RP:Belly of the Beast

From HollowWiki

Part of the What Dreams May Come Arc



Summary: Uma Abelin, Mayor of Cenril, investigates a lead on one of the skull talismans. She meets Scandal, a very large but young dragon who appears to have swallowed it. Together, they devise a plan whereby Uma leverages Scandal's mana to extract the skull, which is amber and carries with it unnaturally strong feelings of euphoria.


Meadow, Xalious

Scandal sighed. His vast form stretching across the meadow. From appearance he was a black and red under-bellied dragon several miles in length, a few miles wide and a few miles tall, his massive wings were tucked close to his body and his head lay down against the ground. Thoroughly uncomfortable in his natural size, Scandal still felt greatly annoyed that he had slept for has long as he did in a moonrock mountain, no doubt the magic playing into lack of aging and yet despite growth as he slept for far longer than most any dragon should have. Occasionally one could hear what was assumed thunder was actually the sound of scandal’s joints cracking and snapping as his body attempted to assume a size more comfortable, his entire form shrinking like a balloon losing its air, eventually bringing the dragon down to about 600’ long and 300’ tall and 200’ wide. Annoyingly he had to assume his natural form every 16 hours due to his extreme age taking a toll on his transformation abilities. But now he could enjoy a slightly more relaxed form, that allowed him to breathe without causing a windstorm.


Cenril's Mayor, Uma Abelin, has for some time been monitoring enchanted map tracking the whereabouts of the witch talismans needed to resurrect Valrae. She keeps it on her person, for safety reasons, and in so doing she's observed the following pattern: one of the skulls on the map keeps moving. It's by chance that she and the skull happen to be in the same area, now. She's on her broomstick, flying above the very large dragon known as Scandal. A lot is starting to make sense to her now. Either this dragon has been carting about the skull in his hoard of treasure, or he's eaten it. Not all dragons are as civilized as Queen Hildegarde. Others are stereotypically greedy, mercurial, prone to random violence, and the snatching of princesses (or mayors?). Perhaps, however, this one can be reasoned with. She slowly flies lower, so that he can see her approach and grow comfortable with it, finally landing near the beast's large head. "Hello," she dismounts and, smoothing her patterned skirts, draws herself upright. "Who might I be addressing?"


Scandal eyes followed the woman on the broom, and wondered if a friend of his Lanara could do that, Unable to actually speak verbally in this form, Scandal speaks by thought of mind able to send messages telepathically while able to hear verbal messages from others. "You are adressing Scandal ma'am, and no i do not mean that I am scandlous but I didn't choose my name, i just happen to be called Scandal, to whom am I addressing?" He asked his voice rich, deep and hinting of a long extinct accent.


Uma is a bit taut like a spring presently, ready to cast a barrier if need be. It wouldn't be helpful if Scandal greeted her by exhaling fire onto her person, for example. But he seems friendly. Dragons in the wild are a bit like cats and dogs. You can sort of tell when you approach one if it would like to destroy you immediately. She hears the dragon's voice in her mind and relaxes, knowing that her hunch had been correct. So, here lies... a self-deprecating dragon. "I am Uma Abelin, Mayor of Cenril City," she responds, amusement underlying her voice. She smiles, showing her teeth, to the creature. "Do you have a moment, Scandal? I was hoping to ask you a question."


Scandal chuckled and he shook his head slightly, while it may have been hard to notice as dragon's mouths are not always the most expressive the corners of the mouth seemed to indicate a smile, "Ma'am I am Dragon, time, moments, it never ends, ask your question, I'd be happy to answer it, I get so little conversation when I am like this, and not when I am taking human form."


Uma shifts her weight and abruptly wishes she had worn more practical shoes, as her heels begin sinking into the ground. Nothing like aerating the soil inadvertently. "Oh," she exclaims, shifting a little to find that the same problem is happening elsewhere. "Excuse me, the perils of heels," she says dryly, as she gets back on her broomstick and levitates in front of Scandal. "Better," she breathes, flashing that same smile to the dragon once more. "I am a witch," she starts, as if that needed explanation. "And... as I said, the Mayor of Cenril. Now, as you may know, the realm is under attack by the evil man known as Kahran. I am working on keeping Cenril as safe as possible. To that end, I and other witches have been looking for some witch talismans. I have been tracking one for quite some time now, and I believe ah..." she smiles a bit sheepishly, "...you may have it."


Scandal listened. He was aware of being involved in attacking the realms, and he had been to cenril, and found himself semi liking and hating the place, though he had made a recent purchase of land there one he hoped to establish one day in a specialized bank, though until then he was just finding friends, talking with lanara and trying to find a way to better transform. He understood safety, being a dragon of his size, he was more accutely aware of how fragile non dragon life could be, and genuinely looked out to keep it safe from himself, but as she led to the saying that he may have something she was looking for, ,made him tense up. For one reason he knew that he had formerly carried his hoard inside of himself, but having removed all that he could from it, due to health issues that still plaqued him, namely a sore crop and organ at the bottom of his throat before the stomach, the secondary one being the place where he had stored his hoard, but needless to say both had collected dust and irritated the soft flesh which led to an internal rash which caused considerable annoying pain, and knew that at some point somone would have to be paid to go into him and clean it out, something of which he feared, because he didn't know if he could restrain his body from doing natural things, but then he had never tried it and he may very well be wrong. He responded with some hestinace, "Its true, that I have kept a hoard inside of me, I had to place it elsewhere, but if your saying what I think your saying, then some pieces may have yet to been able to be removed."


Uma tucks her legs beneath her broom, which she feels lends some dignity to simply levitating in place. She has assumed a very outwardly calming and diplomatic demeanor. One simply doesn't become Mayor without one. (Well, her husband almost had, but that's a story for another time.) She nods politely, Scandal's answer to her not exactly a surprise. It is well known that dragons are like sharks and eat whatever sometimes. "Well," she exhales efficiently, "it is either that or you are otherwise carrying it around with you. But from your answer I am thinking perhaps it is the former." She cocks her head and, tapping her chin with her free hand, considers him. "We may have literally just met," she ventures, "but if you have swallowed this talisman, you ... well. Have you been having stomach aches?"


Scandal wings lifted and fell the closest possible translation was the human shrug. "Not stomach aches, no, If I consumed it, there wouldn't have been anything left, this is a Hybrid Red and Black dragon speaking, I spew acid which after some dissolving bursts into a spontaeous flame. But where it might have gone, would been to my Secondary crop." he paused, before explainging, "See somehow like some birds I have at the end of my throat before entering the stomach and organ, similar to bladder or pouch, a place to store food prior to digestion, and I also have a secondary where it was supposed to hold water so i didn't become to dehydrated, the second of which I used to store my hoard. but do to health reasons my crop accumulated a lot of dust and has left me with irritation for a long time now, if the item you speak of was with the hoard it is possibel that it and few diamonds crystals, bits of gold were missed when I vomited them out. I know your thinking I may be like a shark eating whatever, but from practical standpoint for a being without pockets or clothes, would you not say that if you were similar would you not take advantage of your own biology to store something you treasure?'


Uma is at first alarmed by the possibility there not being 'anything left' of this extraordinarily valuable witch talisman. But then Scandal continues speaking and she grows less alarmed. Being, formerly, a witch scientist, she finds his explanation interesting. "Oh no no no, of course I did not," she begins to protest about his guessing that she's comparing him to a shark. (True, she did do that, but she would never admit it outloud to his face; that would be rude.) She laughs nervously to dispel the awkwardness. "I appreciate you working with me here. I must sound insane. Anyway, I see what you mean," she says after that. "I was about to suggest a laxative," which would result in the literal Mayor of Cenril digging through dragon poop, but sometimes desperate measures must be undertaken if one is to save the city from assured destruction, "... but what you're telling me is that won't work." She purses her lips. "Well can you, maybe, ah, ... try again?"


Scandal paused, "What your asking is how can you access it? Okay, so this is the part where I get concerned for your safety, What you will need to do, will be to do something that I haven't heard of any mortal do," he paused thinking what that would like on a resume. "You would need to be swallowed." Scandal felt the idea more apalling having been as young dragon chic swallowed by another dragon and would have died had it not been for a gold dragon to sock the dragon in the gut forcing him out. "Trust me when I say this, I am very hestiant to let anyone try that, but as you say desperat times may call for desperate measures."


Uma turns quite pale at the suggestion. She too is rather appalled. She needs a second to get herself together and say, delicately, "Ah... I agree it seems dangerous. I think perhaps we'd better find another way." She smiles nervously. Negotiating with a dragon isn't exactly the most chill of endeavors. She hadn't banked on doing anything like this today. And now it feels quite surreal to be having this conversation. "I still have to be the Mayor after all... I'm afraid exploring the interiors of dragons I've just met isn't exactly a safe activity, desperate times notwithstanding. However." She pauses here. "I have an idea. I can summon a surge of energy from the Goddess that should, quite like a magnet, attract the talisman? What do you think?"


Scandal shrugged but also with relief, he wasn't quite sure he would have been able to protect her had she agreed to it, (He could have, he underestimates what he is capable of so often) taking a taloned hand he felt near the red flesh at the base of this throat, which sagged indicating the empty space, "And rip it out of me, no chance." That idea he didn't like, but then he didn't want to be responsible for untold death and destruction, he wasn't a selfish being, as much he may have wished just to fit in with other dragons, but then he was genuinely more concerned with others, "Do what needs to be done, but draw upon my magical well an heal the tear in the flesh please."


Uma watches Scandal's claw movements carefully. She trusts him, but he is still a rather large dragon. And she is still a woman who does not desire to become a dragon crisp. Nonetheless, he makes no sudden movements, and all remains well. "Hm," she says, hearing his concern. They seem to have reached an impasse, but then he makes a suggestion that she doesn't expect. "What do you mean a magical well?" she asks, wondering indeed if the 'magical well' he describes may have been seeded by the presence of the unretrieved skull. "When did you start having this magical well? Your whole life, if you don't mind me asking?"


Scandal paused, "Not my entire life no." He didn't completely feel up to telling his life story but he felt he had to, "My parents were not good dragons, one was red and the other black, in a time that could be considered myth now" How he hated that word to describe how old he was, and even then it was not a true description falling short drastically. "They you know did it, to make me except they made it happen in a Gold's palace, in front of a lot of other dragons, a very scandalous event, the gold dragon allowed me to live, my parents though paid for it with their lives, I grew up in the palace but only the other dragons could remember my conception when they saw me, and called me Scandlous, for 50 years I was isolated before i took up a human form, and attempted to blend in with the developing humanish cultures, I failed at that, and so I went to sleep, in a Mountain that i didn't find out until after I woke up was made of moonrock, and gave me this magical well sort of ability, and kept me young, though it didn't help with my size, it was after that, I did a little strip mining to gather a hoard, and must have found your item, as well up until then i had no hoard. Magical well, um I produce mana and store it like granery stores wheat except that, I am not aware of finding its limit yet, and last time I opened another seal to it, I vaporized a living statue. From I guess mana overload."


Uma hovers a little to better look directly at Scandal as he begins telling this story. She has a good 'woman listening' face, one tends to develop such things in politics. She realizes, as he speaks inside her mind, that he must be quite young, for he has a bit of an immature attitude about things (e.g., 'they, you know, did it'). She feels a mother's fondness for this young, gigantic dragon and his willingness to figure it all out and help her do what little they can to save the realm. ...Record scratch: this mother's fondness evaporates into alarm a half-second later when his story continues to reveal the public spectacle nature of Scandal's conception. Why does he even know about this? Children shouldn't know about such things! Her face sags with empathy for the young dragon. What a difficult life he has led. She listens intently about the 'mana well' he describes, and her unspoken diagnosis is that the skull is implicated somehow. "I see," she says, thoughtfully. "Does your mana have a name? Any preference as to how I engage with it?" She reaches to withdraw the slender reed that comprises her wand from her belt.


Scandal nodded, opening his mouth first in yawn, which revealed light blue flesh of his mouth which also showed six small flesh like pipes at the back of his mouth each about as wide as a beachball, and in the center the actual throat, he closed his mouth. "Sorry, No it doesn't have a name, I kinda have to give access to it, its kind of like a raw form of mana able to be used for well so far just about any magic applications, Lanara she had to touch me to use it, though in her case it was to replenish, though i am sure that one could just draw at a distance from it," He paused shifting a pattern in his mind allowing access, the one accessing it might feel a magical prescense that is small but seems to have no end, or a yield much bigger than they could imagine with a similar endless feeling to it," Scandal's eyes meanwhile radiated with a purple like glow. "This is the first well, i guess you could say, last time i opened the second, well bad things happened. I can feel as if there are hundreds of such wells, it hurts my brain, to think about it, I can't use any of this magic I can only give it to others for their use." He paused with small laugh, "I guess if it had a name, it would be Scanda-mana." he chuckled. Scandal was in fact a child like dragon just entering what one might call a dragons teens, so yes he was experiencing and hating hormones.


Uma maintains her outwardly pleasant demeanor but flinches a bit as the dragon yawns. There is a reason for the phrase 'dragon breath.' She dares to hover a bit closer on her broom now that they're talking shop. Her wand is twitching with the presence of magic, no doubt it is the mana well he references. "I can sense it," she remarks to the young dragon. "Do you want to sit up a bit?" she suggests, "so that it's more comfortable for me to use the," her mouth twitches in a smile, "...scandamana to retrieve the object? I'll try to be quick, I hope it won't be too uncomfortable." She smiles brilliantly. "Did I mention I very much appreciate your help? Not all dragons would be so cooperative."


Scandal nods understanding. "It might be better if I lay down," Which he does stretching down letting his body kinda sit on the land and lowering his neck and head down, Opening his mouth again. He responds with, "I am happy to help save all the lives I can, If this all turns out well, could your city use a guardian dragon, I really am still looking for a place in the world. Strangely enough the smell of his breath his cinamon, and maybe one hadn't noticed it before, but where he was did have a faint trace of cinamon. "Ready?"


"Ah, well you would know best," says Uma in response to Scandal's suggestion. She keeps a good grip on both broomstick and wand and hovers over his person. It's only Extremely Terrifying to hover in front of a very large dragon's gaping maw. But, she reminds herself, it's for the realm. Her wand is very active now, tingling in her hand, and if she needed to suddenly create a barrier, well, she'd hope she was fast enough. "Ready," she breathes, steadying her nerves as best she can. She focuses on the pull of magic that she's feeling and begins to cast her spell, murmuring it under her breath alongside deft flicks of her wrist. It's a bit like tying a slippery knot, at first, her magic and Scandal's learning to communicate. But suddenly there is traction, and she feels the strength of it, an invisible string connected to her wand, which jerks about. It's not unlike a fisherman straining against the tug of a sailfish on his line. "Expecta cranium!" she cries, wrestling with it, nearly losing her balance on her broom in the process. It is with a girlish, tennis-player's grunt that throws her elbow into things and finally forces the magic to comply. An amber skull is propelled out of Scandal's open mouth and into the air, and Uma claps at it until she catches it, nearly dropping it in the process. She hugs it to her chest, shaking from the near-miss. "Oh," she says, feeling the sensation of it suddenly flood her.


Scandal felt the item be wrenched out of him, he exclaimed, "Huh, I never knew I had two." Obviously this references the secondary crop, meaning he had two secondaries not one like he had formerly believed. He glances at the skull now in Uma's possesion. Like he expected it to be, the skull appeared dry, proving his crops had no acid or liquid of any kind, though there did appear to be some dust caked in around it, he really needed to get that cleaned out. 'Well it looks like you got it," his throat felt somewhat scratchy now. His mouth remained open, air being expelled from the six smaller tubes obviously these led to the lungs and the source of breath powers, Meaning that the crop would have been safe to traverse. If anything it did reveal more of Dragon physiiogly at least in the case of scandal. "So, everything good, no damages?"


Now that she is no longer scared she will drop and destroy it, Uma steadies herself on the broom once more and glances down at the skull in her hands. It is so beautiful she could cry. She feels the magic hum within it, vibrating the wand she's holding. It has a calming effect, she feels the stress of her station and life circumstances being leeched out of her. No wonder the dragon himself had felt so totally chill. She feels a love for this dragon who has helped her, a love for the people of Cenril, even a love for Kahran - well, not quite love, but a strange willingness to trust and forgive if he came on bended knee and asked for it. (Magic is weird.) "Yes, everything is good," she breathes. She believes it. She gingerly tucks the skull into her satchel for safekeeping, and feels with pleasure the weight of it against her body. Generosity wells up within her. "You are a hero, Scandal. The city will repay you for your help," she tells the dragon. "Tell me where to send the funds?"


Scandal put his claw, "No funds, knowing people will be safer with it, is reward in itself. However, if you have any large property in your city, I have been interested in starting a special kind of bank, I just need a place to build it." (Magic is very weird,)


Uma smiles with motherly tenderness at the young dragon. "If you put in a request with the city's planning commission, I promise it will be looked after," she assures Scandal. "There's a reward in Cenril waiting for you if you ever want to claim it." For now, though, a part of her knows that she needs to get the skull to a safe place. However euphoric she feels now, she knows with the sweet so too comes the sour. She begins to float higher on her broom. "Thank you again, Scandal. You're a true hero."


Scandal watched her float up, "Until we meet again good Mayor." He smiled, when she was out of sight or at least his own, he grew back to his orginal size, if she looked back she'd surely see him now.