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So I told you that story, so I could tell you this story.... |
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Years sped by, and Zakerin took the adult name Eyran, meaning "one who remains". He grew and learned, swiftly becoming well known for succeeding where others had failed. He was given honor after honor, and after just one year had been made an official Guardian, though there had been something strange about his oath ceremony, no one had been able to say exactly what...
It had been the evening after the Oath that the first of the three eggs had hatched, giving birth to a tiny Serpentine Dragon that he'd named Wyrm. Wyrm had bonded to him almost immediately and, though dragons were notoriously hard to tame to be familiars, he was no trouble. The dragon became, after time, a sort of mascot to Eryan. It seemed to eternally rest on his shoulders, the left one mostly, and did as he asked immediately.
"Its unnatural." Terika had said to him around the fire one night. "That's what I keep hearing. They say you must have some dragon blood in you or something."
"Or something." was all he had responded with. He and Terika often teamed up for moderate quests. "I just hope they dont try to steal him. He's gentle with me, but he's still one of the most poisonous dragons on the planet." he scratched the small dragon behind its horns and listened to it purr as it fell asleep.
They sat, staring into the fire, quietly gathering their thoughts.
"It will have been about two years since we met." Terika said, as if preparing to give a speech.
"Yes, yes it has." Eryan lounged back and pet his dragon. He still had all his things from that time, and he'd only made minor modifications to his training uniform since.
"Im trying to say that you're turning fifteen." Terika sighed. Until he reached seventeen, he wasnt an adult, but she gave him alot of free reign. "How about in the next city we go get you something to celebrate? I mean, if you want to."
It had actually been a while since he'd been in any large cities. Even when they did big quests, Terika acted as a representative for him, because he felt uncomfortable in the cities ever since being in the canyon.
Eryan was quiet and thoughtful. Terika just sighed.
"You at least have to renew your license. Otherwise we cant do more quests- and you have to do that in person." she pushed.
Eryan just gave an exasperated laugh. "Alright, alright. I'll go in the stone monstrosity. And I think... Im going to want a new sword to add to my current ones. Something with an elemental flair, I dont want to be caught off guard like I was with that salamander."
Terika looked relieved. "I noticed you looking at a few letters earlier, what were those about?"
Eryan looked sheepish and pulled the letters out of his pocket. "A few girls sending thank you notes, a few guild offers, and a letter from...." he fell silent, and looked a bit depressed. "... Ariana."
Terika had heard that sound alot. Sometimes she'd been the cause for that sound. "Let me guess. The girls saying thank you covered the letters in perfume, and possibly a spell or two. The guilds offered gold and equipment, and haigh rates and fame." She sighed then. "Ariana told you that she's got someone. Probably a nice Weaver boy, one that doesnt go adventuring and risking his life."
Eryan's silence was all the answer she needed.
"It happens. Guardians mostly marry their own, or a magical being that can take the rigors of our lifestyle."
"I know... but I cant help but think 'what if', you know?" he was a hormonal teenager that killed things that went bump in the night. "Its not like our profession is filled with female members outside of family." Strangely, Mage King decendants were all Guardians. Most of them chose to stay out of the spotlight, but Eryan had met a few on various quests. They didnt seem like the types to go into that kind of work, but...
"Ive met all of two, and they were so much older that I could be their grandkid. I just..." he sighed and looked down at his dragon. Terika thought that most of the girls who'd turned him down had done so, probably because they'd never seen this side of the boy.
"I know." She said, feeling depressed and guilty now. "Get some sleep, we've got Uriala's Keep to reach." she tossed him a pillow and went into her tent. Eryan propped his pillow up against a tree and watched the stars until he too fell into slumber....
The winged woman was angry. Zak had found someone who would be allowed to kill them, and might have a reason. She was tall, and may have at one time been beautiful, but now she was a foul creature. He face from the nose down was like white marble, structured perfectly, while from there up covered by a black cloth- yet from under it you could see the burn scars peering out.
Her body was toned, perfectly, but she held her chest as if it was damaged in some way. Wings that appeared to have once been large and white were little more than blackened stubs.
A voice like fire entered her ears.
"My lady, you sent for me?"
Yes Xarin. the Yettai Nigari has begun to stir once more... Call together the other four. her voice was like the wind in dry grass, the mist at dawn. Almost not there.
"As you command, My lady."
She would not be defeated and humiliated again, not go before her enemy in defeat.
For if she died, she would stay that way- Death had no love for her.
 Azzy Rael · Fri May 14, 2010 @ 02:15am · 0 Comments |
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