RP:Sabrina/ Lydrain House of Ara

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Riverbank, West Larket

Apart from the wood-lined stone road that leads to the north and back across the bridge, slightly muddy ground is the only terrain here at the river's edge. The Vibrance is a fast flowing river, and so no plants have a chance in it. Most other rivers are sluggish, algae-ridden, but this river is alive! It rushes and roars, creating swirling vortexes at the bases of the supports for the bridge that leads to the east. The only fish capable of living here are the powerful salmon, and even they struggle against the current. The stumps of trees stretch out for two hundred yards to the west, where the forest abruptly resumes.


Lydrain is here. Lydrain exhales a deep breath as he walks towards the river. The Academy was a nice place, but, sometimes, even he needed a break. The dragon, who curently was in his elven form, stared at the river for a while. It then dawned on him that he had known there was a river here, but he had never been out this way. Sighing again he walked to the edge of the rushing waters and sat on the bank. Staring down into the Vibrace, he simply lost himself in thought, contemplating all that had occured recently.


Sabrina sat astride Rohk, lent forward to perch her upper half upon thin armored elbows, unwilling to muddy her new boots on this unforgiving and filthy terrain. She travelled here with him often enough on their way to record the artifacts in the House of Ara just up from the path. She recalled the rushing waters keeping her up when she tried to sleep here and so, instead of making this new place her own residence she resorted to making the trek from the wild lands at least twice a week. She spies and Elven male, an oddity that earns a slight cant of head, causing the hair that was draped across her back to slither downward in an inky flow. She pushes herself erect and smiles at him, though it would be hard to see with his back turned to her and his mind elsewhere. Rohk stops as she shouts out to Lydrain. “Lost?”


Lydrain didn't even notice the female's approach, but he did hear her call to him. Not sure what to expect, he stood, a tad bit more rigid than necessary, and turned on his heel. Facing the woman, he realized that his apprehension was unnecessary, and allowed himself to relax, slightly. Smiling towards her, "Not really." He motioned back to Larket, "I was simply out for a walk, I needed to get away from the hustle and bustle. With Queen Jacklin having returned, the city has reenergized itself, and I was not prepared for it." He continues to smile as he looks at her traveling companion. Cocking his head to the side, "That is a hellhound, isn't it? I've never seen one, in person, before." He ran his fingers through his blue hair, which was currently in disarray on top of his head, "I wasn't aware any of them were bound to the surface, though i haven't been looking for them either..." He chuckled and bowed slightly towards, the woman, "My name is Lydrain, a pleasure."


Sabrina laughs lightly at his momentary slip in being startled. She looked over her shoulder towards Larket and recalled it being busier than usual, but this was the first she heard of the Queen returning. This sparked some interest to Sabrina, since she had acquired a small treasure said to be once owned by the Queen of Larket. Turning back to his query about ‘that’ being a hellhound she braced herself to be thrown, and so, she was. Elven agility kept her from appearing foolish, but her new boots were muddy and she wasn’t happy about that. Rohk sits promptly, regretting the favor he had done by his person by carrying her about like some servant steed. He puffs out his chest, scoffing at the male’s accusation of him being some sort of ‘thing’ and suffer the humiliation of not being seen as self-aware. Already the hound made a reservation- nay a point, not to like this one. Sabrina dusts off imaginary debris from her sleeves and pant legs. “He isn’t bound to anywhere… half-breed anyway.” Rohk didn’t like the label but he couldn’t argue as to its accuracy. As per her usual encounters with Elf-kind she gave him her given name out of respect. “Sabrina Galadriel Linnéa Skaði of Nuduin” The strong name of Hydromancers lineage and infamous port of Nuduin was not likely to go unnoticed by any who were educated enough beyond Hollow’s borders.


Lydrain looked worried as the woman was tossed from the back of the hellhound. Sighing with relief when she caught herself, he turned towards Rohk, "I do apologize if I have offended you. It was never my intention." He bowed towards the hellhound, so as to present his sincerity. After a moment, he turned back to Sabrina, "I have been to Nuduin once, several years ago. Wonderful place, so much life and vibrance." Smiling towards her, "It is a pleasure, Sabrina of Nuduin. As I have said, I am Lydrain, Headmaster of the Academy in Larket." Turning once again to the hellhound, "And what should I call you, Master Hellhound?"


Sabrina watched his interactions with the hound with little interest. Rohk cleared his throat and barked a noise that could be mistaken for ‘Ruff’ but he had been practicing saying his name long enough he thought it really sounded like “Rohk” too close to tell, really. The massive beasty lay down, satisfied this twerp new who was calling the shots. “One doesn’t simply visit Nuduin for a day trip.” She arches a brow, wondering if he actually studied there, and the statement- no matter how rude it sounded- was a simple observation. “What happened to Luthentius then? Last I heard the Headmaster of the Academy left in search for the Queens heir.” She crosses her arms across her ample chest. “Did you kill him?” Her question sounded like it was laced with a threat, but Luthentius promised an entry in the Book she cared so deeply about and anything about that Book was never far from her mind.


Lydrain cocked his head to the side, a little unsure, "I'm not sure who Luthentius is.... I assure you I killed no one to get this position. Nor have I killed anyone in quite some time. The state the school was in when I arrived lead me to believe that there was no previous headmaster, and that the teachers had all been given clearance to do whatever they wanted." He was genuinely concerned, but decided to question the faculty at a later date. Clearing his throat, "He left to search for the Queen's heir? I wasn't aware that Lady Jacklin had any children, though, i could be mistaken. Though I'm sure she would sort the matter out herself, if a hatchling of hers was missing, she is very capable."


Sabrina nods indiscriminately, neither confirming nor denying what she had just been told but she takes a small roll of parchment from her belt loop and pulls the small golden quill from behind her left ear. “Mm…hm.” She jots something down with that which is clearly an enchanted tool. She tucks the quill back behind her ear and studied Lydrain for a moment longer. She sucks her tongue against the roof of her mouth and decided to make nothing of it right now. It had been nearing a full year since she spoke with Luth last and she hadn’t heard whispers of his whereabouts in at least two cycles of either moon.”Queen doesn’t have an heir, yet. It’s why he left, you seem to know more than me on current events- though these aren’t my parts so it is acceptable in this case.” She didn’t like to be the lesser of any intellect in any room. The parchment is curled back up and refastened to the place she retrieved it from. “Ara still needs an entry from Larket’s Headmaster, I suppose that now makes it you.” She was unsure of whether he was even capable of making such an entry, but she gestures up the path to a building that was surely not there before. “Follow me.”


Upwards from the river bank lays a small path to The House of Ära. The details of this place are plain and not overly extravagant. Everything seems to have a place, and everything that has a place is in its place. The well kept artifacts are random, not fitting any motif other than being of a magical nature. The items here are protected, unwelcome hands of thieves are sure to be met with a sting they will not likely forget. A large worn book lies open on a table that has seen its fair share of time and punishment. The words are not foreign or uncommon but only a person with magical ability would be able to interpret most of the endless rants hand written over the ages. You close the book to examine the bindings. A name is engraved in gold filigree on the cover. (Annabelle Ara)


Sabrina walks up the path, Lydrain and Rohk in tow.


Sabrina was about to speak but stops before sound could break free. ‘Another Dragon.’ She thought she smelled something funny, far be it for her to bring racism to the frontlines but the distasteful look on her face said it all. She was seeking a new Keeper, knowing she herself was not a ‘good fit’ and this guy was definitely not going to take her place. She smiles, resolving the contortion upon her visage realizing he only needed to make an entry… though he’d probably need time to prepare one. “This is the fabled House of Ara, funnier things have turned up in Hollow.” She holds her hands outward, palms facing up and a small swirl of grey …smoke?... rises in their center. Soon the grey turns to a dingy brown tracing the edges of the pages at the Book of Ara which solidifies atop splayed fingers that awaited its hefty mass. The Book was closed, its pages appearing sealed with a paper-thin layer of gold, but when Sabrina moves to open the book mid-way it releases with minimal effort. It didn’t really matter where she opened the book, it would show Lydrain precisely what it meant to show him, in a pearlescent swirling of figures; facts and numbers, words both foreign and common, some ancient. These were the non-biased recordings of all things magical. Magic was after all just that… no evil or good, just magic. Green viney tendrils spread from the bindings, encircling Sabrina’s thin fingers and tracing up her pale forearms like the creepiest hug from an inanimate (possibly animate) object ever. “Annabelle Ara was the last of the House of Ara, its why her name is still there and no one else’s. I have the Book for now, it came to me, but only so I can find its true owner.”


Lydrain noticed the look on her face, and, surprisingly, it did not bother him. Of course he would recieve some scorn from other. Racism was a universal idea, no one got to call who or what it would direct you against. Instead of commenting on it, he simply watched with curiosity, as the 'living' non-living book seemed to have sentience. He was wide eyed, and doing his best to control his draconic nature. Other dragons collected gold, gems, people, or even pets, his bailiwick, however, just so happened to be books. If she was paying attention, which she very likely was, she could almost see the greed in his eyes. He, however, had learned to control himself, and quickly brought his impulses under control. Clearing his throat, "That is... an amazing book. What, exactly, is it? Also, this house of Ara means very little to me. I may have read about them once or twice, but, if so, it has been quite some time."


Sabrina sighed heavily like he was stupid, though she was thankful he wasn’t Human… or worse –Drow. “The House of Ara, you know the childs story about the farmers protecting the magic of the universe.” She snaps the book shut, ignoring his greedy slip. The book would have made it worse for him, like a drug you can’t let go of. Often times she was even overcome and hadn’t put the book down for days, and when she looks up at him her eyes have changed from a minty soft green to a vibrant glowing emerald- a fact no one has yet to inform her of, further diluting herself into thinking she was immune to its power. “You know the Book that can only be given, can’t be taken and blahblah… its in the bedtime stories all Elves hear about when…” She bites her lip, he wasn’t an elf and she had forgotten. “Anyways it’s real…” The book sensed the nature of the other and quickly whisks itself back to the table where it already was. It was difficult to wrap ones head around something that could be in two places at once- a fact Sabrina wished to exploit at some point if she could simply gather that particular spell from the book. In the Book’s direct absence Sabrina’s eyes already began to fade. “… and you need to make an entry, Headmaster of Larket Academy.”


Lydrain looked at her, an eyebrow raised, "I don't mean to sound ignorant, but are you aware that your eyes change colour to match the green hue that extends from the book. That is typically a sign of some sort of possession." It may sound as an awkward question, and things that are possessing anything typically don't like to be pointed out. Unsure of what would happen, he simply readied himself, just in case the book, or whatever it was, decided that he 'knew too much'.


Sabrina frowns. “Says a guy who doesn’t know about the House of Ara and smells like bloody brimstone.” Her eyes flared a deeper green and she clasps her hands over her mouth looking rather surprised while Rohk snaps his head in her direction looking rather proud. “Excuse me; I don’t know where that came from…” she trails off. “Maybe.. I can contact you some other time for the entry… or…” Her eyes keep darting to the door. It wasn’t like he could steal anything from this place, not like it was her place to care about either. Her eyes fall fading on the book once more and she excuses herself abruptly. “Forgive me; I just recalled I have a place to be.” Her voice was shallow and soft, her thoughts lay heavy on the idea he might be right.


Lydrain sighs, wearily, as he released the grip he had on his magic, "I believe the smell is ozone, not brimstone. I'm a blue, not a red." He couldn't expect her to know, and, even if she knew his colour, even fewer people knew about the difference in smell. Looking towards the door, "Yes, you can contact me at a later date. Though i'm not sure what I should write, perhaps I shouldn't touch the thing at all." Making his way towards the door, "You can find me at the academy, most times, and, if I'm not there, leave a message with one of the students, not a member of the faculty. I will receive it, I assure you."


Sabrina simply watches him go. “Yeah, I’ll do that, thanks.”