Prequel: Bansished Bonds

[Nohiki]

"Hm. If you don't mind, i'll stick around. In 30 minutes you've been more helpful than rest of this planet for three weeks. Thank you." he answered and took the book. "You can keep that crystal, i made it to help me get here by storing more power in it for long range teleport. I'm fairly confident i'll find different way of going home." he explained. Fireheart looked around, then sniffed the air. He pushed himself closer to the tent and cloaked them as few guards turned the corner and walked around. "All clear. So what's the plan?"

[Midnightmoon]

"Domnand. Lioh Domnand, and this is Oron." Lioh responded with a sigh of relief. He waited till he was outside before climbing sorely up into Oron's saddle. "So, I you have a young one on the way?" Lioh started conversationally, nodding to the pouch that was strapped to the dragons breast bone.

[Kauria]

Mags looked confused for a moment, then suddenly remembered the egg. "Oh, right! Yeah, I get egg duty, I'm afraid. Lisim and Jaraen should be at the stables by now." He cocked his head as they started walking. "We never told you our names, did we?"
"Oh, excuse us." Erasmus rubbed his face with one hand. "It's been a bit of a longer day than expected. I'm Erasmus, this is Mags, and Lisim and Jaraen are my wife and her bond."
"He's normally happier than this," Mags added helpfully.
"So, where are you two from?"

[Midnightmoon]

"Congrats. Well, we're from a town on the other side of Rimal Lake. Last year you could see the lights of the festival in Jarahal across the water. No missus to see that sight with me though, too superstitious for most of the gals back home." Lioh chatted.

[Kauria]

"That must have been beautiful," Erasmus said with a smile.
Mags paused beside a tall lantern that had gone out, and reared up to his hind legs so Erasmus could reach.
The elf reached into a side bag and pulled out a small candle, lighting it with a spark of magic and placing it inside the globe. "Though, personally, I think it looks just as beautiful under the water." He gave the pair a curious look as they resumed walking. "There are a lot of warriors living near the lake. Are you guys warriors yourselves?" he asked, nodding at them.

[Morty]

"Plan?" Moira blinked. "Well, I was thinking I was gonna scurry on back to the College, now that I'm on the lam." she said jokingly. "Get on a wagon and make my escape, maybe. But I guess they'll be looking for suspicious types. That might complicate things. I don't know of any other way out than the one I came in. I couldn't have picked a better place to be a fugitive, could I? Not many exit routs in an underwater city. Boy, I've really done it this time..." she babbled irascibly, feeling a little bit silly at the same time; she still didn't believe what she'd done was worthy to be called a crime, surely if she got caught she could wave if off as an honest mistake. Which it was! Mostly. So maybe it wasn't the best idea to test your new pet subject in public, but you were onto something, dammit! At least now you know the potential of a bound skull as a surrogate for sentience. And you even got free loot from an alien, so that's cool. But you need an exit plan. Politics have never been your strong suit, and if this extremely sketchy dragon thinks it's worth changing appearances over to avoid capture, you'd do damn well to follow his advice.
"Wait right here." said Moira, and disappeared inside the tent to pack.

((Moira is silly. XD))

[Nohiki]

"I'm not in a hurry." said Fireheart, opening the book. He started reading it very quickly, instantly memorizing everything of importance. "You finished? Why the heck didn't i just teleport all your stuff and us on the surface..." he facepalmed, getting impatient.

[Morty]

"You can do that?" Moira said, astonished. "That's a helluva long way." she said as she lugged her equipment out into the street, two small suitcases full of glass tubes and alchemical ingredients, as well as a canvas bag with her personal belongings. She dusted off her gloved hands and cast around carefully. "So..."

[Nohiki]

Fireheart flapped his wings a few times, rising few meters above the ground. He grabbed Moira and lifted her on his back. Then he grabbed her stuff and headed in a way of one of the exits. "Direct me, but make a single horse refference and you'll die. Slowly." joked Fireheart.

[Midnightmoon]

"Just a common guard, though I hope in a few years I'll be promoted." The earth elf responded, with a bit of a shrug. They he started to get what he was really curious about. Without changing his tone he asked, "You seemed to have the firepower and persition to be a warrior yourself. You have any past training, or any interest in the craft?"

[Kauria]

Erasmus hesitated for a moment in thoughtful silence. "I can't really say I've ever really thought about it before."
I have, Mags thought up at Erasmus. I'd be pretty lousy at it.
The elf put a comforting hand on his friend's neck, but continued to speak. "No training, either, so someone would have to teach me which end of the sword is the sharp one, I'm afraid. It's just that I already have a job that I enjoy, so I see no reason to change that." He paused again, a new thought occurring to him. "Not to be rude, but what need does your clan have for warriors in a time of peace?"

[Midnightmoon]

"Woah there," Lioh laughed, "I'm just a guard, not the smitten special forces. You still have to protect valuables and sometimes some people feal a bit anxious. Like for example, there was this one elderly gal who didn't have all her scales in the right place." Lioh tapped his temple as he said it. "She stormed into the headquarters and demanded that some bug creature things were after her. Nonsense of course but we had to assign her a guard before she would settled down and to we make sure she didn't do anything... drastic. In any case the fellow asigned to her came back that night with a black eye." "Nice cover." Oron commented dryly. Lioh didn't respond to that, but neither did he speak what was really on his mind.

[Kauria]

"That sounds like a heck of a job," Erasmus laughed, running a hand through his hair.
Mags stopped. "We're here. Or, at least, we are. The herbalist's just down thataways," he said, pointing down the street with his chin.
"Good night," Erasmus called as he dismounted, touching his forehead in a Fire Clan farewell. "Maybe we'll see each other again tomorrow."

[Midnightmoon]

"Maybe." Lioh responded with a grin and a nod. Oron kept walking. Over his shoulder, or as far as he could turn, Lioh called, "Thanks for the help." He turned back sorely. "I guess the night wasn't all bad luck, eh Oron?" "I don't like this feal, uncertain ground." Lioh nodded a second time, but this time in agreement with his bond.
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The next morning Lioh applied another layer of balm before heading down the stairs for the included breakfast. As he reached the bottom he heard a women talking to the inkeeper. "Did you see the morning paper today?" "Yes, my boy nearly smothered me with it this morning. He ran home last night babbling on about a monsterous creature" "You didn't believe him?" Lioh sat down with his back to the pair, taking out his weaving to occupy his hands and provide cover as he listened. "Well I believed some of it, I heard the panic as good as everyone else, but I thought he was exagerating." "Well there was no exageration. I read the paper this morning as well and the details are sound. I was there. The creepiest and most vicious thing I ever saw." "Oh ya?" "Yes, but here's something that the papers didn't say..." Their voices dropped and Lioh could just imaging them ducking down in a conspirating mannor, "...there was a dark clan involved." There was a pause. "No." "Yees," The women said insistantly, ",and the thing was after her like a gator at a wounded bison." There was a longer pause and before they could start up again a crowd of roudy costomers came though the doors, and Lioh's meal arrived.
After that the pair stopped talking about it. There was more quiet murmuring about the incedent the night before but all of it was just repeating what the newpapers already said.
-------

Down south east on the tallest peek a cathedral rested. With numerous tall windows the room was white washed in snow reflected light. All the rooms were empty, void of life, and nothing moved but for a singular large device that spun slowly. The devise was crafed with four wide strips of metal, each a different type. They spun around a singular bright light that flickered with colour every time a strip eclipsed the light. The device was surounded by ten mirrors. At least a third taller then any man and twice as wide. They were absolutely black. Then the light inthe device when out for a second and flared brightly to pure white, muting all other light in the room. Six of the mirrors now held vague shapes of people.
"Has everyone heard?" A young mans voice asked. All the people nodded. "What is to be done then? Will we start?" He continued, eargerness barely contained in his voice.
"It would seem to be the perfect oprotunity." Another agreed. Again this was followed by everyones nod.
"Then let it begin." A women said, authority strong in her voice. "Each of you will work to fan these rumors, discreetly." For the final time they all nodded and four or the six mirrors fadded to black again.
"May I sugest something, my Lady?" The women said nothing but neither did she object so the remaining speaker continued," I would like to sugest another rumor be spread, one that conserns our own endevors. The potion. It's already rumored that they are working with alchemy, why not add another blemish to their souring reputation."
"Do it. But don't let it ever connect back. You know the consaquences, and not just for us." The women warned steely, and it was obvious that it was no idol threat. The last man nodded with a slight bow and the light flared a second time, leaving everything as it was before the conference.

[Kauria]

"Great spirits, people just can't stop gossiping for one second. I blame the air dragons. There's no way you can spit out such a steady stream of rumors with normal-sized lungs," Mags grumbled. The family was walking back from an early breakfast, and the first few shafts of sunlight had begun to pierce the water.
"Be nice," Erasmus warned.
"You said something along those lines last night, and I was absolutely right."
"Well," said Jaraen, "at least you're kind of famous for the whole incident."
"All I heard was 'a fire dragon defeated it,' and I'm willing to bet they're talking about the riderless pipsqueak," he hissed back.
"I don't think I've ever seen you this bitter about something. Are you jealous?" Lisim teased.
Mags stopped abruptly, lifted his neck to Lisim's mounted height, and pointed a wing-claw at her. "Think about it. Several adult pairs, us included, stick around tae help, almost get killed, and then a hatchling summons some great firebird tae destroy the creature. I find that suspicious."
"You didn't seem to feel that way when it actually happened." Despite his obvious amusement, Erasmus stroked Mags' frill in reassurance. "And in any case," he said, tone becoming more serious, "If anyone should be worried, it's the Dark Clan. One scientist has just caused them a lot of troub—"
"Hey, it's the warriors from last night!" Mags called over to them. "Lioh! Oron! Recovering all right?"