Maya leapt back, startled by the sight of this young purple dragon crashing out of the undergrowth. The dragon didn't seem to notice the alarmed gazes directed at it, and it simply headed back into the bushes. After a few seconds, it leapt out again, landing in a more heroic-looking pose this time.
"Was that better? The first landing off, but I not really good at flying yet. I not very good at speaking human, either. Can you tell me what I doing wrong so I can try again?" The dragon spoke in a tilted, disjointed tone, as if it wasn't used to speaking at all.
"Umm... young dragon, do we know you? I mean, are we supposed to know you?" Madison smiled at the small creature, trying to make it feel welcome while also trying to figure out where it came from.
"Oh, that's right! I forgot that you not know me yet! My name Misty. What you?" Misty's tiny wings were covered in scars, and her legs had fresh burn wounds as well. Maya decided to try to get some answers out of the tiny dragon, worrying about these clear signs of abuse.
"I'm Maya. Can you tell me where you got those painful-looking cuts on your legs? Maybe I can help treat them." Maya raised her hands, summoning a flicker of her lightning magic, and pressing it on the open wounds, The gashes closed up slightly, although they were still inflamed. Misty stared up at Maya in awe, exhaling a slight puff of smoke.
"You seem trustworthy... well, I guess it not hurt to tell you group about me. I Addison daughter, and dad is Inferno. He really mean dad though, he cut legs and wings when I just a baby. He and Addison terrible people, terrible. Nobody want to help me fight them though, probably because they really powerful. You know about power, do you, Maya? Yes, you do, you know best of all. Can you help me fight evil parents?" Misty walked to Maya's feet and sat there, staring up at her with the most adorable face Maya had ever seen. Next to her, Tanya whispered, "It could be a trick. Don't just trust her immediately, give her a chance to prove herself first." Maya realized that she was right, and stared sternly at the little dragon.
"You can join our group temporarily, but I have a feeling that nobody trusts you. I don't trust you, myself, but I do want to believe that you can be an ally. So, on a trial basis, you are welcome to join us in the fight against Addison." Maya turned with a dramatic flourish, and Madison piped up from behind her.
"So... does that mean Inferno is a shapeshifted dragon too? He would be a red dragon, which explains your... unique purple color." Madison mused out loud, and Misty nodded assertively.
"That right! Inferno red dragon. Make sense, from name, right? Inferno similar to fire, and fire similar to red! It fit together perfect!" Misty exclaimed, hopping up and down.
"It certainly does make sense, Misty. But what I don't get is why you would betray your parents for a group of strangers. I mean, they're your own blood, your kin. Why would you be so confident about betraying your parents, no matter how horrible they are?" Ashley asked inquisitively, trying not to sound rude. Misty turned to face her, an almost comical expression on her face.
"I betray parents because parents betray many other people. Parents hurt many people, and I know personal favor is bad way to decide things. So, I see that betray parents only hurt me and them, and help parents hurt a lot of other people. Which would you choose, Ashley?" Misty's gaze suddenly became deep and powerful, as if the dragon was staring right into Ashley's soul. Ashley had no response, as she knew that she would choose to help her parents without a second thought. This young dragon may not be very smart, but she had an undeniable wisdom and a powerful moral code that Ashley found very admirable.
"Even so, it probably goes against all your instincts to fight your own parents, right?" Erin asked politely, seeing the same powerful wisdom that Ashley saw in the tiny dragon.
"Instincts? I not need instincts. If I has good reason, I ignore instincts and make better choice. Maybe human instincts better than dragon, but you human listen to instinct too much. Maybe try what I do, listen to logic? Maybe then you make better decision." Misty seemed to be enjoying saying wise things in response to their suspicious questions, and the spikes on her tail rattled as she flipped it around behind her.
"You all suspicious of me, I know. I want to prove that I trustworthy, so you let me help fight Addison. What I have to do to get human trust? For dragon, we kill enemy of other dragon, and that gain trust. Human are different, though. Human more emotional, and human probably not want dead body as offering. So how gain human trust?" Misty's face was shadowed in disappointment now, and she sat down with a defeated look in her eyes.
"I promise, one way or other, I find way to gain human trust."
The Game Master was very suspicious of this little dragon. There was no way that Addison's daughter could be this unfaithful to her mother, especially at such a young age. And her whole "abusive parents" story was so unlikely. Addison would never intentionally harm her own daughter, even if it was just because she would want the young dragon in her army. How was Maya falling for this pack of lies?
"Think about this very carefully, Maya. If what she says is true, then she wouldn't mind us not being ready for her yet. And if it's not true, this is our chance to capture one of Addison's most valuable spies. Her daughter has to mean more to her than any of her other agents, if nothing else." The Game Master whispered in a hushed tone, giving Maya a nervous look. "Your call. Just be careful."
Maya looked at the small dragon, considering her father's advice, and said, "Misty, with all due respect, I don't think some of us are ready to trust you just yet." Misty looked a little bit hurt at this, but she nodded reluctantly.
"I understand. I still try to help, no matter what you say." Misty flew clumsily into the trees, a sulky look on her scaled face. The GM sighed in relief, and quietly walked into the woods to meet with Jamie. His most recent letter had been an invitation to meet in person, to talk about... well, everything. This was the GM's one chance to communicate with Erin's former friend and possibly convince him to join their side.
Within a few minutes, he had arrived at the portals, sitting on a stained wooden chair while he waited for Jamie. He wasn't waiting for very long, however, since Jamie arrived just a few seconds after him. He got up and cordially shook Jamie's hand, ignoring the expression of pure fury on the smaller boy's face.
"What you did to Evie is unforgivable, but that's not what I wanted to talk about. You and I both know that Addison is some kind of shapeshifter, most likely a dragon, from what I know. We both want her plans to fail, although you don't need to know my motivations. So, I propose a deal. A temporary truce, at least until Addison has been defeated. I'll work with your group and share the information that I've gathered over the years, and you'll help me defeat the Queen of the Market. Deal?" Jamie's face was dead serious, and he extended his hand in a business-like fashion.
The GM shook Jamie's hand, seeing an opportunity to recruit an ally in the fight against Addison.
"Good. I'll come back to the clearing with you, and you will explain who I am and how we met. They all have to know that I am not a permanent ally, I'm just here for my own reasons. Now, let's go." Jamie strode off towards the game table, and the Game Master followed just behind him.
After a few minutes of silent walking, they arrived at the clearing to a chorus of confused faces. Jamie simply gestured to the Game Master then sat down at the very end of the table, not saying a word.
"So... Jamie and I have made a deal. He's going to be on our side, at least until Addison has been defeated. He and I aren't on very good terms, and I don't know where he's been for the past few years, so feel free to ask him anything." The Game Master smirked, and Jamie shot him a glare of wholehearted fury as Erin, Tanya, and Madison immediately clustered around him, talking over one another without giving Jamie a chance to answer their questions.
After the excitement about Jamie's return had died down, Madison quietly walked into the woods alone, trying to look for Misty. After a few minutes of searching, she saw a purple talon sticking out from behind a fat pine tree.
"Misty? I can see you, you know. Can I talk to you? It's Madison." Madison stepped softly around to see Misty, and to her surprise, found the small dragon crying. Without another word, she sat down next to her and wrapped her arms around Misty. Misty leaned into Madison, sniffling audibly. They were both silent for a few minutes before Misty whispered faintly into Madison's ear.
"I just want friends, or allies, but they not trust me... what I supposed to do? Please help me, Madison. Maya father not trust me either, I think he really hate me because I Addison's daughter. We have words for this in Draconic, it 'skarra vi skaluso'. 'Skarra vi skaluso' mean 'trust the trustworthy', which mean that you believe me when I prove I believable. But how prove I believable when you group not tell me what I need do?" Misty stood up, still shorter than Madison sitting down, and bravely wiped the tears off her face.
"I have something that you can do that will totally make the group trust you! Misty, if you attacked Inferno, then the whole group would instantly respect you. Don't go for Addison, she's too well guarded, but you could easily get Inferno. From what Taylor- oops, Tanya told me, the only person looking out for Inferno is an agent named Hurricane. Get him out of the way, and it's a straight shot to the target. I don't want a dragon as young as you to be hurting others, but I think that's what will gain human trust. Can you try to do that?" Madison winced at the thought of sending little Misty to attack her own father, but she knew for a fact that it was the only way to get the group to trust her, especially the stubborn Game Master.
"Yes! I do that! I get friend Isabel to help, that okay?" Misty was beaming now, not the slightest bit daunted by the task of hurting Inferno.
"Of course, Misty. Now go find your friend. You'd be surprised at how hard it is to convince others to hurt a human, no matter how evil." Madison hugged Misty tightly, and way too soon, Misty extricated herself from the tight embrace and flew deeper into the forest, her wings jolting as they flapped.
Madison reluctantly trudged back to the clearing, a slight frown on her face as she greeted Maya. Tanya shot her a suspicious glance, but quickly brushed it off and went back to talking with Xavier.
"Everyone, I would like to make an announcement." A hush fell over the group at the sound of Maya's commanding voice, and Erin stood up next to Maya.
"Erin and I are going to the Underdark to find some people to join our group. The more people that are willing to help us defeat Addison, the better. I want you all to begin preparing for battle, and please, if you see that young dragon again, treat her with respect. She could be a potential ally in our battle. Father, you're in charge until I come back." Maya looked at each person in turn, nodding at Erin when she was done.
"Good luck, and may the demon's blessing guide you on your journey." The Game Master raised his hands, casting Protection From Evil and Good on Maya and Erin. They grinned, thanking him before they ran off into the forest.
All there was left to do now was wait.
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Maya had spotted a cave near the clearing with a sign labeled "Underdark Mines", written in a very specific dialect of Elvish that few creatures spoke. Whoever wrote that sign was clearly only addressing drow, driders, and other subjects of the Spider Queen, Lolth. When she told Erin that, her eyebrows immediately raised.
"So if it's in such a specific dialect, how can you read it? You just speak the common dialect, right?" Erin stopped just before they entered the cave, crossing her arms and staring skeptically at Maya.
"I don't know how, I just feel like the translation is similar enough that I can accurately guess the meaning. Just trust me, okay?" Maya's explanation was weak, but it was enough for Erin. Together, they stepped into the cobweb-filled tunnels, shivering slightly.
After a while of wandering the caves, they came across another sign, dimly lit by a bright red glowing gem embedded in the wall, that seemed to be written in the same strange Elvish language.
"It says, 'Jump to activate'. Well, worth a shot." Maya jumped once, and immediately, the floor beneath them began rumbling, then sinking, bringing them lower and lower until it stopped with a jolt.
Maya and Erin walked out of the elevator-like contraption to see a pair of darkly dressed drow.
"Hello, newcomers. I'm Night Ivy and my friend here is Shade Owl, and this is the Underdark. What have ya come 'ere for, if ya don't mind me askin'?" Night Ivy, the taller woman with a hint of green hair peeking out from behind her hood, tilted her head at the much younger girls, blinking expectantly. Shade Owl just stood there, not moving a muscle.
"Um... I'm Maya and this is Erin, and we're here to find someone who knows Addison. Do you know anyone here that might've heard of her?" Maya stood up straight, unwilling to let the much taller women overwhelm her.
"Well, ya better turn right back 'round, if you're lookin' to recruit anyone. We hate that... creature, and nothin' ya say will change our minds. She thinks she's so smart, sendin' a pair of kids to recruit us. Not gonna happen!" Night Ivy glared at them, new suspicion in her eyes.
"What? No, no, you got us all wrong. We came down here to look for allies. We're forming an army to actually fight back against Addison's treacherous reign." Erin said, staring at Shade Owl, whose eyes were still narrowed.
"Oh. Well, in that case, come on in! Our base is right over 'ere. Do ya want to meet the rest of our crew? If you're lookin' for recruits, our camp is full of people who have been wronged by that manipulative demon." Night Ivy grinned, patting Erin on the shoulder heavily. Maya shrugged, figuring that at least they had Night Ivy as their first recruit.
As soon as they arrived at the camp, Maya was overwhelmed. The sheer number of people in such a small space was insane, not even considering the small animals that many of the passing people carried or had on their shoulders. It was a perfect place to begin recruiting people.
"Attention, residents of the Flame Fort! We 'ave a pair of newcomers here today that are here to recruit soldiers for their new army against the Queen of the Market! I said soldiers, Gloom Branch, so that means you're not allowed to join! Anyone else is welcome!" Night Ivy's raucous voice rang over the entire camp, turning a few heads towards Maya and Erin. The boy who was clearly Gloom Branch sighed, dropping the small toy sword he had been holding. Maya walked up to him, picking up the sword and putting it back in his small hands.
"You can help without fighting, you know. You can be our healer, the one who saves the wounded soldiers. You would make a huge difference, and nobody here seems brave enough to step up to that role. Well, nobody but you. What do you say, Gloom Branch?" Maya extended her hand to the Elvish boy, who seemed about 10 years old, and he smiled, accepting her hand. Maya and Gloom Branch walked back to where Erin was standing, and Night Ivy gave Maya a very confused look.
"Does anyone else want to volunteer? Every application is accepted!" Maya called out, and a few more people began wandering closer to them. After a few moments, Shade Owl appeared next to them with a sheet of paper that had "Sign-Up Sheet" hastily scribbled on the top. Maya thanked her, and she nodded once, handing over the paper. It already had Night Ivy, Shade Owl, and Gloom Branch's names written on messy lines all over the crumpled folds. Maya sat down at a nearby table, putting the paper down in front of her.
After just a few minutes, there were so many names written on the paper that there was no room for more.
"Alright, we have enough volunteers. Everyone who signed up, come with us to the surface to meet the rest of the group." Erin said, and a small crowd of people followed her and Maya back to the elevator.
"Wow. Who knew we would find so many people, right?" Erin mused to Maya, and she agreed, laughing cheerfully.
Maya, Erin, Night Ivy, Shade Owl, Gloom Branch, and 7 other people that Maya hadn't personally talked to all stepped on the platform, jumping in unison, and they rocketed up to the surface. Maya guided them all out of the tunnels, and they stopped in their tracks as soon as they saw the light. Some people screamed, some just gasped, but they all saw the same thing.
Flapping her wings heavily, right outside the tunnel, was Misty, carrying the dead body of her father, Inferno.
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"Isabel! Isabel! There is something we can do help!" Misty exclaimed in her native Draconic language, crashing into a lot of branches as she flew through the forest.
"Shh! Are you trying to let the whole forest know where I am? What is it, Misty?" The face of a slender copper dragon appeared from behind a tall boulder, and Misty swooped down into Isabel's den.
"Remember how you tell me to tell you if there something you could do help? There is! All you need do is kill someone name Hurricane so I can get to Inferno! Then Madison group will trust and we will have allies! Please, Isa? Just one little thing? Then we can have real home, not just big rock in forest." Misty's eyes widened, and she gave Isabel a pleading look.
"Fine... but you know how I feel about you hurting humans. Just make sure you don't become as bad as Addison while trying to fight her." Isabel nodded curtly to Misty, unable to hide her wide grin as she flew towards Addison's market, dragging Misty behind her.
They arrived at the outskirts of the market, being very careful not to be seen. The last time they were seen, it took all of Addison's power to stop her from being killed by a disobedient guard, and Misty was determined to keep Isabel out of that kind of danger.
"Okay, Isa. You go there and get rid Hurricane, I go here and go for Inferno. Good plan?" Misty blinked at Isabel, and the older copper dragon rubbed her talons together in anticipation.
"Ready. Let's go on my mark. 3, 2, 1... go!" Isabel lunged for the guard that Misty had pointed out as Hurricane, slashing his throat and killing him instantly. She had no time to regret that, however, as she saw Misty about to go for a killing bite to Inferno's neck. She tackled the small purple dragon, holding her away from Inferno.
"Stop, Misty! There are some things that you can't undo!" Isabel yelled to Misty, but she refused to stop squirming against Isabel's grip.
"Maybe this no something I want undo." Misty broke free from Isabel's talons and exhaled a strange purple flurry at Inferno, half fire sparks and half deadly sharp ice crystals. Inferno screamed in pain, collapsing to the ground with thousands of tiny wounds all over his body. Isabel just stared in horror, watching the life force slowly seep out of Inferno's limp form.
"One day, when you're old enough to understand complex moral codes, you will regret doing that. Come on, we need to go back to your group." Isabel shook her head sadly, scooping up Inferno and Hurricane in each of her talons. Misty clambered onto Isabel's back, and Isabel took flight, carrying everything at once.
"Ignoring the fact that you just killed someone, what was that fire/frost breath thing that you just did? That was amazing! Did you know you could do that?" Isabel's eyes grew wide with wonder, setting aside the darker topic for now.
"No, I never done that before! That new!" Misty exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear. "Also, what that paper you holding? Look important." Misty prodded Isabel's left talon, where she had a tiny piece of paper tucked between her claws.
"I read it quickly before we took off, and it looks like a letter from Addison. This paper has everything about her plans written on it. Do you realize what this means? We have something that Madison's group wants! We have leverage!" Isabel swooped to the ground, seeing the clearing up ahead. They landed smoothly, and Misty hopped off just before Isabel actually landed. They arrived at the clearing and saw Maya, Erin, the Game Master, and a whole crowd of new people, all staring in terror and awe at the dragons, who were carrying the dead corpses of Inferno and Hurricane.
"Misty! You're back!" Maya said quickly, probably just to show the new people that they shouldn't be afraid, that they knew this dragon.
"Is that Inferno? Misty, what did you do?" Madison cried, looking up at Misty with the emotion she had been longing to see all her life: respect. The entire group was looking at her with great respect in their eyes, and Misty's heart felt like it was about to burst.
"Yes! I kill the villain! I prove I trustworthy! You group has to trust me now, right?" Misty walked up to Madison, sitting down right at her feet.
"Yes, Misty, You did it. You earned the group's trust." Madison sat down next to Misty, hugging her tightly.
But as Isabel saw this, she couldn't help but wonder about the price Misty had paid for this precious trust...
[ 3889 words ]
one adorable bean of a dragon fjdkshjsfdkh
vote and maybe ill stop procrastinating and release a new chapter