Planar Chaos
One Shots: Study Buddies
"Ow! Kyari, you've got to hold it still," Odom said, attempting to wrangle a baby two-headed dragon.
"If what you've told me of the Simic is true," the elf planeswalker said, "then why do you need a sample from a two-headed dragon on Mercadia of all planes?"
"Because I haven't gotten a biological sample from this species yet," Odom replied. "Now use the spell."
Kyari drew mana from the earth, pulling it up through her feet like the roots of a tree absorbed nutrients from the soil. From a young age she'd been able to cast spells, even before her spark ignited. It was common on the mana-rich plane of Shandalar. She coaxed it into the unfamiliar spell, entrapping the baby dragon inside of a sphere and holding it motionless.
Odom looked down at his mutilated arm. Baby dragons, just like the fully grown ones, put up a fight. This particular dragon had sunk both of its sets of teeth into his arm, the fleshy one, not the tree arm.
"I suppose it can't be helped," Odom said. His arm began to melt, dripping down onto the ground and forming a puddle that was then reabsorbed through his feet. A brand new arm dripped into existence. Kyari looked at him in mild horror, the detention sphere wavering as her concentration was broken momentarily. A loud shriek was heard from the two-headed dragon before being silenced again.
"So..." Kyari said, "do I want to know?"
"You wound up on New Phyrexia the first time you walked. I wound up in the maelstrom, missing most of my limbs."
"Good to know. We should start calling you the Maelstrom Mage," Kyari joked.
"Honestly you probably should, but Marthel has laid claim to that title even though I spent years in the Maelstrom before his spark even ignited." There was an edge to Odom's voice. Kyari decided to not press the subject any further.
Odom took out a small knife and reached inside of the detention sphere. He took a scraping of scales from the baby dragon's tail and trimmed a few of its claws. The precious samples were corked inside of a vial and the dragon was released.
"What are you doing?" The cry came from above them. Running towards them was another elf with long blonde hair and dragonscale armor. At first Kyari also thought she was wearing a dragon helmet. As she drew closer it became apparent that the scales and horns were a part of the new elf. "How dare you hurt that baby?" Another dragon with thick jaws and scales the color of sandstone swooped down behind her.
"We're not hurting it," Kyari explained. She picked up the angry dragonling and cast a regeneration spell. The scales and claws were restored within moments. It jumped into the air and made a motion that could only be described as a scamper as it flew away.
"I just needed to collect some samples. We were going to let it go all along," Odom said. "By the way, speaking of samples, could I get a scale or some claw trimmings from that mount of yours?"
"Arashi isn't my mount. He's my brother," the elf said. "I would never ride on his back like a horse. That would be an incredible disrespect to him."
"That dragon isn't from this plane," Kyari said with wide eyes. She'd found dragons who could channel the red mana around them to breathe fire, but this creature before her was unlike anything she'd ever seen. Its strong jaws and sandstone scales were utterly unique. It exuded an aura that seemed to bolster its allies. Kyari wondered what mana would be used to summon such a creature. Possibly white?
"No, he isn't, and nor am I." The elf woman began to grow angry with these people who would dare trap a dragon. "I am Sa'Raah, the Envoy of Dragonfire, child of Dromoka. What business do you have in besieging my brothers and sisters?"
Odom answered first. "I'm just trying to learn a thing or two about things with two heads."
"I wish to study all life," Kyari said. "It is my hope to understand the nature of all creatures and the mana that flows through us all."
"A noble pursuit, I suppose," Sa'Raah said. "What are your names? Mother would scold me for forgetting my manners."
"Odom."
"Kyari Alexiona, Sylvan Ranger."
"You're an elf, aren't you?" Sa'Raah pushed her hair behind her pointed ears, still visible among her scales.
"Yes," Kyari replied, mimicking the gesture.
"I thought so. Elves understand the need to protect nature. Our connection to the creatures of the planes we inhabit gives us an edge against those who would seek to destroy. Join with me, fellow elf, under the banner of my mother and help me unite the planes in peace under one Dragonlord."
"Lords? I have no use for lords," Kyari said. "I do, however, value peace. In peace I can continue my work."
"What of you, Odom?" Sa'Raah turned to the man in blue and green robes. "Would you aid me in my quest?"
"Honestly, I don't see what the hurry is. There's a lot out there to do so I'll keep my options open." He shrugged and slipped the vial into a pocket of his robes. That pocket then seemed to disappear. Kyari shivered involuntarily. Were the robes made of ooze as well? Was Odom just naked and shifted his ooze body into whatever form he needed?
"I'll give you the chance if we ever cross paths again, though it's unlikely," Sa'Raah said calmly. She hopped back on Arashi's back and they took off into the air across Mercadia to find the nest of the dragonling's mother.
"She seems..." Kyari began.
"As singleminded as everyone else we know." Odom was reminded of Sverre, Ashleigh, and the other walkers he had met. They had their quests, their purposes for living, and that was all they tended to talk about. Ashleigh at least could be distracted by some new piece of Izzet tech or interesting project Odom was working on. He supposed that was for the best. If the Voidcaller were to actually focus on her plan to destroy the multiverse and bask in its sublime emptiness, she would have halfway succeeded by now.
"Can't people just be happy with living in peace and learning about the world around them?" Kyari sighed, exasperated. Even Odom frustrated her. He meddled with life, mutating and perverting it into new and abhorrent forms just because he could. She hated to think of what would be done with the biological samples taken from the Mercadian dragon.
"Where's the fun in that?"
"If you'd just try you'd be able to see."
"Come on. I hear that there are artifact creatures on Theros that produce their own mana of any color they need."
"That would be interesting." Kyari smiled. Creatures that produced mana were of a particular interest to her. Sometimes they just channeled it passively. Other times they actually created mana to be used. She hoped this creature on Theros was the latter of the two.