"Oh chocolate!" Maka shouted before digging through her bag and handing Beyscalie and Efrixes a chunk.
Bulvi had watched the new world, drinking it in as he suspects he'll never get to return however long their journey is. He remains quiet for much of the exchange not knowing draconic at all he pays a lot of attention... in case they are hear for a while.
When the subject of carrying Selena comes up he nods. "I'll make sure to scoop her up when the time comes." ...and probably get an earful for flying wrong. "If a fight breaks out while we're flying I'll need to find a good spot for her to stay out of the enemies reach."
You hike through the snow for a while with Beyscalie and Efrixes. Beyscalie accepts the chocolate from Maka and tries it out.
The chunk of chocolate looks rather small in Efrixes's huge hand. He reaches down with his neck and licks it up with his tongue. After a moment he settles back and simply makes a "Hmmm" sound.
Oddly enough, Efrixes is the one to answer Quasit's question.
Beyscalie falls back a step and punches the dragonkin lightly. "Don't get all morose on me like that, Efrixes. We've got plenty of years left together."
"The bond between dragonkin and rider is... lifelong," he rumbles, his eyes straying to Beyscalie. "It is not entered into lightly, and its end is always traumatic."
Beyscalie falls back a step and punches the dragonkin lightly. "Don't get all morose on me like that, Efrixes. We've got plenty of years left together."
Maka smiled at the pair, clearly the bonds of friendship already forming in the fire monk's mind.
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"We have bland food too. Chocolate is kind of a ... delicacy, I guess? Our main foods are the fruits and vegetables we grow and we make bread from grassy cereals like wheat and barley and oats. This far from the sun, maybe you don't grow anything? What do you eat here?"
"So, why is Yrax attacking Spurhorn and the Skyfire Mandate? Just trying to take your land?"
Maka added a few more descriptions of her favorite foods while she translated what Quasit said.
"Yrax is a white dragon. Winter is his time. He claimed the fortress of Ivoryglass last winter, and held it through the summer," Efrixes explains, an undertone of anger in his deep voice. "This is not the first time he has attacked this winter. No doubt he wishes to claim more land and treasure while the season favors him."
Beyscalie speaks up next. "At lower elevations there are things that grow, even during winter. From the records the summer is bounteous and green, but I'll never see it. We of the Dragon Legion depend upon the Allied Territories we guard to send us supplies."
"Much of it is dried fish," Efrixes grumbles. "It would be better fresh. It is cold enough to keep frozen in transit."
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"Ivoryglass..." says Quasit to herself as Efrixes is speaking. Then she grabs Findurel.
"The ravens! They dropped an elephant tusk and a mirror onto a bearskin! Ivory and Glass! That's where the second key is!" she exclaims excitedly.
Then she realizes what she just said and her enthusiasm vaporizes.
"Oh. Heh."
"So basically, we need a key from each side of a war. Somehow I'm not surprised. So, are we going to revive my ancestor's familiar before we go anywhere?" Selena asks, jumping from one topic to the other abruptly.
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"Ivoryglass..." says Quasit to herself as Efrixes is speaking. Then she grabs Findurel.
"The ravens! They dropped an elephant tusk and a mirror onto a bearskin! Ivory and Glass! That's where the second key is!" she exclaims excitedly.
Fin eyes widen and then he smiles as he whispers, ”Aye, Q, you have it right, I’m sure…now we know where both keys are and what they should look like…just a matter of retrieving ‘em now…”
"The ravens! They dropped an elephant tusk and a mirror onto a bearskin! Ivory and Glass! That's where the second key is!" she exclaims excitedly.
"Good, we won't have to make any extra trips then!" Maka replied, clearly having already decided on a trip to battle a white dragon warlord.
Fin eyes widen and then he smiles as he whispers, ”Aye, Q, you have it right, I’m sure…now we know where both keys are and what they should look like…just a matter of retrieving ‘em now…
"Isn't the dragon planet so much better than the stupid witch dungeon?"
"The ravens! They dropped an elephant tusk and a mirror onto a bearskin! Ivory and Glass! That's where the second key is!" she exclaims excitedly."Good, we won't have to make any extra trips then!" Maka replied, clearly having already decided on a trip to battle a white dragon warlord.
"Nice catch Quasit, we should double check the translation but it sounds like your right. Visions and prophecies are awkward by their nature."
"Isn't the dragon planet so much better than the stupid witch dungeon?"
"Agreed..." Bulvi's eyes widen. "Wait dragons are super common here but rare back home. Dragon scales are probably easier to get here, I mean without stabbing as trade since like any scaled being I assume some fall off. If we brought dragon scales for cheap here could we either use them or sell them back home for a profit."
Bulvi looks at Efrixes and Beyscalie. "There might be a whole cultural aspect, if anyone asks them it might be best to as sensitively. It might be a far more horrifying idea here."
"If the other key is an eagle then it makes sense the other would be a bear. Besides, bears are great! They're basically just giant dogs." Maka through an arm around Saki with a toothy grin.
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Tezuzu pulls out a long pipe and begins to smoke as he trudges through the snow. He continues to speak to Bescaylie in draconic.
"This is all most interesting. Our cultures are not all that dissimilar. The fact that we can communicate in a common language in addition to all the other similarities to our planet, fish and crops and all that-- I suspect there must have been some sort of common origin of our two planets very long ago. No doubt the elves. On our world, elves are a very ancient race, very skilled in magic. Or perhaps it was the dragons who went exploring the planets and brought along flora and fauna with them."
"I wonder--are there any other people on this world... well..."
"...like me?" he asks hopefully.
"Alright, since no one cares, I'll be over here busy for a bit." Selena says as she makes her way to a good spot, unrolls a bit of fabric with runes and diagrams and artfully applied patches and puts a bit of dead cat on it and folds the fabric over it.
After a moment, the fabric starts to bubble up and expand into a ball that then unravels into nothing, leaving behind a curled up creature.
"I mean I'd help but it's not exactly inside my skill set... but I can watch your back at least." Bulvi does indeed stand sentinel over Selena while she performs her ritual.
"All dragons are descendants of the ancient gods, are they not?" Efrixes asks as Tezuzu speculates about the commonality of Draconic. "They come from the clash between Apsu and Dahak in the ancient times. Why they are on both our worlds I know not."
"I'm afraid I've never seen or heard of anyone like you," Beyscalie states when the tengu asks. "There are plenty of monsters around, but the only people our size are we Ryphorians and the Adlets."
Selena's enchanted fabric parts to reveal a gray-furred ferret. She opens her eyes, stretches in a very catlike manner, and then looks herself over before finally looking up to Selena.
"Not the strangest transformation," Syvet comments, her voice sounding exactly the same as before. "I'm at least free of Stumpy at last. My thanks."
She gives Selena her best attempt at a bow. "If you'll allow me to speak with your familiar for a bit, I do remember a few spells from my past."
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Fin watches the reincarnation process awestruck. ”Wow, Selena…very well done…”
With a huge grin, Fin bows to the ferret. ”Welcome back, Syvet…glad to have you among us. Will you be traveling with us or do you prefer to wait back at the hut? We have slain the hostile creatures there…I think only Zorka and the depressed Treant dwell there at present…and Zorka seems to come and go…”
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"All dragons are descendants of the ancient gods, are they not?"
"Yes, I believe that must be true." agrees Tezuzu. "But it would be fascinating to learn how dragons travelled between planets."
"I'm afraid I've never seen or heard of anyone like you," Beyscalie states when the tengu asks. "There are plenty of monsters around, but the only people our size are we Ryphorians and the Adlets."
"I hope you're not inferring that I'm a monster, dear lady." says Tezuzu with an ironic tilt of his head and a twinkle in his eye. "But alas, I guessed it was likely so. There aren't many of my people anywhere it would seem. Perhaps it's just as well. Being unusual has its advantages."
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She elbows Sakitu. "You ditched your fur. Aren't you cold?" she asks quietly.
Sakitu shakes her head. "No, the cold doesn't really bother me. I mean, not like it bothers others." Sakitu keeps in step with the others. She looks over at Quasit. "Are you cold?" Then she looks over at Maka. There's no way she would be cold. Not with all the fire that seems to exude out of her. Then Bulvi. His very demeanor seems to defy frigid air. Selena, well, she's a witch. Finally Sakitu's gaze turns to Fin. He's a ways in front scouting and looking for trouble. "Do you suppose that Fin is cold? I mean, do elves get cold?"
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"No, the cold doesn't really bother me. I mean, not like it bothers others."
"Must be nice." says Quasit. "Chalk up another bonus for the Amazing Fox Woman."
"Are you cold?"
Quasit adjusts her gloves a little and hops as she walks. "Not at the moment. This winter suit we found in the Hut is super toasty. I can tell the air is colder even than Irrissen, but at the moment it doesn't bother me. Or maybe I'm starting to get accustomed to being cold. Which is a depressing thought."
"Do you suppose that Fin is cold? I mean, do elves get cold?"
Quasit turns to look at Sakitu, studying her for a moment. "I'm sure they do, but good luck getting him to admit it." She turns away, studying the cold dark sky quietly for several steps. "He was having bad dreams last night. About his old dead girlfriend. I tried to cheer him up, but you know how he is. Always in control, good soldier, downplaying it. But nursing his old guilts under the surface. He still feels like he owes me this life debt because he shot me by mistake that one time. With all the fights we've been in, it's amazing that sort of thing hasn't happened all the time."
"I think the last time I remember seeing him really happy was when we ran into that elf girl who was looking for her gnome friend. What was her name? Too bad she couldn't have stuck around. Dontcha think?" She looks back at Sakitu, almost overplaying her innocence.
"Yes, I believe that must be true." agrees Tezuzu. "But it would be fascinating to learn how dragons travelled between planets."
"Well they probably just flew to them." Maka suggested nonchalantly. "I mean they fly between mahaadveep...
Maka paused as she grasped at a common word. "What do you call the really big pieces of land? The ones that are all the kingdoms put together? It's not countries, it's the other one. Anyway, they fly between those without much trouble so planets are probably just like a long journey for them, right?"
With a huge grin, Fin bows to the ferret. ”Welcome back, Syvet…glad to have you among us. Will you be traveling with us or do you prefer to wait back at the hut? We have slain the hostile creatures there…I think only Zorka and the depressed Treant dwell there at present…and Zorka seems to come and go…”
Syvet sticks her little snoot haughtily into the air. "I have had quite enough of that Hut for now. Possibly for my lifetime. I will grace you with my company."
"I hope you're not inferring that I'm a monster, dear lady." says Tezuzu with an ironic tilt of his head and a twinkle in his eye. "But alas, I guessed it was likely so. There aren't many of my people anywhere it would seem. Perhaps it's just as well. Being unusual has its advantages."
"Well all of you are unusual here," Beyscalie points out with a grin. "But no, when I'm talking monsters I mean things more like... thirty-foot ice wurms and six-legged ursikkas or things like that."
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Fin grins as he nods at the ferret. ”As you wish, my friend…glad to have you aboard…”
Upon hearing the dragon knight lady, the Elf frowns. ”Ice worms? 6-legged what? I had best be alert then…I need to get back to scouting…so how far are we from Spurhorn?”
Once he gets an answer, Fin will scout ahead in his usual style…
Bulvi looks quite pleased his chest puffing up. "Hear that Quasit, we're unusual... maybe even exotic... there's always some wiggle room in translation. I don't really get to be unusual very often especially in the company we keep."
"Did they say thirty foot worms or thirty for wyrms... anything vaguely dragonlike that big is bad news."
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Bulvi looks quite pleased his chest puffing up. "Hear that Quasit, we're unusual... maybe even exotic... there's always some wiggle room in translation. I don't really get to be unusual very often especially in the company we keep."
"Careful Bull, unusual things sometimes get stuffed and mounted on the wall." jokes Quasit. "If they do decide to mount your head, I'll make sure they give you a ferocious expression and an appropriate hat."
"Did they say thirty foot worms or thirty for wyrms... anything vaguely dragonlike that big is bad news."
"Could be thirty foot-worms." posits Quasit. "But I'm guessing from the context it's one big worm that pops out of the ice and swallows people whole."
She surveys the horizon and sighs. "Cold and dark and full of monsters. Something different, huh? Why couldn't we go to the Summer Beach planet and find the Keys by sipping lovely drinks on the beach? Or maybe a swimming contest? Fin would love that, he could splash around in water all day."
After a few steps, she has another thought.
"I hope we're helping the right side in this fight. I mean, they seem nice and honorable, right? Not evil manipulative villainous aliens, right?"
You march on for a few hours before Beyscalie calls a halt. She and Efrixes both crouch low and head for cover, motioning for you to follow. "We're close now, I just saw a Drakelands patrol!" She states as she does so.
Once you're all out of easy sight from the air, Efrixes rumbles in his deep voice, "What is your plan to approach the fortress? We will go with you, but until we're near the walls the defenders will be as much a danger to you as the forces of the Drakelands."
"I hope we're helping the right side in this fight. I mean, they seem nice and honorable, right? Not evil manipulative villainous aliens, right?"
"Of course, if they were witches they would have tried to trick us. Maka replied with a toothy grin.
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Once you're all out of easy sight from the air, Efrixes rumbles in his deep voice, "What is your plan to approach the fortress? We will go with you, but until we're near the walls the defenders will be as much a danger to you as the forces of the Drakelands."
"My plan is to blast them out of the sky!" Maka said with fiery punch to her palm.
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Fin comes back to the party to inform them of the dragon patrol…only to find the newcomer had already alerted them…
He nods in agreement with Maka’s words. ”Sounds like a good plan, to me,” Fin says as he then turns to Bescaylie. ”What say you, m’Lady? Do you think flying into the Spurhorn is our best option?”
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"I don't know, Maka. If we have to fight, then we'll definitely give them all the sass they want. But I think our goal should be to hustle over the enemy lines and make a run for the walls of the fort without getting into any fights."
"So to me, there's only three questions. First, what time of day will be safest? Second, what height is going to be safest for avoiding enemy fire? And third, how do we let the people in the Spurhorn know that we're friendly?"
"My instinct is that we follow Bescaylie in at whatever height and speed she normally would use, on the hopes that if we arrive with her, the people in Spurhorn will understand that we're allies. And that probably means broad daylight. If we were on Golarian, we might even have some white flags with us, to show the defenders we're not attacking them. I don't know if you have that custom here."
Beyscalie shrugs. "We certainly can't get there on foot. Spurhorn is built up on a crag you just about have to use ropes to climb. I just didn't know if you had some kind of... alien magic that might help."
She makes a face. "That sounded kind of weird, didn't it? But we are coming from the best side. Unless something's changed most of their army is encamped on the west side, and we're coming more from the southeast."
Efrixes speaks up. "It matters little what time we approach at. Dragonkin and drakes see well in the dark. I suspect the patrols we shall face will be flying, as well, so the height we approach at will matter little. Spurhorn is at a higher elevation, we shall be flying upwards regardless."
Earlier in the day they had discussed the plan but now that Sakitu saw the enemy she wasn't so sure it was a good plan. "We're going to fly over the enemy? How do we keep them from attacking us? Quasit, do you think that just flying high enough will keep us safe?"
Maka gave Saki a toothy grin and a heavy hand on her shoulder. "Don't worry, we'll keep you safe."
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"Quasit, do you think that just flying high enough will keep us safe?"
Quasit smiles, shakes her head and looks at her friend.
"Saki, nothing about this is safe. But we're gonna do it anyway." And she gives Sakitu a rough comforting pat on the arm. "If a dragon comes after you, use the spell you used on the other one back in White Castle."
Selena casts overland flight on herself and grabs Syvet since she doesn't have a good spot in her clothes for the ferret, well not with witnesses around anyway.
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Nodding to Sakitu, Fin gives what he hopes is a reassuring smile. ”Hlao-roo, in case of trouble stay close to Q and listen to her…Maka and I will try to keep the patrols off of us at range…”
The Elf puts Izzy in his backpack, giving him a snack, then draws his bow and looks to Bescaylie and Efrixus, nodding to Maka to please translate. ”We’ll follow your lead, when you are ready, ma’am…”
He’ll take off when they do, searching the skies for enemy patrols as they fly towards Spurhorn…
Efrixes crouches down, and Beyscalie gets in the saddle on his back with the ease of long experience. They take off, leading you upwards and forwards.
It doesn't take long before Spurhorn comes into sight. Atop a low peak ahead of you is a fortress, consisting of an outer wall with several towers and a taller inner keep. Downslope, where the steep mountainside turns to a more gentle grade, you can see a large encampment, within which distant figures move. Several flying creatures circle the fortress, and you can see movement on the slopes as well. The yellow star that you've come to know is the sun is growing low, casting long shadows over the scene.
Before long it's clear that some of the flying creatures have seen you. A trio of drakes is closing in.
Selena asks their guide, via whoever was translating, "Are they one of your patrols, or enemy forces?"
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Selena asks their guide, via whoever was translating, "Are they one of your patrols, or enemy forces?"
Bringing his bow up and not taking his eyes off the incoming creatures, Fin murmurs to Selena, ”They’re drakes…as in Drakelands patrol…and, unlike Bescaylie with Efrixus, there are no riders…they’re enemies…”
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Sakitu smiles back at Fin when he asks her to stay close to Quasit. "Yep. I will. Knowing that you will be protecting me makes me feel a lot safer." She next turns to Quasit. "You mean that rainbow spell? I'll be ready. But it works better when things are in one spot."
Once in the air, Sakitu stays close to Quasit, just as Fin suggested. Her heart starts to beat faster when she sees the enemy closing in. She drifts closer to Fin and tries to touch his bow to imbue it with magic.
"Spurhorn can't send out patrols this close to the walls with the siege. Anything outside the walls other than us is an enemy," Beyscalie states.