Fable - Ask Of Fog and Fury

[Vayden]

The air was heavy today with chill and mist. Fog hung so thick it was surprising a dark scaled draconian’s breath didn’t make it dance and flow. That man, by the name of Vayden, wondered idly if his heart fire would do the trick. With no one nearby to discourage his curious thought he let it become action. With a sharp inhale he set a small stream of fire flowing from his jaws. It was surprisingly bright in the white fog and shifted the air entertainingly. It was a pleasant distraction but after a moment he realized it for just that: a willful distraction from the obvious. He was very lost. No amount of playing it cool and hoping the path forward would return to him was going to work out. Finally, the man stopped with a sigh and really looked around.

This area of the Spine was densely forested and lower in elevation. Some hills stretched out around him, something he had to deduce by the rise and fall of the untamed land under claw at this point. Not even the sun above could be seen through the thick sheet of white. He could try flying to get a better view because sometimes fog hung low enough that a little elevation made the difference but flight without sight was a recipe for disaster. Vayden had experienced enough flight mishaps recently that he was content trying to find his way by foot for now. Eventually he was muttering quietly to himself about the foolishness of the whole situation as he wondered.

 

[Igni Ymaranath Ythys]

Igni flew in formation with her escort. As usual it was her big brother, Sarkus, who took the lead, leaving her behind with mother.

"Fly without your magic," mother said, growling over the air. "Show me you can do it."

"I am flying without magic," Igni barked back, though that was a lie. She knew mother wasn't sensitive to magic and so couldn't tell the difference, though the truth was hard to ignore. Igni's dragon form was hugely corpulent to the point that walking was laborious without magic. Flying without it would be impossible.

"And not a drop of sweat on you. Igni, you represent an entire race of people. How could you let it come to this?"

I am your child, am I not? she wanted to say. To blame her parents, for surely it was their neglect that, at the very least, contributed to her current predicament. But she said nothing. It was a rhetorical question her mother didn't want answered.

She looked down at the clouds below, wanting to do nothing more than escape. So as her mother prattled on about duty and sacrifice, she took her chance and banked hard to the right. Growls filled the air. Her mother warning her of mountains in the clouds. Sarkus barking orders. She didn't listen. Instead she curled herself in her magic - the magic that, of her whole family, only she understood - and curled the darkness around her.

In her little pocket dimension much time could pass in a moment, so she waited several days (several minutes to herself), until her family had given up the search. It wasn't the first time she had ran away. What perplexed her was why she ever bothered to return. She knew the answer, of course. She loved her family. She wanted to give them every opportunity to treat her like an adult. Then she would stick around.

Once the coast was clear she opened the portal again, emerging in her human form - an equally fat woman in her early twenties, by appearance. The same age Igni felt, even though she was much older. Despite her size she still had a womanly figure, being shaped like a fertility goddess, with broad hips and generous breasts, and wrapped in the finest of silks. Not the best form to be travelling in.

But she still had her magic. And her eyes. So when a small blast of fire lit the woods she headed towards it.

"Hello!" she called, both hands to her mouth. "Is there a fellow traveller out there?"

 

[Vayden]

A voice rang from the fog feminine and welcoming. Vayden lay one clawed hand on his dagger where it hung at his waste instinctively as he turned toward the call. “Hello?” answered the man as he took a few steps toward the stranger in the fog. In little time he came across the woman and was put on guard by her appearance. She had no gear he could see other than the fetching silk dress she wore. Compared to his armored and armed body she seemed ill suited for the hostile wilds. Legends of creatures that could take on the guise of a woman to attack unwary travelers floated into Vayden’s memory as he eyed her with a neutral expression. “Good afterrrnoon, ssstranger,” he greeted her in heavily accented common assuming that is what she spoke due to her obvious humanity.

The dark scaled draconian was the picture of caution standing there hand on dagger. With the heavy fog and his being lost it was easy to let his imagination run wild. Was this the start of his own fantastic tale of danger and magic while lost in the fog of the spine? It was unlikely but a cautious traveler was more often a living traveler. He waited patiently and watched carefully to see what this woman might do next.

 

[Igni Ymaranath Ythys]

Igni had been expecting a more humanoid form. Humanoid and feminine, judging by the voice she heard. Instead she was met with a giant humanoid covered in spikes, and with two large, prominent wings.

A retort was on her lips before she spoke, but the draconid's kind words gave her pause. Perhaps it wasn't always prudent to insult the scaly ones.

"Good afternoon," Igni said, putting her hand on her chest just below her neck and inclining her head. A smile crept upon her face before she spoke again. "Forgive me. You're quite an intimidating sight stepping out of the mist. I am Igni. Who are you?"

 

[Vayden]

The soft skinned woman introduced herself as Igni. Her admitting some intimidation did a bit to ease Vayden’s suspicion but he resolved to be careful none the less. His hand fell from his dagger hilt as he curled one fist against his armored chest and bowed. As his wings stretched out to their considerable span the man realized he had used the ritual greeting of a Redeemer. A brief bitter thought about whether he could still do so in good conscience nipped at him but he didn’t dwell on it. “My name iss Vayden,” he answered Igni as he stood. “I mean you no ill will. I am a ssimple traveler. What, if I can assk, iss a woman of your make doing so far from civilizzation?” He figured his question wouldn’t be too invasive for a traveler though he still had to wonder who he was dealing with.

Around them the fog hung heavily. It made the whole scene feel a little surreal and was likely the main contributor to Vayden’s nerves. Little to did he know but true danger was haunting the woodland today. In the distance something stirred as it recognized voices. It hungered and the fog was easy hunting grounds when the prey was loud…