Chapter 5- Birds and Varice
"Arram, is that you?"
Nanya looked up to see a woman coming towards Numair. She was a shapely blonde.
"Varice?" asked Numair looking pleasantly shocked.
"The same old Varice Kingsford," replied the blonde with a charming smile.
Dante was making gagging impressions behind her back. Numair glared at him.
"Try being a bit more mature and respectful, Dante," said Numair still glaring at him.
"I find that if you're respectful, people actually want to talk to you, and well, I don't like talking," replied Dante looking mockingly thoughtful.
"What was he doing?" asked Varice looking politely confused.
"He was being Dante again," said Ash with a small shrug. "We've been trying to stop him from acting like himself, but it hasn't worked yet."
Varice shrugged.
"How have you been Arram?" she asked.
"Okay. How about you? Are you married? May I kill your husband?" replied Numair.
Laughing, Varice drew Numair across the room to a vacant couch.
"Who's that?" asked Dante.
"Varice Kingsford. She was Numair's lover before he fled the country," replied Lindhall Reed.
"Why didn't she go with him?" asked Daine.
"He never asked, and apparently she never offered, but she never got married and she's had a few serious proposals," replied Lindhall.
Nanya looked over to where Numair and Varice were, and to her horror, she felt a pang of jealousy.
~Help me Naku!~ she said looking at her Flamer and silently talking to him.
~If it's about the Storkman, I can't help you. I know nothing about love or jealousy~ answeed Naku.
~How did you know?~ asked Nanya in shock.
~It was obvious just looking at you. Your eyes definitely showed jealousy.~ laughed Naku.
"Hello? Nanya, are you okay?" Gary (this is what I'm calling Gareth the Younger from now on) was waving his hand in front of her face.
"Wha-? Oh, I was just talking to Naku about. something," said Nanya blushing slightly.
"That something wouldn't happen to be a mage named Numair Salmalin, would it?" asked Alanna.
"No, ofcourse not! Why would I talk to Naku about Numair?" asked Nanya, blusing more.
~I don't know, why would you?~ asked Naku.
~Shut up, Naku!~
Alanna looked at her mischievously, but let it go.
One by one, members of the delegation got drawn away to speak with others until only Daine and the Canadians were left.
Kitten began letting out shrieks, emitting a 'chk' every now and then. When she did this a man shaped contortion appeared. Naku, seeing what she was doing let out a low, almost haunting, howl. There was a tinkling sound and Emperor Ozorne appeared.
"Amazing," he said. "How did you do that?"
"Magic," replied Naku yawning.
"Try being polite, will you?" hissed Nanya at Naku, to Ozorne she said, "I'm sorry about Naku's behavior, your Imperial Majesty. I guess he was just never taught how to be polite."
~I just don't want to be polite to a git like Ozorne, is all!~ hissed Naku.
~I don't either, but we-cannot- endanger- the- peace- talks!~ replied Nanya.
"Fine, fine, fine," grumbled Naku before putting on a fake, too sweet voice. "I'm sorry for being so rude, You Imperial Highness. I don't know what took over me."
Ozorne, not being stupid enough to miss the fact that Naku definitely was not sorry, just glared at him. Naku looked back defiantly until Nanya gave him a swift kick.
"Ouch!" he yelped and turned the glare he had been using on Ozorne to Nanya. "That hurt Nanya Frewing!"
Kitten decided to help smooth things over and looked at the emperor's toe rings, then gave a cheep that was obviously saying 'Can I see one of these?' Ozorne smiled and gave one of the rings to the dragonet.
"Er- your Imperial Majesty, how are you here, and in your chair up there at the same time, if you don't mind me asking?" said Rocky. This was the first time she had spoke all night.
"Simulacra," said Ozorne. "It allows me to be here, while an image of me stays there."
The Canadians just smiled and nodded.
"Smile and nod if you don't get it," hissed Dirk for Nanya's ears only. "That's what your dad always used to say."
Nanya had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
"About your birds, your Imperial Majesty," started Daine. "I heard they were sick. That's why I came. Are they better now, so that you don't need me and Nanya to look at them?"
"Oh no," said Ozorne smiling. "I just imagined you would be tired after your long journey."
(AN: Blah, Blah, Blah. Do I really have to type the entire conversation that they have until they agree to heal the birds? Too bad, just read Emperor mage to get it.)
"You take that side and I take this side?" suggested Daine.
Nanya nodded and went to the left side of the cage to start healing birds. When she and Daine were done, they were both covered in bird droppings.
"One dress down, only about ten more to go and I won't have any dresses to wear ever again," said Nanya.
"You don't like dresses?" asked Lindhall Reed who had met them at the menagerie.
"Let's put it this way, Master Reed," began Nanya. "It's a wonder that I haven't tripped and done a face plant in the floor yet. I'm dead clumsy in dresses."
As if to prove these words true, Nanya stumbled and grabbed a hold on Naku to stabilize herself again.
"I should trip you to get even at you for the way you were treating me before!" snapped Naku when Nanya was in control of her feet again.
"I'm sorry Naku, but Duke Gareth said we have to be on our best behavior and that we must be respectful. He also said that I am responsible for you, if you're the one that causes the end of the meetings, then it's my fault," replied Nanya.
Naku nodded and sighed in resignation.
Lindhall left Daine and Nanya at their rooms.
"G'night Daine," said Nanya.
"Night."
Nanya opened the door to her room. She heard rustling and snapped her fingers to turn on her lights to investigate, the lights came on and Nanya let out a high pitched scream.
I KNOW I SUCK AT CLIFF HANGERS, BUT I'M TRYING. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. IF YOU ARE GOING TO CRITISIZE, MAKE IT CONSTRUCTIVE WITH WAYS TO MAKE THE STORY BETTER.
"Arram, is that you?"
Nanya looked up to see a woman coming towards Numair. She was a shapely blonde.
"Varice?" asked Numair looking pleasantly shocked.
"The same old Varice Kingsford," replied the blonde with a charming smile.
Dante was making gagging impressions behind her back. Numair glared at him.
"Try being a bit more mature and respectful, Dante," said Numair still glaring at him.
"I find that if you're respectful, people actually want to talk to you, and well, I don't like talking," replied Dante looking mockingly thoughtful.
"What was he doing?" asked Varice looking politely confused.
"He was being Dante again," said Ash with a small shrug. "We've been trying to stop him from acting like himself, but it hasn't worked yet."
Varice shrugged.
"How have you been Arram?" she asked.
"Okay. How about you? Are you married? May I kill your husband?" replied Numair.
Laughing, Varice drew Numair across the room to a vacant couch.
"Who's that?" asked Dante.
"Varice Kingsford. She was Numair's lover before he fled the country," replied Lindhall Reed.
"Why didn't she go with him?" asked Daine.
"He never asked, and apparently she never offered, but she never got married and she's had a few serious proposals," replied Lindhall.
Nanya looked over to where Numair and Varice were, and to her horror, she felt a pang of jealousy.
~Help me Naku!~ she said looking at her Flamer and silently talking to him.
~If it's about the Storkman, I can't help you. I know nothing about love or jealousy~ answeed Naku.
~How did you know?~ asked Nanya in shock.
~It was obvious just looking at you. Your eyes definitely showed jealousy.~ laughed Naku.
"Hello? Nanya, are you okay?" Gary (this is what I'm calling Gareth the Younger from now on) was waving his hand in front of her face.
"Wha-? Oh, I was just talking to Naku about. something," said Nanya blushing slightly.
"That something wouldn't happen to be a mage named Numair Salmalin, would it?" asked Alanna.
"No, ofcourse not! Why would I talk to Naku about Numair?" asked Nanya, blusing more.
~I don't know, why would you?~ asked Naku.
~Shut up, Naku!~
Alanna looked at her mischievously, but let it go.
One by one, members of the delegation got drawn away to speak with others until only Daine and the Canadians were left.
Kitten began letting out shrieks, emitting a 'chk' every now and then. When she did this a man shaped contortion appeared. Naku, seeing what she was doing let out a low, almost haunting, howl. There was a tinkling sound and Emperor Ozorne appeared.
"Amazing," he said. "How did you do that?"
"Magic," replied Naku yawning.
"Try being polite, will you?" hissed Nanya at Naku, to Ozorne she said, "I'm sorry about Naku's behavior, your Imperial Majesty. I guess he was just never taught how to be polite."
~I just don't want to be polite to a git like Ozorne, is all!~ hissed Naku.
~I don't either, but we-cannot- endanger- the- peace- talks!~ replied Nanya.
"Fine, fine, fine," grumbled Naku before putting on a fake, too sweet voice. "I'm sorry for being so rude, You Imperial Highness. I don't know what took over me."
Ozorne, not being stupid enough to miss the fact that Naku definitely was not sorry, just glared at him. Naku looked back defiantly until Nanya gave him a swift kick.
"Ouch!" he yelped and turned the glare he had been using on Ozorne to Nanya. "That hurt Nanya Frewing!"
Kitten decided to help smooth things over and looked at the emperor's toe rings, then gave a cheep that was obviously saying 'Can I see one of these?' Ozorne smiled and gave one of the rings to the dragonet.
"Er- your Imperial Majesty, how are you here, and in your chair up there at the same time, if you don't mind me asking?" said Rocky. This was the first time she had spoke all night.
"Simulacra," said Ozorne. "It allows me to be here, while an image of me stays there."
The Canadians just smiled and nodded.
"Smile and nod if you don't get it," hissed Dirk for Nanya's ears only. "That's what your dad always used to say."
Nanya had to bite her lip to keep from laughing.
"About your birds, your Imperial Majesty," started Daine. "I heard they were sick. That's why I came. Are they better now, so that you don't need me and Nanya to look at them?"
"Oh no," said Ozorne smiling. "I just imagined you would be tired after your long journey."
(AN: Blah, Blah, Blah. Do I really have to type the entire conversation that they have until they agree to heal the birds? Too bad, just read Emperor mage to get it.)
"You take that side and I take this side?" suggested Daine.
Nanya nodded and went to the left side of the cage to start healing birds. When she and Daine were done, they were both covered in bird droppings.
"One dress down, only about ten more to go and I won't have any dresses to wear ever again," said Nanya.
"You don't like dresses?" asked Lindhall Reed who had met them at the menagerie.
"Let's put it this way, Master Reed," began Nanya. "It's a wonder that I haven't tripped and done a face plant in the floor yet. I'm dead clumsy in dresses."
As if to prove these words true, Nanya stumbled and grabbed a hold on Naku to stabilize herself again.
"I should trip you to get even at you for the way you were treating me before!" snapped Naku when Nanya was in control of her feet again.
"I'm sorry Naku, but Duke Gareth said we have to be on our best behavior and that we must be respectful. He also said that I am responsible for you, if you're the one that causes the end of the meetings, then it's my fault," replied Nanya.
Naku nodded and sighed in resignation.
Lindhall left Daine and Nanya at their rooms.
"G'night Daine," said Nanya.
"Night."
Nanya opened the door to her room. She heard rustling and snapped her fingers to turn on her lights to investigate, the lights came on and Nanya let out a high pitched scream.
I KNOW I SUCK AT CLIFF HANGERS, BUT I'M TRYING. PLEASE READ AND REVIEW. IF YOU ARE GOING TO CRITISIZE, MAKE IT CONSTRUCTIVE WITH WAYS TO MAKE THE STORY BETTER.