"The bubbles will be safe. Even when they pop the garden will catch her safely." The Headmaster explains. "She'll be fine. Now you have your classes picked out, yes? If so, I'll explain what the event is and why it's being held."
"Well then, sit down, have some food, and listen for a bit."
"About a week ago the sky changed. I'm sure you've noticed, considering the other students that can fly have told me that the winds feel different now. The sky changed back to what it was originally: open. Agartha wasn't always a closed planet. it was turned inside out to protect refugees of a war from being killed for not choosing sides."
"When the sky changed, it was because a descendant of those refugees didn't want to be, and I'll use the word he probably would, trapped anymore. So he reversed what his ancestors did, deconstructed the old wards protecting us and rebuilt them, and opened up travel between us and out allies. We're still safe, but there is a chance our ancient enemies could still find us."
"Which is why I am hosting the event I have named War. It's a way to prepare the students for a possible attack from the Empire, and to get them to work together in a group to fight a common foe. There are four Kingdoms in this event, and you'll be put into one randomly. With luck or time, you'll meet the descendants of the refugees from long ago. Any questions?"
:
"There were the refugees, and then there were there allies. You and I are descendants of the allies. The refugees... were dragons. Amethyst dragons who wouldn't no part in war between the other two dragon species."
"Wait, what? I thought dragons were just something in stories....they're real?!....and one of them turned the world inside out?! .....geez, and I thought finding out I had an older sister was a lot to take in."
"If you would like to meet one before you join the war, that can be arranged. She is the current History of Agartha substitute teacher and pretty good at helping our security. I'd like to point that the dragons I'm talking about are not the ones from the legends you might have heard. Those legends were created by the assassins sent by the other two dragon species, in order to turn their own allies against them over the course of several generations."
"Ummmm.....well, I was wondering how you could keep so many students in line, but now that I know that there are dragons on the teaching staff," she quipped, trying to hide her nerves with humor. "Stop whimpering, Ignace."
"But I'm scared. Teachers are scary enough if I don't have to worry about them wanting to eat me for dinner."
"First, she won't eat you. As far as I know she doesn't like spicy food. Second, because of those legends I mentioned, it wasn't until just now that the ones in the war decided to reveal that they were dragons. It was all a big secret until now. They are quite nice if you take the time to get to know them."
"I don't think Ignace is going to believe a word of it unless she sees for herself. I'm not sure I can. I....there are different kinds of dragons? How can you tell the difference? Why is one type more credible than the others? Did our ancestors really trust them as allies? Why? Were the other kinds of dragons you talked about like the ones in the stories? If it's been such a secret why are you telling people now? Because the sky changed? Because the other dragons are coming? Are we going to be attacked? Do you not know?" As soon as she started talking the questions just kept pouring out without stopping.
"Calm down. There are three different kinds of true dragons. Gem, metallic, and chromatic. Gems dragons have the subspecies crystal, amethyst, sapphire, topaz, and emerald. The ameythst dragons made this world. We were allies with them because we didn't agree with the way the metallic(gold, silver, brass, bronze, and copper) or the chromatic(red, green, blue, black, and white) dragons were running things. There is a blue dragon and a black dragon here too, but they are special cases and on our side."
"They decided to tell people know because they are about to have children of their own, and do not want them to have to hide what they are anymore, especially in this school, where I have tried to explain that things like race or social standing have no meaning. The sky changing was just what made them realize that."
::Ryleh, would you like to meet some of Avalon's newest students? You may join too, if you want, Aananda. One seems to think she'd make a tasty snack, and is rather frightened at the prospect.::
::I would, but I'm in the middle of some calibrations right now. Mother will have to handle this one on her own.::
::I will be right there.::
A few minutes later Ryleh walked into the cafeteria at a dignified pace, her hands tucked into her large sleeves.
"Greetings. I don't suppose that I will have the pleasure of having any of these new arrivals in my class?"
Ignace hid behind Raelle when Ryleh walked in and she carefully peered out from behind her sister.
"You don't look like a dragon," she said doubtfully.
She turned to the Headmaster. "She doesn't look like a dragon," she said, a bit miffed, thinking that perhaps he was playing a prank on them.
"And at the moment, you don't like like a bird made of flame, do you?" The Headmaster asks Ignace.
"Ryleh, this is Raelle, Ignace, and Chara." He points to each of them in turn. "They are Fieri's half-sisters, and new students here at Avalon, like Kattie here. You'll likely have all of them in your class at one point or the other."
"Girls, this is Professor Ryleh, one of Avalon's resident dragons and history teachers. She's quite good at her job, since she was alive for most of history."
"Grandma!" The Three exclaim, swarming around her quickly. "We can skate now!"
Ryleh chuckled. "Yes, I see that. You are all fast learners. I bet you will learn even more before the day is through. You'll have to tell me all about it when I come to read to you later."
"It is a pleasure to meet the rest of you. Though I do believe Ryo is exaggerating somewhat. I am only a little over six hundred years old. That hardly qualifies as most of history," she said, dryly.
"If it will make you feel better, Ignace, I can show you what I look like as a dragon, but you will all have to give me quite a bit of room. Dragons never stop growing, and after six centuries I have gotten fairly big."
Once the children had backed away a sufficient distance, Ryleh shifted into her dragon form. She lowered her head so that it was right in front of Ignace and Raelle.
::Do I look enough like a dragon to you now?::
::Ryo, you may wish to go and deal with the kitchen staff for a moment. I do believe one of them just fainted.::
::Of course. Probably should have told the staff after the students were away anyway. I fear we'll lose more staff members though.:: The Ryo broadcasts before getting up and going to explain kitchen staff that the reason some of the students can eat so much is because they are dragons, and that no, they have nothing to fear from them at all.
Ignace stood staring at Ryleh, petrified with fear.
Chara's eyes were wide with amazement as she looked at the enormous dragon that now filled the cafeteria.
"Can you really fly? Can you take us for a ride? Is it okay if I touch your scales? Wow, you weren't kidding when you said you were big!"
::Yes, I can fly. No, not until my daughter finishes that saddle design she's been working on. I don't want to drop anyone. Yes, you may touch my scales as long as you don't try to pull them out,:: she said patiently, amused by Chara's enthusiasm.
::I will not harm you. Nor will I allow you to come to harm while you are under my protection, little one,:: she said gently to Ignace.
"I-if you've been around for six hundred years how come everyone thinks that dragons are a myth? Why were you hiding?" Raelle asked, looking at Ryleh with trepidation.
::It is a very long story, but mostly to protect the young ones from the assassins. It didn't work. My daughter and her children are the only others of my kind remaining besides me. Although soon there will be more little ones, and this makes me glad. I am not certain that coming into the open is a good idea, but they insisted and so all I can do is protect them as best I can.::
::I am not certain that coming into the open is a good idea, but they insisted and so all I can do is protect them as best I can.::
“She is quite good at it.” Ryo says as he returns from the kitchens. “Even the thought of her being angry sent a chill through me once.”
::I am not certain that coming into the open is a good idea, but they insisted and so all I can do is protect them as best I can.::“She is quite good at it.” Ryo says as he returns from the kitchens. “Even the thought of her being angry sent a chill through me once.”
"I can see why."
"Your scales are really smooth. And I like the way the light shines through them," Chara said, delighted to have the opportunity to examine a dragon up close. "They look like stones so I thought it would feel cold, but it's really warm."
“As far as I know all gem dragon scales are like that. Having only met amethyst ones and not the other kinds, I don't really know.”
::I have not met the other kinds either. I was hatched in Agartha.::
::Raelle, Ignace, I know this is a lot to take in, but I promise you that we mean you no harm. Quite the opposite. Take your time, get to know us better, form your own opinion on the matter. Just know that you are not in danger from us.::
Ryleh shifted back to her human form. "And now I think it's time that the girls joined the rest of the students. I will be happy to play with the little ones in the garden if they would like."
Vai was not fitted with a saddle... a little rudimentary, but it was comfortable, and it had places both on top and underneath where Kitty could latch on and perch. Kitty could now cover Vai's blindspots during a fight, and the pair were getting better at co-ordinating movements. It was hard for Vai to always remember there was someone flying with her.
At this time, the pair was patrolling the border on the Island Kingdom, flying high, almost up in the clouds. The wind was pretty fierce at this height, and so Vai called back to her partner. "You okay back there?"
Vai was not fitted with a saddle... a little rudimentary, but it was comfortable, and it had places both on top and underneath where Kitty could latch on and perch. Kitty could now cover Vai's blindspots during a fight, and the pair were getting better at co-ordinating movements. It was hard for Vai to always remember there was someone flying with her.
At this time, the pair was patrolling the border on the Island Kingdom, flying high, almost up in the clouds. The wind was pretty fierce at this height, and so Vai called back to her partner. "You okay back there?"
"Yeah, I'm fine," Kitty shouted back. "I don't think I will ever get tired of this. It's so amazing to see everything from so high up!"
Kitty had taken to wrapping her tail around the straps of the saddle so that even when she got knocked off by the wind or by sudden movements that she could swing herself back again. It was a long way down and she hoped that if she fell she could summon something to help her, or maybe finally figure out that wild shaping thing in time to not go splat. But it was worth the risk to have this opportunity."Hey, look down there! I think that's the border between two kingdoms....there seems to be an awful lot of back and forth across it....I think we need to go and tell the leaders about that!"
"Wanna give them a little surprise?" Vai says, a mischievous grin on the draconic face.
Kitty grinned. "Oh, I do love surprises. Let's do it!"
Vai's smile widens as she swoops low along the ground, hugging it as closely as possible, coming up on the border between the Forest and Mountain Kingdoms. She allows her Dragonfear [i]to activate and flow out to cause panic in the enemy lines. She fires bolts of lightning out from her mouth, aiming for any supplies and equipment rather than people, trying to cause as much destruction as possible before swooping by and high into the air.
James was leading the Forest kingdom, they had discovered... Vai just hoped he wasn't here right now.
As they got close to the ground Kitty summoned her band of ninja squirrels to cause more havoc on the ground and hopefully keep everyone too distracted to fire at them before they were out of range.
Forest/Mountain Path
Belyu watched as the dragon made it's first run, ignoring the sudden increase in the ninja squirrel population, kicking one aside when it tried climb up her leg. So was this attack from Island or Desert? It didn't matter, she had a spear. She hadn't wanted one, of course, preferring to stay out of fights, but now that she had it and there was an attack? She was going to use it. How hard could a dragon be to hit anyway?
Ryleh shifted back to her human form. "And now I think it's time that the girls joined the rest of the students. I will be happy to play with the little ones in the garden if they would like."
"Yay!" The Three exclaim.
"Raelle, Ignace, if you are ready, I'll send you the a random kingdom."
Once the sisters are ready, they fade from view. For them, the school melts away and is replaced by a castle in the mountains(for Raella) and a castle* in the desert(for Ignace).
I want to go play, oh what are those things around you, are they your friends?
*Miss i don't know what your talking about. there are only children there, nothing else. end sentence. the Butler says as he follows Kattie and the kids to where ever they lead.
Desert
::There is someone approaching. I'm going to go check them out.::
Khassar flies down to greet Ignace.
Hail and well met traveler. Welcome to the desert kingdom. Please state your business.
"Adults can't see them." Gwenne giggles, taking Kattie's hand and leading her through the doorway that still leads to the gym and eventually out to the gardens after showing her nearly half the school(all the interesting places).
"We'll get the bubble machine!" Tal offers as he grabs Matthias by the arm and heads off in search of that shack it was in, leaving Gwenne to show everyone around the gardens.
Desert
1d20 + 31
::There is someone approaching. I'm going to go check them out.::Khassar flies down to greet Ignace.
Hail and well met traveler. Welcome to the desert kingdom. Please state your business.
Ignace looked nervous, but she gave her best curtsy (no small feat while wearing jeans...it was so much easier to curtsy while wearing a skirt).
"Hello. I am a new student at the Academy and the Headmaster sent me to participate in this activity," she said, her voice shaking just a little as she spoke.
Raelle looked around, adjusting the smokestick bandolier she wore around her hips. There seemed to be a lot of activity but so far no one had really noticed her.
"Umm, excuse me? Anyone?"
Desert
Ignace looked nervous, but she gave her best curtsy (no small feat while wearing jeans...it was so much easier to curtsy while wearing a skirt).
"Hello. I am a new student at the Academy and the Headmaster sent me to participate in this activity," she said, her voice shaking just a little as she spoke.
::She says she is a new student sent for the war. Seems nervous, so I'll bring her to you.::
Glad to have you. If you will please follow me, I'll take you to someone that can get you settled.
Most of the city was the same, though some change wasn't unexpected. He hadn't been here for nearly two decades now, but somethings never change.
So he walked around Kuros, waiting.
He had to wait a little longer than he expected, but he heard the faint notes that barely registered among the usual noise of the city. Moving only his eyes, he glanced up and spotted the thin guttersnipe running along the rooftops. Slipping into an alley unnoticed, Razule quickly and instinctively finds handholds and climbs up to the roof.
"Nice to know I haven't lost my touch." He thinks as he follows the boy. He watches as the little thief plays another string of notes on a brass flute, and he spots the ones down blow that respond to it. It is a simply setup, one designed to distract the target(or targets) even more with a faked fight. These children had been taught well.
But apparently not well enough. As the theft drew to a close, he grabbed the flutist by the collar and clapped a hand over his mouth, muffling the scream.
"I am not going to hurt you, but you are going to help me." He whispered to the thief. "I'm here for Annie." The boy's widening eyes confirmed Raz's suspicions. "Good, you're one of hers then. I'm going to let you go now, and if you don't run I'll give you and your friends down there each and gold piece. I just want to know where she is nowadays."
The boy was quite informative. Loyal though he was to the lady who took him in, the thought of gold was too much for his young mind to bear parting with. With the promise of a safe place to live for him and his friends if he went to the old library in an hour, Raz let him go. He wasn't about to lie to a brother after all.