RP:The Long-Awaited Arrival

Part of the An Ascending Dryad Arc

The Frozen Sentinel

Satoshi is perhaps very easily overlooked in her current station, perched as she is atop one of the frozen golem's gargantuan hindclaws, her own white garb and pale colorations allowing her to blend in against the icy background. Not to mention the rather petite foxkin appears positively minuscule compared to the towering sentinel. As large and imposing as the construct is, she can't blame the eyes of others for straying up to its full height, and in fact Satoshi takes a certain pride whenever her creation awes someone. Vanity, after all, is a horrible trait of hers. The glacial construct is oblivious to stares, however, set to its eternal task of watching Frostmaw's borders and awaiting the approach of large threats...while currently being subjected to the pesterings of Trebel. Satoshi's angha is still young but he's grown a great deal in the past few months, resulting in a creature that's roughly the size of a small horse while still was insatiably curious as a kitten. At present, the fledgeling angha is darting back and forth before the Sentinel's face trying in vain to make it react, and even going as far as to swipe at it with claws, butt it with budding antlers, and voice a ringing, bell-like roar in hopes of... -something-. But nothing is what the Sentinel offers, as stoic as any glacier.

Madigan has been journeying many days now, coming from Rynvale. In the past days, she has come across some strange information that didn't make much sense to her. The focus of this trip, however, was to finally see the Queen of Frostmaw to present to the Queen her find on the expedition. The mithril had been sent to Frostmaw by hired men long ago, but Madigan wouldn't trust anyone with her dragon egg. It currently rests within her handwoven basket that she carries upon her back, a lid further concealing the contents. Before coming to Frostmaw, Madigan had lined the basket with cloths and then wrapped the basket in a decorative blanket to add insulation. Being much of a wanderer, Madigan chose to take a detour through parts of Frostmaw to explore it some. She didn't do much exploring in this particular direction as she recalls. The sight shocks and amazes her. She's suddenly glad she came this way. Her moss green eyes take in the huge size of the glacial structure. What could it possibly be? This doesn't seem like something Nature would create herself. Her eyes fall to its feet as she wonders about snow and cold climates. There's so much she still has to learn about Nature, it seems.

Kayla curses under her breath as she navigates the path, her hands curled into the warm cloth of her traveler's cloak as she pulls it tight around her shivering form. "Take a trip, she says. It'll help you clear your mind, she says." The petite girl chuckles coolly. "If I had wanted to be an icecube, I'dda gone to the mage's tower." She peers past the golden bangs drooping from her forehead to the snow-dusted path at her feet, rather oblivious to anything in the distance instead sheltering her face from the frigid afternoon air. It is for this reason that the sudden change of scenery takes her by surprise as snow-dusted ground turns to shimmering smooth ice. Not at all accustomed to walking on such slippery terrain, the clumsy archer loses her footing and comes crashing to the ground with a singular yelp. She looks up and notices the glacial sentinel for the first time and starts to scramble backward, her unprotected palms nearly scalding on the frozen surface beneath her, before she realizes that the construct means her no harm. Indeed, despite the provocations of some bird-like creature, the impressive behemoth's gaze is ever unerring and his posture unfaltering. As she stands to her feet, she approaches the sentinel for a closer look.

Satoshi has been idly watching Trebel's futile attempts up until the nearby yelp catches her ears. With a twitch of the vulpine parts, the magus flicks her gaze toward the source... and spots herself a Madigan and a stranger. Satoshi climbs to her feet, brushing back the cloak of mist enshrouding her before offering the two a salute. "Afternoon, Treeling~," she hails, light, musical voice carrying over the distance by arcane virtue of the frigid vapors of the air. "Who is your friend there? You'll give your tail a poor case of frostbite if you keep sitting on the ice like that, missy~." The last bit is, of course, directed at Kayla. By all appearances, Satoshi seems amused and delighted by the interruption, an unexpected diversion from the dark paths her mind had been taking moments prior.

Madigan jumps at the sound of a yelp and turns to the source, surprised to find someone else with her. Then comes a familiar voice, bringing Madigan's attention away from the fallen girl to Satoshi. She grins, then, at the kit's greeting. How serendipitous. On cue with Satoshi's remark, Madigan approaches the girl and extends her hand to give the girl some leverage to stand. "Madigan," she offers the girl, her name heavily accented with African and Spanish undertones. The accent suited the dryad's appearance just fine, really.

Kayla takes the offered hand, her embarrassment every bit as guilty for her red face as the cold Frostmaw air. She climbs to her feet, trying her best to dust the cold from her clothing and regain her composure. "I'm sorry," she murmurs, "I didn't mean to... That is to say, I had no idea..." She pauses. "Is this your giant thing?" she asks of Madigan, her voice laced with a mild taste of accusation. "It startled me and I fell." Frustrated with her own lack of social skills even in what, to her, seemed the least civilized place in the world, she redirects the conversation. "I'm sorry," she insists.

Satoshi watches the exchange with growing amusement. Distant as she is, the kit's tall ears are not purely for show, allowing her more than ample ability to catch the unwhispered words. Kayla's comments don't catch only Satoshi's attention, however, Trebel having taken note some time shortly after the slip on the ice, and chosen to join the party. Swooping down with a silence akin to owls, the angha--after a skid and hop--comes to a landing upon the ice beside dryad and archer, a chirrup of greeting offer along with a, "Play~?" "Leave off, Trebel," Satoshi calls immediately after, tone light but firm. She's seen enough times what the fledgeling can do with his size, even if he doesn't mean to harm anyone. The angha's head droops slightly and he shuffles backwards a pace to give the pair room, although he keeps an eager eye on them all the while.

The angha interrupts Madigan just as she's about to respond to the girl's question. Instead, she stares at the new hybrid flyer. Where does the kit find these strange creatures? The griffon was a familiar enough creature to Madigan and so was the angha to a lesser degree but the dryad had never personally seen any in the flesh, or rather in the feather. She's only witnessed them in pictures inside texts and in wall paintings in foreign lands. Returning her attention to the girl, she shakes her head. "Not mine. I'm a dryad; I don't deal with temperatures." What does that even mean? She looks over to Satoshi and calls back, "What made that?" Her finger points up to the massive glacial structure. Satoshi might've not noticed Madigan's accent in their first meeting, perhaps because Madigan was masking it or she spoke too little for it to be noted, but it now came in full-force, clear and unmistakeable but still of unclear origin. The dryad came from a very isolated region - the heart of a vicious environment where only those born of the place knew how to survive it, and for that reason, no one would know where exactly the dryad originated from.

Kayla takes a small step away from the bird-like creature that... talks of all things. "Play?" she asks incredulously. Otherwise, the girl remains silent.

Satoshi , while in the midst of approaching the duo, glances back at the Sentinel in response to Madigan's question. Prideful as she is of the construct, the little magus plays off its impressive existence with a shrug and far too casual tone, "I create it~." With the help of Tirona and Svilfon, but who's counting? Approach completed, the kit comes to stand beside Trebel, a hand rested between his antlers while she regards the stranger accompanying Madigan. "Don't mind him. He's all play and no work. A bundle of feathers and silly, really." The angha doesn't seem the slightest bit bothered by this comment and in fact nods in agreement. To Madigan, Satoshi adds with a smile, "I received the mithril, thank you. It's wonderful quality, you've more than earned your payment." Said payment will be waiting for the dryad at Frostmaw's tavern, in the hands of its dutiful barkeep. "How did your trip go overall?"

Madigan grins immensely. "I found some wonderful things down there," she responds excitedly. From within her bag, she pulls out a few spores and holds them up for Satoshi to see. "Spores for a glowing mushroom that eats rock and a moss that does the same but glows a different color; it provided light in the cavern. But..." the light in her eyes disappears as she recalls something else from inside the earth. "I fell through a shaft the mushroom had created," she began solemnly. "When I made it to the end, I was in a cavern filled with objects covered in blood. A sickly dragon was there. He couldn't even fight." Her eyes well up with angry tears as she presses her lips tightly together, trying to refrain from letting rage consume her. "He'd been tortured terribly. And there was a second dragon but she had been dead for days. I had to end the dragon; he was suffering too much." Her eyes light up now but with fury as she recalls the gruesome details of the dragon's circumstance. "Who would chain a dragon and rip off its claws and teeth?" The dryad's voice resonates in the cold air, her passion as fierce as any righteous leader's who believes in their words. "Who would cut off its tail and strip it of its scales? What if there are more? There was a tunnel that lead out of the cavern. We didn't stay in that cavern very long, so we didn't get to explore it; we had to get back to the group, but I want to go back down there and find out who's responsible for such cruelty." Her conviction was an immeasurable thing, as limitless as her passion.

Kayla grins at Trebel, just as at ease now as she had been terrified initially. He truly was a miraculous creature. Her attention, however, is torn away by a sudden realization. A foxkin capable of constructing great sentinels of ice, funding dangerous expeditions deep into the earth... Unless she was comically mistaken, "Lady Frostmaw!" she exclaims, her cheeks flushing a deeper shade of red. She kneels immediately and bows her head, her proper upbringing demanding of her a certain protocol. "I'm the Kayla archer," she blurts out, "Your mine is bow." She audibly gasps at her own misfortune and, rather than correct herself, mutters, "Apologies, m'Lady. I did not mean to intrude."

Satoshi's expression darkens with each word from Madigan. A vampire she might be, and a hunter of feral dragons, but Satoshi has no tolerance for the tormenting of the creatures, be they feral or sentient. And as a commander of the Eyrie, an organization devoted to partnership with dragons, the imagery is enough to turn even her iron stomach. Amber-flecked eyes narrow to slits, the kits next words spoken in a low, dangerous tone, words frigid albeit not aimed at Madigan, "We'll find the monsters who did it. Killing a dangerous creature is one thing, or killing in self-defense, but tormenting it and leaving it for dead is an offense I won't see ignored." Blinking then, Satoshi pulls herself out of the murderous mood with a start, drawn out by Kayla's sudden exclamation and subsequent kneeling. The dryad is given a half-apologetic look and hasty remark, "I'm sorry you had to see such a thing. I know you'd been hoping to meet a cavern dragon, but certainly not like that..." before Satoshi swings her attention fully to the archer, a crooked smile on her whiskered face. "The pleasure is mine, Archer. Welcome to Frostmaw... mind the ice, it likes to pull your feet from under ya~."

Madigan's attention moves to the archer with Satoshi's. The outburst was certainly unexpected and the jumbling of words only served to confuse Madigan. When Satoshi replies to her, though, Madigan realizes what the archer was trying to say. A slight smile forms on her lips at the girl's clumsiness. Something behind Madigan cracks slightly and nudges against her back. She remembers her egg and removes the straps from both her shoulders to pull the basket before her. The basket is heavy, so when she releases one of the straps to pull the lid off to inspect the sound, the other strap slips from her fingers and the basket falls to the icy floor. A loud crack follows as the lid gets thrown off, triggering a frightened gasp as Madigan's eyes shoot open in worry.

Kayla says to Satoshi, "Thank you, m'Lady. Your lands are lovely and not at all too cold or inhospitable." She clamps her mouth shut and rises to her feet before changing the subject. "I truly don't mean to intrude, but what sort of monster would do such a thing to such a creature?" she asks.

Satoshi wrinkles her nose up into something of an impish scowl. Not at all too cold or inhospitable? Dammit. Clearly Satoshi isn't doing her job prop- "Is that an egg?" Train of thought derailed by Madigan's opening of the basket, Satoshi promptly leans closer to take a peek, all interest and delight. It's obvious by sheer body language alone that the foxkin has a passion for dragon eggs and a near compulsive maternal urge to protect them--being unable to ever have younglings of her own. As such, she's put two and two together to fathom a guess that this egg is the orphan of the tortured pair, confident enough in her assumption to level a somber look toward Kayla. "A monster of the truest sort." While Satoshi is far from a saint, relishing often in her hunts, she is typically a predator rather than a murderer, only killing outside of defense or hungry on the rare occasions her temper gets the better of her. Murder and torture, after all, are wastes of perfectly good food and Satoshi is not a creature known for wasting even a speck of food.

Madigan all but ignores the two of them as she drops to her knees and worriedly looks into the basket, hoping she didn't just kill her baby dragon. Lifting the basket, she blocks the Queen's view with her own peeking, moss green eyes searching frantically inside the basket. The egg is definitely cracked but where it cracked made no sense, considering how the basket had landed against the floor. Gently, she lifts the egg out of her basket, the eggshell cracking slightly within her hands. Madigan freezes and slowly brings the egg closer to her chest so it's less likely to fall from her stupidly clumsy hands. She was never one for dropping things; dexterity was one of her lesser-known skill sets. The egg jolts suddenly, making another attempt toward the floor but the dryad manages to catch it this time before it slams into the ground. The forcefulness of her catch makes the shell cave on itself and the dryad starts panicking. What is she doing! On the verge of tears, the egg moves again in her hands. It continues to crack on its own, giving Madigan a sudden sense of hope. Maybe it's already hatching; that seems to make the most sense. She presses the egg against her chest to free a hand and starts peeling away certain pieces of the shell that had cracked off. It's not long before she spots a goo-covered dragon inside whining at the cold air. When Madigan finally looks up at the Queen, she has a huge grin painted on her face and tear-streaked cheeks.

Satoshi's angha sidles up along side her, for once completely silent as he watches the egg shift and crack. Memories of Trebel's own hatching a year ago flash before Satoshi's eyes, and she's privately amazed that the lumbering chimerical beast beside her was once smaller than her hand, a gangly mess of limbs, fur, and feathers cheeping plaintively for attention. How quickly things grow... The angha's plush black mane is ruffled in an affectionate gesture by the magus as she leans this way and that, trying to get a better look at the egg's progress within Madigan's lap. When at last the dryad looks up, all grins and happy tears, Satoshi can't help but return the smile, infectious as it is. If Satoshi had ever had even the slightest doubt about the dryad's intents with a dragon egg, they're completely put to rest now. No person this purely delighted at the appearance of a hatchling has any plans of cruelty. No, this little dragon is in safe hands. "Congratulations, Treeling," she offers softly so as not to startle the hatchling with more than it's already trying to handle, "No matter how many times I see that in the Eyrie, I never get tired of the sight."

Madigan's grin broadens at Satoshi's words. She then looks down at the dragon and coos at it softly in her native tongue. With gentle fingers, she helps it escape the egg until it can finally stretch its legs out and uncurl its tail. The tail whips at her: though not painful, it was a surprisingly strong whack for the dragon being so incredibly tiny. The dragon whines at her and blinks. His movements were very jerky and awkward as he tried getting a hold of his own body. She pulls out one of the cloths from inside the basket and starts wiping away at his scales, amazed at his contrasting scales. He was hard like stone yet seemed so fragile in size. The whelp struggles against Madigan's wipes, whining louder. She softly shushes at it, making her strokes more gentle as she tells him, "Relax, Ajani; you're more safe than you could ever imagine. You'll be strong and capable, and one day you won't need me for anything. You will know how to keep chains off." The dryad is certain of her words, vowing silently to do all she can and the best she can for the tiny dragon.

Kayla stands slightly away from the others, peering on in silent awe. Her Gods never ceased to amaze her that they would let her chance upon such a miracle despite her diminutive capacity and awkward personality and so she simply stares at the newborn dragon without a single word.

Satoshi leans her slight weight against Trebel's side as fox and angha continue to watch the aftermath of the hatching. "What an exotic coloration... I've never seen its like before." While murmuring this to herself, Satoshi catches Kayla's awed expression and smiles. She can hazard a guess the source of that look. So used to being around dragons, gryphons, and other such creatures, the foxkin often forgets many people don't share in the luxury of fantastic beings for company. And yet, Satoshi still finds herself in awe whenever she witnesses these things. Thus it's with a companionable grin that she says to Kayla now, "They're fascinating creatures, aren't they? One can never be bored, with dragons around. In fact... have either of you ever been aloft? Nothing quite compares to flight~."

Madigan shakes her head as she turns her attention to Queen Satoshi. "But that's why I wanted to find a dragon to train. Ranok was seeking flyers not long ago and I wanted to fly. But I don't know how long it'll take for Ajani to grow big enough to be flown. I know the training should start as soon as possible... I suppose the first thing I should do is teach him how to fly." She stares down at him and traces her fingers over the red ringed spots that shine from under his scales and pokes the occasional purple spot. A streak of white swipes across his face with the vibrant clay-red coloring one of his cheeks and most of his jaw.

Kayla shakes her head. "A-aloft? On a dragon?" She laughs nervously. "I was very nearly flayed alive by one of these beasts not a month ago!" She looks down at the dragon in Madigan's arms. "He sure is beautiful, though," she mumbles, more to herself than anyone else. "What's it like flying through the air?"

Satoshi said to Madigan, "I don't recognize the breed, but if your little one is like most other dragons, the first thing he's bound to want is food. I'm guessing you found him in the caverns under Craughmoyle? The little beasties there and similar are likely the best meal for him. I wouldn't be surprised if his sort eat some of the fungi you found. And I wouldn't worry about overfeeding the fellow," she adds, lightly tugging at Trebel's mane, "most of saurian kind don't seem to have a limit to what they can eat, especially when young. The more they eat, the quicker they grow, and they naturally grow quick~. I wouldn't be surprised if he's ready to fledge in a month or two, honestly." Grinning, she looks toward Kayla in time to receive her question, "It's like nothing you've ever experienced. If you trust the one you're with, there is no end to the exhiliration. Being able to travel from one place to the other in half the time of a ground mount... seeing the world from an unimaginable angle... challenging the sky to its limits... Flying cannot be properly described, only experienced. If you're ever interested, visit the Eyrie's Outpost here. We're always happy to take folks aloft, see if they've got the spark to become a flyer and find their partner." Trebel nudges happily at the kit's side in response to this, a rumbling trill coming from deep in his throat as something of a purr. Satoshi strokes the angha affectionately. To Madigan, she adds, "The invitation is to you as well. Most members of the Eyrie are well-versed in dragon-rearing. They can offer you any help you require in raising your little friend there."

Madigan grins, "I'd love to join. Any help I can get would be much appreciated." Another affectionate stroke of Ajani's scales before she sets him down on the icy ground to give him a chance to work his legs. He wobbles awkwardly and cries out softly, disliking the cold. Madigan pulls out a rotting slice of apple from her bag and places some spores on it. Soon enough, the apple slice has shriveled up and all but disappeared under a small patch of pearly white, illuminated mushrooms. Madigan holds out the mushrooms to Ajani's lips but he turns away and whines after sniffing. She then tries to break the mushroom into smaller pieces, letting the spores fall into her bag, and holds out a tiny piece at a time for him. The pieces easier for him to manage, he happily gulps down everything she offers him without so much as chewing a bit. Once she's all out, he crawls to her expectantly, climbing onto her lap, asking for more with his baby dragon caws. Suddenly, he hisses angrily when she doesn't comply. She hisses back which causes him to lower his head as he hisses very quietly his submission. Once he relaxes, she pulls out some more spores to make more mushrooms. "He'll eat meat when he's old enough and strong enough to hunt for himself. I can't rightfully hunt for him. Otherwise, I'd be no different than the hunters who slay game to feed the lazy. He'll be capable."

Kayla can't help but appear both mesmerized and deeply intrigued, despite her verbal trepidation toward the species. Nevertheless, she says, "Oh, I don't know, m'Lady. I've never been one for organizations. I'm actually really awkward in social situations, if you'd believe it." Still, a faint look of longing glistens in her eyes which are still locked on the colorful creature. Eventually, she would snap out of her trance and say her goodbyes. Unfortunately, it was time to move on.

Satoshi nods farewell to Kayla, gaze only briefly leaving Madigan and Ajani. The dryad's scolding hiss is unexpected yet highly approved of. Leave it to a creature of nature to understand how to communicate properly! "Then the Eyrie welcomes you, Treeling. You've a natural knack for tending hatchlings, by the looks of it. I think this little beauty is in finer hands with you than anyone else~. Oh! Now that I think of it... you can track down my brother Kirien, if you need help at all. I believe you two worked together when gathering the mithril? He's raised a wyvern and a Grey from eggs, as well he's a part of the Eyrie. I'm sure he can be of assistance here, as he's a bit more familiar with cavern species than I am."

Madigan laughs at Satoshi's mention of Kirien's familiarity with cavern species. She would imagine as much, honestly. She finishes feeding Ajani before picking him up and placing him back inside the basket, and then she covers it with the lid. Instant whining and scratching against the basket's interior to express his dissatisfaction with the current situation. "You'll be warmer in there, Ajani. Hush now; I'll let you out when we get to warmer places. You're cold-blooded enough as it is." As if he understood her, he gives a final whimper and then quiets down. Madigan takes that moment to look up at Satoshi and say, "I didn't realize you were brother and sister. Do you have many siblings?"

Satoshi regards the basket-confined dragon with amusement. It hadn't been too long ago that Trebel was small enough to be tucked into the hood of her coat. Madigan's question brings her out of that reverie, however, and she shakes her head. "Non. In truth, we're not related as actual siblings either, but we share a Sire in my husband, along with a great deal of tendencies, fondnesses, and so on. We are siblings in all but parental lineage." Remembering the dryad's comment to Ajani a moment prior, Satoshi looks in the direction of the tavern. She says, "If you're wanting warmth soon, the tavern is always open. There you'll find Drargon has your payment for the mithril. But don't let him watch your dragonling for you, whatever he may offer! Although he means well, he has a habit of stuffing them full of bread and mead, the poor blighters." Trebel snorts at this. A time or two he's been subjected to Drargon's inexperienced care, overfed so heavily on fish-bread that it had been easier to roll rather than walk anywhere. Those were good times, in the angha's books.

Madigan laughs at Satoshi's description of this Drargon person. He sounds like a thick-headed man. A sudden thought occurs to Madigan just as she's about to lift the basket to her back. "Oh!" She leaves the basket in its place on the ground as she turns around to reveal her naked back to the Queen. From under her right armpit to below the waist of her hem-tail skirt is the very ward the ice magus had designed for the dryad. It'd been done in a deep, crimson red. More specifically, it was tattooed with Troblin blood which gave the fire ward an added kick Madigan would've never expected. "It hums and pulses whenever I'm near any source of fire. The closer I am, the faster it pulses. It's very strange, but it feels alive against my skin. Did you intend for that?" Beside the fire ward, trailing down the length of the dryad's spine was another tattoo done in a strikingly black ink. It was a vertical line of symbols unknown to everyone but her tribe's people. Along the length of the tattoo were tiny, abstract accents added to give the tattoo a unique flare; although the symbols on their own are unique enough, Madigan had to separate her tattoo from her Matron's in some way, out of respect.

Satoshi's eyes widen in surprise at the sight of the tattoo. "Hellfire! You got it inked! And, well, I hadn't completely intended it to pulse, but I had adapted a few sigils common for creating golems and the like. It's not surprising it gained a bit of responsive ability from that. Does it function as you wished?" As much as Satoshi wishes to touch the design, she refrains, both because her skin is unpleasantly cold to the touch, and because it's just plain bad manners to go poking at people. Even if they are wearing a design you created.

Madigan shrugs, "Well, I haven't exploded yet. I haven't been attacked by fire, though. I've managed to avoid fire for almost two-hundred years, so it doesn't surprise me I haven't needed it yet. But I did have a really close encounter with a fire spirit not too long ago. He was a trickster on top of that. Surrounded me in fake flames." Her face darkens as she recalls the terrible, private humiliation she suffered. It was enough to send her back looking for him to challenge him outright. Damn that fire spirit. "Maybe there's someone in the Eyrie that'll cast some fire at me to see how the fire ward works. I can't go around asking just anyone; they might actually hurt me."

Satoshi laughs, of all things. "If you want fire thrown at you, just ask Old Red to do it. She'll be happy to oblige... just be prepared. She -is- a red dragon, so her fire can have a considerable punch. At the same time, she's a fussy sort of broodmother who will be delighted to coddle your hatchling endlessly if you're not careful~. Nonetheless, I am glad the design hasn't exploded. That's the last thing I want!"

Madigan's face becomes quickly one of worry. "I'll avoid dragon fire for now. Maybe a young pyromancer would be a good place to start with. If the fire ward doesn't work properly, I don't want to get burned down by a dragon. I have a baby dragon to think about now." Her eyes glance down at the basket. Ajani has been surprisingly quiet since she hushed him. Taking his silence as her cue, she picks up the basket and straps it over her shoulders. "I should get him to the tavern before he freezes to death. He needs warmth, especially in this early stage in his life." She bows her head slightly to the Queen and gives her a smile. "Thanks for everything, 'm'Lady'." A wink and then a friendly clicking of the tongue at the angha before she turns away from the two and Frostmaw's towering guardian.

Satoshi returns the bow, following it with a salute when the dryad turns to leave. "Thank you in turn, Treeling. Good luck with the little one. You know how to reach me if you require anything~." Trebel trumpets his own farewell with this.