Private Tales Of Sand & Dragonfire

[Seteta]

Supti sighed, but tried not to become irritated with this Oscar. Carelessness in the desert was how people died, and while other caravan guides might be more lax, Supti had gained his reputation for a reason. Both Abtati and Kaliti trusted him, and knew he would keep them and their families safe. He wasn't about to let something slip by his guard now.

Chaceledon nodded at the skin. “It’s something I wouldn’t mind presenting to her parents, but I feel obligated to thank you in some way. You’ve put yourself in harms way for us. If you have any metal that is fatigued and needs repair, I’d be happy to help.” he mentioned.

"I employ private guards, rather than mercenaries, to guard my caravans," Supti said with a grateful nod. "I'm sure they'd appreciate it if you could look over their weapons and armor. We'll be here till nightfall, so I'm sure you could make decent headway on any needed repairs.

"In the meantime, we'll store the dragonskin for you, if you don't mind."

Oscar ignored the glaring he got from Supti. “My dear, children are as unpredictable and flighty as the wind, and listen about as well. Free spirits who have found a kindred master shouldn’t be caged to lists and rosters. When angels banish the blinding sun with their kisses who am I to deny them?”

Supti sighed and fixed Oscar with an irritated yet somehow patient stare. "I simply want to know who is departing so that we don't have to stop in two days when someone panics thinking another person got lost in the desert."

Chaceledon sighed. “Please do as he asks.” he said quietly. “The House of Coins doesn’t need any more desert enemies.”

“Cheeky of you to assume.” Oscar nodded to Supti. “Very well, I shall mark them down for you.”

"Have them come speak to me," Supti clarified once again. "There are many familiar names on the roster and I want to be sure to mark the correct ones off."

And to be sure you haven't coerced them somehow, Supti thought to himself.

Oscar stood, and bowed a bit to Supti. “Enjoy your desert adventures, my friend. I must tend to the flock.”

Supti nodded, then promptly ignored Oscar as he exited, breathing a sigh of relief once the man was out of the tent, then huffed as Chaceledon spoke.

“Fae don’t like rules, as a general rule. Oscar less so than most.”

"Anyone who travels with my caravan, whether as a stowaway or a paying passenger, will follow my rules," Supti said.

He poured himself another cup of tea, checking to see if Chaceledon wanted more as well, then leaned back against his cushions. After a few moments, Supti reached into a pocket and pulled out a handful of golden charms.

"Is Oscar responsible for these?" he asked, tossing them down on the tray. "Several of my men have brought these to me, after finding them in their belongings."


Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon nodded. He would be more than happy to repair the guards’ armor tonight. He would have to get set up and find some tools, but all the wear and tear of a caravan guard was an easy fix. He was relieved when Oscar left; the man tended to irritate those who didn’t ascribe to his free-wheeling ways. Oscar, bless him, never seemed to notice or mind.

Telling Supti that people were going to start vanishing was useless. Oscar would do as he pleased. He hoped those lured in by that thunderous voice and honeyed words had the smarts to leave notes to their families.

Chaceledon refused another cup of tea, and winced when Supti spilled out a handful of the golden charms. “Next time try not to touch them. Theyre called lodestones. Oscar plants them for Aluicious Rosebury, the Fae Lord of Luck. Rosebury likes to watch mortals and those Oscar deems interesting as a form of entertainment. Invites parties to watch mortals struggle in war, or a household has interesting enough drama, or people struggling to live in the desert.” Chaceledon muttered. “He’ll have given them to children, stuffed them between the slats of your caravan, things like that. Sometimes when they get drunk and rowdy he’ll use them to send Oscar with a gift. I’ve seen him gift a crystal tea set to Orcs purely for the comedy aspect of watching them attempt to use it without breaking it. Then there are usually bets.”

It all sounded so strange when he said it aloud. Like the fae were using people as toys. It wasn’t inaccurate, really. Chaceledon had watched Rosebury gift a rose fated to die to trolls. The trolls had prized the rose, which had wilted and died despite their best attempts to heal the poor plant. They had placed bets over how upset they would be, or what they would do to save the rose, or what lengths. He felt guilty just talking about it.

Chaceledon rubbed the back of his neck. “If you want to remove them, you need to melt them to get rid of the spell.”

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

"You will forgive us if we don't have much use for the fae," Supti said sternly. "After Persian's actions nearly drove us to extinction, we began to avoid them as much as possible."

His face grew grim again as Chaceledon explained these lodestones, and how the fae used them. "And I'm sure you can understand why I'd rather not have these things floating around my caravan," he said.

Supti quietly gathered them back up and wrapped the lot of them into a cloth before tucking them back in his pocket. He would ask Chaceledon later, after Oscar had departed, if he had a way to sense them and find them.

"Come," Supti beckoned as he rose. "I'll show you to the one who maintains our traveling forge. Seteta will be with Anai and Kahi for a while. The sooner you get started, the more likely it is you'll be finished in time to relax with Seteta for a while before we head out at nightfall."

As they left the tent together, Supti gestured for one of his men and gave him quick instructions for dealing with the dragonskin inside, and then he scowled as he caught sight of the new golden bead affixed to the Izinae banner. He quietly reached over and yanked it off, adding it to the collection in his pocket.

"Did Oscar say how long he intends to... follow us?" he asked grumpily as he led Chaceledon to the forge tent.

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

“I can. There’s no guarantee it won’t get back to Persian, or another fae who feels the need to make the game more interesting.” Chaceledon agreed. He remembered when Klaus had been released on the orphanage that had held him captive...as a joke. They’d laughed it off like setting a rabid dog among rabbits. He ran his fingers through his hair. “Just make sure to melt those. The more lodestones the stronger the spell. They...fish net together.” He pointed out as they rose and headed outside. Supti plucked the bead from the banner, and Chaceledon wondered just how strong the spell was with a handful thrown together.

He was a little disappointed that Seteta would have most of her time monopolized. He couldn’t deny wanting her spread under the stars. Perhaps even taking a moonlit swim with her, with the night sky spread out above them. Making love to her in warm shallow waters. That fantasy, it seemed, would have to wait. Supti asked how long Oscar would be following, and Chaceledon shrugged.

“Until his master gets bored of you. The Inizae are clearly the subject of some conversation we can’t see.” Chaceledon followed Supti to the forge and held out a hand for the gold. “Best burn the spells from them.”

Chaceledon stripped down to the waist and took up the tools. His hair was pinned up, and began to work. Dragonfire chased away the soft orange flames, and violet billowed from the forge. If he had been working well in that Falwood village, this was sheer artistry. He molded steel like clay, using his hands and the hammer to bring split armor and chinked blades to heel. They had an almost oily sheen to them; they weren’t true dragonforged weapons. For that to be true, he would have had to make them himself. But Dragonfire made them strong and flexible, and Chaceledon irritably burned any impurities away.

He could purify pig iron and carbon into the finest steel, and his magic flowed strong and hot in his veins. They wouldn’t recognize their armor. Cheap steel had become something men would fall over themselves to purchase. Poor craftsmanship was smote by flames and Chaceledon’s exacting perfectionism. He went further than mere repair. He improved.

The journey to Ragash was quiet. Chaceledon worked the forges, and Oscar entertained the locals. The man picked up Abtati with lightning swiftness, and he was soon singing and reciting poetry in their own tongue.

Ragash....he remembered Ragash. Chaceledon had parties here as a young man. He’d opened his first shop here! He entered the city on the back of a camel in trepidation. Was his old shop still there? He had a sudden, homesick urge to see it. He grasped Seteta’s hand.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta laughed and sang and gossiped with Kahi and Anai for the rest of the morning, then joined the crowd that gathered around the forge later in the day to watch as Chaceledon worked. Even Oscar couldn't hold a candle to watching a dragon do his metalcraft.

She reveled in the company of her kinsfolk again as they traveled, and when Supti told her of the lodestones that Oscar was planting, she made a game of hunting down the little trinkets for the children. At some point, she began to suspect that the children were going straight up to Oscar and asking for them.

The nights were spent in quiet slumber in the howdah, punctuated by quiet moments of conversation and cuddling, much akin to the time they'd spent in that silly little tent on their way out of Falwood.

Chaceledon didn't speak of Rheinhard much, but she saw worry in his eyes in the quiet moments, and knew that his thoughts had wandered to his son.

As the caravan passed through Ragash's gates, she felt Chaceledon clutch at her hand. She smoothed a thumb over his knuckles.

"How are you feeling?" she asked. "You've been eating better, and it seems you've regained a lot of your strength. When do you want to split off for Annuakat?"

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon looked around at Ragash. So many memories here. Sneaking off to the shop in the evenings to make jewelry for the lesser creatures. Actually enjoying their company. Visiting the Golden Pond and the gardens, often with a lover in tow. He hadn’t always taken dragons as lovers. Gods. They were all dead now. All of them. The dashing human he’d caught attempting to steal from him was a distant memory in the sands of time. The lady he’d wooed was probably the founding ancestor of a noble house now. All the streets were familiar only in the vaguest sense...even the people looked different.

This was a city that had forgotten him, even if he hadn’t forgotten it. He chewed his lip. He wanted to see his shop. It was on the way out of the city. Did the building still stand? He looked over at her. “I want to see the shop I first opened here. I was young, I’m not even sure the building is still there anymore. But I want to see it.” he said quietly.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta could almost see him getting lost in the memories, and she wondered how much the city had changed since Chaceledon's time there. She hadn't even realized Ragash was that old.

"Of course," she answered. "Supti will stop the caravan here for at least a day, but we can go on without them. I'd love to see anything you want to show much. Let's just say goodbye first."

It was a short while later when the caravan came to a halt, in a section near the market that was set aside for arrivals. When the camel had knelt down for them, Seteta brought Chaceledon out of the howdah and toward the head of the caravan where Supti and his wives tended to their duties.

"I think we'll be splitting off from you here," Seteta told Supti when they reached him. "We need to reach Annuakat soon, and Chaceledon should have the strength to fly us there now. Hopefully, we'll draw Oscar's attention away from you as well."

At least, with the lodestones that they'd collected and destroyed each day, Seteta and Chaceledon had enough gold to acquire several days worth of supplies now. They would need more--soon--but they should be able to reach Annuakat and find a place to stay while they searched for Rheinhard and still have some leftover. If she could convince Chaceledon not to go too crazy with the funds.

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Oscar was with Supti, watching as the man tended to their duties, and Chaceledon suspected planting more lodestones. He went to embrace Chaceledon with a smile, and kissed his cheek. “Ah, it was good to see you in good health.” The zombie said affectionately. “And to meet you, Seteta.” Oscar embraced her as well, then nodded to Supti. “I and my little birds shall fly from you, dear oleaginous Supti.”

Chaceledon his a smile. Those two were getting along like a house on fire...which just meant Oscar would be back to darken Supti’s door sooner than he thought. Chaceledon bowed slightly to Supti, and nodded to the wives. He wasn’t sure how they felt embracing him yet.

Chaceledon felt confident. They had a fair amount of money, and he desperately wanted a decent room. An actual room. Not a miserable inn in Maraan, a tent, an abandoned pet house, or a camel. He grinned at Seteta and kissed her hand. He was wearing the Hargreaves and Monet, his scars were fading. He felt as beautiful and powerful as he’d had in a very long time. “Come with me. I’ll find us some accommodations.” he said. Gods, but where?

Was the Indica Majika still around? Could they afford it? The owner was fae, of course it was still around. Massages and chilled star fruit sounded like the perfect way to relax. He did want to see his store, though. When Seteta had said her goodbyes, he led her through the streets. He got lost a few times; clearly they’d changed a fair few of the roads.

But when he stepped in front of the storefront he knew. It was his. Painted over, of course, and the sign in the window told him it was some sort of butcher now. It was a modest shop, barely able to fix the thirty people he’d needed to on opening night. Gods, what had he been thinking? Dragging expensive lords down to these little hole in the wall and telling them small display spaces were chic?

He grasped the knob and stepped inside. There it was. The glass cases he’d used to show off glittering diamonds and emeralds now housed chunks of beef and chickens. The man behind the counter looked up. “Anything I can help you with?” He asked.
Chaceledon approached the front counter and slid a hand over the marble. Stained. He frowned slightly. He’d carved out this slab with his own claws...the marks were still there...and this arsehole was using it to chop liver?!

“The safe in the basement. Have you opened it? Has anyone opened it?” he asked.

The man stopped cold. “How the hell you know about that?” He asked.

Gods was there hope? Chaceledon shoved past him and downstairs, ignoring the loud cries of protest. The man clearly didn’t like people just running down the stairs in his own shop. Chaceledon looked around the basement. It had been changed a thousand times over but if the room was still the same size...he carefully got to his knees, hiking his robes up so they couldn’t get stained, and felt around a corner. A little heat loosened the bricks, and he began flinging them across the floor.

“Just what the fuck do you think you’re doing? That old safe was bricked up decades ago!” The shop owner was coming down the stairs. More rotten brick was hurled away, and the shopkeep shouted at the dragon over getting dirt on his things...which fell on deaf ears. He found the safe. Old, rusted to hell, but the wards on it were as strong as ever. The iron was misshapen, rotted nearly through, and showing no signs of letting go.

Chaceledon grasped the handle, and pulled. The safe was supposed to just open. Instead the door shattered entirely, giving up the ghost after thousands of years warding away every curious hand and skilled lock pick. Dirt and rust showered the entire basement, and Chaceledon slid himself feet first into the tiny hole.

Of course, it was narrow. It was built for him. No fat thief could get through here, and even if he did...Chaceledon felt the prickling of even more magic wards, finally recognizing their master.

“Woman you had best get that crazy man out of my basement before I call the fucking guards!”

Chaceledon blew a little light into the chamber.

Gold and silver bars glittered back at him. Palladium, mithril, and bins of unimaginably dusty gems greeted him. The iron and copper in here had completely rotted away, as had the steel, but the gold would never tarnish. Chaceledon lifted up a gold bar to the light, and laughed.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta kept her goodbyes short, and promised to leave word for Supti in Annuakat, if they'd left before his caravan arrived. While she'd enjoyed visiting with family again, she also breathed a sigh of relief as they gathered their things, said farewell to Oscar--who seemed to be departing himself--and then wandered through the streets of Ragash on their own.

They wandered through the streets hand in hand, Chaceledon often pausing and looking around as some memory of his would resurface. She'd been to Ragash before, but not in quite some time, and she wasn't sure where the old shop he was trying to find, so she just laughed softly whenever they found themselves lost, and simply enjoyed being at his side.

When Chaceledon found the shop, though, she hung back cautiously, observing. His mood had shifted somewhat, and she wasn't sure what to expect from him. The fact that his shop was now a butcher's shop was... probably more of a change than he was expecting.

As they stepped inside, Seteta smiled and nodded to the shopkeeper courteously, and she was about to open her mouth and ask for a few cuts of meat, giving Chaceledon time to look around the place... but then he was asking about a safe and marching down into the basement as if he still owned the place, the butcher following behind him with furious shouts.

“Woman you had best get that crazy man out of my basement before I call the fucking guards!”

Seteta reached up and rubbed her the spot between her eyes and sighed, reaching into her pocket for some of the gold as she followed them down the stairs.

"Sir," she said, slipping a few of the gold nuggets that Chaceledon had fashioned from the lodestones into his hand, "we'll be out of your way soon, and I'll make the inconvenience worth your while, especially if you have jerky and other cured or dried meats good for travel. My companion's family owned this place many generations ago, and he's recovering something that was left behind."

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

The butcher stared at Seteta and shoved the nuggets back at her. “My family has owned this shop for two hundred years! And I’m not about to be bought off! He’s ruined hundreds of gold worth of meat down there. As far as I’m concerned you can get your jerky down the bleeding street!” He snarled.

Chaceledon hopped out of the hole, one of the flat gold bars between his teeth. He grinned and slapped it into the butcher’s hand. “For your ruined stock.” he pulled another out and stacked it on top of the first. “And for supplies. Anything the lady wants.”

The man stared, flabbergasted, as Chaceledon slipped down the hole again and began piling gold and silver bars on the floor of the basement. He tucked the gemstones he wanted into bags, and poked his head out. “Do you have a rucksack?”

“Oh no you don’t! If that was here it’s mine!”

Chaceledon laughed at him. “Hardly.”

The butcher looked at the bars in his hand. It was more than enough to cover a few weeks of ruined stock. He glared at the dragon, then at the elf. Just what the hell was going on here? The dragon had...somehow owned the building? How long ago? He looked genuinely puzzled, up until Chaceledon grabbed a spare sack abd began loading it with his loot. He swung it over one shoulder, and looked proudly at Seteta. “Tonight, we stay at the finest hotels and drink the best champagne.” he declared.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta gave a confused stare to the butcher. She didn't have a clue how being reimbursed for lost time and stock was being 'bought off.' It wasn't like she was asking for him to give something up.

But even she gawked as Chaceledon popped out of the safe, apparently, and slapped down bars of gold.

"I'll come back tomorrow or the next day and get my goods," Seteta told the butcher as Chaceledon finished up. "Dried and cured meats, especially. Pack it all up and have it ready for travel, please."

She smiled and laughed as Chaceledon looked at her proudly, his loot slung over one shoulder with an ease that belied the contents of his bag. "I don't understand the fuss about champagne," she said, "but I look forward to a bed again."

Seteta took his hand then, and with a nod toward the butcher, she led him out of the shop and back into the streets of Ragash.

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon laughed heartily. They didn’t have enough to start a life with, but he was damn certain he could fulfill her desire for a decent bed. He walked through the streets with his head held high and his woman at his side, confident. He was deliriously happy, and he gave a silent thanks to his past self for storing some emergency metals at the shop. They weren’t being used for jewelry now, but rather currency.

“My dulcid darling, you can have any bed you desire. I’ve got just the place for a decent rest after being forced to sit on a smelly camel.” Chaceledon told her with a light in his purple eyes. Gone was the question of whether they could afford the Indica Majika. Now the question was what services they wanted. He steered them in the direction of a gigantic glass structure.

The Indica Majika was a hotel catering specifically to fae and their needs. It was a three story building made of green glass and painted steel, often fogged to the mortal eye. The lobby Chaceledon steered them toward was filled to the brim with green. Plants from all over Arethil burst into life in planting areas set right into the floor. Vines curled against the ceiling, and leaves large enough to sleep on shaded them from the oppressive light of the Amol Khalit sun. It stained everything in a soft mossy light. The floor was slate, and cool under their feet. A huge fountain dominated the lobby, a granite force of nature that tumbled water from the mouth of a reclining woman. It bubbled and splashed over her heedless breasts, coming to rest in a pool settled around her hips.

The lobby was graced with two sweeping countertops that flanked an elegant staircase. That led to rooms, massage parlors, and eating areas. A long hallway to the right of the fountain led to baths, and to the left of her, specialized services. Chaceledon swept up to the front and tossed his hair, looking regally out of place among the tamed jungle atmosphere. The receptionist glanced up over a pair of glasses.

She was a Sphinx. A gracefully human head, with her scalp fading into a lovely rosetted coat, and a pair of black ears on the top of her head that swiveled to pay attention to the dragon. A set of paws, no doubt designed to disembowel man and prey alike, were settled on the counter. She was looking over paper records, and a quill scratching away of its own volition paused for her. “How may I help you?” She asked in a thickly accented voice, possibly caused by the two large fangs flanking her eye teeth.

“Yes, we would like a suite for the next day or so. At maximum two days. Full services; meal service, the baths, and anything my darling wants from the menu.” Chaceledon declared.

The Sphinx eyed Seteta. “We don’t usually service her kind here.” She said, with an air about her. “May I see her pet registration?”

“She is mine, and I am hers. No collar.”

“I see. Young lady, please bear in mind that while the Indica Majika frowns upon guests eating guests, we bear no responsibility for the natural tendencies of any dragon, vampire, sphinx, troll, orc, or associated predator. That said, you’re free to walk the premises.” The Sphinx recited the line as though reading it, then glanced at Chaceledon. The dragon set down the sack and set six gold bars on the counter. That was a little less than half of the gold they had. The Sphinx stood on her haunches to gather the bars and tuck them away behind the counter.

A golden key was settled on the counter, attached to a leather fob on which the numbers 238 were embossed. “Do you have any luggage?” The Sphinx asked, and Chaceledon shook his head. He settled another gold bar on the counter and took the key.

“We are in desperate need of clothing, however. Two sets for practical travelling, something decent to wear in town, and two sets of formal wear. Solid boots and formal sandals, two makeup kits, spare glass rods in a variety of colors, kohl, and whatever House Calithea is putting out for skin creams these days.”

The Sphinx took the bar and inclined her head in a short bow. “Very well.”

Chaceledon leaned over to kiss Seteta and held up their key. He felt silly and giddy with the anticipation of spoiling her. Their room was on the second floor, and looked more like a small apartment. There was a sitting area easily suited to a small dinner party, complete with plush furniture, a massive bed piled with pillows and smelling of lavender oil, a powder room to store clothing and prepare for the day that had a floor length mirror, and a small bar area. Chaceledon plopped their bag of things down on the expensive couch, and took Seteta in his arms.

“Are you ready for the finest bath I’ve ever crafted, then to be poured into bed for lovemaking?” he asked in a sultry purr, his lips finding the side of her neck. He swept away only briefly to grab two fluffy robes from the powder room, and offered her the smaller one. He disrobed, throwing his own robe over the couch and shaking out his hair. “Just don’t stray too far.” he added. The Sphinx hadn’t been kidding about Seteta being eaten. Fae loved the taste of human and elven flesh, so much so that even the Volkers had picked up a taste for it.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Chaceledon's elation was practically contagious, and as he led her through the streets, Seteta couldn't help but smile. When he led her inside the tall glass-and-steel building, though, she faltered for just a moment. It was cool and humid, not unlike Falwood, and very, very green.

She found it unnerving, but as Chaceledon guided her deeper into the building, she leaned into his side. Her mouth quirked a little at the sight of the fountain, but then Chaceledon was sweeping up to the reception desk, and she stayed at his side, listening to the exchange.

Seteta restrained an indignant huff when the Sphinx commented on 'her kind' asked about her pet registration, though a satisfied glimmer appeared in her eye at Chaceledon's declaration of 'she is mine and I am hers.' Her satisfaction was quickly swept away as the Sphinx turned to address her.

“I see. Young lady, please bear in mind that while the Indica Majika frowns upon guests eating guests, we bear no responsibility for the natural tendencies of any dragon, vampire, sphinx, troll, orc, or associated predator. That said, you’re free to walk the premises.”

"So long as Inidica Magika" --the name of the place, it seemed-- "also does not frown on prey's natural tendencies to defend themselves as well," she muttered.

No wonder she felt out of place here, though she stayed quiet and listened as Chaceledon finished, surprised that he was willing to let someone else decide about all their clothing.

When he led her upstairs to their room, she stayed quiet, just counting the halls and doors so she knew how to find her way back to it. At least from the lobby. She looked around the overwhelmingly lavish apartment, feeling very, very out of place, and for the first time wondered how exactly she was going to fit into the life that Chaceledon was accustomed to.

When he took her in his arms, she wanted to sink into his embrace for a moment, but he was purring and just pressed his lips to her neck before darting away again. She watched, standing in the middle of the room and uncertain of what was expected of her, with fond eyes as Chaceledon flitted around and began to disrobe.

“Just don’t stray too far.”

"I won't," she murmured with a slight smile, arms crossing over her waist and fingers clenching at her elbows. "I think I'll just stay glued to your side."

She bit her lip a little nervously, realizing that this place reminded her, ever so slightly, of Witherhold, and so far her experiences with the fae had not been... enjoyable.

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon watched her, looking over one shoulder as he cast the last bit of his clothing over the couch. She seemed so nervous; as though he would allow her to come to any harm at his favorite hotel! He approached her, naked as the day he was born, and slid his arms around her waist. “I would rather go back to the beginning and do this all again than let any harm come to you.” he said softly, settling his forehead against hers. “I know this is my world. It’ll take some getting used to and it doesn’t always make sense. Let go of your worries. I’ll always be here beside you.”

He knew a little more about her reticence with fae now. To be entirely fair to her, the fae did their best to dehumanize anything not like themselves. He’d hoped he’d made it clear that she wasn’t some pet or curiosity. She was the woman that, one day, he had intentions to marry. He stayed with her for a moment, his arms around her protectively. If anyone so much as sniggered or uttered the word ‘sharpear’, they were going to be laughing out of the other side of their faces. He’d make sure of it.

“Come don a robe and come downstairs with me. The baths here are unlike any other. It’ll be the first civilized bath we’ve had since the pet house.” he said softly. “Then we will lay on a soft bed, eat dinner, and I’ll make love to you. We’ll wake in the morning ready to face Annuakat.”

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta melted into him--well, as much as was possible with their now even more ridiculous height difference--her eyes closing as he pressed his forehead to hers. She took a deep breath, her hands coming to rest on his forearms.

"It's just all... a little daunting, all of a sudden," she whispered, sliding her hands from his arms to wrap around his waist, settling her head against his chest for a moment. A weak laugh escaped her. "And I haven't even met your family yet."

She stayed there for a moment, just listening to his heartbeat and letting his warmth soak into her.

“Come don a robe and come downstairs with me. The baths here are unlike any other. It’ll be the first civilized bath we’ve had since the pet house.” he said softly. “Then we will lay on a soft bed, eat dinner, and I’ll make love to you. We’ll wake in the morning ready to face Annuakat.”

With a sigh, she kissed his chest, and then pulled away as she nodded. She forced her thoughts away from the momentary insecurities, shedding them as she stripped off her clothes, and then turned back to him with a smile as she slipped into the robe he'd brought out for her.

"Well then, sehejib," she said, holding out her hand. "I suppose you should show me what a civilized bath is like."

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon held her, hoping those insecurities would fade. “Darling, I don’t want you to have to get used to both at once. My family will be burden enough. Just relax, and enjoy it.” he kissed her hair, and made a bit of a face. “...first thing’s first. We get the grit out of your scalp.”

He took her hand and kissed her fingers, and led her downstairs as though escorting a queen. The stairs were gilded in green copper, textured so that people wouldn’t slip even if barefoot and wet.

Chaceledon turned to the hallway leading to the baths, and they transitioned from glass and plants to tile. They passed a gigantic bath set into the floor, where a large bull troll was settled in up to his tusks, the great ivory spears pointing skyward as he relaxed. They passed a pair of fae making quiet love in the water of another bath, and a great communal room where people seemed to be more focused on conversing and taking part in various spa services.

Chaceledon led her to this last one. There were auxiliary pools around the main one where people chatted, smoked, ate, and lounged. The water was thin and hot there, barely over the laps of the people seated there. Chaceledon chose a clean, unclaimed pool and tapped a copper plate with a foot. It flipped up red, indicating it was claimed. Chaceledon shed his robe, offering it to a small Sphinx. Barely the size of a housecat, she bowed and folded the robe neatly over her back, offering it to Seteta to do the same.

Chaceledon sank down into the water. It was up to his neck in a deep, narrow pool that could only accommodate about three people comfortably. It would serve for two. He offered a hand to help Seteta into the steaming water. If she pawed around, one of the sunken benches hovering around Chaceledon’s feet would rise helpfully to seat her. “A full detoxification, and cleaning. We’ve had a long journey. Masks for both of us, someone to clean our nails. A masseuse. And gods, I haven’t had a good cup of ice tea in ages.” he smiled and folded his arms along the tile floor that served as the rim of the bath, looking at Seteta. “Cold tea? It helps when you get a bit overheated.”

“Would you like some more feminine services? A waxing, to remove extra hair? Perhaps a rosewater treatment?” The Sphinx asked Seteta kindly. “We also have vibration treatments now.”

“I hope that’s not what I think it is.”

“We have a water mage now. Think of it as massages without ever having someone touch you.” The Sphinx clarified with a laugh.
Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta let Chaceledon's nearness soothe her thoughts, but to say her insecurities vanished would be a lie. She had no idea how, one day, they would merge their cultures and create their own family. She wanted it very desperately, but the more she got to know Chaceledon, the more she worried about his culture. His family. Whether they would accept her. She wasn't used to having to prove her... innate worth. Usually, when someone thought that little of her, she just moved on without them.

She wouldn't be able to do that with his family.

But still she took his hand, smiled as he kissed her fingers, and let him lead her back downstairs to the baths. Her eyes widened at the sight of the bull troll, and she wondered how it had made its way this deeply into the desert without... dehydrating. She only noticed the amorous fae couple in passing, and made note to not use that bath in particular anytime soon.

Chaceledon climbed into a tub first, rattling off a list of things that she barely understood the concept of, and Seteta smiled and whispered a quiet thank you as she handed the Sphinx her robe. Then she eyed the water and Chaceledon's proffered hand warily as she listened to the Sphinx's... offerings, and bit back a grimace at the explanation of the vibration treatment. The thought of another mage controlling the water around her was... disconcerting.

"Cool tea, but not cold, for me," she requested. "We mammals can have issues if we drink something too cold when we're overheated. And... no extra treatments for me, not right now."

She wasn't sure what this obsession was with removing body hair, either. It wasn't like she had a lot of it, and it served a purpose. She wasn't much of one change what her body did naturally just for appearance's sake.

With a smile, she placed her hand in Chaceledon's and dipped the toes of one foot into the water to test the temperature, and then she smirked a little and stepped straight into the water, dropping in with a not-insignificant splash.

She was giggling when she bobbed back up to the surface, clinging to one of Chaceledon's arms.

"What the heck," she asked, leaning into his side and smoothing her now-wet hair back from her face and untangling it from the hoops in her ears, "is a rosewater treatment?"

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon laughed and made sure she had some support as she bobbed back up. He helped her push her hair back from her face with a giggle, kissing her. “You sit in a chair and hot rose leaves in water are added to special drawers in the chair. A heavy silk robe is thrown over you, and when the steam cools over your body, rose oils sink in. It makes you smell fantastic, and it’s very healthy.” Chaceledon explained with a smile. He didn’t spare a thought for their families. His family would have to learn to live with Seteta. She wasn’t going anywhere she didn’t want to go. Her family would have to be welcomed as well, at parties and family functions.

He hoped her magic would help; his dahn was ultimately one that centered around gemstones and the earth. She was a geomancer. It was meant to be. He loved his family...at the very least his mother and sister. He cuddled Seteta to his side until she was settled, making sure she didn’t slip and sink. The Sphinx was away with a short trot, and Chaceledon let out a long and weary sigh of contentment. It would be fine.

He had almost dozed off when he felt the water vibrating around them, as though something stomped close by. He frowned and lifted his head, brushing wet hair out of his eyes. The throaty, low call had the vibration of magic in it. The troll in the larger pool had his head raised high, and Nica stood next to him, drawing shivering columns of water up. The dragon had his eyes furrowed in concentration, hands up and curling plumes of water around the troll. Chaceledon thought it odd, before he realized what was happening. They were singing together. Nica’s magic and the troll’s, curling water around the latter and replenishing his magic as it went.

Chaceledon swore under his breath. It was worse than he thought if Nica was working here? He hunkered down in the water a bit to hide as their song reached a crescendo. Nica’s water spread out thinly, forming a large disc. It hummed at a resonance that made Chaceledon’s ears feel like popping. A single bead of water drifted in the air, and burst the disc like a pin. The sound blew inward toward the pool with a low thrum, and the waters stilled with a movement of Nica’s hand. The troll bowed to Nica, and the dragon grudgingly returned the gesture.

That confirmed it more than anything. Nica was working at Indica Majika. A dragon working for Sphinx. Was he hedahn, then? Had he lost his estate? Chaceledon saw those fierce teal eyes turn on him, and he had to prevent himself from cringing. Nica gave them both a scathing look, nodded to his client, and left.

Water flew into Chaceledon’s eyes from the tiles. He cursed, blinking away the water, and shook his head.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

"That sounds like a perfect way to attract every blood-sucking insect within the city," Seteta said with laugh, kissing him back as Chaceledon described the rosewater treatment.

She sighed contentedly then, resting her head back against his shoulder and weaving an arm around his to help her stay in place at his side. After her months upon months of travel now, her body had very little fat on it--not that she'd had much before, anyway--and muscle didn't float nearly as well in the water. She heard Chaceledon's breathing deepen and slow as he relaxed. Glancing up at him once, she smiled softly to see him resting quietly with his eyes closed, and she settled back again, letting her eyes wander over the ceiling.

When vibration started, she perked up, looking around curiously. She remembered when the troll had healed her back in the Cortosi swamps, and this felt... similar to that strange humming he'd done after smearing the mucus on her ribs. What she did not expect, though, was to see... Nica.

Chaceledon stirred behind her, and she softly pinched his hip when he swore. A glance back, and she rolled her eyes at the sight of him trying to disappear into the water without blocking his line of sight. Seteta swam over to the side closer to the troll's pool, crossing her arms on the edge of the pool and resting her chin on top of that. She winced a little when the resonance increased, but didn't look away, even when Nica glared in their direction.

When Nica finished with the troll, she half expected him to come confront them, but he just turned and walked away, though Seteta turned back just in time to see the water fly into Chaceledon's face and she bit back a quiet laugh.

"I think that we will definitely not be doing the water vibration treatment," she murmured, swimming the short distance back to Chaceledon's side and wiping the water away.

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon blinked and sneezed, grabbing the side of the pool. Nica had made him break his composure. He sighed and rubbed at his nose, settling back down beside Seteta. “We most certainly will not. He used to use that talent to make music...” he said quietly, and rested his chin on his arms again. “He’s working for pay, Seteta. We run businesses. We don’t...work.” He felt like he’d just watched the man prostitute himself. Even in the clubs he’d dragged Nica to, the other dragon’s musical talents had been legendary. Fair weather friends, all of them, it seemed.

Chaceledon was tugged out of his thoughts by the Sphinxes. Two small grey housecat Sphinx came bearing large pots of reddish clay, and pins. Chaceledon took the pins and made sure his hair was away from his face, then helped Seteta do the same. The sphinxes spread the mud in a thin layer over their faces with their deft little paws. Chaceledon looked to be in utter heaven, even though he hadn’t been this muddy since Cortos. The earth was rich and pure, and it made Chaceledon’s magic crackle with the happiness of it. Glasses of tea were set next to them with glass straws.

“Now we let it dry and draw out all the impurities.” Chaceledon said without moving his lips, taking a sip from his cold glass of tea. Jasmine and lemon. Perfect.

They were unabashedly primped. Their hands and nails were clipped, hair washed, and the end of it was a heavenly massage with large warm pieces of rounded granite. By the time they were done, Chaceledon was the most relaxed he’d been in weeks. He swept Seteta up into his arms and kissed her lazily. “Am I making love to you in the bath or bed?” he whispered.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta bit back another quiet laugh as Chaceledon sneezed, then arched a brow as he commented on Nica's situation.

"You dragons have a lot of weird... ideas about how the world should be," she commented quietly, gently pointing out his hypocrisy. "How did you ever run a business effectively without working at all? How is what Nica is doing now any different from you and your dressmaking? The situations that led to him having to do this might be disappointing, but he's not any less because of it."

The Sphinxes returned, then, and Seteta settled quietly next to Chaceledon and let them work away. She smiled when they brought out the clay, and quietly asked may I? before she dipped her fingers into each pot, infusing her magic into each one. It didn't really alter the effects of the masks, just made it more... enhanced.

Being pampered like this was strange, but as the Sphinxes worked, Seteta at least found enjoyment in watching Chaceledon relax. She let his contentment wash over her as time flew by, and then he was pulling her into his arms, and she smoothed her hands up his shoulders and neck to cup his jaw as he kissed her, gently biting at his lip as he pulled back.

“Am I making love to you in the bath or bed?” he whispered.

"Which is closest?" she asked, tucking his hair gently behind his ears.

Chaceledon

 

[Seteta]

Some Hours Later...

[Chaceledon opened] an eye and give a snorting laugh when she suggested food and a bath. He opened one of the nightstand drawers with his tail, and picked up a small copper bell. He offered it to her with an affectionate lick. Good. Ring and they’ll clean up this mess. In the meantime.. he gave her the bell and slid off the bed, his muscular figure undulating like a serpent. He hovered just above the ground, legs tucked up under him, tail sweeping back and forth. Your chariot awaits.

Seteta took the copper bell Chaceledon offered her, shaking her head in amusement that he didn't just ring it himself. A gentle chime rang through the air as she shook it and then set it aside.

As he slithered off the bed, she giggled. "My chariot, hm?" she grinned, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed and carefully straddling him with a wince, burying her hands in his soft mane. "Little sore," she murmured. "Be gentle with the ride, please."

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon carried her downstairs carefully, swimming through the air more like a crocodile than the way he felt more naturally inclined. He was able to power himself quite well with his tail, and once they hit the bottom of the stairs he had the room to tilt his chin up. He looked a bit like a dressage horse with his head high.

Chaceledon passed Nica in the hallways, giving the other a smirk. Nica flushed when he smelled Seteta. He’d slept with Chaceledon enough to know that smell, and glared at her viciously as they passed.

Chaceledon ordered them another bath, this time the large pool was clean and unoccupied. He was able to stretch himself out, so she didn’t even have to climb off. She could just slide off his back. Their options for snacks hadn’t diminished even given the late hour, and Chaceledon ordered a plate of stuffed chicken hearts with a lazy grin.

Seteta

 

[Seteta]

Seteta leaned forward along Chaceledon's back, lounging across him as he glided through the air carefully. She felt him turn his head, heard a quiet huff of air escape him, and looked up in time to see Nica glaring at her. Rolling her eyes, she reached forward and flicked Chaceledon's ear.

"It's not nice to gloat," she scolded. "You don't have to rub it in."

She sighed quietly as Chaceledon sank into the warm water, slipping of his back to paddle to the side of the bath. She propped her arms up over the side, resting her chin on them, and letting the water soothe her aching body. When he ordered the stuffed chicken hearts, she asked for some fresh fruit as well.

Despite how utterly contented she was in that moment, she knew they could not linger at Indica Magika for more than... tonight, really, and after a lazy moment of soaking, she swam back to Chaceledon and tucked herself in between his forelimbs, kissing his muzzle.

"Have you had any more dreams about Rheinhard?" she asked quietly.

Chaceledon

 

[Chaceledon]

Chaceledon chuckled, and settled into the water. He wanted to gloat over her a little. Nica had been so aggressive with her. He did feel a little guilty, considering the man’s situation. It was, if he was being honest with himself, much like his own. He too was separated from family, without any great wealth or an estate. Well, perhaps the estate if news of his very much alive state made its way back to his dahn.

He welcomed Seteta into the space in his forearms, turning his head to nuzzle her. Rheinhard...gods. Guilt well and truly struck him. He had been fucking, lazing around, while Rheinhard suffered. No, I haven’t. But we will fly out tomorrow morning. I don’t care what we have to do, but we are freeing him. He spoke with a confidence he didn’t have. Oor would still hold the leash even if they got Rheinhard out.

He bathed a little more uneasily, and surprisingly finished the plate he’d ordered. He ate little bits at a time, clearly distracted, until his paw hit an empty plate. He drew it back in surprise, and cleared his throat. He needed to stop binging like that. Meals were...better, but it was the middle of the night. He cleaned his paws, and got out of the large bath. He became a man again, if only for the convenience of drying a smaller body.

“Let’s get some rest. Tomorrow we grab our clothes and head out.”

Seteta