"Well, yes. What's your point?"
"How much like her mother does she look when she's in her dragon form? If you've got my memories, you'd know what Ryleh looks like..."
"So... what happened to Jiminy in the garden wasn't him messing with reality?"
"Nope, just him losing control of his form."
"Are you suggesting that I try to impersonate my mother and tell myself that I'm a dragon?"
"I'm not sure if it would work..."
"Are you suggesting that I try to impersonate my mother and tell myself that I'm a dragon?"
"I'm not sure if it would work..."
"I could try hypnotism. It's only worked twice before, but it did work."
"But if you're going to turn into a dragon, could you go outside first?"
"Are you suggesting that I try to impersonate my mother and tell myself that I'm a dragon?"
"I'm not sure if it would work..."
"Well, wishes can have odd loopholes, and since their wording has to be so precise, there almost always are loopholes in them. Would the worse that could happen be her passing out again?" he asks, looking over at Aananda still out cold in the chair.
"Are you suggesting that I try to impersonate my mother and tell myself that I'm a dragon?"
"I'm not sure if it would work..."
"I could try hypnotism. It's only worked twice before, but it did work."
"But if you're going to turn into a dragon, could you go outside first?"
"On which one of us?"
She giggled. "Of course I'll go outside first. I'd look pretty silly all crammed into your kitchen."
"Well, wishes can have odd loopholes, and since their wording has to be so precise, there almost always are loopholes in them. Would the worse that could happen be her passing out again?" he asks, looking over at Aananda still out cold in the chair."Are you suggesting that I try to impersonate my mother and tell myself that I'm a dragon?"
"I'm not sure if it would work..."
"No, you're right. It's worth trying. And yes, that's the worst that would happen to her. It's devastating if it happens in a situation where people are attacking, but here and now, it will do no real harm."
"No, you're right. It's worth trying. And yes, that's the worst that would happen to her. It's devastating if it happens in a situation where people are attacking, but here and now, it will do no real harm."
"Then let's, um, go out to the garden then. As long as the wards are up, no one will see anything but some people standing around talking."
Opening the door, Ryo holds it open so the others may pass.
Tam carefully picks up the unconscious Aananda and heads out into the garden, looking for a bench to seat both of themselves upon.
Walking out into the garden, it's easy to see why Adsila was so angry about the plants outside the wards growing and dying so unnaturally.
The Garden comes in sections, on each for vegetables, fruits, flowers, vines, berries, and trees and grasses. Each is arranged in such a way as to please the eyes, and to compliment the one next to it. Potted plants are arranged on and above the ground, swaying slightly in a breeze that brings the scent of mountain air and the image of a crisp field to mind.
Walking out as well, the older Ryo points out a strange plant that looks like a bench to the younger Tamrin. It grows larger as he sits down and looks at Tamrin, though strangely his face is still hidden from veiw.
"Adsila made it so a lot of people could sit next to each other."
He glances in the direction of his younger self.
"This is going to be interesting, the second time the younger me used hypnotism, he made himself stronger by using a silvered knife to hypnotize himself. You remember that, right? It worked out quite well for us if I remember."
"Interesting is an undestatement," she muttered.
"Okay. Here goes nothing."
As she spoke her form blurred and shifted, growing considerably larger. Wings sprouted from her back and scales made of purple crystal formed over her entire body. In a surprisingly short time the transformation was complete, an adult amethyst dragon standing in the garden waiting expectantly.
"Interesting is an undestatement," she muttered.
"Okay. Here goes nothing."
As she spoke her form blurred and shifted, growing considerably larger. Wings sprouted from her back and scales made of purple crystal formed over her entire body. In a surprisingly short time the transformation was complete, an adult amethyst dragon standing in the garden waiting expectantly.
Momentarily stunned by the sight of Aananda turning into a dragon in front of him, Cc Ryo places a card on the ground and steps over it. the earth below rises to bring him to eye level with the purple eyes so similar to Ruji's. He shudders before he steels himself and his eyes start to glow.
"Call up all the memories of your mother that you have, good and bad. I need something to work off of if this is has any chance of working. Think of nothing else save the need to tell Aananda what she is."
A faint line of energy comes from Cc Ryo's eyes, connecting him to Aanandareavekki's as he begins.
"When we finally located her hoard there were journals...well, after a fashion. Ancient recording devices that she had used. That's all the contact with her I've ever had. The only time I saw her myself she was already gone. But I'll do my best."
She focuses as much as she can on the memories of the images within the recorder, the sound of her mother's voice. Her memories were remarkably clear, though that wasn't surprising considering how many times she had watched the recordings.
Following Ryo's instructions as best she could, she looked over at her younger self and concentrated on the need to tell her that she was a dragon.
My other option was to use Thought and Illusion to recreate the memory of Aananda learning she's a dragon. Oh, and shouldn't someone wake up the sleeping dragon before Ruji goes all crouching tressym?
Watching from a window on the second level of the house, Razule pales as he watches the lady that looks like Aananda turn into a gem dragon.
My other option was to use Thought and Illusion to recreate the memory of Aananda learning she's a dragon. Oh, and shouldn't someone wake up the sleeping dragon before Ruji goes all crouching tressym?
My other option was to use Thought and Illusion to recreate the memory of Aananda learning she's a dragon. Oh, and shouldn't someone wake up the sleeping dragon before Ruji goes all crouching tressym?
Drawing on the rather vivid memory of his meeting with Ryleh, Tam quickly weaves together some powerful illusion magic, making Aanandareavekki look larger, her scales darker, her facets and frills larger and more ornate. Her voice is deepened, and her eyes become more like pools of liquid amethyst, as older dragons' eyes are wont to do when they get older.
Tying the parmameters of the spell's function to Aanandareavekki's own movement and speech, he finishes the casting and nods.
"Okay - now I think we can do this. I hope it works."
He gently shakes Aananda, holding an arm around her shoulder to support her.
"Aananda? Wake up....um, there's somebody here who wants to talk to you..."
"Huh...wha-" she muttered slowly waking up. Then she sat bolt upright, her eyes wide.
"Dragon. Really big dragon." she said, frightened.
"Huh...wha-" she muttered slowly waking up. Then she sat bolt upright, her eyes wide.
"Dragon. Really big dragon." she said, frightened.
Tam does his best to hold onto her.
"Yeah - big dragon. She doesn't mean us any harm, but she has asked to speak to you specifically. It might help us with our current...problems."
"You have nothing to fear from me, child," the dragon said, as reassuringly as was possible.
"I need to speak with you, and some of what I have to say will be difficult for you to accept. I had thought there was so much more time, but I was wrong."
She lowered her head to put herself more on the same level as Aananda.
"Many years ago, shortly after Agartha was made, the leader of a holy order made a prophecy about a gem dragon, specifically an amethyst dragon, being responsible for the end of our world. The accuracy of this prophecy is extremely debatable, but this order has been at war with our kind ever since. The most recent leader, his order having dwindled to almost nothing and facing the end of his life, came up with a brilliant plan. He decided to appeal to the greed of others, placing a bounty on dragon eggs. A very high bounty. There were already so few of us left. The few younglings that did hatch were slaughtered so that men could build their own treasure hoards. At the end, there was only one dragon and a single clutch of eggs left. A grown dragon can hide from men indefinitely. I can swim through earth that they must dig slowly through. I can hear them coming long before they arrive, and I can see in the dark where they cannot. But a hatchling is vulnerable, unable to protect itself or flee from its attackers. There was only one way left to protect these children, the last of our kind. Seven baby dragons. Each one was protected with the use of a wish spell. One was transformed into an elf and placed within an elven village. Their respect for life and love of all children led them to take the child in without questioning where he came from. One was transformed into a halfling and placed with a family of merchants. One was transformed into a gnome, and three were transformed into dwarves, their affinity for earth serving them well in that environment. And the last two were transformed into humans and left on the doorstep of a monastery known for taking in foundlings. All but the two human children are dead now, murdered by the human boy in exchange for dark powers. You must beware of him, Aananda'reavekki. Your brother has given himself over to evil completely and wants your blood to add to his strength."
"I know this is a lot to take in. But you have to understand. You have to accept. I haven't got much time. You are not the human girl you appear to be. You are a dragon. An amethyst dragon. I wish I had more time to explain to you everything that means. But I release you now from any restrictions the wish spell once placed upon you. You will never really lose your human form. Transformation is not common among our kind, but you and your brother are exceptions to that rule. More than any of the others were or would have been. Some part of you will always be human and thus you will always be able to change back and forth between. But do not turn your back on the part of you that is not. You ARE a dragon. Whether you wish to be or not."
Aananda's eyes were wide, and her mouth moved as if she were trying to say something but no words came out. She looked completely stunned.
"No, that can't be right. It can't," she said at last, her voice rising in panic.
"How many of the monks could shoot out a line of force in battle? Any of them? You know that it was only you who could do that. And Chan, but he hid his abilities. Because they always gave you such grief when you used yours. That is your breath weapon, child. You have been using your draconic abilities all this time because you cannot help being what you are. I know it is hard to accept, but you must. You can no longer afford the luxury of ignorance. I'm sorry."
"B-b-b-b-breath weapon?" Aananda looked like she didn't know if she should cry or scream. She was trembling violently.
The large dragon sighed. "She believes it now. She doesn't want to, and it will take her some time to come to terms with it, but she believes it. You can drop the illusion now."
Once the illusion is gone, she transforms back into a human woman.
"I'm sorry. I had to impersonate our mother in order to be able to tell you the truth. There were conditions on the wish spell that made it so that only she could tell you. We found a loophole. I'll gladly answer any questions you have, but I'm guessing right now you need a minute."
"Why don't the rest of us go back inside now and give her a little space."
After ending the spell, and against what should probably be his better judgment right now , Tam does his best to hold onto Aananda, trying to keep her shaking to a minimum.
The large dragon sighed. "She believes it now. She doesn't want to, and it will take her some time to come to terms with it, but she believes it. You can drop the illusion now."
Once the illusion is gone, she transforms back into a human woman.
"I'm sorry. I had to impersonate our mother in order to be able to tell you the truth. There were conditions on the wish spell that made it so that only she could tell you. We found a loophole. I'll gladly answer any questions you have, but I'm guessing right now you need a minute."
"Why don't the rest of us go back inside now and give her a little space."
"That includes you," Tamrin calls out as he drops a Deeper Darkness on Razule's window to cut off his view. :)
"This doesn't make any sense. I don't feel not human? How can I not be human? I....I had claws. Really big claws. And scales, and wings, and I don't understand. How can I be a dragon and not know I'm a dragon. It's the kind of thing you should know about yourself, don't you think? Well, I sure think so. Is that why everybody always thinks I'm weird? Because I'm not human, I'm some kind of monster..." she babbled in a panicked, nearly incoherent way as her mind tried to come to terms with this new information. Her shaking does decrease as Tam holds her tight, but she's obviously not having an easy time coming to terms with this new information.
"This doesn't make any sense. I don't feel not human? How can I not be human? I....I had claws. Really big claws. And scales, and wings, and I don't understand. How can I be a dragon and not know I'm a dragon. It's the kind of thing you should know about yourself, don't you think? Well, I sure think so. Is that why everybody always thinks I'm weird? Because I'm not human, I'm some kind of monster..." she babbled in a panicked, nearly incoherent way as her mind tried to come to terms with this new information. Her shaking does decrease as Tam holds her tight, but she's obviously not having an easy time coming to terms with this new information.
Tam manages to turn her around to face him as he's holding on to her. He does his best to keep up with her words - nodding, shaking his head, getting in the odd word or two. The monster comment gets a more animated reaction from him though.
"You are NOT a monster, Aananda. You are you - no more, no less. Don't you ever call yourself that again," he says with a pained expression on his face.
After a silent moment, he tries to lighten the mood by smiling and says: "But weird I'll give you - I can't argue with that at all...and I for one wouldn't have it any other way." :)
"You really don't think I'm a monster?" she asked nervously, watching his reaction very carefully. "I mean, that's how a lot of people see dragons. I....I'm not sure what I am anymore."
"I've always tried so hard to be more normal, to be accepted, but I can't do it....I guess I know why now."
"You really don't think I'm a monster?" she asked nervously, watching his reaction very carefully. "I mean, that's how a lot of people see dragons. I....I'm not sure what I am anymore."
"I've always tried so hard to be more normal, to be accepted, but I can't do it....I guess I know why now."
"You are accepted, Aananda - by the people who should matter to you. Anybody else can either get on board with that or get lost frankly," he says emphatically.
"And I really don't think you're a monster," he says again as he lets go of her and puts his hands on her cheeks, gently cradling her face.
"You are one of the most generous and selfless people I've met - two traits that I don't normally associate with monsters...or even dragons, for that matter. So you're a dragon with the mannerisms of a human woman - what does that make you? If you have to ask, then the answer is 'unique'. And there's nothing wrong with that at all."
He pulls in closer to her, his face just a few inches away. Aananda sees a bit of hesitation on his face, but it washes away as he appears to make some kind of decision, and he whispers with a wistful smile:
"Nothing. At. All."
She visibly calmed as he spoke. It mattered to her more than it probably should that he didn't see her as a monster. She ought to keep her distance. That's what the Masters had taught her. No attachments. But she was pretty sure it was way too late for that. Maybe it was time to just let that part of her life go. She smiled weakly back, still too churned up emotionally to smile freely.
Hopeful that the worst was past, he lets out small sigh.
"Alright. Did you need a few minutes? With everybody else out of here, this garden seems like a pretty good place to calm and center oneself, and I can go wait inside if you need to do that..."
SHe let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, I guess I do need a bit to collect myself before I start asking future me questions. Lots and lots of question."
She stood up. "And Tam? What you said before about attachments not being a bad thing...you were right."
SHe let out a shaky breath. "Yeah, I guess I do need a bit to collect myself before I start asking future me questions. Lots and lots of question."
She stood up. "And Tam? What you said before about attachments not being a bad thing...you were right."
He chuckles as he gets up.
"Well, it took me a long time to learn that, so don't think I'm any great font of wisdom or anything. It's been one of the few drawbacks to travelling as much as I do."
"I'll be inside if you need me, then," he says, then looks around the garden briefly before returning his gaze to her.
"I'll be inside if you need me, then," he says, then looks around the garden briefly before returning his gaze to her.