City of IF

[SerriaFox]

Kalanna Rai wrote: I would say that the eroki who is my heir was the only eroki to see past my mask. Let them chew on that.

I second that. However maybe not as his only appretice.

Maybe say 4 shall escort me to the foriegn land. But say that the four cannot be named until after the one who saw past my mast is named.

[LordoftheNight]

Poll is up.

[dinranwen]

A note to the poll, if you pick declare an apprenctice please put in your vote for which one or all of them.

I know the options seem simalar but believe me they are very different.

[dinranwen]

We have a tie....I'll let this poll run a few more days to see if it breaks.

The Current Ruling Options are...

Declares that the heir will be the only eroki at the ball who saw through his masks?---2

Declare his final picks, but refuses to choose them as either heir or apprentice until they prove themselves worthy?---2

Declare an apprecintce or apprenctices, but not an heir. Delaying choosing a heir for as long as possible?--2

[Guest]

I think the last one might rouse their attention. though wait for aprentences them to show them self worthy is also a good choice, in that way they'd know whom to trust around here and there. :)
May i be of asistance in breaking the tei. :D

[Guest]

But i didn't choose one of the ones i mentioned. i chose the fourth.
May who be seen behind mask be heir eroki. :) You know what i mean.

[dinranwen]

Lovely, finally a tie-breaker! New Chappie may be delayed however because I may be facing impendening grounddom depending on how my ruling parental authorities feel when they see my room still isn't clean after a week of them telling me to clean it....

[Guest]

WOW!!!!!! :shock:

Finally, a Eroki female with amyest eyes, purple hair, and nearly black purple wings is marched up a long stair her hands tied....

Wipeee!!! HAHAHa Well I say he gets news of the killing of the woman. and what happened to nari how old is she?

A war is waging between the two collonies. A troop of armies is marching their way. That would sound good.

The woman sounds asif she was used. Poor woman.

killed by the king only to have loved someone... I don't want to give a road that leads nowhere so I try my best in using only a little of my creativty.

[dinranwen]

Thanks Nightshade! And welcome back....I allow a few more days more comments...and then I'll set about making a poll.

I had hoped this would be taken for review by the fourth chapter but oh welll.....

For those of you who seemed to lost interest...stick around whatever the outcome of the next poll things are about to get interesting.

[Kalanna Rai]

*winks* What happened to Nari indeed. Lovin' every minute Din. I say news of Terian's proclimation should reach them and Ergos should leave at once, swearing to his father he shall seek out the purple female's child when the time is right.

Otherwise perhaps just be shocked by the news.

[dinranwen]

Chapter 3: Nothing's Cetain

Terain Eroki stepped into his Dinning Hall with a the certain stride that only came from royalty that ruled well as his silver cloak swept along the floor behind him. Gazing at the crowd at Table, Terain wondered if he made the right choice. Time would tell he decided. Time would tell.

Nodding his head to the assembly of the princes, their families, and the guards Terain had allowed. Terain took his seat the DragonSword and his crown sparkling almost joyously.

The crowd seated also an audible sigh going through them like a ripple on the tide. They had expected the announcement to take place before the feast, but Terain with carefully calculation had decided to make them and the princes wait.

Now the crowd would have to wait through the seven-course feast until they heard Terain’s announcement.

Terain smiled as he decided his decision was wise. He was not waiting for any purpose or end, but was simply doing for the simple pleasure of seeing the princes squirm in their seats.

~ ~ ~

Placing his spoon on his finished plate of Marinal Speckle Pudding, Terain sighed his gut expanded with pure gluttony.

Looking down the table, Terain saw the thinly disguised glances as one by one, the others set their spoons down, and an almost complete silence settled upon the room.

Standing, Terain raised his tankard and the crowds stilled further their already silent whispers ceasing with an amazing quickness.

"To the next barrier of the DragonSword," Terain crowed to the crowd’s amazement, "May he live long and well."

Then tipping the tankard back, Terain heard the crowd cry hear, hear and a brief silence followed by the sounds of drinking as others joined him in his solute.

"And who shall be the next barrier of the DragonSword?" Cried one rude voice in the back.

Glancing at the speaker, Terain recognized him from the ball...one of the princes who cursed him then.

Instead of answering him, Terain smiled, "Good question. Perhaps you should tell me?"

The crowd whispered furiously, had Terain gone mad, what was he talking about?

Motioning for silence, Terain raised his hand to speak, "Listen and Listen Well. I will the question which you have all been gathered to hear."

Eager and waiting the crowd leaned forward to hear.

"May the heralds, bards, and scribes of the kingdom record my words and set abroad for all to see, for I make a royal declaration of who will be the next king."

Pausing Terain cleared his throat and said the speech he had prepared just moments before.

"Remember well the ball, for I, Terain Stonebringer Eroki say I fooled you all. Therefore, I say, the one who rule next was the one who saw best through my royal mask. If by chance, I should die before this kingly shield bearer should be found, then the Sword who will know best who should be crowned...and make Elizabeth's heir and Terain’s Riddles clear when the Sword is given back into the hand of her rightful King. If Eroki knows himself to be the one of whom I speak, let him approach my throne and tell me whose disguise I wore in the ball. Until then, Terain Eroki holds the throne whilst life and breath still last."

Motioning for his guards to escort him out, Terain leaved the dinning hall while the others stood and argued over what in the world Terain could bring.

The next months would see the different princes coming to him, but never the eroki he sought. So Terain waited...

~ ~ ~

Time passed....

A red dragoness sits upon a mountain top, her tail twined happily with that of her mates.

A young farmer boy with fiery eyes and a burning heart joins the militia of Andoria.

A pair of newly wed centaurs move into the mountains into the Famous free trade town of, as it was known to them, Trancla.

A young elf sees the death of yet another of her beloved.

A man with shifty eyes becomes a servant in the service of the King of Andoria.

A blue eroki arrives in his hometown and goes to speak with his father, a Prince in the Ice Mountain Range.

A Tall black-haired is chased out of an Eroki settlement by several Eroki guards carrying spears. On one hand tugs a young lad of no more then seven, in the other small girl with strange purple eyes barely two years old is carried.

Finally, an Eroki female with purple eyes, purple hair, and nearly black purple wings is marched up a long stair her hands tied behind her back as two guards roughly shove her along her way. Although she was tied, dirty, scratched, bruised, and her eyes nearly screamed with pain, her head carried such a confidence that any one who saw her was immediately drawn to her.

For a brief extend of time we will follow the tales of these people whilst we wait for a change in Terain’s state. Nevertheless, know, oh readers of this glorious tale that Terain sat not idle at this time but ceased not to plan for the coming war both day and night.

Let us, however, follow this Purple Eroki's tale, brief though it might be...for although it may seem unimportant at this time, like every small act of our pictures it will ripple and affect everything from henceforth.

~ ~ ~

Ergos, the young blue eroki male who so easily saw through Terain’s thin disguise, marched up a different set of steps then the purple female and for a different purpose, but his destination was the same.

Ergos's father ruled this small colony on the edge of what consisted of their borders as King. Ergos' Grandfather, Larson, had once served Terain’s Grandfather as his General in the Dark War...the war that the entire nation had warred against their most hated enemies The Ice Trolls who lived just south of the settlement where Ergos lived now. Terain’s Grandfather had been so impressed with Larson, that he had granted Terain a small providence to rule as governor.

Larson had different ideas however, "My king," he had said, "Let it not be said that any of the 'deCulain line would ever cease from serving their King. I will not retrieve peacefully in the country while others still risk their lives at the borders, but if my King sees fit to reward me. Let him grant me service at the most dangerous front, and while I breathe I will serve the DragonSword and Her King faithfully."

Terain’s Grandfather had granted Larson’s request, and made him an honorary prince to boot, set Larson off with an army to conquer a small troublesome patch of Ice Trolls in the Ice Mountains with a promise that if Larson could conquer the area...it would be his.

Larson had gratefully done so, leaving us where we are now.

Ergos was therefore a prince, but only in a name, not in blood and thus had no right to the throne.

But we digress...

Ergos strode into his father's throne room where the guards of the small stone palace had told him his father sat in judgment. From the sound of it, nobody was happy about the trial about to take place.

Upon asking for more, Ergos was told that this hearing was a closed trial so that his father sat in his throne waiting from the accused to be presented to him. He was also instructed to go to his father immediately as the guards had been told to send Ergos his father's way no matter what the Prince was doing at the moment.

Looking around the throne room, Ergos saw that the guards report rang true. His father was alone, but his face was grim. What could be the matter Ergos wondered?

"Greetings Father." Ergos called startling his father whose name was Tarinis.

"Oh, son, you’re back early. How was the ball?"

"Boring as usual." Ergos said taking his usual seat on the stair just below his father's throne. "I left before the Grand Feast as I wanted to get back to you as soon as possible. Besides, whoever Terain choose I'm sure we'll find out soon enough." Ergos voice was filled with the enthusiasm of the very young. About fourteen in time counted by men, Ergos was only about five in Eroki years.

One would wonder why a father would let one so young travel alone. The Eroki are a strange breed, and their ways would confuse any normal mortal trying to reckon them. An eroki child was aloud to travel alone in upwards of twenty miles once it kills its first prey. Then once the first shedding occurs (similar to the shedding of a snake, this shedding signifies that an Eroki's wings are mature for that child's current size) the child is given free range throughout the eroki nation. This shedding usually occurs within two years as counted by mortal men.

"True. True." Tarias sighed, "It's just as well. We have problems of our own."

"I know, although the guards didn't give me any details, I know the upcoming trial troubles you deeply."

Tarias sighed again, "More than you know my son. More than you know." Terain paused and gazed at his son sagely, "I would appreciate if you sat in on the trial as a witness. Now I don't want any trouble, or any of this to get about in the public more than it has already, but it is against the law for a trial take place without a witness."

"I can do that."

"Alright, do you promise to keep silent during the trial and to not speak no matter what happens?"

"I do."

"Good. But if you do speak or interrupt, I will have the guards escort you out of the room understood?"

"Yes, Father."

"Good." Tarias said looking to the door where a guard nodded indicating the prisoner was ready, "Be quite from henceforth then." Then speaking louder...Terain cried, "Bring forth the prisoner."

The guards drag the purple female forward, throwing on her own her knees before the king. The female raised her head definitely her purple eyes ablaze with an inner fire.

Ergos gasped, only to be silenced by a stern look from his father.

"You are accused of letting a stranger into our colony...how do you plead?"

"Guilty."

"You are accused of letting the stranger see our secret places..."

"Guilty." The female said before his father finished.

"You are accused of coupling with a human male...how do you plead?"

"Most Guilty." The female said smiling before being kicked by a guard.

Tarias held his hand to still this abuse.

"Are you aware that it is not illegal for an eroki to breed with the human kind, but immoral, irresponsible, but produces deadly results?"

Raising her head again, the females eyes burned twice as fiercely, "That has never been proven."

"Then you do not deny it?"

"Deny it?" she said with a small laugh. "I declare it abroad. I loved that man, and you banished him..."

"That's enough. You are henceforth punished to immediate and sudden death..."

"That's not fair." Ergos said leaping to his feet to the first time...

"Ergos be quite." Tarias cried standing above his child. "This...this...woman has disobeyed one of our most ancient, and strict laws...gone against our ways to do something which I find both disgusting and horrendous."

"Father, this woman is one of our best scouts. No...the best of the best, I say. Yourself said if she was a man you would knight her, or if younger declare her as my future bride...and you sentence her to death. Isn't that a little harsh?"

"Ergos, I know your too young to understand, but trust me, I know what I'm doing."

"No, you don't. You punish a woman everyone loves and knows all because she disobeyed a stupid tradition that you wrongly call a law. It is tradition that is all. This woman has done no wrong that I can see."

There was a resounding smack as Tarias slapped Ergos across the mouth, and guards came rushing to restrain struggling Ergos from striking back.

"You do not know what you speak of." Tarias spoke loudly and then in a whisper..."Their union produced a child...."

The woman hearing the words sobbed, "My baby, my child, my little Nari...my precious child."

"Silence. Now watch Ergos and see justice done."

As he was forced to watch by the guards, Ergos saw the woman executed with a simple swipe of the sword. In that moment Ergos knew that vision would never leave him until the day he died...

~ ~ ~

In the meantime, Terain received from troubling news from the south...

[LordoftheNight]

Poll is up.

[dinranwen]

Please vote! If no new votes come in by next week...Rai's will win by default.

I know this has started sort of slow but please bare with me....it will be worth it I promise.

[dinranwen]

Chapter 4: Black Skies

Chapter 4: Part 1- Black Skies

News from the south reached Terian. An old terror once again surged across the skies.

The dreaded black drake once again plagued there shores.

Black Drakes had alway been the Eroki's enemies. Scouring their towns, spreading darkness and evil everywhere they flew, the Black Drakes were everything that gave dragons a bad name.

The drakes had been gone many years, but now it seemed they flew again, and it was the king's responsibility to hunt them down.

The Black Drakes were cunnying, twisted, and powerful. It took a team of hunters and mage's to bring just one down, or it took a King.

Tired of waiting for his chosen heir to appear, and tired of being confined to his chair, Terain decided that this time it would be a King who slew the beast.

Only waiting enough to gather a merge hunting pary, Terian set out.

Set out to his doom.
~ ~ ~

Terain’s heart pounded as he thrust his wings backwards to give him an amazing burst of speed as he tried in vain to catch up with his quarry. His mind full as he wondered over the news of two fighting colonies in the south, only to find no fighting colonies, but the discovering that a black drake had invaded their borders and killed his people. Now, although it taken him fifteen years, a small army to hunt that drake down, Terain was finally on the tale end of his query.

In front of the black drake twisted as it laughed at the old Eroki that chased after him.

"You old fool, go back to your bed. I don't wish to kill you today."

Roaring in anger, Terain twisted in the sky, pulling his sword from his scrapboard as he did so.

The flat silver blade flashed with the sunlight as Terain brought out in front of him to meet the beast sideswipe. Gripping the handle tight, Terain heard the gem in the sword's helm sing a warning. A warning that he was being a fool. A warning that this would be his death.

"I am Terain Eroki, once known as the Stonebringer, King of the Eroki Race, Brethren the dragons, ruler of Yrondi. I bond your master in chains, do you think I fear you!" Terain said maneuvering midsky frantically to keep his guard up from the Drake that now circled him hungrily, "You have killed my people, and stolen our goods, be prepared to pay in your blood."

Suddenly the drake ceased playing with him, and a sinister snake-like smile spread cross the monsters face turning the Terain’s confidence into fear.

"I have been sent to lure you to your death." The beast said lunging as several of its black brethren joined it in the sky.

To late did Terain realize his danger, to late did Terian signal for help...by time his small trope rallied to the King's aid in the skies above Yrondi's mountains...Terain was already dead, already falling from the sky.
Only by blood, sweat, and lose of men, did those brave knights of the eroki race manage to bring their King's body from the sky so they could let him rest in peace.

~ ~ ~

"It is said that black seldom suits Kingly halls.” Intoned an old eroki whose gray wings hanged sadly at his side full of grief, as his old wrinkled face strived to hold back further tears. "It is with great sadness that I lived to see this statement prove true. Terain was a wise king," Kyle said looking to the sad delegation before him, a delegation which only represented a handful of eroki, a delegation which even this small threaten to burst the Halls seams with the press of the crowd, "Like all of us, he knew of the threat of the returning war with the demon hordes. He knew that one day, the dark mage Maril would find a disciple to control to rule from afar...and he planned for that day.

Yet when he received news of fighting colonies, only to discover they had been whipped out by black drakes, Terain did not hesitate to hunt that beast even if it took him Fifteen Years to do. Let us never forget this dedication of Terain Stonebringer.

Now however, when turn to the future we know it is not bright. For Terain left us with riddles to decipher his heir...

The first being...'Whoever saw through my mask, shall be my heir.'

The second being, 'The DragonSword will know.'

Now we do not know the answer to the first riddle, but perhaps the nation can search the answer to the second. The DragonSword was lost when Terain died. Yet let this not stop us.

After all are we not Eroki, and not men!"

Kyle paused as the crowd roared in answer. "Let it be declared abroad that whosoever finds the sword, shall have the privilege of giving it to it's rightful heir and will receive a just reward. Now go and find the DragonSword. Let no stone be unturned, no lake unsearched. If the DragonSword is not found however within the breath of a month...my own son...my only son, Yross Rocksinger, shall be king."

Turning, Kyle walked away with only a breath of smile on his face.

Seeing it the ceremonial guards who would keep the King's body and chambers for the next three months knew but one word to describe that smile, Treachery.

~ ~ ~

Part 2: Swords from the Sky

Carefully balanced on the prow of what appeared to be an ordinary merchant ship, a young girl of sixteen or seventeen leaned forward to watch the dolphins play in the splash of the bow.

Looking upwards the curious dolphins watched the girl, jumping and twisting in response from the laughter and songs that poured from her lips intermediately. Intelligent eyes took in the girl's waist length curly raven looks, her childlike face, her white shirt tucked in a split skirt with a red scarf stitched with yellow, her bare feet, and her bright sparkling purple eyes.

The girl was their silent friend. Their playmate in the wood thing that created waves in the sea, and they were glad for her.

She was called, they knew by their strange seaways, Nari of Terikian, and to them she had no other name.

Nari chuckled as one dolphin preformed a triple twirl in response to a twist in the songs she had been singing for her water bond friends. Suddenly something made her look up, she did not know what it was but afterwards she was glad she did.

Something sparkling was falling from the sky, and as her lips stilled and her purple eyes grew wide, the object grew larger and large until she could see clearer what is was.

It was a falling sword.

Now, Nari knew Swords did not just fall from the sky by themselves, but still she could not help but be surprised. Even as she watched, the Sword sparkled and flashed, causing Nari to stand, and to reach....

"Nari 'de la rain" came the familiar voice from behind her, "You get off that prow right this minute, how many times did I have to tell you to stay off that thing..." The voice went quite however, when the person who controlled could only watch in surprise as Nari leaned forward to neatly catch the helm of falling blade that seemed to have fallen from heaven above.

"Dear Child of Destiny," The voice, which belonged to the captain, a slightly rounded and rough woman known as Maggs, "What do you have there child?"

Jumping off the prow onto the deck, Nari looked at the sparkling sword in her hand. "I don't know, but she said her name was once Elizabeth."

[dinranwen]

Any body have any ideas, comments, suggestions, corrections whatsoever....come on people I really need help with this one this time!

[Chinaren]

Well, I say the Captain is likely to try and take the sword from her. I mean, it's a nice sword, right?

This story has promise Dinny, but you need to get your spell check working soonest, there are some real heavy duty spelling errors which detract from the radiance* of it.

Also there are too many names. It's not easy to keep track of everything. :?


*Sorry, just watching Charlottes' Web.

[dinranwen]

Simplfy and spell check on its way!

[LordoftheNight]

Poll is up.

[dinranwen]

Chapter 5 - The Sword and The Sea.

“Elizabeth eh?” The captain smiled at such fancy from the girl. “Come now. Such a sword must belong to somebody powerful, you should take care, for maybe they will be looking for it.”

“It fell from the sky!” Nari exclaimed, holding the sword close. “Such a thing must mean something.”

“It means someone has dropped it, perhaps from a dragon on the way to the Ceremony.” The captain searched the skies. “They will wish it returned.”

“No rider would be so careless,” retorted the girl. Even so, she also looked up. “Anyway, there’s no dragon there, and there wasn’t.” There was an element of doubt in her voice though.

“Come, best give it to me. I’ll put it in a safe place until we dock,” Maggs stepped forward, her hand held out.

Nari hesitated, and then backed up a step, bringing her close to the railing of the ship. “No. No, I think I will hold it for a while.” Seeing the concern of the older woman, she softened her tone. “Don’t worry, I‘ll be careful.”

The captain paused for a moment as she debated what to do, then shrugged. ‘What harm could it do?’ She nodded. “Very well, but I’ll be watching.” With that threat she turned away to return to her duties.

Nari watched her go, only relaxing once she had disappeared. Looking round she found an area, hidden from the rest of the ship behind a large crate, and sat down behind it to examine the blade further.

It was truly something magnificent. The edge was razor sharp, as a cut finger quickly showed, and the pommel was inlaid with precious gems that sparkled in the sunlight. The craftsmanship, even to her eyes, seemed to be one of a Master.

She frowned as she remembered the answer she had given the captain about the swords’ name. Why had she uttered such? Yet Nari knew it was right, and the sword was called Elizabeth.

“Seems a strange name for a sword,” she sighed. Standing up she looked around. No one was paying her any attention. Shielding her new acquisition as much as possible with her body she moved quickly back to her small cabin, with only one or two strange looks on the way.

Securing the door to the small room, she settled down on the bed and rested the blade next to her, stroking the silken steel. “Elizabeth,” she repeated.

Your time will come, chosen one. Till then be prepared.

“What!” Nari sat up suddenly. “Who said that?”

There was no response, only the creaking of the ship, the sound of the sea and the shouting of the sailors outside reached her ears. She shook her head. “Enough, I’m hearing things.”

A bell tolled three chimes.

“Time for food,” she said to herself. Wrapping the blade in a cloth, she stowed it under her bed and left to eat.

Nari disliked meal times. The food was served to all the crew in two noisy, crowded smelly shifts, to allow enough men to man the vessel whilst their comrades were eating.

Despite the captain being a woman, and most of the crew too, the sailors were a rough lot, and they intimidated Nari a little. She tried not to show it though, supposing that if she did they would be even worse on her. Hence, she found strength through pretense.

On this occasion, the women seemed subdued though, and she almost missed the banter as she collected her spoon and wooden bowl, and then had the fat chef fill it with a hearty broth. On the way, back to the table in the corner she had made her own she noticed several strange glances from the crew.

Puzzled, and a little worried, she sat down to eat, spooning the rich stew into her mouth carefully. They had been at sea for a while now, so there was no real meat in the bowl, and the vegetables were beginning to taste a little strange. Still, it was nourishment, and Nari ate it all and wished for more.

Finally replete, she sat back and let her mind wander. Soon there would be no more of this stale food for her. Her brother would be a Rider! What would that be like? Nari smiled as she pictured herself astride a magnificent dragon, sailing high over the land. Then she frowned. Her dream-self held the sword aloft in one hand.

A rough voice broke her out of here reverie.

“Hey! Purple eyes! Heard you found something today!”

She gasped and looked around. Two sailors were leering down at her with gapped toothed smiles. These men, the captain, had told her were relative recent additions to the crew, and because they were men were still not quite to be trusted. One had long greasy black hair, and the other was as bald as an egg. Neither were credits to their species.

“What?”

“I says,” the long-haired one repeated, “you found something today.”

“Maybe I did,” Nari replied, standing up warily.

“Well then,” said Baldy.

“Well what?”

“You must know the Law of the Sea,” he said.

“What?” Repeated Nari.

“She doesn’t know the Law,” Baldy nudged his friend and chortled.

“Amazin’,” said longhair.

“Something found on our boat is shared by all, ain’t that right Eric?” Baldy nodded at long hair.

“S’right,” Eric replied. “So, we want our share we does.” He held out a hand.

“That’s not so!” Nari’s face was red.

“Oh! Worth keeping eh? Well, we’ll soon get ours…” Baldy was cut off by another voice.

“What’s going on here?”

The two sailors turned to find Maggs standing behind them, hand on sword hilt.

“Nah… nothin’ captain,” Eric said.

“Leave the passengers alone,” Maggs said.

“Sure thing Captain,” said Baldy.

“Don’t you have duties to be attending?”

The two nodded and scurried off. Magss looked on after them until they were out of sight, and then turned back to Nari. “I told you that sword would bring trouble.”

“I’ll be alright,” Nari replied.

The Captain heaved a sigh, but nodded and left. The purple-eyed girl followed in short order.

~ ~ ~

Nari moaned in her bunk. Strange and disturbing images floated through her head. A king falling through the sky. A black dragon swooping through rolling hills, red eyes burning through the dark. An empty throne and, through it all, the sword. Seemingly towering above her, it cast a long shadow that eclipsed everything else.

There was a thump, and she was jerked awake so violently that she fell out of bed, bruising her arm on the rough wooden flooring.

For a minute Nari thought she was still dreaming, but a low voice from outside, barely audible over the sound of the ship, brought her awake faster than a cold bucket of water.

“Quite yer bumblin’ fool!”

“Me’ foot slipped,” replied another one, in low tones.

“Hush! You ‘ear something?” The first voice again.

“Nah, you’re imagining things again. Come on; let’s get this done afore someone comes.”

There was a scrabbling at the door, and Nari’s eyes widened as she saw the handle of the cabin turn. Before she could do anything it opened, and an ugly, yet familiar visage peered round.

Baldy!

The man leered, as he entered, not yet seeing the girl’s form on the floor. Eric, the longhaired man, followed the first sailor in, and closed the door behind him. The two filled the small room up with the smell of grog.

“Go on,” whispered Eric, in a low voice. He pushed Baldy forward, and Nari realized the first man was holding a long dagger. “The bed.”

Nari panicked, throwing her arms out as she prepared to scrabble back. Her left hand hit something cold and hard under the bunk. The sword!

Pulling it out from its hiding place, she squirmed away from the sailors, who were peering through the dark.

“There! On the floor! Get her!” Eric pushed Baldy, who tripped and fell forward.

There was a wet sound, and Baldy fell upon Nari, his face up close against hers. She smelled whiskey on his breath and saw his eyes widen, his body nearly stifling her.

She struggled to free herself, but he was too heavy. Any second now, he would deal the deathblow, or worse!

There was a sound. Baldy opened his mouth. A flow of dark liquid dripped onto her face, causing her to cry out in disgust. Then his head fell onto hers, and only then did she realize he was dead.

She screamed.

“Bugger!” There was a noise as the other man panicked and fled.

Nari screamed again, as images of death and blood ran through her head. In her hand, the sword seemed to become warm.

There were shouts, and running footsteps. The door flew open, and the sound of cries as the bloody scene was discovered.

Nari fainted.

~ ~ ~

“Are you sure you want it?”

Nari nodded.

The Captain sighed and handed the sword, now in a new sheath, over to her. “I told you it would bring trouble,” she repeated.

“I know,” Nari said as she strapped the weapon around her waist, struggling with the oversized belt.

“Where will you go now?”

“I am meeting my brother, he is a candidate at the ceremony in Mendar.”

Maggs nodded. “Very well then. I wish you good travels.” With a final nod of the head, the captain turned and walked back onto her ship.

Nari breathed deeply. The journey after her attempted murder had passed smoothly but unpleasantly. She had been all but shunned by the crew, and whenever she walked amongst them, she felt their eyes following her.

Maggs had taken the sword, which had run Baldy through, from front to back, when he had fallen forward onto her. Only when they had arrived at their destination and they had disembarked did she return it.

Now Nari turned away from the sea. Walking awkwardly with the sheath at her side, she wandered through the docks and out into the streets until she found a coach that would take her to the Dragon fields.

The next two days journey passed uneventfully, as she traveled dusty roads towards Mendar, the City of Dragons. The coach was empty for most of the time, which came as a great relief to her, though she often wished for some company to help keep her from dozing off, as when she slept the images in her dreams frightened her.

Still, she survived, and it was a warm, if overcast day when her journey ended.

Struggling through the crowds of the city, she made her way to the Dragon Plain in the east of the city. Here the crowds seemed even worse, as the throng gathered to watch the Winging Ceremony, where the dragons would choose their riders, forming a bond that would last their lifetimes.

Finally making her way to the entrance, she had to force her way through, despite the ticket of admission she carried. Eventually though, she made it onto the field.

There had been so many people that Nari had not noticed the dragons until she was close to them. Enormous beasts, both awesome and frightening in power. As she approached they seemed to be disturbed by something, and several reared up, roaring loudly.

Nari looked around and finally located the form of her brother. Taller than she remembered him, he was clad in a long black cloak and talking to an older man.

“…don’t know what has got into them, but the princes seem agitated too. What? Oh! Nari! You made it!”

Laughing, Nari hugged Juri, who picked her up and hugged her back. “How was your journey little sister? Do you like the sea?”

“Oh Juri, I have much to tell you…” She was cut off as Juri looked over her shoulder. She turned and saw a group of men approaching. They seemed to be exited and angry.

“Where is it?” One of them said. “I can feel the presence near!”

“It’s coming from there, from that candidate,” said another, pointing at Juri.

The group approached them, and Nari hid behind her brother, as he stood straight.

“What may I do for your Eminences?” He asked.

“Hand it over! We know you have it!” One said.

“What? Hand what over?” Juri replied.

“The sword! Hand over the sword!”

Nari gasped. They meant her sword! Elizabeth!



((What should she do?))

P.S. Thanks Chin for writing this for me!

[Chinaren]

What an excellent chapter Dinny, though you need an 'a' in Captain where you changed a bit. There are a few sentences that run on a little too, now I read it again. Ah well, I'm never quite satisfied. ;)

Right then, she should definately not hand the sword over, IMO. Perhaps she can run off and lose herself in the crowds. Mmm, they are likely to find her too easily.

Maybe give the sword to her brother?

Or just point black refuse!

[Lilith]

It took me a little while to read but good work! *applauds* How about she gets a little bit of an attitude and draws the sword. "What? You want this? Come and get it!" And of course, if she can't defend herself then big brother steps in.

Just a thought! ;)

[Crunchyfrog]

*Puts on RB hat*

This is a good SG, but there are some technical areas that need pointing out…



Prologue and Prelude both need spell checking.

Chapter 1 - Generally well written, and has been spell checked. There were only a couple of glaring errors, which should be corrected though.


Quote: Standing before his king without a bow, a man, actually an eroki, with a balding head and wings with more holes than actually wings dressed in a long robe and a pair of slacks just as mouth eaten as his wings.

Ummm.... This sentence is a little confusing, and needs to be looked at again and rewritten, I think.

Quote: Sitting next to his king, the old man looked at the books with hope, “Did you find it sire?” - Should be a full stop after hope.



Chapter 2 was spell checked, but a couple of words escaped the spell checker, and have been corrected here. Chapter 2 has been reviewed in depth for grammar, and here are some suggestions in green for grammatical corrections:

Quote: Terian Eroki sighed as he surveyed the large crowd gathered at the great mask. All around him Eroki were dressed elegantly in elaborate costumes, hiding their true faces beneath masks of sequins, feathers, and cloth.

The Masks the eroki wore served to disguise whom they wore, but a simple pull of the string would reveal their real faces.

Terian only wished the masks people wore in real life were only so easy to reveal.

This whole ball was farce, and the only purpose it had served so far was the exact opposite of what it was originally intended to do.

In a way, this ball marked the defeat of Terian and the end of a long debate with a much older, and a much wiser Kyle.

Some months ago, he and Kyle had argued whether to search for likely heirs or to take some other course of action. Kyle, in his usual stubbornness, had insisted that Terian search for heirs.

Quote: Instead, Terian decided to review the candidates and then take on a few of them as apprentices. Out of those apprentices, he would choose one to be the heir. The rest would be rewarded with a generalship or such nonsense. By choosing a candidate as an apprentice rather than declaring an heir right off meant that he would be able to teach these young men how to be a true king, and what to expect in the kingship.

Quote: At first the task had seemed impossible, between the flattery of princes, the boast of feats performed, and a few who seemed to have something against talking, Terian had not known whom to choose. How could he choose between heirs who showed one face to him, but might another behind their masks?

Quote: The solution had been in the question. Terian had arranged this Mask, so that the likely heirs would be disguised among the many eroki of the immediate court.

Quote: The plan was that King Terian would change his custom to something a lower noble of the court would wear to a Mask, while Kyle decked out in the King’s traditional custom, with only minimum changes so that only an expert at such things would be able to tell the difference between him and the king, would take his place on the Ballroom floor.


Quote: Malone was the son of Idyll Birchbark, great nephew to the daughter of Greg, son of Princess Aphid, the youngest daughter of King Brail, who had ruled five generations before Terian. Malone was perhaps the most distant heir of the throne. Terian considered him above most of the candidates however, because despite being a little empty headed, vain although in a different way from Pharr and courageousness to the point of foolishness, Malone was brave. Terian thought that with a little training and perhaps a scar across the face Malone loved so much, Malone could perhaps be shaped into a good king.

Quote: “He did, but I bet he didn’t light it aflame like I did!” Malone crowed to the pleasure of one of the ladies whom he winked at.

Terian knew a dismal joke when he heard one, so he walked away searching for the next prince.


Quote: The next conversation in fact he heard was with the drunk who had thrown the cup at his head. Despite being dressed in the custom of a fire drake, he was revealed as Larrikin Stonehedge, whose temper was famous throughout Yond (as the Eroki nation was called amidst the natives).



Quote: Larrikin had the gall to look surprised.

“You know me?”


Quote: “None.” Terain said. Larrikin left him to contemplate his personality.

Nevertheless, if Terian could knock the drink out of him, Terian knew he would have a humble man although with a fiery temperament.


Quote: However, he was expect to make a declaration this evening at the Grand Dinner he was hosting, and Terian knew he had to make a decision and soon.


Chapters 3 and 4 have a large number of spelling mistakes and need to go through a spell checker. These have not gone through the same level of grammatical review as chapter 2.

This is a good story, although perhaps more could have been made of Terain's death fight and funeral, especially after the assessment of potential heirs at the Mask was so well done in Chapter 2.

I hope that Chapter 5 gives this SG the boost it deserves. The suggested spelling and grammatical corrections do need to be sorted out though, (and also any further grammatical corrections in Chapters 3, 4 and 5) before it can be promoted.

:)

[dinranwen]

*immerges from all the editing she has to do to post a poll*

Poll's up.

Corrections will be made before the next chapter.

Till then folks, feel free to sit by the Poll Pool and a few drinks on me.

Of course we only serve Hot Tea around here, but beggers can't be chooser can they?

*Dinranwen immediatly gets buried anew by a stack of papers dumped on her head by a dump truck*

[dinranwen]

Yay me! The editing is finally done. I hope that the Head Eaters and everyone else finds the changes made to the story to their sastisfication.

Please let me know if I let anything slip through the cracks, or that I just plain missed.

Poll's closed and a new chapter is on its way!

[Chinaren]

I seem to have missed the vote here. Sorry D.

[Head Eater]

Thissss thread isssss now acceptable to me.

Sssssee it remainsss sssso, or I shall return,and your head ssssshall be mine!

:lol:

[solus.serpen]

Ah, just caught up and missed the vote!
Well, looking forward to the next chapter. :)

~Solus

[Crunchyfrog]

Argh, I missed this too!

Okay but now ready and waiting. :)

[dinranwen]

*whimpers as she strives to keep her eyes open* Chapter 6 will be up soon I promise. As is it is half-way done. RL has just been practicularly hard on my lately. But I promise Chapter 6 is going to be extra long...and will try to make it is as good as much as a person of my limited skill can.

Soon....

Soon...

I promise *mutters madly*

[dinranwen]

((A special thanks to Rai, who gave me permission to use her character RATH for this SG))

Chapter Six: Illusion's Asssasin

Nari’s mind worked fast as the eroki loosed their swords in her sheaths causing her brother to get that dangerous look in his eye that Nari knew all too well.

Reaching upward, Nari silently touched a parcel wrapped within a colorful gypsy shoulder wrap. Closing her eyes she thought hard, Elizabeth, What shall I do? They want you!

To Nari’s surprise, but not to her shock the sword broke its silence it held aboard the ship and answered as if the sword woken from a long sleep. Tell them the have no right to ask me of you. You are not to surrender me until the bonding ceremony is over, after the ceremony all will be revealed.

Opening her eyes, Nari cautiously looked beyond her brother’s massive shoulder blades and felt her knees quake. The eroki were truly ferocious with their wings unfurled, their fangs barred, tail and talon outstretched, and swords loosed from their sheaths. Straitening her spin, Nari stepped out of her brother’s shadow and into the light.

“He does not have what you seek.” Nari said clearly with a confidence she knew she did not possess.

“Quite,” one snarled, a dark red winged eroki snarled his brown eyes filled fire that had all the bearing of a prince, “You know not what of what we seek.”

“We know you have it.” A wine colored winged one growled barring his fangs, and shaking his black mane, “We hear it calling to us, hand it over….boy.” The last was said at a growl and was obviously an insult by the way the eroki said it.

Placing a gentle hand on her brother’s arm, Nari felt Juri’s muscles tense. Looking upward into her brother’s green eyes with own purple ones, Nari shook her head in a simple plea for violence to be withheld and stepped forward in front her brother.

Placing her hands on her hips, Nari stood her black hair flaring backwards in the wind and her eyes sparkled with an inner fire. “I said he does not have what you seek.” Pausing, Nari reached upward to the bag on her back once more and withdrew the colorfully wrapped bundle from the pack. “I do.”

Slowly unraveling the fabric, Nari revealed the hilt first, and slowly worked her way downward to show a sword carefully kept in a sheath Maggs had lent her with strict orders that sword was to stay there. The hilt, the only part of the sword revealed was made of a strange metal that glowed silver but felt sturdier to the touch. The hilt had designed so that a dragon with its wings carefully folded, twined its tail and body along the length of the helm until its head became the pummel for the hilt itself. A small and almost insignificant sapphire stone was set for the dragon’s eye and no matter which way it was held, the eyes always seem to watch the viewer of the sword. The hilt ended with the dragon’s tail twisting into a curved sword guard amidst the crossbar of the hilt, and below it, Nari knew strong but supple metal gleamed with strange ruins that she could not read. The sword had good balance, movement, and slashed quicker then the eye could follow. Instinctively, Nari knew that while men had born this sword throughout time, it had obviously been made for a woman’s hand.

Looking upwards at the eroki before her, Nari saw the shock then the greed that shown in their eyes. The darker red winged one stepped forward first and spoke, and Nari immediately pinned him as this group’s leader.

“Hand it over, child,” the eroki sneered, “It’s not yours.”

“No.” Nari said quietly starring down the eroki with her strangely colored eyes, and then more loudly she repeated herself, “NO.”

Clearing her throat, Nari threw her voice so that all who cared to hear her would. “You have no right to ask this sword of me. And you know it too. The Sword says to tell you that nothing will be revealed until the Bonding Ceremony is completed, and not a moment before.”

“Why you insolent child!” the dark red eroki strode forward his sword coming free from its sheath. Nari heard the echoing answer of her brother’s sword followed by the unsheathing of the red eroki’s companions. Nari felt time hold its breath as she thrust a single hand backwards to withhold her brother’s quick temper.

Yet before anyone could move, the sword seemly leapt out of it’s sheath and into Nari’s hand like it had done on the ship, and Nari found herself holding the sword with it’s pointed end outstretched just in front of the eroki’s nose as the sheath to sword clattered to the ground taking the colorful shoulder wrap that had bond the sword with it. “Back off prince….” Nari said in voice that held no joke, “Elizabeth Rangor will not have her bearer touched.”

At the name, the eroki’s eyes grew wide and to her brothers shock they back off.

The prince, as Nari had correctly marked him, had not learned his lesson however, and could not resist one last barb….”We will have the DragonSword back girl, for none can bear it properly but the eroki.”

Lowering the blade, Nari laughed at the threat hidden in the prince’s silken words, “The eroki will have their sword back, Prince, but it will not be given to you. I am only authorized to give Elizabeth to the true heir of Terian Eroki, and he is not yet here.” Cocking her head to the left, Nari looked thoughtfully at the Eroki prince and then at the sword she now held in her hand, “The DragonSword, is that what you call her? Interesting. Now go away, and leave us be, you fools. All will be made clear after the Bonding Ceremony, and oh yeah, Elizabeth says that patience is a virtue worthy of royalty.”

Angry at being better by a mere girl, the eroki prince stormed off and toke his friends with her. Kneeling briefly to pick up the sheath and her scarf, Nari stood back up and turned to look at her brother.

Juri looked at his baby sister with his green eyes and whistled, “Where did that come from?” Juri half asked, half laughed, speaking of both the sword and the courage that Nari had spoken with.

“It’s a long story brother…..” Nari said as she carefully re-sheathed the sword and wrapped the blade back up with her shoulder wrap.

Juri shook his golden head, and laughed, his chest muscles rippling. Putting a muscular arm around Nari’s tiny shoulders, Juri began to walk her towards the nearest pub. “I have one hour till the bonding ceremony. Why don’t you come to the pub and tell me all about it, hmmm?”

Smiling Nari nodded her eager agreement eager to have food that had not been kept in the hull of the ship for three weeks.

Chuckling together at her eagerness, sister and brother walked instep into the nearest pub.

~ ~ ~

“So,” the treacherous Kyle said, his fingertips on his lips, as he listened to the eroki prince’s tale. “A girl stopped you from gaining your ultimate prize. You disappoint me son.” Kyle said waving a hand towards the red winged eroki dismissing the spell of illusion he had placed over the eroki to make him look like Yross Rocksinger.

The illusion gone the light revealed a darker eroki then before. A young eroki with a handsome but pale face from living underground, dark brown hair that was almost black, brown eyes nearly hidden by overly large pupils. This eroki’s wings instead of red were the black of a darkest night. His wings had been torn and tattered purposefully by a master’s cruel hand and his left wing drug uselessly on the ground revealing at last this man’s flightless ness.

Making the same motion over himself, the appearance of the elderly and kindly Kyle melted away to reveal an eroki with almost princely features. His true form revealed, a sorcerer covered in dark black robes trimmed in the deepest scarlet turned to reveal an angled face filled with hate and disgust at his son’s failure. His wings were black and scarlet also, but unlike the scarred ones of his son, his wings were flawlessly perfect.

Kyle, the former advisor, had long since been dead, killed off by the very man who cast the spell of illusion over himself and his dark son. The Sorcerer was Malden and his son was known as Aurum, eroki’s whose wings had turned back they had sworn their lives to demons and the necromancer Moril in order to gain power.

“You were to gain the sword,” the sorcerer said simply raising a hand with carefully kept long talons stained black with old blood. This simple motion however small tossed his son against the walls of the windowless room in the inn in which they were staying. “The other eroki will not be so stupid as to challenge the girl while she holds the sword. I am afraid, my son, you ruined your only chance.” Black eyes glittered as the sorcerer made a chocking motion with his hand causing his son to gasp for breath.

The sorcerer son gasp and struggled against the hold his father held over him, his dark eyes glittering with power hate and then with pure pain as his father began to slowly torture him. Aurum knew that for measure of suffering he felt, his father Malden, gained more power and the more power his father held, the more pain his father had over him.

Suddenly the force that held Aurum to the wall let go as Malden turned his back to his son. Turned his back to eyes that if daggers would have met Malden’s death.

“What shall we do, my father?” Aurum croaked somewhat scornfully at his father’s back.

“Wait for the ceremony to be over, then when Elizabeth least expects it strike both whoever the heir is and her new precious bearer. Come it’s time we talk to a certain dragoness” Malden laughed and recast the illusion spell over himself and his son. Walking out the room, the father gloated while the son sulked and plotted making their way to a certain section of the city in which a certain dragoness was reported to be staying for the ceremony."

~ ~ ~

The dragon assassin known as Rath silently counted the coins on the table with her talons in the merger cave she was staying for the length of the Dragon Bonding Ceremony. Years of experience had taught her that such ceremonies brought many customers who wanted certain officials to disappear in the crowd.

Still the request a dotter old fool had make was unusual. Even for one of her skill. Looking upwards as she let still another golden coin drop from her talon.

“So let me get this straight. You want me to kill a girl. After the most important ceremony in Andoria. A girl whom I have never seen, and to my knowledge is completely innocent of that which you accuse her of. Oh and you want to me to so in a crowd full of dragons, knights, guards, and mages. Did I miss anything else?” Rath purred looking at the old eroki with tattered wings with a keen eye. Something was wrong about this man, if only she could point out what.

“You don’t have to do in front of everyone. An ally would be just fine. We just want the bodies to be found. And don’t forget,” the old eroki said adding more gold to the pile, “You are to kill whoever the girl gives her sword to.”

“And what does giving a sword meaning in your culture?” Rath purred and stretching her draconic neck elegantly causing the old man to hesitate in shock.

His red winged son came to the rescue however, “To exchange a sword is the seal of our marriage in our culture. The girl is a human girl, and as we strongly disapprove of mixed marriages we want the couple to be made an example to others.”

Rath smiled, she had them just where she wanted them. Right now, the pair would pay anything she asked, yet still she hesitated, that was a lot of money for a simple marriage between a couple whom she was told was of no importance. Another thing Rath learned was is wary of men who pay for more then a kill is worth.

So she decided to test them, “Examples cost extra.”

Instead of protesting at the steepness of her price, the old man simply added more gold to the pile causing Rath took at the suspiciously.

Yet the gold called to her. A dragon had to eat, sleep, pay of would be slayers, and to hire others to do work she could not do because of her size.

Hesitating between the gold and morals she had long ago tossed away, Rath looked at the men and made her decision.

((Well, what does the assassin do?))

[dinranwen]

With no posts...I went straight to a poll. Please vote.

[Player of Fates]

I voted take the offer and kill the girl and the person she gave the sword too.

[dinranwen]

Oh dear, the only option I didn't want anybody to vote for....

Anybody else voting. *begs* Please?

[dinranwen]

As much as I am going to hate this...poll's closed. New chapter will up in a few days.

[Chinaren]

Sorry Dinny, missed the vote, though it wouldn't have made any difference.

[solus.serpen]

Uhhh. Missed the poll again. :(

Oh well - at least the option I would have chosen won.

Hopefully I'll be quicker next time. ;)

~Solus

[dinranwen]

Chapter 7: Rightful Airs, Part 1: Second Thoughts

((Sorry, Rath…and vicariously Rai…Please don’t kill me for this…))

Rath stretched her talons forward and with a quick motion slid the coins in the ever-growing gold pile that made her bed. Some fool had once said that sleeping on gold made dragons young and gave them magic, Rath snorted at this thought. The truth was that when you were a being with the size and reputation of a dragon, sleeping on your gold was about the only way to keep it safe.

“Alright,” Rath said her voice showing no seen of the hesitation and suspicion her cunning mind had displayed moments before. “Consider the task done. But I will need a more vivid description of the girl if you don’t wish me to make a mistake.”

“Oh, trust me, dragoness assassin, you won’t miss this girl. After all a common witch, whore, and peasant giving an eroki a sword isn’t exactly a sight you see every day.”

Rath mused her muzzle displaying her fangs in what have been mistaken for a smile on another’s face, “Perhaps.”

“We will give you the other half of your pay as soon as we know the task is done. And leave the bodies in a place they can be found, examples cannot be examples unless their seen.”

Rath felt her eyes widen. These men planned on paying her double what they already had? Already the pair had paid her enough to kill a powerful Lord and hang his body on the wall for public display, which as one can imagine involved a very high risk for the assassin who completed such a task.

Once again the nagging suspicion that there wasn’t something quite right with these two plagued her mind, but the sight of the gold and the prospect of fresh blood blinded the dragoness to all else. Already her world was turning red.

“Alright,” Rath roared, “I have agreed to your commission, now get out of my cave.”

Rath emphasized the last remark with a breath of fire that barely missed the exiting visitors behinds. Inside her cave, Rath began to pace while she tried to calm herself by counting to One Billion in draconic, common tongue, and elvish all at once.

~ ~ ~

What had become of her? Rath wondered as she lumbered around on the ground outside the city gates making her slow way towards the Dragons Field where the ceremony would take place.

What would Path think of me now I wonder? Taking commission to kill a common girl…[i] The lighter side of her soul, the soul that seemed to hold her withered blighted emotions, her morals, and her sense of pride.

[i]Path’s not here. Path’s dead. The darker side of Rath’s side growled at the lighter soul causing her morals to shrink and flee under the cool iciness of unthinking, unfeeling assassin. Being unthinking, unemotional, and as moral as a ice block prevented one from thinking too much about one’s past, and in Rath’s mind, it was much better then the madness.

Oh yes, the Madness, the cold, bloodthirsty, searing anger that blinded her and made her no better then a rabid dog. Path had been able to break her out of it, but Path was no longer here. He was gone, slain by demons, orcs, and other foul ilk. Rath remembered going mad then, remembered vaguely hunting down every demon, orc, goblin, giant, and foul beast she could fine until she awoke again one night in a dark forest covered in blood vaguely blinking in the light.

Ever since that day, Rath could not go long with the taste of blood in her teeth, without the feel of the warm, sticky sensation running through her talons and over her forelegs. She had tried once to bury herself in a cave to prevent herself from killing. She had failed and had only gone mad once more when the thirst, the desire for blood became too much, and this time when Rath awoke out of her madness she found the body of bloody child in her talons and not some evil orc or demon who had done her wrong. Rath had decided then and there to become an assassin. What better trade was there for a dragon who had a taste for blood?

But how she ended up in those moment, morals gone, more then willing to take every contract she was offered no matter how petty, Rath had no clue.

Yes what would Path think of her now. Probably not much. It is a good thing he’s dead then, muttered the coldness of the darker side of her soul but the lighter half a small fragment of the once happy content Rath wailed with tears in the small corner of the mind it had been pushed into by the cold assassin that now controlled Rath’s movements.

It did not take her long to arrive to the Dragon’s Fields and soon she found herself amidst a crowd of people, eroki, and dragons.

Normally Rath found it hard to move around these cities whose occupants welcomed but were still suspicious of the dragons with whom they held an uneasy alliance, but here at this time, Rath was just another elder dragon of high esteem who had come to witness the ceremony of bonding between man and dragon.

Rath smiled, these humans trusted to many people too often. It was a good thing they did not that Rath was not one of their own dragons. Rath was a Skye dragon and so much unlike, and her mind superior to these worms that more often then not chained themselves to weaker races such as mankind. Indeed, not only was she not a typical dragon of Cree, she was not even from Cree, but Lodryss, but that was another thought for another time. Rath was sure when she had first started coming to this ceremony for the commissions it would bring people would notice the difference between her dragon-form and the other dragons, but no one did. Not even the other dragons noticed the subtle rounder curves of Rath’s body, the delicateness of her figure, the hollowness of her bones, the highness of her checks with her muzzle, the tuffs that projected above delicately curving horns that served as ears for a sky dragon, nor did they notice that her wings far too delicately webbed to be able to realistically carry a dragon of Rath’s size flew much faster and steered much smoother then the Creeian dragons massive ones. The blindness that seemed to lay hold of this world served Rath all to well, especially on this day when she had killing on her mind.

As soon as Rath arrived she began to look around with her sharp black eyes watching carefully for a human maid and an eroki male, and the sword-giving that was to be her signal.

~ ~ ~

Juri paced up and down the small room he had procured for his sister’s sake so that she could wash the crude of the sea, and although he knew well that neither he nor his sister like the closed room with a roof far to confining for those of gypsy blood, he also knew that the streets of Mendar were not place for a young girl of sixteen to make her bed at night.

“Juri, sit still! For pete’s sake if you keep this up much longer your going to wear a whole in the floor,” came the soft delicate voice of a girl who was still very much a child in Juri’s mind.

Juri turned and looked at his sister, Nari who was sitting on the edge of the bed with her legs bouncing up and down like a little girl, and he just had to laugh at the sight. “You’re one to talk,” Juri laughed at his sister pointing at her moving legs. Blushing guilty Nari tried in vain to tuck her legs underneath to stifle their endless restlessness only to find herself bouncing up and down on the bed instead within a few moments of stillness. Juri couldn’t help but laugh and Nari laughed at herself too.

Juri was nervous, they both were. Juri was half tempted not to believe the wild tale Nari had spun about the sword falling from the sky, the strange nightmares Nari had been having recently, but when Nari told him about the men she had unwilling killed and pulled out the blade once more, Juri had been forced to believe her.

He was glad it would all be over soon, this thing with his younger sister and the blasted sword that had caused them so much trouble already. It would all be over for him to, this seamlessly endless waiting after years of training and field experience with men far more experienced then he.

It had come down all to this, a ceremony were Juri would find out if he had what it took to be a dragon rider.

The ceremony would take place soon and soon the Dragon Trainer whom Juri and the other selected youths had trained with would come to fetch them. The Dragon Trainer had been the first person Juri had spoke to after her sister told her strange tale, and he had been he that had suggested a room where Juri could protect his younger sister and have some privacy before the ceremony. The Trainer had even been willing to send one of the Dragon Boys, children of the Dragon riders far too young or too fragile to be trained as a dragon-rider with their fathers, to fetch Juri, but then again the Trainer had made secret of the fact that Juri had been his favorite and that Trainer had high hopes for Juri in the ceremony.

Resuming his pacing, Juri folded his arms behind his back and was now glancing at his sister who had given up on sitting and was now standing in front of a beaten brass mirror playing with her hair as she tried to decide which way she would wear it for the dragon ceremony.

Much had changed with Nari over the last 5 years when Juri had first found his sister bloody and crying in the forest after the dreadful ceremony that guaranteed that neither of them would find a comfortable home among the gypsy’s again not even with their father who dared not anger the wagon master by disobeying his wishes. Nari had been 10 then, Juri thought, and he had only been a very impressionable thirteen. He hadn’t been exactly certain where they were going or what they would do in the big wide world with a girl of 10 at his side, but they were gypsy children and they had found their way soon enough.

Juri remembered as he paced the length of the small room how he once had a notion to become a sailor. Gypsy’s could not stay still long, not even there children, something in their blood called them to move, to never stay still, but to move endlessly on to discover new places and new people. A sailor’s life, Juri had thought, would provide the movement both he and his sister needed and surely some ship would need a cabin boy and maybe a small girl to perform some tasks aboard the ship. Juri, now a much older and wiser man if still very young, could have laughed at his younger self for his foolish thoughts. They had found a boat alright who were more then willing take the children aboard as helpers, but neither he nor his sister had counted on joining a crew of pirates, nor had they counted on Matt the ex-knight who pushed Juri towards the dragon riders, and neither had they counted on Maggs the captain of the Red Wheel who had taken then raised Nari as her own child.

A knock at the door finished this musings however, and Juri found himself gulping nervously.

Opening the door he saw the trainers eldest son a lad about seven standing at the door. Swallowing his adam apple with a gulp, Juri found his voice creaking with nervousness, “Yes?”

“Father say’s its time,” the boy said sticking his sandy head in the door to smile at Nari like he had never seen a girl play with her hair before.

“We’ll be right down.” Juri said pressing a small bronze penny in the lads hand and closing the door to turn towards Nari. “It’s time sister.”

Nari sighed and let her hair fall from her hands to cascade once more over her supple brown shoulders. “I know.” Walking over to the bed, Nari picked up the sword that was still laying upon the colorful wrap on which it had been laid after being showed to her brother. Hesitating a moment, Nari picked up the sword with reverent hands and stuck the sword unsheathed in the red sash that wrapped around her waist and then took the wrap and with a few twist and tugs made a rough headband to hold back the length of her hair from her beautiful face and her strangely colored eyes. Taking another look at the beaten brass mirror, Nari nodded as if satisfied with her meager preparations, “I’m ready.”

“Let’s go,” Juri said and with that brother and sister headed downstairs to see what destiny had in store for them.

((Sorry, this chapter is HUGE! So I'm breaking it in half. Please free to comment whilst I work on the second half however. Second Half should be up in a few days, as it needs serious spellchecking and tweakign. The Second will be MUCH, MUCH, MUCH Longer than this so be thankful that I broke in two. The DP will be in the second half.)))