Arc 2 – Part 1
The golden vortex twisted and writhed around her, and Caprifexia dug her claws into the stone beneath herself, flapping her wings as hard as she could to try and resist the terrible pull. One paw came away, then the other, and Caprifexia screamed as she was wrenched upward.
She called her magic to her, weaving together a gust of air to try and hurl herself back downward. But the magic slipped through her claws, and she began to tumble, up and up and up as the colour of the vortex around her shifted. Gold gave way to eerie void un-light, and ahead of her loomed a familiar sphere.
She howled in terror and redoubled her efforts to escape as grasping tendrils erupted from the sphere and grasped her legs, dragging her down into the orb.
"̵̹̫͗D̵͔̿̕͝ä̷̳́ư̷̧̩̳͑͘g̵̭̹̊͠͝h̵̦͓̓͋t̶͈̀̾̅ḙ̵̦̥́̈́͑r̸͓̔̍͘…̵̞̠̋͝"̴̜̝͗ͅ
"No!" she yelled as she passed through the outer shell and her body began to vanish into golden mist. "No! Someone help me! Someone help-"
Caprifexia jerked upright, her heart hammering in her chest and flame pooling in her mouth and spilling outward. She stared in confusion at the dark, book lined room. Behind her the first of the pre-dawn glow was leaking past the drawn crushed-velvet curtains. A few feathers floated past from where her claws must have pierced her pillow. Her pillow…
"Just a dream," she muttered, calming her inner furnace and rubbing the sleep from her eyes with the back of a claw. "Just a dream."
"Capri?" mumbled Chandra, looking up from her bed with bleary eyes. "You OK?"
"Fine," said Caprifexia. "Go back to sleep."
Chandra made a vaguely affirmative grunt as she rolled over, pulling her blanket higher.
Caprifexia shook herself. "No point dwelling, no point dwelling," she muttered, clicking her teeth, even as he mind replayed the dream over and over again: the feeling of helplessness, the inevitable, relentless draw of the orb…
Snarling Caprifexia slunk off the large pillow that she slept on and padded across her room's floor. It had gotten a little better after witnessing the Last Party, but the knowledge that she was not really an immortal any more haunted her dreams. But she was a dragon, she would not be help captive by silly little neurosis like a mortal. The memories of being The Daughter, however, were still as fresh and persistent as ever, even after three months, and had started to bleed into everything else.
She reached her door and opened it with a tap of a claw, stomping out into the circular mezzanine beyond that was for the college's senior students, which, naturally, as a dragon she counted as. Well, she wasn't in all the senior classes, but she was for destruction and battle-magic, and, really, that was the most important one for a heroic dragon such as herself.
The large circular terrace was lit by a shimmering font of mana that rose in the centre from the ground floor below and vanished through a pane of glass at the peak of the Hall of the Countenance's domed roof. The mana's azure light glinted off the metal handles of the nine other closed doors. Underneath three came candlelight, indicating the mage inside was 'pulling an all-nighter,' as Einar would have put it.
J'zargo's room, two to the left of hers, as ever had a golden light spilling from underneath it. Caprifexia took a moment to school her features into something appropriate for a young dragon before moving over and opening the door with another handle-turning cantrip.
"Good morning little dragon," said J'zargo, who was at his desk, glancing up. "J'zargo sees you are up early – again."
"Hello," sniffed Capri, moving over to his bookshelf and shifting her form to make it easier to take down a book on aeromancy.
"The small dragon is still having trouble sleeping?" said J'zargo, putting down his quill and frowning at her.
"No," huffed Caprifexia, throwing herself down on his the sofa across the room from his desk.
His room was fairly similar to her own, relatively spacious and lined with books, with a small kitchenette and a sink to store fish in (and that was its purpose, regardless of what Chandra said), an alchemical set along one wall, two desks, and two beds, although he didn't need to share with anyone else. Not that Caprifexia really minded Chandra, it wasn't quite as good as having another dragon around, but the red-headed Planeswalker was usually nice and didn't nag her too much.
"J'zargo does not believe the small dragon; J'zargo will make some warm-milk," said J'zargo, standing and moving to the small wooden box he'd spelled to keep things cold. He rummaged for a moment with a furry paw before taking out a chilled jug of milk.
He bustled about for a few minutes, heating a small tin of the liquid over the burner of his alchemical set before pouring one cup for her, and another for himself. Into his he mixed some of the orange dust that he'd absolutely insisted she not tell Einar about, and rudely hoarded all to himself.
"Here," he said, handing her a cup before sitting beside her and taking a gulp of his own. "Now, the little dragon did not sleep well, yes? She will tell J'zargo about it?"
"It doesn't matter," grumbled Caprifexia, sipping at the warm liquid. "I'm fine."
"And yet the small dragon seeks out J'zargo," said J'zargo, swirling his cup for a moment before continuing. "It is the bad dreams again, yes?"
Caprifexia shrugged.
"The ones with the Eye of Magnus?" he pressed.
"Yes," she said, drawing her knees up to her chin. "Obviously."
"It is natural to be afraid of death," said J'zargo gently. "And it is natural for children to be scared when they realise they will one day pass."
"For a mortal, maybe," said Caprifexia. "Not a dragon. We don't get scared."
"J'zargo does not think this is true," said J'zargo.
"J'zargo's an idiot," she said. "And I'm not a 'child' – I'm a whelpling. There's a difference!"
"J'zargo remembers when he was a cub and found out that even he would one day pass," continued J'zargo, unmoved by her cutting insight into the very core of his being. "The moons were shining on the sands, and he realised that one day he would not be able to look up and see them. It made J'zargo sad, and frightened, and he cried. His mother asked him, 'J'zargo, why are you sad?' J'zargo said: 'One day the moons would shine on sands without J'zargo.' Do you know what she said?"
"Of course not," muttered Caprifexia, sipping at her milk. "You haven't told me this silly story before."
"J'zargo's mother told J'zargo that it was not the end that mattered, but what came before it. The life that he would live," said J'zargo. "J'zargo still cried, but it became easier for him."
"Dragons don't cry," sniffed Caprifexia. His stupid story reminded her of 'the Last Party' she'd seen of Kaladesh. And while that was all well and good for mortals, she wasn't a mortal. She was an immortal who knew she was going to die, that was completely different.
"Of course, dragons are very brave," agreed J'zargo, stroking her hair "But being brave does not mean we do not feel fear. Yes?"
"I'm not scared," she grumbled, swatting his han away. "The dreams are just… distracting. I'm not scared."
"Of course not," he nodded, bowing to her greater wisdom. "And who knows? The dragon will live for many, many millennia.; she may find a way to both save Nirn and avoid what happened. She is very clever, and one day she will be even more magnificent than J'zargo, he has seen it."
"But it's already happened," said Caprifexia. "I'm already dead."
"J'zargo does not know if that is true," said J'zargo. "He has spoken with Lomeria-"
"Who?" said Caprifexia.
"With the one the little dragon calls 'Lombardia,'" corrected J'zargo, incorrectly. "She told J'zargo that while the loop would be fixed if the little dragon was of Nirn, because she is a Planeswalker it may be possible for her to change her future without altering the past."
"She- she's certain?" said Caprifexia, feeling a spark of hope blossom in her heart.
"No, it was just a theory," admitted J'zargo. "The Psijic monks are wise, J'zargo is sure that soon they will accept his application for membership, but they know little about the small dragon's powers."
Was it possible that the time meddling fools were right? That maybe because of her nature that she could perhaps avoid her self-inflicted death? She wasn't a bronze dragon, and even they might not know for a being as amazing as she was. No, the mortals were just, as ever, guessing, she needed to speak to someone like her. Someone experienced and wise…
Unfortunately the only other Planeswalker, apart from Chandra, she knew was Sorbet Melon. And he was just a useless lamprey who was never around when you needed him.
But perhaps he might know of a powerful Planeswalker who could help her?
Caprifexia stood up. "I'm going to Innitgrad," she said.
"J'zargo believes it is 'Innistrad,'" said J'zargo, wrongly.
"Whatever," said Caprifexia, raising a glowing hand and focusing.
"Hold on," said J'zargo, grabbing her hand with a furry paw and earning a glare. "Has the little dragon forgotten about 'the agreement?'"
Caprifexia spat sparks, her ire immediately rushing to the surface.
"I am a dragon!" she growled.
"Yes, a little dragon who made an agreement," said J'zargo.
"Fine," she said. "You can come if you like-"
"J'zargo cannot, J'zargo must finish his thesis," said J'zargo. "And that was not the agreement."
"I will- I will not be bossed about by snooty, time meddling mortal fools!" yelled Caprifexia, stamping her foot. "I never agreed to anything!"
"J'zargo remembers differently," said J'zargo. "He remembers that after the little dragon ran off after getting upset, the little dragon agreed that she would not leave the College without a chaperone from the Psijic order. J'zargo did not think the small dragon was a liar; he was not wrong to trust the little dragon, was he?"
Caprfiexia grumbled, and released her hold on her Spark, letting the golden glow fade. "Fine," she snapped. "Fine! I'll play by their stupid 'rules,' but… but only because- because it's not worth listening to them complain again and again and again!"
"We will speak to the Psijic Order after breakfast," nodded J'zargo. "And J'zargo is sure that Einar will want to come with you. We will pack you supplies and do this properly, yes?"
It was true, Einar had been pestering her to go Planeswalking for a while now, and would have complained endlessly if she'd gone to Innitgrad without him. He had some new scheme he wanted to try out that he called an 'Inter-planar Foundation.' Caprifexia had tried to explain to him that you couldn't build foundations between planes, since the platforms and bridges were just representations that her unconscious mind produced to make sense of the unintelligible Void, but, as ever, he hadn't listened to her; instead he'd blathered on about something to do with 'improving the material conditions of sapients across the multiverse.'
"Fine. I suppose I can wait few more hours if it will stop you mortals whinging," she huffed, finishing her milk and picking her book back up. "Go back to pretending to study or whatever you're doing, I'm busy."
J'zargo ruffled her dark hair again, and got an irritated growl in response, before standing up and moving back to his desk.
"'M goin' to 'nnitgrad," said Caprifexia, scooping another mouthful of the terribly bland and totally fish-less 'porridge' into her silly mortal mouth.
"Capri, don't speak with your mouth full," chided Serana from across the table.
"'Eah 'apri, don' 'peak wif' 'ur mauf' 'ull," said Chandra though a mouthful of porridge.
"You too, Chandra," said Serana.
Caprifexia glared first at her young, grinning friend, and then at the vampire, who was sipping at a cup of what smelt like elf blood. Apparently the disgusting undead abomination had worked out some kind of 'deal' where the college found 'volunteers' from the local town who got paid to 'donate blood for medical alchemical experimentation.' Of course, she didn't share her non-plant based breakfast with Caprifexia because she was rude and, apparently, 'since Caprifexia didn't need to drink the blood of sapients to survive, she shouldn't.'
"I'm going to Innitgrad," she repeated.
"Oh!" said Einar, his eyes lighting up. "Great! I've been hoping you'd want to go 'walking again. I'll pack my things. Can we stop at a few other places?"
Although Einar wasn't actually a wizard, and now everyone knew he was a big fraud who'd taken credit for her magic, his membership of the college had never been stripped from him after the Battle of High Hrothgar. Something, something, 'honorary fellow,' something, something, 'unfair dragonist accusations that Caprifexia needed controlling.'
"I'm going to see Sorbet Melon," said Caprifexia. "Not indulge whatever hair-brained, probably quasi-villainous, thieving scheme you have planned."
"It's not 'quasi-villainous' or 'thieving!'" said Einar hotly. "I've given all that up! I just think that your gift could be used to do so much good. Sure, I'll need to generate some revenue to set things up, but the point will be to help people."
"I'm a hero, I already use my powers to help people," said Caprifexia. "I saved all of Nirn. You think your little scheme can top that?"
"That was future you; but Capri, think, you could share knowledge between worlds: medicine, magic, transport, farming methods," said Einar. "Things that could tangibly improve people's lives on a scale that fireballs, even if you're throwing them at the right person, couldn't hope to. What about Chandra's home? It sounds super advanced?"
"Hey! I only ever throw fireballs at people who deserve it!" said Caprifexia.
J'zargo, Serana, Chandra, and Einar all burst out laughing.
"Fine, we can stop at EHPWBVMS," said Capri, stabbing her spoon into her bowl of porridge.
"I'm positive that isn't what it's actually called," said Einar.
"How do you know? You've never even heard their stupid language," said Capri. "You definitely can't speak it! You never believe anything I say!"
"Firstly," said Chandra. "That's, like, my home. Secondly, my language isn't stupid. Thirdly, its called 'Kaladesh.' And fourthly, both of us are, like, wanted criminals there. You in both your forms."
"Hold on Chandra, you're too young to be going Planeswalking," said Serana.
"I'm older than she is!" said Chandra, pointing at Caprifexia. "By ten years!"
"I know," said Serana. "But while Caprifexia is somewhat… erratic, she is actually a very experienced and powerful wizard. And comparing a human to a dragon doesn't really work, Caprifexia is academically an adult-"
"Hah!" said Caprifexia, sticking out her tongue at Chandra.
"-if somewhat emotionally stunted," finished Serana. Wrongly.
"I'm a Planeswalker too!" protested Chandra. "And Ms. Feralda said my pyromancy is excellent!"
"For a first year student," said Serana. "Chandra, even if you were an adult I would be reticent to take you with us without more experience. This isn't a game."
"I- I don't need your permission!" said Chandra, crossing her arms. "I could just Planeswalk, right here, right now!" She cleared her throat. "Well, I'd have to leave the hall first, 'cause of the Eye downstairs…" she muttered, uncrossing her arms. "Capri! Tell them I can come with you. Please? Pleeaaaaasseee?"
Caprifexia shrugged. "Sure," she said. "Why not?"
"That isn't up to you Capri," said Serana.
Caprifexia stuck her tongue at the vampire.
"Serana," said Einar. "If you and J'zargo are going-"
"As much as J'zargo would like to go, he cannot," said J'zargo. "J'zargo's thesis is due next week. He must work on it. The little dragon's thesis is also due, but J'zargo suspects she does not care."
"Oh," said Einar. "Well, Serana, you and a Psijic Monk is more magical firepower than some kingdoms have. I think we can look after two kids."
Serana glared. "You're siding with her?"
Einar gulped. "Look at it this way, would you rather she snuck out and went Planeswalking by herself, or that she had some supervision?"
Serana grumbled. "Fine, you can come Chandra," she said. "But you haveto listen to me. Understand? If I tell you to Planeswalk back to Nirn, you have to do it. No arguments. Agreed?"
"Yes! Of course!" said Chandra, bouncing in her seat. "This is so cool! Adventure! Yay!"
"Great, so it's settled then," said Einar. "Oh! Also, Serana, didn't you read something about language magic in the library?"
"Oh yeah," said Serana. "I read something called… what was it? Sympathetic Lingual Disseminators? Something like that. Anyway, it's some device that was invented by a khajiit wizard a few hundred years ago. Basically they're earrings or rings or some kind of small piece of jewellery that lets people understand and speak another language, so long as they're linked to a 'master' version that is being worn by someone who knows that language. Filtered through the unconscious, or something. I figured if one of the Little Miss Omniglots over here wore the master one, and we wore the 'receivers' we'd be able to speak, well, anything. Doesn't help with reading though, unfortunately."
"Are they hard to make?" asked J'zargo.
"I'm not an arteficer, but it didn't look impossible," said Serana. "I'm sure someone in the college or the order would be able to put them together without any difficulty. I know Lommy is good, we were talking about some of her projects just last night."
"She's been begging to chaperone Capri on her next walk," said Einar. "Literally, she comes and checks on me daily to remind me that she's always available if we go 'walking."
"I want to go now!" said Caprifexia. "I don't want to wait for Lombardia to make a bunch of stupid earrings!"
"Come on Capri, it will only be a few days," said Einar. "And think of it, you won't have to do the haggling if we wait for the 'Lingual Disseminators.'"
Caprifexia grumble angrily into her porridge. It was true, it would be nice not to have to deal with truculent and insolent shopkeepers. She always got in such trouble when their noses suffered a heroic kinetic incident.
"Stupid mortals, bossing me around, I'm a dragon, I shouldn't have to put up with it," she grumbled in draconic, making Chandra snicker, before switching back to Imperial. "Fine. But only a few days, then I'm leaving, with or without Lombardia."
"Lomeria," 'corrected' the others in chorus. Incorrectly.
A.N. I've been sitting on the first five chapters of this for a while because the arc was only half-finished when I decided I didn't like where it was going. I've got a new plan though, so hopefully the rest of this arc will be up in relatively short order. I've still got some editing to do.
Also, and I'm going to shamelessly plug my other work now since that seems to be what you need to do, I've written an original novel, Shattered Moon, which I'll be posting weekly chapters of over the next few months. You can find it on Sufficient Velocity (if you have an account), Scribblehub (googling 'Shattered Moon Scribblehub' should find it), or on Royal Road (when I figure out how to get it to work properly).
Also, I have a (which you can get to from the url plus /c/Ciaran251), which will get access to chapters a bit earlier, if you like my writing feel free to check it out.