[Closed] After the Engine

marsbat

Dragon Obsessed
Benefactor
Cinon appeared back in his own world first, closely followed by Cedric at his tail. He quickly looked around him at the familiar jungle trees, each draped in tidy green vines. Glowing flowers in every colour were scattered in patches all across the ground, softly lighting the shade thrown by the thick canopy. The sounds of insects and birds surrounded them, and the smell of the sea was nearby.

Cedric slowly stepped forwards to his brother. He had experienced this all before, but nothing could match the intensity of sensing it all with his own form. Everything had felt dulled and distant within Cinon, and now it was all real. All of it was there for him to experience, even the feel of the grass against his paws felt more real.

Cinon looked behind him, smiling at Cedric and Gabby. He was glad to be home with his brother, and Gabby joining them made it all the better.

"We made it guys. Welcome home."
 
Gabby stepped in behind Cinon and Cedric, eyes wide and mouth slightly open. She'd never seen a such a beautiful place. Jungle trees draped with lush green vines and flowers everywhere. Flowers that glowed in every color she could think of, and some she'd never have dreamt of.
This was not like the Wilds jungles on her homeland, thick and thorny. This is was beautiful.

When she had earned her new body...her new life...the realization sank in she had nothing to go home to. No family, no friends. Her home planet was a world that she had roamed to far too long alone. What was there to go back to?
When the offer to return to the home-world of her two friends arose, she took it and she was glad she had. A new world, with new things to see and, now, experience too.
She could feel a coolness on the breeze as birds and other animals buzzed in the afternoon light. There was a briney smell to the air she recognized a little. It was the same smell that came off of the lakes in the Wilds. The humidity made her skin prickle and the idea that she could feel even the sensation made her nearly giddy with excitement. Glancing at Cedric, she wondered if he felt the same way. A new body and a new life.

"This is incredible," she commented to them both, "I can't believe I'm standing on a completely different world. No one on Kaereal would even dream of this, much less believed it existed. Thank you...for bringing me with you."
 
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Cinon smiled at Gabby, happily taking in the world around them. It had been to long since he could just be there, relax, not be in a rush to do something for the Warden. "Aww, no problem. I'm excited to show you everyone when we get back home, it shouldn't take more than a few days to get there by wing."

"This is fairly close to the area we used to get to the World Engine," Cedric said,"if we move West to the coast we can fly partway to the city, should make it to the cave before nightfall. We can find food near there for you and Cinon."

"Sounds good to me." Cinon cheerfully started to trot off through the trees in the direction of the beach.
 
Gabby chuckled at the sight of Cinon happily taking off into the trees and followed him at a bit of a jog. She would have to full out run if he decided to go much faster, but she didn't mind. Her heart pounding in her chest, her blood racing through new veins, made the activity enjoyable.
She followed them through jungle, taking in everything she could. The salty air stronger and a breeze picked up as the jungle began to thin out, leading to a flat area. White sand shifted under her feet as she looked out over the largest "lake" she had ever seen. Blue waters sparkled before them, extending to the horizon and lined with more sandy beaches in the distance. Waves greeted them, crashing on the shore at a steady pace.

She jogged toward the surf and was met by an incoming wave. The water splashed over her boots and her flight suit as she jumped ankle deep into the water.

"This is the "coast"?" Gabby asked Cedric with a laugh, "I've never seen anything like it! How deep does the water go here?"
 
Cedric stood on the ridge over the sandy beach while Cinon ran down to the edge of the water with Gabby. He stayed farther away from it than Gabby had gone, even backing up at the wave crashing. "Oh, they say it goes down deeper than anyone but the water dragons can swim. There is another way to the bottom though, if-"

"Cinon! Over the canopy!" Cedric shouted down at them. A small dot of a blue dragon, a "Wyvern type" as Cedric called them, was flying at them, and fast. He looked to be much larger than both Cinon and Cedric, even at a distance.

"Grekan! Gabby run!" Cinon shouted, turning invisible and breaking back up the beach into the trees.

The Cedric stood his ground, waiting for both of them to make it to the trees, but it was an impossible task. Grekan came down hard between the safety of the trees and Gabby, sliding slightly in the sand. He was the size of a truck, his body dwarfing everyone around him. Every inch of scale was covered in a scar, burn, scrape, or tear, sometimes a combination of all. Even his teeth looked mangled and sharp.

"Cinon! You look... different." The massive dragon growled. "Did something with horn dye? Haha!"

"Grekan, I advise you to leave us before I have to hurt you again."

"Cedric... So it is true. You were going for the legend portal."

"Get to the point or leave us be. We want nothing to do with you."

"And the Human?" Grekan turned his head to Gabby, leaning in until his mouth was within a meter of her, his hot rotting breath strong in her face. "You would rather walk with an invader than with kin?"

Gabby closed her eyes as her hair ruffled in Grekan's putrid breath and then opened them, giving him a hard look. "I was invited, so technically, I'm not an invader."

"Hahaha!" The dragon lifted his head and laughed, wincing suddenly and leaning back down. "You walk with a human who cannot even speak draconic."

"What do you mean invader? There have been no Humans for hundreds of years."

"Oh, you are too rich Cedric. Have you been gone for the last twenty years? Actually... It was twenty years ago I last saw you. HAHAHA. You have no clue what happened!"

"I do not believe you. We were gone for less than a week."

"Perhaps for you, but for the rest of us... I assume you missed the show then."

"What show?"

"The Humans in their aircraft, their guns, the robots they placed in our towns to enforce their law."

"You are lying! You tried to eat us, why should I believe any of this?"

"Cedric, we both know you are the better of us. I have nothing to gain from lying to you today, but if you believe me then... well... then I have an ally to fight in the resistance. You see my wound?"

Grekan turned, the fresh red blood on his neck visible to Gabby now, though Cedric had seen it long before.

"Bullets. Tiny flying metal ballista bolts. Sting like hell. They use them to kill us if we don't hand over our land to the Humans. We resist though, the guild, the city guards of Undur. These Humans are weak, and we can win in our fight against them. Trust me Cedric, you know it is true."

"..."

"Hahaha! You know it is true. So, how about we kill the Human and go on to the city to plan?"

Gabby looks to Cedric. "I don't know anything about an invasion. I do know we've been through a lot together at this point and this is my home now. So its as much an attack to me as it is to you," she says firmly to him "Besides, why go through all the trouble of dragging me here just to kill me?"

"I never said anything of killing you Gabby. If we plan something the Human comes with us. She is kin in heart and mind. Understand?"

"Hmm. The Guild will not be happy to be working alongside the enemy. I cannot guarantee you her safety."

"NO!" Cinon shouted, still invisible, but Grekan's eyes locked to a spot on the beach where four paw prints were very clear in the sand.

"WE'LL NEVER GO WITH YOU!"

"Haha! Cinon! The little snake that slithered from my grasp. I see your brother is doing well without you now."

"FLY AWAY BEFORE HE HURTS YOU AGAIN GREKAN!"

"Very well. If you bring him to his senses, come to Undur. I will find you there. I suggest you make your choice soon though, the humans will be coming."

Slowly, Grekan took off, flying out to the sea. Where he had been standing was scattered with small red dots in the sand.

"Well. Gabby, Cinon, what are we to do? Follow him to protect the planet or wait for the humans?"

"We'll stay right here. I want to be as far away from that monster as I can be!"
 
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Gabby watched the injured dragon fly away, feeling a bit relieved. The feeling didn't last however. Who were these other "two-legs"? They certainly weren't from her home world. Her people couldn't even successfully make it to the next planet yet, much less here. That meant there were others out there like her. Other worlds that held life similar to her own...but these people...were not like her. She had come to live and explore. They and come to destroy and conquer.
This would not do.

She looked to Cedric with a nod. "We can't risk staying and being caught by whoever these invaders are. We have to go and find out what's happening."
 
"Wah!?" Cinon went slack jawed, turning visible subconsciously. "You want to go with him?!?"

"No, I dont want to. But we have to. At least with him, we know what we're up against. With these others coming, we don't know what will happen," she said in a calming voice, " Its the safest way to go."

"Precisely. Besides, I don't think we are ready to face any more humans who have guns without Ethan."

"Fine... Just be careful over the water."

Cinon took off first, flying away from the two on the beach. Cedric knelt down, putting himself into a position for Gabby to climb atop his back. "As soon as you are ready."

Gabby climbs on, careful not to step on his tail like the last time and wraps her arms around his neck tightly. "Ready."

Cedric took off, following Cinon over the water. He said nothing while flying, seeing nothing important to say. The flight was not short, and it took nearly an hour and a half before four blue-roofed marble towers in the middle of the water appeared. Cinon circled above, not wanting to go down alone. Cedric touched down gently on the large stone balcony of the tower and set Gabby down as Cinon landed next to them.

"Well, we're here. Undur. I've always wanted to see this place."

"Gabby, stay close to us. If these dragons have seen hostile humans, I am sure they will not take kindly to your presence."

Gabby nodded to Cedric's warning as she stretched out her tired arms. She knew that if she did look like these humans, that coming here was a risk for her. A risk she was willing to take.

Cedric lead them through the tower and down the stairs. A spiral that seemed to never end, lit only by the occasional bright blue stone in the wall.

"Grekan said he would find us when we arrived, so we may have some free time. I assume you two will want to eat?" Cedric asked, breaking the silence.

She blinked at the dragon for a moment and then remembered she actually had to eat as hunger hit her stomach with an angry gurgle. "Um, yes. Food would be good, I think," she replied, "You are aren't hungry?"

"No. Cinon and I have figured out I do not eat, it has to do with my energy tie to him."

"So I guess I have to eat for both of us." Cinon grinned at Gabby.

After nearly twenty minutes of descending they stepped out into an open square, the city showing around them. A great glass dome covered the entirety of it, light filtering down and around the dome from the sun above making it seem like a shady day on the surface. Dragons were all around, most of them larger than the three of them, but many were close in size. Around the square was a set of carts and stalls, all manned by dragons, and many of them with aromas of food wafting around. Fish, bread, produce, all of it was delicious to them and readily available in a set of sizes.

Direction had little meaning in the dome, as even the sun had become to blurred in the water to make out a direction. The towers, however, were marked in four colours, one for each of the basic directions. Blue lead to a large palace like building set in the dead center of the city. Yellow and Green both seemed to lead to many houses and not much else. Towards red was the closest edge of the dome and seemed to be some sort of main corridor, shops and inns open on either side of the street.

Cinon slipped away from them quickly, blending into the crowd before literally blending in, his scales becoming invisible.

"He will get us something. Where do you want to go?"

It was already clear that Gabby was drawing a lot of attention from the dragons, but so far nobody had stopped to interact with them at all.

The shops looks intriguing. What did dragons buy and sell? The thought of browsing through things she'd never seen fascinated her. I "Let's take the red path to the shops," she said with an excited grin, "But we shouldn't wander too far."

"Hm." Cedric grunted at Gabby, leading her down the path until he read one sign in particular. While language seemed to have been gifted to them by the World Engine, reading had not. Cedric guided her inside of the relatively small building, waiting by the door.

The shelves were stacked high with scrolls and leather-bound books, many strange artifacts and machinations sitting along the walls. The desk at the rear of the store was cluttered with ink, papers, and a single rope tied to a bell over the desk.
 
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Gabby could feel eyes on her as she walked beside Cedric through the streets. Being seen was still a new experience for her and made her feel odd, but the strangeness did little to curb her enthusiasm to explore the market.
He lead her to a shop, whose sign was naturally in a language she couldn't read. Inside the tiny store, the smell of sweet parchment paper and the tang of ink met her nose. It smelled like a library.

She gazed over the stacked scrolls, strange clockwork machines, and clutter of books, before her eyes landed on the bell cord.

"Shall I ring it?" She asks Cedric curiously.

Cedric nodded, not saying anything. Before she could, however, a cat-sized dragon slipped down from the rafters above, landing in a squat on the counter. He looked like a parrot almost, with a bright blue scaled body and baby blue drops running along his spine and wings. A pair of yellow stripes ran from his snout to his tail along his back and had a crest of purple and blue feathers on the back of his neck.

He spoke in a language neither of them could recognise. <<No, no, no! No more human tongue in my shop! Get out!>

Gabby raised a brow at the small dragon, both fascinated and confused. It was beautiful but also fussing in some other language. "Oh...uh....hi?"

The dragon suddenly started to wobble on his hind legs, his face turning a subtle shade of green lighter. Somehow, he began to speak in Gabby's native tongue. <Ooh, I'm going to be sick.> He stumbled off of the desk backwards, landing on the wooden floor with a thud.

She winced as the tiny dragon toppled into the floor and immediately bent down to offer him help up. "Are you alright?" She asked quickly, " How did you understand me?"

The dragon came to quickly, raising his winged arms like a baby asking to be lifted. <Alas, it was a curse of a gift bestowed upon me. To know each and every-> The dragon suddenly paused, grabbing his head. "I am sorry, can you speak Lowlands?"

Gabby shook her head as she lifted up the tiny dragon and set him gingerly on the countertop. "No, I'm afraid I dont speak it. But...I think I understand it?"

"Hm. Well that is certainly particular. Excuse me for not using your own tongue, new languages always hurt for a few days. Tk'tukir, at your service madam."

She gave Tk'tukir a pleasant smile. "Gabby Asualtak," she replied, "I'm, um, new around here. You can learn languages by hearing them?"

"More than learn them, Gabby, I can understand them. For example, I know that you are not a Terran or a Native. So, Gabby, where is Kaereal?"

"In relation to here,I'm not sure where Kaera-" she began, "Wait....how did you know about Kaereal?"

"I told you, I understand the language and every word in it." The tiny dragon gipped his head again, searching the desk for something. He found it under a scrap of paper the size of him. He opened the small wooden box and pulled out a tight bundle of strong smelling sweet herbs, dropping them into a little bowl and leaning in after them, spewing a tiny spurt of fire and igniting the bundle.

"Now, obviously you have no words for the things the Terran Humans have brought, and no words for the schools of magic taught by the Natives, but these airships are new."

"These humans....are called Terrans...and there...is magic....and air ships," she whispered, gathering her thoughts. Airship she understood perfectly but magic and Terrans...not so so much. "I dont suppose your skill works in reverse? Understanding anything here would help."
 
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"I can explain anything you don't understand from the Terran Humans', or the Natives' language, if you desire."

"What year is it?" Cedric chimed in, still sitting guard by the door.

"It is fourty two fourty four by the Ancient's count. I am-"

"Damn. Grekan was right, we have been missing for twenty years. Damn Warden always has one more trick."

"Twenty years? Gods... You would have missed the arrival of the Humans! No wonder you two look so confused. Now, I suppose I will have to tell you everything that has happened in the last twenty years. It was right about then that the Humans say they first arrived. They came from space, the area beyond the sky where the planets orbit, but also from another world so distant the very starts were different for them. They appeared in a flash of light in the sky, what we call the Nexus Bridge now, and fell down to a band of roaming Humans native to here. Now, finding a human up North would be a feat in itself, but these humans had machines beyond our imagination as well, but no magic -I'm sorry if I'm losing you here Gabby, there have been no Humans in these lands since atleast thirty hundred, and the Humans up north were mere rumours. The Natives do have magic though, not the Terrans-"

"The short version please."

"Of course. Terrans came and declared themselves the rulers of the planet, and the purebred clans largely agreed in exchange for maintaining some rule instead of being wiped out by their weapons. Progress was rather slow until they started sending more and more, now entire cities and towns are being built for the humans. They police our land as well, forcing those of us they can reach to wear special bracelets to keep track of us so they can make sure nobody is eating Humans or other barbaric acts. I assume you haven't seen the planes or robots either, seeing as you do not have a bracelet as of yet. I would suggest you go look for yourself at Arrgament but chances are you were either born here or are here to fight with the resistance, and your Human companion suggests the latter."

Gabby's brow furrowed as she assessed the situation. Planes...and robots...take over and settlements....these Terran's sounded vicious. She knew that she appeared to be one of these Terrans. But she was anything but that. "Are there any humans at all who see the Terrans as invaders too? And who is in charge of the resistance?"

"Well, the Humans here have been oppressed viciously for the last few hundred years, and their freedom alongside all the advances in technology, medicine... I could go on, but no, the Natives are very glad for the Terrans. The resistance on the other hand is a sort of impossible alliance. The guards here are technically part of it, and so were the guards of many other cities before the reinforcements came, but now we mostly wait it out while organised crime groups try to stave off police. I think we should drop the resistance and move ahead with the change, we are the only ones hurting from the crime at this point."

"Grekan is a part of a guild, some group of psychics who claim to have an ancient or some sort of stone of power on their side. Very illegal, supposedly based out of a small lawless island south of here."

"Mmm, yes. I heard that island had been raided a few months ago by an army division from the Terrans. Drones armed with.... no, I suppose you wouldn't know any of those words."

Behind them the door opened by itself, a loaf of nut-bread floating in, then closed again.

He was right. There were words she didn't know or understand, but she understood divided resistances tended to fail, even when their opponents were not as powerful as these Terrans. "So, the resistance seems dead before we've even arrived," Gabby said as she glanced at Cedric, "Grekan also sounds like an extremist. What do you think Cedric?"

A moment passed before she noticed the bread floating in mid air and realized Cinon had joined them as well

"The Terrans sound dangerous, but if they already have managed to take Fire Island... I am not sure if allying ourselves with the resistance is a good plan."

"Ee ooul aallt ooo"

"Cinon, please. Give gabby the bread."

"Oo."

Cinon passed the large loaf of sweet nut-bread to Gabby and started over.

"We should talk to the Humans I think. If they are fighting people like Fire Island maybe they aren't so bad."

"Hm. Gabby, are you still sure you want to go with the resistance?"

She pondered over this new information as she took the sweet smelling bread from Cinon. Good decisions were never made in haste. She tucked her hair behind her ear and shook her head. "Not with this newest information. I think we should go see for ourselves....at Arrgament.... as Tk'tukir suggests."

Cedric nodded, not really showing what he thought of the situation.

"It's almost night now, and I'm tired. We can leave for Arrgament in the morning."

"Well just be careful out there. If you get braceleted the city is requesting you do not return here, just as a precaution. Any other questions?"

"No...I think that's all I know to ask right now," she said with a little smile to the dragon, "Thank you for your help. I hope we get to meet again."

Tk bowed on the counter slightly, returning to his squatting bipedal stance as the three of them left.

"I think I saw a good alley to sleep in on my way here, it's over here!" Cinon took off in the thinning evening crowd leaving Cedric and Gabby behind. Cedric stayed to the back of the group to make sure nothing was to happen to either of them.
 
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Gabby stepped out of the shop and into the dim, rippling light filtering in from the dome above them. Shadows of creatures swimming beyond the glass darted here and there. Cinon had been right. Daylight was fading and the shell-lined streets of the stunning underwater city were beginning to empty.

"Wait up Cinon," she called as she followed him at a jog, bread still in hand.

They passed rows of shops made of light- tan sandstones, some decorated with bright paints and signs she couldnt read. They also passed by a dragon couple who were walking the opposite way in deep conversation. until seeing her. She caught a glimpse of their glares as they scuttled to the side of the street, giving her a wide berth. Gabby ignored them and kept following Cinon until he turned into an dirty alley next to a larger building with a sign over a heavy door and dark tinted windows. Whatever the building was, it was occupied to the max and shouting....or was that singing....could be heard through the walls.

Another right hand turn lead them down a much cleaner passage. Two stone buildings stood on either side and at the dead- end was a small grass courtyard with a trickling fountain. It was a peaceful spot even though the raucous from the larger building down the street could still be heard. He trotted over to the corner of the tiny yard and inspected the soft grass by circling several times and then laying on his belly to curl up.

She gave the kind-hearted dragon a smile and sat beside him before breaking the slightly soggy bread offering the largest piece. "Dinner is served."
Cinon took a little of the bread but gave the rest back to her, having already eaten. With his brother resting comfortably, she looked his counterpart.

The stoic dragon said nothing as he dissipated into a cloud of black smoke and made his way back into Cinon's body. She wondered why he did that after working so hard to get a body of his own. Perhaps in this world full of new experiences for him, its where he felt most at home.
Nibbling on the bread until she was full, Gabby sighed and stretched a little. This world was so different from her original home, with is magic, and myths. But it carried some of the same problems as Kaereal once had ....like slavery...race wars....revolutions....maybe these were issues every world faced. It was how they'd handled their differences that had given peoples galaxies apart some point of commonality. The idea was both terrifying and comforting at the same time.

Gabby leaned against Cinon's warm scales slightly as the last of the light slipped away and a soft, glowing street lamp slowly came to life nearby. Staring into the dark water above them, she eventually closed her eyes and drifted off.
 
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Cinder yawned and stretched, his arms out in front of him like a cat waking up. He crossed the room he rented and took a drink of water, splashing some on his face. He then cleaned some spots of meat from between his teeth and set the bed before putting on his coin purse around his waist and dawning his amulet necklace. He went downstairs to the bar and grabbed some juice before heading to the cold outside to watch the dawn of the town. Night people scurried away closing up their alleyway shops while more honest merchants awoke and got ready for customers. He went over to the baker to grab a fresh batch before walking into the individual alleys and picking up what hurrying dealers left behind. It wasn't his job, but it got him a few coins. After heading down one in particular he stopped and stared at the human residing beside a smaller dragon. He thought for a moment before running to the inn and grabbing a soft large ornate dark orange covering with rose red x's and a large C for Cinder and then heading back and placing it lightly upon the human as to not wake them. The maiden curled up into the soft blanket, stirring a little but not waking. He then headed back inside to speak with the bartender within the tavern. He looked up at the marine looking blue scaled gentleman behind the counter. "Gotten any sleep lately Arquem? I can cover your shift if you would like."

Arquem looks up at Cinder as he walks in, smiling warmly at the offer of help. "Never enough for me, not at my age. If you could find a way to wake Ire and get him out of here I would appreciate it. Poor guy has been out of work for months now and insists on wasting his coin and passing out here every night."

"Alright, sir. Anything else?" Cinder stated, walking over to grab a bowl and fill it with water, heading over to the large bronze dragon and pulling him to a sitting position before splashing it in his face. "Come on Ire, Dawn has come. Wake up." Ire growled at the water and knocked the empty wooden bowl to the ground. Arquem shot a glare at him and he grumpily picked it back up with his teeth, placing it on the counter before them. The bronze dragon soon left, stumbling slightly either from morning grogginess or the side effects of drinking too much.

"Not that I can think of right now, Cinder... Unless you were willing to risk a trip to the beach near Arrgament. My last stock runner was intercepted by a Terran air patrol and tagged, now the City won't let him back. I still need somebody to go collect the ale, though. It's risky, but you seem like a capable dragon."

"I'll Do it, sir. Where exactly is your supplier?" He said, pulling out from his pack a map of the region and placing it on the counter.

"Good man. He sent me a letter saying he would take it to the East of the city to a little cove -here- so that the next dragon wouldn't be as likely to be caught. Now, it'll be a fair amount for the both of you for this so I shall pay you a hundred credits now to split between you two and another fifty when you arrive back."

"Okay. Thank you, sir. I shall return before nightfall. Wish me luck!" And with that, he left the tavern with the coins and the map, going off in the direction of the cove. Cinder looked up and realized he had been in there for a little over half an hour and that the first customers were beginning to shuffle in. He took a bite of his bread and ordered an orange from the produce vendor before heading over to the butcher and making his breakfast a sandwich. He leaned against the front wall of the pub and watched for a bit eating his meal. He loved the distinct feeling of every different town. Every city down his annual route was unique in its own way, and by the time he got back to one it would be different itself. He sighed and whistled while he ate.
 
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Cedric stirred as he felt a change on Cinon's scales. He floated the painting he was working on of their arrival back home to the corner of his personal gallery, and floated through the walls of the mind-mansion to find Cinon. It took a few moments until he sensed the dragon in the conservatory, tending to a garden of happy yellow flowers and blue fruits.

"Cinon, we need to wake up. Something happened."

"Hmm... no, just a bit longer I think."

"No, Cinon, we HAVE to wake up."

"Arghh. Nooo."

"Yes. Something changed, can you not feel it?"

"I mean sorta... It's probably fine."

"Cinon!"

"Fiiineeeeee. I'll wake up."

"Thank you."

"I'm not happy about it. >: ("

"That is too bad. Wake up!"

Cinon rolled his eyes, and his entire head with them. It tended to happen when his black eyes had no whites to actually roll. Soon, he had forced himself
awake, opening his eyes to find a blanket draped over him, and the soft Gabby at his side.

Yawning, he shifted his tail to lift the blanket off, then used it to poke Gabby in the side gently. "Good mornin' Gabby."

Gabby felt a gentle poke at her side as a cool feeling settled over her skin, making her shiver. "Mmmm?"

Cedric separated from Cinon now that he was awake, forming into his large grey body. "It is morning, we need to get moving."

"Ooh, someone gave us a blanket!" Cinon lifted the blanket into the air with his paw, inpecting it briefly before folding it and placing it to the side of the underwater fountain.

"We should leave sooner than later. I have no doubt that word will have got to the Prince- King of the city."

She stood and dusted off the back over her jumpsuit before stretching out her back. She'd been having a dream.....her first dream in 70...or was it 90 now.....years. It had been good, but she couldn't quite recall what it was about. As her mind woke she listened to Cinon as he folded up the mysterious blanket. "I wonder where that came from?" She mused, "And a prince-king? "

"The leader of the city is a twenty year old dragon. Far too young for the position, but also the eldest son of the old King, the only one who is able to maintain this dome. He is also in a position where we are currently very suspicious for having brought a Human here, even if you look rather... Harmless."

Cinon trotted around the corner of the alley, heading back to the main street and the tavern without them, knowing fully that they would catch up.

Gabby watched Cinon take off into the alley with his usual enthusiasm. Normally, she would be following after him with the same energy. But this time she hung back with Cedric, walking beside him and thinking. She had known coming here could be dangerous for her, and she had willingly accepted that. But being seen with her also could have put the brothers in the same danger. Tucking her hands into her jumpsuit pockets, she glanced to Cedric. "Maybe we can leave the city before anyone comes looking for us."

"Hopefully." Cedric grumbled, keeping pace and walking towards the open street. "I doubt that they would leave the towers unguarded though, not with a Human in the city, that is why I took you to Tk yesterday. He will be able to vouch for you, there are few dragons who do not trust him."

Cinon stopped at the main street and tavern, waiting for the others and looking at a red dragon standing outside.

Cinder watched as the dragon from the alley stared at him, and he stared back for a while before a second dragon and the human joined him. There were two now? He also noticed none of them had his blanket, so he summoned it back to him mutely.

Gabby stopped just behind Cinon. "Hey, what are you-"

She stopped mid sentence, her grey eyes shifting to the red dragon who was staring at them. The dragon could be friendly... or they could be there to cause them trouble. There was only one way to find out. She smiled a pleasant smile and dipped her head a little in a polite acknowledgement. "Hello."

Just then the quiet whooshing of a blanket approaching from behind caught Cedric's attention. Quickly, he sidestepped, nudging Gabby out of the way of the attacking fabric.

The red dragon waved at them briefly before catching the blanket, the same one as before.

"Oh, that's yours! Thanks for the blanket last night, we didn't have any money for a place to stay. My name is Cinon, what's yours?"

Cedric glared at the dragon, eying up his abilities, heritage, strengths, and weaknesses. He seemed to be some blend of a fire type, most likely the Fulhai for the region, and one of the telekinetic breeds. Judging by his lack of strictly Fulhai features, he was almost certaintly at the very least a second generation Mutt.
 
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When the quickly unfolding blanket was about to reach him he turned so it hit his back, grabbing both ends and pulling it over his wings and shoulders. He then landed his front limbs upon the ground and trotted towards them sandwich offered out, eying the group in a more disguised manner. "I am cinder, What about you two?" He said, looking towards Cedric and Gabby.

Gabby took a step with a raised brow, unsure of what to say other than, "Uh....Gabby, my name is Gabby."

"What? Cinon can you translate for me, please? I don't understand this maiden's tongue."

Cedric interrupts Cinon's open mouth "Sorry, we were just leaving." He nudges Gabby along with his snout, avoiding eye contact with the red dragon. Gabby gives the red scaled dragon a timid wave as she is nudged along. "Nice meeting you. And thank you....for the blanket...."

He was a bit taken aback but recovered quickly. "Very well. Nice to uh....meet you..." And with that, he headed off away from them towards his objective, comfortable cloth hanging from him like a royals robes, the orange C discerning him from the rest of the crowd. He headed to the northern tower exit of town and waited on the platform, meditating and making sure he would not get tired on the trip. He stretched his wings for a bit before picking up from his fallen blanket and wrapping it over his pouch. ()
 
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Gabby gives the red scaled dragon an timid wave as she is nudged along. "Nice meeting you. And thank you....for the blanket...."

Cinon waved his tail as they left, turning down the main street to head back to the East tower they entered by. They were almost there when Cedric spotted a set of guards searching the thin crowd of dragons for someone. His eyes widened slightly, but he kept a natural face on and nudged Gabby to a side street with his muzzle, strategically placing himself between the guards and his human.

Once they were off of the main street he silently stopped them all. "They are looking for us, what do you want to do?"

Cinon was silent, his face worryingly checking the street they just came from.

"What will they do if they catch us?" Gabby asked as she kept a careful watch on the side street.

"I do not know... I expect that they will want to talk to you back at the palace. After that..."

"They wouldn't do anything bad to you... I don't think they would." Cinon said nervously.

"We just need to be careful and make sure that they do not think you are with these 'Terrans.' It seems like they have been attempting to keep the city a secret from them."

"Well, perhaps we should make ourselves known? It seems that not all dragons hate humans, like that red dragon from earlier. Perhaps this prince-king would be friendly and make a powerful ally once we explain the situation. Tk would vouch for me. "

Cedric stared at Gabby for a moment, seeing if he could work out what she was thinking. They had only just got back from the World Engine and it still felt strange to not have some goal to work for, some great challenge to overcome. Maybe she still felt that drive to do something, to overcome. Maybe he felt it himself.

"An Ally in what, exactly? We are still unsure of exactly who the Terrans are, other than that they are Human and not of this world. From what I know of politics Sky is... not exactly in a position to be doing a great deal of negotiating with local cities, much less aliens."

Gabby shrugged. The idea of sneaking out of the city seemed like it might make them even more suspicious, but Cedric didn't seem keen on staying. If it's one thing she knew of Cedric, was that his opinions and ideas had good reasons. "It just seems like we could use all the friends we could get. But, let's see what's going on in Arrgament."

Cedric nodded, peeking out of the alley one more time and seeing that the guards had moved on, atleast for now. He slipped out quietly, Cinon moving after him in the crowd. They surprisingly made it all the way to the staircase without anybody stopping them, however they still received a good amount of glares, glances, and outright stares.

They had just started back up the staircase when a descending guard, only just shy of Gabby's head height at the shoulder, caught them. He got into a battle ready stance, his light blue and bioluminescent white scales clear in the dimness of the stairs, but he didn't make a move at them. His body had several fish-like fin-spines across it, and he looked streamlined for swimming more than the other dragons, much like all the guards did.

"Human! Stop!" He ordered, waiting for their action. Cinon and Cedric both flinched at the appearance of the guard, one of them significantly more so, but the held their ground and waited.

Gabby heard the order and paused with the brothers as she faced the glowing dragon officer. He stood ready to fight them with a harsh look on his face. There were two options; bum rush the large guard or run back into the city. "Uh Cedric...Cinon....mind telling him we don't want to fight? He wont understand me if I talk."

"We are just leaving. We already know not to tell anyone of the city. The human is neither Terran or Native, she is from a new world and she is traveling with us. We need to leave as soon as possible, there is a Psychic Guild dragon after us." Cedric explained, still cautious of the guard.

"We are more than capable of keeping you safe for the time being. Come with me to the palace and don't cause any trouble. Sky wants to see you."

Cinon sheepishly turned around, heading down the main street towards the largest building in the city. It was a glorious monument to the dragon's ability to create, a set of domed roofs and pillars on a rectangular building. The entrance was a set of large wooden doors, each four times the height of Gabby, with a balcony overhead. Guards were everywhere, all of them the same marine type as the dragon escorting them. A pair of guards opened the doors to the palace and let the four of them in, shutting them as soon as their tails were in.

Within moments, a smaller marine dragon walked in. His head was at the height of Gabby's and he was followed by two other dragons. One was significantly older than him, a weak looking marine dragon with glasses, but the other was a young green dragon that seemed almost out of place.

Sky, who they presumed the leading dragon was, brushed off the older dragon as he approached the party, a limp in his walk.

"You, Human, can you speak Lowlands? <<English?>>" The dragon asked abruptly, his voice straining slightly.

Gabby surveyed the group of dragons entering the room, noting the marine dragons and the green one that stood out as strange. She made eye contact with the green one for a solid moment before her attention was drawn away by the question. She turned her attention to the smaller dragon with the pitchy voice and looked at him in his eyes too. She shook her head in reply.

"Ah- She can hear Lowlands, just no speak it. It's complicated." Cinon said, smiling at the dragon.

"Hm. I see. What are all your names?"

"I am Cedric, this is my brother Cinon, and our human companion Gabby."

"Your human? She doesn't look like a slave to me."

"Nooo. Not like that. Like she's our human friend. We found her in a magic wish granting World Engine."

"-The World Engine is an old legend, one we found about twenty years ago." Cedric added quickly.

"I see. I remember hearing about dragons going missing in this area looking for it now..."

"From Goulver, yes? That's where we lived!" Cinon got excited about his home town, the memories of his Mother and Father rushing in briefly, only to be swamped out by a dark realisation. "That was twenty years ago... They must think..."

"We are in a hurry to leave, the Psychic Guild has taken an interest in our Human and I do not plan on handing her over or ending up dead because of it. We already have promised not to tell the Terrans of the city, as I am sure that is your foremost concern, and now you know she is not with them. You must know Tk'tukir?"

"Yes, his name is familiar. He was working with the Terrans in Arrgament for us."

"He can collaborate our story, he speaks her language and knows of her home world better than anyone else."

"Hmm. Does Gabby have anything else to say?"

Her grey eyes darted to all three dragons before she addressed the question. "What they is true, I am not a Native or a Terran. And we don't want to cause any trouble in Undur and know the importance of keeping the city secret. We would simply like the freedom to come and go." she said in a polite but confident tone, "And I would also ask what your name is so I may properly thank you for safe passage."

Cedric repeated the message verbatim, making sure Cinon didn't mess up her message.

"Freedom to leave, yes. I do not want humans in my City however, not now. You must understand the pressure I am under to keep my citizens safe. My name, Human, is Sky. King Sky. I will have my guards escort you to the surface, and I will make it known when you are welcome back again. Farewell." Sky sat in the throne room, waiting for the trio to leave.
 
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Cinder started to fly towards the cove on his map, taking advantage of the long journey to reflect on his life and think for a bit. He wondered how his father was doing.... Well, it was early morning so probably starting to try working to get enough to feed himself and his addiction, working in the mines or the smith's shop 0r something like that. He wished there was a cure for alcoholism, even if it was a far off super challenging cure like... He stopped and quietly flew for a while, watching the face of his mother bubble to the surface like a painful mirage. Did he even want to go back to the city of her grave? Well, he did have to talk with Fenrir about the amulet, So he guesses he would have to stop by Kirton. Possibly he could see his sis, Ember there. What did Ember do these days anyway? She said she wanted to look after father, but for how long? There is only so long you can stand the bruises.... Though from what he had seen through his travels, there is much worse than his father when it comes to parenting. This led Cinder to think about becoming a father of his own, settling down and making a family. The prospect seemed laughable, but he was old enough to recognize the feelings he got near some of the finer maidens in his travels. He had enough wealth strength and enough of a varied skill set to give his children a good upbringing. He would teach them his crafts and not go to the pub nightly like the father before him. He would be there to help prepare supper and notice if his lady got sick. He looked up at the coast and realized he was only a few minutes away from the cove. He checked the sun's reflection in the water. Surely it had not been 3 Terran hours already? It had. He swooped down to the entrance of the cove and checked for anyone around. A banana yellow wyvern, roughly the same size as Cinder, was waiting for him by the entrance to the cave in the cove. Four large barrels were tied together in a square on the shore. The dragon nodded at Cinder, taking a few steps forwards on his wings. "These are Arquem's barrels yes?"

The wyvern spoke in a foreign accent, it was obvious his native tongue was Uppercourt. "Yes... you have my payment?"

He tossed him 50 gold saying "Here's your share. Could you help me get this on?" The wyvern waddled over to the drums, taking a rope harness around his feet and getting ready to pass it over Cinder's neck. He put it on and thanked the man before leaving back on the long trip to Undur.
 
4 stern guards flanked them, escorting them through the city. Dragons stopped and scuttled put of the way, giving Gabby angry glares again. One even gave her an angry hiss as she passed by too close and the guard gave the citizen a warning look. She ignored them, but a blush crept to her cheeks from all the fuss.
They climbed the stairs in silence and finally emerged into the open air surrounded by the sea.
"Begone and do not return," said a guard before retreating back down the stairs.

"Well, then" Gabby sighed, "I suppose we did make it out of the city....eventually."

"I am suprised we were let out of the city. Sky was always supposed to be unstable. I assume we met him on a good day by chance." Cedric said, kneeling down for Gabby. Cinon lept off the the platform, falling a few feet before gliding along out to the North.

"Strange. He seemed cordial. Perhaps he preferred not to keep a human inside the city for fear of panic among the citizens." She replied as she climbed aboard Cedric's back. Depsite the less than pleasant morning she looked forward to flying with Cedric. The open air called to her as he stepped off ledge and opened his wings, catching them along the wind.

Cedric was silent, either pondering Gabby's thought or ignoring her. A few minutes later he responded. "We need to find a way for you to speak Lowlands. There is a dragon in Arrgament who was skilled in crafting and enchantment, a first generation Fulhai Mutt. She will be able to tell us if it is possible to reverse the power you gained in the World Engine."

"That....would be helpful!" Gabby replied over the rushing wind, "I'd be able to talk to everyone!"

Cedric shook his head slightly, careful to not move too fast and poke her eye out on a horn. "I expect the Terrans here would be reluctant to learn a language such as ours. If they are as Grekan said they were..." Cedric stopped mid sentance.

Grekan would be after them now, it was simple. They had been in the city, no doubt had been seen by a spy. Perhaps Cinder, if that was his name, was sending a message with the blanket. Thinking of it made him worry about Cinon, about Gabby. They had no way of knowing what he had seen that day, what he was capable of. Flustered, he descended down gently to just above the waves of the sea, the misty breeze cool against his dark scales.

Cedric stopped mid-sentence and descended to just above the waves. She wasn't sure what made him pause but she knew he would share when he was ready. The cool mist of the waves tickled at her skin and clung to her hair and eye lashes. She sighed and closed her eyes, just feeling the breeze on her face.

The day wore on as they flew. Gabby spied strange, brilliantly colored fish and creatures breaching the sparkling waters. Occasionally she would point excitedly and ask questions. Cedric would sometimes answer. The sun overhead changed to overcast and a storm began to brew on the horizon. Lightening flickered ominously as thunder crackled over the seemingly endless ans rocky waters below.

The cool wind picked up even harder, pushing against Cedric. She could feel his strong wings adjusting to the force of it to keep them level as large rain drops began to plop along them ans dotting her face as well.

"Can we fly into that?" She called over the wknd to Cedric.

"We have no choice. It is not long from shore now, and to be honest you are not very light.

Gabby's cheeks turned pink. She'd forgotten she had actual....real body.

The rain grew heavier into a down pour and Cedric's scales grew slick and she held on tightly.
Soon though the tumultuous waters began to break upon the shore in the distance. They had made it.

Cedric couldn't take it anymore. Flying with Gabby such a great distance was already a trial of his endurance, but the storm on top of it... He was losing strength every beat of his wings, every crash of icy water driven by violent winds on his body.

He wasn' t even sure if he would make it to shore. His wings gave out just as they passed over the sand, his body hitting the sand like a sled, throwing Gabby forwards.

Cinon rushed over, stumbling in the wet sand to get to Gabby and make sure she was not hurt. Waves crashed against the sand further away, and a bolt of lightning flashed across the water.

Gabby's grip slipped as soon as Cedric slammed into the beach, and she slid forward over his head. Yelling with eyes closed, she did her best to roll out of the crash in the downpour. Lightening crashed above as she panted in the sand, trying to get her bearing and pain seared in her left forearm. She looked down to find crimson blood washing into the sand beneath her in the rain from a long gash. A familar face appeared above her. Cinon. Then the realization hit as thunder echoed. "I'm okay!" She bellowed over the din, "Check on cedric!"
 
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Cinder had to land soon. His blanket was soaked and he could not see a thing. Plus his tail was getting cold. He decided to check the small cove over on the beach before heading into town and was glad he did. Down below he could see three faint figures not exactly sprinting towards the entrance, sometimes sliding for a few moments in the rain. After a quick drive to the furthest one away he noticed it was the maiden from before and also that she was bleeding from one of her limbs. He helped her into the shelter of the cave, took out some medical healing herbs from a small pouch and cleaned the gash. He wrung out his blanket and exhaled fire on it and her, making sure it was hot enough and cauterizing her wound. Her expression changed from concealed surprise to shut-eyed pain. He then wrapped the blanket around her arm making sure she was comfortable and looked over at the other two who seemed to have scraped by without injury, the grumpy one rubbing his chest as though from moderate discomfort. He quietly formed four beds out of the sand and covered up the entrance most of the way, leaving a three-foot hole at the top for air. He then transmuted the beds of sand into a smooth slightly flexible material with a poke on one corner and walked to the center of the room, making a patch of stone and coal and lighting it. "There we go. Enough for the storm. I'll get us food when it clears so you can wake up to breakfast. Anyone need anything else?"

Cinon was glad to have a fire in the cave, and that they had managed to bump into Cinder again. He lied down near the fire, warming his scales in the dark. Cedric took a spot closer to the entrance of the cave, lying on his side and watching Cinder carefully. He was silent, making sure to stay alert.

Gabby looked at the strange but kind dragon with pain behind her gray eyes. Her arm was cleaned and she was starting to warm up from the cold rain. Glancing to the Cedric for a moment she surveyed him carefully. He seemed okay, but she hadn't been able to ask him. Shock had settled in a bit and everything had happened too fast... but still worry plagued her. He had crashed because of her. Her eyes flickered back to the red dragon, unsure what to make of.... Cinder. Most dragons didn't like her because she looked like a native or a Terran. "I'm okay I think....thank you," she said hoarsely. Water dripped from her her short brown hair and she sighed, remembering he couldn't understand her at all.

He looked over at her and pulled the rest of the water from her exterior into a bubble, tossing it through the hole saying "We really do need to get past this language barrier fair maiden. For now, could you try expressing yourself in motions?" He sat down, his body turned to them. The water from the two dragons also much more quickly than normal drained from them and onto the ground. He tapped his leg and with every tap more of the cave floor became smooth stone instead of coarse sand.

the water lifted from her, leaving her hair dry and she stopped shaking, She didn't know how to say 'thank you' in motions. Dragons probably didn't understand a thumbs-up...most of them didn't seem to have thumbs at all....Gabby thought for a moment before giving the blanket a small tug and pointing to her arm while nodding.

He looked at her motion carefully before making a short inhalation and smiling, nodding as well. "Your welcome. Make yourselves at home, and if you need anything don't hesitate to ask." A short pause later, "While we wait for the storm to fade would you like to hear the story of that blanket?" His eyes drooped slightly as he said this before they flew open again.

"I can speak for you if you want Gabby..." Cinon offered.

She looked at Cinon and nodded. " Can you tell me how to say thank you, Cinon? I want to learn."

"Yeah, it's just thank you," Cinon replied.

Gabby opens her mouth and then shuts it again, realizing in frustration that...she couldn't actually hear what real draconian sounded like. It all sounded like Kaerealan and always sound like that. She tucked her knees into her chest and set her chin on them feeling tired.

"Phonetics," Cedric said simply. Cinon tilted his head slightly at the word. "Just say the parts of the word for her."

"Oh... Uh, G-er t-u"

She looked to Cinder with a concentrated furrow on her brow. "G-er tu." The word came out slow and deliberate, but she managed it, hoping it didn't sound terrible. Gabby tugged on the blanket and pointed at Cinder, hoping he understood she wanted to hear his story.

He had started to doze off and lightly snore before seeing her yes and waking, starting the story. "Huh?Yes?Okay. So this blanket is actually sewn from my deceased mother, and it was given to me at a young age as a get well soon gift. Problem was, at the time I was just getting old enough to breathe fire, so a sneeze later and we were on to blanket #2. The teal blanket lasted for a good long while, a year or two, before a heavy storm hit our island and the left behind second blanket washed out to sea. Blanket number 3 lasted long enough to get in my first fight.... Over it.... And loose.... lots of bruises that day. So the orange blanket of four lies before you now." He looked over at the bandage on the humans arm. "That's one of the few things I have left from my mother... Treat it well."

She looked down at the blanket, and tugged it closer around her shoulders as her thumb stroked the frayed edge lightly. This was a precious thing to him. She didn't have the words to tell him she understood.
 
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Cedric waited until everyone was long asleep before acting. He stood up and walked to Cinon's body, merging back into him and finding his resting form in the mansion. They had spent too much energy in the flight without eating, Cedric could feel it himself. A dull pain gnawing at his gut. He did his best to ignore it.

The night was uneventful. Cedric got little done for a lack of energy, not even work to the painting of their arrival. Worrying about Grekan already took enough of their limited supply. The scarred dragon had little reason to kill them, but any reason was more than enough for him. His memories came back, the things he had forced Cedric to watch in his mind... Corpses of a hundred dragons, mutilated beyond recognition and torn to pieces by savage jaws. The endless noise of screaming, screeching dragons. The noise that cut it all, the buzzing that drove him mad... Cinder. Cinder was an unknown, a stranger here to help them for no reason. Perhaps they had found a truly good dragon. Perhaps.

Dawn came slowly, the storm passing just in time for the sun to break over the treetops of the cove. Calm waves washed up onto the shore rhythmically, and a flock of songbirds had nested just near enough to be heard over the water. Another noise soon joined the morning chorus however. A chaotic beating of mechanical blades cutting the air. It grew louder and louder as it passed overhead, loud enough to wake even Cinon without any other encouragement. A moment later and it had passed, the chopping moving down the coast where the twin paths Cinder had seen ran.
 
Cinder rolled out of bed and trudged over to the city, not curious one bit about the blades. He bought some food from the butcher, the baker, and the farmers market(in general), stopping by a few of the town's decorations for a little while before returning to the cove with a basket of food and some apple juice. He silently re-lit the fire and cooked some bacon, some meat, toasted the bread a bit, and minced the vangi all with good speed but average skill and placed the meals unto 6 bowls he then took 4 bowls that were already there and poured the juice equally into them. He then carefully as to not make it painful took the blanket from gabby and cleaned the area again before wrapping bandages around her arm and cleaned off his blanket, going back to bed and using it, quickly falling asleep. He woke up a few minutes later to find everyone else awake. *yawn* "Morning all. Made brek... Still warm?"
 
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Gabby woke to a loud thumping sound breaking over the calming rush of the ocean waves. The sound was one she was familiar with from her home planet and for a moment she was confused as to why she was in a cave and not her old Skycorp barrack from so long ago. As the beat of the flying machines passed by and faded into the distance, so did her feeling of nostalgia. Those were Terrans, not her own people.

Sitting up, she winced at the sharp pain in her arm and from the dull throbbing of the bruises left behind by their crash. She noted Cinder was asleep beside a warm crackling fire with his blanket wrapped around him. His breath was steady and even in his slumber, not having heard anything. The smell of roasted food hung in the air and she spied six full bowls near Cinder.
Cinon on the other hand had woken at the sound of the flying machines, his eyes wide with worry.

She reached out with her uninjured hand and gave him a gentle scratch on the neck. "It's okay they're gone now," she whispered, "Are you and Cedric alright?"

"Huh? Oh, yea... yea, we're fine. What was that?"

Gabby looked out the cave entrance into the bright day light. "It sounded like flying machines...like ones from home," she replied quietly, "They were Terrans flying overhead. Probably a patrol of some sort."

Cinon's curiosity sated for the moment, his stomach wrenched away his attention. They had flown so far yesterday, especially after that storm, and all on one tiny meal. The food Cinder had made smelled so good to his empty stomach that he quickly pounced on it, devouring the bowl of food before looking at the others. There were too many... He tilted his head at Cinder then back at the bowls. "Six?"

"Yeah one for each and then extra for hungy. Plus there's apple juice." Cinder took a bubble of water from the sea and splashed it on himself, waking up a bit more. "Hope you liked it. Not a great cook. Not bad either, just not a culinary artist." He turned over to the fire and snuffed it with a wave of his hand. Another wave and a wave of rocks carried him to the middle where his bed now reformed. So... Actually... Can you try this on? "Cinder held out his necklace for Gabby to wear and then laid back and rested his eyes for a little bit.

"Oh." Cinon took another bowl, eating the food less urgently now.

She took the necklace uncertain what it would do. Before she could ask, Cinder retreated from her and closed his weary looking eyes to rest again. Curious she slipped the necklace over her head and untucked her hair from the chain before reaching over for a bowl of food.

As she did, the necklace's gemstone glowed a bright turquoise and shook in it's place before quickly zipping over to in front of Gabby's heart and staying still, pulsing the same color. Within her head she heard a voice that had no tone or texture. "You are not a dragon. You are not of this realm."

She froze mid bite at the warm spark of the necklace and the plain tone of the voice. While the voice had come as a surprise, she replied nonetheless. "No, I'm not. Who are you?"

"Look upon the amulet that you wear, you will find me resting there."

Gabby put down her bowl and picked up the bauble on the end of the chain. A silver dragon with intricately wrought scales encircled the turquoise gemstone glowing pleasantly in the middle. The metal was warm in her hands as if it had a life of its own.

"What is your name, child of another world?The voice turned soft and female, speaking loudly but lightly.

"Gabby," she replied quietly as she looked at the dragon medallion curiously, "And yours?"

She felt a wave of energy and the amulet grew brighter with her words. "I am the one they call Kynereth. Pleasure to meet you gabby of kaereal"

"And you as well," she whispered back with a curious tone, "Are you trapped in this amulet or are you born a magical object Kynereth?"

Cinon looked up from his second empty bowl and shot Gabby a curious look.

"I am born of magic. How old are you, child?"

Gabby ran her fingertips over the medallion. Strange. A sentient being born of magic. Then again, she had seen sentience in many forms now. "I'm....well...I'm not really sure how old I am anymore. Ive been around for a long time. Dead and alive. You sound like you have been around for a long time too? Have you always belonged to Cinder? Can you tell me more about yourself and him?"

"I was made long ago before cinder or even his parents parents were hatched. Cinder is pure and kind, but he runs away from too much. From his dead mother, from his abusive father, from this war between the firstborn and the careless. I can see only the purity in others, but in some of these terrans that is not much. Your light shines bright, however. Don me once more please."

Gabby put on the necklace, thinking of what the amulet had spoken of as she watched Cinon wat and Cinder snooze. The glowing stopped and only a warm feeling remained, its presence shifting to the background.

Cinder awoke and looked over at Gabby and Kynereth. *yawn* "So what did she say? Anything about me?"

She blinked at the dragon coming out of her thoughts and her cheeks turned pinkish as she shook her head. "That you were kind," she said, knowing he wouldnt understand.

He sat up and the necklace gently flew off her and unto him. It glowed and turned orange for a while before loosing its illumination. He nodded and tried to say something. "Break-feast... Break-fast. Breakfast. Maze. Maiden. Fair Maiden I think kynareth can fix our language barriers."

Gabby understood him, of course, as he stammered a bit. There was only one way to test the theory. She cocked her head to the side a little and gazed at the red scaled dragon. "Gabby," she said, "My name is Gabby. And thank you for helping us."
 
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