Reunited With Friends --
Dakkon hovered several hundred feet above the Irregular's facility. Spotting a likely structure, he dove towards it, enjoying the air whipping his hair and clothes. When he reached the transparent walls of the arboretum, he slowed and circled, searching for his companions. Not spotting them, he landed and entered. The dry air was warm and a small breeze shifted the sand beneath his feet.
'Perfect place for a dragon,' Dakkon mused.
As if on queue, the sands shifted violently and a large blue dragon emerged. Shaking a few remaining grains of sand, the dragon plodded over to the elf and bent his long neck down. Breathing deeply of the elf's scent, the dragon seemed to approve and lay down to allow a shrouded figure to dismount. As the figure approached, it began unwrapping thick bands of cloth from itself, eventually revealing soft feminine features and long brown hair piled on top of her head. When she removed her goggles, Dakkon knew who she was.
"Ilta," he said, bowing his head in greeting.
"Dakkon," she said, returning his bow.
"I believe I owe you an apology."
"You're too late for an apology. Perhaps a hundred years ago, but I forgave you long ago."
Dakkon arched an eyebrow. A hundred years? She hardly looked a day past twenty.
His thoughts were interrupted as he spotted the dragon starting to shrink and assume a bipedal form. When the transformation was complete, Dakkon approached with a large grin on his face. "Jalnor, it has been a while."
Jalnor returned the grin and moved forward to join the gathering. "Indeed. You look better."
"I suppose I feel better, considering you're the only two I see." They continued grinning at each other until the silence became uncomfortable. Finally Dakkon asked a question that had been gnawing at him, though he already knew the answer. "Where's Snap?"
Ilta and Jalnor looked at each other uncomfortably. Finally, Jalnor answered. "We aren't sure what happened to your familiar. He doesn't exist anymore, that much we're sure of."
Dakkon frowned and asked his next question, trying to put off thinking about his dead familiar. "Why did you do this? Why go through the trouble to find some way to rescue me?"
Ilta was the first to speak up. "I was angry at you for so long. I wanted revenge for my family, but time passed and the hurt dulled. Eventually I tried to convince myself that had you been in your right mind, you wouldn't have destroyed the village. I suppose this is part of proving it to myself."
Dakkon chuckled. "I'll see what I can do about proving you right."
Ilta's face darkened. "You seem to have retained your poor sense of humour. Why don't you go bother Neia? She's in the infirmary all alone. If you're lucky she won't try and kill you"
Dakkon thought about it for a moment, then nodded with a wry grin. "Probably a good idea to charm her. Maybe offer her dinner. If you'll excuse me."
Jalnor and Ilta stared in disbelief as Dakkon took to the air.
~~
The infirmary was a small room housed in the main complex. The white walls were lined with shelves filled with various medical supplies. Against the far wall were several beds; in one lay an unconscious Neia and another was taken by Hellbender. When Dakkon entered, Hellbender sat up and motioned the elf to him.
"You have a potent imagination," Hellbender commented, rubbing the welts on his neck.
"Yes, we could continue making unamusing jokes about the effects of my insanity, but I would prefer to offer a simple apology and move on."
Hellbender stared at Dakkon for several long seconds. "I've heard you can be a little brutal at times."
"See? We're friends already. I have to know, how were you found? I recall capturing you and setting you loose upon the bounty hunter's guild in Wayfare, but that's the last I remember seeing of you."
The psion shook his head. "Yes, I believe you forgot about me after the Wayfare event. I waited for your next command, but when I didn't receive anything, I returned to my home. Obviously the citizens of my home city didn't approve of a vampire taking residence in the area, so they attacked and I reprised. The attack leveled the city and left me at even more of a lost as to what to do. In the end, I entombed myself in the earth and waited for you. Eventually Tyrian stumbled across me and brought me here."
Dakkon tried to repress a snicker. "You buried yourself in the earth? That's almost -" he was cut off by a length of fabric tightening around his neck. The sorcerer tried to turn, but was forced to the ground by a powerful hand.
"Leave us, Hellbender," commanded a female voice.
Dakkon heard Hellbender stand and walk out. "Try not to kill him. I think Tyrian has plans for him," he said nonchalantly.
After the door closed, Neia pressed her face close to Dakkon's. "In Tyrian's favour already? Count yourself lucky, elfling. I was looking forward to breaking your little limbs."
"Better already? Then why should you be upset?" Dakkon said as dignified as possible from the floor.
The fabric tightened slightly. "I wouldn't be a smartass if I were in your position," she hissed.
"Actually, I'm a smartass in every position. There are beds all around us if you'd care to discover -" he was cut off by a knee slamming into his kidney.
"Don't try me, elfling," she growled and sunk her sharp teeth into his shoulder.
"You know, I used to travel with a female who would have loved you, frequently, had you done that to her," he said through clenched teeth.
Neia spat on his back and released him. "Let me make this simple, if you ever talk to me again, I'll kill you on the spot, regardless of Tyrian."
Dakkon didn't stand until she left the room. Shortly afterwards, Tyrian entered with a questioning look on her face.
"Did you and Neia have a pleasant conversation?" she asked, somewhat sarcastically.
"Of course."
Tyrian sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Please refrain from making enemies of all the members."
Dakkon grinned broadly. "Hardly, I think she loves me."
Tyrian stared at Dakkon and finally shrugged. "I might as well send you on a mission with the others before you do something stupid."
Dakkon nodded, still smiling from ear to ear.
-- Among Those Who Care
Dakkon hovered several hundred feet above the Irregular's facility. Spotting a likely structure, he dove towards it, enjoying the air whipping his hair and clothes. When he reached the transparent walls of the arboretum, he slowed and circled, searching for his companions. Not spotting them, he landed and entered. The dry air was warm and a small breeze shifted the sand beneath his feet.
'Perfect place for a dragon,' Dakkon mused.
As if on queue, the sands shifted violently and a large blue dragon emerged. Shaking a few remaining grains of sand, the dragon plodded over to the elf and bent his long neck down. Breathing deeply of the elf's scent, the dragon seemed to approve and lay down to allow a shrouded figure to dismount. As the figure approached, it began unwrapping thick bands of cloth from itself, eventually revealing soft feminine features and long brown hair piled on top of her head. When she removed her goggles, Dakkon knew who she was.
"Ilta," he said, bowing his head in greeting.
"Dakkon," she said, returning his bow.
"I believe I owe you an apology."
"You're too late for an apology. Perhaps a hundred years ago, but I forgave you long ago."
Dakkon arched an eyebrow. A hundred years? She hardly looked a day past twenty.
His thoughts were interrupted as he spotted the dragon starting to shrink and assume a bipedal form. When the transformation was complete, Dakkon approached with a large grin on his face. "Jalnor, it has been a while."
Jalnor returned the grin and moved forward to join the gathering. "Indeed. You look better."
"I suppose I feel better, considering you're the only two I see." They continued grinning at each other until the silence became uncomfortable. Finally Dakkon asked a question that had been gnawing at him, though he already knew the answer. "Where's Snap?"
Ilta and Jalnor looked at each other uncomfortably. Finally, Jalnor answered. "We aren't sure what happened to your familiar. He doesn't exist anymore, that much we're sure of."
Dakkon frowned and asked his next question, trying to put off thinking about his dead familiar. "Why did you do this? Why go through the trouble to find some way to rescue me?"
Ilta was the first to speak up. "I was angry at you for so long. I wanted revenge for my family, but time passed and the hurt dulled. Eventually I tried to convince myself that had you been in your right mind, you wouldn't have destroyed the village. I suppose this is part of proving it to myself."
Dakkon chuckled. "I'll see what I can do about proving you right."
Ilta's face darkened. "You seem to have retained your poor sense of humour. Why don't you go bother Neia? She's in the infirmary all alone. If you're lucky she won't try and kill you"
Dakkon thought about it for a moment, then nodded with a wry grin. "Probably a good idea to charm her. Maybe offer her dinner. If you'll excuse me."
Jalnor and Ilta stared in disbelief as Dakkon took to the air.
~~
The infirmary was a small room housed in the main complex. The white walls were lined with shelves filled with various medical supplies. Against the far wall were several beds; in one lay an unconscious Neia and another was taken by Hellbender. When Dakkon entered, Hellbender sat up and motioned the elf to him.
"You have a potent imagination," Hellbender commented, rubbing the welts on his neck.
"Yes, we could continue making unamusing jokes about the effects of my insanity, but I would prefer to offer a simple apology and move on."
Hellbender stared at Dakkon for several long seconds. "I've heard you can be a little brutal at times."
"See? We're friends already. I have to know, how were you found? I recall capturing you and setting you loose upon the bounty hunter's guild in Wayfare, but that's the last I remember seeing of you."
The psion shook his head. "Yes, I believe you forgot about me after the Wayfare event. I waited for your next command, but when I didn't receive anything, I returned to my home. Obviously the citizens of my home city didn't approve of a vampire taking residence in the area, so they attacked and I reprised. The attack leveled the city and left me at even more of a lost as to what to do. In the end, I entombed myself in the earth and waited for you. Eventually Tyrian stumbled across me and brought me here."
Dakkon tried to repress a snicker. "You buried yourself in the earth? That's almost -" he was cut off by a length of fabric tightening around his neck. The sorcerer tried to turn, but was forced to the ground by a powerful hand.
"Leave us, Hellbender," commanded a female voice.
Dakkon heard Hellbender stand and walk out. "Try not to kill him. I think Tyrian has plans for him," he said nonchalantly.
After the door closed, Neia pressed her face close to Dakkon's. "In Tyrian's favour already? Count yourself lucky, elfling. I was looking forward to breaking your little limbs."
"Better already? Then why should you be upset?" Dakkon said as dignified as possible from the floor.
The fabric tightened slightly. "I wouldn't be a smartass if I were in your position," she hissed.
"Actually, I'm a smartass in every position. There are beds all around us if you'd care to discover -" he was cut off by a knee slamming into his kidney.
"Don't try me, elfling," she growled and sunk her sharp teeth into his shoulder.
"You know, I used to travel with a female who would have loved you, frequently, had you done that to her," he said through clenched teeth.
Neia spat on his back and released him. "Let me make this simple, if you ever talk to me again, I'll kill you on the spot, regardless of Tyrian."
Dakkon didn't stand until she left the room. Shortly afterwards, Tyrian entered with a questioning look on her face.
"Did you and Neia have a pleasant conversation?" she asked, somewhat sarcastically.
"Of course."
Tyrian sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Please refrain from making enemies of all the members."
Dakkon grinned broadly. "Hardly, I think she loves me."
Tyrian stared at Dakkon and finally shrugged. "I might as well send you on a mission with the others before you do something stupid."
Dakkon nodded, still smiling from ear to ear.
-- Among Those Who Care