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Ryleh rejoined Havel in the waiting area at the front. "The doctor is going to run some tests. He will have suggestions for a treatment plan after those tests are through. It will take a day or two for the tests to run. If there is anything else of the school that you wish to see, then I am happy to show you. Or you can return to the rest of your group and tell them what you saw here. We will be most happy to welcome any or all of you as students."
Ryleh nodded. "Yes, that is a good plan. It will take Havel some time to bring his group back here, anyhow, and the problem does not appear to be spreading rapidly, so we have some time. I will let him know that you are running tests and will be better able to discuss treatment options when those tests are done."
She sighed. "I don't think he would be so trusting of everyone. But he and his 'followers' have built an entire religion around worshipping dragons," she said with an eye roll. "Half the time when I am speaking to him I don't know whether to weep or laugh. Most of his band are lost children much like he is, though at least one is psychologically unstable. I invited them to enroll here, and it seems like he intends to accept the offer. I suggested that his older followers seek employment in Kuros. I can't think of anything better to cure dragon worship than working for James," she said dryly. "But back to Havel...he and another child called Elegy built some kind of magical device to transform themselves into dragons. With mixed results. So there is no telling what that's done to his physiology. I have requested that he bring the device with him for study. He was eager to agree, as it does not work as he expected it to, and he would like the help in figuring out why. The armor he was wearing...it is clerical regalia. I don't know of what deity. I know the armor though. I saw it when I was a child. It was....taken, long ago. By Hunters. The wound on his leg was caused by a Hunter weapon also. Recently. Within the last two years, and from a clan that had not been encountered in the last half century. The blade was cursed and a piece of it broke off inside his leg. Even after removing the blade itself, the curse remains. It is no doubt specially meant to kill dragons, so the changes he has made to himself are making it worse. I do not know for sure if it is a curse or a poison, but given its resistance to magical cures, I would suspect that it's more....not a disease exactly, but I believe it is causing his body to attack itself. I may be wrong. I have never studied medicine, so my ability to interpret the scans is distinctly limited."
Havel shrugs. "not really." Havel seems unphased, and possibly too trusting of all of these medical procedures from people he just met. Ryleh nodded. "It will only be a moment, Havel," she said, calmly.
** spoiler omitted **** spoiler omitted ** Zeppler: ::I suspected as much. I think that he might be resistant to the idea, but he has also proved quite pragmatic thus far, so I think that he can be convinced to go along with it. But it will certainly be emotionally difficult. I do not think he has truly considered amputation yet.::
** spoiler omitted ** Zeppler: ::I am here as his faculty advisor. Havel hasn't actually completed his enrollment paperwork yet, but he has stated his intent to do so. My job is to provide advice and support, but he is making his own decisions.::
"Dr. Zeppler," Ryleh says coolly, with a nod. "This is Havel. He was wounded in his leg some time ago with a weapon that was likely of Hunter origin. Designed to kill dragons in other words. The wound has festered in a most troubling way. Healing magics of all sorts, including neutralize poison, remove curse, and remove disease have failed to have any effect, and you can see for yourself that the flesh around the wound is beginning to rot. I ran a scan already, but as I am not a physician, I am not qualified to interpret the results in a case this complex. I am concerned that the toxic effects from this wound might spread into the rest of his body if left alone."
Ryleh frowned. "That is quite a bit worse than I expected. I can run the scan, but I'm not a physician, and I think we're going to need one to look at that. Especially given its resistance to being treated by magical means. Lean back against the chair," she said, pulling a long extendable arm away from the wall and positioning it over Havel's head. "This will be a full body scan. It won't hurt. The scanner just passes over your body and collects data as it goes." As she begins to run the scanner over him the screens switch from showing landscape pictures and instead display the data from the scan as it is being collected, although one would have to be trained to understand any of it. "This will be the baseline for your medical records," she said, putting the arm back into its resting position against the wall and hitting some buttons on the screen of one of the displays until a pleasant voice can be heard saying, 'Now paging attending physician, Dr. Zeppler to exam room five.' [I]Ryleh sighed. "Of course. Well. This should be interesting."
"I want all of you to understand the often troubled history of dragons. So you understand why certain types don't along with others, and why people are afraid. You chose to become a different species than you were born. You need to learn your new cultural heritage. It's important to know where you come from because whether you want it to or not it has a bearing on where you go in the future. I am pleased that all the members of your group continue to get along. That speaks well of your group. Instincts can be a powerful thing. That you have avoided those troubles thus far is encouraging," she said, gesturing for him to enter the open door to room five. Inside the room there is a sort of large recliner that can be laid flat to become a bed if necessary. It's currently in the seated position. There are a couple of chairs against the wall as well. The walls are lined with screens, currently showing various landscape pictures, and there is a hand washing station in the corner next to a supply cabinet. "The big chair is for you."
Ryleh snorted. "Not my name, dear. Technically speaking it's my son-in-law's name you lot have fixated on. My people didn't have surnames before my daughter bonded with Tamrin. It's one of many human affectations she picked up from being raised by humans. As for why they are uncomfortable, I can't possibly imagine why," she said dryly.Havel tilts his head to the side. "I don't see why. You seem quite polite. Maybe it's just my biased point of veiw, considering, well, we literally worship your name, but really. You're far from desturbing. Are they afraid of your power, for some reason?" "Well....I think that Elegy will also need to sign up for that history course. And possibly all of you will need some extra tutoring sessions....there's a great deal of history between the different types of dragons that you are still ignorant of. It is the kind of information that you will need to know. For many reasons," she said, somewhat evasively. "You can be usingk exam room five now please," the desk attendant interrupted, scowling fiercely at them both. Ryleh smiled. "Thank you, Henrik. Come along, Havel. Let's see what we can find out for you," she said, leading the way past the desk and along the hallway to a room marked five.
Havel tilts his head to the side. "I don't see why. You seem quite polite. Maybe it's just my biased point of veiw, considering, well, we literally worship your name, but really. You're far from desturbing. Are they afraid of your power, for some reason?" Ryleh snorted. "Not my name, dear. Technically speaking it's my son-in-law's name you lot have fixated on. My people didn't have surnames before my daughter bonded with Tamrin. It's one of many human affectations she picked up from being raised by humans. As for why they are uncomfortable, I can't possibly imagine why," she said dryly.
Havel pauses, a while, before leaning a bit closer to Ryleh and whispering "I have no idea what he just said." Ryleh allowed a slight smile. "Typical bluster. Medical staff don't like being told what to do," she said quietly. "Not to worry. They never keep me waiting long. They don't like it when I linger in the waiting area. I'm told it's disturbing."
Ryleh led the way into the infirmary. It was as always very busy. She led Havel up to the front desk. "Good day, Henrik," she said coolly to the goblin currently manning reception. "I have a new patient here for evaluation. His name is Havel," she said, gesturing to indicate who she meant. "It isn't an emergency, but I would rather not wait all day. If necessary I can run the scanner myself." Henrik scowled. But then, Henrik always scowled. That's part of why he only worked reception when no one else was willing to. He was a very good nurse, but his bedside manner left a lot to be desired. "Alvays in a hurry everyvun iz. Hurry, hurry, hurry," he grumbled. "Ve vill be callingk you ven ve haff un opening."
"Yes, indeed. We should head towards the infirmary," she agreed, also standing. She stopped as something caught her eye and smiled. "Ah," she said, picking up a cane that was leaning against the bookshelf where it most definitely hadn't been a moment ago. "Here. This should help you make it that far. As I said before, the school tries to help as much as it can." "Avalon Academy. If there's anything else it wishes to be called, it hasn't informed us. At least not that I'm aware of. It can be somewhat difficult communicating with a building. But I get some distinct impressions of consciousness from it at times, so it is best to be respectful I think," she said, leading the way slowly out of the library and towards the infirmary, trying to be conscious of Havel's particular difficulties.
"Yes, indeed. We should head towards the infirmary," she agreed, also standing. She stopped as something caught her eye and smiled. "Ah," she said, picking up a cane that was leaning against the bookshelf where it most definitely hadn't been a moment ago. "Here. This should help you make it that far. As I said before, the school tries to help as much as it can."
Havel shrugs. "to be fair, we aren't working on complete information. It's our current guess as to why we could find such Ling lingering magic. We know full well that souls are capable of healing from removed bits, thanks to one of our more... Fenstic worshippers using portions of his soul to power spells. For example, deamons can hack of tiny bits of a soul, but strong souls will regenerate that by the end of the day. and if that fails, restoration can be used. ... Perhaps what we found were remnants of soul draining spells used against them. Like energy drain, or vampire claws. Or perhaps it lingers so lone because the magic that was being used was stronger then I've encountered in my life. Feel free to look at it and see for yourself."She looked honestly a bit appalled. "That...doesn't match my understanding of what happens to souls at all. Though I suppose we could consult with my granddaughter and her husband. They would know more certainly if that was in fact the case." "Yes. All we have to go on now is guesses," she said, regaining her composure. "Of course we will be able to tell more by examining the actual object."
She looked honestly a bit appalled. "That...doesn't match my understanding of what happens to souls at all. Though I suppose we could consult with my granddaughter and her husband. They would know more certainly if that was in fact the case."
"Yes, although that's not surprising. As far as I know amethysts are the only dragons with purple scales, although there might be some other obscure species of dragon that does that I am unaware of." "I must admit that I am curious about this stone. If it is alright with you, I would like it if you would bring it with you when you return to Avalon. I might not be able to help you figure out what went wrong, but certainly there are other professors who might also be of assistance. And I am simply curious how the thing was constructed in the first place. One of my favorite things about living here at this school is the number of new things I come across on a regular basis. At my age, it's hard to find anything new to experience. It's almost like being a child again," she said with a slight smile.
She smiled a little sadly. "No, actually I don't. My youngest grandchildren are spending time with their father today, my older grandchildren prefer not to be fussed over, my oldest great-grandchild is much the same, and my youngest great-grandchildren are not yet hatched so there is only so much time one can spend watching over them. Meanwhile my daughter is rather tired of being fussed over. So I am quite at loose ends today. So you don't have to feel at all bad about monopolizing my time. I have plenty of it at the moment."
"It also Probobly doesn't help that this armor is resistant to nearly anything. No one Tactic is ever guarenteed to work agaisnt it, due to it's ability to change it's attuned color." Havel seems oddly calm, wandering through the halls. After a while of walking, he ends up leaning on a bookcase, breathing a bit heavily. "I... Apologize, but, I need a moment. Long periods of walking tend to aggravate whatever mess is left in my leg." Ryleh stops. "I apologize, Havel. I should have considered your difficulty sooner. Here, lean on me, there is a seating area just around that corner where you can rest," she said, helping him over to it. She is surprisingly strong for her apparent size. But not so surprising when you consider what she is. She leads him over to a grouping of overstuffed armchairs where he can sit and rest. "Perhaps our next stop should be the infirmary, once you are feeling a bit better."
Havel nods and follows after, pulling himself and his bad leg along. "I mean, turning into a type of dragon that ledgend lore seems to find inscrutable brings a sense of worry, and a sense of pride. Or perhaps we're just targeting the wrong thing with the spell to get answers.""I can show you the library as the next stop on our tour, but I suspect that finding that information would take a great deal of time. The library is...special. You'll understand better once you see it. Once you enroll, you'll have plenty of time to search through it, though," she said, gesturing for him to follow her out of the SIM room. She nodded. "It's a tricky thing, divination. It's my personal specialty actually. I've studied it for centuries so I know very well all the ways that even the simplest divination can go off course over even the smallest error." The walk to the library seemed to get shorter as they went, the school compensating for Havel's difficulty walking by making the route shorter. "Here we are. Come inside. If the librarian were here we'd be shushed immediately, but he's been missing for some time. He went into the stacks and never came out. It can happen here." She led him through the library. It seemed pretty normal at first, but after the first couple of turns it just kept changing and it seemed to go on forever. "The library contains every book ever written. And it doesn't confine itself to one time period or plane or even one universe. Something about large amounts of books massed together warping the fabric of space and time. But the more obscure the subject you're looking for, the more you have to wander through all of this in order to find the right section. It's not as bad as it sounds. It's still part of the school so it will try to help you as much as it can. It really would be easier with a librarian though."
"I can show you the library as the next stop on our tour, but I suspect that finding that information would take a great deal of time. The library is...special. You'll understand better once you see it. Once you enroll, you'll have plenty of time to search through it, though," she said, gesturing for him to follow her out of the SIM room.
::You've done very well, Marcell. I think you can handle things on your own from here. Professor Zix is waiting to speak to you. I understand he's still working on trying to understand why you change like this every day. Once you've answered his questions, you are free to make the best of the rest of your day. There are several programs here in the SIM rooms for flying if you want to use them. And you are free to send me a message if there are any other problems that I can help you with.:: Ryleh shifts back from her dragon form into her human form, primly folding her hands inside her sleeves. "I apologize for the interruption to our tour, Havel. I am prepared to continue now if you like. And I can answer any questions you might have thought of while you were waiting. Professor Zix, thank you for your patience. Marcell can speak with you now. If there is anything else I can do to assist your efforts to understand his condition, please let me know."
The crystals whir briefly and their surroundings change to a large room with several corridors lined with sliding doors leading off of it. "This is the entrance to the SIM rooms. These doors all lead to separate rooms. There will be a green light overhead if the room is open. There are some classes held inside the SIM rooms, specifically PE, but most of the time they are used for practice or entertainment. This way, please," she said, indicating the closest open room. "Ah, Professor Zix," she said with a nod as she saw him waiting outside the door. "Thank you for joining us. As you can see, Marcell was having some difficulties in the cafeteria. This form does not lend itself well to crowded spaces. I was going to get him inside a SIM so he can have some proper space to practice moving, not to mention enough space to properly demonstrate how to move in dragon form. Not that there is much time to learn. I believe he changes every day?"
"Hmm," Ryleh said, pulling a data pad out of her sleeve. "So this is a known problem? I assume you have a faculty advisor...ah, yes, I see. I'm putting in a call to Professor Zix to let him know to meet us at the SIM rooms. I think that's the best place to take you to give you a chance to learn how to move properly without knocking people over. Stay put for a moment. Havel, step closer please. You should see a proper demonstration of the SIM rooms anyhow." A swarm of crystals comes out of her sleeves and forms a circle around the small group. "I presume no one has any objections to being teleported in this case?"
Ryleh easily deflects the wing and listens to the clearly frightened explanation silently. "I take it that this is a recent change? This is not your usual form? It's alright. You're not in trouble. I am simply trying to assist you," she said in the same calm, quiet voice she had used to ask his name. "Here," she added, gently grabbing a wing and showing him how to fold it in close. "Like this. It will make it much easier to get around. Don't fight with your tail. It's there to help you balance.If you curl it around your feet you're only going to trip. Hatchlings always do that."
"The school tries to place things in the most convenient place, but with so many students that often means moving things around. The infirmary is especially mobile, although if you truly need it you will always find it close by. Hold on, I think we may need to pause the tour for a moment," she said, spotting a small blue dragon causing pandemonium in the cafeteria. "I need to check on that. Feel free to follow me if you like," she said heading into the cafeteria, students quickly getting out of her way as she swept across it to the corner to where Marcell was huddled. She crouched down and gently placed a hand on Marcell's wing. "What is your name?" she asked calmly.
"Yes, that means that Terrance will be in the main school. As I said, we will find ways to work with him so he can participate like any student would. We can come up with some means either magical or technological to allow him to function, I am certain of it." "As for Zanthos....the school building itself has a no alcohol policy, but we shall have to see. The first thing I think is to have them do a thorough scan in the infirmary to get an idea of his state of health and physical requirements. If his physiology truly requires alcohol in order to function, then I'm sure we can work something out.""But as you say, we can walk and talk," she said, smiling slightly as she led him inside the building. "I should warn you that the school tends to rearrange itself throughout the day, so things are not always where you remember them, but the cafeteria is almost always the first thing that you come to through the front doors. If you want to find something specific, touch the wall and think of what or who you are trying to find and arrows will light up to show you the way."
"Since you are in charge of the group, I thought it would be helpful to give you a tour first. That way you can explain to the others what they can expect here. But if you would rather wait until you can bring them all here and take a tour together, that is perfectly acceptable." "As for Terrance, how old is he? If he is young enough for the elementary school, then there is not an issue. There is already at least one student with similar issues in that class, so there are already measures in place to help him do school work without having the use of hands. He would also not be the only student in that class who doesn't speak. There are several classes in that wing, of course, but with his special needs Terrance would definitely be assigned to the class that consists of students in need of extra help or special supervision. They are often very talented young people. But that is also often the trouble. He would fit in well there. However, if he is older and needs to go into the main school, then we would have to spend some time determining his abilities and interests in order to make a schedule and make plans with each individual teacher for how best to integrate him into the classes. We can give him a data pad with a psychic interface that should take care of most of the communication issues, and I'm sure making a case so he can wear it around his neck would be no trouble at all." "And you don't need to worry about any of their appearances here. There will certainly be some...trouble. But it's not because of how your group looks. There is trouble for anyone. It seems to be what happens when you put a lot of young people in one space, especially when a large proportion of them are trying to work through some sort of trauma. More often than not if someone lashes out, it has less to do with the object of their rage than with their own personal struggles. However, should there be problems, you can always ask a teacher for assistance. The staff does their best to maintain order and make sure that everyone is free to learn in peace here."
"No need to apologize for ignorance, young man. You are to be commended for admitting it and showing willingness to correct the fault. And you will certainly be getting to know me better. I teach Advanced History of Agartha. History of Agartha is a course for off-worlders, a way to get them up to speed on things that are taken for granted here, culturally speaking. The advanced course is for natives who wish to learn history as well as those off-worlders who wish to study the subject more in-depth. Also, in light of your ...special interests, I am going to request that I be assigned as your faculty advisor, should you have any troubles. I usually only work with the very troubled cases, but I think that you, as someone who is accustomed to leading others, will also be very much in need of someone to give advice to you." She set her cup down. "Since you are here, would you like a tour of the school?"
Ryleh gives him a look. "Years? Well, unless you obtained that armor when you were a veritable toddler, then it was after the Hunters were at...less than full strength. Somehow I doubt you've had it for more than oh....54 years. And you faced an adult so that means it can't have been more than ....44 years seems fair. Given your age, I doubt it's been more than ten years at an absolute maximum. Though it is possible if it was more than five years ago that the ones you met then later met their ends at the hands of the Shadowspeaker clan. And it is no wonder you have stress headaches. You must have been very busy indeed if you have been able to build such a large church in such a short time as it has been less than a year since my grandchildren decided to go public. Though I suppose you might have begun it some time earlier and only attached our family's name later on. It wouldn't be the first time that someone built a church to worship 'monsters'. A bit of an odd concept here as many of the students would be considered monsters in other settings, but here it has become so commonplace that they are viewed as totally normal." She took another sip of tea. "I assure you that we are well equipped to deal with any sort of mental health conditions. Mazia will not be too much to handle." She looked sad again, but quickly deflected the subject. "We will be happy to enroll any and all of you here at the school, although there is an age cut-off. There is a university in the works, but it is not yet ready to accept students. Adult followers might be encouraged to find work in Kuros. I cannot help but feel that daily exposure to James must be enough to cure anyone of worshipping dragons," she added dryly. "And it would be easy for you to look in on them on the weekends if they are there. And you in particular...when you enroll, I expect you to sign up for Advanced History of Agartha as one of your classes. I insist."
Ryleh sighed. "Where to start? First of all, while I would never get in the way of your choice to become what you like, I must tell you, I don't approve. What you've done to yourself and the ones closest to you, who I imagine also went into this with their eyes open...fine. You have the right to be what you wish. But I feel that you have done a great disservice to your larger following. People who wish to change themselves in that way....it is more often due to a lack of confidence. They don't realize that they already have the things they are seeking. Dragons, of any color or type, are not a higher form of life. All sentient beings are equal. I will not interfere with your actions, but I could not in good conscience fail to make my feelings on the subject known to you." "As for the rest of it, the Hunters are not what they once were. The few remnants that are left...well, I am not a child killer and that's all I have to say about that. But without parents or proper training...I am told that there was a great deal of attrition. And even more when the Shadowspeaker Clan remnant was dominated and began attacking their fellow Hunters. What few are left after the predations of the last fifty so years would be easier to overcome, certainly. But that armor....it was not theirs. They stole it. I remember seeing it once, as a child. It was some sort of religious regalia, but I don't know to what god it was dedicated. Seriflathenon kept it as a memento of an ally who had been lost. She did not speak of it more than that. The sword you speak of is interesting. It sounds to me like you might have run into a member of the Deathsting clan. They were never the most numerous to begin with, so it's surprising to hear of one now, but perhaps that was the very reason they survived. They might have escaped the Shadowspeakers' notice. But that is all a matter of academic interest, I suppose. You should consult the healers in the infirmary. They may be able to help with your affliction. It is worth considering at least. Unless you enjoy being subject to these physical limitations."
"The church of the....." her face twitches a little and it isn't entirely clear what emotions are being suppressed, but even Ryleh's self control is not enough to maintain an entirely serene countenance through that. "Oh, my poor son-in-law. I don't think he ever imagined his name being taken in vain like that....And James mustn't ever be told of this. He has a big enough head already," she managed to say after a long pause. "Havel....you are still young, as you say, so I am sure that you don't realize how difficult it is to hear what you have to say. You don't remember the times before....There is a great deal of history that you simply don't know. If you and your group find some comfort in aspiring to the ideals of dragons, even to the point of taking on physical features, that is your right as sentient beings to choose your own path. I wouldn't dream of impeding that choice. But, please, do not set up my family as objects of worship. We are, ourselves, simply sentient beings trying to survive as best we can. We make mistakes. We are not divine beings, any more or less than any other sentient creature is." It would be impossible to miss the sadness on her face at this point and she makes little attempt to hide it.She took a long sip of her tea and then refilled the cups. "You and your group are more than welcome to come here to Avalon. The thirteen you spoke of as well as Elegy and yourself. This school is more than equipped to handle their education. And I think that for your group the proximity to actual dragons is perhaps for the best all around. You can see for yourselves what real dragons are like in a day to day setting. And you could have a chance to tend to your own education, perhaps relax a bit, knowing that the younger ones were well looked after. That is what the school is here for. The Headmaster could tell you as much if he weren't having one of his fits of mysteriousness at the moment," she said, rolling her eyes. "There's no talking to Ryo once he starts in with the brooding."
Once she had the tea made to her satisfaction, she set a steaming cup of tea in front of him and one in front of herself. She sat down and daintily took a sip of tea. "Tell me about yourself," she said with a slight smile. "Beginnings should start with introductions."
"Of course not. Tea is serious business," she said serenely. "Please, follow me." She led the way around the outside of the school through the gardens to a small wrought iron table with two chairs. There was a tea set already laid out, ready for their meeting. Ryleh gestured for him to sit and began the process of making the tea, each action and gesture carefully measured and not to be hurried.
a somewhat humanoid dragon creature drags himself unto the grounds. His left leg is stiff and barely seems to respond, doing most of his walking with his left. His scales glisten in all the colors of the rainbow, shifting and changing their colors as the lighting changes. His scales also strangely seem to resemble full plate, as if his flesh were made of a skintight suit of dragon-themed armor. He's rather delibrstly come more or less alone, and he hobbles himself towards the school. He shifts his bag a bit as he approaches, making sure it's still on properly.What appears to be a human woman wearing a voluminous skirt and short jacket, her dark purple hair pulled back severely into a bun at the nape of her neck, held in place with a jeweled pin, is waiting for him just outside the front door of the school. She is tiny, her heart shaped face and almond shaped violet eyes giving her an appearance that seems almost doll-like. But she holds herself with a level of dignity and confidence that makes it clear that she is not to be taken lightly. She nods in acknowledgement of his presence and waits for the new arrival to speak. Her lips twitch slightly at the apology. "You have found that which you seek, then. I am Rylehtin'akksavith, though in usual human form it is often shortened to Ryleh. They do love their nicknames. And there is no need to apologize for Mazia and Zanthos. I am accustomed to dealing with the sort of mischief youngsters delight in."
a somewhat humanoid dragon creature drags himself unto the grounds. His left leg is stiff and barely seems to respond, doing most of his walking with his left. His scales glisten in all the colors of the rainbow, shifting and changing their colors as the lighting changes. His scales also strangely seem to resemble full plate, as if his flesh were made of a skintight suit of dragon-themed armor. He's rather delibrstly come more or less alone, and he hobbles himself towards the school. He shifts his bag a bit as he approaches, making sure it's still on properly. What appears to be a human woman wearing a voluminous skirt and short jacket, her dark purple hair pulled back severely into a bun at the nape of her neck, held in place with a jeweled pin, is waiting for him just outside the front door of the school. She is tiny, her heart shaped face and almond shaped violet eyes giving her an appearance that seems almost doll-like. But she holds herself with a level of dignity and confidence that makes it clear that she is not to be taken lightly. She nods in acknowledgement of his presence and waits for the new arrival to speak.
Harrumph. There was nothing anonymous about that note, I assure you. I simply informed you of the reasonable danger of the man being flattened should he continue with his unwanted advances in person.Yes, because having him call you is sooo much better. For him. His survival prospects go up in direct proportion to the amount of effort that it would take to actually do him harm. Also things have improved greatly since I discovered the mute button.
I heard he had a thing for dragons...I feel only Doc Zeppler could be better. Sadly, having once considered hiring him for a different teaching position, I received an 'anonymous' letter that, in lovely and elegant Draconic, advised against it(advised being a way to put it nicely). Harrumph. There was nothing anonymous about that note, I assure you. I simply informed you of the reasonable danger of the man being flattened should he continue with his unwanted advances in person.
"You are not failing, Aananda'reavekki," Ryleh said sternly. "You are looking at the potential for failure as if it were a certainty. It is wise to recognize your limitations. I think you're right, and I came here expecting to have to convince you that you need to step down as security chief before you do yourself harm. I am pleased that you already see for yourself that you are not in fact a robot and need rest and help and not to be running around everywhere trying to solve every problem. It doesn't make you a failure. It's perfectly reasonable to need a change because of pregnancy. You know that the infirmary staff have already sent a petition to Ryo asking that you be put on leave, right? Now, I know that will never work. Even while sick, you can't have nothing to do. But I think that you should take over the mechanics classes, and pass the security job on to someone else."
Ryleh stood up and checked the readings on the scanner once again. "It would appear that there is nothing else to do besides wait. Are you going to stay here?" she asked Vai. Vai nodded. "I'm sure he'd do the same for me." "Very well," Ryleh said, patting her granddaughter on the shoulder. "I will be back to check on you in a little while, but I would like to go and check on your mom for a while right now. She's been being stubborn and not getting enough rest." She set the system to alert her if there was any change in Phaezeriel's condition, and then went to Aananda's room. She shut the door behind her when she saw that Aananda was crying. She sat down beside the bed and smoothed her daughter's hair out of her face. "I'm here when you want to talk about it," she said quietly.
Ryleh examined the results and used the room's datapad to sign into the security system. She wasn't sure which demon it was freaking out about at the moment. Probably both, since the girl hadn't been a full demon before, and Phaezeriel was no longer matching his description on file. She told it to stand down for now. "According to the scanner, Phaezeriel is experiencing a rather substantial transformation. Changes in height, mass, and skeletal structure. It is painful, but he is in no danger at the moment," she said, hoping that information would help alleviate at least some of the worry.
"Hmm. He seems to have cut himself off from any psychic interference. We can run a scanner over him to make sure that he is physically well, but it seems that he wanted to fight his inner demon alone this time," Ryleh said slowly. She turned her attention back to the girls. ::Is this difficult for you because what is happening to both of them reminds you of what happened to you?:: she asked Vai telepathically so as not to reveal any secrets to others. Vai carefully examined her shoes and blushed. ::Yes,:: she replied, her mental voice small. Ryleh patted Vai on the shoulder, gently. ::But you have not run away. You're facing your fear. Never forget that you are stronger than you give yourself credit for.::
Ryleh avoids the chaos of the infirmary in much the same manner that Aananda often does....by walking through walls instead of bothering with doors. It's handy that the school is made of stone. And it was the quickest route from her lair below the school. She was glad that her services as a seer were no longer needed, but of course duty still called. She walked briskly down the hallway and stopped when she saw Tamina sitting on the floor outside the door to the room she was heading for.
Ryleh stood up. "Of course. I can best help from inside my home, where I keep my best scrying equipment. You may follow me if you like."
Meanwhile, out on the grounds... Ryleh was enjoying her tea, and setting aside the unsettling feelings that her conversation with the maftet boy had dredged up. Ephebe had come to join her and they were discussing pleasanter topics. Like childproofing. Ephebe was looking for helpful suggestions.
"Well. That was educational. Your story checks out. As promised, here is a map. Or more accurately a device that will help you find your location no matter where you are. That was easier than a map, to be honest," she said, handing one of the small crystals to Mazia. "And this is an invitation to tea for your leader at his earliest convenience, which coincidentally will happen to be tomorrow at two," she said, handing the other small crystal to Zanthos. "You are both free to go."
After what no doubt seemed like an eternity, but was actually fifteen minutes, Ryleh returned. She was carrying two small crystals, a large crystalline lens, and a black rod. "While I am glad that your time here is proving educational, I think we would all prefer to get you on your way as quickly as possible," she said crisply. She slid the smaller crystals inside her sleeve. "Both of these items are for scanning you, in different ways. This," she said, indicating the black rod, "will give me basic medical data that will corroborate your story. Or not. We shall see. This," she said, indicating the large lens, "will show me pieces of your history. Not in depth of course. That would take more time. But enough to confirm or disprove your story. Should you prove to be telling the truth, you will be given a map and an invitation to tea for your leader and let go. If you can manage to not be impolite, we might even feed you before you go," she added dryly, knowing how young dragons' appetites were.
"No, of course not," she said dryly. "There are always plenty of people content to simply sit back and watch. A problem I have often heard repeated by those who have been hunted down for the crime of being different. It is the indifference of bystanders that allows atrocities to continue. But you will no doubt learn this for yourself in time. It is a lesson that seems to be only ever learned the hard way." "I will only be gone for a few minutes," she finished, leaving the room and walking briskly towards Aananda's lab to retrieve a portable scanner and to her own lair to retrieve a small hand mirror and a couple of small crystals.
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