Black Dragons
Chapter 6: Forest Fire
Disclaimer: I do not own Dungeons & Dragons
The Black Dragons were slowly making their way through the forest, after only half an hour of being under the trees, their leafage grew so thick and close together it became impossible to see the sun, casting them in a strange half-light. They were unable to tell how long they had been in the forest after they had lost sight of the sun, and the repetitive foliage was beginning to wear on them as it felt like they would never get out.
"How large is this forest exactlah?" Harbek asked, shattering the silence they had been traveling in.
Sariel tilted her head as she tried to remember the maps she had gone over in the Baron's fortress.
"I cannot say exactly how large it is but based on our current speed and the scales of the maps I reviewed; I'd say we should get out of this forest around midday tomorrow."
"Midday!?" Harbek shouted in surprise, "I thought this would take us a few hours!"
"Oh no, this forest is rather large. It's one of the reasons the Baron never really enforced his law in it. It's impossible to tell where you are, and it doesn't take much to get lost in here," Aldain added, "We've come close to losing men in here before, but only by sheer chance or careful planning did they come home safely."
"And we jus' waltzed in here like we own deh place?" Harbek asked.
"Calm down father, I have an impeccable sense of direction, we won't get lost anytime soon," Corrin told him with a grin.
Arjhan remained silent as his companions conversed, but then a small movement caught his eye.
"Everyone," he said.
The tone of his voice brought everyone instantly to attention. They all looked at him, saw his gaze was aimed elsewhere, then turned their heads to follow it. They stopped walking down the road and each reached for their weapons.
The leaves of a bush ahead of them were rustling, it was the first sign they had seen of other life in the forest since they had entered it. But they were not sure how it would greet them.
Suddenly, a furry figure erupted from the bush to reveal the slick form of a small fox. It looked at them and cocked its head to one side as if examining them. They all released a pent-up sigh of relief.
"Jus' a fox," Harbek said with a chuckle.
Suddenly a fireball erupted from the bush where the fox had emerged and nearly exploded in the middle of their group, but Arjhan was ready as he leaped to the front and took it on his shield, the fire exploded and showered sparks all around them.
"Leave this place…" A voice called to them, thin and wispy.
"Who goes there?" Arjhan asked, raising his head above his shield to look around.
"Leave… you are not welcome here…" The voice told them again.
"Sariel, can you find where that voice is coming from?" Arjhan asked her.
She nodded and closed her eyes, trying to focus on the source of the voice.
Suddenly another fireball erupted from the trees, this time to the right of the original position, Arjhan was too slow to react and took it in the chest. The attack scorched his armor and burned him significantly. He gasped with the pain of it as he stumbled back from the impact.
Harbek stepped forward, grasping the small, anvil-shaped symbol around his neck, his hand began to glow as he prayed over Arjhan. The wound began to close, and the burns began to recede and disappear.
"There!" Sariel called, pointing a finger further to the right of the fireball.
"Twenty feet back into the trees! A figure is emanating magic."
Corrin was off in a flash, disappearing into the brush.
The rest of the group waited, until eventually, they heard a voice shout in alarm followed by rustling and an explosion, then silence.
"Corrin!" Arjhan shouted.
The bushes began to rustle again, and after a few seconds, Corrin emerged, dragging a figure behind him.
The figure had dark-red skin, with a pair of black horns that curved up from the back of their head and curved into themselves to form a spiral shape. They wore a red bodice that extended down into a hoop skirt with a frilled hem. Black tights covered the parts of their legs that were exposed, and a pair of black, heeled boots covered their feet. A black, whip-like tail that ended in a narrow point snaked behind them as they moved.
Corrin released the figure, and they all saw it was a young woman as she stood up and brushed herself off.
"Well, that wasn't very nice of you," she said, her voice was slightly accented, giving her r's a small trill as she spoke.
"Who are you? And why did you attack us?" Arjhan asked.
The woman looked at him as he spoke, then gave a small smile and performed a very elaborate curtsey.
"My name is Kaira, lord. I am a resident of this forest. I was simply protecting my home from trespassers."
"Technically this forest belongs to the baron of the area," Aldain told her.
Kaira's gaze quickly flicked to him, her eyes were a light amber color, and their slit-like pupils gave him the impression of a snake, sizing up its prey before attacking.
"I am aware that blowhard claims to own this land, but he does not enforce it. I have been able to provide for myself here. Better than anywhere else, and I do not wish to be disturbed."
Sariel stepped forward now, examining the girl.
"You're barely more than a child, yet you've been surviving out here all by yourself? For how long?"
Kaira had to look up to look into Sariel's eyes, and what she saw there seemed to make her uncomfortable as she averted her gaze and rubbed the toe of one boot in the dirt.
"A few months, nothing too difficult I assure you, my lady," she said.
"What's all this Lord and Lady nonsense?" Harbek asked.
She turned to him now, "I was raised in the courts of the Southern Kingdom of Alanvel. I apologize if my mannerisms have offended sir."
"That's where the accent was from!" Corrin shouted as she said the name.
"You are familiar with our tongue?" She asked him.
Corrin grinned before speaking in a language none of the other group recognized. Kaira's eyes widened in shock before she replied in a similar-sounding language.
The two continued a conversation for some time before Kaira began to laugh.
"You are very funny Sir Corrin," she told him.
He gave a bow from the waist, hiding a grin that was spreading across his face as he did so.
"You speak Alanvelese?" Sariel asked him.
"Oh yes, I learned quite a bit living in Westwind, lots of traders coming up from Alanvel who liked to gossip in their mother tongue thinking the locals couldn't keep up."
Kaira nodded, "It is rare to find someone who speaks it here on the central continent."
Arjhan held up a hand, "I'm sorry to interrupt this fascination discussion on linguistics, but you mentioned you were raised in the courts of Alanvel?"
She nodded, leaning on one leg, and putting a hand on her hip.
"If that is so, why are you not still there?"
Kaira started at the question, and the whole group turned from Arjhan to her, the expectation obvious on their faces. Her tail flicked as she tried to compose herself.
"Well… I… Uhm… You see… that is a very, lengthy story, and I wouldn't want to bore you with it."
"You were cast out, weren't you?" Arjhan asked.
"What? Me? The countess of… yes." Kaira's shoulder slumped as she saw the looks on everyone's faces when she mentioned her made-up title.
"I was a courtier, a lady-in-waiting. My position was tenuous at best, and when my lady was exiled for affiliating with a foreign liaison that was attempting to overthrow the government, I was cast out alongside her. She kept me in her retinue for my abilities, but afterward, I struggled to find employment with anyone else. With no other options, I retreated here, to the wilderness, hoping to keep myself protected from those who would see me come to harm for my affiliation with that woman."
The group looked amongst themselves, then back to Kaira.
"This is no place for a young lady of the court," Sariel told her.
"I have been doing very well on my own thank you," Kaira replied.
"Maybeh, but only 'cause of dem powers ya mentioned most like, what are they by the way?" Harbek asked as he stroked his beard.
Kaira smiled before raising her hand, and a fireball identical to the ones that had been launched at them appeared. The group nodded understanding, and Kaira doused the fireball before giving another curtsey.
"Another mage could be handeh," Harbek said to the rest of the group.
"Handy? How do you mean?" Kaira asked.
Arjhan nodded, understanding Harbek's implication.
"Lady Kaira, we are the Black Dragons. A recently formed group that is looking for a new home for us in the world. We would be honored to have someone like you amongst our ranks if it suits you?"
"You want me, to travel with you?" She asked, pointing at first herself, then the group.
"Yes. It would be nice to have another lady in the group, and another magic user at that," Sariel said with a sly smile.
Kaira put her hand on her chin as she considered their offer, her tail slithered back and forth in a rough S shape.
"I… accept," she said, a smile creeping across her face.
"Well then, allow me to welcome you to the Black Dragons Lady Kaira," Arjhan said with a nod of his head.
The group made their welcomes and after they were finished Kaira gave them a smile and another curtsey.
"I am pleased to be welcomed amongst you. If you will allow a small detour, I must gather my things," she said.
The group motioned for her to lead the way, and she led them through the forest to a small clearing with a rough structure. Inside was a small box filled with other outfits identical to the one Kaira was wearing, and a large book. She packed everything up and readied her pack, slinging it over her shoulder. She stepped out of the structure and fell in step behind Arjhan and the others as they led their way through the forest.
"So, where are we headed?" She asked.
"Port Capelift," Arjhan answered, "We wish to be off the central continent, and are avoiding Port Westwind due to a previous issue with Corrin there."
"What did you do?" she asked, looking at the halfling.
"Oh, a misunderstanding, nothing more."
"What kind of misunderstandin'?" Harbek asked suspicion in his voice.
"Oh, well, you see… a merchant may or may not have been artificially raising his prices for what our royal friend back there referred to as 'subhumans.' I simply decided it wasn't right and wanted to relieve him of some of his ill-gotten gains."
The group stopped, looking at him.
"You stole from a merchant?" Arjhan asked.
"I liberated gold from a crooked dealer more like."
Arjhan tilted his head, then shook it before moving on.
"You aren't going to say anything?" Corrin asked.
"After the way, I threatened the Baron, I cannot."
The group looked at each other before following Arjhan.
"So, Kaira. Is there anything in these woods we should be wary of?" Arjhan asked.
"Oh, yes! Plenty of wild beasts live in these woods. I've managed to scare them off with a few fireballs. But the real threat are the- "
She screamed as she was suddenly hoisted into the air by one leg. She instinctively reached up and grabbed the hem of her dress to keep it from falling.
At the same time, a group of figures emerged from the woods, surrounding the Black Dragons.
A figure stepped up, he was huge, and covered in thick fur. A longsword dangled loosely in his right hand.
"Well, well, well. Looks like meats, back on the menu boys!" He shouted.
The group began to cackle, and the Black Dragons realized what they were facing: Gnolls.