Private Tales Of Sand & Dragonfire

A private roleplay only for those invited by the first writer
Nestor sighed. “I suppose this is what we get exchanging an old power for a new one. It makes sense. Comparatively, you’re a youngling and your power is little. We have to manage expectations. I suppose it wouldn’t be too taxing for an hour providing we beat the hell out of you first. That could be cathartic.” He leaned against Ausar, looking at the board. He was deep in thought, and quietly poured himself another cup of tea. He pulled his notebook into his lap and scribbled a few notes, flicking back over past pages.

“Do you plan on waking anyone else? Ferenzi is a good choice for the ceremony; I hate the man but he knows his etiquette. Chaceledon still needs some help with needlework. Tianau is really the only one here without a use. Except the obvious.” Nestor snorted, absentmindedly knitting his fingers into Ausar’s.

__________________

“Hey-“ Cassius protested as the bottle was plucked from his fingers. He was unceremoniously shoved into a chair, which made him a bit dizzy, and Hyssop seized his chin. He winced. “Ow…please…easy on me. I think she cracked a cheekbone.”

He jerked his head away a bit, hissing in breath at the sting of the antiseptic. “She blames me.” He said hollowly. “She’s heartbroken and she’s not wrong. If I had just gone through nehmaji, I wouldn’t have killed him. He’d have been strong enough. Now he’s gone and she won’t let me cremate him. She said it’s…a mockery since I wasn’t able to give him enough fire in life. The Autumn Court will be here soon if I don’t…they may be here already. She wants him to go there. I don’t. Dragons don’t go there…”
 
"I doubt the magic will accept it if the beating happens in the Well," Ausar snorted amusedly. "But I'll gladly spar with Rheinhard outside of it if you think I'll still be in one piece at the end."

He watched the man in silence for a bit as Nestor scribbled in his notebook and drank tea.

"If Chaceledon wants help with sewing, he can ask me when he returns," Ausar murmured, smiling to himself as Nestor slunk closer and closer to him.

When Nestor's fingers slipped into his, Ausar gently stroked his thumb over the man's knuckles.

"Don't be so hard on Tianau," Ausar said, lifting Nestor's hand and pressing his lips against his pulse. "The boy had to deal with being woken from a death-sleep to find himself walking the earth again thousands of years after everyone he'd known had died. And while you make think he's 'useless', he did invoke his goddess to protect my wife and our baby.

"I will forever be in his debt for that fact alone."


Hyssop finished cleaning his lip, them carefully dabbed a salve on it.

"You couldn't have known," Hyssop said gently. "I may not have even figured it out the first time I examined him even if I had known then that you'd never done nehmaji.

"Saying you killed him is... a bit of a stretch. There's no way to know if he would have been strong enough even if you had. We dragons have had more failed hatches than successful ones for centuries now."

She sucked in a breath, though, when Cassius said that Baylock hadn't let him cremate the hatchling.

She still had a chance, then.

Before Cassius could react again, Hyssop stepped back and grabbed a smaller kit out of her bag, one for taking blood and tissue samples.

"Stay with him!" she called back over her shoulder to her pet as she hiked up her skirt and sprinted to the greenhouse, hoping Baylock and the hatchling were still there.
 
“Rheinhard is an excellent sparring partner.” Nestor muttered, resting his head on Ausar’s shoulder. “He knows enough to hold back if he’s not in the Well.” He watched as Ausar kissed his wrist, just a delicate peck. It already had his pulse racing. He supposed Ausar was right about Tianau, as well. The boy had protected his child.

“You keep that baby away from us. At all costs.” Nestor said softly. “You don’t want the Well to taint him, and even men like Ferenzi can be tempted. I never got the taste for manflesh like so many of us do, but Klaus and Rheinhard both count children as some of their favorite meals. Whatever you think of us, or of him, keep us away.”

________________________

Cassius blinked. Hyssop was away like a flash, and he quietly rose to fetch the whiskey bottle. “Antiseptic.” He muttered at the pet, and looked at the empty hallway Hyssop had bolted down. “Where in the nine hells has she gone?”

Baylock had the child out of the water. He was rested on wide fronds of palm, a bed of moss, and flowers around him. He looked like a large, and very dead, salamander. His head was broad and flat, his teeth short and curved. Clearly still a predator, but by the wide and soft pads on his clawed feet, and broad figure, more suited to running water than the sky. His tail was huge and sported powerful paddle fins, and only the tip created with fur. Baylock was hunched over him, kissing his forehead and weeping.

She rose sharply when she heard Hyssop come down the stairs, and bared her teeth. She wasn’t as impressive as a bull, but still out weighed the dragon. “What do you want, healer?” She growled, and eyed the kit in her hand. “He is dead. Leave me to my grief.”

Baylock stood over the corpse, head slightly down to show the full length of her short tusks, and ready to defend if need be.
 
Ausar's smile widened as Nestor's pulse picked up under his lips. "I'll speak with Rheinhard when I'm done here, then," Ausar said, lips still whispering against Nestor's wrist. He parted his lips, and lapped at that fluttering skin on his wrist with the tip of his tongue for a moment.

Then he pulled away, twisting so he could see Nestor's face as he spoke. Ausar nodded somberly when he finished.

"I think Rheinhard's affection for Seteta will hold him in check," Ausar replied. "But I will heed your warnings."

He slid his arm around Nestor's waist, then, and drew the man close for a soft kiss before he stood. "I will speak with Rheinhard and Seteta," he said, holding out a hand to help Nestor up. "I suspect the lessons for the Inizae will begin tomorrow evening."


Hyssop's steps slowed in the greenhouse, and she stopped several feet away from Baylock, keeping her hands at her sides.

"I am sorry," she said quietly. "I did not mean to give you false hope the first time I saw him. Unfortunately... losses like these are all too common among us dragons. I didn't know then that Cassius had never done nehmaji... but even that would not have guaranteed that your hatchling would have survived."

She knelt down, setting the small kit beside her, making herself as small and non-threatening to Baylock as possible.

"I have four siblings," she continued, her voice still low and soft. "My parents have been mated for nearly 30,000 years, and there are only five of us who have lived. I am not saying this to lessen your loss, but to beg for help.

"Let me examine him. Let me take some of his blood and his skin and flesh, so I can learn more about why he died. So that when you and Cassius have more children, I can help make sure they live and thrive. So that maybe, just maybe, I can even save my own kind."

Hyssop lowered herself further, stretching her arms out before her and pressing her forehead to the ground.

"Please," she begged. "I will tell you what I am doing each step of the way, and why I need the things I take, and anything you say 'no' to I will respect."
 
“It is my sincerest fear he would try out of love.” Nestor sighed, his cheeks flushing. Ausar licked his wrist, and instantly Nestor’s mind flashed back to that tongue between his thighs. He drew in a sharp breath. Ausar wound his hands about his waist and kissed him. Nestor was blushing, and leaned in to Ausar’s ear. “I owe you a punishment…I haven’t touched myself.” He whispered.

He found himself slightly disappointed as they parted. He’d half expected…well. Certainly not just a goodnight. “You should get back. Goodnight, then.” Nestor said crisply. He wasn’t irritated. It was just different from what was expected. He cleared his throat and picked up the chalk. He needed to get command over his body again and stop getting weak knees every time Ausar touched him.

_______________________

Baylock stared at her, quivering in fury. “He’s not even cold…” she said in a tight whisper. “…and you already want to slice him up for whatever experiments you’re thinking of doing. You dragons…anything that looks different is shunned and shamed and dehumanized. Is that all this child is to you? Is that all you see? Meat, and blood, and bone?”

There came a knock on the front door. Cassius closed his eyes for a moment, as though gathering strength. He stood up, slowly, and kept his hand on the whiskey. He eyed Hyssop’s pet, daring her to comment. After he was sufficiently satisfied she wouldn’t try copying Hyssop’s method of taking the bottle from him, he headed down the hallway and into the foyer to answer the door. He brushed his well-meaning staff who had rushed to answer the door aside, and opened it for them.

The pets fled at the sight. A skeleton stood at the door. Upon first glance the grinning skull looked frightening, but the skeleton was dressed well. Patterned robes in light colors suited him and covered his body, while the creature itself was covered in beaten copper plates. They were bolted directly into the bones, and depicted a number of images and scenes. One with flowers was screwed into several places along the hand that touched Cassius’ shoulder.

“She won’t let me cremate him.” Cassius said hollowly.

The skeleton nodded, and touched his cheek. He moved toward the green house, and went in without hesitation. He didn’t seem frightened of the tense scene between dragon and troll. He touched Hyssop’s back gently to alert her to his presence.

Baylock calmed slightly at the sight of him. “I’m not ready yet.” She said quietly.

I’m not here to rush anything. The skeleton told her. But…the bag. Were you his physician, little dragon?

“Fancies herself his butcher, more like.” Baylock growled.
 
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"Let's start the deal anew," Ausar said as Nestor seemed to bristle a little, turning away to pick up the chalk. "Anything prior to tonight is wiped clean, except for the rules themselves. If you want to be punished, however," Ausar smirked as he lifted the tent flap, "that can be arranged.

"Good night, Nestor. I'll see you again soon," he promised.

Ausar left the tent sitting in the arena, the pot of tea refreshed.


Hyssop took a breath. She understood that it was Baylock's grief speaking more than anything else.

"It is likely of little comfort," Hyssop answered quietly, "as I've yet to have a clutch of my own... but if it was my hatchling, I would want to know why. I would want to know if it was something that would harm any future clutches. If there was something I could do with any certainty to prevent it from happening again."

She fell quiet again as she heard the greenhouse door open, flinched slightly as the skeleton touched her back. Hyssop was not unfamiliar with the Autumn Court's ambassadors--none of Dahn Prunella was, though they didn't go out of their way to befriend them--but she was not comfortable around them. Not as a dragon, and not as a healer.

Chaceledon said:
Baylock calmed slightly at the sight of him. “I’m not ready yet.” She said quietly.

I’m not here to rush anything. The skeleton told her. But…the bag. Were you his physician, little dragon?

“Fancies herself his butcher, more like.” Baylock growled.
Click to expand...

Hyssop lifted herself back up, but stayed on her knees, hands clasped in her lap. "Only briefly," she answered, then turned her attention back to Baylock.

"I do not wish to dissect him," she reassured the bereaved mother troll. Well... she did but not at the risk of traumatizing Baylock. "I only wish to take a few vials of his blood, a sliver of skin... and, if you are generous, perhaps even a tooth."

She looked over her shoulder at Cassius, and back at Baylock. "I would like to take blood from both of you as well, to compare to the hatchling's."
 
Nestor sighed, poured a cup of tea, and began writing on the board. He had a few hours to himself, pouring over his notes and working out how exactly to protect Ausar and divvy up the power evenly. Oor had been old and powerful, a vast black ocean. In many ways the Well and the wraith grew together. Ausar was, comparatively, a shallow pool. Their connection would have to be managed, and carefully.

_________________________

“Blood from a troll? Our precious regeneration! You dare ask for our sacred medicine from me?” Baylock growled. “Our blood can bring a man back from the brink of death. We haven’t found an ailment it can’t cure….until my poor son.”

Cassius descended the stairs, and quietly rolled up a sleeve on one arm. “Baylock…I have to know if I killed him. If I did I would
understand if you never spoke to me again. But I must know. If giving Hyssop some of my blood helps that…” he extended his arm toward the other dragon. “I give it gladly.”

Baylock looked torn. Her maternal instincts were still so strong. She wanted to know what they’d done wrong, but it was too raw and new. At the same time, she understood she couldn’t wait forever. Not even a day. The minute the storm cleared and heat rained down on the glass again, no amount of humidity would stop the corpse from bloating.

The Detritor approached Baylock. He looked so small next to her, barely six feet. Let me give him some peace. You can bury him if you please, but I will make sure he returns to the next life peacefully. He spoke gently, and reached out to touch her arm. He can’t stay long, mother.

Baylock took a deep, shuddering breath. “What do you think I should do?” She asked the dead man.

The spirit will be gone, nothing but flesh and bone remains. There is peace in knowing why someone died. If there are no answers, this physician will return what she takes, that it may be buried next to him.

Baylock eyed Hyssop. “Is that true, dragon? If you don’t find out why he died, you’ll return what you take? I won’t have him ending up in some jar in a shelf somewhere.”
 
Hyssop was grateful the detritor seemed to know how to deal with Baylock, but perhaps she should have expected such. As a physician, dealing with death was nothing new, but the bereaved could have so many varying reactions that Hyssop was still learning how to deal with those. A denizen of the Autumn Court, though... he would know. He'd probably been doing this as long as Hyssop had been alive.

Her eyes, though, did flash with a mild bit of annoyance when the detritor promised that she would return what remained. When would she ever get her hands on samples from a dragon hybrid again?!

Chaceledon said:
Baylock eyed Hyssop. “Is that true, dragon? If you don’t find out why he died, you’ll return what you take? I won’t have him ending up in some jar in a shelf somewhere.”
Click to expand...

"Some, if not all, of what I take will be destroyed in the process of running tests," she explained truthfully. "But whatever remains, I will return to you. The more I can take, however, the more likely it will be that I can return those remains to you.

"If it eases your mind at all," she told Baylock, "I have no need of samples from you for the sake of mere study. Dahn Prunella has their own contacts within the trolls. We have worked with your people for millennia, since we both have an interest in healing.

"What I need is the ability to compare the physical makeup of yours and Cassius' bodies to that of your son."

It was a lesser known fact, especially among dragons, but with the company present in the room, she doubted that it would spread.
 
Baylock tensed her jaw, and stepped forward. “Fine. If it will tell me what happened.” She said, her voice tight. She stood next to Cassius and offered her arm to Hyssop as he had done.

The Detritor knelt in front of the body, and stroked his hand gently down the hybrid’s face. A tiny light, barely the size of a pinhole, emerged from the little one’s mouth. The Detritor gently cupped his hands under it, as though scared to break it, and herded it toward his breastbone. The light flared brightly for a moment, then vanished, and Baylock blinked away tears.

“Take what you need.” She said, defeated. “He’s truly gone now.”

The god of death doesn’t judge us. The Detritor told them. Your child is with him now. All of us will be one day. Perhaps you’ll see him in the next life. Perhaps in this one. Either way, he is at rest. You may make offerings outside this home.

Cassius nodded. “We will.” He muttered. The Detritor calmly passed by, touching each parent on the shoulder, and ascended the stairs. “I…take the body. I can’t bear to see him cut apart here.”

“I agree. Just…be respectful. We love him still.” Baylock said, keeping her eyes on the ground. Cassius put an arm around her, and pulled her close.
 
"Thank you," Hyssop sighed, and stood from where she knelt. As the detritor tended to the dead hatchling, Hyssop worked quickly, drawing a vial of blood from each of their arms. Her hand was gentle on Baylock's arm, and she gently squeezed the troll's hand before she stepped away.

She was respectfully silent as the detritor finished his own work, and looked up in surprise when Baylock and Cassius told her to take the hatchling.

They both seemed ready to dismiss her, but she stepped back to Baylock and Cassius, needing to clarify. She didn't want to do something out of misunderstanding and have them angered with her later.

"What do you mean by take the body?" she pressed, though not unkindly. "Do you wish for me to examine him here at the estate somewhere other than here in the greenhouse, or to take him back to Dahn Prunella?"

The latter would be... difficult, but she could manage it. Her larger kit back in her room had shroud cloth enchanted with spells to keep a dead body in stasis. She simply had to wrap him up in it. It was explaining to her father and brother that was going to be a challenge.
 
Cassius took a moment to wrap his sleeve a bit more securely around his arm where Hyssop had drawn the blood. Baylock’s small puncture had already healed. He chewed his lip. “Take him back to your Dahn.” He said quietly. “He died in this house. I can’t bear the thought of him being…disassembled in it.”

Despite his gentle wording, Baylock cringed.

_________________________

Chaceledon touched down at Seikilos’ estate. Gods, he was exhausted. Seeing poor Nica like that had made him feel…cruel and worn. He needed to rest, and reconnect with Seteta. Gods, he missed her. She would never feel the way Nica did, he swore it. He asked the servants to run him a bath, bring him a cosmetics kit, and a full nail kit. He needed to feel sane and normal again, and that meant spending time on his appearance. Seteta deserved to see him at his best.

He bathed, long and luxuriously, making an effort to push up his cuticles, pluck his eyebrows, brush his teeth, brush oil through his hair, and polish his skin with a ginger sugar scrub. Gods Rheinhard would riot at the waste. Thousands of gold worth of sugarcane processed and ground with ginger and oils to make a rough paste he brushed off old skin with. He painted his nails a pleasing ombré of robins egg blue and gold, and his makeup in turquoise and gold. A little rouge on his lips, a fine gown of soft pastel blues and greens with his signature bronze hair pins, and he was feeling himself again.

He passed by Rheinhard in the hallway, and smiled at him.

“I’m back, Hardy dear.” He came in for a kiss on the cheek and met the man’s palm.

“Don’t. He’s asleep and I’m enjoying the quiet.”

“Ferenzi? Where’s Seteta?” Chaceledon straightened. Ferenzi wasn’t the affectionate type, not to him.

“In your rooms, I’d wager, or speaking to her tribe. I’m not her keeper.”

“Always so helpful.” Chaceledon sighed, and patted him. “Let Rheinhard know I tried to say hello.”
 
Hyssop worked quickly and respectfully once Cassius and Baylock gave their permission for her to take the child's body back to the dahn. She had her pet brought from her rooms, and her supplies since she'd only grabbed a small portion of her kit. She gently tucked his limbs against his body, and wrapped him in strips of cloth enchanted to stop decomposition and hold a body in stasis. It was usually meant for limbs that needed to be reattached, but he was small enough that she had plenty.

"I will need a... box," she tried to say delicately when she finished, returning to Cassius and Baylock. "Something to keep him hidden until I can get him into my laboratory so that others don't ask questions."

She looked hesitantly between the two. "When I have finished, I will send word. If there are any particular customs would you like me to take into consideration to prepare him for burial afterward, please let me know."


Seteta was in the ballroom with Ausar and the other Inizae who'd agreed to help with the Nameday. When Chaceledon found his way down there, they had just finished running through a bit of choreography, and the healer was watching Seteta with a scrutinizing gaze. She was a little pale, though not frighteningly so, and breathing a little harder than the healer would have liked, but her eyes were still alert and she was speaking with the others.

Ausar also watched her closely, standing close enough to grab her if she seemed unsteady, but far enough away that Seteta wouldn't feel crowded.

It only took a moment for Seteta to notice him across the room, and her face brightened as she smiled widely and met his eyes.

"Sehejib," she murmured quietly, certain he could hear her even from across the room, "you're back."

She didn't, though, dart across the room to embrace him. She wanted to, but she wasn't strong enough for that yet.

The healer approached Chaceledon. "It's time for her to rest and eat," she said. "I trust you can make sure both of those things happen?"
 
"Burn him. Like any other dragon." Cassius said softly. "Ask the staff for anything you require." He moved to put an arm around Baylock, trying to comfort her. She pulled away and walked back down to the pool, putting her head in her hands. Cassius hesitated, then followed her down. They needed to be alone for a while.

________________________________

Chaceledon could hardly wait to see Seteta. She didn't need to even try to run. He rushed right past the healer and grabbed Seteta up in his arms. He whirled her around, his purple eyes bright with joy. "My koiros, my precious gemstone." he purred, setting her down on her feet. His hands cradled her cheeks, his mouth seeking the comfort of her lips. He pulled her against him. Gods, her body was a relief to him. All thoughts of Nica were pushed from his mind while he drowned in her scent and her touch. Nica would be fine with the healers. He had his woman to care for now.

Rheinhard cleared his throat. "Oh, I'm sorry my sweet one." Chaceledon pulled Volker into the embrace with them, kissing his forehead. Rheinhard sighed; resisting the affection was only going to make it last longer. He butted his head against Chaceledon to make the dragon happy.

"Seteta needs food, and rest. She has been working too hard." Rheinhard told him. Chaceledon's eyes turned to Seteta. He was right. She was pale, and weak, and she hadn't run to him. Seteta was worrying him more and more lately. She was so pale, and shaky. She was improving but it was clear even the planning for the Nameday was taking a toll on her. He was beginning to question if it was even worth it. Was the estate, his name, worth this? How close was he to losing her? He knew Rheinhard shared his thoughts. The older man was of the firm opinion they should be running away from all of it. Gods, was he ready?

If it took too much from her, he would stop it, he told himself. No extreme measures. She was stronger than he was giving her credit for, and they had worked so hard. They couldn't stop now!

The days passed by too quickly for Chaceledon and Rheinhard. Chaceledon was consumed in making costumes for the Inizae helping her, dragging them away for fittings, sewing late into the night. Finally the evening came.

Chaceledon insisted on letting Seteta rest for three days before the event. Hopefully the three days of sleep, cuddling, and good food would help her. Rheinhard reinforced the order, by force if necessary, while Chaceledon finished up his work. As the sun began to fall, Chaceledon dressed himself. It was far more complex than any outfit he'd since made. It was the colors of the Inizae flag, to show her his favor, with twin lizards crawling over his shoulders and crossing their tails over his heart as a clasp to the outer robe. The rest of the outfit was layered, embroidered with tiny desert blooms, images of the rolling mountains and hills the Inizae called home. Rheinhard had to help him with his long hair; he had seventeen brass pins to construct the image of the Inizae temple behind his head, using his hair as the sunset-stained sands. His nails were long and a sandy gold color, with tiny polished chips of sandstone. He washed his feet, wore heavy brass bracelets on his wrists, dark makeup around his eyes, and a single stripe down his chin in red.

"To honor me?" Rheinhard asked as he cleaned up the mark with a tiny brush, making sure it faded properly into Chaceledon's skin just below his throat.

"Is it too much?" Chaceledon asked, doing his best not to move his jaw. "I wish you were coming with us Hardy darling..."

"I can't. They would take it as an insult." Rheinhard stood back, eyeing his work, and set the brush aside. "If you fail I will be awaiting you on the sands. Ausar should alert us. The Hedoni will have no choice but to banish us from the property, at least at first, to keep up appearances."

"Well yes, I expected that. If we fail I come home without a stitch of this on, my head shaved and covered in whatever they happen to throw at me..." Chaceledon muttered worriedly.

"I would not worry so much." Rheinhard gathered up Seteta's robes, looking through them. "Dahn Agrys' colors? Gold and green?"

"Oh, yes. Loose enough she can move in it, but with enough embroidery that it makes her look nice. I chose golden wheat because it reminded me of the sands. Too much?" Chaceledon asked, his brow furrowing. "Everyone else is in plainer gold to match her, but they should be painting their nails green...oh Hardy dear, they do know how to paint nails don't they? It's so basic..."

"Perhaps you should go help them."

Chaceledon rose slowly, gathered his nail kit, and hurried to the Inizae changing rooms. Slowly. He didn't want to shake off his heavy headgear. It wasn't really meant for bustling about in.
 
Seteta laughed softly as Chaceledon swept her up in his arms, returning his kiss eagerly once he'd set her back on her feet. She nuzzled her nose against his, melting into his warmth. It had only been a few days, but gods, she'd missed him.

She smiled as Chaceledon invited Rheinhard into their embrace, and then was gratefully led away by them to rest and eat.

The remaining days till the Nameday flew by far more quickly than Seteta had anticipated. The healer... was skeptical of her health, and to be honest, Seteta was often worried herself. She didn't need any coaxing whenever it was time for her to rest, although sometimes the multitude of meals she was required to have each day was cumbersome. She was always hungry, though, and that--at the least--was something the healer was glad of. "It means your body is mending itself," the healer explained, "even if it's not fast enough for your liking. Or mine."

Nestor's lessons had been hurried and gruff at times, but she was confident none of her people would overtly offend the dragons.

By the time the last remaining days had arrived, Seteta was more than ready for the rest that the healer, Chaceledon, and Rheinhard all enforced. While she couldn't help but worry about the performance, they'd practiced from practically dawn till dusk for nearly a fortnight, with all but actual magic. But they'd all used magic together before, and she didn't doubt that part at least would go off flawlessly. She had, though, been working up slowly, practicing channeling her magic again. It was as effortless as breathing... but that meant expending it too quickly was far easier as well now. Whenever she walked through the estate and the gardens, she would practice letting the magic flow with her footsteps and her breath. Just like it would need to do while she danced and sang with the others.

By the time the day arrived, the Inizae had all but departed the Hedoni estate. Only herself, her parents, Supti and his wives, Keket and Hassani, and the Inizae performing with her remained. The others had packed up and headed into the desert, beyond the dragon's territory. She didn't know what would happen, but... in case, just in case, she were to fail... she would not have her people within immediate reach. It never hurt to be cautious.

Seteta had risen from her final nap before the celebration while Chaceledon prepared, slinking down to the kitchens for a meal and then to the other Inizae to check on preparations.

The Inizae did indeed know how to paint nails, although the green lacquer Chaceledon provided had a dizzying scent to it and was a little finicky to brush on smoothly. They were all a little relieved to see him come gliding in in his finery.

Seteta was avoiding putting on her own garb until the last possible second. While she could move in it satisfactorily, it had enough layers that simply walking about was cumbersome, and she wouldn't really be able to sit down in it until after the performance.

"Is it nearly time?" she asked as Chaceledon began examining nails, and she smiled gently at the sight of him. He was so beautiful. As taxing as the night would be, she could do it. For him.
 
Chaceledon huffed and cleaned up the Inizae nails. He used the tip of his own nail to keep the lines between nail and cuticle neat. He made sure they had cleaned themselves, oiled their hair, and plucked their eyebrows. If they weren't groomed, Chaceledon practically tackled them to make sure they were. By the time Seteta came up to him, he had combed over every minute detail of the Inizae. He turned and smiled at her, reaching up to adjust her collar. She was resplendent; a beautiful vision of desert hills and blue flowers. A tiny lizard was on each cuff, perched on a branch of clustered mesquite flowers.

"It's time, my darling. I will go ahead of you in a separate coach. I won't be able to see you for the majority of the night. Remember, this is for the dahn's new child. Our arrangement is on the side with Dahn Agrys' consent." he said softly. "You'll set up but there is the dinner I told you about, then the speeches, then the formal presentation of the child and its gifts. You are one of those gifts, on behalf of Dahn Peridot and Dahn Hedoni." Chaceledon looked down into her eyes nervously. "You'll do fine. Just...don't push yourself."

Seikilos cleared her throat from the doorway. "Dahnesh Agrys has sent us your carriages. Chaceledon. Remember your place as a bachelor; you don't speak. You have no children, and this is the celebration of such." she said sternly. "Seteta is competing for your hand, and that means impressing Hokkaido. Seteta, remember, none of your Inizae can touch the food on the tables. They shouldn't drink anything but water and be cautious about that lest you bloat." She gestured to Chaceledon. "Please, they're waiting."

Chaceledon took a moment to look at them. Rheinhard, disapproving of the entire affair but supportive. Seteta, pale but determined. Seikilos, nervous and hovering. He lifted his head high, crossed his hands above his waist, and walked elegantly outside toward the carriage. Seikilos looked worriedly at Seteta. "I will be arriving late, after the performers get settled. I'm sponsoring a fair few of them; you're the only one competing for marriage." she chuckled, nodding her head outside. "When you're ready. Your family will be arriving after you through the back. The staff will guide them where they need to go."

Rheinhard approached Ausar stiffly. "Reach out to me if you need anything to do with dragon culture. Try not to commit any faux pas." He hesitantly reached out, and patted Ausar's shoulder while Seikilos led Seteta to her carriage.

It was a rather grand thing, all rich mahogany lacquered in gold and dark greens. The symbol of Dahn Agrys was a heifer with a sweeping tail of gold wheat, to symbolize Harrier's role in providing food and drink for the Dahns. The heifer sported a pair of tiny ivory horns tipped in red, to remind Agrys' enemies that even farmers could defend themselves. Inside was plush; the seats were covered in fluffy sheepskin, with a comfortable sweep to the seats that allowed the rider to relax and prop up legs a bit easier. A small side board opened to show a small stone-lined chamber with chilled fruit for the journey, and a small flask of crystalline champagne. The one in Chaceledon's carriage was already being nervously sipped by the dragon. The green interiors were freshly painted, the wood oiled and a tiny tray of incense sweeping fresh jasmine smell in. The footman stepped down to open Seteta's door for her, and make sure her clothing was swept inside before he closed it and climbed back to his seat.

The journey wasn't long, an hour at most.

Chaceledon arrived first. The carriage pulled up to the outside of the Agrys estate. Chaceledon had always thought of Meadhall as a bit of an outdated joke; the plaster and mahogany exterior was so painfully...human. It had thatched roofs for the gods' sake! There was a cow on the property! He was pleased to find that Harrier had dressed it up a bit. The little chains of magelights in charming little glass jars lit up the area as the sun went down. Crackling fire pits surrounded by decorative tiles in the garden provided more warmth. The estate had famously bucked against its surroundings; there was a huge glass greenhouse attached to the side of the house, and another that spilled open to allow exotic plants, cacti, and tropical fruit trees onto the property. It was one of the few dragon estates with a proper soft lawn, and by the charming little macrame tassles on the white tents there....they were eating and talking outside.

Chaceledon winced. Outside? Surely Harrier was leaning a bit too hard into his love of humans and their rustic ways. He was escorted in by a pet, and offered a small flute of something. It was small enough to be pinched between thumb and forefinger, and looked like water. Oh, goodness. Water. He needed it after polishing off that entire small bottle in the carriage. Chaceledon quickly knocked it back, and coughed as fire clawed its way into his mouth. He hurriedly put the flute on the stray of the nearest serving pet, waving his hand in front of his mouth.

"White lightning. Bit of a Floimish speciality. I thought it would calm a bit of the complaining about having to step on sweet grass." Harrier's voice came from over his shoulder, and Chaceledon immediately straightened and smiled, embarrassed.

"Dahnesh Harrier. Please accept my apologies." He bowed, showing his respect to his host.

"Don't be silly. Enjoy the party. I look forward to Seteta's performance." Harrier said lightly, and gestured toward the tents. Chaceledon inclined his head and swept into the party.

Chaceledon stopped dead when he saw the young girl on the dias. She was clearly the one the naming ceremony was meant for; she was dressed in soft white layers, like the petals of a chrysanthemum. She was seated neatly on a pillow, surrounded by sheaves of wheat, baskets of oranges, dragonfruit and citrus, even a peacock that looked about as amused to be there as she did. The girl sat meekly, hollow-eyed. Her wrists were so bony, and when she shifted Chaceledon could see there was...nothing in the way of muscle to her. Gods, had he been that...skeletal? He tried not to look too worried.

"Isn't she lovely? Her size book is propped up on the crystal stand there. Barely a 20cm waist." One of the other dragons near Chaceledon praised when she caught him looking. "Seventy pounds if she's an ounce! I couldn't be more proud of her."

"Rheinhard was almost ninety-five pounds at her age..." Chaceledon said softly.
 
"I have not forgotten," Seteta answered Chaceledon quietly as he straightened her collar one last time, then glanced at Seikilos as she spoke from the doorway. Seteta nodded at her words, and checked to see that her performer companions had heard as well before letting Seikilos lead her away. The Inizae customarily waited till after a performance to eat anyway, and she hoped to speak with Harrier about setting food aside for the Inizae afterward.

"Thank you," she told the dragoness. "No matter what happens tonight... thank you, for everything you've done to help me. Especially for the... circumstances neither of us expected."

She let the footman help her into the carriage, and made herself as comfortable as possible. In addition to the chilled fruit, the healer had also slipped her a small packet of food to eat on the way, and canteen of water. She'd been forbidden to touch alcohol at all for the foreseeable future, but especially tonight.

Ausar nodded, but smiled gently at Rheinhard's reassuring pat on the shoulder. "Make sure Rehema and Kahi get safely back to the tribe," he said before they parted. Rehema was still on strict bedrest, but today they would have to leave the Hedoni estate, regardless. In addition to Rheinhard, Supti had arranged for guards as well.

Seteta ate, and slept briefly, for the journey to Agrys. Her hair would hold up to a nap, as it had to hold up to her dancing later.

After the footman helped her out, she waited just outside the estate as the rest of the Inizae disembarked. Ausar was the first to her side, and she gratefully hooked her arm through her father's elbow.

"Ready?" he asked her quietly.

"As ready as I can be," Seteta said, speaking in their tribe's dialect. She took a deep breath, looking around at the others. "Remember the lessons you've had," she told them all. "But also don't forget that we're essentially walking into hostile territory. Don't drop your guard at all. I've already told you the dragons here that you can trust." Seikilos. Harrier. Chaceledon. Only those three. "And which ones, in the most dire circumstances, you might be able to ask for help." Cassius. Hyssop. If they were there. "Stay close to me as much as possible. Do not eat anything, and be certain that what you are being offered to drink is water."

The language barrier would help some, especially since it would be obvious they were there with her.

"We will greet Dahnesh Harrier first," she told them. "His great granddaughter is the one this Nameday is for. Then I will greet Chaceledon's parents."

Ausar squeezed her hand reassuringly, and she gave him a nervous smile as the Inizae fell in line behind them both. Then they stepped through the gate.

The soft grass beneath her bare feet instantly soothed her nerves. All of the Inizae were barefooted to allow them access to their magic for the performance, and she smiled to hear their quiet exclamations of surprise and delight.

A few more paces, and they stood before Harrier. Seteta stepped forward, slipping away from her father's side, and in unison they all sank down into a bow. A moment later when they rose, she gestured for Ausar to step forward.

"Dahnesh Harrier," she spoke with a friendly smile in flawless Draconian, "please allow me to introduce my companions for the performance.

"These are my kin: Nebit, my grandmother, and Ausar, her son and my father, and his cousin Supti. This is Anai, Supti's second wife. The rest are my tribesmen: Baul, Thema, Sakhon, Tuaa, Ludim, Maanai, and Souphis."

The Inizae wouldn't understand everything she said, but when they heard their names, they inclined their heads. It had worked out perfectly, six males and six females, including herself. They would balance each other out well for the performance.

"We are honored to present a blessing for your great granddaughter today," she finished.
 
Harrier gave Seteta a pleased smile. He was dressed much simpler than the rest of the guests; his robe was a soft white linen, layered with muslin embroidered with flowers and depicting the harvest. His makeup was minimal, only a little kohl around his eyes, and he had chosen to pull back his hair in a long braid, pulled up with a wooden comb. Clearly, he didn't feel the need to be ostentatious in his own home. The other members of the Agrys clan dressed to higher standards, with silk and cotton from their own estates. In a singular rare case, leather was included in the design to show the associated dragon's affinity with leather working and meat production. Harrier inclined his head a bit to Seteta as she and her family rose out of the bow.

"My goodness, your draconian almost sounds native." he praised. "I am honored to have you. Please, relax. There's wine and cider from my estates, and sweet water from our spring here. My granddaughter is over there, but feel free to mingle for a few hours yet. Dahn Peridot is here, but I believe your mate's brother is looking a little...piqued. Perhaps you should try and speak to him, as a prospective brother in law." Harrier gave a small and pinched smile. Cassius had been drinking rather heavily so soon into the celebration. "The performer's stage is yonder, on the east side of the party, and if you can find spare back rooms the others are preparing. Good luck tonight."

Chaceledon found his parents. Peridot was in soft greens the color of her namesake's gemstone, and his father was in sharp tones of sunset that contrasted with his dark hair. Hokkaido looked him over, disapprovingly. "I knew I should have given up any prayer you would be impartial." Hokkaido said coldly. "I see your mate has brought her entire wretched clan with her. They breed like rabbits."

Chaceledon took a deep breath, trying to let the insult roll over him. "Who else is competing for me?" he asked quietly.

"None of your concern. You'll go where you're told." Hokkaido answered in a clipped tone, taking a sip of his wine. Peridot caught his eye, and inclined her head toward another table. Chaceledon followed her gaze and stiffened slightly. Nica had come with Dahn Prunella?! He was looking significantly healthier, dressing in soft blues that recalled fish scales. Chaceledon was about to get up when Cassius enfolded him in an embrace.

"Chess!" Cassius chuckled and lifted a hand to ruffle his hair. Chaceledon and Peridot both caught the older sibling's wrist before he could muss hours of work. Chaceledon extricated himself from Cassius' grasp, clearing his throat.

"How much have you had to-"

"I dunno." Cassius plopped heavily into a chair. "Until I stop feeling."

"I swear to the gods if I knew what disappointments you two would be I would have just boiled you alive in the egg." Hokkaido growled into his glass.
 
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"Thank you." Seteta smiled brightly at Harrier's compliment. "We will have only water before the performance, but... could you perhaps make sure to set aside some food for my companions for afterward? I know you hate having wasted food, and I promise it will be enjoyed heartily then."

She frowned when Harrier mentioned Cassius, and glanced toward the party, following the Dahnesh's gaze. Cassius was... definitely on his way to drunk, if not there already. Had something happened between him and Baylock? They'd seemed so solid when she met them.

"I do not know that I will be of much help," she told Harrier, biting back a laugh as she watched both Peridot and Chaceledon stop Cassius' hand in midair, "but I will speak with him."

Seteta bowed her head to Harrier once more, then stepped away, the others following her again. She led them eastward, and pointed out the performer's stage, and relayed Harrier's words about the spare back rooms. Ausar and Nebit would accompany her to greet Chaceledon's parents, but the rest would wait here, hopefully without trouble. Supti and Anai were used to dealing with non-Inizae, so surely they would be all right. The two of them had picked up more Draconian than any of the others.

"How are you feeling?" Ausar asked her as they carefully walked back to the main party. Nebit walked at his side now, hand tucked into the crook of his arm.

Seteta sighed and slowed her steps slightly. There was no rush, though she shouldn't be tardy. "Anxious," she told her father truthfully, glancing back at him and her grandmother. "I will have to give a proper bow to Hokkaido and Peridot. The two of you should wait a few steps behind me, and do not greet any of them until I'm given permission to stand."

She was not about to ask her elders to bow.

"Permission to stand?" Nebit murmured, her tone fiery. Seteta's steps paused, and she turned to face Nebit fully, her eyes pleading silently.

"Yes," Seteta answered quietly. "But it is a game I will play for tonight, for Chaceledon's sake. So please don't make an issue of it."

Her gaze shifted from Nebit to her father, and she recognized the set of his jaw. Knew that he would drag her up from the ground if it went on too long, but he nodded his head in agreement anyway.

"Thank you," she told them both, and then made a beeline through the party toward where Dahn Peridot was gathered.

She only caught Chaceledon's gaze for an instant, her eyes softening, before she turned to Hokkaido and Peridot.

"Dahna Peridot, Dahnesh Hokkaido," she said softly, flawlessly, "please accept my greeting and my bow."

Seteta lowered brought her hands together and lowered herself--carefully, making sure not to just crumple into a heap though her legs threatened to for a moment--to the ground, stretching her arms out, the same way Nestor had taught her all those weeks ago for when she first met Peridot.

She silently begged her arms--nay, her entire body--to not tremble at the exertion, and waited.

Ausar gritted his teeth, but tried to keep his face calm. He felt Nebit's hand clench at his elbow, but her face remained serene. She'd had longer to practice keeping a mask in place, though.

This is barbaric, Ausar hissed down the bond with Rheinhard.
 
The other Inizae were chatted about, and rather openly. The dragons were appraising their clothing, eyeing them up and down. "Pity such nice robes are wasted on....well. That." One of the women muttered to herself, lifting her chin and walking past them to get another glass of wine. The general consensus was that while their clothing, hair and nails were immaculate, they were far too fat to be seen in public. A few of the dragons came up and paid them compliments, actual heartfelt compliments, that they had tried so hard. After all who was going to teach these barbarians the proper way of the sands if they weren't at least friendly to them?

One of the dragonesses smiled at Anai, and offered her a small flute of pinkish liquid. "It makes you not hungry and helps you lose weight." she whispered helpfully. "It got my wrists back to a ten after I bloated to twelve centimeters." She patted Anai and wafted off, leaving her with the tiny mouthful. Supti was given looks, but was generally left alone. Males were valued less than women in draconian culture, and they didn't quite know what to do with him.

Peridot straightened as Seteta, her father and grandmother approached. Chaceldon inclined his head very slightly to them, offering a friendly smile, but said nothing. He could do very little while his parents were here. Hokkaido waited patiently, eyeing her for over a minute with nothing but silence between them. He was clearly testing her ability to remain in the bow. He wasn't at all rushed to relieve her of it. His eyes flicked up to Ausar. The man's eyes were fiery and his jaw twitched.

And they think roaming the sands on a camel is barbaric. Don't say a word. Rheinhard cautioned Ausar. Nestor is right, if anything is going to cause problems tonight it is that pride of yours. Swallow it.

"I assume you are my prospective brother in law?" Hokkaido asked Ausar, not releasing Seteta from her bow. She was expected to stay that way until acknowledged. "And...this leather handbag you've brought?" He gestured with a petty little smile to Nebit.

"Please, why don't you sit with us until it's time to perform?" Peridot broke in. "Come, we've more than enough seats." Hokkaido gave her a withering look for letting his prey up before he was done playing with them.

"Yes! Sit, drink. Gods know that walking skeleton over there isn't getting any healthier." Cassius leaned over and, with an artful snatch, seized a tray of white lightning flutes from a passing pet. Miraculously, only one or two tipped over, and the rest were set on the table. The dragon snickered, taking two between his fingers and throwing them back at once.

"Stop it. She looks lovely." Peridot chided her son. "I wish my waist was as small as hers. She's delicate. See her there?" She pointed the pale, hollow eyed girl out to Ausar, Nebit and Seteta. "Her mother manages the hot water springs for the whole of Dahn Agrys. Fifty thousand gallons a day from fifty natural springs all around the desert! You'd do well to make friends with her."

"Here, grandmother, you need this as much as I do." Cassius set a shot in front of Nebit, chuckling and clinking his glass with hers.

Chaceledon winced. He wasn't supposed to talk to anyone tonight, but gods it was hard not to rescue Seteta from his family. Especially the soul-withering look Hokkaido was giving her and Peridot. "If you do win, I expect you'll want his dowry, hm?" Hokkaido asked Seteta coldly.
 
Did the dragons have poor eyesight? Anai wondered as she smiled and nodded, and relieved that the dragoness didn't stay to make sure Anai drank it. "What are centimeters?" she whispered to Supti in Abtat. "Why are they obsessed with them? Don't they all know they're so skinny even I could snap one of them in half?"

Anai wasn't large by any means, but she didn't look half-starved like these creatures did.

"It's some form of measurement," Supti shrugged. "I'm not sure what it relates to in common, though."

Anai frowned down at the little flute of... poison. It surely had to be some kind of poison if it stifled your appetite and made you lose flesh. "I'm not about to drink this, but I don't want to obviously throw it away."

"They're uptight enough that you could duck out of sight and pretend to drink it," Supti said, his eyes scanning over the party. "Just dump it in the grass, or behind a pot."

Anai snorted, then did just that.


Seteta waited, face to the ground, and focused just on breathing. She heard the quiet murmur of the party around her, but only barely past the pounding of her pulse in her ears. She'd practiced this bow in secret the last few weeks, whenever Chaceledon and the healer had both been out of the room. She wasn't quite sure how long she'd managed to hold it, but it hadn't really... gotten easier.

Use us, the earth whispered, warmth seeping into her feet, and sucked in a startled breath. It hadn't spoken to her like this since... that night.

Magic won't help with this, she told it.

Not magic... strength.

Wha-- her question was cut off by the earth itself pushing into her mind, and suddenly her breath steadied and she felt like she could move a mountain.

Any further questions were pushed from her mind, though, when she heard Hokkaido call her grandmother a leather handbag, and her spine stiffened.

It's not pride, Ausar corrected Rheinhard. Would you sit by idly and watch as your daughter was abused by her betrothed's parents, simply because they believed themselves superior by existence?

He met Hokkaido's gaze easily, and didn't waver, even when the dragon insulted his mother. "I am Seteta's father," he answered, not certain if that meant this... brother-in-law or not. "You may call me Ausar. This is Nebit, my mother."

Ausar and Seteta both sighed with relief with Peridot interjected and released them all, but it took an extreme amount of restraint on Ausar's part to not punch Hokkaido in the nose for the spiteful look he gave his wife. They were not Inizae, and even if such behavior would not have been tolerated among their tribe... it would do no good to cause an uproar here.

Ausar offered his hand to Seteta to help her stand without tripping on her robes, and she took it gratefully. Even with the strength the earth had lent her, it still helped her to hide the way her legs threatened to sway after being bent down for that long. She followed them to the table gratefully, and eyed Cassius suspiciously as Ausar pulled out a chair for Nebit and then for her.

Cassius was acting strange.

Nebit looked over at the young girl, and her mouth pinched as she observed that this other dragon was correct: she was indeed a walking skeleton. Then she turned to Peridot, brow arching at the woman's commentary.

"Why would you wish to be that small?" she asked sincerely. "That is a girl. You are a woman. A mother. Bodies are meant to change to accommodate the different phases of our lives."

She smiled politely as this... was it Chaceledon's brother? It must be, though she didn't recall his name being mentioned before, placed a glass of drink in front of her. She covered the mouth of it with her hand and shook her head.

"I will only have water before the performance," she said, but deftly moved the glass away from Cassius, where he'd have to reach rudely across her to retrieve it. "Alcohol dulls the connection to the earth."

Seteta sat with ease, her feet flat on the ground. The earth's strength was helping, but it couldn't make the anxiousness go away. But... Nailah... those memories and experiences were helping her to mask it. What was a family of dragons when she recalled negotiating treaties to prevent war?

Still just as nerve-wracking, apparently.

But she didn't have to feign the surprise when Hokkaido asked about Chaceledon's dowry.

"I have no need of it," she answered truthfully. "The dowry is his by right, and only whatever he chooses to share with me will be mine to use."

Among the Inizae, it was a little more complicated than that, but it was true in essence. Upon their marriage, necessary things would be gifted to both of them, but whatever dowry came from family... that remained the one person's property until the birth of their first child.
 
Sadly if Anai and Supti were hoping for peace, they weren't about to get it. Another of the dragons touched Anai's shoulder and giggled. "I had hoped the rumors weren't true! Dahnesh Agrys is so committed to this rustic affair he's invited...whatever you are. It's charming." He smiled at them. "I even hear you're doing a reenactment tonight! A mortal singing to gain the love of a dragon; those tales are so old I thought everyone had forgotten them. Perhaps Harrier is feeling nostalgic." He tutted and fixed a stray hair on Supti's head. "He's still hanging onto that silly old library, as if reading didn't go out of fashion centuries ago."

Chaceledon watched the power play, tense. Seteta held the pose perfectly, except for a slight tensing of her back that hopefully only he could see from behind her. He really had tried to build her clothing to hide any little restraints; she didn't have decades of draconian sparring to master little tenses.

I would, because I have. You forget who owned me. Count yourself lucky it is only words. Wraiths are far less restrained. Rheinhard gave a clipped reply. He was pacing in the sands, looping around the tribe as the slower pace they set for Rehema didn't do much to relieve his anxiety. Common sense told him to savor his strength and stop making long, wide loops around the group, but being unable to see what was happening was nervewracking. Dragons wouldn't think twice about killing an elf.

At the table, Peridot gave an embarrassed little laugh and averted her eyes. "Every dragon should aspire to grace, like silk in the wind. Not be...weighted down. Regardless of how old and tired they may look." Hokkaido answered for Peridot, giving his wife a look up and down. "I'm cursed with fat children and when they're not fat, they're obstinate." His eyes flicked to Chaceledon. "It's my fault, really, Peridot. I indulged you too much while you were nesting."

"You've a soft heart." Peridot answered, patting Hokkaido's arm gingerly. She couldn't help turning that pat into a shocked grip when Seteta replied, her eyes going wide. "Surely you don't mean that...!"

"Of course, I shouldn't have expected anything else. You'd want to live in some...dusty canvas hovel somewhere." Hokkaido smirked into his next sip of wine. "Chaceledon. Your barbarians are amusing. Classless, and mouthy, but amusing."

Chaceledon desperately wished he could apologize. Ausar looked about ready to fly across the table at Hokkaido and he couldn't much blame him. Cassius, not to be daunted by having alcohol right out of his reach, simply reached over Nebit and took the drink back. He patted the old woman on the shoulders and looked at her sadly. "Connection to the earth. It's what Im trying desperately to silence." he said softly, laying his cheek on the table. He ignored Peridot's swift, and rather ladylike under the circumstances, kick to the shins. "Tell me Nebit, if I had more of a connection to this magic of mine, would my...would he still be alive?"

Peridot struck him again and he straightened, polishing off the last of the glasses and unceremoniously dumping the tray into the arms of a nearby pet attempting to offer him a pitcher of water. "Just...more of those." he gestured vaguely.

Chaceledon swore inwardly. Cassius wasn't just drunk, he was on his way to insensate! How rude of him! What in the hell was happening? As was customary, everyone was simply pretending the drunk person didn't exist, but Cassius had an uncomfortable way of pushing himself into the conversation.

"Why wait?" A slightly paler Nica appeared behind the supremely uncomfortable pet, setting down a new tray of shot glasses in front of Cassius. The water dragon bent to Nebit's ear. "Don't worry. They're weak tea. Just keep him drinking them." he whispered.

"Ah, it's about time you met your competition, Seteta. Nica, the last of Dahn Abalone, is also competing for Chaceledon's hand." Hokkaido gestured to draw Nica closer to the group. "Considering I'm quite literally scraping the bottom of the barrel to find my son a match, he is decent competition."

"I would be honored to teach Seteta a modicum of humility." Nica smiled. A very familiar, cold and predatory smile.
 
"Children are never a curse, no matter how fat or stubborn they may or may not be," Ausar said firmly, drawing Hokkaido's terseness away from Nebit.

Seteta's reply, though, was apparently sufficient distraction for everyone except Cassius, and she laughed quietly under her breath as her lips curled up in amusement.

"While I would be perfectly happy to live in a cave with nothing but furs and Chaceledon at my side," she declared, "you seem to be mistaking how I--or my people--choose to live with how we are capable of living. When I said I had no need of the dowry, I meant just that. Chaceledon and I are capable of living quite comfortably without it and not in a cave with only furs."

It was true. With Nailah's memories she'd also gained the knowledge of wealth. Caches of treasures hidden deep in the sands, in ways that only she would be able to find, or other Inizae if she taught them how. It would not have been possible for them to plundered. Perhaps a few, but not all.

Cassius, though, would likely prove to be the main point of attention for the evening at this rate, regardless of the impending competition. Seteta was slightly surprised at Nica's sudden appearance, but managed to hide it behind a polite smile. She wasn't surprised at his presence--Seikilos had mentioned it before--but she hadn't expected him right then.

"We've met before," Seteta said, bowing her head momentarily. Her eyes narrowed when she looked back up, though, struck with a strange familiarity at his words, and something... odd about his expression. She tucked it away in her thoughts to puzzle over later, and turned back to Hokkaido. "Well, if all you have to choose from are the dregs, then any decent father would at least choose the vintage their son prefers," she challenged cheerfully.

Nebit eyed the new tray of drink dubiously. There was something off about this new dragon, this Nica. Something about his presence reminded Nebit of Rheinhard Volker, and she wasn't sure she trusted whatever this tea might be. She didn't know what it was or what was in it. If Cassius drank of it his own accord, then it was one thing, but she wasn't going to encourage it either.

"I cannot say whether your connection to magic would make a difference for... whoever it is you have lost," Nebit spoke quietly, cautiously, to Cassius as the others turned their attention away. "But perhaps you would like to walk with me, and share whatever it is that burdens you so much you'd rather forget the very essence of you who are?"
 
"Of course, how silly of me. You've merely chosen to live on the sands like fleabitten animals, it's not a matter of circumstance." Hokkaido said in amusement. "If a cave and furs is all you require perhaps I need to redraw up some paperwork; I had no idea he was worth so little. Well. Some idea." He gestured to the last remaining chair, and Nica settled himself in. "Nica, of course, needs the dowry. He's practically hedahn. I've heard you've been sponging off of Dahna Prunella the last few weeks."

"Chaceledon found me, she was kind enough to rehabilitate me." Nica said dismissively. "Tides always rise again, and while I want Chaceledon's dowry...I want the man behind it even more. He was mine before this, and he will be again. You are nothing but an unfortunate, short-lived setback, Seteta."

"The evening is getting on, wouldn't you two like some time to prepare?" Peridot asked Nica and Seteta, desperately trying to diffuse the situation. Nica smiled, and nodded. The smile didn't reach his eyes, and the smile was...odd. It was as though the other dragon was attempting to remember how. Chaceledon watched him carefully as he made his way toward the backstage suites. There was something terribly wrong here. He couldn't exactly put his thumb on it. Peridot seemed to share his opinion; she was eyeing him. She rose, and bowed to her husband. "I'll see that he's settled. Poor thing looks a bit pale. Could I bring him some tea, or would that sour stomachs on the competition?"

Chaceledon nodded assent. "As long as some is in Seteta's chambers as well, I dont think helping the recovering should be considered cheating.. They're both a bit tired." he agreed.

"Oh, very well." Hokkaido waved a hand dismissively at her. Peridot smiled, and hurried toward the buffet. "Not too fast, you look like a child sprinting to the dinner table." Hokkaido growled, and she hurriedly slowed to a more acceptable walk.

Cassius put his cheek in his hand, looking at Nebit. "Right. I'm tired of the family squabbling anyway." he muttered, standing. He swayed, catching himself on the table, and offered his arm to Nebit to help her rise. "I'm the black sheep of the family, you know. You sure you want to be seen with the fat one?" he asked dryly.
 
"You wouldn't be able to pay what I think Chaceledon is worth," Seteta said as Nica settled at the table. "His life is as precious to me as my own."

She laughed quietly at Nica's statement, though something about the wording once again... struck her as odd. Admittedly she hadn't interacted with Nica much, but... he was too calculating. He'd been brash and impulsive before.

"If I am so short-lived, then it wouldn't it simply be more prudent to outlive me?" she countered, and silently pleaded for Chaceledon to forgive her if he overheard her words. "You could come sweeping in to comfort him when he mourns me in a few hundred years."

Ausar huffed beside her, and she cast him an apologetic glance. Peridot interrupted then as well, and Seteta gracefully stood. She knew a dismissal when she heard one.

She inclined her head to Hokkaido, Peridot, and Nica, gave Chaceledon a soft smile before she stepped away. Ausar made to follow her, but Seteta shook her head.

"You might speak with Harrier, if he"s finished greeting guests," she suggested. "He is a follower of Aptuv, and I mentioned that he might enjoy meeting  mut."

"Are you sure?" Ausar asked quietly, watching her face for any signs of weakness or illness.

"I'll be fine,  mit," she promised, then stepped away.

She stopped to greet the Nameday recipient on the way to the back to the performer's rooms.

Seteta bowed low, bending at the waist, when she stood before the girl on display, so slight and delicate that she seemed more spirit than child.

"Forgive me," Seteta spoke softly in Draconian, barely more than a whisper, as she straightened. "I am sorry that your Nameday has become the battleground for my beloved's hand. Know that when I and my kin take the stage, our song and dance is a prayer and a blessing for you, and you alone."


Nebit took Cassius' offered arm, glad to finally get away from the tense conversation. "You are hardly fat," she chided, then leaned toward the dragon with a mischievous smile crinkling her face. "I dare say you're the most handsome one here."

She pretended to let him lead the way, but carefully guided him to the outskirts of the party with little nudges, keeping him well out of the way of any drink trays.

"Now, dear," she said softly, "I know you're much older than me, but just pretend for a bit that I am your own grandmother. Tell me what is bothering you."
 
"Not nearly as satisfying watching you wither and die without him." Nica said darkly, and promptly made his exit. He settled into the back rooms of the stage; they were small and elegant, with a chair, mirror and some cosmetics to make sure everything was in place. Nica stepped in front of the mirror, and smirked at the reflection. "You know, souls are said to appear in mirrors. They're sacred to my people. That's why the Well is designed around mirror shards." He said flippantly to the frightened, tear streaked reflection. The reflection slammed a fist against the mirror, and Oor chuckled. "I'm giving you what you want. Then taking the rest of what I want. Don't be so foul tempered. You agreed to this."

Oor threw a towel over the mirror and gently parted the front of his robe, looking at the healing wound in the center of his chest. It was hidden by a heavy necklace of freshwater pearls and brass, and was nearly healed. The exposed dragonbone was smooth and dry, with little sign of infection. The Well had taken. Oor smiled. "To live for eternity in the bodies of others." he whispered. "I woke up a wraith and have become a god."

Peridot cleared her throat and knocked on the wood next to the tent flap. Oor covered the wound quickly, and straightened up, trying not to look too irritated. "Yes?"

"I've brought you some tea. You mentioned you'd been recovering with Dahn Prunella...and well, she's too classy to say anything but you looked a bit pale." Peridot mentioned.

"Set it down outside, thank you." Oor tried to keep the irritation out of his voice.

"Nica, darling...I've known you since you were a hatchling. Are you sure everything's alright?"

"Fine. Just nervous." Oor said dismissively. "Thank you again for the tea, you may go."

Peridot hovered outside the door for a moment. Nica had never been a cruel boy. Impulsive, and a bit vain, but never so...dismissive of her. Was this really the little water dragon that had hugged her about the waist one summer at the beach when he and Chaceledon were still young? She chewed her lip. Perhaps the isolation had done something. Perhaps it was something else. She walked back to the party, deep in thought.

The waifish girl looked down at Seteta, and smiled at her quietly. She couldn't speak, not that she much had the strength to. "It's alright. These things are never for the people they're thrown for." she said pleasantly. "I look forward to your performance."

Cassius let the old woman lead him. He thought it amusing, this little spry thing herding him away from liquor. He was still sad, but being among the Abtati was...nice. A dragon never would have pulled him away to ask. He stopped when she did, and regarded her for a moment. "I can see why Chaceledon likes you. I..." he looked down. "I lost my first child, and no one knows I even have a woman. Had....had a woman." Cassius took a deep breath. "I never went through nehmaji. I never went through the awakening of magic every dragon goes through. I had some crazy idea I didn't need it...and it doomed my first child. I didn't have enough magic to give him. He withered, slowly. When he died, my woman never forgave me. She tried. But everything died between us. I don't know how I'm going to live now. I'm not sure I even want to." Cassius swallowed thickly. "Our son is dead, and Baylock is leaving as soon as her people can call up enough rain for her to travel safely. I was seeing a troll. You think Chaceledon and Seteta are scandalous...if Hokkaido knew he would kill us both."
 
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