What a lovely Sunday we're having. It is a rather nice Sunday, isn't it?
Yes.
Sunday.
-O-
As Tam set up camp in the powdery snow laying in the middle of the clearing, he sighed. He stamped down a good section of the white precipitation, and pitched a small tarp tent over it. In a matter of minutes, he had his sleeping roll inside the awkward shelter, and a tiny fire started outside. After a brief consultation of his pack, Tam found a small slab of meat wrapped in a sheet of thin leather. He skewered it on a sharp little stick-somehow managing to stab himself with it, dammit!- and hung it over the flames.
While the meat cooked, he sat in silence, sucking on his thumb-the stab wound- began to think about the next few days.
He was almost out of food, so he'd have to start hunting again; set traps, gather any other sorts of foods, etc.
Then the second course of action was to travel due west until he came upon the pilgrimage camp, where no doubt his sister was still living. He was to spend a few days there, then leave on his circuit again, searching for food, and wandering aimlessly through the woods. Perfect.
'And, while I'm there, I need to steal a book from someone or something, or I swear, I'll die of boredom!' He thought.
As he thought about books, he wished he had a library... and when he thought about libraries, he thought of one in particular; the one in Regalia...
Memories flew in his clustered mind, until they halted at the one of him reading... with Lilly curled up against his chest. He knew right then was when she'd figured out something was amiss with him.
The old thoughts fast-forwarded to her birthday... on the balcony. The very memory still brought a stinging to his eyes, for that was the day... the day he'd ripped out his lover's heart, smashed it upon the ground, then ran away.
Stupid.
That was all he'd been then, a stupid little kid, only thirteen, and not able to understand all the emotions running through his young body...
Stupid... the word echoed in his mind, repeating again and again, until Tam was forced to close his eyes, and breathe a deep, cleansing breath. When he opened his purple orbs again, the stress was still there, lingering... as were the memories.
Boy, this trip was going to take forever.
-O-
"... I just wish you would act your own age," Lilly rolled her eyes as her mother continued to scolding. She had already been sent to apologize to the nobles, she had been chewed out by her father, and now her mom? Jeezum...
"Mom! Mom, I get it," she sighed.
Queen Luxa's eyes narrowed, "I don't think you do. Now, as punishment for this-"
"Mom! Really, a punishment?!" Lilly cut in.
"Do not interrupt me. Your punishment is-"
"Going with me to the Overland!"
Lilly's head jerked up as her father shrugged past the curtains in her room. Luxa gave her husband a disapproving look.
"Gregor, I don't think that punishment works that way."
"Nonsense," Gregor shot back.
"Grego-"
Gregor gave her the 'I'll explain this later' face, and Luxa gave a defeated sigh.
"Alright, just..." she shook her head, not being able to find a better answer. "... I'll leave it to your father," she mumbled, walking away and through he curtain.
"The Overland, Dad?" Lilly muttered, a small gleam of excitement flashing in her eyes.
"Yep, you haven't been there... so, I'm taking you," Gregor said, giving her a smile.
"When?" she twisted a lock of her hair around a finger.
"Tomorrow. So, get your gear ready."
"Awesome."
-O-
Lilly went over her list of items: clothes, dried jerky for the road, extra socks, toothbrush and paste, hairbrush, waist knife (her father shut down the possibility of her carrying Faith's Edge along) and an extra jacket. She had everything.
Lily made her way to the balcony where Xerxes waited, and crawled up to her perch on his shoulders. The large blue dragon snorted a small puff of smoke, and launched himself into the air.
"So, Xerxe, Dad has a theory that you might turn little when we get to the surface," Lilly began.
'Interesting.'
"I don't really understand just how it'll work, but then again, you're an effing dragon, so I'm not too sure how you work. I mean, come on, mythical animal, that breathes fire. Might as well slap a unicorn down here!"
Xerxes sighed, though not with irritation. Lilly was in high spirits today, it was a nice change.
"Mmmm, bank left. We need to go down to the arena," Lilly said, tapping his left shoulder. "Umm," she said quietly when the arena shot by. "we just passed it."
Xerxes smirked to himself, 'I know, Lilly. You may want to hold on.'
Lilly caught his drift somewhat and hunkered down, gripping the large spike on his neck. The adolescent male dragon picked up speed, narrowing his wings down against his body, and stretching out his neck. Flaring his black wings slightly, he looped in the air, turning back towards the arena.
Lilly laughed in exhilaration, her long hair whipping around her head. The drake climbed into the air, until he was several hundred feet from the arena. He hovered for a moment, Lilly hanging onto the saddle for dear life.
'Are you ready, my DragonMaster?' he asked.
"Hell yeah!"
The dragon gave a low bellow and dove steeply. Four hundred feet, three hundred, two hundred... Lilly braced herself. Xerxes opened his wings with a snap, spinning slightly. He milled the great billowing sails, and landed rather daintily on his paws. Xerxes then settled down onto his breast, and folded up his wings.
"Xerxes... I'm still up here."
The great dragon blinked with irritation, the effect of his entrance shattered. He turned his great neck about. Lilly latched onto a spike on his nose, and he lowered her to the ground. She smoothed down her hair, and approached her father, who was standing near a marbled black and gray bat.
"About time you got here," he said. "So, we gonna go?"
"Nope," Lilly snarked. "We can just stand here, though."
Gregor smirked and rolled his eyes, "Alright, so," he beckoned her forward, and held out a small parchment. "I think we'll take the Moon Mine gateway here," he pointed to a small sketch on the skin, "It's the only way we can test my theory."
Lilly arched a brow, "Why is it the only way?"
"It's the only gateway large enough for Xerxes to squeeze through," Gregor explained.
Lilly scowled playfully, "Are you calling my dragon fat?"
"Oh, Gregor, you wounded me," Xerxes chimed in with a puff of smoke, hovering his head close over Lilly's.
This time, it was Gregor's turn to give a sour face.
"What?"Lilly defended, "Don't blame me for giving him an attitude, blame yourself for giving me one that I could pass down!"
"Lilly, have you seen how big he's gotten? Really, look at him."
Lilly sighed, and looked over her shoulder. Well, he was big. The young blue dragon's withers stood at five feet when he lay down and roughly ten to thirteen when he stood. His black wings were positively massive at ten feet wide and almost eleven feet long from tip to shoulder. The long tail that snaked behind him was nearly twice his body length at sixteen feet long, leaving his chest at ten feet, and neck at nine feet. He was huge.
"Okay, yeah, he's grown a bit since the first time I rode him," Lilly admitted.
Xerxes snorted, "Milady, I'm not big yet, I'm still very, very young. I'm going to keep growing until I die."
"How old will that be? Two hundred?" Gregor asked.
Xerxes chuckled this time, "No, my lord, I'll be at least over a thousand. Although, my mother was immortal, yet she was still the same size she was when she was my age."
"Who was your mom?"
Xerxes blinked irritably, and shook his head as if to rid himself of a pesky fly. He was not about to speak.
"Pshhh, whatever. Anyways, are we ready for this?"
Gregor nodded, "Yeah, let's go. "
-O-
Ayla watched Zeva as she gazed at the thing in fascination.
"Alya, what the hell is it?" she said, looking up and twitching her whiskers.
Ayla shrugged, and scooted off her chair to pick the object up. It was a box. A black box. Ayla half wondered if there was a bug in it, and she needed to smash it with a hammer. A few silver markings were etched onto the sides in swirled patterns.
"Ommm... a nightlight?" she suggested.
Zeva shook her head, "I dunno, doesn't look like one. Maybe it-"
"Oh, hey! Look! It says where it was made..." Ayla said, leaning down and picking it up. She looked at the bottom.
"Oooh, China?"
Ayla gave her a flat look, and read, "Created in... Nahrshnaflaffnaha... Narfganashnfmmmh... Noghahidenerfmehrf... Jeez, it's like whatzerface trying to say Naugahyde."
"Let me look," Zeva said, nosing at the box.
Ayla tilted it, and Zeva read, "Narth Shiresland. Probably North Shiresland, because people spelled weird a long time ago."
"Hmmmph... I don't know where that is... Jinx!" Ayla called, tucking the box under her arm, and throwing an arm in the air, her index finger pointing up.
Within moments, the bat had glided smoothly over the massive shelves. "Mmm, what?" she sighed. "You woke me up from the most wonderful nap I've had in a while."
"I need you to find a book, seeing as how you and Zeva,"-she scowled at the rat-"Broke the matrix last week."
Jinx moaned, and flopped her wings a little. "But there's thousands and thousands of shelves to look on!"
Ayla fixed her with a look. "C'mon Sally, put down your purse. I don't give a shit about the shelves. I need you to find a book on Shiresland, or at least a few so I can open this box, or see what it is," she held out the cube.
Jinx rustled her wings and nodded before fluttering into the air and jetting over the shelves.
"Awesome,"Ayla said with a wide smile.
"Y'know, Ayla," Zeva sat down and swept a paw behind an ear. "What if this thing is like a Pandora's Box when we get it open? Like disease and plague and wind and rain jump out of this thing?"
Ayla chuckled, "Oh, Zeva. I remember when I was young, and always worrying about things that never needed worried about- like thunder breaking open the sky- you'll learn, and then you'll be just as wise as me."
Zeva tilted her head, and raised a brow in the universal "Did you run out of your meds this morning?" look.
"What?"
-O-
"Alright, so the gateway should be right over here..." Gregor twisted the map sideways again.
Lilly sighed. "I told you we should have asked for directions. What's up with guys and asking go help?"
Gregor glanced at her from the bat he rode. "It's a matter of pride."
"Suuuure."
"Plus, we're not lost. Look," he pointed.
In the side of the cavern loomed a tunnel, moonlight pouring from the mouth.
Lilly looked over, and nearly reeled with surprise. "There's light coming through the hole! Is there someone there?"
"No, it's just the moon."
"The moon?Can it really do that? Wow, that's so cool!" she was practically vibrating with excitement.
Gregor smiled at her, and brought the bat down to the ledge at the mouth. Lilly followed suit. Xerxes landed with a soft thud, stirring up dust motes.
"Achoo!" Lilly sneezed. "Way to go, Xerxes. Now what?" she asked, wandering closer to the tunnel.
There was the soft rustle of gear, and Gregor walked up beside her and plopped her backpack into her hands, "We test my theory! Kaj, you're free to go," he said to the bat.
"Thank you," the bat murmured before winging off into the dark.
"How do we test it then?" Lilly said, gazing longingly into the light.
Gregor gave her the 'I don't know' look, "I guess we just have him squeeze through?"
Xerxes clicked his teeth, "Is that really your best idea?Ahh, very well," the dragon huffed, and shuffled over to the tunnel, scooting Lilly aside.
The hole was rather small, meaning he would have to crawl in. Xerxes got down in his elbows, and much like a soldier making his way through barbed wire, clawed his way through. His tail lashed slightly when his hips became lodged.
"Hey, are you stuck?" Lilly called. "Damn, Xerxe, you're effing huge. I can't even see light from around your fat ass," she muttered to herself.
Gregor delivered a sound smack to the back of her head. "Language!" he warned.
"I might be...in a little trouble," Xerxes rumbled, his voice muffled from the other side of the rock.
Lilly laughed. "Maybe you should have stayed with meat instead of the bread rolls."
"I can't help that they're delicious," he replied in her mind.
"Whatever. Dad, any ideas? I didn't bring any butter."
Gregor chewed a lip, and nodded, "Yeah. Once, Ripred got stuck in a ventilation shaft when you were little. He couldn't get his hips through, so he let them go limp, and dragged himself out. If that doesn't work for Xerxes, we can always use the soap I packed."
"Oh no, not the soap!" Xerxes let his legs limp, and strained his muscles. Dust sprinkled down behind him, and a few small rocks tumbled down from the tunnel mouth, "I'll not let ye after me with it!"
Lilly grinned at the memory that caused her dragon's distress. Never again would he come near a bathroom, or a basin of warm water.
A grinding noise snapped her attention back to Xerxes. He had finally gotten through.
"Oh, good. I don't need the soap," Gregor said, stuffing the bar he had dug out of his bag.
Lilly smirked, and adjusted her pack, "Feel small yet, Xerxe?"
"Not really, no."
Lilly stopped in mid-stride and looked at her father. He was smiling. She rushed through the opening of the tunnel, and gasped.
"Oh. My. God. Xerxes you're so cute!" she squealed.
The dragon, now the size of a sheep, frowned at her sharply. "I am not 'cute'" he mumbled.
"And your voice! It's so high and squeaky!"
Xerxes pulled a dour face, and glanced up at Gregor. Even he was trying to suppress a smile.
"This isn't funny, stop laughing," he growled, but the sound only came out as a small hiccup.
This sent Lilly into another storm of giggling, the force of it bending her over and crouching. "But it is!" she giggle-snorted.
"You sound like a pig when you laugh," he tried insulting her.
"I always have!"
-O-
Ayla poured over the book, scanning every word she could make sense of. Which was impossible, she couldn't read this junk.
"Ayla, it's written in Latin," Zeva offered.
"I know."
"You can't read it, can you?"
"Pffah! Of course I can!" Ayla defended.
Zeva's deadpan look made her grumble.
"No, I can't."
"Alright, then scoot," the rat said.
Ayla sighed, and sat up off her elbows, and slid the book over the floor to Zeva.
"Hmmm... alright, 'Cave tibi fata aperire Quisque ut veniat click puga pyga, et mundus sum.' 'Beware of fate as you open this box, should the time come, click the button, and may the world have mercy.'"
"Ooooh, that doesn't sound foreboding at all!" Ayla snickered, taking the box back from Zeva. "So, eh, where do I click the button? There's not really a 'try me' sticker on it... wait a second... how do you read Latin? Did you learn it in some other life, and you were terribly evil in that life and were turned into a rat?" Ayla said suspiciously.
Zeva frowned, "Ayla, you took Latin when I was young. You never studied your homework, but I did. Don't you remember giving me your texts and stuff at the end of the day?"
Ayla shrugged, "Alright, so what, I wasn't paying attention in that part of my life. Button... button... button... Oh, hey, is this it?" she poked a circular mark on the side of the box. There was a pop, "Sweet."
"Ayla," Jinx muttered behind her. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"
"Psh, of course it is. I mean, come on, it was my plan and my plans always work, right?" she arched an eyebrow.
Zeva smirked, "No. Remember the 'Fire Fart' idea? If I remember you saying so, you still have the scars..."
The top of the box popped open. "Shush up, Zeva," Ayla growled.
"Hmm, make me," the rat shot back.
Something rather... wispy hovered out of the box. A rather black wispy thing.
"Ayla...?" Jinx said quietly.
"Fine, I will!" Ayla snipped.
"Well, get to it!" Zeva hissed.
"Zeva...?" Jinx whispered. The wisp was forming a shape.
"Guys?!"
"What?!" the two shrieked.
Jinx cowed, and hunkered down, pointing with the claw on her wing, "The box."
Ayla looked at the box in her hands and blanched. A little goblin-like... thing sat perched there.
"'Ello, love! Fine day, eh?" it said.
The three screamed, and Ayla tossed the box down, jarring the goblin from his perch. He scowled, "Well, ain't that just a great way to greet me? Some gratitude I get for coming out to warn ye all, hmm?" it adjusted the little tie around it's neck with a three fingered hand.
"Sweet Jesus, what is it?" Ayla yelped. "Never mind, Zeva, get the broom and kill it!"
"It's the tarantula incident all over again!" Zeva whimpered.
Only Jinx was unafraid of the little beast. "What are you?" she asked.
For once, it smiled. "Why, at least I don't get a scream from this 'un. I'm an imp. Fergus the imp if you must," he said, unfurling a pair of small wings from his back.
At this point, the other two were hysterical, "Oh no, no, no, no, no, no... flying tarantula thing, no, no, no, no, no..." Zeva fainted, soon followed by Ayla.
Fergus look at the two, and frowned, "I say, are they always like this?"
"Mmmhmm."
-O-
Spot my movie references and win a prize! Not that anyone still follows this story anymore... sigh.