by The Kingpin » Fri Mar 02, 2012 11:52 pm
After a period of fast flight, Septimus slowed down, the coast now within sight, his destination just beyond. Once he had passed the shallow area of the coastline and reached the shelf beyond which he knew Zuppoland lay, the Dragon descended until he was almost skimming the surface of the water, before pulling his wings in tightly, streamlining his body and dipping downwards, plunging into the water like an organic missile, plunging just over a 30 feet downwards before spreading his wings slightly, holding them against his form like fins as he rippled his fin-tipped tail, launching himself downwards towards the bottom, the shimmering dome of Zuppoland visible in the distance, the massive, striped, multi-coloured conch within shimmering impressively. With a bit of luck, he would have no need to enter...
And indeed, he didn't. Before he could get within a hundred yards of the underwater metropolis, no fewer than 10 Zuppolandian Guards, all riding what looked to be Sea Dragons, lined up before him. The guards had gained the visible fish-like features, gills along their jaw lines flaring with their breathing, their needle-like teeth showing as they snarled at him, their lower limbs completely covered in silvery scales, which Septimus had no doubt would join to form a tail were they not separated by their draconic mounts, the Sea Serpents having long, serpentine necks, their heads looking distinctly barracuda-like, though having the obvious intelligent gaze Dragons were known for, their scaled brows extending from just behind their narrow, slitted nostrils, past the eyes and forming small, slightly inwards curved horns. their four limbs seemed a blend between fin and leg, large spreads of webbing linking the fingers and spreading through bony extensions, forming a flipper-like shape. Their tails were webbed along the sides, spreading as the tail tapered and ending in a large, point-tipped chevron shape, too angular to really fit the description of a crescent, the tail looking distinctly like that of a Great White Shark's. Seeing the line up of soldiers, Septimus spread his wings, the wingspan easily reaching out as far to the sides as the entire group, the patterns decorating the ventral surface of the wing seeming to morph and pulsate as Septimus' eyes glowed. "You need not fear me, Guardians of Zuppoland. I am no stranger. I have simply changed since last we met" echoed Septimus' voice in their minds, the group calming slightly, though still wary. "I came here for an answer to a simple question. I do not know the writing of your kind, and am faced with a bit of an....inconvenience" rumbled the Dragon, as the image of Desrium's message on the wall flashed in their minds vividly, the Zuppolandians immediately reading and interpreting it subconsciously. breaking his focus from all but one of the soldiers, Septimus again spoke. "As you can see, I am faced with troubles because I do not know how your language is written...With your permission, I'd wish to learn it from you" he growled, eyeing the soldier, who looked at the Dragon confusedly. "But something like that would take years to learn" responded the guard. Smiling, The Hueilin shook his head. "I do not learn as you do, friend. Reading the knowledge of your language from your own mind would take moments for me...if you'd be willing to allow me" responded Septimus. Thinking for several moments over the decision, the guard finally agreed, before turning to the others and ordering they stand down. Thankful, Septimus furled his wings, his eyes closing as he focused. In seconds, the guard felt the intrusion on his own thoughts, as gentle as they were. It worried him that he had difficulty discerning what was his own train of thought and what was the Dragon's probing, the difference so slight he could barely notice it. decades of experience and practice in the Zuppolandian tongue, both spoken and written, flowed through the merman's mind, before it halted, as suddenly as it started. Opening his eyes, Septimus looked at the group with new-found understanding, the knowledge registering. Bowing thankfully, the Dragon smiled. "Should you see your King, inform him that Septimus thanks him and his people for their tolerance.....I pray we meet again some day. May the Eternal Conch watch over you" he growled, using the Zuppolandian farewell as he turned to leave. The Guardians were left watching, very much bewildered at the oddity of the encounter, though settling to rack it up to the incident two days prior, and the repercussions it had had...
Andruil nodded. "In that case, let's go" he said as he turned and headed out the door, noting the increasing noise below. As he descended the stairs, he came across the source. a large congregation of Dwarves were collected in the main hall of the inn, some singing, others drinking themselves into a stupor, yet others amidst a drunken brawl. As he cleared the stairs he nearly ran into the innkeeper, who had no less than 8 mugs full of Dwarven ale in hand. "What's going on?" he asked. "Eh, random party. If there's one thing that all foreigners soon learn, it's that we Dwarves are as spontaneous and unpredictable as we are short. We have Goblins and Cave Crocodiles and who knows what else plaguing our mines, and yet half the barracks is here drinking themselves out of their mind! Oh, here, have some Ale!" said the innkeeper, finally shoving several of the mugs into Andruil's hands before continuing onwards into the drunken crowd, disappearing amidst the many short denizens of the inn. raising a brow, perhaps a little bit too surprised by the scene, Andruil looked over his shoulder at Arsenic and Vix...
"Ah yes, organised chaos. the sign of a clever but ever-busy mind. To the perpetrator, a carefully woven web of belongings and intrigue, but to the bystander? Madness!"
–William Beckett, Lore of Leyuna RPG