reptiles shouldn't be in the snow."

Rallis rolled her eyes as Yrsa threw one final piece of clothing into her arms, a thick white cloak. "Just return it all when you're done," she sighed. "And preferably not torn to pieces like last time."

"Can do!" Rallis chirped. Two more shirts, an extra pair of pants, one more pair of gloves, and a cloak later, Rallis was bundled in an embrace of fluff. On a normal day, she would've been itching to get out of so much clothing, but she had to admit it was pretty cold and this felt nice. None of them could figure out how to get the earmuffs to stay on and a hat would just be ripped from her horns. Rallis sprinted out with a thank you as Yrsa brought over a pair of shoes to try on, eager to play and be far away from those evil foot contraptions. Olaf ran after her with a thanks as well, followed by shouts for the dragon to slow down.

Yrsa groaned and began to fold and put away the extra discarded clothing when she saw a small pouch left on her table. Curious, she opened it. Inside was a small note with some of the worst handwriting she had ever seen.

"I said I'd pay you back for the clothing for my trials. Thank you so much again! Rallis."

"That's sweet." Yrsa looked back into the pouch, expecting maybe a hundred gold at most. It only felt like a hundred pieces after all. But when she dumped the pouch onto the table, her jaw dropped and her eyes went wide. She looked back to the note, then the pile of money, then out the door, back to the note, back to the table. It wasn't gold pieces that fell out of the bag.

"FIFTY BLOODY PLATINUM?!"

Maybe Agnar was on the right track thinking the dragon was rich.

Rallis sprinted after Askeladden, pelting snowball after snowball at the boy. The two howled with laughter as they ran through the snow covered forest and played. Olaf huffed as he trudged along after them at a much slower pace. Leaving those two unattended in the frozen forest probably wouldn't be a good idea so he followed behind. Or he would have if he could keep up. How those two were moving so well in the thick layer of snow he had no idea! Every step felt like a chore for him. He was already tired! Though, he supposed watching Rallis' smiling face and hearing her adorable giddy laughter was worth a tiring trek in the snow.

Olaf had been following their footsteps in the snow, but one incorrect step had him falling into a pit with a yelp as the snow fell away. Rallis and Askeladden stopped horsing around at the sound of their tired ward crying out. At first they were worried, but their worry melted to mischief when they found the man simply sunk into the snow up to his waist. He couldn't move an inch.

"A little help would be grand!"

Rallis and Askeladden looked to their trapped companion then to each other and both came to the same conclusion with a devious smile. The two scrambled to make as many snowballs as they could and pelted the trapped bard with them.

"How unfair! How cruel! I can't even fight back!" he yelled with feigned hurt. The snow stuck to his clothes as the snowballs exploded on impact and Rallis and Askeladden quickly decided to have a competition on who could cover the man in the most snow faster. Askeladden had a far lead with how good his aim was, but Rallis was not about to lose! While the boy was busy focusing on trying to get snow to stick to Olaf's cloak, Rallis snuck off to climb a nearby tree. Askeladden hadn't noticed her absence until he realized her laughter was gone.

The boy looked around for his friend. "Where did you go, dragon?"

The two heard a snicker above them and looked up to find Rallis perched on a snow covered branch directly overhead. It looked ready to snap from the weight of all the compiled snow and the dragon. She grinned wickedly and started to make the branch sway.

Olaf realized what she was doing quickly. "No no no! Rallis please don't!"

Too late. The branch creaked and dropped all its snow. Askeladden and Olaf's yells were cut off with a muffled thwump as they were buried under a mountain of fluff. Rallis bounced on the branch, laughing like a maniac. "I win! I win! I--!"

SNAP!

Already weak from Rallis' shenanigans, the branch could no longer hold her and her energetic bouncing. It broke with a loud crack and sent her plummeting to the ground. She disappeared into the fresh fallen pile of snow, leaving a hilariously dragon shaped indent in the ground.

Askeladden popped out of the snow and laughed at the dragon. "Serves you right! And that was cheating! I still win!"

Rallis groaned as she crawled out of her snowy cushion and flopped on the firmer cold ground. Olaf shook the snow off his head with a brrr. He looked like a gopher with just his head sticking out of the snow like that.

"Well I don't think it was cheating," Rallis said. "We should let Olaf decide!"

The man in question was now freezing and even more trapped. Outside of his head, he couldn't move at all. "I say it's a tie," he told them. Both of them immediately opened their mouth to argue but Olaf quickly hushed them. "So I have a tiebreaker in mind! Whoever can help me out of the snow fastest wins! Get to it!"

More focused on beating the other, neither of the two realized their competition was a ploy to release their living target from his snowy prison. The two dug as fast as they could, but Askeladden was no match for a beast with claws. He couldn't keep up if he wanted to. Rallis stood triumphantly as she hauled Olaf out of the snow, an explosion of powder puffing up as he shook the snow off. The boy huffed but smiled.

"That was a lot of fun!" he said. "I need to go home, but we need to play more often!"

Now that they bothered to notice, it was starting to get dark. Nightfall certainly came quickly in Winter, and they had left to play late into the day as well. Rallis frowned at the setting sun. Now she wished she had come by a lot earlier. It would be wise for them all to make their way home before growing lost in the forest at night. However, Askeladden was running off before either of them could offer him an escort back. Hopefully the boy wouldn't get lost.

"He gonna be okay?" Rallis worried. "It's getting really dark."

"Yeah, he'll be fine. He knows his way around." Olaf looked over at the dragon and realized just how tired she was now. She was so energetic and excited just a minute ago, yet now she was shivering and swaying as if ready to fall over. "You okay?"

Rallis nodded slowly. "I'm just really tired all of a sudden."

He put a hand to her head. "Maybe because you're ice cold! You really can't be out in the cold, can you?"

"It's not a good idea, no. When have you ever seen an ice dragon after all?"

"We need to hurry back then. Once the sun is gone completely it gets freezing out here. Come on, let's get you out of here."

Olaf led Rallis through the forest, setting sun turning the snow to amber. "It's so pretty out here," Rallis whispered as she trudged along.

"Mhm. You should see the swaying tree when the sun sets. It's like it's made of fire and the river turns gold. That old tree makes everything around it enchanting."

"That does sound pretty. I'll have to see it when I visit again. I didn't hang around when I made my lyre there."

"Next time we'll go! It's a dat-- uhh... day! It's a day... we'll spend there!" Olaf sighed and shouted in his head. 'Good job, dumbass. Real smooth.'

Rallis was none the wiser. "I'd love to! Maybe when it's not so cold."

The two made it back to Relleka as the final rays of sun faded under the ocean to the west. Rallis was ready to fall asleep the cold was making her so tired. "You really aren't doing so good, are you?" Olaf worried. Rallis whined and shook her head. "Come here, let's get you out of the cold."

Olaf pulled her along to the edge of town, far from where she though they were heading. "Isn't there fire in the Longhall?" she asked

"Yes but by now everyone's going home. It won't be as warm. I've got blankets at my place too and you can sit right next to the fire if you like." They came to a small home at the edge of town, close to the back entrance to the stage. He opened the door and held it open for her with a smile. "After you."

Rallis shuffled inside, Olaf followed behind her. He lit the lanterns hanging by the entrance and got to work on a fire. Rallis looked around with interest. It was so much different from her house, so much smaller and less colorful, but still charming. The house itself was really just one giant room, a fireplace against the far wall lit up the entire place nicely. A worn rug sat in front of the fireplace for anyone to lay on, a nearby table was covered in papers and ink bottles and books, a knife acting as a paperweight for one of the larger paper stacks. Another table sat to the other end of the room, this one much more clear. All that sat on it was a piece of bread on a plate from earlier in the day. Bookshelves, drawers and cabinets, and shelves lined the walls, most topped with some kind of wood carving. Rallis hid a smile when she spotted her silly drawing from her trials framed and sitting on one of the bookshelves. An unmade bed sat in the corner hidden away from everything else, blankets trailing onto the floor and on top of a pile of clothing. Olaf groaned at the sight and walked over to take care of the mess.

"Sorry, it's not usually this messy," Olaf apologized. "My brother was staying the night and he forgot to take care of this before he left I guess. He's always forgetting things." He sorted through the clothing pile and frowned at a shirt. "I don't even think this is mine. He can't even remember to take his own laundry with him."

Rallis sat down by the growing fire and watched her friend. "You have a brother?"

"Yeah. His name's Falo. He doesn't live in Relleka anymore. He has his own place near Seer's Village. He comes up here to say hello every now and then though. And he leaves at least one thing behind every time."

"Falo? Isn't that just your name but--?"

Olaf sighed as he tossed the clothing into a closet. "Yes, yes it is. Our parents weren't exactly creative. They came up with one name and couldn't think of another. So they just did the same name but backwards. Ridiculous, I know."

"I think it's adorable," Rallis laughed.

Olaf pulled some blankets out of the closet and draped one over his guest. "This oughta help." He sat down next to her and wrapped the other one around himself. "I can get more if you need it."

Rallis shook her head. "No this is fine, thank you." She snuggled into the warm blanket. "It's so soft." The fire melted the cold away, and combined with the blanket Rallis started to feel better immediately.

"You look better already. Hope today was fun for you."

"Are you kidding?! It was so much fun! I wish we could do it again! But I really have to go tomorrow... I just came by for a day to say hi."

"Doesn't mean next time won't be fun as well." Rallis smiled and started to nod off. "So do you have any siblings?" Olaf asked. "I've just got the one brother."

"Yeah, I've got two brothers. They're blue black dragons and super fun and silly."

The two chatted the night away in front of the fire until Rallis fell asleep against Olaf's arm, snoring away under the blanket. He carried her off the floor and tucked her in bed. She probably needed the warmth of the covers a lot more than he did after today. He grabbed more blankets for himself and lined the floor with them to sleep on and hid under another. Olaf smiled as he started to drift off thinking about the day. Rallis really was a ray of sunshine, cutting through even the drab grey boredom Winter brought. Just another boring day changed into a snowy day of fun and he couldn't have been happier. She was just so cute when she smiled and laughed, he couldn't help but be happy around her. Next time they would definitely have to have another play date. And that's all it was! A play date, not a date date. You can have play dates with your friends and think about how cute they are as they have fun in the snow and how pretty they look as the sun sets on them in the most beautiful way. Friends can totally think about stuff like that! And that's all they were.

Rallis thanked Olaf for everything the next day and went to get her clothes back from Yrsa. Rallis didn't understand why the woman hugged her and was on the verge of tears when she came in, but she seemed happy at least. The dragon smiled as she hopped off toward adventure. She couldn't wait for the next time her travels brought her back.

It was the heart of Spring the next time he saw her, a beautiful sunny day that brightened everyone's mood. Rallis bounded into town with a smile and a fistful of flowers. She had picked them on her way to town and handed them to everyone she saw. She handed one to Sigli who smiled and knotted the stem around his bow, Askeladden who gave it to his pet rock, and then bounced inside to run up to Brundt with a hug and slipped one under the strap of his eyepatch, flower curling half around his ear and half around his face from its awkward pinning. They chatted and caught up with a smile and a laugh before Rallis moved on, slipping a flower into Manni's drink. She handed one to Thora and spun around to find Olaf cheerfully watching her hand out flowers.

"Olaf!" Rallis bounced over and grinned.

"Rallis! So good to see you again! I see you're a flower lady today."

Rallis nodded and slipped a flower behind his ear. His face dusted pink at the gesture and played with the little white daisy. "White because of your cape!" Rallis stated proudly. "There are so many flowers out! It's so pretty!"

"It is indeed," Olaf said as he admired the other flowers in her hand. "How have you been?"

"I've been good! Was doing some work in the area and wanted to stop by. I should be here for a couple days before I have to head back out."

"We should make every day count then! It's Spring! Let's have some fun!"

Rallis jumped with an excited chirp at the prospect.

The two spent the day being goofs, playing and singing and dancing and acting out stories. They even began to attract an audience and had story time around the Longhall fire by nightfall. Soon half the town joined in with food and drinks and laughter as people got on stage to act out hilarious tales. Rallis told the story of her trying to fly off Eagle's Peak with nothing but gnome glider wings and dramatically jumped off the stage like a bird fully expecting to flop on the floor, but Olaf caught her. The two laughed as the others howled over her silliness. It was a lively night, one Rallis was glad to be a part of.

The next day, Olaf woke up early, long before most everyone else. He was packing something, looking over his shoulder every now and again as if worrying someone would see. It was a basket, and a reasonably sized one at that. He stuffed it full and ticked off every individual item before nodding. He then grabbed a blanket and folded it around the top. With another nod and a smile, he made sure he was presentable and strode over to where his dragon friend was resting.

After much hemming hawing and yawning, Rallis woke up and was practically dragged out of town by Olaf. She quickly perked up at the sights and smells of Spring, happily skipping along with him. They chatted and laughed as they walked the dirt path heading east. The man soon strayed from the road and led his companion up a small hill. A giant winding tree sat atop it, radiating magic. Bunnies hopped around its base, butterflies fluttered overhead, and birds sang in its branches. With the way the sunlight shimmered off the tree's falling magic, it was like something out of a fairytale.

Rallis gave Olaf and the tree a nervous smile. "I'm not making another lyre, am I?" she joked.

The man laughed as he put the basket down. "Hahaha, no! No I'd say not!" He flipped out a fletching knife. "Unless you want to." He smiled jokingly and she snorted at his jest. He put the blade away and unfolded the blanket with a flourish. He put the basket on it and motioned for her to join him as he sat down.

Rallis cocked her head. "What is this?"

"A picnic!" he said and patted the blanket once more. "Come!" She chirped curiously and flopped onto the blanket. "The town can be rather drab, don't you agree? I thought going out and away would be a nice change of scenery." He flipped open the basket and started pulling out an assortment of goodies. Rallis was practically drooling. Cheese, bread, apples, and more came out of the box, as if it was bottomless. Olaf pulled out a bottle and handed it to her. "Thought you'd like this a bit more than 'burnt sock juice.'"

Rallis undid the cap and gave it a sniff, ears perking up in delight. "Fruit!"

"Mhm. Got it from the gnomes. I think they called it lemonade? It's really sweet."

Rallis took a sip and fell in love with the stuff, tail wagging happily. The two snacked and chatted and laughed the day away, lost in their own little world. It was like the rest of the world didn't exist. No one else was around, no one to bother them, they could be as loud or as silly or as dumb as they wanted. Rallis managed to lure a rabbit out of its hole and the two watched with a smile as it ate a piece of apple they tossed it. Rallis played around, hopping around the tree like the rabbit, and ultimately tripped over her own feet and rolled down the hill. Olaf laughed and slid down the grassy slope to join her, offering a race back to the top to which she eagerly complied. Olaf lost. As a reward, he played and sang for her. Rallis chimed in as well, making it seem like the wind itself was singing alongside him.

The day was starting to come to a close, sun beginning to set and cast the world in a pale orange light. It made the river in the distance shimmer like glass and the tree behind them look like it was made of amber. Rallis was curled up on the blanket like a dog, eyes starting to close. The food, the playing, the sun, it was all starting to make her sleepy. "You were right," she started quietly. "It is pretty here at sunset. All bright and orange..."

Olaf smiled. "Told you. It's probably the prettiest thing for miles in the boring north. Well, almost the prettiest." He glanced over to the dragon at the last comment and couldn't hide the blush creeping along his face. The sky and river and trees weren't the only thing made more beautiful from the sunset. The dying rays almost seemed to make her glow like fire, her own scales and the ones of her outfit shimmering like jewels. He shook his head to get his mind off such things and fiddled with a flower he picked nearby. Even still, he couldn't help but smile as he saw Rallis close her eyes, content.

He stopped toying with the flower. He didn't know if this was overstepping a boundary, but...

He slowly reached over and timidly scratched her behind her ear. Her head shot up in an instant. Olaf pulled his hand away. Why did he just do that?! Did one pretty sunset make him lose all sense?! "I'm sorry!" he apologized. "I just-- I mean you said before how dragons liked to be pet-- And you were tired so I thought--"

Rallis snorted at his blubbering and rest her head back on the ground. She said nothing, just went back to semi-sleep. He thought about doing it again. She didn't say not to do it, after all. While one part of his brain shouted to not be an idiot and the other part screamed to just do it, his hand had a mind of its own. He cautiously scratched behind her ear again and this time she didn't jolt up. Olaf grinned as he continued to pet her, scratching behind her other ear next. He almost stopped when she started to growl but he quickly realized she wasn't growling, but purring like a cat! The idea that she was like a pet cat that loved scratches and pats and treats made him chuckle to himself.

Remembering what else she had said, he traced his hand to her back and scratched between her wings. They flared open as he scratched and Rallis couldn't help but let out a happy growl. That wasn't an easy spot to reach and it felt great. The man couldn't help but find this all rather hilarious. Were all dragons like this? He pictured a giant beast threatening to burn the lands only to be taken down by a well-placed back scratch.

"You are funny, you know that?" he said with a laugh.

Rallis cracked an eye open to look at him. "So are you. I haven't had anything close to a picnic since I was back on the other side of White Wolf. It was fun, thank you."

"It was fun. When you come back, let's do it again."

The two packed up, wanting to be back in town before nightfall. Rallis trotted alongside Olaf, grinning like a fool over the events of the day. "You know," she started. "I used to be scared of humans. I thought they were all mean and scary. Guess I was wrong, huh?"

Olaf understood the sentiment. Being a monster in this world probably wasn't the most ideal situation, what with all the monster hunters out and about.

"I've found lots of people are nice." She bounced in front of him. "You're nice! Super nice! The nicest human!"

He bashfully rubbed the back of his neck. "I guess. That's just what friends do. And you're the nicest dragon."

Rallis grinned a toothy grin and giggled as she hugged the man. His face turned pink as he hugged her back. Rallis started to skip ahead of him, humming a tune without a care in the world. Olaf trailed behind a little more slowly, thinking about things. Mainly just how silly Rallis was and how he hoped she'd be back soon. It really was painfully lonely without his new friend here. And that's all she was! A friend! Friends went on picnics and sang for each other and spent every waking moment thinking about each other and how beautiful they were, right?

She left the next morning promising to return soon.

Months passed, then seasons. Spring ended, Summer came and went, Fall was starting up. Olaf was growing worried. Rallis came by to say hello very often when first exploring the north, and she continued to make time to come back even when exploring farther and farther away. Even when her trips took her long distances away, she would come back once or twice a month to say hello. But for two whole seasons to pass without a word... it felt wrong. The others told him he was being stupid. She was an adventurer after all. She traveled far and had things to do. It didn't comfort him any more though. Something really did feel off.

Rallis did come back one Fall afternoon. She shuffled into town, tired and dragging her feet, no usual chirp and cheer. Some of the residents gave her an enthusiastic hello, wondering where she had been, but she just gave them a silent wave and walked on, not speaking a word.

Footsteps rushing her way made her turn around and find her bard friend running over to say hello. "Rallis! Oh it's so good to see you!" he said as he hugged her. He could feel her tense from it and mentally slapped himself for rushing in like that and making her feel uncomfortable. He immediately backed off with a nervous cough. "Sorry! I just missed you. It's been a while. Oh wow nice scarf! Is it new?" She looked at the ground nervously as she pulled at the white scarf around her neck. Something wasn't right. "Hey, what's wrong? Is everything alright?"

Her ears drooped, her eyes turned red, she tried to hide her face and a sniffle. Olaf put a hand on her back and coaxed her out of the open. "Here come inside. It's warm and quiet there." He led her to his place and sat her down at a table, ensuring no one else could spy. "No one can hear us now. Why don't you tell me what's wrong?"

Rallis swallowed and shook her head no, trying not to cry.

Olaf went to a knee and tilted her head up, forcing her to look him in the eye. She looked so sad, and so worried and conflicted. "You can tell me anything," he whispered. "I won't hurt you. I promise. Whatever's on your mind, I'll help however I can."

She watched him, as if assessing the validity of his statement, and ultimately relented. She motioned for paper and something to write with. Olaf grabbed some nearby and handed it her way. She only wrote four words, messy and barely legible, like chicken scratch.

'Throat cut. Can't speak.'

Olaf didn't understand what he read, didn't believe it even. "W-What? No, that can't be right!" It was just four words but they didn't make sense, it just didn't compute.

Rallis fiddled with her scarf, scared and nervous, before pulling it off. The sight it hid made Olaf's heart stop. Long and wide across her throat was a long nasty silvery mark, like an evil grin. A darker deeper slit ran perfectly around her throat while paler jagged silver marks bordered it, like the scales had been torn off violently. It was a nasty sight to be sure.

"Oh my god..." Olaf gasped as he looked it over. He gently reached out to touch the mark but she pushed his hand away, putting the scarf back on. "Oh my god... Rallis... I'm so sorry."

Now he was almost crying. He hugged her again, not ever wanting to let go, like if he held her tight enough she'd never leave and get hurt again. 'How could this happen? How?!' his thoughts screamed. He started to tear up and held her tighter. 'I don't want to let go. Not ever. I should have been there. I should have protected you. Damn staying here if it means you getting hurt like this!'

All he could mutter were sorrowful apologies as his thoughts raced with what ifs and reprimands. Rallis gave him a comforting nuzzle and pulled back to see his face, giving him a confused look as if to ask if he was okay.

Olaf couldn't believe her, worrying about how he felt when she had nearly died. He shook his head with a smile as he wiped a tear away. "You nearly died and can't even speak and yet you're worrying about me? Don't. You're the one who's hurt." His frown returned. "God Rallis I'm so sorry. I should have done something..."

'It's not like there was anything you could do,' she wanted to say but couldn't.

"If I wasn't here! If I stayed with you, I could do something! If I went with you when you left, maybe it wouldn't have happened! If--"

She shushed him with a finger to his lips. She sighed, wishing she could tell him it wasn't his fault, there was nothing he could have done, that his place was here and he did nothing to feel so bad about, but she couldn't speak a word. She was happy he cared, though. She was happy to have someone worry about her and want to stay by her side. It was nice. Getting attacked and nearly killed was horrible, but at least the aftermath wasn't all bad. People cared about her, and after what had happened that meant a lot.

At her behest, Olaf stopped his fretting and rambling. "You'll get your voice back," he said, as if trying to convince himself as well. "And that will heal, and everything will be fine, and no one will ever do such a thing again. Everything will go back to normal! Right?"

Rallis nodded and smiled for the first time that day. Everything would be fine, he was right! Maybe it would take a while but everything would work out in the end. She felt a lot better now after spending weeks moping about and feeling betrayed and disowned. She gave Olaf a thank you smile and a hug.

He returned the favor but he still felt awful. He felt like he could have done something. Maybe he should convince Brundt to let him leave again and follow her on her adventures. Maybe he should try to convince her to stay here. Surely there was something! But he didn't know what. Every idea had double the flaws. All he knew was he never wanted to see the friend he'd grown to love with all his heart ever hurt again. Well, okay, maybe 'friend' wasn't all she was.

#osrs #my writes #oc tag #this is just an excuse to write some shitty fluffy cuteness #and I've had this in my wips for like a billion years #just needed to get this done and off my mind

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