The woods were vast and confusing. After fleeing deep into the forest away from the iron and torches of the villagers he once knew, he wandered over bole and under bough directionless. His hope of finding himself faded quickly as he became impossibly lost, his new fey nature not granting him any special knowhow to navigate the endless tracks of forest or get a bearing on where he was to go.
He first stumbled upon a mite's lair, but he quickly departed from the corrupt and degenerate fey. A small tribe of spriggans also drove him from their territory into which he had unfortunately wandered. Grigs and sprites cavorted in flowered meadows, but gave him no direction.
He lost track of the days, and time grew unfocused as despair threatened to overwhelm him. Eventually pent up rage and confusion caused him to cry out to his faerie mother, asking her what he was to do; where was he to go?
I'm sorry, came the reply, an echo through the winds, a small voice half remembered. The First World's anchors to this world have been attacked, Sweetling. This is a new state of affairs, and alas I cannot ease your transition.
A pause, and the wind eased, and the babbling brook hushed. Then the leaves in the canopy shook, and the voice could be heard again. With the diminished influence of the Nighted Realms, you cannot draw upon the Thistlefeather Court. Your time as a human has anchored you to that world, and you remain a part of it. You must find your way. Though you need not do so alone. I know of one coming into this world who will be just as confused as you are. My agents were tasked to steal her away from the mortal cities and bring her to safety. You can be there as she emerges.
Peacock is lifted up by swirling motes of light. He travels, though he cannot say quite how far, nor does it seem that he crosses the distance instantly. A dryad waves to him under a silver moon. A unicorn looks up in a brightly lit field of wildflowers. A nixie splashes beneath sparkling starlight. A redcap sneers during the fading light of the sunset.
Suddenly, he is placed upon a rocky hill, overlooking a vast, rugged plain overshadowed by six vast mountains. The sun is high in the sky. Directly below him is a hollow of rock; a small cave by the looks of it. Peacock's attention is drawn to the sound of muffled scratching. He sees a curious object, a smooth stone nearly the size of a bale of hay with graceful knobs that reflect golden in the sunlight. The sound seems to come from that stone, and then suddenly Peacock realizes it is no stone at all, but an egg, as small cracks appear across its surface. It bursts open, and a form pours out, gasping and unsteady.
Peacock watches as the confused creature resolves itself into a dragon -- fresh golden scales glinting in the midday sun.
You're lucky Iomedae isn't a jealous goddess, came the voice behind him. Kane recognized the mirth behind it, as well as the point Jazen was making. He had been kneeling over one of his parents' heavy chests full of relics of their various adventures, though from Jazen's angle, it would have been easy to mistake his posture for one of prayer.
Kane smiled as he pulled out yet another journal and added it to the stack. He glanced back at his friend and mentor and faked a sour look. Jazen shrugged it off and moved closer. They're proud of you. I'm sure of it, he reassured.
Kane sighed. I know. I just wish they were here, you know?
Jazen gave his shoulder a squeeze. He was tempted to say that they would be, at least in spirit, but that would imply their deaths and dispel the hope that Kane's parents would one day return from wherever they had disappeared to six months ago. Instead, he said, You'll either pass your tests or will take them again. Your parents had setbacks too, if I recall?
Kane shook off the hand on his shoulder. If you're talking about the clutch of harpies they couldn't locate, that's a pretty sore spot. Mom couldn't even put that in her journal. Those creatures stole all those children, and they couldn't rescue them.
Sorry. I just meant you don't need to go through your tests today. There'll be other chances. Your parents' journals may have all sorts of tidbits, but I doubt their destruction of Galhazzrah the Spiteful will bring any particular insights.
Kane paused his rummaging, holding the hag's heartstone in his hands as Jazen mentioned her downfall at the hands of his parents. It glared hatefully at him, even now. I suppose you're right. I need to get myself ready. If you'll excuse me?
He set the ugly gemstone upon the stack of papers like a paperweight and pushed himself up. Jazen gave him a reassuring smile, then left Kane's quarters. The young aspiring paladin began his prayers in earnest, readying himself for the trials ahead to prove himself ready to join the ranks of Iomedae's Knights of the Crimson Seal.
He prayed, though the restlessness that brought him the idea to dig through his parents' old relics remained. Discipline, he chided himself, but the feeling grew. His unease grew, as the shadows became deeper. A harsh whisper seemed to gnaw at the back of his mind. Spawn of Ravencourt, he thought he heard.
* * *
Sir Jazen of Wolfsrun pushed the door open, concerned that his friend hadn't appeared at the appointed time to take his trials. He had knocked numerous times, and received no answer. He forced his way past the door and moved into the room, bits of crystal crunching underneath his boot. Kane? he called out, and when a shadow moved in the corner, his hand flew to his sword.
Yet the knight stayed his hand, and the monstrous shape pled its case. Words exchanged, and a frightened understanding grew. A curse, certainly, mysteriously woven at the moment of the hag's death to spite her slayers' offspring.
The answers, they hoped, would be in the journals of Kane's parents. Bundling them up, Jazen smuggled what remained of his friend out of the citadel and into the marketplace. There, he found a well-guarded caravan moving northwest, which would put him close to the stomping grounds of his parents' adventures.
Jazen hired a wagon, then disappeared into the marketplace. After a number of long minutes, he returned with a blind girl. She'll be your assistant while on this journey. She desires passage through to the north as well. This is perfect. She can attend to you, but she won't see what-- Jazen couldn't bring himself to complete the thought. Mentor he may be, but Jazen was only a couple years older than Kane, and was barely holding it together. He couldn't abandon his oaths to ride with his friend, though it pained him to remain behind.
The caravan started to move, Kane bundled under heavy cloaks to hide his monstrous form, and attended to by a blind girl who also looked bewildered by turns of events. However, he clutched at the stack of his parents' journals, hoping that within their pages would be the clues to undoing the hag's curse.
Note: The journals allow Knowledge (geography) and Knowledge (local) checks to be made untrained and impart a +2 bonus on their checks when enough time is alloted to search through them (typically ten minutes or more). They can also be used to make any other kind of knowledge check without the +2 bonus if 1d6 hours are spent perusing them (this time can be split among additional readers, though only one check may be made per answer being sought).
She was a criminal,"Take what you can, when you can" that was her motto, you learn things like that on the streets. Your learn lots of things, like “No one’s ever coming to help you,” you learn to do things on your own, to move fast, think fast, to spot trouble before it comes and most of all, to stay alive. Simple rules kept you alive.
1: Keep out the laws way,
2: Always keep an eye on your back,
3: Only trust the ones you known and even then not 100% ,
4: Always have a plan to get away,
5: Most of all never ever stick your neck out for anyone!
Simple ideas to keep you alive on and in the unforgiving streets, the bars, inns and black markets of any city. She knew this; she had been to a few. Life for her had started with old Meg, a washer woman down by the river huts. Meg was not her mother; Meg was just the old lady who found her, a few days old and dying. Why old Meg had not just let the river take the child she thought she knew. Meg had been lonely, a life washing rags for coppers; does not lead to a fun social life. Sphene was raised by Meg, her life washing rags, picking rags from trash bundling them up. That all ended with the bad winter. Meg was old and old bones find the cold hard. One frosty morning Sphene had awakened to find old Meg as cold as the ice on the water coop. Two days she had sat with her, looking at the still body, but in the end hunger had driven her outside and into the streets. She thinks she was six or seven. Begging for anything to eat, sleeping in doorways. She had found a broken down house. More street kids inside, a pack it did not take long for who to work out that a pack had places for everyone, even someone at the bottom. They stole, they begged, the conned and tricked. They did what they needed to, older kids showed younger ones. She grew and learned the rules of the street. At 11 she spent some time in a city orphanage, a run-in with the law got her that. She leaned to read and write but soon the creepy headmaster of its school drove her out. She knew the type. You did when on the streets, then ones walking looking for the weak and young to exploit.
So more time living day to day, It was chance meeting that got her a break. An older street girl she had known from the house days. An upmarket bathhouse was looking for girls about her age, they were to fetch and carry for the paying guests. She had gone and was given a bed in a room with nine others. The work was hard the food bad but they trained you to be courtesans for a year. The ones who had the skill and wit would carry on; the ones that failed would have a life of cleaning and scrubbing. She was smart, she did well. Now the fact she could read and write paid off. The bath house paid, she worked. That all ended with the war, cities have wars “Turf wars”. The bathhouse was on one gangs Turf, another wanted it, fights and then a fire, no more bath house. She was out on the street again. But now she had skills, she found a place, get what she needed and worked marks. She had it a few times in the bath house. Too much drink and small pinch of this powder and a costumer was fast asleep. So she dressed as a high class lady, went out and when some gent wanted to take her to see his paintings. She happily went, a few hours later letting herself out with whatever she could carry. But you have to keep moving, doing this in the same town or city was not a good idea. Best do two of three then move on. This is how she had spent the last few years. To keep up appearances she had paid for classes in talking, manners and customs. She knew what she was, she was a criminal. But she never went out of her way to hurt others; she only robbed the well off. She kept away from politics and religions, a fools game both. She did what she had always done and looked after number one. That was until she broke one of her own rules. Why she had done it she had been racking her brains over for weeks. Madness? Getting soft? Or just plain stupidity.
It had been a dark night, the true dark of the moons they said. A good night to rob a mark, and a good mark she had found, fat drunk, rich and dripping gold. A few drinks, and small drop of that, one Inn room later and he was sleeping off a hangover from hell and she was outside walking down the street with her hand tucked in her hand-muff holding a good 2lb of solid gold chain. Not bad for one nights work and would pay for the trip out of town.
Then a sound, coming from the door to a temple no less, small but looked well made. She did not recognize the deity, which was not surprising as she kept away from gods and their places as much as she could. Then again the sound like clanking. “What was that??” She did not know why but she crept up to the open temple doorway. She spotted it was damaged, someone or thing had gone to town on it and take of this mounts. Right there, that’s when she SHOULD have just walked away. She kept thinking that. But NO she had to do on, may be it was the idea of loot, everyone knew temples were loaded. The street was empty, that was to be expected this time of night. So dumb as a fish, she snuck in, slipping into the shadows, no one is sight, and that sound again. “Thunk! Thunk!” A dull metallic thudding. She walked deeper in, one column, then the next then...
Bodies. Lots of bodies. She could see them piled up, persist and high up ones by the looks of them, now dead, arms legs heads missing. She also spotted what had done it, Big black shifting dark, hard to see its true form, and the feeling it was giving off, not good not good at all. But it was what it was doing that shocked her. This temple had a goddess' statue, she knew because the black thing now held it one the floor and was trying to drive a very large Black spike into its heart. All this was shocking but not as shocking as what she could see the statue doing. It was screaming! Silently screaming, eyes wide and terrified, that look , the look she had seen before on street kids, that look of pain and suffering, of powerlessness or hopelessness . She had felt rage; a lifetime of feeling just like that will do that. Rage, she had done something so stupid so so stupid. Taking her hand wrapped in a gold chain, she had run up to the thing of darkness and hit it, swiping it with the chain. As hard as she could, to make it stop to push it back. She was a fly and it a great giant, but as soon as the gold touched it, it had screamed! A terrifying bellow of a scream that shook the very stones of the temple. It spun and screamed at her face, a vast mouth open to the vastness of space was in front of her. At that moment she knew she was about to die. It hit her like the fly she was, sending her crashing off to the left, but the chain was still in it. She was flung around wrapping the chain around its neck. Shaking his head violently, her arm popped as it dislocated, Bones cracked. Like a rag she was tossed about, then slammed into its side as the chain wrapped once more around it and held her tight. It burned her, the darkness of it now was seeping away into the night air, and with each bellow of darkness it burned cold into her flesh. It shrank, screaming smaller and smaller until nothing was left, just her and the chain and the statue. The statue that was now getting up. It looked wounded, she looked on, but one eye could not see, she could feel blood seeping out of her body, her flesh cracked and broken. She knew shock was keeping the pain away. ‘Not long now’. Stupid way to die, saving a statue, one that was coming to stand over her as she gasped for breath. She tried to tilt her head to look up into its hard gold face. A woman, a goddess maybe, she did not know or care, death was coming and it was her own stupid fault.
The goddess statue looked down at her a pained look one its face,
“You're no one of mine. Strange. You're no one's; a free agent yet here you are saving me?”
It knelt down next to her, looking closer.
“I see your soul child; you have done things that would never make you mine yet…”
It stood back up and looked around its eyes locked onto an object close to temple altar.
“No mortal magic can heal what has been done to your body child, and this night I need all my power to defend my temple. Within this realm for each is being attack as this one was. But I owe you child for giving me a chance others more powerful would not.”
The statue talked over to the object a large gold egg.
“This was a gift to the temple by a very great and wise friend; It’s sterile, lacking the spark of life. I do not think she will mind now if I used to pay someone for a giving their life in a selfless act."
“What's she on about? she was dying that’s all that was happening, not mortal magic, just great, she was going to die, that what you get for forgetting the rules of the street, stick your neck out and you lose your head.” The pain came, she gasped then it started to get dark.
‘so stupid, stupid… stupid… stupid..’
She died.
There was warmth, it was warm, a beat, constant and pounding. She was warm, it was dark and there was no pain. Slowly her thoughts came back to her, they jumped around. A room full of children, repeating words, Rags lots of rags, an old woman’s face, a man drunk falling over. Looking at a river with the sun on her face. Then shock! The temple, pain, burning a gold face, she had to get out break out -- get away. A crack, then more, she pushed and pushed, the pain. She gasped for air, falling onto hot solid ground. She was wet, liquid was falling off her and onto the ground. She pushed up on her legs, all four of them. "What?!" It was dark but she could see, legs, scales, legs with scales, golden scales she moved fell, got up and fell again; no one was around her, a cave, a hot cave. Light was coming into the cave, up ahead. Falling and getting up she moved, She felt odd, something on her back, pulling her down, she flexed it and it stopped, one step two. Soon she was at the light looking over a wild valley. "Where the hell am I? What am I?" she looked about, something moved close to her left -- a rabbit. Hells balls she was hungry, she tried to move to get it but her body was so odd. She just fell down onto the grass and rested. ‘What had the b**&% goddess done to her, she was a monster, no man would look at her now, no mark to take, hell how would she even get into town looking like this. She need to find out more, find out just what the hell she was and how she could fix this.
She got to her legs, blinking, he scales where no drying off in the hot sun, she blinked. Well the good news was her eye sight was a lot better.
gods balls she was hungry, and she needed a drink. Sniffing the air she thought she could smell water close buy. What was that on her back, she moved then feel over on shock!
"O hell WING!, I've got wings, why the hell to I have wings, I don't know how to fly. I'm not a racking! bird for Hnoar sake, Stupid stupid"
She let out a dragon screech.
NARRRKRK!
Was that me?
She tried to use her new mouth to form words.
"SAAKKKPPPHHHEEEENNNNNNNESSS"
"O C**p, I can't talk, I sound like a strangled cat for hells sake"
She Tried again
"Ssshhhheeerrrkkeeee"
"well that's better, Ok ok I can do this, just need to try"
"SSsHhheennneee..
"Yes YES! Ok so work on talking, next thing, food, got to get something to eat"
"SHenee..
"Yes!"
She looked around and where the rabbit had gone, She moved slowly and carefully to the whole. She sniffed,
"O that smells good, if only"
She moved her clawed from arm snd started to dig. Slow at 1st but getting faster after a time. She was gaining in strength and getting use to her new odd body.
"W-where am I?" He stutters aloud to himself.
His wings begin that strange hybrid of buzzing and fluttering he has only somewhat gotten used to, and he takes to the skies for a better look. He does not recognize the area. For some reason, he understands that the circle of glowy mushroom in which he now stands marks a point of arrival for the magic of the fey, but the region he is in now, all of rocky hills and mountains, is unfamilliar.
One thing, however, stands out beyond everything; Just sitting in a cave, something very curious. A smooth stone, an orb of some strange sort.
And then it happens.
A newborn dragon bursts out of it, roaring.
Oh, Erastil above the hearth! I am in so much trouble. Why did she send me here, of all places!?
Panicked, Peacock does the first thing that comes to mind. He dives back down, alighting on a hill overlooking the cave, and crouches low to the ground.
"Okay, okay, don't panic. Gotta hide until it goes away, right? Just gotta camouflage myself."
Peacock focuses his fey magic, feeling for nature around him. The stones are still and quiet, the grass whispering in the very faint breeze. He imitates both, letting his magic flow in harmony with the world around him.
As the shock settles in that such arcane knowledge now flowed through his mind, Peacock pauses to look at his hand.
This is... so strange.
While he can see himself fine, he's struck with the knowledge that any other creature would have trouble discerning him amongst the wild, despite how he was simply standing there. He is one with the stones and the grass, a part of the valley amongst any other, no more noticeable than the single ant walking beneath a pebble.
Fascinated with this newfound talent, he utterly fails to realise that dragons possess an acute blindsense, and that he may as well be standing and shouting.
Confident that the beast won't see him, Peacock observes it for a moment. It seems... disoriented; no surprise for a newborn. Are the parents around? Peacock certainly hopes not. A hatchling is dangerous enough, but an adult would be a death sentence.
Wait... that dragon is gold, isn't it? What did the schoolmistress say about the dragons... Are the colorful ones the evil ones and the metallic ones the good ones, or the other way around? ... If only Nathan hadn't picked that class to pelt me with an egg, maybe I'd remember better.
She listened. That's what she was best at. It's what saved her family from an uncertain fate to one of simple indentured toil. It's what thrust her into this uncertain role, however, equal parts lab assistant and lab rat.
The experiments were... unusual. Often times unpleasant, occasionally painful, but never permanent. The transmuter warped her, stretched her, and molded her, but she had always snapped back. She had occasion to wonder if he was merciful or simply incompetent.
But today, she listened, for the wizard Halthir had guests. She heard the swish of robes and a strange resonant humming. A clink of glass or crystal occurred at regular intervals. Their voices were flat and atonal, almost inhuman. Unfortunately, she couldn't understand the words they exchanged with Halthir, nor his responses. But she knew his mood, and his voice was tense, nervous. Their business concluded, the mysterious figures departed.
That evening Halthir conducted his final experiment on her. In the days that followed, she reported her sensations, but her eyes did not see, nor did anything else change except a slight enlarging of her canines. Dejected, Halthir finally dismissed her, and allowed her to return to her family.
* * *
Her hunger was finally sated, and her world was awash in new, confusing scents. There was fear, as her family spoke in hushed tones about what they should do. She heard the words "monster" and "demon", but she smelled their fear. Then a familiar scent drew near, the pungent smells of his lab hanging off his clothes nearly knocked her off her feet.
I heard, Halthir said without preamble. He was always like that. I've learned some things, and I believe I have made a terrible mistake. He inspected her teeth -- now fangs -- and her ears.
He pulled out a tinkling metal chain and draped it around her head. A heavy bauble hung from it. Keep this on at all times. The Technic League will not be able to find you easily with this on, but perhaps by other means. He was hurried, almost frantic. I only have the one, so you must go far from me, far from here.
He gathered her close and spoke a word of power. Suddenly the world was different. It smelled dusty, and she could feel the weather was hot and dry. I've taken you far from your home. But now you must travel from here. Don't let them find you, and... control it, if you can.
Halthir found a caravan for her, and left her with the masters. She stood out of the way for a time, bewildered, until she was approached by someone else. My lady, I was told you cannot see? I have a friend who will be on this caravan who could use an assistant. You see, he has... he will be very reclusive. He is disfigured, but his heart is good. He could use someone to speak the the caravan masters, and fetch his food and water, so others will not be frightened by his sight. But you, you could do this, right?
Jazzai’s mind wondered over the last experiment and the strange visitors the wizard had. His dismissal of her back to her parents, and the events following that lead to her hiding out at her parent’s place as they decided where she should go.
Her parents had already succumbed to fear, even as they were the ones that had helped her escape the clutches of the clergyman that would burn her alive.
Then the Wizard showing up, first speaking his normal pragmatic simple words, then strangely his apology, and then he examined her teeth and ears. She hissed slightly as he tugged a little hard and he let go, far quicker than he had ever before during examinations of other experiments. Then the Wizard’s frantic tone as he started talking about the Technic League. Who were they to strike fear into this Wizard. So much fear he would give her one of his baubles…especially if he only had one and they protected one from being found. What happened next astounded her even more. Jazzai didn’t know what exactly happened, but with the strange change to the world, and his words, she would hazard a guess to teleportation.
Grabbing her cloak’s hood she threw it up over her head and hair. It was a strange color and though it hid her ears she wouldn’t take any chances. Heat and dust she could learn to deal with but people’s reactions were still new to her.
Now she stood, listening and stroking the bauble on the chain her fingertips exploring it trying to identify what it looked like.
All she had to her name was a well worn cloak, the clothing she was wearing, and this strange necklace a frightened wizard had given her.
So when an individual came close to her she felt her ears twitch forward and unbidden she sniffed the air as he spoke. “My lady, I was told you cannot see? I have a friend who will be on this caravan who could use an assistant. You see, he has... he will be very reclusive. He is disfigured, but his heart is good. He could use someone to speak to the caravan masters, and fetch his food and water, so others will not be frightened by his sight. But you, you could do this, right?”
Her ears heard desperation and yet hope in his tone and she felt herself smile, without showing teeth of course. ”My good sir. I can do this. I will tell you I have no coin to my name, so your friend will need to provide his own.” Reaching out she touched his hand reassuringly. ”I can assist him though and I do not judge people by what they look like, only by how they treat me and others around them. I won’t be frightened by any disfiguration.” Her tone was gentle and warm and in her own way having someone to help calmed her. She had an guess, there was more to it than what he was saying but she didn’t want to let him know that.
Jazzai wasn’t going to advertise her hearing was sharper, than a normal human, nor that she could smell fear, excitement, and even what they had ate for breakfast. If she slipped up on that she knew she could pass it on as having always been blind and her senses were always a little sharper.
”Sir, can you please take me to this individual, so we can meet? I will need to know who I am working with and get familiar with his voice so I recognize it.”
I've found someone. She'll be your assistant while on this journey. She desires passage through to the north as well. This is perfect. She can attend to you, but she won't see what-- he cuts himself off.
A tense moment passes, then Jazen speaks again. I wish I could go with you. This isn't ideal, but when I can get away, and I will, I'll find you. You get started, and maybe she can leave some messages for me. That way I won't waste time wandering. Just keep yourself safe.
And thanks, he says, turning to the blind girl.
After Jazen addresses her she looks up and nods. "Your welcome. Mister Kane, my name is Jazzai. It is a pleasure to meet you. Is there anything you need at the moment?"
Close, close, there,
Two of the rabbit ran off but the large buck. She did not stop even to think, biting down hard in three gulps it was gone. She stopped, o that's good, the feeling of hunger slipper away, she sat down on her back legs, still unsteady but now getting kind of use to her body a little better. As the hot blood of the rabbit hit her mouth, flashes of memory came. What was shocking was they where not all hers.
A black thing with a spike of night arr the pain
Flying over a cliff top wile men in armor rode under her.thats no! I was not..
A vast thunder storm with some thing red with wings at its center.what.. Is
A meeting of there like her gold, silver, bronze a long debat. "was that me"
The smile of a lover, no that was her, arr Jimmy
A city on fire. Others no no not me no
100s of thoughts and memory's came and went in moments, one lingered, one locked in place, she had to think, try and hold it.
Racal memory!!
The idea expanded into her mind, this body, this race of things had a memory that went back. new thoughts, new ideas, she made connections of sorts, but it was so hard. She was not this being, she was, she was human. The other could not hold at that thought, it , fall away the fast sea of race fell back with it. Going back into her mind to , lerk deep in her. She could feel it looking at her, she could feel what it was thinking. other! all so confusing.
The a movement to her left, something buzzing, coming.
Instincts she moved, teeth showing looking at it. She screeched
"if you have come to harm me, know this I have claws! You will not do so with out a fight"
she did her best to look thretaing. But she was less that 20 mins out the egg.
o cr*p what do I do now, err?? what the hell did I just say? Where did that come from, that's that's... no it was gone
She looks a the buzzing thing, all other thoughts lost wile she looked at it.
Draconic
"so can you talk?"
Peacock doesn't recognize Sphene's language, but the tone makes him very nervous. Stumbling back in fright, he cowers, instinctively hiding behind one of his wings while his long hair falls messily in front of his face.
"I-I'm sorry! I didn't mean to bother your nesting! I'm a little lost and I was just surprised to see a noble creature such as you," Peacock replies, in common, hoping to calm the dragon with a compliment.
"I-I'll be going now. P-please don't hurt me."
"No! Don't go, "
She moves to keep up with the buzzing thing,
"I need your help all right, look I'm kind of lost as well, I was in one place, doing a numb thing would be the best way to put it, then here. It's kind of.., hold on you said nestling,? .. Could I ask what dos that mean?"
All this is said on common, albeit with a gruff female Dragon rasp.
Then, he realises that Sphene just mentioned being elsewhere before this. "Wait... You were... somewhere else before being here? But... but... I just saw you hatch from that egg. W-what's going on here?"
"yes I did, and it's true, I was, well if I can trust what I can remember. Humm that's a bit existentialist, think I'll keep away from thoughts like that, have to trust 1st principles. Wow those big words, was that me and I know what they mean. I must have read them some where no they, wow that's what disestablishmentarianism means. Ok this is just two odd"
She looks even more shocked at her own talking. Then look off as if thinking to herself.
"I wonder, the last thing said was, Stupid, stupid, stupid did she not only fix my broken body but also tuck that as a request to fix a my intellect. How bizarre, when I fix this would be nice to keep the smarts"
She looks back at the buzzing thing, the looks back at the nest, she walks over to it and looks at the gold egg.
"sorry drifting, yes I was in another place, will truth be told I dyed in another place. Did this really stupid thing, and .. well"
She winces
"It was like it was a moment ago, you know, painful thinking about it, I was hurt bad and then, well she something about a gift of an egg. Then here, where ever here is, do you know where here is, ! o my eyes this is the afterlife, a **#&#& dead, come on tell me dead right?"
she looks around
" You know this kind of looks a bit drab for an after life, kind of looks like life life if you know what I mean"
She stands takes a big breath and closes her eyes then opening them again looks back at you.
"Right, lets start again, Hello Buzzing thing, I am Sphene Axinite Clinohumite, yes a long name but I picked it long ago from a book, and I like the sound of it. I am a hum... sorry I am what I now am, I was a Human, working in entertainment. So that being said could I ask you your name? Buzzing thing just sounds rude and I would like to be polite."
She smiles feeling some what more in control of whats going on now.
In an instant, Peacock is standing right in front of Sphene.
"I was human until just a few days ago. Then I had a weird dream and... Well it's a long story."
Then, remembering Sphene had asked for his name, he stops to think for a moment. What was his name now? Was he Adrien, or was he Peacock? Did having wings and lots of weird magic make him someone else?
Peacock felt like the natural choice, for some arcane reason. Thinking about the question, it just felt like it was true. On the other hand, he'D been Adrien a lot longer. Why was he suddenly agreeing with the change? It was true that being Adrien had never done much for him but...
"Peacock. My name's Peacock, and I'm trying to figure out who I am."
"As for being dead... I'm pretty sure I'm still alive, so I'll let you figure out what that means about you."
She shakes her head
"Well aren't we an odd couple, a what ever I am and a fey who was a boy not long ago. Well Mr peacock, it's nice to meet you. As for long story's mine life, death and relife is similar. So that being said, do you know where here is more to the point do you know where we could get a meal say or a stiff drink. I'm none to keen on eating more raw rabbit. Even if it did taste nice."
She gets up and walks around the shell.
"wings you said! you know I have some"
She opens them with a wush sound , gold scales glinting.
"do you know what I am, I'm getting a sinking feeling I know, but I'm finding hard to come to terms with. So a second opinion would kind of put it to rest "
She flaps her wings and lifts a bit.
"Be course if I am what I think I am, I don't have a clue how to use these, may need some help say, from a fey who dos"
The thoughts in her head, the sinking feeling she know just what kind of egg it was, she had just smashed her way out of, was just sitting there waiting to be acknowledged. She was being a bit stubborn about doing that. Best ask another.
"As for wings," He adds, watching Sphene hover for a moment, "I don't think I can really help you figure it out. I'm not even sure how mine work, I just kind of... had the reflex already when I woke up like this. I guess you should just practice with them for a bit. Can't be all that harder than walking."
The idea of a hot meal reminds Peacock of how hungry he is as well, having found little to eat except some berries. Though he has a serviceable bow, Peacock just can't bring himself up to the idea of eating raw meat, and nothing to make fire with.
"I haven't a clue where we are, either. My fey mother sent me here saying I'd find someone else who's lost, like me, and I guess that was you, but I don't know where we're supposed to go from here."
Peacock is interrupted when his stomach rumbles.
"Guess you're not the only one who could use something to eat. If only we had some fire... Wait. You're a dragon, right? Can't you breathe fire like the legends say?"
She looks a bit dumb founded.
"Well looks like we could stand her and feel sorry for ourselves or start to do something useful and try your idea. I have no idea how to make fire, but lets see, probably just get smoke"
She takes a deep breath and then breaths out
Nothing
She try's again
Nothing
"humm, maybe if I kind of you know flem a bit, spit that kind of thing"
She takes in a deep breath, kind of gergules then
A 20' gout of flame shoots out of her mouth incinerating the grass in front of her.
She falls back on her legs and trys and backs away from the flames
"Gods Balls!!! girl that felt hot"
She gets back up looking at the moldering grass, the smell of hydrocarbons filling the air.
"Well I think I can safely say I'm the fire breathing kind of Dragon Pecock. Now all we need is some dry wood and something to cook, so you good with that bow?"
Peacock stumbles back with an interjection of surprise as Sphene suddenly belches out a gout of flame. "Whoa! Remind me not to get on your bad side!"
Panicked by the sudden flames, a mountain goat comes running by. Peacock grabs his bow and nocks an arrow in, taking aim at the animal... "Time to find out..."
C'mon! Stop jumping all over and let me shoot you! I'm hungry! Come ON!"
Magic flickers through through Peacock's markings and his eyes light up for a moment. Suddenly, the goat is envelopped in a strange magical aura; just looking at him makes one feel relaxed and at ease, and clearly, the animal is no less sensitive to it.
At once, the goat stops in its tracks, its momentum causing it to tumble over onto its back. Closer inspection reveals it to be fast asleep.
"... that or I could lull it to sleep with magic." He says, bemusedly lowering his bow. "Turns out I can do that. Think those claws of yours can take care of it?"
Sphene grins again and gos over, One bite and a shake Dispatches the gout.
The a razer sharp Claw opens it up and its soon gutted.
"best get a spike and some wood, we can make a fire"
Soon they have both, and with another gout of flame a fire going and dinner cooking.
Sphene flops down like a big gold Cat.
"Well Peacook, I picked up a few magic tricks in my time but nothing as useful as that one. Could have used that on a few of my errm guests. I don't know what like was life before for you, but for me it was hard. Lived close to the streets you know, living hand to mouth most of the time. Just when I think I'm doing well, I do such a dumb thing. Now here I am, just when you think it cant get any worse you go from hand to mouth to Claw to mouth. Gods shore now how to play a joke"
She flaps her wings,
"all right food cooking, lets see what the wings can do"
She uses them and got's some 20' then comes back down again with a thud.
"Think I need to rest, and build up to that, just don't have the power yet."
She settles back down, looking over at the shell.
"You know I think my old home, the egg is made of gold like, must be worth something, Think if we broke it up we could sell it say."
She gos and get a bit.
"Odd I seem to be thinking faster, working things out like I never could before. Odd to see the same things yet know more"
Kane was a pragmatist. He was worried, and definitely upset, but he was a Ravencourt. He'd trained his whole life to be capable and keep his wits about him. He knew plenty of curses. This one was no different really. He just had to figure out how to break it.
The girl Sir Jazen had sent with him was both a complication and a blessing. Could he keep the truth from her? Should he?
No. He definitely should not.
"Miss, I'm not sure what Sir Jazen told you. My name is Kane of House Ravencourt, I am a Knight of Pharasma and I will see you to your destination." His voice was… unsettling, now. Something like the crunch of gravel beneath boots, but lower, perhaps more like the beginnings of a rockslide.
"There are other things we should speak of as well. May I ask your name?"
"I can relate. I keep finding out things I had no idea I could do. Magic, for one." Peacock replies, watching some freshly conjured Dancing Lights flutter about around himself and Sphene.
He merely shrugs at the question of the egg.
"You know, life was always a little hard on me too, at home back in Dawn's Vale. Everyone would look at me like I was a freak because of my eyes. Well..."
He looks at his hand, blue with a glistening mark on the back.
"Guess they were right, in the end," he observes, somberly, recalling the frightened faces of his parents..
Pulling the shirt-wrap quilt he'd been carrying towards himself, he unfolds the blanket and drapes it over his shoulders, pulling the front close to himself for some minimal comfort.
Starts to beak up the egg. Even eating a few bits,
"Looks like we both had it bad, your blue and I'm gold, think that makes me a yellow or gold dragon thing. Bit scary Peacook, and I don't scare easy so that's saying something. My new fey friend. My life was not so bad, triels and tribulations of life I guess. Now, odd seems this up stages all the bad days of my life rolled into one. Not that meany men going in for scaly lovers, so until I can fix this looks like I will be living off the land."
She sits back down.
"What time do you think it is, if it gets cold tonight we can stay in the cave, it's warm in there."
At least I don't feel the cold anymore... wonder why.
The gout is soon cooked, she pulls it of and as gentile as she can she uses her claws to pull the cooked meat off for Peacock. Ones a fear bit is off, she starts on the part left.
"Much better cooked"
She says between bites.
So your a country boy, village and all sounds like an idyllic life apart from the name calling. I'm a city girl, rasid in new haven. Never meet my mother, I was thrown out with some rags, old meg found me, a rag sorter. She was the one that raised me, I miss her you know. It's been over 20 years and I still miss her, then like most unwanted kids ran on the streets for a wile, the you know, the law, City home, work. Then sold off to as cheap laber, sad old bards story my life, it's supposed to end with me being saved from the dragon by a prince! Not getting myself killed and being changed into the Dragon. "
She seems some what upset. The lighten up.
"Tou know if you can fly, how about going up to some height and having a look around, see what's about. Could be a city close buy."
"Your friend just told me that you had a deformity that others would cringe and run in fear from and that you are a good soul that does not wish to frighten the others. He is very worried about you." Jazzai's voice was soft but showed no fear telling the truth.
"Is there more you wish to speak about? If so I am all ears." Her face was darker than most women's showing some time in the sun. Her hair was mostly hidden by the cloak, but he could possibly guess it to be some type of grey or white. Her features were angular and sharp, reminding him of some type of predator. Her clothes looked well worn and had definitely seen better days. The cloak itself had enough patches in it to remind him of a storytellers cloak.
He thinks back to the reaction of his hometown to his new shape, and that of the other village he'd tried to find refuge in.
The caravan lurched forward and progressed at a steady pace. The days stretched on as it wound through rugged terrain, stopping at night, and always under the protective eye of the trained guards riding apace.
Jazzai and Kane grew acquainted as she attended to his needs. The routine of caravan life was somewhat comforting, though uncertainty remained in the pits of their stomachs. And speaking of stomachs, Jazzai noticed her hunger return.
They were in their second week of the caravan, when suddenly the ground erupted around the wagons. People screamed, animals bellowed, and wagons lurched. Shouts of reached Jazzai's and Kane's ears, just as their wagon pitched on its side. The sounds of roars, calls to arms, and the ringing of metal on bony hide echoed outside as the two tried to pull themselves out of the wreckage.
In the minutes it took for the two to free themselves, the battle outside was over. The burrowing creatures had either been killed or driven off. Kane was able to find his pack and bundle of journals as he stayed within the confines of the wrecked wagon. Jazzai, however, wandered away from their wagon, enticed by the scent of fresh blood. She encountered a large form, smelling of earth and bone. Some instinct found a soft spot between bony plates, and she sunk her fangs in and drank deeply.
What are you doing? The incredulous cry snapped her out of her feeding bliss, and she realized she was being observed. She pulled away, and heard the gasps from people around her. She tried to retreat to the wagon, but the crowd followed. She could feel it happening again. The fear, the whispers. The heavy clomp of the guards' boots arriving.
Suddenly, a new set of gasps spread through the crowd when Kane stepped out to investigate the commotion. The guards drew weapons and levied them at the two. No amount of words was enough to assuage their fear, though they stayed their hands and did not attack. The caravan masters would not have such creatures ride with them.
Kane and Jazzai were exiled from the safety of the caravan, and left along the road through wild and desolate country.
The cave was warm and Sphene spent the night dreaming of her old life.
Taking Peacocks words to heart. They may not be seen in a good light if they headed into any human town. So days passed, she cooked. Peacock hunted and told her a few things about the fey. She had had only heard of them from bards tails, always tricking and fooling mortals. But peacook was not like that, o he licked tricks but she did not mind he was a good soul. Just as her fate had played a joker into his hand. On her part she told him of the city's, of the tricks cruel men play on others. She talked of haggling, of what to look for in a good inn room. Things that city folk lean, he showed her how to shoot a bow. But Dragons hands are not so good at holding such things. Most of all they both started to learn about there new forms. She got used to producing fire, she learned that she had to wait a wile between doing it, to get full affect. She leaned her claws and bite where sharp.
But most of all she leaned to fly. She loved it, the joy of it, the movement over the land. She had learned slow at first then after a wile as muscles got stronger, she went higher, faster. Until she could with ease out pace Peacook, she was faster yes but he's skill in flight as better, stopping in a instant wile she had to swing around like an old ship. He could zip about like a humming bird. She was more like a sky cart, often crashing into things. But she got better, flying meant they could hunt over a greater area, and also keep away from bigger dangers than them.
As she found out about peacocks, she became very protective of him, could be some misplaced maternal feeling. But he was like the younger brother she had never had. He would get existed over the smallest things, jumping snout and calling her over. Then be crushed to find a tree sick or Brocken. He was so linked to nature, it was fascinating to see. It was as if he felt it all around him. She liked that about him, it made him feel some how real some how caring. She was just to the city, but out here the wilds she was feeling some thing new. Was it this new form, it was hard to understand, she was feeling needed, there where thing the wilds, bigger and meaner things than her, a few time they had had to fight and run to get away from them, helping him made her feel better. Made her some how useful. All her life she had done what had needed to be done to survive, the city streets teach you this. But now she was doing things for another, and it felt... It felt good, it felt right. Something deep inside her had geek awaken.
"We could, but I don't think they'd welcome us with open arms. I don't know about you, or if golden dragons are considered a good things, but people aren't generally too happy to see a member of the fair folk arriving."
She looks over at the strange Fey boy,
Hell's hes more damaged than I am
She eats the last part of her meat.
"wounder what they will do if a dragon shows up, I get the feeling they may want to use parts of me for making things to sell. I spotted a dragon hide Brest plate once in a shop. I don't like the idea of becoming one of those."
As he finishes his sentence, Peacock realises that the piece of meat he was olding dripped grease and blood onto his quilt. He appears strongly bothered by it until, to his apparent surprise, the stain vanishes by some kind of magic. ... did I do that?
She snorts
"Painful that's what it was, pain like you could not imagine. Truth is I got myself killed doing a dumb thing. Why I have been racking my mind over. I was on my way home, simple night doing what I do when I see a temple down a back street. I'm not one for gods so i have no idea to which goddess it was for. Well I sees the doors been caved in, some one busted it good. This is where I think I went wrong, Should have walked past. You know done what any kid on the street knows you should do, walk on and don't look. But.. I don't know, maybe in the back of my mind I was thinking, 'Temple, lots of good stuff in a temple' or some such, Well curiosity got the better of me and I head in. I look around and find a pile of dead rich looking temple types, Arms legs, heads missing. I have seen aught death to not meet my lunch. But this was sick stuff something had ripped them apart. That's when I hear this crazy sound, like hammering into tin you know. 'Bash' 'Bash'. Then I should have run then but I just needed to know what was doing it. So I looks, and I sees this big black thing made of... well blackness dark night nothing-nuss and its doing the maddest thing. Its Hammering a spike, darkness like it, into he chest of a golden statue its pulled off the temple alter. I'm not joking, bang bang is going, and you know what was even madder, The statue was moving, in fact screaming like it was in pain, but no sound. Just its mouth and eyes open. Crazy, I know tight! never seen any thing like it nor me."
She looks down,
"That's when I did a dumb thing, don't know why, I just... I don't know..., you live a life like mine and you see others, kids Helpless, used, broken, sold by others, Other with power, That Statue was of a girl see, could not have been more than sixteen, and her face, I seen it before, the look of girls being taken you know. well I think something in me just snapped, anger, real anger, I just could not stand there. So I went for the thing of darkness, I had this chain and I hit it hard. What little I could do I did, and I don't know Peacock, Luck?, chance?, well I beat it good, I sent it back to where it came from. But O did it make me pay. It burned me bad, a evil cold burning from some place outside of here. I was in a bad way kid. I've had men beat me see, you know, bad, but this... Well I could not see much and I knew my life was going, you feel it... slipping away, you just know its over. I thought 'This is it, this is how I die, doing a dumb thing for what, a statue, real smart kid, real smart.
She looks up
"But then the Girl, this statue of gold, she gets up and comes over to me. Says something about 'Having to fight this thing again tonight, in other places in the land' 'No mortal magic can save your body' I Thinks 'o great well that just about makes a perfect f***g day that'. But then she talks about an egg, gift or something. Says she need her power for others but the giver want mind. I Don't know missed most of what she said, what with dying and all. next thing I know I'm dreaming, odd things, my life, lives of others. Then I feeling I needed to get out, brake out get away from the pain. Then out I came, splashing onto the floor over there, strait out the egg, And what do I find, I find I'm not dead just changed. In to a F**ing gold Dragon!! not much you can say beyond that other than 'we Bugger me! that the last thing I expected'. Still in a bit of shock about the whole thing Peacook, you know. Thinking I should be happy I'm not as dead as thought but kind of a bit peeved the most I ca now pick up is a lizard or a punter with a scale fetish. Not to mention it looks like I can fly and if sneeze to hard may flame grill every one close to me. So you could say I am going thought a hard transitional period."
She wicks as him a sarcastic wink.
"but I like to think I'm smart, past actions of stupidity excluded, so I'll do what I always do and work this out. You know, world with magic and all that. Find her or her bods and get them to change be back right, Can't be that hard."
She Says this all in one go, rolling on as city talk speeds, her head bobbing to show emphasis.
Kane sighed. That happened faster than I expected.
"It seems you and I have a few things in common." Kane rasped. He focused Pharasma's gaze on her. She was not evil, at least not noticably so. If his mentor trusted her enough to ask that she be protected, Kane would trust that.
"Along these roads is no place for us. We should follow them still, but within the woodline a bit."
Kane took her arm and lead her, taking off his glove and letting her hand fall on top of his so she could feel his hard skin. It was as though the knight had been carved from stone. His skin was smooth, even a bit glossy feeling, but had no warmth or give to it. Small thorny protrusions poked up from the joints of his fingers and a rough, serrated ridge ran down the edge of his forearm.
"Tell me about yourself." he said, somehow managing to sound warm.
She nods.
"That's the plan Peacock, and don't get me wrong, I have no one to blame for this than myself. Should have kept my snout out of it. There is a reason I kept away from gods, that kind of thing that's why. That and I've seen to many upstanding men of the cloth haveing a good old time down the Brody-house. Think you had it harder then me kid. You asked for none what seems to have been done to you. My mother just throw me away, yours stuck around. You have to ask whitch was better given the out comes"
She planes her head down.
"don't know about you but I need some sleep, scream if any thing nasty shows up"
With out an mother word she closes her eyes and is fast asleep
Peacock frowns as Sphene brings up the subject of parents, and he closes his eye when Sphene raises the subject of his mother "sticking around."
"My mother stuck around? Ha! That's easy for you to say; what do you know? My mother just stayed silent when everyone looked at me weird for having odd eyes. I was always a cause of worry, it was always "Why is my son so different?" My parents could never accept that I wasn't perfectly normal. They threw me out when I came home like this, never even stopped to think that it was possible I was telling the truth!"
At once, Peacock is standing up, furious. His voice rises in volume until he's practically shouting.
"They couldn't accept that this... creature standing in front of them, begging for their mercy, was their son! It was easier to assume I was dead, because Erastil forbid their son be weird and different! But nooooooooooo, I knew my mother so that obviously makes everything better in your eyes, doesn't it?"
Letting the vitriol in his voice hang in the air, Peacock stomps out of the cave before Sphene can reply, collapsing against the rocky wall by the entrance with his hands hiding his face and tears running down his cheeks.
I was always a freak to them. At least now they can admit it to themselves. I hope you're happy now, mom and dad, you can stop troubling yourself about how your son isn't normal. I'm gone now, and I'm sure you're both better for it.
She opened her eyes and looked at him,
It was cruel, she knew it was, but she had to know. The street teaches that, you don't take chances.
She looked on as the boy shouted, it was real, this fey boys story all stacked up. She had seen that kind of anger before, The kid kicked out by the drunk dad, the girl who had run away to get away from the abuse. The hurt from ones who should have look after you., one who turn around and snatch that love and trust away. Just like one cold winter snatched away old meg. She had been hard on him, knowing now he was telling the truth she knew that, But she was p**ed off. No need to take it out on the kid here thow.
"Your right kid, what do I know about your life. What they did was wrong, hell's nothing I can say can change that. But I know this, you let anger like that sit in your heart and it will twist you all out of shape far more than anything can on the outside. Seen others go to the bad with that kind of anger in them. They did what they did, just as what was done to me was done to me. Question we both have to work out is, do we let it make us something bad or something good. Cus I know what it's going to make me, up to you what you become."
She was more saying that to herself than him, thing was she meant it this time.
Does it make me a bad person to be mad at my parents like this? They were never too vocal about people accepting me, but they tried to be there... didn't they? Why does this all have to be so complicated?
She let the kid alone, she could see how her words had sunk in a bit. Always best to bust that pain bubble before it rots away inside. She had done what he was doing right now, looked long and hard at what was in-front of her. Anger was useless, rage and upset, you just cried into the night and no one came. Best he get to face it now.
She moved and put more wood on the cave fire, O she needed sleep, night was coming and soon it would be full dark. She would sleep a bit then...
She fell asleep.
Now, standing on the edge of the road she felt herself shake slightly.
The hunger had struck again. The creature, a land shark, had smelled so tempting and her resistance against the encroaching tide of hunger crumbled. Without thinking she had approached the creature and found its soft spot, her fangs had pierced its hide and she drank its blood through them. That sensation of taking in its essence, filling herself, was unlike anything she could describe. It was as if she was starving and that was a first taste of food in ages, and yet, so much more. Instinctively, she knew that she would grow stronger, and something that strong was definitely something worth pulling into her body.
Again, the fear and anger had wafted over her and she was certain things were doomed again but through talking and pointing out they had harmed no one, allowed them to live.
It had been a while since the caravan had left and she jumped hearing him talk. They so rarely talked that he took her by surprise.
"It seems you and I have a few things in common." A long pause as she turned her head to him her hood falling back. He could see her wild hair, a grey black with the pattern similar to a wolves, her ears as they twitched turning forward slightly looking like a mix of human's and elves, with fur on them. As she looked up at him he saw a sheen in her eyes that looked similar to the eye shine from a predator.
"Along these roads is no place for us. We should follow them still, but within the woodline a bit." Nodding, knowing his logic was sound, though he would be leading she took the arm offered. When she heard a glove being removed and then her hand placed on his, it took a moment for her to realize what she was touching.
Her fingers explored his hand and arm. If he did feel her touch it would be probing and thorough. Her hands went no further for that would have been rude.
"Tell me about yourself." He said as they walked. It was slow going for them but they still were able to make it to the woodline.
"Not much to tell. I am a farmer's daughter. Born blind. Slavers came to my village and captured many of the families there. Mine among them. After that, through my own choices to protect those I care about, I became....changed. I now....combat something I barely understand about myself. Each time I lose to the hunger, I change. I have only bit a human once, and that was a preacher that slapped me and I didn't drink from him. Tasted nasty anyways. He tried to have me burned at the stake for consorting with demons even though that is actually the furthest from the truth. My family saved me,..." Her voice dropped. "Even they were afraid of me, so I ran." A lot of the stuff she withheld was to protect her new friend and the wizard. Plus, she knew so little about this stony companion she figured it best to just give him the abbreviated version.
"So what about yourself? I can tell you feel similar to stone, and hid yourself from everyone. What is your story?"
Without the protection of the caravan, the night will be cold and unpleasant. With it being mid-afternoon, that outcropping is just within reach before nightfall.
He shrugs off his vest and takes to the sky with a few forceful flaps of his wings, before they begin their regular rapid beats. Like a hummingbird's, they flap from side to side, pushing him up into the air, free from the confines of gravity.
His dancing lights follow him through the sky, twirling around him as he dives and climbs about; no doubt he would be quite noticable to creatures around him but, truth be told, he doesn't really care.
Peacock flitters about in lazy circles for a while, happy to just let his mind drift while the crisp mountain air caresses his skin. The cold doesn't affect him, he notices again. It freaks him out for a moment, but at the same time he's quite happy with it. Does he have any other magical resistances like that? It's possible, but he's not too keen on experimenting for find out.
He feels free, like his emotions are just evaporating through the air. Here, as he flies, no one can tell him he's not normal. No one can hate him for what he is. It's just him, the sky, and the hills around him.
He could get used to this.
The Buzzing wakes Sphene, she looks as the Fey boy Peacock flys off.
He will be all right, just a kid really dealing with that can be bad, having your family throw you out for changing on to of that, Harsh.
She followed him for a bit but tiredness sank back in again, she put her head down as was soon asleep again.