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LLOTF - B2 - Chapter 1: The long road ahead
🕑 Added 2024-12-28 20:56:08 +0000 UTC“I’m boooored!” Felicity groaned as she sprawled atop Tristan’s head, lazily batting at one of his long ears. She had flopped herself onto the top of his skull and was acting like a very grumpy, bored house cat.
Tristan just shook his head, “What? Bored of doing the two-direction spin for your Essence Crucible?”
She nodded and flopped onto her back, making another groaning noise. “It’s been a week! Plus, it makes my stomach super rumbly.”
Tristan chuckled and leaned over as he ran a hand along his black destrier’s neck. “You don’t mind this, do you, Onyx?”
The horse whinnied in response, and his companion, Midnight – his grandfather Hurvun’s favorite steed – neighed as well.
“See? It’s just you that doesn’t like travel,” Tristan stated.
“Tomorrow, I’m just going to stay in the Fey Realm!” Felicity said as she continued to pout.
“But then who will watch my back?” Tristan asked. “Or go scout ahead to see if other traveler’s have ill-intent?”
“Someone else!”
“Would a joke make you feel better?” Tristan asked.
“Your jokes s-u-c-k.” Felicity grumpily replied.
Tristan had been thinking of several jokes to tell her as they kept traveling, and finally had one he had landed upon in the past few hours. “Why don’t fairy dragons like serious conversation?”
Felicity groaned, “Why?”
“Because they would rather have a pun-derful time!” Tristan replied with a small grin.
Felicity giggled just the slightest bit, “Okay, that was decent. But not as good as one of mine.”
“Yours always get raunchy.”
“Those are the best kind! Okay, my turn!” her demeanor had shifted almost immediately as she got into the spirit of exchanging jokes. “What’s a fairy dragon’s favorite position in battle?”
“What?” Tristan replied.
She cackled, “On top! Because they get the best view.” She began making small paw-claw biscuits on his head, and Tristan chuckled at the joke.
But then it hit him, “Wait a minute! That one has multiple meanings!”
“Duh.” Both horses whinnied, and Felicity pointed at them, “See? They loved it!”
---
The two had been traveling on horseback – with Tristan swapping between Onyx and Midnight – for the past week. Five days of travel, four nights of staying in the Fey Realm. Tristan had taken to a new routine at night – spending an hour upon his arrival sparring with The Matriarch to keep improving his skills with the two-handed hammer known as a maul.
He would then visit the half-breed Broxtar that had elected to stay; thirty of them. They did not show any signs of change, or sickness, but all were extremely grateful for the chance to stay in the Fey Realm. They had taken up residence in some of the newly-crafted tree houses – quite literally, shaped and bent trees formed with essence-weaving – which surrounded the Queen’s Wood.
And, just to ensure they had capacity for more refugees or guests, Tristan expanded the project. The fairy dragons who could use the flora spell type set to work, turning the surrounding several miles of forest surrounding the Queen’s Wood into houses made from the living substance.
And the half-breed Broxtar had shown themselves quite capable smiths. More of the weird flame-infused trees that acted like furnaces were brought from the Summerbalm Springs – a section of the Fey Realm that was to the south-east of the Queen’s Wood – and the new residents had begun toying around with using metallurgy on the Adamant Wood that grew only in the Fey Realm. A substance that could be shaped with essence-weaving, but was shapeable with heat and hammering.
After his visit, Tristan would rest up, and Felicity had taken to sleeping on the same bed – either in her fairy dragon form on a pillow near his head, or sometimes in her elfanoid form under the covers with him. It was comforting, to Tristan, and a few times in the night he found himself waking up as the sorrow of recent events overcame him, and he sought solace in her comforting embrace.
The recent death of his mother, Gertrude, the chef who was like an aunt to him, and his grandfather all ripped through him in tumultuous tides of sadness. But Felicity’s soft reassurances would help quiet the sorrow and helped him sleep once more.
After waking, he would prepare to travel, see if any new developments had occurred that he needed to be notified of, and traveled back to the Mortal Realm with his mounts. They had been traveling towards the Sapphire Coast to the south of the kingdom of Bhant; going to the next closest Pathfinder Company lodge. Those were only present in capital cities, so he would be traveling for at least a full Season to get there.
---
“What day is it?” Felicity asked as the day dragged on to the late afternoon.
“Fifteenth of Building Season,” Tristan replied. “It’s just going to get hotter over the next week, but we should be approaching the edge of the kingdom’s border soon enough.”
“More mountains?” Felicity asked. “I haven’t been outside of the kingdom’s borders.
“Me either,” Tristan replied. “From the maps I had to study, the mountains are a small range – maybe a half day to get over. We should be coming into sight within the next day or so.”
Felicity groaned once more and laid down across his head, batting his ears again. “This is just so dull. At least flying, I could go wherever I wanted fast.”
“More essence capacity in your crucible means bigger fairy dragon forms, correct?”
“Yeah…”
“Then do what I’m doing. The sp-”
Felicity sighed, “Fiiine.”
Tristan frowned, “No, that was not an order. I only want you to do it if you want to do it.”
“I will do it…but only because I want to be able to carry us around instead of ride around on these slow beasts.”
Midnight and Onyx both nickered at the remark and suddenly sped up. The rapid movement sent Felicity flying off with a, “Wha?!”
Tristan glanced back as she flapped up before flying forward to perch on his head again. She practically bristled as her hackles raised up, “Okay, r-u-d-e.”
Both horses whinnied, and it sounded like laughter. Tristan also joined in at laughing at Felicity’s small tumble. After calming down, the destriers slowed to a canter, and Tristan used the opportunity to not only spin his essence crucible in both directions; venting his essence whilst sucking it back in. But, he also chose to peruse his grandfather’s journal.
He had read through it a few times, focusing on absorbing all the knowledge of slaying dragons he wrote in the margins. But now he was left with only the unique, Anorox-bloodline only spell type – dragonbane. He had marked them out with fairy dragon feathers, and began to read the First Order spells. He skipped over the first.
I know about Drain Dragon, Tristan thought, since grandfather taught me that one. But I only know what Dragon’s Doom and Scales of our Foe do from my sword and armor, respectively. I need to know how to do it on-the-fly, in case I find myself without my armor like the ambush in the townhouse.
Flipping to the next feather mark, he found the two he was looking for. Thankfully, whoever his grandfather had paid to help invent these bloodline-only spells was also versed in how the normal primers were written, so the format was one that Tristan was familiar with.
---
Dragon’s Doom (First)
Spell Phrase: Your end is nigh, beast from another Realm who seeks to invade mine.
Spell Gesture: Place your palm along the striking edge/point/tip/face of the weapon you intend to use.
Other Notes: This spell will last for one minute unless extra essence is poured into the weapon. It does not just apply to dragon’s (despite Hurvun’s insistence), but will lead your chosen implement towards a vital spot on any opponent who you seek to strike with the weapon.
---
Scales of Our Foe (First)
Spell Phrase: The very plates that protect you shall protect me as well!
Spell Gesture: Place your palm upon the chest of whatever armor/clothing/apparel you are wearing.
Other Notes: This spell will last for one minute unless extra essence is poured into the armor. Anything touched will become like armor. It can be used on your flesh, but over-use of this will result in rashes that itch horrifically and can take some time to vanish. Already existing armor will become more durable and protective.
---
Tristan frowned, “I was expecting easy phrases and gestures because it was grandfather…but now I want to know what the heck other essence-weavers were using to make spells? Heck, how could I make spells?”
Felicity leaned her head over and perused the page Tristan had opened the journal to, “Wow. That is very simple. Huh.” She sat up and began making paw-claw biscuits on his head, “I don’t know how one goes about making spells. Something to maybe ask The Matriarch?”
Tristan nodded as he flipped to the next page which also had First Order dragonbane spells.
---
Aspect of the dragon - claws (First)
Spell Phrase: The very weapons you use to rend and tear are mine to use!
Spell Gesture: Put your hand into the shape of a claw (extend your fingers and slightly curl them in to make a claw-like shape).
Other Notes: This spell lasts for one minute unless extra essence is poured into the hands. You will still be able to grip objects, and this spell incorporates armor if present. Best advised to use with Scales of our Foe (see the last page).
---
Breath Weapon - minor (First)
Spell Phrase: The power I took from you is now mine to wield!
Spell Gesture: Hold your hand up to your mouth (or if you have a helmet on, where your mouth would be). Form the index finger and thumb into a ring, and bring the other fingers into line with the index finger. Exhale outward as you speak the spell phrase.
Other Notes: You must will the elementalism spell type you wish to manifest. If you do not, then it will default to the strongest essence crucible amongst dragons you have consumed (for instance, if you had consumed the crucible of an ice fledgling, and a fire wrym, it would default to fire elementalism).
---
Tristan looked up from the journal as he reached the end of the First Order spells. “Well…now nothing for it but to practice.”
