Closed Strange Journey

[Velho]

༺༉❁ spring 26 day year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻
<notes>

Skrípi Was a strange bird (dragon), and appeared to have grown attached to Velho in a remarkably short period of time. Perhaps it was out of admiration? The little beast seemed to find his work as a Ferrier endlessly fascinating, at the very least. Either way, Velho himself didn't quite understand, but he wasn't displeased. Having the macabre, inquisitive youngling around had proven both beneficial and entertaining. There were, after all, many things the dragon could do that he could not.

One of those things was traveling. Velho himself didn't enjoy doing this, and generally did not travel well, either. And so while normally he'd dread the idea of going as far away as the border between Veiðrbrand and Græntún, with Skrípi's help, the idea did not vex him nigh as much. Most of the trip would still be made with the help of an Exodii; the mage would teleport them to a nearby city.

From there, Velho would utilize the Ashics of his Scourge and turn himself entirely into Ashes, falling into an elaborate, matte finished, black metal urn that Skrípi clasped shut and then wore affixed 'round his neck with a thick, deep brown rope. This strange method would be how they would travel the rest of the way. Skrípi would be a strange sight flying lowly through the trees, but he was a young dragon, new to flight, and a bit unsure of flying much higher.

 

[Ishtar]

˗ˋˏ ◜ ♡ ◝ ˎ´˗
ꘜ‿︵‿ꘜ
Spring 26, Year 124
︶꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶꒦

▲‿▲

The night creatures were now awake, and so was Ishtar. She slept through the days more often or lounged by the lake. Night was more interesting than during the day to Ishtar, at least; lots of bioluminescent flora and fauna to sightsee and eat.

Of course, she wasn't overly fond of how warm it was as a dragon who was born and raised in snow and ice. She liked it at first, it was something new. She preferred the colder climate and by midday in Ælheim she thought she'd die of heatstroke. Warmer days and cooler nights, she learned through trial and error. Still, it was warm even during the night.

The white serpentine dragon stood up to her ankles in cool lake water to quench her thirst. She probably drank half her weight and size in lake water by the time she was done. It was one of the odd nights where she was feeling a little homesick for her cold and freezing cave in the North. It was only spring in the East, and she could barely tolerate it.

During the night hours, she appeared to be a pale shade of blue rather than white, illuminated by the blue bioluminescence of the environment. After turning away from the lake, she leaped into the air, her body gliding with the fluidity of a fish swimming in water. Above the trees, in the air, she appeared more white than blue without the glowing blue bioluminescence of her surroundings.

 

[Velho]

༺༉❁ spring 26 day year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻
<notes>

Sacred as the position was, there were markedly few Ferriers in Ælheim, meaning that many of them had to travel 'round the country in order to perform Ferriment at sites far from where any local practitioners lived. In the past, Velho mostly left the travel-ventures up to his peers, but each Scourge was a fragile thing. Each of them did not travel well, and since Velho acquired Devorare on top of Scourge, he was, in actuality, one of the most durable of their number…therefore, many of them urged him to go on the excursions.

He remembered what it was like to live as Scourge without Devorare. He, truly, felt like a dead man walking day in and day out. That feeling hadn't gone entirely away at this point, but the vitality of Devorare undeniably reinforced him. And further, Velho was not a man without empathy, especially with regards to his fellow Ferriers. As much as this might vex him, he accepted the extra duties because, pragmatically, they were right, and he wanted to spare them the danger. Any of his fellows perishing in their travels would also be poor for Ælheim as a whole– every single one of them was integral in warding away the Ghosts of the many who died here.

But luckily for him, he had the help of little Skrípi to tote him around in a jar. Convenient, truly.

…provided Skrípi didn't get too distracted…​

As he flew through the early evening sky at the highest layer of the trees, moonlight fell upon his soft, finely furred body. Movement was not uncommon at this layer of trees, as several sorts of animals did stir within them. However, movement as large as an adult was uncommon– and then the youngling's eyes landed upon a large, white serpent, more than twice him in length.

She was clearly a better flyer than him, but he nonetheless strained himself to try and catch up to her. Undulating his body in the air and flapping his wings furiously, he succeeded, but he certainly looked ridiculous.

"HELLO!" he called out to her in a voice that might remind one of the way bats screeched.

"CAN WE LAND? I WANT TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS." He spoke to her in Draconic, and was yelling to make sure his voice carried over the wind all 'round them.

 

[Ishtar]

˗ˋˏ ◜ ♡ ◝ ˎ´˗
ꘜ‿︵‿ꘜ
Spring 26, Year 124
︶꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶꒦

▲‿▲

The air was much cooler whilst in the air, she enjoyed her nightly flights—

As she turned to the sound and direction of the Draconic shout, her long and slender neck moved with the graceful fluidity of a serpent. Her pink and blue slitted eyes narrowed on the culprit: a dragon. Or at least, she assumed he was a dragon; a dragon's appearance due to their Grist always had her sniffing just to make sure.

He appeared much smaller than herself, less than twice her length and size. She scrutinized him with a curious eye; he was covered in thick white fur, had black wings, and a long serpentine body, arms and legs included, and a beak. Resembling her own form, yet also not (she didn't have wings or a beak, for starters). A long forked tongue flicked out, tasting the air as she sharply turned, her long and lithe body twisting toward him, with her tail flicking behind her. Clearly, he was a male dragon, and with a sniff, his scent carried by the breeze, a young one at that.

"Greetings, I am Ishtar." Ishtar said, tilting her head to the side, which probably made her look an idiot. "Do you have questions for me? I am willing to entertain them. I like questions."

Ishtar was more than willing to entertain his questions; it made her giddy and excited just thinking about it. She tried her best to hold off on the shaking and jumping around for the time being. And falling from the sky like a complete idiot in front of company wasn't on her to-do-list for today. With a (thankfully) graceful descent, she landed in a clearing surrounded by the bioluminescent plantlife and trees. Five-toed footprints dug into the soil, leaving behind deep talon indents as she settled onto the ground. Her body twisted and curled, coiling up like a snake, her usual position of rest, with her legs tucked in and tail curled up.

She waited patiently for him to follow as she got comfortable on the ground.

Was she a little too trusting?

The answer was yes.

He had questions! So, she wasn't complaining!

And now, she was shaking... in excitement, her tail was shaking too. Dammit, she may embody serpents, but she wasn't a damn rattlesnake warding off danger.

She was welcoming it! (The questions... not the danger, just to be clear.)

 

[Velho]

༺༉❁ spring 26 day year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻
<notes>

Once Skrípi got the sense that the other dragon was anywhere near excited as he was, his own excitement felt galvanized even further. His landing, following after the other dragon, was far less graceful, but…good enough. He landed without hurting himself, if a bit awkwardly, but he recovered quickly.

He scampered around on the ground, with little hands and feet one might find on a rodent, though the fingers were long and they were clawed with the talons of a bird. His body moved like a ferret's, bobbing back and forth as he paced around in excitement, that strange urn hanging 'round his neck swinging in tandem. He, too, sniffed the air, gleaning what information he could about this new dragon. Which, given his lack of life experience, wasn't much. Skrípi could tell that she was an adult female, and, well, not much else.

"Yes! I've…never seen you before. I was born here, so I know– or at least know of– all the other dragons who were born here. Where are you from? Are you visiting? Do you plan to live here?" he paused to reluctantly breathe.

Skrípi spoke quickly and with reckless disregard for whether or not the other dragon was keeping up with his words.

"Also! My friend," when he said the word 'friend,' he abruptly stopped moving and clutched at the jar around his neck, taloned fingertips tapping rapidly against the metal. "My friend is in this jar. He can turn himself to dust. He and I are on a journey and…" he trailed off, looking a bit sheepish.

"I think I got lost. I'm afraid to open the jar and ask him where to go becauseeeee…well, I don't want to upset him. We're looking for a large, hollowed out Ælheim Sequoia on the border to the firelands. It's hollowed out by fire; a burned, haunted husk. He's a Ferrier, he's supposed to force the Ghosts that are apparently in it to pass on. But…you see, I Seek Blood, and Ghosts have no blood, so…I lost track." Alas, with no lips, he could not smile properly, but Ishtar would be able to see that sheepish sort of grin glinting behind his dark, beady eyes.

 

[Ishtar]

˗ˋˏ ◜ ♡ ◝ ˎ´˗
ꘜ‿︵‿ꘜ
Spring 26, Year 124
︶꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶꒦

▲‿▲

Ishtar grinned, baring all her sharp teeth in a gesture that only another dragon could interpret as non-threatening. "I am new here! Just 36 days and counting!" She declared, her forked tongue flicking out of her mouth before she continued. "You're born here!?" She asked, her excitement mounting. "Are you part of that flight of dragons? Cælum told me there was a flight around here, but I haven't encounted any thus far." She wondered if he was. He seemed like he was.

"I come from the North, and this forest has become my roaming grounds. I like exploring." She added with a nod, mimicking the way she had seen humans do it. It looked odd coming from a snake-like dragon, but she had been doing it like that for years. "I do live in a cave in the mountains, near the lake. The previous resident was a bear. I ate it!"

Ishtar mirrored his excitement, speaking rapidly and uncoiling from her resting position. She was thrilled by his enthusiasm and matched it eagerly, enjoying their conversation. Unable to contain herself any longer, she pranced around the clearing, moving in a circular motion, slithering up, down, and around him. Her talons dug into the earth as she jumped around, using her Natare to assist with her landings.

"You have a friend in that tiny jar?" Ishtar paused, slithering toward him and tilting her head to the side. Her slitted blue eye dilated as she focused on the jar, noting its metallic and silver colouring. Her poor eyesight required close eye contact. "And he can turn himself into dust? How can he do that?" Ishtar pulled her head back and tilted it. "I suggest you open the jar and ask him! Unfortunately, I'm not familiar with the location of the Firelands," she exclaimed, expressing her disappointment at not knowing where he was headed. "But if he gets upset, I'm willing to assist you in finding this place. Do you know which direction it is?"

He sought blood, which was intriguing! But it narrowed it down a little too much for Ishtar's tastes. She liked learning about everything. "I, on the other hand, seek Enlightenment," Ishtar informed him. "Thus, I often find myself easily distracted by new discoveries, whether it's learning about entirely new subjects or gaining deeper insights into things I already know." On that note, she needed to meditate more.

 

[Velho]

༺༉❁ spring 26 day year 124 of the third age ❁༉༻
<notes>

When he was asked about his kin, Skrípi's enthusiasm only appeared to bolster, as he nodded vigorously– though he did tilt his head at the mentioned name.

"I am! … though…" he thought for a second. "Cælum is that fertility dragon? I've…never met him, but like I said, I do know of most dragons who live here."

"My flight is more often found 'round the big tree itself! Either in the basin or the forests closer to Myrkvior," Skrípi explained.

"Bear is good food– quality blood, too, for a normal animal," he commented. "...but which mountains? Myrkvior range, around the basin? The giant range to the north– Rimepeak? Hrimthur's spine? Or…to the south…? There's…so many mountains in Ælheim," he rambled a bit, but the point was sound– just saying one lived in the mountains informed him of little.

When it came to Ishtar's questions about Velho's abilities, Skrípi knew precious little and what he did know he was forbidden from saying– as such information pertained to the Ferrier's Blights. But to be fair, he genuinely did not understand how Scourge worked, so was it really lying to claim ignorance?

"I…don't know how he does it," the little dragon squinted. "He just goes…poof…" Skrípi gesticulated an explosion with his hands, "...sometimes, and then floats around as a dusty cloud. I've not a clue how it works," he admitted sheepishly.

Skrípi's gaze flitted between the jar in his hands and Ishtar, back and forth, back and forth, a few times at the suggestion that he open the jar. He didn't like admitting defeat, but he really was lost.

"I suppose I must…but say, if you Seek Enlightenment, you might be able to accompany us. It would be a learning experience if you've never seen a Ferrier banish spirits before," he explained. Really, he just wanted to drag his new 'friend' around a bit as it was rare to meet foreign dragons.

However, he did, reluctantly, open the jar. "Um…Velho…I think I got a bit lost," the dragon said. He didn't sound afraid, no, he just sounded deeply embarrassed, as if such an admission hurt his pride.

The Ashes within the jar stirred, flowing out of the jar and congregating into a silhouette of a wiry, thin ælven man before solidifying, clothing and all. He was dressed well, but darkly, and fairly modestly when compared to the average Æld'Norai. The man's features looked placid until he set eyes upon Ishtar, at which point his expression shifted to that of surprise. Normally sleepy, half-lidded eyes widened for a moment before he ended up just looking confused.

"...I thought you said you were lost…? Who's this, then?" Velho inquired.

Skrípi immediately interjected, "...this is Ishtar! She said she's just visiting from up north. I tried to ask her for directions, but she…does not know."

Velho looked bemused more than anything. "I see…well, I can't say I'm all too familiar with these environs, but if I had to guess we aren't far from Veiðrbrand…the tree we're looking for is on the border thereof," he pointed in the distance, where the trees appeared to start to thin. "...try heading that way. It'll be easier to see there, too…"

And then, the Ferrier looked to Ishtar. "...and good to meet you, Isthar. Are you going anywhere in particular, then…?" He couldn't deny his own curiosity.

 

[Ishtar]

˗ˋˏ ◜ ♡ ◝ ˎ´˗
ꘜ‿︵‿ꘜ
Spring 26, Year 124
︶꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶︶꒷꒦︶꒦

▲‿▲

"I thought as much!" Ishtar exclaimed with a toothy draconic grin.

She was eager to have met a member of Ælheim's dragon flight and get to know at least one of them before meeting more. She did love meeting intelligent talking beings, but she preferred talking to only a few other beings or less at once. Otherwise, she wouldn't have all the time to ask so many questions.

"I haven't come across the dragon-tree yet," Ishtar said. "I do want to see it someday."

"But, truthfully I haven't been looking for it. I do know it is in the center of Ælheim; Cælum told me about it, along with your flight. I've only met you. Thought it would be best for them to seek me out rather than doing the seeking myself. A strange dragon in new lands close to the flight's territory may come off as a threat or competition."

Ishtar shrugged.

It was that way in the North with her siblings, so she assumed it was the same in the South. Competition. Despite relations.

"Caelum was strange," she remarked with a thoughtful look, and by 'strange,' she really meant 'weird.' "He Embodies the People of Ælheim... Still, he was intriguing nonetheless, and I enjoyed our conversation!"

"I am still getting used to the area. I cannot speak Ælvish, only words or phrases I've picked up from those I've heard in the forests. So, I do not know the name of where I reside. I do know the way, though." She hesitated to say, "But, perhaps I can show you at some point? And you can seek me out if you're in need of assistance or just bored... hot sunny day and you need ice? I breathe ice. I liked eating the ice..."

There wasn't any snow in the south.

And she was rambling about ice.

"I usually swallow my prey whole! Or consume them in pieces if they're too large for my throat, throw it back up or risk suffocation!" Ishtar explained. "I embody serpents, and serpents swallow their prey... they can't rip off limbs, for they have no limbs."

She was rambling about how she ate, but she couldn't help it. She was excited. Evidence of that was her continuously shaking and the wagging of her tail, like she was some sort of canine fauna.

Ishtar listened intently as Skrípi spoke again; her hearing was absolutely rubbish. So, she strained to hear, very focused. She even stopped shaking for a brief moment just to listen to him explaining how his friend turned to ashes.

"That is intriguing! I would love to learn more! But, I understand that you don't really know how it works yourself." Ishtar was slightly disappointed, but it wouldn't dampen her joyous mood. She had company after all!

"I will accompany you and your freind." Ishtar nodded a little too fast, it was the excitement. "I don't know what a Ferrier is but I would like to see spirits being banished!"

Spirits being banished.

Yes, she'd definitely love to see that.

As Skrípi spoke to the jar, Ishtar watched in amazement as the ashes floated out; turning into a humanoid male. Ælf? Pointed ears? Ishtar craned her neck down to him and focused a single slitted pupil. He looked rather sickly, gaunt and frighteningly skinny for a humanoid, weirdly eerie. She has eaten a few humans, and while they may be slightly different than Ælves. She could tell Velho would be the bone you'd pick your teeth with rather than sustenance. He... also smelled a little strange, a little death-like. It overpowered her strong sense of smell, so she recoiled and exhaled out of her nose sharply to rid of the scent.

Alas.

Ishtar greeted him once he had greeted her; she had waited for them to finish talking. Her tail wagged, long and serpentine in shape, and began shaking once again; her brief moment of 'stillness' had passed.

"Greetings! I am Ishtar!" She beamed. "I was going to explore the forest, there is always more to discover by the night! Then I met Skrípi!"

 

[Velho]

<notes>

Velho exhaled a breathy chuckle, subtle ashes escaping his lips in the process. "A pleasure, truly, to come across one so sincere," he'd say, though he'd not elaborate on what exactly he meant.

"She– uh, in Draconic, she was talking about how she misses the cold, Velho! Maybe after we clear out the tree we can direct her to the mountains? They all have snow if you climb high enough, and the Myrkvior range is particularly icy; you'd probably love it!" Skrípi explained, opting to translate bits of Ishtar's previous responses.

"She, uh…she also said she met the…the…that one dragon, Cælum. I remember you said something about him in the past?" the little bat-dragon asked with his head cocked.

"Cælum, yes…" Velho answered with a wan smile. "Small world– I was his surgeon. He wanted a Glamour dragons don't usually have, but many covet; Seeming," the Ferrier explained briefly.

He wouldn't say more about Cælum specifically, as that toed the line on saying too much already regarding another's medical matters, but the intent was somewhat selfish in doing so. Advertising his expertise was a reasonable way to get more patients, after all.

"Do you think if I flew up higher I might be able to see the burned tree from here?" Skrípi asked abruptly.

Velho looked to his companion, "...hm. Maybe. Were you not flying very high before?"

"No…I prefer the comfort of the forest treeline," the dragon admitted.

The Ferrier sighed slightly, sounding a mix of mildly annoyed but more bemused than anything. "Worth a try, then, when we get going again."

He'd nod to Ishtar, "...you can come if you'd like, too."

 

[Vicissitude]

꧁══════════• ༺༉ { Reviewed/Canon } ༉༻•══════════꧂​

Velho + Skrípi

+18 XP (1829 wc)

Ishtar

+17 XP (1726 wc)

I really enjoyed writing with Ishtar & am looking forward to future threads with her and/or Væleri! <3

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