Open In The Basin They Meet

[Caelum]

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Summer 65, 124

A portal slowly ripped open in the middle of a clearing. It widened to an impressive size over the course of a few minutes as its creator strained to force it to such a size. Then, a large red dragon stepped through. A woman followed close behind who was dressed in black robes and had a katana sheathed at her hip.

"This was convenient," the dragon said in a loud, booming voice. He let out a laugh, turning his head to look at his daughter.

"I'm glad I could be of service," she said with a roll of her eyes.

"Really, you saved me days of flying," Caelum continued while eying the portal that closed when his tail was all the way through.

Sjal blushed, not used to receiving compliments from him, of all people. She shook her head and hurried forwards so she wouldn't fall behind. It was hard to keep up with the walking pace of a grown dragon.

"Why are we here anyways?" she asked.

"There is no reason," he replied. How could she understand? He had simply missed being in the area. He'd spent quite a while in a different part of the country, but he had done a lot of his growing up in the basin. There were so many aelves he hadn't spoke to in seasons. Not that that was a very long time for such long lived races. They were not in the basin, however. They were in near of the settlements with a portal leading to the basin, however.

It didn't take long for a pair of aelves to approach them cautiously. "Who goes there?" one asked. He had flowers in his hair that looked poisonous, with vines slithering down his arms. Caelum noticed that he couldn't move one of his feet – another aelf had appeared in a tree overhead.

"It is I, Caelum," he announced. "Has it been so long that you aelves not recognize me anymore?"

The two aelves in front of him looked him over then smiled. "How were we supposed to recognize you? We thought you would look… different."

The other spoke up, "it's not you, it's this human. She created the portal, yes?"

"That is correct," Caelum said, "this is my daughter. She is bound to me. She was to bring me here, so that I might take a portal to the Basin. She isn't allowed to open portals there, as I'm sure you know."

"I'll be going now," Sjal said. She wanted nothing more than to cut these aelves throats. The way they looked at her, the way she knew they were itching to sunder her for being a strong mage. Supposedly she didn't have to worry because of her connections… but an assurance from her father wouldn't mean much if the aelves decided to change their minds. She sensed a tension that was most easily resolved by teleporting away – so she did.

"Humans," Caelum said, breaking the tension. "now, which way is the portal?"

Caelum walked into town and the exodus mage on duty widened the portal for him to fit through. Then, like magic, he was in the Basin.

525

 

[Vicissitude]

During their interactions in Græntún, the Æld'Norai treated Cælum with the respect they'd grant a peer– albeit somebody who was, in large part, a stranger to them directly. Själ, on the other hand, received nothing but passing glances. To them, she was little more than an accessory to Cælum; for as much Alkahest as she could produce if Sundered, they respected her father enough not to say anything. The man who bore more flowers than his companion chuckled, however, at Cælum's comment.

"Fælnir, indeed! Although that one seems little, ah…insolent. Perhaps consider teaching her some respect…?" he said with a raised brow. It was obvious he was not used to Fælnir doing anything other than fawning over him and his kin– even just her attitude had been noticed.

He didn't appear to acknowledge her leave, though one would be remiss to assume another Draoidh wasn't trailing her through plantmeld– at least until she was out of the Æld'Norai embassy within Rømskog, Græntún's capital.

A portal to the basin for Cælum would be made swiftly. It was evident that the mage crafting it had made an untold number of similar portals over the course of their life– barely did it appear to require any effort on his end, despite the augmented size required for a dragon.

Cælum would find himself outside of Ælfiríki, the basin's capital, as due to his size, he would struggle to fit into any of the inner city portal stations, as they were all built into lovely stone shrines fitted for the tastes of Æld'Norai. This one, however, was a large, open-air structure, constructed clearly for the arrival of dragons by portal.

As the red dragon stepped through, he'd startle a few wild animals that had been sunning themselves in the open space. From what he could tell, he was the only sentient being nearby– though he ought to be smart enough to realize this might not be the case. Where he went next would ultimately be his prerogative, as the Drækr had free reign to explore the basin as they saw fit, provided they followed the laws as anyone else.

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[Engill]

She'd been passing by with a bow in hand and a dozen arrows in her hip quiver. She was a curious elf with the desire to leave the capital, but to leave she needed to be halfway decent at fighting to ensure her safety.

Engill watched as the massive red dragon emerged from the portal. The dragon stood nearly twenty feet tall. Although she had heard of dragons and even seen them, seeing one up close filled her with a sense of wonder.

Quietly edging along the edge of the clearing, Engill kept her eyes locked on the dragon. She saw the wild animals scatter in fear; a natural reaction to such a formidable presence. But Engill felt no fear herself, only fascination. A dragon wouldn't dare cause trouble here.

Her silvery white hair sparkled in the light as she moved quickly through the underbrush. Her pointed ears picked up every sound, from the rustling leaves to the birds taking off. She wondered what had brought the dragon here. Was it on a mission? Searching for something; or someone?

Unable to resist her curiosity, Engill took cautious step after step. She would follow him for now, if she could. She wanted not for the dragon to see her but staying hidden was not a forte of hers.

 

[Caelum]

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Caelum looked around, confused at first. He'd taken portals to the basin many times but he'd never ended up here. Wherever here was. It took a few moments for him to realize that it was because he was in his dragon form. They must have sent him somewhere suitable for receiving large guests.

"Hello!?" he called out. "Anyone there?" He spoke loudly. That was another thing he had to work on. When nobody answered he reached up with a claw and scratched his chin. What to do? He put his hand back on the ground and started walking towards a path leading from the clearing that he assumed would take him somewhere. From there he could recalibrate. Flight was also an option, but he was not looking to make a fool of himself in front of the aelves if he could help it. For a dragon he did not fly with much grace at all.

He would walk along the path, taking in the sights and enjoying the feeling of safety. He didn't have to worry about much in the capital. No need to bother wondering if a suspicious looking animal was actually a changeling in disguise. No need to think about whether he was walking into a vokhai ambush. The scenery was also a welcome change. There was surprisingly little variety of flora in his own little slice of land. Being back in the capital reminded him of just how many different plants there were.

He walked for about a half hour before he realized that he was hungry. It was difficult to hunt when he walked around. Most anything worth eating would flee upon seeing him. His first thought was to take the form of another animal, but the charms that protected the capital were a double edged sword. He was fairly certain that he would lose one of his imprinted forms should he even try it.

"Bah," he said in annoyance. He continued along some more until he saw what looked like a deer. He didn't think – he leapt at it and used natare to fly at an impressive speed. It was behind a row of trees that he was too large to pass through, but his arm could fit well enough. He just barely missed it. He swore, then spent a few moments comically trying to pull his own arm out from out of the tight space. He pulled so hard that he tore some bark and ended up flat on his back. He struggled to right himself then looked around.

"Hope nobody saw that," he muttered before continuing on his way.

961

 

[Vicissitude]

The area wasn't particularly busy; generally it only received foot traffic when a dragon required a portal, which in and of itself wasn't a particularly common occurrence. Plus, it wasn't as if anyone needed to be waiting there to receive visiting dragons– they could take care of themselves. Further, it would be assumed anyone that'd be arriving here was approved. If they weren't, how would they have any knowledge of this location in the first place?

Even so, a dragon's clumsy attempts at hunting were far from subtle, and though the portal-shrine he'd arrived in was located within the city's outskirts, the marble structure wasn't terribly far away from Ælven civilization. Still, that didn't necessarily necessitate a response from anyone who might've witnessed his maladroit attempt to snag a deer– struggle though he might, hunting was considered an essential skill for everyone who called Ælheim home. If the dragon was lacking in that regard, most would say it was his prerogative to learn. That, and laughing at a dragon would be considered rude...most Æld'Norai had at least some manners. But if he were to continue to embarrass himself, a more crass individual would be rather hard pressed to resist.

Perhaps a figure might emerge out of curiosity, but for now, the dragon would be left alone to reconsider his approach. If he were to look around, he might see the glow of a wisp or two flicker in between the distant trees or maybe his gaze would land upon the argentine young Ælf making her approach by foot. Either way, he would be remiss to assume his folly had gone wholly unnoticed.

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[Engill]

Engill couldn't hold back her laughter as the dragon clumsily tried to catch the deer. She took for granted how easy it was to hunt when the forest responded to her will. Her light laughter sounded out from behind the trees. She held a hand to her mouth to cut herself off. She had accidentally revealed her presence before she meant to. But the sight was just too amusing to stay quiet.

The youthful aelf sprang into action when the opportunity arose. She wanted to be of help, if the dragon would let her. She focused on anchoring herself into the ground by growing aetumetal from her feet. Then, a branch of aetumetal grew from beneath her feet. It continued to grow so she could ride through the forest with the dexterity of a master druid. The branch twisted past obstacles and allowed her to catch up to the dragon.

"Need a hand?" she teased with a wag of her finger. As she drew alongside him, her silvery hair streamed behind her. She felt her instincts kick in as she reached out toward the deer that had slipped from his grasp.

With a gesture, she summoned the roots beneath the forest floor. They responded instantly with a crackling sound. They snaked up to ensnare the fleeing animal. The roots tightened and pulled the deer back toward the dragon.

"There you go," she said, "Consider it a welcome gift, Dragon."

Engill's eyes beamed as she studied him up close. She wondered if he'd be annoyed by her interference or grateful for the gesture.

 

[Caelum]

Caelum's ears picked up on the laughter. He couldn't exactly blush as a dragon, but the feeling was the same. He turned his head to the side and his eye caught a beautiful aelf gliding through the forest atop a glistening metallic branch. The way her magic allowed her to move made her seem like she had a strong grasp of her magic, despite how young she appeared. He narrowed his eyes when she got closer. He didn't think he'd seen her before. No, he'd remember a face like that, especially with how fair she was compared to most other aelves.

"A hand? Hmph," he said when she effortlessly delivered her the deer that escaped his grasp. She was good. "Thank you. I am hungry."

He walked up to the trapped deer and lifted his hand before bringing it down onto its head, crushing it. He then reared his head back and pointed his mouth to the sky. A jet of fire started to form from his mouth. It was red at first, then it turned to blue over the course of a few seconds. It was only a few feet long to avoid damaging the forest while still being able to cook his meal.

He seared it for a short while, using way too much heat. The deer did not look very edible when he was done with it. He burned most of it, further adding to his embarrassment. Cooking with his breath weapon wasn't his strong suit either. Most things were out of his wheelhouse when it came to being a dragon.

"I'd offer you some, but I think this is going to taste awful," he said, using a claw to tear away burnt bits and another claw to flick the more edible parts into his mouth.

He then turned to eye the aelf. "What is your name, aelf? I am Caelum. I live in the firelands and am here to pay my old home a visit." He tried to ignore how bad the deer tasted and how hungry he still was. Needing to eat so much was the main drawback of this large form. His hunger was reduced because of his expertise in Draoidh, but he still needed to eat a lot.

After she answered he would continue his walk, assuming she would continue to follow him.

1336

 

[Vicissitude]

Though Cælum was careful, he would note the distinct feeling that he was being watched once he'd opened his mouth to spew flame– that is, if he hadn't already felt as if he were being watched. In that case, the feeling would simply intensify, as if those invisible watchers were scrutinizing him. Forest fires were, after all, frowned upon. Still, he controlled his outburst of immolation well enough that nothing was set aflame. The basin's vegetation held enough water that it was fairly difficult to set fire to in the first place, but one could never be too careful.

Upon Cælum's mentioning of the firelands, however, Engill would realize he was referring to Veiðrbrand– a swathe of forest that had been torched in a battle against particularly potent Vokhai shamans. Though this debacle had occurred before Engill was born, the land still burned to this day for reasons nobody could quite figure out. The leading assumption was that in their dying breaths, the Vokhai cursed the land, though this was no more than supposition.

Regardless, learning that anyone lived in that accursed place would be a surprise for her to hear. Generally, most people stayed away from the firelands, as they were a cesspit of Luxium infused monsters, mages practicing destructive magics, and the odd wandering Vokhai. To date, there existed only one settlement in the vicinity since it'd burned– Paradise, something she may or may not have heard of.

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[Engill]

Engill watched in awe as Caelum unleashed his fiery breath. It was a risky move but he proved to have mastery over the red flames. She saw how they intensified to a brilliant blue as they scorched the deer. Despite her fascination she flinched slightly at the raw power on display. The heat was able to be felt even from her distance. The sheer intensity of breath weapon was something else compared to a simple cooking fire.

"Wait," was what she was going to say when she saw the fire, but she held her tongue. She watched him with a careful eye as Caelum finished his impromptu cooking, Engill fought to suppress a soft laugh. She didn't need to be a chef to know that the deer was charred beyond recognition. It reminded her of an accident she had once had when cooking. The dragon's embarrassed admission only made the situation more endearing.

"My name is Engill," she said.

"thank you for the offer, but I think I'll pass on the meal this time. It doesn't look particularly appetizing." Her tone was teasing but there was no bad intention to it. She found it refreshing to meet a dragon who was approachable.

As she continued to walk alongside him, she couldn't help but be intrigued by his mention of the firelands. "Veiðrbrand, the firelands…" she hummed. Engill had heard stories of that cursed place, where the land still burned from a battle fought long before her time. The idea of anyone living there seemed almost impossible to her.

"So, you live in the firelands?" she put two and two together. "I think I've heard of you, on second thought."

The thought of a settlement in the midst of that blazing wasteland fascinated her. Paradise, she recalled ~ she had heard rumors of it. "Perhaps one day, I could visit? I'd love to see it for myself, to understand how life thrives in such a hostile environment."

"I can help you find your way home, if you'd like," she offered with a smile. "And if I can arrange transportation, I would love to visit your settlement when you return."

 

[Caelum]

Caelum slowed his pace so the young aelf could keep up. He was happy she wanted to tag along as he would be quite lonely otherwise.

"Yes, I live there. You could certainly visit, but it's very different from the basin. It's an area ripe with danger and there's the chance that I may not be able to keep my little settlement safe during your stay." He eyed her, trying to figure out if she had what it took to survive out there. He felt that he might get in trouble if he invited her and something bad happened to her.

Caelum said, "hmm I could use some help. I used to live in a sequoia, and there was a market nearby." He also listed off the names of some of the aelves that used to live near him. He only wanted to say hi to them and look around. It wasn't as if his current body could fit into that old house of his anyways.

"You needn't worry too much about transportation. There are portals going to Paradise now and then, and besides, I have my own exodii in my employment. So long as you stay within the boundaries of the settlement you should have no issue travelling back home whenever you wish." Though, he didn't know the aelf's intentions. Did she just want to look around, or did she want to go adventuring in the firelands?

1574

 

[Vicissitude]

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Cælum

+16 XP (1574 wc)

Engill

+8 XP (837 wc)

Vicissitude

+9 XP (867 wc)

Cælum has requested to cut this short because he intends to move onto a new PC; sorry about that!

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