Spurring her horse to running and following Moira's horse, Lyra launches off the beast and into the air with ephemeral white streams of energy sprouting from her back. "Wait on the ground and the beast will just encase us all in its breath weapon! It's bane is fire! To the skies!" she calls down to the group before shooting into the sky in a blur. A moment later she vanishes from view as her hastily enchanted spell took root.
Rosa quickly slipped down from her horse and sent it away as well. She quickly pulled a bottle from her person that had that same syrupy opaque liquid that she quaffed quickly. Her skin began taking a rough texture as her mutagen began to work it's magic. She pulled her bow and began to concentrate on that same power from before when they took the feathers of the phoenix that had fallen to them. She willed that power to take shape and two skeletal wings of wood had sprung out from her back, the membrane filling in with an inky blackness.
She pushed off from the ground to begin ascending into the sky as well, he wings beating steadily to keep her aloft, as readily prepared to make one of her catalyst arrows. If the creature hated fire, she would most assuredly bring flame to bear.
Unsure how well she would do in the air, not being used to flying as much as Lyra or Rosa, Meha stays closer to the ground, giving herself up as a better target for the dragon. All she really does is touch Moira before she leaves, " May the strength of Calistria guide your hand friend!" before she continues to lead onwards. She would try to keep an eye on the dragon for the next round, trying to gauge it's distance, if she could hit it with her bow from afar.
Moira didn't like the idea of being blasted with ice while flying a few hundred feet off the ground anymore than being encased in it on the ground. Both would be a death sentence. But Lyra had a point that she could benefit from the maneuverability. She leapt off the ground and powerful pump of magical wings took her a few feet higher. A glint of metal to her left distracted her. As the wing came forward for another flap she saw it was no longer just fire. Beneath the flames was a red glowing metal. Metal that was cooling quickly. As if quenched in oil the wings turned from red to orange to yellow and finally a silvery metal. The fire petered out leaving mithril feathers that moved like real feathers. She looked around and noticed Rosa's were similarly different.
"Huh," was all she managed to get out before remembering they had a dragon to face. She could worry about it later. Pulling on the still shallow pool of magic within she cast the only two spells in her arsenal and took aim, waiting for the beast to get within range.
Domitian unlimbered the black bow from his back as golden angel wings spread gracefully behind him and he knocked an arrow to the silver string. Drawing the symbol of Erastil on his forehead with a finger the paladin lets out a cry that thunders across the tundra as light began to surround him. "Come foul beast! Your blood will rain tonight!"
Setting his feet Domitian pulled the arrow hard back against his cheek and and took a deep breath. He waited for a second to line up the shot on the approaching dragon and released the arrow. The arrow sped away like a buzzing bee and before it was out of sight the paladin nocked and shot another arrow. Despite the distance of the huge beast the arrows flew true, guided by the magic of the bow.
Well before anyone was within range to attack each other the dragon roared in pain as two arrows sliced deeply into its hide, easily penetrating the thick white scales. Drops of dark red blood began to well around the two shafts of wood sticking from near it's wing joint and fell far to the ground, just as the paladin had promised. The fearsome white head swiveled as the pale blue eyes locked on the angel dropping his bow and drawing the fearsome curved blade. In thundering draconic the creature roared "You will be a tasty snack celestial one!"
The dragon angled it's flight down and arrowed towards Domitian, ignoring the other members of the party as they scattered. Before their eyes an emerald glow surrounded Domitian as Lyra's invisible spell took hold and increased his size tenfold.
Given the perfect chance to strike as Dom managed to distract the dragon, Meha takes aim with her bow, and lets loose with a perfectly aimed arrow. The damage was much less than the flashy show that Dom had just performed, and would certainly not sway the dragon her way, but it did give her time to try and think of a better plan. Perhaps once it was closer she would come from under it? She was unsure, but for now she would await it to approach. She calls out " Careful! it may breath fire!"
Rose lifts higher on her strange dark wings, the wooden bones sturdy and surprisingly flexible. She pulls an arrow, knocking and loosing it at her foe, not sure if it sought purchase. She didn't care if it hit, for it was a test, she needed to quickly figure out compensation to make sure truly devastating shot would actually connect with the creatures glistening white hide.
Round 1
As the dragon got closer Moira could have sworn it tripled in size blotting out the sun with it's wingspan. Only a soothing aura of calm from Dom kept her in place. And once she blinked it went back to normal size. "Right. Dragon fear. S+&#'s intense." Moira took aim but hesitated. The mist was still roiling off the creature and making it hard to see. Still. It was a big silhouette. She was bound to hit something. Three arrows glowing with silvery light shot from her bow faster than she ever thought possible.
With a thunderous crash the dragon and Domitian clash, the huge paladin staggering back from the smaller dragon. The white dragon got in a single savage bite before falling to the ground and looking up, taking several seconds to realize what had once been smaller was now much bigger. It's eyes fell on Domitian's immense blade and for a split second there was a flicker of fear in its eyes before draconic arrogance swept through and it resumed the attack.
Ignoring his bleeding wound Domitian unleashed two quick blows with the sweeping blade and splattered Moira with steaming dark red dragon's blood as he cleaved deeply into the dragon's wing socket, grounding it.
Lyra could see her companions searching through the fog as they lined up their attacks, attacks hitting with less force then intended as the dragon's own defenses interfered. Growling at yet another creature with defenses against non-magical weapons Lyra called to the wind and sky as wind whirled around her body.
"Oh spirits of wind smite my enemy!"
On an impulse she added a fragment of her nascent divine power and was nearly blown away as slivers of silver fire raced around her in a fierce whirlwind as the strength of the spell exploded. Aiming the wind as quickly as she could the small woman struggled to contain the as it exploded from her hands in a shriek, shattering her invisibility and slamming into the dragon with enough force to knock it over. "Block that!"
The fog surrounding the dragon boiled as the river of air washed it away in an instant, revealing the large dragon in full.
Lyra's mythic magic spread out in a flood and washed away the fog cloud around the dragon. The creature however didn't even notice as her magic bounced off against its defenses.
Seeing the beast land closely to her, Meha gets a strike lined up just perfectly with her bow. Taking careful aim to hit the area already affected by the previous attacks, she lets an arrow fly, striking the creature just so behind the injured wing, with spurts of blood flying from the wound. Afterwards, Meha moves in with her rapier out, she manages to score another hit, catching the beast of guard with Moira catching the dragon between them. She had used a bit of burst from her wings, a smooth leather looking pair, similar to a dragons but more soft, with look as if it was harmless, yet supple and strong, befitting the snake tattoo that ran up her leg as far as the color went. The rainbow pattern simmered in the light, but once the dragon's wings covered it in shadows, it reflected back someone, showing a muted color that would be useful in moving silently through a night. "Close in! We can finish it quickly!"
Rose very carefully drifted through the air watched as the dragon soared in quickly, feeling a wave of horror wash over her as the massive white lizard and billowing cloud swirled around it. She bit her lip as she watched the clouded dragon collided with Domitian, before he took a rather powerful swing upon the creature. Anyone closer to the creature, she couldn't see through the billowing fog very well.
She frowned and moved to about twenty feet over the center of the cloud and watched as Lyra shouted some form of command and the cloud dispersed from around the dragon. Her eyes widened when she saw the glistening white dragon scales, smears of blood all over its hide, a wind maimed and useless. She pitied the creature.
She focused her spite upon it, feeling the dark magic as she always had from when she first experienced using it, and inflicted it upon the dragon. She cursed it with one of her hexes to make it more vulnerable to those attacks that needed heartiness, agility or strong-mindedness to protect themselves.
She then tapped into her potential, drawing on the same energy that had gifted them flight only days ago, and quickly pulling one of her catalysts out, she added another ingredient into the mix and hurled the potable flask down upon the creature.
As soon as the bottle crashed against the back of the dragon, there was a surge of flame erupting outwards and the creatures back had a patch upon it that continued to rage and burn.
As the party rained down attacks on the now visible dragon Rosa flies higher as she held a fragile swirling orb of pearlescent liquid that flashed with angry light. She tosses the orb once in her hand before throwing it underhanded at the creature's side. The orb sailed through the air, ignored and almost invisible in the chaos and violence on the ground. With a musical tinkle the orb fractured against the dragon's thick hide before vanishing in a flash of angry light and thunderous detonation.
The dragon roared weakly as alchemical fire ate into its side and staggered drunkenly away from the party, attempting to lift into flight with one useless wing dragging on the ground behind it. It made only three short hops before crashing against a stunted tree and landing on its burning side in a shallow puddle. The dragon's head came to rest on a small half buried boulder as it gasped it's last breath and stared at the party. "You...are...food..." it weakly rumbled in draconic before falling silent, it's chest still.
The puddle steamed as Rosa's alchemical fire was extinguished in the water.
Once Lyra saw that the dragon had crashed and stopped moving she flew into a divebomb straight at the dragon's head and flashed into the form of a small badger with purple fur. In an insane move the purple badger literally ran into the dead dragon's mouth and begin to dig, blood and tissue flying as it pushed its way down the dragon's throat. The corpse continued to twitch for several seconds as the furious purple badger burrowed in deeper and began to search back and forth, hopeful but frustrated and muted growls rumbling out from the immense white chest. It stilled before a savage growl erupted and the badger came out dragging something backwards in jerks.
Eventually the blood covered animal backed all the way from the mouth, dragging a dull, smokey, rough oblong crystal of some kind attached to several thick tissue fibers that had been torn. Once completely clear from the mouth the badger flashed with magic before shifting back into a fuming, blood covered Lyra. She wiped viscera from her face angrily before summoning a small rain cloud with a snap of her fingers.
As she washed the blood from her body she would explain. "That's a dragon's heart stone. It's a natural crystalline organ that forms in the breast area of every dragon and serves as the source of their magical powers. Unfortunately they are incredibly sensitive to the life force of the dragon and break down quickly after death. I wasn't fast enough this time."
Rose let the words of dragon's heart stone wash over her as she stares at her sister with a mix of awe and horror as she turned into a small furry creature and dove into the creatures maw.
"What on all that is lush and green was that? Have you lost your mind?" Her left eye twitched as she watched her sister claw her way back out, covered in gore and viscera and shift back, smearing the blood on her face in futility before showering off with conjured rain.
She sighed heavily, "It must be something powerful if you were that desperate to try and get it. You will never cease to amaze me." She gave a bit of a wry smile and a weak laugh still somewhat shocked from her sister's eccentric actions.
Having been ready to strike at the dragon again, she was caught off guard with how quickly they had over came it. Surely this dragon was much tougher than that? Or where all the legends on the best not true? Surely something was off, as she had heard tales of armies falling before them, yet here sat five people who had just taken on and defeated a dragon.
After Lyra comes out and explains what her digging around was for, Meha shakes her head at the silly woman. She had never heard of a heart stone, but maybe it was a human thing. She does offer " I would say we should try to get the parts we need from the body. Surely Moira could make it into something, and I know a few uses for its various body parts in some of my spells." She was thinking more in terms of some later high spells, but still, dragon parts were rare
As magic and fire rained down on the white dragon Moira ducked and came up with another arrow. Just as she finally had a good shot an explosion knocked it into the ground. It tried to limp away with one wing and extensive burns but only managed a few feet. Moira recognized a mortally wounded animals death throes and held the shot just in case some magic kicked in to save it. She lowered the bow as it gave it's dying breath. "Irony is I hear dragon meat is pretty good," she says.
She cautiously walked forward when Lyra divebombed down it's g~#%@@ned throat. She stared in surprise and disgust as she burrowed into the beast, making horrifying noises and causing the corpse to twitch. Then she popped out a few minutes later with some strange stone in tow and an odd explanation. Moira shook the image of Lyra digging through the corpse out of her head and decided that was better never dealt with. "If you enchanted my boot knife and told me where it was I could have cut it out in seconds probably," she stated matter-of-factually. She turns back to the cooling (actually it was probably warming since it was a white dragon) corpse approvingly. "Actually if one of you could that now I can get to work. Don't think regular steel is going to work," she says, mentally divvying up the body.
Dragon sinew should be good for a bow. Scales for armor. Teeth, claws, and horns for weapons. Maybe a laminated bow from the horn actually. Bet the leg meat tastes pretty good too.
Once the blood and viscera had been washed from her body Lyra would shake her hair out in strings, raking her fingers through to try and tame the mess. Grimacing irritatedly she gave up after a moment and just tied the mass of red back into a ponytail. She turns and watches as Moira stares at the dead beast, tallying and dividing the various body parts they could use for creating weapons and armor. She clicked her tongue in thought a few times while looking back and forth from the returning horses to the dragon, her eyes narrowing as she considered the creatures weight and how best to transport it.
"I have a better idea. Stay here and guard our kill while I return to the fort and retrieve my wagon. I can return to the fort in less than an hour and alert them to what we will be bringing back. I will return here before the moon crosses the midpoint of its arc and in the morning we can use magic to move the dragon to the wagon and process it back in the fort. What is better, butchering out here in the wild where the blood could attract the attention of scavengers or back behind the walls of the fort, where we have the tools and assistance needed to take full advantage of the creature?" She asked pointedly.
"Even if we load up all of the horses we will have to leave behind quite a lot. The wagon is more than capable to holding the entire dragon's weight."
Well there went their day of exploration. Moira wasn't too upset though. Not with a whole dragon's worth of materials to use. Without looking away from the corpse she says, "Tell him to get all the salt he can scrounge up too. Fresh dragon meat should be worth quite a bit in Restov." After mentally divvying up the body she approaches and fills a few vials with fresh dragon blood before too much of it leaked out or became tainted. She then got to work building a fire nearby to help drive off bugs and ward away scavengers.
Making a face at Moira and Lyra's apparent love of slaughter, Meha tries to find something to do. She asks anyone if they were seriously injured, and would heal them to full. Afterwards, she would take her horse and get it ready, before informing Moira and Rosa, " I am going to scout around us. I will not venture out to far, but perhaps it will lead me to some clue where this dragon came from. I find it odd we have heard no stories of it.
Lyra will nod at Moira before whistling loudly. Moments later Shirak and Mylee appear out of the wilderness and come near the druid, the young tiger rubbing her head against the druid's hands. She appeared to speak quietly to both of them for several moments Mylee fluttered her wings and flew off at once, the magical animal understanding instantly what her master wanted. Shirak took a few more minutes to understand, yawning in boredom as Lyra kneeled next to her and used her own vision to indicate the area of watch.
It took some time but eventually Shirak chuffed a few times before slinking off and vanishing into the tall grass. "The two of them will stay here and keep an eye on things for you. Stay safe!" Lyra said with a cheeky grin as her wings erupted from her back and she assumed a sprinting position. Taking a deep breath the druid launched into the air in a rush, her face set into determined grimace as she pushed her speed to it's ultimate.
Nothing seems to be attracted to the corpse of the dragon and it seemed to be warming very slowly, the grass and earth freezing where they touch the dragon. Every now and then Shirak would ghost through the clearing before vanishing into the grass again. Mehaila would find no signs of the dragon around them, the only clue to where it came from being the direction it attacked them from.
The party was able to set up camp without any problems and simple fare was served for dinner. Well before Lyra arrived at the campsite she would be visible for miles to the party, the wagon she was riding enchanted so the entire thing shined with light. She would tie the four horses pulling the wagon alongside the other mounts and eat a quick meal of rations before stumbling into the tent she shared with Rosa, asleep in seconds. Soon after the wagons enchantment ran out and everything dimmed to the pale illumination of the half-moon visible in the sky.
The next day dawned mostly clear in the low 50's with a moderate wind. After breakfast and breaking down the campsite Lyra would repeat her Mythic Enlarge Person spell on Moira who would have no problems lifting up the 2500 pound creature into the huge wagon that barely groaned under the weight. With the dragon tied down and covered with a canvas, extra horses would be have to be led by those already mounted as the creatures did not want to approach the corpse of the dead predator. With Lyra expertly controlling the team of four horses the party made good speed as the miles seemed to roll out behind them and before long the fort came into site.
It was obvious that the dragon had missed this place for whatever reason and the party was greeted by a construction of wood and rope that seemed upon closer inspection designed to hoist and hold something large and heavy into the air. With the aid of Oleg and all of the soldier's posted at the fort the party was able to haul the dead dragon up and make it very easy to process the body.
Rose clapped her hands at the suggestion from Lyra. "Sounds like a fantastic idea. I will assist Moira with trying to preserve the remains as best as we can until you return with the wagon and we can deal with the carcass proper."
She poked and prodded at the body a bit, taking some minor samples. She was unsure of what to do with dragon parts, but that still didn't stop her from thinking of plans of what she could use for her brews. At the very least she could try to brew some of it in her cauldron and see what could turn out.
She was elated at Moira's idea of a fire, placing some herbs to create a cloying smoke to assist in masking the scent of the fresh kill as much as she could as well. "It's not a perfect solution, but it should buy us ample time for her to get back."
Moira noticed the frozen grass near the dead dragon. It was strange. Sure it was a white dragon but how in the world was it still so cold? It was like a block of ice sitting on the ground. And yet when she poked it, it wasn't solid like ice. It was tough like scales should be. Weird. Either way, manhandling it without protection was a bad idea. She put some gloves on and got ready to move it with the others.
Then the world shrank.
Or to be more precise, she grew. By a lot. She was easily over 20ft tall now. "Woah," she said looking at her body and the comparatively tiny bodes of her companions. This, this was pretty cool. And not only that, the dragon seemed less like a giant carcass and more like a sack of potatoes. It still took an unladylike grunt of effort but she was able to move the whole thing by herself with only some slightly maneuvering from the others.With what little time she had left as a giant she swung her sword around and revealed in it's weight and the gusts of wind it produced from every swing.
Back at Oleg's she was surprised to see something rigged up and ready to hoist the dragon up for skinning and cutting. She took only a moment to look over the hanging dragon before getting to work. It was a little different than what she was used to skinning but the experience overlapped enough to give her an idea of how to proceed. She removed skin, horns, teeth, claws, bone, and meat. All useful and all valuable. Hardly anything was left but offal and waste. Moira looked at a the left overs and the useful bits. She felt like she was forgetting something.
"Oh. Right. Guess I need to worry about things like this now." She pulls out the little carved symbol of Erastil and says a small prayer for the dragon as she had seen her father do before. She then grabs a massive flank and walks to the fire pit. "Alright. Let's see what dragon tastes like."
While everyone else was doing something useful, Meha was left with nothing much to do. She was not able to help skin the dragon, nor did she really have many skills at the camp arts, as Rosa had proven to be the much better cook between the two of them. And while that didn't upset her too much, it did mean there were times that she felt she helped too little to her group. Sure, she was leading them now somewhat, but that didn't mean she shouldn't pull her weight. So while Lyra left and Moria and Rosa set up camp, she went off and scouted. And scouted. And until the time cme for her to return to the camp did she find nothing. Not even a scavenger. She came back to camp in an ill mood, and stayed mostly to herself.
This changed in the morning however, for while her prayers were muffled somewhat, the party knew how their cleric got her power. However, when she finally appeared, she said " I have the greatest idea! You will love it. How about we talk to the dead dragon? Does anyone have any questions?" And after a few moments she disappears again into her tent, for about and hour and a half. Upon her return, she seems a bit determined, but something had changed in her demeanor. She had a purpose as she strolled to the dragon's head, and muttering in Elven, the head suddenly comes awake, seemingly unhappy. She then speaks to it in common. " I have questions. Is your layer far to the east?" And after getting that answer, she would then ask a second question, this one making sense to her. " What is the best way to identify your layer? A faint glow of darkness was around her as she questioned the dragon, as the necromantic powers she was channeling were not always the most pleasant to use.
After getting the answers, she would walk away from the dragon, and lead the group back, discussing with them what was given to them.
The gloom surrounding Mehaila gave off a faint wail of tortured souls as it leached into the partially butchered corpse of the dragon, igniting pools of inky flames in it's eye sockets. The corpse shifted on the crossbar it was tied to, the wooden beams creaking loudly. The large head swung up and locked unholy vision on the elf, a rumbling chuckle bubbling up from it's eviscerated throat. "What lair? I have no lair. I am an innocent creature who was merely hungry. Instead the hunter has become the hunted!"
The dragon's voice lifted into bubbly laughter as the magic faded and the creature's soul drifted away back into the nether realms. Soon the shadow surrounding corpse and caster vanished.
Meha growls, as when the dragon was talking it was clear it had lied to them. She could guess now that the layer to the east was correct, but nothing else she could do would bring the corpse back enough for them to question it. After the gloom faded she swore about the dragon and a goat mating in Elven, before looking through her prayer book. After a moment she cast another spell, a more gentle and flowing spell, over the dragon's head. The skin seems to firm a bit, enough that it would preserve for some more days.
Rose hummed as she busied herself with various tasks to assist with their taking care of their kill they had earned. She watched Mehaila curiously as she decided to leave to scout the area and then return a bit later, seeming a bit unfulfilled. She wanted to say something to try and reassure her, until Mehaila cast magic upon the body of the slain dragon and gave temporary life to it. The grisly sight lifted itself up to allow it to speak, catching her by surprise and making her nervous of the now speaking creature. She only settled once more when it seemed to collapse, just as lifeless as it had been only moments prior. She quickly recomposed herself and continued to make herself useful to keep herself distracted from how foolish she felt. Every now and then her eyes straying over to it, unsure if it would remain still.
Once she was satisfied with what they had managed to gather, and that the body was not going to pop back up again, she helped the others get the body loaded to head back to Oleg's. She busied herself with her studies and working on her own skills and abilities after what they had just experienced together.
" I have the greatest idea! You will love it. How about we talk to the dead dragon? Does anyone have any questions?"
Moira opened her mouth argue but shut it soon after. She thought Mehaila had been talking about necromancy or revival. One would turn the thing into a monster and the other would mean another fight. Mehaila wasn't that dumb. So how were they going to talk to it? Curiousity got the better of her and so she waited. When the elf came back she cast a spell and Moira tensed, weapon ready. But the dragon didn't do more than move it's head. Like that was the only thing that had been revivified. Then Mehaila asked her question. The dragon responded. The magic faded.
Then Moira laughed.
She laughed long and hard too. All that work. All that build up. Just do the dragon could give them a giant middle claw from the grave. It was just so ridiculous she had to laugh. Then she looked at Mehaila and laughed some more as the elf cursed in her native tongue. Moira didn't know elven but the spite that came with the words was unmistakable. She was still giggling hours later even as she cut the head completely off. "I have no lair. *snrk*"
Meha was obviously not happy with the result of the spell. And then all the laughing from her compatriots made it all the worse. She was suppose to help lead them into adventure and all things wonderful, and here she was unable to get any good information from a dead creature. I mean sure, she could tell the dragon was lying, but that was it. So it had a lair somewhat hidden somewhere to the east.
However, as the night worn on she could continue to hear Moira giggle at her. After a bit she could see the humor, though her idea of what she wanted to do the dragon got worse. It would make a great story much later down, but for now she grumbled less serious, and more about placing dragons into a slop bucket and kicking them around. However, when the day was done, she would go back to sleep, selecting some spells she felt would be useful for the travel the next day. Baring no interruptions, she would use her commune time again, this time asking her two questions. The first question was if they should pursue the dragons lair, and if that was not a good idea, would traveling to the west bet better.
As the day wore on Rosa and Lyra could be seen in deep discussion in the corner of the fort, the two sisters arguing quietly for several hours. Finally it seemed Rosa relented as she reached into her pack and handed Lyra a bottle of glowing red liquid. Taking a deep breath the druid uncorked the bottle and drank it all at once, shuddering slightly at the tangy sourness as her body was flooded with a tremendous amount of power.
For the first time since the party had gotten together the normally self assured Lyra looked worried and chagrined at the same time as an eerie red glow surrounded her. Holding the empty bottle in one hand the red-haired short woman exclaimed a curse as her feet lifted off the ground and threatened to lift her into the sky. Only by grabbing the eve of one of the buildings could she arrest her ascent.
A moment later everyone would be subject to a strange sensation as a ripple of invisible power exploded out from the druid and subtly warped reality around her. All too soon everyone felt normal again and the magic winked out without warning, leaving a squeaking Lyra flapping her arms in alarm as she suddenly plummeted several feet before stopping in mid-air, her own flying abilities kicking in.
Landing she handed the bottle back to a exasperated Rosa and gave a meekish grin to the rest of the party before vanishing out of the fort to hid-....to see how the horses outside were faring.
That night Lyra would take responsibility for cooking the dragon meat into something delicious, chatting cheerfully with Svetlana as the two woman worked in almost perfect unison. The dragon haunch was tough meat that was stubborn to yield to Lyra and Svetlana's ministrations as they hit it with small hammers covered with dozens of blunt points.
Eventually Lyra got tired of the stubborn meat and took a deep breath, stepping back to take a deep breath. On a lark she decided to take this meal one step further and instilled a tiny fraction of the power sleeping inside, layering spells over the hammer and herself. She took a long draught of magically created mead before unleashing a powerful blow with a joyous "YA!" as she laid into the meat with wild abandon.
Two hours later the sweating Lyra finally was able to serve up several sizeable slabs of wonderfully dragon steaks, the best tasting meat that everyone in the party has ever had. The meat had a faint minty flavor that blended perfectly with the spices Svetlana had donated for the occasion.
Hearing a ruckus in the kitchen, Moira stepped in to investigate. She took one stunned look at Lyra violently beating the dragon meat with wild abandon before slowly sliding back out. As she walked away her surprise turned to laughter. "Beating her meat. There is something there. Wish it was a giant clam instead." She sniggered as she walked back to the dragon.
Over the next two days she continued cutting and dissecting the body, learning new things about dragon anatomy. Lyra did a lot of damage on the way through but thankfully most of that was waste and offal anyway. It's heart was enormous and strong. "Guess it'd have to be for something so big," she said hefting the massive organ. She tried to take a bite but it was far too tough which explained Lyra's antics the day before. In the afternoon's she practiced her archery, aiming not just for the dummy that had been set up, but for the weak spots in the neck, arms, and groin that were typically hard to cover. She also practiced putting her full body weight behind a swing while maintaining precision, mostly by chopping wood at full strength. The logs that went into the hearth those days looked very odd indeed.
Rose pouted, but she had to relent to her sister's point of view. She released one of her precious concoctions and winced as Lyra downed the entire bottle of the rich crimson liquid. Between watching her sister lift off the ground, expel some kind of unique power, and then flap like a madman before stopping just above the ground, her face was a mixture of horror and amusement which conveyed neither very well. She did however insist upon the return of the bottle that once held the strange brew that Lyra had quaffed.
Later she wanted to assist Lyra and Svetlana in the kitchen, but there was a thing as 'too many cooks' and her stews were satisfactory at best. She decided to let the other two more experienced cooks take the lead in preparing the meal with more justice than just stepping it in gravy and spices. The wet smacking sounds and Moira's laughter as she left the kitchen area, left Rose curious, but not enough so to get up and interrupt the meal preparations.
When it arrived though, she could feel herself salivate. She didn't usually eat a lot of large cut meat, but seeing the dragon steaks was a meal too appealing to pass up. She savored every bite that she had, and realized why it could be considered a rare delicacy.
As the cooks worked on the meal, Meha came back, still in a foul mood, but at least she kept it to herself. However, things changed as the smells and sights of the kitchen finally came into play. She eventually comes around, joking with some of the others who pop in and out, but it was clear her previous failure was still on her mind.
When the food was ready, she thanked Lyra and Svetlana for their work, and started to eat. It was in fact very well made and everything about it made sense to her mouth. She had been to some fancy parties with her parents back home, but nothing like this was ever served, being how hard it was to find a dragon that attacked people. She did want more, but after getting full after two servings she had to get up and walk away. She took a trip outside that night, and stared off into the distance, trying to plot out their next course. Looking to the west where the tree of souls laid, and the river gave her an idea.
The next day she started to formulate her idea, while training. She split her training into time working on closing the distance after she fired a bow shot, hoping to see if it gave her an advantage in combat after a ranged attack. After doing that in the morning, she would try her hand at enchanting and making small trinkets, similar to the bottles of everlasting wine she had seen at feast. However, while she made progress, nothing outside of her daily commune seemed to go well, and even it was giving her little to work with.
On the third night, she got the girls together and said " We are going west, and starting with the river, following it down. Remember the river near our tree? It started somewhere, so let us find it. Knowing how far and perhaps how deep will let us see if we can set up shipping areas." Barring no one disagreeing, she would get them up and early on the fourth morning, having everything she knew to pack saddled on her horse, ready to go to the start of the river.
The morning the party was set to leave they found a man who arrived before they awoke waiting for them, an empty bowl and half filled mug of coffee sitting in front of him. He waved the party over to share his table and waited patiently. When they get close they can see a middle aged human male with lanky brown hair grown to his shoulders and eyes of the same color. He was lean with a body of one used to the rigors of the wild, clothed in worn leather armor and an amulet of Erastil hanging from his neck. "I hear you are the ones chartered to explore this section of the Stolen Lands? Jhod Kavken, recently of Galt. I was hoping you could help me with something."
He turned on the bench to face the party directly. "I know there is a temple of Erastil lost somewhere in the forest and guarded by a monstrous bear of some kind. I don't know where these ruins are but I feel a powerful draw to the forests south of us and I know they lie within the lands stated in your charter. If you should stumble across any such locations I would greatly appreciate if you tell me. If you require any aid I would be happy to join you in your journeys; if not I will remain here and offer my spellcasting services."
Rose heard Mehaila's suggestion as well as the one proposed by Jhod as well. They both sounded like interesting prospects, and she liked doing both if they could, so long as either one didn't particularly have a deadline for completion.
She quietly stood to one side, lowering her voice. "Thoughts? I know you wished to go west, Mehaila. Do you mind if we delay that for just a little while longer? Or is the need pressing?"
She bit her lip softly, not really having a strong feeling towards either of them. New directions meant more chances for rare herbs and materials at the very least either way. She crossed her arms and gave Jhod a warm smile as she listened for what the others would say, if anything.
Moira rose the next morning, planning to get back to practice. But when she opened the door to the bunk she hesitated. After weeks of seeing only the same few people her at Oleg's it was odd to see someone new. And apparently he was waiting for them. She sat down with the rest and listened to his story leaving the talking to the others while she ate. As he spoke she slowly stopped eating, starring at him intently. She looked down and slowly removed the wooden pendant of Erastil and starred at it. This...didn't feel like a coincidence.
Recently she had been feeling a little useless. With so much magical power being thrown around, her mundane weapons didn't feel like they were making much of a difference. She felt like she was loosing her edge. A scavenger picking at the left overs after the others did the heavy lifting. She had only put one arrow in the dragon before the others just exploded it. And now she had a whole carcass worth of materials for very little effort. If she didn't challenge herself, how was she supposed to grow? To get stronger? This felt like that challenge.
"Hey. If we go south?" Moira starts more reserved than she normally was. "And if we find this temple? And we find some strange bear guarding it? Do...I'd like to handle it myself. Alone. I feel like this is a challenge specifically for me. A test."
Lyra blinked at Moira's sudden meekness and a huge smile spreads across her face as she listens to the larger woman's words. She shook her head as she reached forward and placed her hands on one of Moira's larger ones, squeezing gently. "Not alone my friend. While I do not follow the teachings of The Hunter I know of them. He is the protector of rural communities and teaches that above all else is the family and then the community. He does not need glory from his champions, merely that they get the job done. We are your community and we will not let you face that darkness alone. Learn to trust us, learn to rely on us and you will begin to truly understand what He is teaching."
Moira looks down at the dainty little hand on hers. So much power in such a fragile looking limb. Proof that strength comes in all forms. "Yeah," she says, pulling the hand away, "that's the problem." She squares her shoulders and stands a little straighter. Pity was not an emotion she was used to and certainly didn't want to get used to it now. "Truth is this isn't about Erastil. It's about me. I don't feel like I've contributed enough in these last few battles and I feel like I am getting rusty. Loosing my edge. He may be about community but that community needs to support itself through the hunt." She looks around at the weary faces and thinks maybe that wasn't selling it enough. "If you still want to help can we at least do this without magic? I mean what average community can just blast all their problems with fire from the next hill over?"
The short woman was silent for several long seconds as she mulled over Moira's suggestion. Finally she came to a decision and shook her head as she stood, swinging her colorful jacket around her shoulders while she moved away from the table. "If you want to fight the monster with just your muscles, feel free. Magic is my passion, my study and my life and I will not abandon a useful tool. However I will allow you to fight unaided until it seems as if you will fall. Then honor be damned, we will put that creature down anyway we can."
Done with the conversation and visibly irritated Lyra moved off with her pack and began to pack her horse.
Rose gave a bit of a smile and a wave to Moira. "I understand what you wish to do, and I agree with Lyra. Don't push yourself too hard and become a martyr." She then walks off with a bit of a bounce in her step towards the same direction that Lyra headed.
She leaned heavily onto her trusty staff, fingers playing over the grooves that the runes upon it made. "You don't approve?" She asked, fully expecting Lyra's answer or lack thereof. She know what Moira was asking could be very dangerous. "I understand she wants to prove herself..." She gazed off into the forest, letting her words hang on the wind.
Meha shakes her head, but instead of dismissing, or trying to pursade Miora from her path, she simply says " You are not alone, and will not fight alone. However, you must walk the darken stoops alone. I can understand the need for some things to be done by yourself. But remember a good thief also has friends to help them out on bigger jobs. We shall await close by, and I will heal you before you die. But IF you want us to wait..... we can wait." Those words left her lips, but it was clear that Meha was more inclined to Lyra's viewpoint by her tone. She did not wish to lose anyone to pride, but sometimes it was needed.
She then goes and makes sure her pack is ready, and nods to Jhod. Talking to him aside as the group made its final preparations, " I do not see why you can not come, but you will be expected to help out however best you can. However, this path south seems to b our course, and we, or rather Moira, seems she will defeat your monstrous creature for you." With that said, she checks on the group, and if all were ready, she would lead the party of four south, with her in the lead.
"I'm good with that," Moira said as Lyra walked away. Part of her wished they wouldn't interfere but that was dumb. A good hunter took every advantage they had and stacked the deck against whatever they were hunting. But they also pushed their limits constantly so when things didn't go their way they had more to give. You could push your limits and you could do it safely. It was good to know they had her back. With her physique, she usually intimidated both male and female friends. She wasn't use to having some yet. It was weird feeling like the weak link.
Speaking of not being dumb, she walked over to Oleg and asked, "Apparently we're going bear hunting. Got any traps?"
Traps bought and plans made the party set out in relatively good spirits. Lyra was visibly irritated with Moira's idea and it was clear she had no patience for 'silly' things like honor when it got in the way of survival. She spent most of the journey that first day slightly apart from the group, talking quietly with her sister as she eyed the land around them, keeping watch.
The day was extremely cold and blustery as the first signs of the changing seasons became evident with a flock of geese flying overhead towards the north. Despite the freezing temperatures the plants and animals around them seemed untouched by the frigid air and remained unfrozen and lively. Sooner than expected the group found themselves deep in the forest, the old trees cutting down on the frigid wind as Lyra spoke to the group as a whole, providing them in-depth knowledge of how to shield themselves from the cold.
Before the sun began to dip too low the group unexpectedly found themselves entering the clearing of the living Tree they had planted, miles further south then they should be. Within the obviously magical glade of the now four foot tall Tree the temperature was a cool 50 degrees, much warmer then the sub-zero temperatures out on the plains. While the forest grew darker around them the glade remained lit with a soft illuminance and everyone would feel a sense of extreme peace and calm flow deep into their bones, relieving the exhaustion and stiffness of the day's journey.
As the group went south, Meha would notice the small things like the small animals and other things that nature held. Some of it was still a bit foreign to her, and as the weather grew worse she shivered. She was a fan of the cold when it meant having someone to share it with, and a warm fire, and spiced wines. This however was a much colder and windy than she was used to, her clothing built for protection and travel more so than elements. She would huddle into herself somewhat, cursing that she could not retrieve her sleeping blanket without taking everything off her horse.
Once they got to the living tree however, Meha was confused. She looks to Lyra and ask " Did you move us along any? Like any magical aid? We should not be this far south. Did I take us down the wrong path?" While the first words seemed normal, the last question posed showed a little into how Meha took a leadership roll, yet was not completely sure of her choices. She took out a copy of the map they had, and while everyone else was busy, she would measure and mutter, clearly confused how they got to where they were. This eased up after a while, as she then helped to make camp with everyone else.
Lyra looked just as confused as Mehaila and pulled out her own magical map, her eyes going wide when it showed the distance they had traveled in one day. She let the scroll close with a snap and closed her eyes, dragging her fingers gently over her eyes while she chanted a minor dweomer that allowed her to see magic. When she opened them they were covered in a glowing geometric lines that formed a pattern within a perfect circle.
What she saw made the short woman gasp in amazement, her head swiveling left and right as she tried to take it all in. "It's a mana storm! There is so magic present in the atmosphere right now that it's affecting the weather. We are surrounded by torrents of pure magic right now!" she said, her voice tight with excitement and her body posture almost giddy.
She calmed down suddenly and her look of excitement was replaced by one of worry. "No magic tonight. Do not cast even a single cantrip or you risk our lives. Mana storms are wild and unpredictable and can react very badly to spells. No fire either, even something as simple as a campfire can be empowered by a mana storm and the two will combine into a raging firestorm that scours a region down to the rock."