Ordinarily, Drache would have considered the lack of weapons drawn in response to her face among total strangers to be the highlight of the season, but it would actually turn out to be the start of several ten-days worth of glorious fun and adventure the likes of which she had rarely had before. Grinning widely at Laurel's enthusiasm, the scaled woman nodded her horns in Sirik's direction, her eyes raking hotly down his athletic frame. Drache sort of had a thing for male drow and such was evident on her reptilian features, though it seemed he was going to refuse to notice. [color=ed1c24]"I'm a half-dragon, actually, not a True Dragon. Many of them did die off after the Death, but I come from a whole city of dragons south of here."[/color] Drache didn't move away when Laurel approached, she just fluttered her wings and swished her tail, loving the attention. When Laurel invited her to share her bed later she just gave the Alufiend a seductive look and licked her lips as she joined the pale-skinned woman by the fire, which glittered off her scales as though it were made of the rubies Pyresia was famous for. There were lots of questions for her about how exactly a half-dragon was made, was born. Laurel was the most curious, but Kraven piped up now and then, and while Sirik never asked her directly, Drache's observant gaze didn't miss that he seemed more interested in certain answers to questions the others had asked. Laurel even wanted to touch her skin, her wings, her tail, though Drache insisted on returning the favour. The half-dragon hesitated at the offer to join them, remembering the task that Peridiath had set for her. She wouldn't have thought much of discarding it and going where life lead, but she didn't want to miss out on the reward either. So when Laurel mentioned that they were heading north, the same direction she was heading, she grinned with the satisfaction of being able to kill two birds with one stone. [color=ed1c24]"I'm traveling north myself to a lost city. I collect treasure and artifacts from abandoned cities. It's quite fun and I meet so many interesting faces."[/color] She was looking at the three barbarians, but briefly remembered Genrit and wondered what the white dragon was up to now. [color=ed1c24]"I'll join you for as long as I can. Meeting your people at this Gathering sounds exciting!"[/color] She watched Kraven's display with a hiss of delight, the vertical pupils in her eyes narrowing to thin lines as the fireball burst, her genuine appreciation for his talent partly making up for poking fun at him earlier. [color=ed1c24]"Very neat! There are a lot of magic users in Pyresia too but I have never seen anyone do that. I heard a rumour that they are going to build some kind of guild in Pyresia where different types of magic users can go to learn from each other but that's just hearsay."[/color] Laurel edged closer and the half-dragon purred throatily at the fingers exploring the scaled skin of her arm. Drache's tail coiled around Laurel's leg and she leaned to the side, nibbling the tapering point of the Alufiend's ear, sliding her hand up the woman's back. [color=ed1c24]"I'll think about it, but there's another offer I want to take you up on first..."[/color] --- [i]Jedayan 14th, 301DM My flight to this 'Vircastoria' has been interrupted in only its second day. In the flatlands I was discovered by three members of a barbarian tribe called the 'Crimson Vines', composed exclusively of those who, like me, have had arcane talent awaken within them in the last year. To my infinite pleasure, they seem alltogether unphased by my heritage, even excited by my appearance, and I am eager to find out if this sentiment is shared among the rest of their clan at this Gathering in the north. I have also been informed by Laurel that my affinity for shaping and controlling the fire within is known as 'firespinning' among their folk. I am trying to recall if I have come across this phrase before but I will have to search my books more thoroughly when I return to Pyresia. For now I will join these 'Kvaren', for their welcome has been very warm indeed, and revisit my decision to accept the job to investigate this 'Vircastoria' when it's time for our paths to diverge. -D[/i] --- The next morning dawned cool but bright across the plains, and Drache chuckled mischievously as she untangled her tail from Laurel's. The Kvaren were elated to have her join them, and together they traveled the wilds of the Kerawac on foot, meandering generally northwards, frequently distracted by the chance to hunt or fool around. The dragoness found time every day to write in her personal journal, often sprawled out in front of the fire, her nib scratching the draconic letters across the page as she described her adventures and noted her thoughts to revisit later. During these times Laurel watched over her shoulder, commenting on the strangeness of the dragon lettering, and Drache taught her the draconic alphabet. In return, the three Kvaren began teaching Drache their own language, which was difficult on her reptilian tongue. She struggled with the hand-signs as well, but that was because she already had a rudimentary understanding of drow sign language since half of Pyresia was subterranean. She occasionally fumbled and mixed up her signs, causing Sirik to chortle in rare outbursts of hilarity. And the fun only continued. Sirik pointed out that Drache was eating their food but hadn't shared any of her own. After that she hunted with them, using a combination of magic and melee to bring down the stalking creatures of the grasslands the likes of which Drache had never heard of. The only way Drache knew how to hunt was by using the tools she had been born with, and though the Kvaren thought it was hilarious when Drache rode by on the back of an injured Kelross she'd pounced, slashing at it with her claws, latched onto its spine with her teeth, she only regretted that so much blood had gotten on her clothes and stripped them off to go skinny dipping in a river. It was later that same night when she woke to find Sirik's eyes on her and coaxed him wordlessly into joining her away from the fire so that she could have him under the stars, silent and secretive as only drow could be. -- [i]Jedayan 23d, 301DM The grassland is bigger than I ever imagined. When I get back to Pyrsia I am definitely having a word with the Cartoprapher on Jade Firth Avenue. I have used almost and entire blank map roll to record my journey for Peridiath and her patron and I anticipate needing even more than that by the time I reach the city. There have been several abandoned settlements here in the Kerawac Valley (as the Kvaren call it) but investigating them has turned up absolutely nothing of value, having likely been stripped long ago by these nomadic tribes. Nevertheless, I have marked them down in the logbook and included several rubbings of the markings at the sites, most of which I do not recognize. In more exciting news, today I killed a small Kelross by myself using only my fire. It left me weary, but Kraven mentioned to me that my skill would be welcome in their tribe. It seemed an off-hand remark, but my time with the three Kvaren has been nothing less than exhilirating. I admire their spirit and their freedom. The more I learn about their language and their culture the more I could see myself giving up Pyresia's gem-encrusted brilliance for this life. If they were to ask me to join them I would be sorely tempted to accept. It occurs to me that I may be getting ahead of myself. I still need to meet this 'Warlord Keelie' who is apparently the leader of the Crimson Vines, and one of many such leaders who will be present at this Gathering tomorrow.[/i] [i]I anticipate that my next entry will be a long one. -D[/i] -- One of the main topics of conversation with Laurel and the others was magic. Drache wanted to know all about the different kinds they had come across, listening raptly to their vivid descriptions of different types of powers. It was difficult to not feel jealous at the things others could reportedly do, in spite of her own rapidly increasing skill. Many things she heard were identical to what she had seen among her fellow citizens of Pyresia, but some were completely different. She was especially curious about Laurel's mention of being presented a fire spirit and questioned the Alufiend about it. To Drache, fire was special and magical but ultimately non-sentient and more or less a tool for her to use. Imagining a sentience behind that fire that she might have to contend with was a completely new idea, and not one that she particularly liked. She also expressed her dissatisfaction with the fact that while she felt a strong urge to manipulate substances like steam or lava, these compounds seemed as resistant to her will as rock resisted water.