RP:A Deal with Dragons

Summary: Jhaekarus arrived, bloodied and near-unconscious on the doorstep of Nikola's blacksmith workshop before passing out. The blue dragon takes him in, saves his life and repairs his damaged equipment. Upon waking, the two dragons learn of their shared race and discuss how Jhaekarus will settle the debt he owes the blacksmith.

Mountain Path

Jhaekarus tramped wearily up the gravel and stone lined path, his armor hanging in strips and chains from his shoulders, while his tunic beneath lay in tatters, revealing long crimson scratches striping his back. He clutched what remained of a broadsword in one hand, the blade was shattered a few inches from the hilt and the remainder of the blade was wrapped in a scrap of cloth in the dragon's other fist. Swaying almost drunkenly, the red-haired figure stumbled up the slope to the small building that was situated at the side of the road. Upon reaching the doorway, the dragon leaned against the wall and stepped shakily inside the door. "..heard there was a blacksmi' here...." he mumbled incoherently, then collapsed in a pile of man and metal on the floor inside the room.

Nikola was working on something when she felt wind entered her store, Ofcourse the shop is high in the mountains so anyone who attempts to get in or out of the shop would be felt by her. The cold wind would seep into the store especially that she works near the roaring flames of the forge, it would be impossible for her not to notice. Rising her head alittle as she looked by the door, unsure what the man wanted but before she could even reply the man fell onto her doorway and left it wide open. The first thing that came into mind was to kick him outside and close the door. Let him freeze to death out there. She moved closer and saw his face, a waste would he be to let him die. Holding him by the collar as she used some of her magnetism to make his form lighter, dragging him across her workshop, closing the door and onto a service table. She could've brought him into her house at the back of the shop but it is alot warmer here, throwing more wood into the pit, to keep the fires up.

Jhaekarus was hanging on to consciousness by a thread, but thankfully whoever it was inside the shop pulled him inside and shut the door behind him. The dragon honestly couldn't have cared who it was, at least it was warm inside. Cracking his eyes open a millimetre, the dragon's gaze fell upon the hot fire that lay at the center of the forge. "F-fire.." he croaked, weakly extending his hand out towards the enticing flames. If Nikola had been alarmed by him, she'd be even more alarmed now as the man's hand stretched closer to the flames, the tongues of fire curled and stretched out towards him in return, almost brushing his fingertips. In a flash, a gout of flame burst from the forge and spread up the man's arm, glowing incandescent in an instant before dimming and appearing to sink into the tanned flesh beneath. The man sighed contently and if anyone had been taking a close look at him, they would find his smaller wounds had closed and the larger ones reduced. The dragon's head lolled slightly and his eyes fell on the silvered hair and glasses of the person who he had to thank. "Huh....cute..." he murmured, before a soft grin spread across his lips, only to fall slack as the dragon passed out and slumped against the table.

Nikola was about to snatch a wet rag to extinguish it. She usually keeps it lying around to swat away flames when reheating blades with oil. But instead of spreading, the flames made its way toward the man, covering her sack of saw dust just incase it catches aflame and explodes. Turning to him then throwing more wood into the pit. "You'll kill it." she needs the flames for her work and high in the mountain, its hard to keep it alive. Tossing a couple more firewood before turning back to him, The armor... well she didn't made it, she can't feel her insignia on the metal but the locking mechanism isn't as complex as the ones she makes. Working her arm around to remove his armor, "I don't think I have enough medication for you. You'll just need to survive on bandages."

Jhaekarus was peacefully unconscious, his limbs heavy and limp. The dragon's hands had relaxed and the broadsword and it's respective shards fell to the ground. In the light of the flames, the shards would twinkle like miniature stars as they twirled through the air before hitting the floor with a resounding bass thump. Commonplace as the armour was, the sword might have given the woman reason to pause. Shards of metal that size shouldn't have made that sort of noise upon hitting the floor, at least not if they were made of any normal metal. The shards, if lifted, would weigh something akin to a wrought iron cannonball each, while the hilt weighed as much as a pallet of lead bars.

Nikola shook her head as the man appears happy at the face of death even. The weight of his gear makes her assume that he is a dragon. A fire one especially how the heat expends from his form and how the flames seems to be attracted to him. She set aside the gear for now as she went to her house, get some medication before working on bandaging up the man. Picking up his heavy sword, wondering how to repair it. She could.... just seal it back together, and get over it but the sword would be extremely weak, the seals won't hold long too especially in battle with the sword's weight. If it were only a crack, it would be easy but the core of the sword is damaged, she would need to reforge it, replace the core with a different metal then melt down the blade and reform it around the new core and simply make it appear as if it is the same sword.

Jhaekarus wavered on the line between wakefulness and oblivion for quite some time. When he eventually came to, the light outside was dimming and the first flakes of snow were drifting down from the sloped of Frostmaw. Sitting up gingerly, the dragon winced and turned his head to inspect his back. Surprisingly, he found his torso bare and wrapped tightly with linen and bandages. Grimacing with pain as he sat up, the dragon swung his feet slowly off the table and down to the floor. His bare feet touched the cold flagstones and the dragon shivered despite himself. Using the table to support himself, he inched towards the glowing coals of the forge fire and the heat they exuded. Lifting his hands from the table, the dragon stumbled across to the fire and soon buried his hands in the burning embers. A sigh of contentment escaped his lips as he felt the delicious warmth spreading throughout his body. He would have drained all the heat from the fire but for a hazy recollection from earlier. A woman's voice, calm and almost musical, addressing him firmly, ordering him not to kill the fire. The dragon slowly lifted his hands from the embers, brushing the small sparks and ash from his skin and turned, seeking the person to whom he owed his life, it appeared.

Nikola had stacks of chopped wood sitting nearby if incase the man 'accidentally' kills it. She had repaired the sword and armor, sitting neatly ontop of an anvil. She had to melt down the sword. She replaced the core with tungsten then returned the melted blade around the core, It is almost the same weight as before, the sword was too damaged and wasn't exactly the same size as it was supposed to be. She measured the sword pieces the man carried with him and the sheathe upon his belt, making her assume that there was a portion missing, With the missing segment, replaced core, the size was good as new, same appearance as before, same weight. She made sure to hide new metal underneath a layer of the previous one so there won't be any discoloration. Normally it would take one to forge a weapon days. even weeks. But for Nikola, it is only a matter of hours. Using her electro-conductivity, she could melt down metals just by holding it long enough, allowing her to reforge the weapon while the man is sleeping. She soon appeared by a doorway at the back, "Oh, and here I thought I should throw your corpse out." sipping in a mug of warm drink.

Jhaekarus' head turned in a fraction of a second, perhaps too fast for any regular human. The dragon quickly sized up the woman standing in the doorway with a hunter's keen eyes. "Thank you..." he murmured after a few moments of silence, and the hints of a smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I'm sorry I dropped in on you like that, normally I'd give more notice if I was in town, Ms...?" the dragon strode across, his hand extended to shake that of Nikola's, shortly before the man recalled that from the waist up, he was all but naked. "Huh, normally takes a drink or two to get me this undressed." he chuckled, grinning down at Nikola. "To whom do I owe a debt of gratitude?"

Nikola breathes into the cup and let its scent fill the workshop. "I was thinking of working today but someone was lying on my table." walking toward him before she pass her cup. "Nikola." she waited for him to reach for the cup, if he won't then she'll simply settle it down on a nearby table. "Yes, you dropped on my floor. Nearly broke something too." she teased as she went to her seat, by the anvil as she checked on the man's sword. The only visible difference of the previous sword and now is a small insignia she left on the blade. Checking her work before setting it back down. "Gear is fixed, you owe me now."

Jhaekarus accepted the cup from Nikola and sniffed the contents critically. Hmm, tea of some kind. Hints of cinnamon, and a touch of cloves. Sipping gingerly, the dragon found the drink quite to his taste and followed the woman across the floor of the workshop. "Aye, I'm sorry about that. The beasts in these parts are smaller than those out west, but they grouped together and made mincemeat of my back." The dragon placed the cup aside on the table and lifted the blade from the anvil, turning it over in his hands. He held it firmly in his right hand and swung the blade in a swift arc, making the air sing as the metal cut through it. "It's fractionally shorter, but you managed to keep the weight consistent. Very impressive work." The dragon commented, studying the blade before noticing the small insignia set above the hilt. He smiled idly, tradespeople had a thing about marking their work, it appeared this woman was no different. "I must have been out for some time for you to have reforged the sword so well. I hope I wasn't too much of a burden" The dragon commented, frowning slightly, assuming incorrectly that this was simply a very talented human blacksmith rather than a fellow saurian. He turned to meet the woman's eyes and grinned, a half-grimace. "How much do I owe you?"

Nikola watches the man before replying. "Well you didn't bring in the whole sword, certain parts are missing so I had to do assumptions on its size." All she had as guide was the sheathe and ofcourse she had to make sure it would fit to adjustments were made for that as well. "You are out for a day.. or so atleast." she replied as she stood up and went by the doorway again. "I don't think you have any money to pay me. Then again, I didn't check your pockets. Why don't me talk about business over dinner? I'm sure you are hungry." It was getting late, not caring if the man follows or not, she vanishes beyond the doorway and into the woman's dinning area.

Jhaekarus' eyebrows shot up. It was rare enough that he ended up surprised, but this woman had managed it. Reforging the sword to that standard in a day and the armour also would take a team of master blacksmiths, not to mention the sheer weight of the sword would be too heavier for the brawniest man. Yet this woman had done it all in a day. The dragon was confused, there was something off about this woman. Something not quite human. He watched as she breezed past him and into the room beyond. As she passed, he caught the slight scent of burning almonds, the sort of smell one finds after a heavy thunderstorm. A rather odd smell for a blacksmith to have. Setting the sword back on the anvil with a satisfying clank, the dragon tentatively followed the woman's route through the doorway, pausing to rifle through the small satchel he had dropped beside the door for a crumpled white shirt.

Nikola's dining area stands right after the doorway, A metal door was separating the workshop and the dining room but it appears that it was kept open during daytime and only closed at night. Ofcourse Nikola needs to go back and forth from her shop to her house to get something to eat or drink while she works. Left of the dining area is a hallway that has two doors, one at each one, one is a store room and the other is a spare bedroom. Further the hallway is her living room and front door of the house. The right of the dining area however is her kitchen and on the western wall was a stairway toward her room and bathroom upstairs, there is also a bathroom on this floor, at the back end but the one upstairs has a tub while the one below only has a simple shower. The land surrounding the property is filled with plant bearing trees and vegetation that she cultivates and cares for if ever she is in need of fruits, vegetables or spices. Upon the table are warm mushroom soup, cold tea and bunch of meat based meals. All warmed and cooked to perfection. Sitting by a chair as she points at the other one. "Please." Waiting for him to seat down.

Jhaekarus entered the room and peered around, taking in all the details of the room. As he did so, the delicious scent of the soup wafted across to him and he found his stomach growling loudly, much to his embarrassment. "Thank you, Nikola." He said as he accepted the offer of a seat and plonked himself down a the table. The dragon was immediately bewildered by the array of forks, knives and spoons arrayed on either side of the bowl before him, the dragon was more accustomed to eating with a hunting knife when he could and his fingers when he was in a pinch. Dithering over which utensil to use, he opted for the biggest spoon, on the simple grounds that it would allow him to eat quicker. Lifting a spoon of soup to his mouth, he swallowed the piping hot mouthful straight with no pause to blow and smiled as the heat suffused his tired body. " So... to business?" He inquired, glancing across at the woman as he lifted more of the soup to his lips.

Nikola doesn't really mind which utensil the man wants to use. To be fair, all of them are supposed to be utilized at one point so it doesn't really matter to her how the man uses it. Maybe she should've set the table for something alot less confusing? She saw the look upon the man's eyes and placed a finger against the table. The utensils began rearranging themselves against the table, leaving only he basic ones while the rest floats toward the cupboards. "Yes. Business. And I have readied quite a feast. You are hunting, I would assume that your prey... got away? Sword of that weight, heat emanating from your form. I would assume some sort of fire dragon?" she tilts her head as she watched the man eat. "Name. Please."

Jhaekarus paused, a spoonful halfway to his mouth as the cutlery lifted from the table and drifted soundlessly through the air, once again with that slight scent of lightning. Suddenly the pieces fell together and the dragon visibly relaxed, the spoonful reaching his mouth before he set it back in the bowl. Wordlessly, he wiped his mouth with the napkin next to his hand and then lifted said hand up, facing upwards like a claw. From the tips of his fingers, small gouts of flame popped alight and moved down his skin. Where the fire passed, scarlet scales rose from his flesh to plate his skin, winking like droplets of blood. When the fire reached his wrist, it faded away again, leaving the dragon's hand, or claw rather, for it was tipped by razor sharp ebony claws, plain to see. "You would be correct in that assumption ma'am. I am a Red. And you probably knew that from when I first arrived, being a dragon yourself." the man grinned, leaving that last statement hanging in the air. The strength, the telekinesis (or magnomancy rather), the smell of ozone and static, it all fell into place. "You are a Blue, if i'm not mistaken. An electric dragon." This was posed more as a given fact than a question, the man was almost certain she was what he assumed. After a moment, he shrugged and returned to his soup. "Firedrake is what I am known by in these parts. But my given name is Jhaekarus." He leveled his eyes coolly at the woman sitting across from him, awaiting her response.

Nikola smiles as she began eating herself. "I allowed you to call me Nikola so I guess it is fair to call you Jhaekarus. Would 'Jhae' alone be alright?" she tilts her head alittle as she wondered what would the man's response to such. "I am a Blue, oddly enough Blue does not mean water." She began to quietly ate some of the soup, before finally pushing it away and having some of her roasted meat. She cuts herself a slice and readied a larger chunk for the man, placing it on his plate, sitting there waiting for him to finish enticing his appetite with the soup.

Jhaekarus grinned despite himself. "Jhae sounds perfectly agreeable, so long as the tavern lads don't get wind of it" He chuckled, a charming grin spreading across his features. Upon finishing the soup (he resisted the temptation to lick the bowl, there was a lady present) he gratefully accepted the plate of meat with murmured thanks. Spending a moment or two fiddling with the fork and knife and which hand they ended up in, he cut a large slice free from the meat and ate it. The meat was expertly seasoned and the hint of woodsmoking only added to the flavour. "Where d'you learn to cook 'ike this?" The dragon inquired, forgetting in his food-induced rapture that he had his mouth full. He was highly impressed, it was a long time since he had eaten food of this quality and the first time it had been prepared by someone else. "This is impressive cooking, Niki." Jhae grinned amiably across at the woman sitting across from him.

Nikola blinks "Niki... Okay, I guess that's fair." she smiles and said, "Curiosity and Time. The reason why I left the nest was that... I was a slave of my own greed. Knowledge, eagerness and satisfaction. That was my driving force of my youth. I learned all of it because of such childish acts." She simply shook her head and continued eating. "Why? Does the name Jhae sound too.. feeble compared to the scary, powerful persona you are trying to build?" she can't help but laugh, washing down the warm food with cold, fruit tea. A bottle of wine was also there but it isn't open. She wasn't sure what the man wanted so she simply had one ready.

Jhaekarus nodded as he listened to Nikola's story, then grinned ruefully when she inquired as to why he didn't want the name known broadly. "Perhaps partially. It also help to have a sense of professional distance between myself and those I work around. There are some rough people who will take any opportunity to exploit those they think can provide material gain." The dragon frowned slightly, he had learned from experience the sort of men that could be out there. He then shrugged and a hint of a smile returned to his face. "Now that I think about it, perhaps Jhae isn't the worst name to have." He chuckled softly then placed his elbows on the table, clasping his hands and resting his chin upon them. "So, about owing you for the equipment..."

Nikola simply smiled as she listened to the man, till finally he settled down and began talking about business. "I doubt you can afford it." She simply replied. Her skills with metal are matched only by Masters and she was able to reforge his sword, something that would require atleast four master smiths couple of weeks to repair. "I also saved your life, unless ofcourse if you think your own life is worth mere gold coins then sure. But my services are quite expensive."

Jhaekarus frowned, she set a hard bargain, not a whole lot of room for bargaining. "How would you suggest I settle such a debt?" He inquired plainly. Might as well see what it was she wanted in return, given she knew he was lacking in funds already, the only option the dragon could see was unpaid labour. Casting a critical eye across the woman, he pondered the thought. There were certainly worse people to work for. Less attractive ones to be sure.

Nikola did said that she did not checked his pockets. But she did carried him using magnetism, his armor is made out of metal, allowing her to lift him. But the magnetic field did reached onto other things as well. A coin pouch perhaps? Giving her an exact count of his money? Maybe. But the price of the sword alone was too much. It was heavy and clearly made 'not' to be reforged. The metal used was far too sturdy than any metals she tend to use. Who ever smithed it the first time clearly does not want to see the blade back into any forge because it was built to last. And yet this dragon somehow found a way to break it. "I offer work. A helping hand in my shop. Don't worry, You'll be fed, you'll be given a room. And you'll do things that you always do. Behind my house is a garden, allowing me to have fruits, vegetable and spices. I have a couple of animals as well but ofcourse I cannot slaughter one after another everyday for meals. I still need to buy on the city. And maybe help be carrying stuff from time to time?" tilting her head wondering if the man would accept such deal. "You are free to run away from me however. I'll still be friendly with you, but I doubt I'll repair anything for you after that."

Jhaekarus mulled the offer over. A bunk, a meal, work, not a whole lot he could refuse. Scratching his chin for a moment, the dragon stood and proffered his hand to shake. "I accept your offer, Ms Nikola." He stated solemnly, then broke into a grin, "If you can put up with having me around, that is." Upon shaking her hand firmly, the dragon seated himself again and tucked ravenously into the food. "I won't lie, with food like this, I'd be happy to work here regularly. I hope you dont mind if I attend to my other duties outside working hours however." the dragon raised an eyebrow quizzically.

Nikola smiles and replied, "Ofcourse, Although there will be times that you would need to cook for yourself. I am fully aware that hunting sometimes require lengths of time to catch prey with that said, there is no curfew to when you need to be back home or not. As long as you stick with our deal, my store room remains fully stocked for next couple of so, till finally I declare that your debt has been paid."

Jhaekarus nodded. "A deal it is then." When she mentioned cooking, the dragon couldn't help but smile broadly. "It's been a long time since I've been able to cook properly, I've missed it." He popped the last piece of meat into his mouth and reclined back into his chair, gazing idly around the room, his eyes moving slowly from on detail to another. "Nice place you have here. Quiet and remote, but near enough to the pathway that merchants will stop by. Good location." He got up from his chair and crossed to the window, pulling the light curtains aside to peer out through the double glazed glass. Outside, the snow was heavily falling and the ground was crisp and white, contrasting with the ashen dark sky. "Surprised you don't get snowed in more though, the south-westerlies will take the snow right from Frostmaw to here." He commented, then shivered involuntarily. He still hadn't gotten his body heat back to normal, though the meal did help greatly.

Nikola points her fork northward before having another piece of meat. "The gate toward the dwarven city of Craughmoyle is just a few kilometers north. It is close enough." watching the man as he stood up and checked on the window, she finishes her meal, cleans her face before saying. "Well it does snow, the garden is in a greenhouse to ensure the warmth so keep the plants living. The trees are resilient as always but their fruit needs to be take care off once they began growing. Other than that, there isn't much else to say. Your room is there..." pointing at a door by the hallway," Bathroom is there and my room is upstairs, the laundry is outside on a shed. I also have a sauna pool outside but its small."

You surveyed the growing snow outside and then yawned widely. "Might go for a nap, my energy still isn't up. Thank you for the meal, and of course everything you have done." The dragon turned and smiled gratefully back at the woman still seated at the table. He strode silently across to the door of the room and paused, turning back as if to say something, but instead smiling gently, then heading off into the room beyond. Mere minutes later, the sonorous sound of his snoring came through the closed door as the dragon fell asleep.