FallenTrinity

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sorry everyone just posted a comment in the IC just ignore it. Replacing it with a "."

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@Aspen Wren I been here since before the reboot and I don't leavin no way no how!

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Am I to assume that this is dead now?

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@Blizz

I'd say just go ahead and fast forward yourself to either group. You can just say that the staff had given you the required documents to fill which you did and assigned you a room. Then go from there

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anyone been keeping up with the scales and stone RP? if so how are you enjoying it

Of Scales and Stone (Mid-Causal/Low Advanced)

A Son’s First Hero, A Daughter’s First Love

&

Four Days Prior, Siege Day, Allistyr’s Keep

Cynbel had led both the Order and his troops in Felix’s stead. The healer had transported him safely off the fields and the faerie Commander wasn’t about to let Kyla’s death and Felix’s fall be for nothing. ”Take it!” he had commanded. Some of the faeries spread the ashes of the fallen dragon on their faces before throwing themselves into the frenzy. Through offense and sheer force of will, they beat back the Seelie forces and took the keep for their own. Once that battles had quelled, Cynbel stationed an appropriate amount of men and women to keep it in defensive before taking his leave to be with Felix.

The Unseelie Queendom, Present Day

Felix laid there, his bare burnt skin still retaining its heat as he grunted in pain. Those around Felix when he fell knew that he died. They felt the fear disappear into nothing. They then felt the wrath of the Fire Dragon Sulleykaar, and the fear and pain that came from the other dragon. But it was when Sulleykaar made his way over to Felix...Something about that golden orb he encased himself in had done something to him. He no longer smelled like the burnt flesh of a human but rather, fire and brimstone. Sulfur. Yet he still had the scent of human about him it was muffled by the new scent. An Unseelie healer who was working on him felt him stir as he tried to move. “Don’t move you fool or you’ll hurt yourse-” He stopped when he looked into the barely open eyes of the human Commander. Slitted pupils looked back in pain before the eyelids fluttered close. The healer’s brow furrowed as he called for a messenger to fetch the General. “Tell him he needs to see this.” Quickly the messenger left for Cynbel. Soon enough, the messenger found Cynbel and asked for him to promptly see the healer who was working on Felix. “He has something for you to see.”

”What is it?” he asked, unable to hide the elation in his face that Felix was finally coming to. The general followed after the messenger and entered the quarters where the previously-unconscious human Commander was being kept.

Felix’s body, from what was healed, seem to have a faint appearance of scales. His fingernails had lengthened to claw-like. He was conscious, but in no shape to be moving, as the healer had to hold him down with kid gloves as he tried to sit up. Skin cracked and chipped off as he tried to sit up. His face cringed from the pain, fangs glistened back to Cynbel. His eyes were now golden with slits and overall his body now seemed to give off an unnatural heatwave. ” C-Commander...hng” The pain was enough to much to bare as he gave in and fell back onto the bed.

”About time you woke up, Commander Anderson.” Cynbel said sternly, but his soft eyes betrayed the tone. ”Stop trying to move, there is nowhere for you to be currently.” The faerie moved to the bedside and crossed his arms in a relaxed posture. He looked worn out, but hopeful.

”Kyla…” his voice trembled before the tears began to flow as the realization that her presence was absent. ”Kyla…” He grit his teeth as he inhaled a trembling breath before his sobs became audible. The healer remained silent. Cynbel looked down and nodded in understanding. There was no judgement from him, how could he judge the man’s tears? He knew them well.

”She died victorious, and she waits for you in the place where we will all meet again.” The faeries words were as warm as an Unseelie faerie could get after a death. They were honest words, one who could not lie could not apologize for something that wasn’t their fault, they could only state the truth. He frowned, seeing Felix’s pain so fresh brought back memories.

”I….I never e-even...told her I loved her…” His face tightened as the feeling washed over him once again. Slowly that sadness faded and what remained was silence. He turned his head to face Cynbel, a new expression on his face. ”Train me…” He looked to him as a young pupil would a master.

Cynbel raised a silvery brow. ”Train you? You nearly matched me in battle once already, and that was before…” his moon-grey eyes studied Felix’s new draconic features.

”Train me the way you fight...Like a faerie. Like an Unseelie.” He said with determination and plea.

The smile Cynbel wore accented his high, fey cheekbones. He chuckled lowed and nodded. ”If that is your wish…” he said. He looked appreciative, flattered, even. ”Let’s get you standing first, yeah? Are you hungry, we have food that is safe for you and your people now.”

Felix shook his head. ”For them that’s fine and for me that’s fine for now now but… When this is over. I want to stay. This place was her home.” He looked down to his crisped legs and back to Cynbel. ”She wanted to stay after this was over. Me and her. I want to do just that. There’s nothing left for me outside of here so…” somber eyes fell on Cynbel as he sighed before looking back up to the sky.

The faerie commander rested a hand on Felix’s shoulder carefully. He winced, but Cynbel kept it there. ”There are some that would tell you that there are things left outside… If there are, I haven’t found them.” he said honestly. He had Kiara, but she was simply an extension of Edana, she wasn’t part of the ‘outside’ at all. ”The First Commander’s mate will always have a home in Faerûn. You were that to her, a mate. I could see the familiar look in her eyes. Our people’s hearts are not easily tamed, choosing a mate is akin to human marriage.”

”There will be no other. Kyla was the only one and I will wait until my final breath leaves my lungs.”

Cynbel nodded ”I know the feeling. Perhaps her and Edana can keep each other company until we join them.” he chuckled a little at the thought. ”Not that Sulleykaar or I are willing to let you go that soon. You have training.”

He gave a light smile before he closed his eyes. ”Thank you Cynbel. I look forward to training under you.” The commander made his way to the door before Felix spoke up once more, slightly hesitant about saying it. ”Cynbel...You’re like a father to me and it means alot...Thank you.” He sighed as he closed his eyes and tried to fall asleep.

Cynbel’s mouth twitched at the touching sentiment. ”I-- I’m not…” he tried to say that he wasn’t that great of a father, but Felix closed his eyes. It seemed pointless to argue that, now. ”Get some rest, the next time you wake, I will ensure there is a feast for you.” with that, the Commander left him be. On his way out, he informed the healers to send word the next time Felix stirred, and to have food at the ready, faerie and human cuisine alike.

&

[h2]Spirit’s Crossing, Present Day[/center]

Kiara eyes sparkled like shining silver as she rolled over on the moss-covered ground. She was catching her breath, heart fluttering in her chest, with the taste of Sulley still on her tongue. What a lovely breakfast he was after three and a half days finding ‘peace’. She remembered the visions, which turned her stomach sour. Kiara sat up, her face completely focused and serious.

”What’s next… in my training?” she asked excitably, forgetting to even thank him for the meal.

He was already up, eating freshly caught deer. Such a suckulant meal for the day. He looked over at her with a mouthful of deer, a piece of flesh hung out. ”Achully. I figurd that we wood fersht - ah - That we would first make a trip back to the Queendom before we start teaching you Old Scale, which, yes...You are now ready for. But, before we go, we’ll get you started. Come. Sit across from me.” He patted to the ground in front of him.

Kiara beamed a smile that could put the sun to shame. ”Really?!” she squeaked and scrambled up to her feet. Disregarding the invitation to sit, she plowed into him with a huge bear hug, knocking him back like the flying boulder that she was. It wasn’t clear if she was more excited about being able to go home, or learning Old Scale, a wise man would bet on both.

”Ack!” It felt like someone chucked a boulder at his body as he fell onto his back, pain hit instantly but he only winced, not to startle her, though she was probably too excited to even notice.

”Fankyufankyufankyu!” she mumbled, her face smushed against him as she squeezed hard. Remembering herself, she let go and giggled giddily. She mouthed something like an apology before sitting cross-legged across from him as she was asked.

”Yes, yes. You’re quite welcome. Anyway. I want you to close your eyes and focus in on breathing. What I’m about to do may burn slightly, but what will follow you will like. Also keep your glamour up. I want to surprise you when this is over.” He said with a smirk. Kiara bit her lip excitedly, she liked where this was going already. It took a few minutes for her to truly clear her racing mind after closing her eyes.

Sulley took in a deep breath, a golden aura poked at Kiara’s eyelids as the dragon’s aura seemed to pick up a breeze. It whistled and hummed as it shot forward and entered into Kiara. At first the feeling would be cool to the touch, but soon that coolness grew in heat. Moments went by before it became blistering hot. The wind roared in her ears and the humming grew in sound. Soon enough, it ceased, and the golden hue died away. Sulley let out a trembling breath. It was an exhausting process but it was complete. ”Go ahead and open your eyes now Kiki.”

Kiara felt the shifting temperatures wash over her. He was right, she did like it. It was extreme and polarizing, much like her moods. And it was over all too soon… she fluttered her eyelids open when Sulley gave her the okay to do so.

He leaned forward and touched the sides of her eyes and drew his fingers away, the white tendrils attaching themselves to his own. Her vision changed to his and what she would see were not just her normal eyes. They were slitted now, having the faintest amount of scales around them. ” Now take off the glamour.” When she did, her wings were different, much larger than before and gave off a reddish tint. He smiled. ”Well?” anticipation of her reaction in his voice.

Kiara looked at this form of herself through Sulleykaar’s eyes. She made an impressed sound and leaned forward, uncrossing legs. She crawled around so that she could see the wingspan from behind, focusing on stretching them out. They stretched, and they were huge! ”Hehe- I look like a small, girl version of you!” she laughed, gaining a roll of the eyes from him. She then tried to flap the wings. ”Will they work?

”Yes...Those wings are not for aesthetics. So the next time you feel oh-ao inclined to jump off my head, I won’t have to worry about catching you, vo hahdrim.” he said with a light chuckle. He nodded before standing.”What I gave you means a lot, and I never want you to take that for granted. It’s very rare for a dragon to give part of his soul to another, unless it was for good reason. As for the wings, we will practice with them when we return here. For now, though, hop on and we’ll make our way back to the Unseelie Court.” He moved forward, his dragon form making its appearance yet again. Jumping excitedly, she dashed over to his large form and jumped up, immediately testing her new wings. However, years of being flightless did affect her flight. She managed to float high above him before they gave out from the strain, and she fell hard onto him, causing him to slam his head into the ground. [sulley color]”VO HAHDRIM! WHAT DID I TELL YOU?!”[/color] he scolded.

“Oh, come on!” she giggled playfully and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You knew I was going to at least try to use them! I’m just appreciating your gift.”

He simply snorted out a plume of smoke and rolled his eyes. Hidden from her view was a slight grin of appreciation. Completely content, she gave him a hug-like squeeze “Take me home, Sulley~” she murmured in a child-like voice.

The dragon looked to the skies as he jumped, flapping his heavy wings and made for the skies. It would be about half a day’s trip back by flight so they would have time to chat.

”So…. What happened to Felix? You said you talked to Father too… and that he was smiling. That’s not like him.” Kiara chattered to fill the silence of the flight.

”When I took off he was fighting a dragon by the name of Tyr’rak. Wyrm of Flight. He is - was one of the fastest dragons around. Not many can match his speed unless you’re like me, with Old Scale magic. Hence why you probably couldn’t see me in the skies after I took off. Anyway, Felix was dead when I arrived. I, of course, managed to bring him back from the dead, but Kyla on the other hand was a different story.” His answer about Felix held a bit of sympathy in it as he talked, glancing back at her every so often. Kiara frowned, having heard about Kyla. She even felt…. guilty? She had never apologized for treating her the way she did after Sulley snuffed out the spies. Their last interaction was one of utter disrespect.

”I truly wish I could have saved her. She was a great Captain and friend. Though, for what it was, the situation I put you both in didn’t make for an impressive first impression. You would have liked her, though. Kinda like you, but less stubborn, hehe. On a lighter note Cynbel, your father. He did ask about you. Sounded worried a bit as well, since he doesn’t currently know where you are, other than that you’re with me, and that is how I would like to keep it. He wanted to know how you were doing,I told him what I thought, and he seems very proud of you. That smile more than likely didn’t leave his face until I was gone.”

”I don’t believe you.” she said, honestly still finding it hard to trust Sulleykaar’s words. That didn’t sound like the Cynbel that she knew. But maybe, just maybe, it was true…. And she had finally made him proud. The thought made her smile half-way.

Together at last…

Their trip back to the queendom went fairly smoothly. Key word being fairly. A few times Kiara had slipped off of his back when her wings caught the wind. The first time he truly believed her, but the second not so much, and third time he was a bit annoyed, figuring she did it just to tease him. Nevertheless, he was glad to see she was enjoying her new pair of wings, better to say newly-modified wings. The Queendom was in sight, and Sulleykaar began his descent to the outer gates of the Queendom. The guards kept a watchful eye on the Dragon, since not many besides those on the battlefield could recognize his true form. When they landed at the gates the guards raised their weapons until they noticed Kiara. Lowering their weapons, they opened the gates and let them in, Sulley morphing into his humanoid form just past the entrance itself.

Kiara hopped off gracefully. She had her glamour in full effect so that people would recognize her easily still. The guards bowed at her, welcoming back their princess. She smiled at them and curtsied before falling into pace beside Sulleykaar. Her eyes scanned for the one face she truly wanted to see.

Cynbel was standing beside Felix. Yes, standing! A little rest and food had done the human good, plus he absolutely insisted on walking the grounds today. The Unseelie commander was giving his trainee a tour of sorts… a slow tour, because Felix wasn’t really fast yet. He probably shouldn’t even be walking, the healers had said the bones were still fusing back together. There was a bit of a commotion at the Gates before they opened. Cynbel paused and looked on curiously. The flash of scarlet in sunlight made his heart skip a beat. ”Kiara…” he said, not realizing he had said it out loud. He couldn’t hide his shock… Sulleykaar had said a month or two, it had only been four days. Something must be wrong...

Sulleykaar nudged Kiara in the side and pointed to where her father and Felix were currently standing. Giddy and excited, the faerie princess shot off like a bullet towards them. Unlike most, Cynbel withstood the force of her impact as she slammed into him, hugging him tight as the loud, metallic clang rang through the yard. ”Daddy!~” she squealed before hopping down and smiling wide. She remembered the conversation with Sulleykaar, and what she promised. ”I’m sorry for the way I acted… I was upset.” she looked down, her cheeks turning red in shame.

Cynbel simply reached a hand out and ran his thumb along the rosy coloring on her face. His hand lingered, cupping her face as he stared at his daughter. Her glamour was strong, but a father knows when things are different. He looked her over… She was radiant, and stronger, she looked less frail than before. ”You have… You aren’t as thin as before.” It wasn’t meant as an insult, and Kiara didn’t take it as one.

”I uhh…I’ve been been eating well.” she answered, to which he chuckled.

”It is good to see you home, and sooner than I expected.” Cynbel said and looked now to Sulleykaar. Sulley glanced over at him and smiled.

”She’s not home for much time, unfortunately, she has reached the second stage of training. She’ll begin Old Scale a day from now, when we leave. I figured with her progress she has earned this well enough. Quick learner compared to Felix.”

”Ahhh shut it, Suls. I moved at about the same pace as she did.” He retorted. He looked over to Kiara with a look that she would understand. ”How’s the training?”

”Exhausting… but I’m doing well, thank you.” she curtsied politely. She didn’t feel too exhausted right then, adrenaline was rushing through her veins. She wanted to do everything - to smell the flowers, to eat a Ketree fruit, to sprawl out on her bed. Oh gods, a bed! And her paintings… the cave wall was all but covered, but she would love to feel a canvas beneath her fingers right about now. There was a small voice in her mind that told her not to get too excited, this was probably some test. Another false moment of happiness, another lie...

”Kiara… Why are you still standing here? It’s your day off. Shoo. Go enjoy it.” He said with a smile. Kiki bounced happily on her heels, standing on tiptoes to kiss Sulleykaar’s cheek first, and then her father’s. She said that she would meet up with them for dinner before bolting off to do gods know what. He watched as she left, soft eyes watched her as she disappeared. Felix took notice to this and hid a smile.

”Anyway, Cynbel, it’s good to see you again... and it seems that my Commander has refused to follow the orders I had passed on to Cynbel for the healers, hm? Even when you’re simply trying to heal, you are stubborn as hell.” His smirk showed his teasing of the human who simply “pfft ed” and grinned back.

Cynbel chuckled lightly ”He has an Unseelie attitude, he fits in well here. We took the Keep, after you left. That was… another one of Felix’ stubborn ideas.” he said, verging on an ‘I told you so’ moment.

Felix glared at him and frowned. His voice remained soft. ”We took it. That’s all that matters.” He looked away from him and the dragon. Sulleykaar gave him a sympathetic look before looking towards Cynbel again. ”So then - “ He decided to change subject, knowing that it was still recent for Felix. Instead, a lopsided grin looked towards Cynbel. ”You’re welcome.” Sulleykaar said before walking towards the market again, possibly looking for another gem or something special for Kiara. Felix watched as the red dragon walked off and turned his attention to Cynbel. [color=gold]”I think, if my knowledge of Suls is correct, he likes your daughter, possibly starting to love her.”[color] He smirked.

Cynbel’s eyes widened slightly at that comment. He looked over to Felix and then away ”That is… interesting.” he remarked through a tight lips, his jaw set in a serious face. He was through the roof that Kiara was no longer angry with him, but the thought of the dragon loving his daughter did not sit right with him.

The meandering faerie…

Kiara followed the sounds of music in the distance. There was a steady drumbeat and melodic flute. There was a jovial gathering just outside the Castle, by the gardens. Kiara danced her way into the circle of moving bodies. It was almost overwhelming to be among her people again after having so much time with just one person. She missed this - the laughter and dancing, the passion, the freedom. This was the home she had to fight for, to protect. A beautiful blue-haired faerie offered a hand to Kiara. She took it and was pulled into a close, intimate dance in time with the music. Most of the faeries were pale shades of white, silver and blue… this must be a revel for the coming solstice, as they were visitors from the allied Winter Court. The frost faerie spun Kiara out and curtsied “It was an honor to dance with you, Princess.” she said in a crispy, airy voice. Kiara smiled wide and returned the politeness before making her way to the next destination.

The red-headed faerie skipping towards the tree line, heading for her favorite grove. The early morning sun shimmered through the purple leaves on the Ketree trees. They held theirs leaves past the first frost, unlike most over trees. Kiara gripped the trunk, ready to start climbing when she remembered that she had new wings. She over her shoulders a few times to see if anyone was around that might laugh if she fell. It seemed safe, so she hopped up and flapped her wings enough to hover and pick a few Ketrees from the top of the tree before landing less than gracefully. Laughing to herself, she took a bite of the fruit, letting the sweet juice spill over her chin. Mmmm….. It tasted like home.

Once she had her fill of people watching and visiting all of her favorite places, Kiara made her way back to the Castle. It was rather quiet indoors, most of the fey were out enjoying the sunlight while it lasted, or they were training. Kiki wandered down the west wing and to her suite. The cinnamon and vanilla aroma of her potpourri rushed to greet her when she opened the door and she sighed happily. Kiara immediately went to her bedroom and gazed into her closet. She took out a spider silk gown the color of spun silver and slipping into it. Kiki spun around in front of the mirror on her vanity a few times before making her way to the canopy bed. She collapse into it with a ‘flop’, letting the pillowy featherbed swallow her. That exhaustion she had spoke of earlier took over as she fell asleep, not even realizing that she was doing so.

The Unseelie Market District

Sulleykaar meandered into the market again. He looked around, his hair swayed with each turn of the head as he searched for the - ”There it is.” Swiftly he made his way to the shop he originally stopped by before he first met Kiara. Sully looked at the marvelous gems and styles of jewelry. He planned on replacing that wretched thing that Paraxthyon left for her with something that held more sentimental meaning. There were many to choose from. “How can I help you?” The shop nodded to Sulley. His eyebrows rose and then fell again as he begun to skim through the items available. One in particular caught his eye and he grinned. ”This’ll do.” The faerie smiled and nodded. The dragon placed down a few coins, more than enough for the cost. “Who’s it for?” The faerie raised a brow. ”Someone special.” He had it boxed up in a nice leather box, trimmed out in gold. He went off to get a special armor for her made and ready for training.

Some time later...

Kiara was dreaming about flying. Really flying, with her own wings, soaring high above the sea, which sparkled below. The intense winds at this altitude whipped her hair back and tickled her nose. It was really tickling her nose, she twitched it and fidgeted in her luxurious bed. To no avail, the nuisance continued, followed by a stifled giggle.

Kiki opened her eyes to see one of her lovers peeking through a fluffy black feather. The girl had short cropped black hair that came to a long point in the front, settling between her eyebrows. Rigged, curved horns grew out of her head above her ears. Her skin was also dark, like that of the dark elves, and it contrasted well with the bright smile she was flashing. ”Good morning, princess” she said.

”Vivienne!” Kiara said excitedly, shooting straight upright. She kissed her quickly. ”Oh--” *kiss* ”I--” *kiss* ”missed you!. Vivie responded with a warm smile, touching Kiara’s cheek. She looked at her eyes, noticing the scales shimmering underneath the weak glamour that Kiara wasn’t focusing on keeping up.

”What did he do to you?!” she asked, her voice bitter and angry. ”Are you being treated well?” Kiara laughed and put her hand over Vivienne’s, sliding it from her face.

”Well enough…” The Unseelie princess smirked. ”Dragons are quite… impressive in bed. You should give one a try.” A dark, jealous look crossed her lover’s face.

”I’d rather not.” she said shortly and stood up. ”There is a feast starting soon, I came to wake you for it.” she said, placing a single back rose on the vanity beside Kiara’s bed.

”FEAST?! Oh gods, how late is it? I didn’t even mean to sleep!” she frowned, looking out the window, regretting that she slept away most of her day off at home. When she turned around, Vivienne was gone, and only the flower remained. Kiara decided that she would wear the same dress she had put on earlier and went to work fixing her hair. She pulled it up, fastening a glittering clip over a rolled-up curl. She tucked the black rose in the center of the curl and piled the rest of her hair to the side so that curls draped down over her left shoulder.

Sulleykaar had slept very peacefully that night. He had two well-made pieces for Kiara for when they train. Following the slumber was a message from one of the servants requesting that he joined a Grand feast to celebrate Felix. He originally chuckled at that thinking it was a joke but that lasted half a second. The faerie couldn’t lie so he wondered why. Was it for his return to the living? For helping command a win over the Seelie? He wasn’t sure, he simply shrugged and got ready for the feast.

His trip to the party was short as he was led through a shortcut there. His eyebrows rose as he surveyed those gathered. Everyone, Unseelie and from the Order, probably those gathered from the Stronghold mission were there, chatting and laughing away the day. Some in the Order had started some contest of strength against the faerie soldiers for fun and bets were passed around with grumbling about the fights. His draconic eyes searched for a particular redhead, the one he had been training and would begin training after this day was done. A roar of sorts was heard as the dragon turned to see Garax taking on two faeries at once in a wrestling match. It was a pretty dead even fight until Garax pulled a fast one. They charged in after him, ready for the tackle, but Garax reacted on instinct, wrapping his massive arms around their necks and jerked up, lifting them up in a double suplex and swiftly dropped them. ”HAHA! Pass those bets forward please! Thank you. Thank you.” Apparently everyone bet on the two Unseelie, except for Garax. Many were annoyed with him.

”You still haven’t learned to play fair have you?” cocking an eyebrow.

Garax rolled his eyes and smirked. ”At least I’m honest about it.” he quipped, earning a frown from the dragon.

Felix sat at the front of the table with the other commanders and advisors. In the middle, the Dark Queen herself. He was still in alot of pain, but now instead of scorching heat, it was soreness and a burn like one might get after a long workout. He felt like jelly and used his conserved strength to take a long sip of elven wine. He leaned over to Cynbel, who seemed somewhat preoccupied. He went to say something but decided against it and looked down at his cup and then to those gathered, a frown on his face.

Once Kiara was adequately made up, she nodded at her reflection in the mirror. It had been a long time since she felt this beautiful. She turned, checking herself out with a wink before heading out of her suite. She followed the boisterous noise to the feasting hall and the attached ballroom. There was something going on here most nights, the Unseelie were always finding a reason to celebrate. The princess turned more than a few heads when she entered the room wearing the silvery spider silk dress with a high slit that her slender leg temptingly peeked out of with every step.

The faerie walked with a confident and proud gate as she made her way through the crowds. She was looking for her dragon, wanting to thank him for doing this for her. Unlike the last time she had dressed up like this, she very much wanted to look like a treat for him now. She wore a smile that verged on coy as she walked up to him.

Sulleykaar sat next to Cynbel discussing future plans before he was sidetracked by a familiar redhead who entered his peripheral. He turned his head towards her and smiled a genuine smile. He was very proud of her. ”Kiara! A pleasant surprise seeing you here. I never would have guessed you the festive type.” He teased as he leaned forward and rest his hand on two lazy fists, winking with the eye away from Cynbel.

Kiara smirked. He liked to flaunt his ability to tell lies. At least this one was playful, what was the word humans have for playful lies? She couldn’t quite remember… ”Well, it doesn’t look like either of you are being very festive. Someone had to come liven you up.” she gave Sulley a lingering gaze before looking to her father. ”Care to dance, old man?” she asked with a tinge of hope in her voice. Cynbel stood up and bowed before taking her hand and leading her out onto the dance floor.

”You look like a dream, darling.” he said kindly.

”Like mother?” she guessed. He shook his head and stroked her cheek before they began dancing in time to the music.

”No. Like Kiara.” he said, earning a bright smile from her. She hugged him close as they danced.

Sulleykaar leaned back with a glass of wine in his hand. His head tilted as he watched the father and daughter dance. A light smile on his face as the two moved around the dance floor. ”They seem to be having fun, huh? Sulley… Sulley?” Felix took notice to the change in his mood. He wore a thin smile as he thought about the past.

Sulleykaar and Cesilie, Ashborn Royal Ballroom

The ballroom was very much lively as the small orchestra played their piece. Sulleykaar had finished setting up new trade routes for the Kingdom that would benefit them greatly and bring many of their people out of poverty with the new income and jobs that would be available. “AH! Sulleykaar my dear boy! Come come! Join me and my daughter at the table. You have been most helpful with these newly installed trade routes.” Horum Ashborn, Elder councilmen in Ashborn was the one who brought in Sulley when he promised them prosperity. His daughter sat beside him, a light smile on her face. ”I couldn’t do that Horum, I simply-”

“Sulleykaar shush up and sit next to me.” She sighed and gave him a mock glare, to which he grinned and moved to the seat next to her. Horum studied the two before taking a glass to his lips. “I see you two are very fond of each other, hm?” Their reactions were entertaining. Cesilie’s eyes sparkled with a large smile while Sulley went wide-eyed and shook his head rapidly. Horum put down his cup and frowned at Sulleykaar before barking out into laughter. “Then it’s settled. You two are to wed together. You are the perfect fit! I-” The councilmen stopped his speech as a wonderful song begun to play. Sulley took the opportunity to take her by the hand and led her to the dancefloor. The dragon wrapped her into his arms and danced with such grace and fluidity that a crowd had gathered around the two.

Present

- omething to me or I will pour this...oh....nevermind.” He quickly put the cup down as the dragon snapped to. Sulley glanced at Felix and the cup a few times before narrowing his eyes. ”Good choice, Felix. There was a slight twitch of the mouth before Felix laughed and pointed to the dancefloor. The crimson dragon looked towards where Felix had pointed and his eyes widened before he roared into laughter.

Garax was a warrior, a warlord, a conqueror. Why the fuck was he on the dance floor. He danced with axes, not with girls! A few feet crushed later he retired to the corner and decided to dance with the devil herself as swooning women was more along his style of dance.

”Tell me Mya, have you ever had the pleasure of enjoying the company of an Orc? Battle hardened and bedroom ready. How about you and me and a few of your friends here have a little war of our own underneath the sheets tonight. He grinned as he swooned the girl. She smiled and giggled at his words but she thought of an idea. She leaned in and whispered in his ear.

“Why don’t you get Naela to join us? We may need some backup.” His eyes widened slightly and he looked away.

”Umm. We could, but I don’t think I’ll win the war with her joining in heheh.” She giggled and shook her head.

“Tsk tsk tsk. If she doesn’t join us then I think we will leave the battle for another time.”

”Fine! Fine! Shit. Probably gonna need an ice pack afterwards.

Kiara and Cynbel talked throughout their dance. She had asked him for updates on the war, wanting to hear all about the battles that she was missing out on. He asked her about training, but she didn’t give him many details on that. The next thing he said after that almost had her melting on the floor. ”You make me very proud, my little cherry.” he said, kissing her forehead lightly as the song came to a close. He walked her back to their table as she was basically floating on cloud nine. The human changelings had brought out some dishes and placed them on the tables by now.

The Unseelie princess took a glass of faerie mead upon sitting down beside Sulleykaar. She plucked a scrumptious looking cupcake off of the display and licked the frosting off of it first.

Sulley glanced over to her. ”I’m glad to see you’re having fun. You missed Garax dancing on the toes of many females instead of dancing on the floor. I swear he has two left feet and one step to match it.” He snorted out a small plume of smoke to which Felix chuckled.

”Oh??” Kiara asked after retracting her tongue and closing her eyes, enjoying the sweetness of the frosting. ”And I take it you must think yourself more graceful?” she quipped., trying to imagine stiff, stuffy Sulleykaar on the dancefloor.

He gave a mocked hurt look. ”Don’t be so mean, Kiki. I don’t want to have to increase the training regimes, you may wind up looking like Naela.” He sputtered out the last part between muffled fits of laughter. ”I’ll have you know despite my stiffness, I am quite graceful and agile on the dancefloor. I have swooned women over my dancing skills alone, and have made married men jealous. I am a god on the dancefloor.” Felix simply rolled his eyes, muttering something about ego-inflated dragons.

Burning, sweet mead threatened to come out of her nose as Kiara laughed. ”Hehehe. Riiiiight! A god among men! Should I feel honored that you are even letting me sit beside you?” she chuckled and finished the rest of her cupcake in a few, quick bites. ”Of course! I’m a dragon after all. Being a god on the dancefloor is simply part of the package hmhmhmhmhm.” He stood and walked around Kiara, running a hand down her shoulder until he held her hand, gesturing for her to join him on the dancefloor in one fluid motion. ”Let me show you, if you doubt me.” He lead her to the dance floor. She probably had expected him to remain stiff but the moment he moved in he spun and pulled her in close as he seemed to glide across the floor like a disembodied spirit, floating along the way with grace. ”And prove to you how good I am.”

Kiara half smiled at the dragon as they twirled around the ballroom. ”You are so easy, dragon.” she said in a purr. This was, of course, her goal in poking fun at him about his dancing skills. The dance continued at alternating slow and high tempos, it was styled like one of the ones where you switched partners, so Kiara and Sulley separated. Kiki even danced with the orc, whom she had to offer some pointers to. When the dance was over, Kiara returned to Sulleykaar and smiled wide.

”Thank you for this, I am grateful.” she said, resting her palm on his arm. Vivienne was there, watching her lover swoon over the man who had stolen her away, and glowered at the intimate gesture. Sulley had thought about it for the time of the dance whether or not he should. It was at this moment. This special little moment together that he did. It was uncharacteristic of him but he moved her hand off of his arm and brought it into his own hand, cupping it with the other as he raised Kiara’s hand gently to his lips briefly before looking into her eyes.

”You’re quite welcome, Kiki. You deserved this.” That genuine smile on his face again. He gave her a slight nod and turned back towards the table only to catch sight of a black-haired girl gazing at him with what might be jealousy? Deciding not to let this go unnoticed, he turned and moved in her direction until he came face to face with her. ”Hello there. I couldn’t help notice the intense and rather covetous look you were sending my way my dear. I would love to know why?”

Vivienne grinned that spine-shivering Unseelie grin. ”Because you’re dancing with my girl, Mrywn.” she said matter-of-factly, a hint of aggression in her tone. The horned fey was a fierce looking girl, pixie-like, but taller and thicker than Kiara.

”Your girl? Hmm.. From what I know of her she doesn’t particularly like being claimed as some form of property, faerie.” The name of her species said with a bit of steel behind it.

”Oh?? Property, no, but being claimed… well I remember her liking that quite a bit. Has something changed?” the girl asked, smirking at Kiara with a dark glint in her eye.

Kiara blushed a little before smiling dismissively. ”S-sulleykaar, this is my lover, Vivienne. Vivie, this is… Sulleykaar.” she chose her words carefully, not looking to offend her further. She hadn’t ever seen Vivie’s jealous side before, and she has taken a few lovers since they met. Plus, if she could get them to get along, maybe they could all play nice together tonight. Wouldn’t that be a nice send off for tomorrow morning?

Vivienne curtsied politely, though there was little feeling behind it. It was a courtesy, a propriety that the fey upheld when meeting new people. Sulleykaar simply smiled that discreet fake one that Kiara had learned all too well. ”Pleasure”. He said flatly, his tone contradicting his smile. He glanced over to Kiara. ”So Kiki, she has informed me that you are her girl. I would love to learn more about this. Seeing as how two beautiful women such as yourselves managed to pair though, in all honesty, I am not complaining.” He sat down on the side of them and glanced between the two.

”She tells the truth, as we all do.” she smiled warmly to the taller faerie. ”What do you say? Shall we teach him more about this, love?” she purred, biting her lip. Vivie tried to keep a stoic face but couldn’t help but smile at Kiara. She could be a convincing little minx.

” How about I show you how to truly claim someone, faerie. Or should I say -” He leaned into her, his whisper breathy and long as he drew out her name. To add to it he let a bit of ice magic gingerly touch the nape of her neck. ”Vivieeee” His tongue grazing her neck. ”I say this feast is over but the after party just begun, hm?”

---

Needs posting people

Of Scales and Stone (Mid-Causal/Low Advanced)

Allistyr’s Keep, The Siege, Present Day

The soldiers closest to the dragons had stopped and watched, the Seelie in disgust and the Unseelie in appreciation, as Sulleykaar toyed with the de-winged, de-clawed and toothless dragon that was once Tyr’rak. It took a bit, but he eventually ended him in a glorious black pyre of sorts, turning the poor thing to nothing but ashy dust, if it could even be called that. After the flames died and he calmed down, his attention quickly moved over towards Andersen. [color=sulley’s]”FELIX!”[/color] He yelled as he ran over to the burnt body. It remained lifeless and limp. His face tensed as he looked him up and down.

Cynbel heard the cries of ‘DRAGON!’ all around. Judging by the carnage and flames, this wasn’t a friendly dragon. By the time he was able to disengage from his current combat, it was too late. The Unseelie commander cut his way through the forces to find Felix and Sulleykaar. He didn’t even consider that Sulleykaar’s presence might indicate that Kiara was here too, they were the farthest thing from his mind when he saw Felix’ seemingly lifeless form. ”No…” he said, kneeling beside his two co-Commanders. ”Fetch me the nearest Unseelie healer!” he barked at a nearby soldier, who nodded and sprinted off. The battle nearby had resumed after Tyr’rak’s fall.

”No….that won’t work. He’s past that point..Too much blood loss and... Cynbel, I need room.” He looked into Cynbel’s eyes with the most stern, authoritative look and with a voice of a king. Cynbel looked at Sulleykaar with a hard gaze but nodded and stood up, taking a few steps back. The red dragon looked back down to Felix as he began to mumble a chant of sorts in dragon’s tongue, his body starting to give off a golden aura before expanding outward.

&

Unknown

”I’m so - sorry. I failed you, Kyla. He was exhausted, even in... wherever the hell he was. Kyla leaned back and placed her hands on his cheeks, Felix looked up, still recovering from sobbing earlier, and went to look back down, only to be stopped by his love. ”You never failed me Felix. If it wasn’t for Sulleykaar, I never would have met you. I never would have seen the world. You never failed me, Andy.” They held each other for a moment, the whiteness turning gold, and the living world coming into their view. Sulleykaar kneeled next to his corpse, and the human Commander looked confused. Sulley...What are you-” Sulleykaar looked up with exhaustion. ”Oh, thank the gods! Felix, we still need you here in the living world. I’m sorry, Kyla, but you will have to wait for him.” A sad smile resting in Kyla’s direction now. She closed her eyes with a smile and slowly nodded before fading away, not without giving Felix a kiss farewell. Felix looked at the spot her spirit once stood and sniffed one last time before turning to the dragon with a nod. On the outside the orb glowed bright for a few minutes before fading away. Felix laid there, unmoving. Sulley’s hand hovered over Felix’s mouth for a moment, before he removed it and stood. ”When he awakens, he will be in a lot of pain on the outside, but more so on the inside, as he adjusts to the changes. Make sure your healers keep him hot throughout his healing process, otherwise you’ll - we’ll lose him again, and this time permanently. I have to go. We will see you in a month or two. Then we will have to work on patching the ties between the Seelie and yourselves. I have a bad feeling.” He simply said.

Cynbel studied the red dragon, Sulleykaar. His eyes darting back and forth between him and Felix. ”Y-You’re leaving?” he stuttered uncharacteristically.

”Yes. He’s fine. Well, as fine as he will be, after what happened. I did some things, and I am now tired, and must go back to Kiara.”

The soldier came back with a healer then. Cynbel told him of Sulleykaar’s instructions and they set to getting him prepped to be flown off of the field. The Unseelie commander looked back to Sulleykaar, his face softened. ”How is she?” he asked, not sure if he wanted the answer. That ‘bad feeling’ could be about her.

He smiled and nodded. ”She is doing extremely well. She has some things to tell you upon her return.” He smiled wide at the faerie general with a nod before turning to walk away. He stopped and turned towards the General.

”When I finish training her, she is free to go, if she wishes. I will still be with her, not as a captor, but as an ally. The rest of this war, sadly, is still dependent on what she does. We will make the revision to the contract when we’re done training.” A respectful nod to Cynbel, who was smiling with the pride only a father could have. Sulleykaar nodded one last time before leaping into the air, flying off in his dragon form towards Spirits’ Crossing.

&

Spirit’s Crossing, Present Day

It took a few hours before he made it back to Kiara. When he touched down, he morphed into his humanoid form and made his way over to Kiara, rubbing the back of his neck. ”Kiki, I’m back. Let’s continue on your wind training. I assume you continued training since I le- Where did you get that from?!” Stopping dead in his tracks, his eyes focused on the jewel around her neck, bewildered as to how she managed to get it.

Kiara was working her wet hair into a thick braid. She had just gotten out of the spring when he had returned. She looked down to the necklace and then up to Sulleykaar. There was an eerie calm in her neutrally grey eyes, practicing the very same emotional control he had taught her. [color=grey]”I had a visitor when you took off without me…”[/color] there was a bite of accusation in her tone, but she was still calm. [color=grey]”Is Felix alive?”[/color] she asked, remembering why he had left so abruptly.

His eyes didn’t leave the jewel. He went to say something about the visitor but resisted. The only thing that brought his attention back to her was when she brought up Felix. ”When I turned and left it was because I watched him die…” He said as he looked down, clicking his tongue. ”He’s fine, and not fine, now.” He said somewhat in a riddle as he sat down on the rock nearest the creek.

Kiara nodded, glad about that. Felix seemed to be a good man, he was handsome and polite, it would be sad if he had died. She crossed her arms and sighed before sitting beside him.

”Who visited you?” He didn’t hesitate when he asked it. He glanced over at her with a gaze.

Kiara rolled her eyes slightly before answering ”You know the answer to that question, Sulleykaar.” she used his full name rather than the affectionate pet named she’d adopted recently.

”What did he want from you?” His voice was more serious.

She didn’t answer his question. ”Why are you asking? Are you worried about me, or what he might have said?”

He raised his head. ”What’s that supposed to mean, Kiara?” the dragon asked flatly.

Her grey eyes looked sad, or angry, it was hard to tell without their usual, colorful expression. ”Do you actually care about me, Sulleykaar? Or am I just a pawn to you?”

His eyes widened and his brow furrowed in confusion as he remained silent, confused by this random accusation from her. ”Of course I care about you! If I didn’t, I would not have even bothered to take you under my wing.” He rested a hand on her shoulder. He smiled to ease the tense air, but what good would that do, especially after Paraxthyon made an appearance in his absence. He waited a moment or two before he asked calmly. ”What did he do…” A statement more so than a question.

She shrugged his hand off of her shoulder. There was a time when she would beg to be touched by him, but she didn’t feel that way now. ”He wanted to play a game. Judging by the fact that he is gone, I must have won.”

”What game?” He continued to push.

”A game of truths. A silly game to play with a faerie, as you dragons aren’t very good at telling the truth. Are you?” she crossed her legs under herself as she sat.

He stood up and looked at her sternly. ”Alright! Stop beating around the bush, what the hell did he say? You’re holding back-” He was taken back by what followed.

”Oh don’t you dare!” she growled and stood up in challenge. ”You don’t get to patronize me anymore. You promised me the truth, and you lied!”

”I haven’t lied to you since we got here, and I have been telling the truth, Kiara, like I-” He interrupted only to have the same done to him.

”The spies. How did you know about them, then?” she demanded, Her eyes were a fierce red now, abandoning her emotional training.

He remained silent and looked towards Dovahmere. God, he was tempted to go in there and glass the town, just to make sure Paraxthyon wasn’t there. Mentally, he was tearing apart the sapphire dragon, and then burning the body and ashes. His mind fought to tell her, but his heart said don’t. So, instead of an audible answer, he remained silent. Why him? Why now?

His silence was an answer enough. She didn’t want to, but her eyes welled up again and she looked away. ”You put them there!” she hissed. ”You put them there, and then you killed Hyumae. And you LIED to me, Sulleykaa!.” her voice was angry, but shaking. ”I trusted you… I was even starting to-” she cut herself off there as she sucked in a sharp inhale. She needed to get herself under control if she was to be more like Cynbel.

His head remained down as she told him the truth. The hard, painful truth... and he accepted it. His head lifting slightly towards the end. When she stopped herself, his head lowered again. ”Yes...I did know. I knew who they were, because I placed them there, as I did with the Seelie... and just about every goddamn kingdom Ugin and the Children of Tiamat overthrew. When I look back at it, it sickens me. You think what I have done wrong to you is horrendous, but it still holds nothing to the other atrocities I have committed under them. Men and women, children and the elderly, sacrificed or snuffed from existence because, at the time, I believed in their damn ideals - Their vision of a reign held by scaled lords. Those were to serve under them, or die, and our family slowly grew into their beliefs. Before I met you- Well, before I met you, my mind was reading morals in reverse.” He took a step closer to her. ”I never wanted any of this shit to begin with. I never wanted to be a part of them from the start, but sadly, that changed. It wasn’t until my love from Ashborn was executed did I swear to no longer align myself with them.” He took another step closer to her. If she wanted to strike him, he would not fight back. He would accept it, even if she wanted to kill him, he would be forever grateful. [color=9e0b0f]”You have no idea the pain and haunted memories I contain from those years. I can still see, hear, smell, touch, and - “[color] He licked his lips in disgust before looking into her eyes. ”Do you want to see and experience everything I did and see what I have to now live with?” He asked her sincerely.

”No.” she shoulders sank a little as she breathed out steadily. ”I didn’t ask for this either. You took me from my father, from my home, all to groom me into this Girl of Stone. I’ve worked very hard to do what you wanted, to make you proud, even. And I asked you for one thing… one thing! Your honesty. I don’t need to know your history, not unless you wish to tell me it. But, you should have told me about that. You knew what Hyumae meant to me, you had the opportunity to tell me the truth a week ago, and you didn’t.” it dawned on her as she spoke. In all that thinking she had done after Paraxthyon left, she stupidly hadn’t considered that. She knew the purpose of the game now...

He turned away from her. His voice low. ”When we finish your training, you’re free to go as you wish. I spoke to your father about it. He is very proud of you, if that grin of his said anything. We will stop training for today, and tomorrow you have the day off. Feel free to do what you will.” He said quietly as he started to walk off.

”No…” she said apologetically and followed after him. ”You know I don’t want a day off. That’s not what this is about.” she touched the back of his arm with her fingertips. ”I get it now… this is why he played the game. He wanted to turn me against you.” She sighed. Just because she understood Paraxthyon’s reasons didn’t make this any of an easier pill to swallow.

”He was always the one who loved to play head games…”

”He picked the wrong girl to play games with.” she smirked. She wouldn’t forgive Sulleykaar, not yet. But she wasn’t going to let Paraxthyon get in the way of her goal.

”Is there anything else he did? Did he hurt you? Did he do anything out of the ordinary.” He looked over softly.

She thought about that. She was so panicked at first, that she really didn’t notice. ”He didn’t hurt me, no… he was actually kind of… weirdly soft? He touched my cheek and smiled, and his eyes kind of glowed...”

”Glowed? What color?” He turned to her quickly and studied her.

”Uhh… Ermm…” her pulse quickened nervously as she tried to remember. ”Blue… I think. Yeah, blue! Why?”

He mouthed what looked like a combo of “fuck,shit,dammit” ”He knows everything about you now. Family, friends, hobbies….everything. Basically, he copied your memories.” He stated.

”Oh…” she remarked quietly and thought about that, pacing a little bit. That wasn’t the worst thing ever… she was a pretty open book. Her pacing halted abruptly and her eyes widened.

”What? Kiki, what is it?” he asked, narrowing his eyes in worry.

”No.” her lip quivered at the realization. ”NO!” she said with more force, her eyes looking off in the distance as if she was facing her own death. ”He knows my name.”

”Kiara...Kiara is your name, so that shouldn’t be that shocking.” He cocked his head to the side. Maybe his training and everything that has happened to her, broke her.

”My name… my real name!” she whispered in a hiss, not wanting anyone to overhear this conversation. Her eyes nervously darted around his face, waiting for the appropriate reaction, which did not come. ”I didn’t even know it until---” her lips pressed in a tight, straight line, before she continued. ”Until my father used it to make me go with you.” If she was asking for his honesty, then she owed him hers, even if that knowledge might hurt him.

The dragon studied Kiara for a moment. This was important for her and, at the same time, dangerous. With Paraxthyon knowing her true name, he could use her against him. He wasn’t upset with her about hiding that she didn’t come of her own will. Hell, he had been hiding his entire life from her. Instead of scolding her for not telling him, he simply noded with sympathy. ”After what I have put you through, it matters not. What matters is that he didn’t attempt to harm you.”

”Are you kidding me?!” she squeaked with a wild look in her eyes. She looked freaked out and dangerous, like a trapped animal. ”I would rather he did harm me! Torture, rape, death… all of that would be better than this! With my name, he can do any and all of those things when and how he pleases. He could have me...” her lip quivered. ”He could have me kill my family… or you… You can’t teach me Old Scale, Sulley!”

“Kiki! he yelled in the hopes to snap her out of it. “Yes. There is a possibility of that happening but, Kiara, if you're going to let that affect your training, then you're right, I'll stop; But I know you're better than that, Kiki. You are Kiara of the Unseelie Court. You’re stubborn, hard-headed, and reckless. Remember when you stupidly jumped off my head and expected me to catch you? I find this hard to believe, that if you have the balls to do some stupid shit like that, vo hahdrim, that you would let this bother you. I will say, though, this is the reality of war. People live and die. Family and friends. Aunts, uncles, cousins… no one in safe. But, there is one thing that stands in his and the Children of Tiamat’s way…”

Kiara was sucking in air in quick, whimpering breaths. He wasn’t taking her seriously. He wasn’t thinking about any of this the right way. Yes, she makes decisions that he doesn’t approve of, but they are still her decisions to make. ”It is you who is the vo hahdrim.” she growled, rather sick of the nickname that she was pretty sure she figured out the meaning of. ”This means that I am no longer the only one who controls my choices, my life. Father promised to never use my name again… but, you’re brother can, and he probably will. He hasn’t yet, so we need to do something about it before he does.”

“And what do you suppose we do? Find him and kill him? Like you said, he has your name. But, let me remind you of what he’s capable of: Magically, he is my rival. Intelligence wise, he is my equal. He has his own personal army ON TOP of an Armada, as do I. If you and I go to wherever he is right now, we’ll be found swiftly, and then death will follow, because you would have played into his mind game. I tell you now, he won't use it. Instead, he remind you that he knows it.”

Kiara looked broken and defeated. She didn’t cry, instead, she crumpled down into heap of faerie on the ground, with her face in her hands. She couldn’t ever remember feeling this small. Yes, Paraxthyon had all of those things, and now, Sulleykaar was letting him have her as well.

”This isn't fair, I know. Nothing ever is, and I wish that this didn't happen to you. I wish I met you outside of these circumstances. But I want you to know, if anything was to happen, I'd give my life for you or your father. ” His eyes softened at the last part. He hoped that it would never come to that, but this was war, and there was a prophecy in the mix. Anything could happen.

Kiara peeked up at him from her spot on the ground. Her eyes were a new color altogether. They were yellow… not the shimmering gold of when she was playful and excited, but a pale yellow. ”This scares me, Sulleykaar.” She admitted, bringing to light that, in the grand scheme of all of this, she was still very much a child. She might be physically mature, but she was only 30 years old in this world full of sempiternal beings and warfare. In the lavish, palatial lifestyle in which she was raised, she had never really come to know fear before. She had tasted it in others, but never felt it for herself.

” As you should be. It's healthy to feel fear and doubt.” he walked over and sat down next to her, resting an arm over her shoulder. Kiara leaned in and rested her head against him for comfort as he spoke. ”Humans like Felix, during wartime, always prepare for war the best ways they can, but they are still afraid. No one wants to die. Death is an unwelcomed friend that only the elderly and those of war accept with open arms. It looms over us like a shadow, waiting for the time to take us as a friend...I think it's about time for us to start your final lesson.” He said as he raised two smokey black fingers and looked at her, placing them on the side of her temple. Hope-filled eyes and a soft smile looked back at her.

Kiara jerked away, ”What are you doing?” she asked quickly, feeling betrayed, yet again. The last time a dragon touched her face with smokey magic, he learned her name and everything else about her.

Sulleykaar stood up and moved behind her as her vision began to darken. He scooped her up and said: ”Starting your final lesson.” before he brought her over to the mystical tree. Kiara gripped Sulleykaar’s arms tight as the blindness settled in and she felt herself being swept up and carried. He laid her gently against the tree as her eyes fluttered shut. She was only able to mouth “final lesson?” Before her vision fully betrayed her he nodded. ”Peace…” He whispered softly.

Of Scales and Stone (Mid-Causal/Low Advanced)

The Rhythm of the War Drums

One week later, Siege Day, at the Queen’s Castle

The order was given and the war drums played. For those in the order, they treated the night prior, and the time it would take to get there, with as much merriment as possible. Within the Order of the Crimson Wing, every day prior to a battle was treated as their last, so as more of an unspoken code, carpe diem was their motto, at least during wartime. After which, most would return to their normal routine. Felix walked among the men and women of both the Order and the Unseelie, mostly the Unseelie, briefly talking about life and what their occupations were outside of battle. He wore a large grin, enjoying the conversations, unless one of the Unseelie got to…friendly, then Kyla would shoot him a look, most of the time resulting in him giving her a nod of understanding, though, he had to be dragged away from one in particular, by his ear, which caused most of the company to laugh at him. All in fun, of course. It was a big day, a big day, indeed!

Garax walked silently in the back while most of his men joked and bragged about their time so far in the Queendom. Who fucked who... how many times they fucked... how many they fucked. Garax smirked as he strolled up to Neala, his eyes forward but his attention directed towards her. ”Neala.” simply saying her name to grab her attention. ”How about you and me enjoy a good spar after this place is taken, hm?” she retorted with an eyeroll and mumbled something along the lines of ‘in your dreams’. Garax grinned. ”How bout this, toots? If I get the most kills between you and me, we do what I want and for however long I want. And if you win-” He waited for her response.

”I guess you’ll find out when I win.” she said with a smirk and slung one of her newly won axes of her shoulder proudly, earning a glare from Garax.

Up the line, Felix and Kyla walked beside Cynbel. The human Commander, the former Unseelie Commander, and the current faerie Commander, leading about 2,000 men and women to an unknown outcome. Those behind them were ready to lay down their lives for the cause. Those behind them trusted their judgement call on the attack. Those behind them, following them into the unknown, couldn’t see the slight nervous expression on the human Commander’s face. At the beginning of the march, he was content with his decision. Having to fight with the faerie Commander, who has lived and spent his time for one thousand years, if not more, on the battlefield. Kyla sensed this immediately and, not because of who she was, but because of how well she knew him, said: [color=teal]”You made the right decision. If Cynbel trusts your judgement, then-”[color]

”Trusts it? No, I don’t think he trusts it. He’s going with it, sure-” He whispered to Kyla.

”If he’s going with it, that means he trusts it.” She retorted with a smirk.

”Ok...I see what you’re saying, but, listen... This is new to him. These tactics, this strategy, I feel he’s used to just running into the fray like Garax would. Back in my realm, the human realm, we used tactics, ways to out-maneuver our enemy with few men, but maximum efficiency. This is a fairly new concept. If the Unseelie have such a powerful offense, and the Seelie have a formidable defense, the Order is the balance between...Besides, for some reason, I really don’t want to let him down.” softly the words were spoken, like that of a child. She looked at him questioningly. Felix looked at her and sighed.

”I never really had a father. When I was nothing more than a squire, I was taught by a knight everything that they knew about combat and morals, but I never really felt like I would disappoint him. But with Cynbel, I don’t want to let him down. He’s counting on me to get his men through this. For some reason, the idea of failing him seems worse than if I was to die today.” Kyla leaned against him and chuckled.

”That’s sweet. I didn’t think you would gain such a soft spot for him.” She teased as he gave her a mock glare.

”He’s an experienced Commander whose troops honor him. Sure, I’m respected by my own, but the way he works with them... I guess that comes with a millenia of experience.” His voice sounding somewhat jealous. Kyla shook her head.

”What was that about?” She asked. Felix looked at into her eyes before he shook his head, mumbling “nothing”.

There was a roar above them as an amber dragon flew overhead. It’s color was fairly similar to Sulleykaar’s as it flapped its wings, heading towards the northern section of the lands. Felix looked up, squinting his eyes. ”I hope it is a friendly...” He mumbled as he continued to march. Cynbel was farther behind the others, walking close by Garax. The leathery wingbeats drew his attention upwards. He squinted past the sunlight for a better look, was that Sulleykaar? He had only seen Sulleykaar’s humanoid form, but he held out hope that it was him, because that would mean Kiara was back in time for the fight.

Allistyr’s Keep, Seelie Outpost

The mighty watchtowers of Allistyr’s Keep overlooked the lands. It’s long bowmen and mages patrolled its fortified walkway. Eagle eyes watching the quiet land below. The Commander of the Watch, Kale, sat in his office, scribbling away on transfer papers and other military documents relevant to the forces. His attention drew away from the painful documents as the sound of a dragon approached. Cursing quietly, he got up and moved out to greet the dragon, the only one of few who could come here unannounced.

“Kolor! Greetings! What brings you here?” The commander greeted with a smile. Kolor sighed and nodded.

”I need to speak to Tyr’rak. It is of great importance.”/ His voice somewhat urgent. The Seelie commander nodded.

“Very well. I’ll fetch him for you.” The Watch Commander walked off towards the end of the outpost and told Tyr’rak of Kolor’s presence. Kale came back, a second figure was with him, Tyr’rak.

”Drem yul lok, Tyr’rak… Uth do sah dovah.” He spoke pleasantly in the dragon’s tongue. The Seelie Commander glanced over at Tyr’rak before giving a friendly smirk, figuring it wasn’t anything but simple pleasantries. “I’ll leave you two be. I have to finish this paperwork, after which we can sit down and talk about our next move.” Tyr nodded to the faerie Commander respectfully and then looked to Kolor. Once Kale departed, the dragon spoke plainly.

“What is the word?” he asked with a friendly smile, keeping to using the old tongue in case anyone was listening in.

He waited for the faerie to disappear back into the Commander’s cabin before he revealed the information. He glanced back at Tyr’rak. ”Sulleykaar has taken out our high-valued spies in the Queendom, and Ugin is furious. A reprisal for Sulley with the death of his friend, a human by the name of Felix. He said the one who kills him will gain a seat by his side.” His large eyes softened a he spoke of his son’s betrayal.

Tyr’rak studied the elder dragon’s face and frowned. ”That’s sounds like Ugin…” he sighed. ”And what do you plan on doing about this…quest?”

He glared at him and hissed. ”My claws are tied! I cannot do anything about this, even if I wanted to. Do me a favor. If you do kill him, promise me you will make it quick, I have already dealt with enough slow, painful deaths in my lifetime.

Tyr nodded respectfully. ”I will be the one to do it, then. There are some that deserve a gruesome end… and he is not one of them.” his eyes were thoughtful. ”And I have no reason, or desire, to make enemies with your son. It shall be quick, and it shall be done by my hand.” There was an iron-clad honest look in his emerald eyes.

Kolor studied him for a long moment before sighing. ”Thank you. This order was intended for all of the Sons of Bahamut, but I entrusted you with this, because I know that you will do right by me. But, now I must return to Ugin’s den.” He gave Tyr’rak a solemn nod and turned, taking to the skies in the same direction he had flown.

A few minutes had passed since he had made it to the keep. His senses picked up something earthy, and a lot of it. He looked down and his slitted pupils dilated. He roared as he flapped harder and picked up speed as he banked and flew diagonally away from them, cursing to himself silently.

Allistyr’s Keep, Seelie Outpost, Present Day

Hours had past since the dragon had flown over the small horde of troops. Felix had steeled his worry away when he heard news that they were close. He moved towards the front of the pack to speak with Grim, the lead grenadier of the Goblin force. ”Grim, I assume that you and your comrades are ready?” The goblin looked over at him with a disgusted look.

“Human knows we ready! Human asked for smoke poof. We give smoke poof. We make great diversion. We the best. Now go. We need to ready.” Felix was half tempted to chuckle at the broken Common, but decided against it. Cynbel stood beside Felix now and gave him a nod.

”Let’s kill some Seelie.” the faerie wore a devilish grin, rather uncharacteristic of the calm, cool, and collected Cynbel that Felix had interacted with up until now.

Felix shot him a disturbed glance before hardening his own. ”Through iron and blood, we will take this for our own.” He said in response. The human saw the outpost in sight and a twitch in his face showed he was, in a way, hyping himself up for the attack. He turned towards Grim and nodded. The Goblin gave him a Cynbel-like grin as he barked out a few orders to the goblins and they ran, lit bombs in hand, and charged forward. This was the cue for Garax to column left and into the wooded area. Once the last of the orcs were out of sight, they began their long route around to the side entrance and would await the Seelie’s attention to draw to the front. The goblins ran forward, screaming and hollering as they ran through, their smoke bombs high, and far towards the front of the towers, Grabbing attention of those in said towers. Kyla looked at the Unseelie mages and the Order’s longbow men and gave the signal as they ran ahead of the rest of the pack and moved right behind the goblins, letting their magic and arrows fly.

Within the encampment, The guards stood watch in the tower. Their eyes were narrowed as they saw 30 goblins approaching, holding up what were presumed to be explosives. One of the Seelie snorted in amusement as he drew his bow back, only to seize and grab for his throat, dropping to the ground and gasping for air. The guard next to him roared down to the others, warning of the incoming attack. The smoke went up, but not without some goblins getting caught in the line of fire. Felix shouted out a few actions and, in only moments, men with tower shields ran up to the front of the pack, one set of troops kneeling down, and the second stood, creating a fortified and mobile wall of defense. Felix told some of the Unseelie and men of The Order to move in between those who stood and, as they did, the wall opened slightly, allowing for the volley of arrows and magick to continue to pour into the stronghold.

Cynbel was among the men and women just behind the mages and longbowmen, protecting their backs from potential attack. Currently, he was not actively engaged in a fight, but he was certainly ready for one.

Neala went with the orcs and other bruisers through the woods. Her face was painted a muddy black, along with her thick, muscular arms. Traveling through the brush, she blended in surprisingly well for such a broad figure. Her feet were skilled and quick, moving with confidence and grace through the gnarled tree roots and thistles. Like a wild cat, she - and her twin axes - pounced on the first available target. Ridley, her right axe, split through skin, severing the muscle from bone. Neala ripped the axe out of the shrieking Seelie healer’s shoulder, blood spraying her painted face as she grunted and lunged for a second, hacking swing.

Garax had made his way to the front of the pack and, like a bull, charged his way through the ranks of the Seelie, hacking and slashing and laughing all the while, yelling out his death toll. ”FIVE! SEVEN! EIGHT-NINE! Hahahaha!” ’Why should the warlord have all the fun?’ Thought most of the other orcs as they decided to play the number game as well. It became a math contest, to see how many kills an orc could get in a certain amount of time. After slashing through another, Garax twisted his wrist and turned while he swung, only to come an inch away from slicing open his fuck buddy. ”Get the fuck out of my way!” He barked with mix of annoyance and frustration, topped with a hint of worry.

”Nineteen!~” The brutish female replied with a wide, blood-speckled smile before getting back into the swing of it. Her axe parried a large sword. Not iron, like the Commanders’, as all other fey were severely impacted by it. She hooked the curve of the axe along the hilt of the sword and swiftly disarmed her attacker. Neala head-butted him into a daze before kicking him square in the stomach and sending him flying back a few feet.

Garax glanced over at her multiple times before a low growl from within his throat bellowed out in utter rage as he begun an onslaught on the enemy. Cursing her out while counting out each kill in between. ” RAAAAGHHHHHH!!! TWELVE!, FOURTEEN!, FIFTEEN!, SEVENTEEN! DAMN, FUCKING!, TWENTY!, BITCH!, TWENTY-ONE! HOW?!”

”BETTER--” she huffed and paused long enough to land another hit. The axe met flesh with an awful squelching sound. ”STAMINA!” Neala finished her jest with a bout of jovial laughter.

”Alright! Start pressing forward!” The tower-shield vanguards closed the opening in their wall as those grounded stood and raised their shields. Those already standing raised them high above themselves, creating a dome of concealment for those on the frontline. Felix turned to Cynbel with a smirk and a simple nod as he moved forward with the mobile wall of men and women towards the main entrance.

Garax and those of the Bloodrun managed to bash through the assigned entrance and continued their slaughter. The Seelie’s attention at this point was all over the battlefield. Fighting on two fronts and becoming exhausted, The stronghold’s commander turned to Tyr’rak with a fierce gaze and pointed to the skies above, he needed him in this fight now. There was no time for games. Tyr nodded and looked to the clouds. After taking a running start, his wings unfurled from his back first, before his entire form exploded into a dragon that was a green so dark, it almost looked black. Tyr’rak was fast, extremely fast. Once in the sky, the only real way to keep track of him was through the sharp, high-pitched whistle of his flight, and the occasional burst of bright, lime-colored flames on the ground below.

Garax caught sight of the Watch’s Commander and grinned, yelling out “He’s mine” as he made his way over. The orc saw the Seelie look to the man near him and point up, causing Garax to squint his eyes and snarl. ’What the hell?’ Before it could register the man that the Watch’s Commander looked at took off running and then the next thing Garax new was the orc’s yelling out “Dragon!”. The warlord couldn’t bother with that for now as he charged Kale.

Felix and the others had made their move onto the front gates and begun their attempt to penetrate it. His concentration was primarily on the gate and trying to bring it down. But his eyes widened in fear as he heard “Dragon!” being shouted throughout the stronghold. He and Kyla directed their attention to the skies, attempting to get a clear picture of said dragon but, unfortunately, Felix was only able to follow the pillars of fire that rained down upon the troops. Kyla had her bow up, firing arrow after arrow at it, each one missing the mark thanks to it’s speed.

At first, Tyr’rak slaughtered without purpose, without mercy. Unseelie, Orcs, Goblins, and even some Seelie fell to his green dragon fire. All the while, Tyr was searching for the human Commander. There was a burst of flames, a high pitched whistle, more flames, repeat. And then, there he was. Tyr stopped long enough in flight to actually be seen clearly, charging up a strong ball of fire in his mighty jaws with his eyes deadlocked on Felix.

Once Felix finally caught sight of it, he readied himself, his arm up and tower shield out. ”I guess this is how I go, then...I’m sorry Kyla.” He mumbled to himself as he prepared himself for the inevitable. Kyla, on the other hand, had a bad feeling deep in her gut that this was about to end badly. Once the dragon was in sight, it’s attention and intention was clearly shown, and her eyes went wide. ”No…..NOOOOOOOO!” Her body let off a smokey aura before she leapt through the shadows of the soldiers, phantom smoke trails were the only things that showed her movements as she cared little about hiding them.

The fireball was let loose and Felix braced for impact, only to her the scream of Kyla to his right. His eyes widened and he never managed to tell her stop before he felt a major pain in his side, weightlessness, and then the hard ground below. The explosion rang through his ears and he quickly brought up his shield as chunks of earth and body parts were sent all over the battlefield. His eyes remained wide open as the only thing left of Kyla, a broken half of her bow, bounced off his shield and onto the ground in front of him. The human cCmmander remained motionless as a trembling whisper soon became a scream of agony. .

”Kyla……………..KYLA…..KYLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!” His pain became fury as he stood up, a red and white aura forming around him. The dragon only had a second to registered what happened. In all of his calculations, he hadn’t accounted for one of the Unseelie caring enough to sacrifice themselves for Felix, it simply wasn’t in their nature to do so. Regardless of his shock, Tyr’rak charged up another ball of fire in his throat. This time he wouldn’t miss...

The aura rested on Felix’s body as his eyes gave off nothing more than killer intent and pure rage. When he gripped the handle of his blade, The aura whipped around violently as his eyes slowly gave off an ethereal tail of smoke. It no longer looked as if he was searching for the dragon, but instead, as if he knew where he was. The aura must have enhanced his reflexes and sight, as they followed the dragon’s movements. The human commander bent down low as the dragon made for the second pass, but he was ready. He brought his smoking blade behind him as it extended outward to the length of a greatsword. He lept off the ground with such ferocity that he managed to level out with the dragon, face to face with his lover’s killer as he brought the blade around, attempting to slam it into the dragon's jaw, all the while roaring in anger and pain.

Tyr’raks cat-like eyes narrowed in focus before launching a ball of fire towards the now airborne human as he descended back to the ground. The sharp, ear-piercing whistle of his flight sounded as the dragon dove to finish off his prey. Quick and painless, as promised. Felix fell quickly as he screamed in agony by the flames. He was going to die. He was going to die without avenging Kyla’s death. ”Not like THIS! NOT LIKE THIS! DAAL SULLEYKAAR!!”