((Dang, where is Fallon? She hasn't been on since the 25th of Last November :sweat: We may just have to leave her behind and time lapse her heading somewhere else, if that's fine with you Fading. Though I'm also up for waiting a bit more for her.))

Judy nodded. "We could, or you could just finish it now." She smiled, grabbing a piece of fruit. "Grab what you can and lets head out." She walked out, and LiNeerlay stood, waiting for Shrike before following. The Princess, meanwhile, headed out onto the street and looked around for the older dwarf.

((Yeah, I guess :( I think she's pretty busy, she's not online a lot...it's probably going to take me a bit to catch up, could you start with Lyle after a time-skip from since the forest?))

((I'll give her a little bit (I'm not quite sure what to have them doing after the time skip yet anyway :sweat: I'll have that later today, then will pick up and hope she doesn't mind.))

((Ok :) I'll go and leave her a message on her profile to tell her about it @[email protected]))

Shrike clamped a piece of meat into his mouth after swallowing the fruit he had grabbed. He took one of the sacks [I'll say sacks] that the princess had taken the food out of and shoved what was left in it. Two rolls and a half of bread and three colorful fruits were all that went in. He walked beside LiNeerlay as they left the room and headed on out to the streets.

Skidbladnir, meanwhile, had been striking up a light conversation with one of the guards of the nearby deposit when he noticed the girl with the dragon exit the inn. "Well that was quick." he said, not having expected them to be ready so soon. "If I had known you were going to be done right away, I needn't have gone out here."
The old dwarf carefully looked at the human. Her clothes seemed quite high class but he dismissed it as just her perhaps being from a wealthy family. After her companions came out of the inn, Skidbladnir started walking towards the northern part of town. "All right, let's get a move on."

He led them a mile into the forest, not saying much about their intended destination or when they would get there. But soon they found themselves at a small clearing. Without warning, the centenarian let out a loud whistle.

"FWEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEETTT!!!!DAARRLAAAAAAAAAAA!!! !!!!!!!"

A few minutes of silence passed by before loud, thundering steps began approaching the group. The crunching of the trees and the shaking of the ground grew progressively intense as the thing, whatever it was, approached. Soon a long necked beast towered 25 feet over the minuscule group's heads. Only it's head was above them though, it's body being hidden by the trees. Turning to the three with a smile on his face, Skidbladnir said, "Ever ridden an earth dragon before?"

Shrike almost dropped the half eaten piece of meat he had in his mouth since his jaw was about to drop. Without warning Ruby took off from Judith's shoulders and headed straight for the colossal beast's head.
"Roovy!" Shrike tried to call out but the little red dragon was already close to its target. Growling furiously the lizard bit the greater Darla on the nose, but it seemed the flightless dragon didn't care as it kept on chewing the mass of plants in its mouth.
"Hmh, well you don't see that everyday." said the fox eared dwarf as he lifted his black leather hat to smooth his hair. "Let's hop on then before we get old."
The great tan reptile lowered it's spotted head close to the ground so that the bipeds could climb onto the saddle it had on its head. The saddle was covered with a structure similar to that of a wagon. Skidbladnir climbed up the rope ladder that dangled down the side of Darla's head and stretched out a hand to help the ladies up. Shrike, meanwhile, was straining himself to pull his pet off of their ride's nose, falling backwards after finally relieving his dragon's surprisingly strong toothy grip.

[Ara, well, I think you can already guess but I decided to model this 'earth dragon' after the apatosaurus (formerly known as brontosaurus, just like pluto formerly known as a planet *sniffle*) Please feel free to describe the scenery as we make our way to Roake :D ]

((Update. Black Rain conacted me, and wants to come back. I'll give it another day, then I will respond to all. Sorry for the delay :sweat:))

((Edit: Sorry, Black Rain, but you never got back to me, and I needed to move the story along. You're welcome to travel with Earth Maiden Fallon when she gets back, if she wants you to go with her. I'm really sorry :sweat:))

Judy watched in amazement at the Earth Dragon, barely noticing Shrike and Ruby's antics. "She's Incredible." She looked at Skidbladnir. "She is a girl, right?" She climbed up, and LiNeerlay followed.

The trip was long, but uneventful. They passed soldiers, heading both North, and South. Travelers and Refugees walked the roads, and the occasional Elf Sentry would poke his head from the trees to watch them pass.

It took days, most of which LiNeerlay sat in silence, and Judy played with Ruby and talked with Shrike. She was beginning to grow quite fond of the young dwarf, and thought of him as a friend by the end of the journey.

About a day from the capital, they came to a checkpoint along the road. Guardsmen stood along the road, weapons and horses around them, and were checking carts and belonging. One of the guardsmen waved to Skidbladnir to stop and speak to him.

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It took a few days to reach the boarder to the Provincial Capital. As they cleared the treeline, the changes became apparrent quickly. The smell of Death lingered in the air, and the sky seemed to hang an eternal red, black clouds darkening it. Lyle lit his pipe, and looked across the wasteland that had once been a field.

They were at the edge of a cliff, and below they could see small towns spread around them. Ahead of them, small towns burned, and a few spattering of forest had been stripped bare. Far in the distance, The Capital City of Molryne, which the Province was named for, stood. Even at this great distance, the tower of the king was visible, if just a black line on the horizen. "We'll need to cross the plains to get to my hideout." He pointed his pipe southeast. "If we walk carefully all night, we should make it around daybreak." He looked over at Era. "Where is that guild you spoke of? Is it on the way, or closer? I'd rather we find shelter quickly. In recent weeks, the skies are becoming as dangerous as the lands."

[Oh yeah, Darkest, I forgot to ask this when I made Skid up but is there anything like a royal research division or magic division for Souel? I have to give the black crystal ball to someone and I don't know who, hehe, sorry :sweat: Should I deliver it straight to Lady Rhashi?]

"Down Darla." the elder dwarf commanded his trusty and tall steed. The gentle giant lowered her head until her cargo hovered eight feet above the guard. Skidbladnir stood up and held the frame of the wagon to keep him from falling forward. "I'm here to deliver something to the palace." He took out from his black buckled jacket what seemed like a conch shell with a golden seal embedded in it and showed it to the guardsman. "And if it's about Darla, I've already told your superiors what I say every time I come by here, she's not going to squish anything! Darla's too graceful to do that." Ever since Skidbladnir teamed up with his beloved dragon, every single city they had to make deliveries to would always worry about the behemoth's size. Earth dragons were not exactly known for their consideration of a building's welfare. But Darla was a calm and smart reptile. She had been raised in a small town to the north by kind and loving elves, having been taught to help out with any heavy lifting they needed. When she had gotten too big, however, they had to find a way to keep her from being driven off or hurt by the neighboring towns. The tan spotted dragon had an appetite as big as she was and was known to eat plenty of the farmers fruit trees. Luckily for them, Skidbladnir offered to take her as his new transport, his old one having been killed by the invading army of Nezerus when he was at Vex. The old dwarf would always bring Darla to visit her town anytime they made deliveries to the north.

((Well, they do have a Mages guild, but the crystal should go the Lady Rhashi, or at least, her Steward, Terashi))

He nodded. "I know why ya here, Dwarf, the Lady is expecting you, and no, this isn't about your mount, strange a taste as it is. No, I stopped you to find out who your friends are." He motioned to the passengers alongside him. "We were only expecting you this trip."

[:) Got it]

"This boy here," he said, pointing a thumb over his shoulder to Shrike,"has saved me, and probably the whole of Souel, from a very nasty pickle. He needed a ride to the capital so I offered him and his friends one, free of charge. You got any problem with that?!" Skidbladnir snapped.

Shrike was sitting behind the princess and beside LiNeerlay. He listened curiously as Skidbladnir spoke with the guard, tilting his body to the side to get a better look. Ruby, who also wanted to see what was going on, climbed onto Judith's head for a better view of all the guards.

The guard frowned. "No, no, not really." He backed up a step. "Was just curious who they were was all. They can go in, for sure. Welcome to Roake." He stepped back, and waved them past the checkpoint. Judy relaxed, sighing with releif. She looked at Shrike with a 'that was close' kind of glance.

LiNeerlay remained ever silent, watching the city grow ahead of them.

Roake was truely a sight to behold. The outer edges of the city were new stone and wood, built for the expanding population. Then, the High Trees, huge hollow trees the Elves used as multi-teired houses. Within them, out of sight, was the White Palace. It was said that it was carved from a single massive piece of white stone that had fallen from the sky into the heart of the clearing, but that was only an ancient legend. Judy leaned forward excitedly, trying to get a look, though having no luck, at the White Palace from here.

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Lyle shrugged. "You go where you have to. When you're done, head to the Silver cliffs. You know the ones, right? The one at the foot of the Silver River, and the mouth of the great waterfall 'Silver Thunder'? When you get their, look for the Handprint, carved into the rock to the north of the falls, at the base of the cliff. It's hard to spot, but you'll find it if you look carefully. Just wait by it, and I'll come out and get you." He put a hand on his shoulder. "Good luck." He turned, and headed off along the cliffface.

At the bottom of the stairs, he encountered the first corpse. It was dead, and by the decay, had been for about 12 years now. He wore the guildsware, and bore their symbol.

The further in he moved, the more he found. Some were only badly damages, but some had been torn to pieces, and a few looked like they had been eaten from the inside out. The Ash where scrolls had once sat on tables one there were all that remained, though many racks of scrolls and tomes were missing completly. In the master of the Guild's chambers, his body was splayed across the desk, an ancient summon circle barely visible through the dust. The demonic symbol of the Lord of the Six Hells was scrawled in the man's dried blood across a nearby wall, and looked as though it may also have been on his forhead, though time had rid that of its certianty. Whatever had happened here, it had torn through the guild halls with a ferosity and anger the likes of which none of them would have seen.

The great earth dragon stopped beside one of the High Trees, one of the few plants that actually towered over her. She lowered her head once more so that her passengers could reach the ground.
"Well, here we are." said Skidbladnir, getting up and climbing down the rope ladder. As before, he held out his hand to help his companions down and patted Darla on the head to signal that everyone was off. The great tan beast slowly made her way towards the forest, to a less occupied area. Her tail caused some of the people behind her to duck as she swung it carefully high above their heads. She soon disappeared into the thick green woods, brushing through branches that stood in her way.

"All right, I got you kids here. I hope you enjoy your stay at Roake. I'm heading off now, see you later Shrike." Skidbladnir rubbed the boy's head before heading off towards the center of the High Trees.

"Thanks Skid." Shrike readjusted his cap that the old dwarf had dislocated and looked at Princess Judith, Ruby curling up around her neck once more. "Now what Judy?"

She thanked him as well. "We'll need some clothing, and perhaps some food, then I will need to make my case to the Queen. She'll listen to my news, I know she will." She looked at LiNeerlay, who looked away, as though she hadn't heard. "I'm just guarding you till Kaland returns. Why you are really here and what you plan to do is no concern of mine." She watched the crowd. "But we should get out of the open. No doubt the spies of Nezerus hide in this place."

Judy nodded and tracked down an inn, getting them a room. She then headed up stairs, and sat down at a table in the room. "So, what first? Food, clothing, or something I'm forgetting?"

"Food! Definitely food." replied Shrike as he flopped onto a bed and lay there, staring up at the ceiling. "I guess clothes would be next but I'm choosing mine alright?" Shrike was picky about his clothes. He had to find clothes that could easily conceal things no matter the shape. After finding the right kind of clothes, he would have to have them customized even more, adding hidden pockets or folds without making it look too suspicious. "Then we'll probably head to the castle, huh?" He looked out a nearby window, watching strange birds fly around from High Tree to High Tree. The sky-blue eyed boy wondered where or when they would meet up with his former teacher as he swished his tail once.

She nodded. "All right, but I have to approve it. We're not going to the queen of Souel dressed like a bunch of street bums... no offence." she added quickly, not meaning to imply Shrike looked like a street bum. LiNeerlay stood, and headed out. "You two should remain, I will see to getting some food. Don't leave, especially alone." She closed the door, and Judy shrugged, rubbing Ruby under the chin.

[Ooops, I forgot about your post of how dragons haven't been seen in years, hehe :sweat: Well, I guess Darla would be one of those rare few still around but that few people know are actually dragons...]

"So have you been here before?" Shrike asked the princess without moving from where he was. He was a little tired from the journey and was teetering on the edge of slumber. Outside the window, he could hear the sounds of the busy city below, though they weren't as loud as the sounds from Talen.

[My posts will probably be short for a while if that's ok :)]

((Well, the Dragons like we think of them haven't been seen. You know, winged fire breathing things that could eat a knight whole. A Groundpounding dinosaur like dragon would be rare, and rarer still as a mount, but not impossible. And don't worry about it :D))

She smiled. "Just once, when I was younger." She thought a moment. "Actually, about your age. My father came to visit Lady Rhashi, and I got to come. I was forced to stay in the carriage, though, so I only got a few looks out my window when we went through town. However, I did get a good look at the Palace. It's an incredible place. I wonder if Lady Rhashi will recognize me?" She smiled as she got up and walked to the window, looking down at the street below.

"What's she like?" asked the white haired boy. He knew for sure that the leaders of the other resistant nations were not as corrupt as Lord Vo and wanted to know more about them. He had heard that Souel's leader was wise and managed to get the uncaring Lord Vo to help out Arana.

"Well, here it is. Safe and sound." The gray tipped tail of the old man swished a little as he handed the black orb to Lady Rhashi's waiting steward. The delivery man still didn't see what the big deal was about this sphere but whatever it was, it had both Nezerus and Souel seeking it. "Anything else you want delivered?"

She smiled. "She great. Kind, gentle, but firm. She is smart, too, one of the brightest leaders of the Provinces. Some say the only leader Taarn fears, not for her strength but for her mind." She yawned, covering her mouth with the back of her hand. "Wow, I'm exashted. I guess riding that thing took more out of me then I thought." She looked at the beds, then at him. "I hope LiNeerlay isn't tired when she gets back." She went over and hopped into one of the beds, hopped onto it, and layed back.


The Steward took it with a smile. "Why, think you. No, nothing to deliever but my thanks, for finding it. If the Queen is right, this may be the end of the war in my hands." He bowed to him, then turned and headed off to a room just off the Throne Room. The pair of guards who led him in here also followed him back out, their armor clinking as they stepped in unison. Outside, then retook their posts by the steps of the White Palace and stood, watching for any trouble.

"I see." Shrike yawned after the princess yawned. "Well if she doesn't get back soon I'll just... take a little...." Sleep finally overcame the young thief before he could finish his sentence. It took him everything he had to just understand what Judy had last said.

((Sorry, I'm having a bit of a block here, and I'll be going away on a trip tomorrow morning and won't be back until next Thursday >_<;))

[Ok, no worries :) See you Fading. Have a safe trip :D]

LiNeerlay returned with a bang, kicking the door in as her hands were full of food. She dropped it on the table, drew her scimitar, and walked into the bedroom where the princess was sleeping.