A/N: Sorry for the long wait!
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Pure craziness was all I could think of. Marco was the best balloonist I knew, and he crashed. The. Balloon. He crashed the freaking balloon. Is it even possible to crash a hot air balloon? I didn't recall much after the fact, just being thrown in the air, and landing with a loud splash in a freshwater pool. I heard a loud, angry shout, and before I knew it, Sidos was pulling me out of the water, cursing vehemently. I was touched, then I realized that Sidos was fussing over the golden mantle he gave me, not me. Annoyed, I smacked his hands away, my tail flicking.
Vivian skimmed the water's surface, gliding to the shore. The remains of the balloon floated in the pool, with Marco sitting on the basket. If it weren't for his pilot's mask, I bet I could see the sheepish expression he no doubt was wearing. Vivian looked me over; I was sopping wet. The mantle's once radiant shine was also subdued. Sidos was muttering about how the silk thread for that mantle was an expensive sort from his cousin in Shady Oasis, but I wasn't listening.
"Smooth," Vivian said, smirking. I frowned.
"It's not my fault Marco crashed the balloon ..."
Marco was calling his apologies as he set to work salvaging the balloon. I wondered how he was going to get back to the Artisan home world. The locals would probably help him repair the balloon. I looked around; we were in Sunrise Spring, next to the pond where Seashell Shore portal rested on an island. I shook myself to get dry. Water droplets flew everywhere, and Sidos grumbled when his robe got wet. I had a satisfied smile.
"So, what now?" Vivian asked, her wings folded against her back. "Did you just plan to ask the locals what they think of your condition?"
I grumbled, pawing at the moist earth we were standing on. "I wanted to get to Midnight Mountain ... Bianca's probably the only one who might have any idea how I got this way. She was close to the Sorceress."
"We can see if there's another vehicle we can use ..." Vivian broke off, surprised. She turned to see Sidos buckling something to her waist. She jumped, wings flapping frantically. "Hey, hey! What're you doing, thief!?" Amazingly, Sidos managed to hold on, and he grunted as he struggled with the belt.
"Doing you a favor," he said. Finally, when he fastened the buckle, he dropped to the ground, flat on his rear. He looked surprisingly smug with himself. I could see why. I looked at Vivian's waist--belted to it was a short sword with a deep red scabbard, with a ruby adorning the pommel. A silver rune was emblazoned on the scabbard. Vivian turned to look at it, her slim jaw slack. I quirked a brow at Sidos.
"What is it with you and giving us stuff? You're a thief! You're supposed to steal things from us!"
Sidos oh so tactfully ignored me. "That sword is special. You might want to take care of it. It's made of mythril. And once Starbright finally learns some magic here--"
"Daystar!" I interjected venomously.
"--he can store spells in it, like an emergency reserve. You're welcome."
Vivian touched the sword hilt with a claw, tapping the silvery metal. She shrugged.
"I'm not complaining. Does this sword have a name? Lots of magical swords have names."
Sidos's shoulders moved up and down uncertainly. "I stole it from someone else, so I'unno if it has a name. Call it what you like. More importantly, what are we gonna do now?"
"That sounds more like you," I breathed quietly, and Vivian chortled. Sidos glared, folding his arms. "Anyway ... yeah, it won't hurt to ask the locals. We can ask for Hunter and Bianca while we're at it."
It was hard to believe that the Forgotten Worlds once were dying, the magic in the very land bled dry. The lands here were brimming with life. It wasn't as strong or the same as the Magic Crafter homeland, but nor was it the crinkling, drying husk it once was. As we walked, Vivian asked me,
"Did anybody try to teach you magic?"
I sighed, "Multiple times. Sometimes I felt a tingling in my bones, but no sudden torrent of magical power."
"Hn."
Peacekeepers were more physical beings than magical. There was no doubt that Vivian was probably stronger than me. Survival of the fittest is the law of her land. Peacekeepers were drenched in the blood of war, from the day they hatched to the day they died. It was a depressing thought, but not likely to the Peacekeepers. Their wars kept the rest of the dragon realms at peace. At least, they had before Gnasty Gnorc and the Sorceress.
I could guess what Vivian was probably thinking. Even Peacekeepers had limited use of magic, and what I described as a slight tingling in my bones was something to be concerned about. When a dragon used magic, the power should burst forth from their very being. What should have been a river had been a mere trickle in me.
Something is wrong with me.
Sidos had been joking (I would hope), but what if the reason for my condition lies in the place I was hatched? A haunted tomb? What if a Rhynoc had dropped my egg, and the prenatal trauma rendered my inner workings deaf to magic? The morbid possibilities kept running through my mind even as we stepped through the Sunny Villa portal.
-
The lions of Sunny Villa were more concerned with gladiator fights and their giant chickens more so than anything to do with magic, but we're also looking for Bianca and Hunter. Hunter liked to skateboard, and the arena here could also be used as a skating park. I never liked anything with wheels. However, I did want some of that giant chicken.
The Villa was quite nice when it wasn't overrun with Rhynocs. Lions and dragons with their hatchlings and cubs played in the streets, everything as pleasant as can be. The mayor might be able to help us find Hunter and Bianca, so we headed to his house.
Unfortunately, we ran into a bit of trouble in the town square. The lions all froze, then leapt at us and pointed accusingly at Sidos--with their swords. The thief just smirked as the lions charged, shouting insults at him. I was torn. Sidos was a thief that stole from just about everyone, but he was also my friend. So I tackled one lion (who was surprisingly not much bigger than me), crying, "No!"
Vivian took the Peacekeeper approach. She, with a few claw swipes and tail whips, disarmed the other lions in record time. The town square was filled with the clattering of swords hitting the cobblestone street. The gladiators yelped in their surprise, their fur standing on end. A warrior demanded,
"Why do you defend this villain?"
Sidos merely stood there, that huge sinister smirk plastered on his face. I hoped we weren't going to have this sort of trouble wherever we went, but it might as well be false hope. Thieves were thieves, after all. I can't blame people for reacting like this. I stood up tall, stretching my wings to make myself look bigger than I was. Thank goodness for my Magic Crafter wingspan.
"Look, I can't speak for any other thieves ... but Sidos is our friend--" I could feel Vivian glaring at me--"and he even gave us gifts!" The shine of my deep blue turquoise scales paled in comparison to golden silk mantle about my shoulders. Vivian turned to show the lions the sword at her waist. She didn't use it yet. I guess Peacekeepers prefer fangs and claws, or maybe she's just thinking of a name for it. I sighed.
"Sidos," I said flatly, and the thief dropped a lion's sword he had been holding. He folded his arms, pouting.
"I need a new sword, y'know, what with Vivian keeping mine."
Vivian angrily swept her tail in the air, indignant.
"You gave it to me!"
"Just stop stealing!" The words were out before I even knew what they were. Asking a thief to stop stealing was like asking a dragon to stop flying. Each race had integral parts of who they were, and stealing was integral to the thieves and their way of life, deplorable it might be to other races. "At--at least while we're around." I finished meekly.
"Fine," Sidos's shoulders slumped. He turned to the lions who still stood. "I actually have gems on me, if anybody wants to sell me a sword and shield."
There was suspicious murmuring, but nonetheless some brave gladiators stepped forward to deal with the thief. From the depths of his robe Sidos produced a blue vase, no doubt filled with gems. As Sidos shopped, the Sunny Villa mayor, Leo, came forward, toward me and Vivian. The leaf crown of leadership sat upon his tawny head.
"What brings you dragons to our villa?" He politely did not mention Sidos (who was now haggling for a sword and shield he found a liking to). I thought about what to say. I didn't want the whole Forgotten Worlds to know I was an inept Magic Crafter, so I just said this instead:
"We're looking for Hunter and Bianca."
"Ah," Mayor Leo said, stroking his chin. "Bianca lives in the Sorceress's old castle in Midnight Mountain. But alas, I know not where Hunter might be. He could be in Avalar, for all we know."
"I see." I replied. "Thank you." I sure hoped we wouldn't have to go all the way to Avalar. Oh, well. Bianca's the one we really want, anyway. I turned to leave, Vivian walking alongside me. Her wings drooped a little bit; maybe she wanted to participate in the gladiator fights. Fighting was in a Peacekeeper's blood.
Sidos paid a lion a sum of three hundred gems (including rare purple ones) for a sword and shield complete with belt and scabbard. The red robed thief held up the sword (made of ordinary steel, with a glimmering yellow jewel in the pommel), saying in a language I didn't understand,
"¡Llamo tú corazón del león!"
Even though I didn't understand the language itself, somehow I knew Sidos had named the sword Lionheart. I felt proud as we leapt through the portal back to Sunrise Spring--at least one aspect of my Magic Crafter ability wasn't out of my reach.
-
We padded across the soft springy grass, heading to the alcove by the pond to see if there was another vehicle that could take us to Midnight Mountain.
"Why get another sword?" Vivian asked Sidos. "Wouldn't you rather keep this one?" Mythril, after all, wasn't easy to come by, or to forge. It took Dream Weavers to find the ore, Artisans to smelt it, and Magic Crafters to forge it. It brought an important question to my mind: from whom did Sidos steal the mythril sword?
Sidos shook his head. "Nah. Besides, you'll need a training partner before you can use that one properly."
We glided over the water of the large pond, ducking under the arch where the Sunrise Spring vehicle would be. "Would be" being the operative phrase, of course.
"Great." My wings drooped so that their tips brushed the tiled floor. No vehicle. Just Marco, bless his little heart, repairing his balloon with the help of a stone idol, a seal, and a kangaroo. The idol turned toward us, his stony face apologetic.
"The balloon won't be finished for a good long while, I'm afraid. Why don't you head on over to the Tiki Lodge? There's a dinner party I daresay even dragons would like."
At the thought of food, my stomach rumbled. What did the idols of Molten Crater eat? Vivian was already loping out the door, wings outstretched. Peacekeepers were legendary big eaters. They worked together to bring down big prey, and I mean big. Woolly mammoth big. I shrugged, following her. If a Peacekeeper had no qualms eating what idols ate, then nor would a Magic Crafter. Sidos seemed to slide over everything as usual, Lionheart bouncing on his side.
As a Magic Crafter, I liked cool, icy climes. Molten Crater was hot. Very, very hot. Instead of freshwater rivers, there were rivers of seething, spitting lava. Large insects buzzed around us, much to our dragonflies' delights. Vivian looked around the rocky terrain, her claws flattening the dry, dead grasses scattered on the earth.
"It's warmer than home." She remarked.
"Warmer?" I said, incredulous. I was burning up already. I longed for the breezy heights of Alpine Ridge, the sheer joy at the feeling of knocking ice caps from the snowy mountaintops. Stardust silently echoed my sentiment.
Sidos, despite his thick robe and turban, cheerfully hopped up the stone steps that led into the Tiki Lodge. I could hear the clamor of a festival as Vivian and I followed. In the lodge there was a big, long table laden with all sorts of dishes and glasses and platters. I was relieved to smell roasted and seasoned sheep meat. I preferred char-broiled, but oh well. I was hungry.
The idols welcomed us. One of them even passed around a meat platter. As we ate, the idols joked, sang karaoke, and passed around mugs of a drink that smelled funny, but the idols enjoyed it nonetheless. The idols were glad that some dragons returned to the Forgotten Worlds. When the magic was disappearing during the Sorceress's reign, the Molten Crater portals stopped working. One idol even kept the shells of a dragon egg as a memento of that awful time.
The meals and merriment felt like it lasted hours upon hours on end. I actually fell asleep in the middle of the lodge. Even the severe heat ceased to bother me. Vivian nudged me awake, with a sense of urgency.
"Daystar, wake up! Sidos is gone!"
Groggily, I stood, stretching. I wasn't worried about Sidos. Any self-respecting thief could take care of himself. I was worried that he might be stealing from the locals. There was a dark area portal across a bridge from the lodge, so Vivian and I headed that way. Beyond the portal, we stood in an archway of stone that was carved in a hillside. Slithering between smaller bluffs was a stone road marked with arrows, a super charge lane.
"Daystar, what's this?" Vivian asked me, pointing at the walls of stone. My jaw went slack.
I can't use magic, but the elders still had me learn magic theory. I can set up a ritual to create a power up, but another Magic Crafter would have to activate the spell. I could still craft magic. I studied the walls. Engraved in the stone were pictures of grooves deep under the earth. It was much too shallow for it to be magma, and water did not flow under the planet's crust. My mouth went dry.
"Leylines." I said. Leylines are the invisible flows of magic within the earth beneath us. Anything that uses magic calls upon the leylines. Especially powerful spells required a ley point, a concentration of the leyline. Portals were a prime example of making use of such places of power. It was along the leylines that transport magic was made possible.
Carved in the walls were a group of mages that were using the leylines for a spell. I couldn't say what exactly the mages were doing. It looked like they were ... making bits of land float in the air. I shrugged; floating land was nothing new. Dream Weavers lived on floating islands. But what really caught my attention ...
"The mages look like ... thieves."
"No way!" Vivian protested, tail flicking.
"Look closely ..." Yep. Long robes and turbans. Some reliefs even had the sinister looking faces. If thieves had any involvement with magic, they stole it. They didn't use spells, at least not the thieves we were used to dealing with. Though magic might explain their insane speeds despite robes that ought to trip them. I shrugged.
"Sidos isn't here. Let's look elsewhere."
We found Sidos sleeping under the lodge table, hidden by the tablecloth and a dozen slumbering stone idols. An empty mug (or five) of that strange, smelly liquid was on the floor beside him. I sniffed the odd drink. I think I heard Sidos call it ...
Booze, was it?