Awake once more
((It has been a bit over three months since my last foray into Istaria - a car accident, a new car, a computer failure, a new computer, and the general hours required to move a company from one building to another are all to blame - but, as always, I've found my way back... Now I just have to find all of the portal keepers and re-attune.))
*poke*
“Kaeliss?�
*poke poke*
“Kaeliss, are you awake?�
Something tries to pry open an eyelid…
One large sky blue eye peeks out from under a half open eyelid – the vertically slit pupil contracting tightly from the sudden brilliant light. The scaled brow winces, and the eyelid snaps closed.
A loud, rumbling, {{Egut kor Drulkar!}} shakes the very walls of the cavern. Then a voice somehow resolves into a melodic basso suspended in the chill air of the cavern: “I am now… Extinguish yourself, bug, before I forget my manners…�
The Dryad, not much bigger than the eye it was just addressing, hovers on translucent wings that, until a moment ago, sparkled and glowed with a dazzling light. “Why must you Dragons keep to such dark places anyways? I have such a time finding my way down here…�
“The dark is better for sleeping, and the winding path would indicate to any other race that, perhaps, I do not wish to be bothered…�
“Feh. Always sleeping. It’s not amazing that you Dragons don’t get anything done. Why I was just speaking to my cousin…�
The dragon sighs, a sound more felt than heard as huge scales grind on stone in the gloom.
Another rumbling, but quieter {{Tond eln Gaet, g’rei oiorna}} fills the chamber. As the words are spoken, large crystal outcroppings embedded around the chamber begin to glow with a diffuse blue light. As the pale light fills the cavern it reveals immense chains; each link twenty feet in height made of metal as thick as a human. Four of these chains descend from the ceiling and suspend a large bedrock platform which the Dragon was sleeping on; the platform itself smoothed into a slight bowl by years of scales sliding across its surface.
The cavern itself could contain a guildhall – it has been clawed from the living rock of the mountain and is finished with an otherworldly sense of design; there are no sharp angles, save for the faceted crystals embedded in the walls. Stone features flow from shape to shape around the cavern, creating channels and pools for water flowing from the waterfall on the far end. Even the floor to ceiling granite columns look as if made of melted candle wax and are graced with precious gems and yet more giant crystals.
The Dragon shifts a bit, getting into more of a sitting position and settling its great leathern wings and long tail around its massive body. It then peers down at the diminutive winged creature hovering between its forepaws.
The basso voice moves through the cavern once more, “What can I do for you, Quin?�
The buzzing of the Dryad’s wings increase in pitch as it flies up to the Dragon's eye level. “Oh, it’s horrible Kaeliss!� The Dryad begins to get brighter, betraying his excitability and causing the Dragon to turn away slightly and wince once more.
The Dryad paces back and forth as if standing on solid ground some twenty feet above the floor and waves his tiny arms around illustrating points as he talks: “There we were, my uncles’ cousin’s brother and I, minding a flock of essence. We have some of the best essence fields around as you know – why just the other day I was talking to Jerin about this year’s essence crop and he was saying…�
Kaeliss looks up at the cavern ceiling and sighs heavily again… “Quin…�
“and that if the rains come it’ll wash out the beaver dam – Meressa, that lovely Saris lady down valley, said she’d come help, she bakes wonderful bread you know – even better with honey. In fact the last time we all got together she brought…�
The Dragon has often wondered if Dryads actually breathe, or if they lived out their span simply exhaling words… “Quin, what did you wake me for?�
“that’s when the potter fell over laughing and got clay all in the Satyr’s fur… You know he’s building an addition to his home, I think there’s a little bundle of hooves and horns on the way – they’re so cute when they…�
Kaeliss roars; “QUIN!�, and outside the lair entrance startled birds in the nearby trees take flight.
Two thin ribbons of smoke rise from the Dragon’s nostrils, “Quin! Focus! What was so blighted important that you needed to wake me for it!?�
The Dryad stops in mid-pantomime sword strike and blinks, as if realizing for the first time that there is a Dragon in the room. “Kaeliss? Oh! Kaeliss! You’re awake! The Skulks! Come quick!� The Dryad launches himself towards the opening in the cavern, disappearing down the tunnel in little more than a flash of wings.
Now it’s the Dragon’s turn to blink a few times. He shrugs and thinks to himself, “If it was truly important, they would have sent someone with a slightly longer attention span…� and hefts himself up onto all fours to head to a storage cave where he can gather his armor.
Frith-Rae BridgeSol
