The Power of the Ancients

Author's note: This is not really an RP per se, just an update on the status of my characters, what they are doing. Completely solo, just me and my characters following a story I have planned in my head. Feedback is encouraged, however. I would love to know what you guys think of this, as it's something that I have wanted to do for months now.

That said, read on, and enjoy the show!
-Ehl

EDIT: This story has ended. Please, if you have comments, let me know! I'd love to hear from you!

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PART 1: THE PROPHECY
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It is one year after the great war between the empires of Darislav and Arkos. The war-torn lands, still rebuilding, are beginning to prosper. Freedom and opportunity course throughout the lands. Ehlmaris, the god-king of the Darislav Empire, has taken Lady Warbird as his wife and queen. Imparting a portion of his divine power and knowledge to her, she has helped him in the ongoing struggle to maintain peace across the realm. However, a rumor from the north has reached the ears of the throne, a disturbing rumor that sends a chill along the spine of the king. He has called some of his closest allies from battles past to the Imperial Palace for a top secret conference...

Clint Arkanis, former Royal Knight of Darislav and now Dragon Knight of the Riders, gazes down on the imperial capital from atop his dragon. "It's been quite some time since I've been here..." The dragon swoops downward toward the royal stables, newly remodeled to accomodate visitors from the Council of Riders. It lands, stirring up a massive cloud of dust as it touches down. Clint climbs down, rubbing the beast's side. "Stay here... I won't be too long, I hope."

Meanwhile, Indrasil, a Paladin of the Holy Order and general of the great war, strolls casually toward the palace, his armor gleaming in the midday sun. Catching sight of the dragon's landing, he pauses for a moment and turns toward the stables, his pace slightly quicker. He reaches the stables, seeing the Knight walking towards him. "Clint, my old friend! How have you been?"

Clint smiles at the familiar face. "Old friend... heh, it hasn't been that long, has it?" He claps a hand on the paladin's shoulder. "I have been well. The Council has been hard at work lately maintaining the peace in the international arena. Luckily, most seem to welcome our return." He begins walking outward toward the palace, Indrasil staying by his side.

"Ah, Clint," says the other man lightly, "that is not what I was referring to. I asked about YOU, not the Council! Rumor has it you got married recently?"

The Rider looks down at the ground for a moment, smiling. "Yes... a week ago today, to Kate. You remember her, Thor's aide?"

"Yes, I do... but a week? Seems like a short honeymoon, if you ask me."

Clint sighs. "Too short... interrupted, even." He shakes his head slightly. "But the emperor was aware of our arrangements. If he called me away from my honeymoon, then it's because he truly needs the assistance. To be honest, I'm a bit worried."

"Oh, come on! It'll be just like old times, fighting side by side for freedom and justice! You should be more anxious to get going, if you ask me."

"I'd prefer not to fight, if possible. I think we've shed enough blood for one lifetime," replies the knight, his expression somewhat grim.

Indrasil, noting his friend's expression, turns his gaze forward. "Well... there's the palace up ahead, so I suppose we'll learn what we need to know soon enough." They continue onward in silence.

Emperor Ehlmaris sits quietly in the conference room, his hands folded in front of his face. His breathing is calm, though worry is evident in his posture. Warbird, sitting to his right, lays a hand on his arm. "They're here... I feel their presence. You have no need to worry, love," she says as a knock is heard on the door. "Enter."

The door opens, and Clint and Indrasil walk into the room, taking seats at the table. "My Lord," Clint says, "I hear you have a bit of a problem?"

Ehlmaris remains silent for a moment, then slowly lowers his hands, placing them flat on the table. "A problem... indeed. In the north, just outside the reach of the Holy Order and the scope of the Council, there is a man... or so I have been told." He unfolds a map on the table in front of them, pointing with his finger. "He supposedly resides in a small hut in this region, and if rumors are true, he could pose a greater danger to this world than the Arkosians ever did."

Hearing this, Indrasil leans in. "Your Highness... what sort of danger?"

The king looks the paladin in the eye. "When we laid siege to Arkos, we killed a man who held knowledge of the Ancients. The information he had was dangerous enough that it could have laid waste to my empire if he could use it." Looking down at the map, he continues. "This man... this man supposedly has an entire library of such knowledge." He glances between the two warriors. "He must be dealt with. Immediately."

Clint anxiously clears his throat. "I assume you will be joining us on this quest?"

The king sits back in his chair. "I am afraid not, my friend. Baradreth, King of the Gods, has called on me. I must meet with him in the Ethereal Realms. Speaking of which..." he rises to his feet. "I must be going. Warbird can answer any further questions you may have." He walks toward the door, glancing over his shoulder momentarily. "Good luck to the both of you." He leaves the room.

The three sit in silence for a moment before Indrasil speaks up. "Lady... what sort of obstacles do you think we might face?"

"Not much resistance until you encounter the man, I believe. However, he may be a difficult one... the rumors say he bears strange weapons, and if that is true, it may mean that he is a Darkforger, a master of the technology of the Ancients."

"The... technology of the Ancients?" Clint asks. "The same that... that brought the Cataclysm?"

"The same, though I doubt he will have anything of that scale. Be on your guard nonetheless."

Indrasil and Clint turn to each other for a moment. "We'd better get going, then," the paladin states. He rises and bows before the queen. "By your leave, milady," he says, exiting the room.

Clint rises as well, but slower. He glances at Warbird and then toward the door. As he turns toward it, Warbird speaks. "Clint... I have a request."

"Yes?"

"Arrest him."

"My lady, what..."

"I want the Darkforger alive."

He furrows his brow in confusion for a moment, but it passes. "As you wish." He turns and exits the room, heading toward the stables.

Meanwhile...

Ehlmaris Darislav crosses into the Ethereal Realms, standing before Baradreth Himself. "Great Baradreth, your servant awaits your command," he says, kneeling before the one who gave him his power.

"Ehlmaris... My emissary to the mortal world. My command to you... is to not return."

The man's gaze turns rapidly upward. "My Lord?! What did I... Why?"

"You have made a crucial mistake. Your power has been misused. The only reason you still live is because your intentions were pure... but nevertheless, events are now in motion that cannot be undone."

"Lord Baradreth, I do not understand."

"Of course not. You were never told of the Prophecy of the Ancients."

"Prophecy? What prophecy?"

The God tilts his head back, his voice booming:

"After the fall, after the cleansing, after the rebirth of man
Their ways shall rise, all to corrupt, at the Phoenix's hand.
The Heavens will shake, the Earth will break, Hell itself will be wrought with fear.
With a change in the wind, should the will of the Gods end, only man can make clear."

Ehlmaris falls backward in terror. "M...my lord... I had... no idea. I'm... I'm so sorry."

Baradreth turns his gaze again to Ehlmaris. "You will remain here. You will watch. Should the planet survive... you will return there. Powerless."

"And if... if it does not?"

"Then neither shall you."

[doctor-warlord]

(nice story i would love to read the next part of it)

(OMG the king leaves us once more...will the world ever be at peace??? Let's hope not =D)

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PART II: THE DARKFORGER
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After the conference, Indrasil and Clint were shown to their rooms for the night in the palace. A soft rain came down for two hours overnight, ending just before dawn. The skies cleared quickly and the sun rose, casting the world in a golden light. The two woke early and went about their morning routines. Now, they meet up in the stables.

Clint walks into the stable, finding Indrasil preparing his horse. He smiles, thankful that riding a dragon requires very little preparation in comparison. He is now wearing his armor, a magical suit of deep crimson plates, forged for his ancestor. Indrasil, too, bears his armor, the silvery finish reflecting the sunrise beautifully.

"Almost ready? We should get going soon, we have a long ride ahead of us," says the Rider.

"Not as long as you think; new roads are opening. I know a couple shortcuts, we can be there by midday. Still, you're right. Just a couple more minutes."

Clint nods and turns around. "Very well. I shall be waiting just outside." He exits the stables, leaning up on the wall by the door. ^Kate... My dearest...^

A voice echoes inside his mind. ^Hmm? Clint? Thinking about the wife, are you?^

^Yes, Droxi,^ he replies. Through their training together, Clint and his dragon partner Droxi had developed the ability to communicate telepathically. ^It's just... I'm beginning to question my status in the world.^

^What do you mean? Second thoughts about the mission, or the Council?^

^Both. Before Kate... I could do these missions freely. I could put myself at risk, try to help people. But now...^

^Now you have something to care about. Something to live for.^

The Rider looks down and softly sighs. ^Yeah. I do...^

"Clint! Let's get going!"

Indrasil's call stirred the dragon and his partner. Clint looked up and walked back to the stables. "Alright. Let's move." As he climbed on the dragon's back, the Paladin started riding toward the city gate. The dragon rose into the air with a few flaps of its massive wings, the red scales glistening in the morning sun. Remaining in the air, Clint could focus on his thoughts and concerns about the mission - and his wife - without the distraction of Indrasil. But not without his partner hearing.

^Clint, you cannot keep worrying like this.^

^I can't help it. She's all I can think about.^

^If you don't focus on the mission, your fears may come true.^

^Like you said... I have something to worry about for the first time. Ever.^

^Well, your worrying is only making me worry. This could get in the way of the mission.^

^If my concern is affecting you, then can't you stay focused and hope that rubs off on me?^

^I suppose it's worth a shot. Just try to keep your nerves down a bit.^

^Will do.^ Clint smiles slightly and looks off into the distance. ^Hmm, Indrasil wasn't kidding about the new roads. He can ride almost as straight as the bird flies.^

^Or the dragon.^

The Rider chuckles. ^Indeed.^

The ride goes smoothly. After a few hours, Clint and the dragon decide to land and stop for a bite to eat. The humans stay with the horse to prepare a fire while the dragon finds some food.

"So, what's for lunch?" asks the paladin as he drops some wood next to Clint.

"Whatever she can find for us."

Indrasil shakes his head. "Really? You eat what dragons eat? Weird."

Clint looks up. "Weird? How so?"

"Well, from what I've heard, dragons are totally indiscriminate in their food choices... they eat some pretty unsavory things. You really trust a dragon to get you safe food?"

Clint turns back toward the fire. "They eat basically the same as we do... they are carnivores, though. A Rider's partner does pick up on the omnivorous tendencies, though. She is getting pretty good at foraging. Found a delicious patch of wild strawberries just last week."

Indrasil sits down. "Whatever you say... I'm still going to double check her choices."

Clint restrains himself from making any sound... even a slight grunt. He had encountered such bias against dragons several times over the past year, a prejudice he had been working to undermine. If humans felt this way about dragons, if there was no trust, then the two races would never be able to live together in harmony.

^Ignore him, Clint. Let our actions do the job with this one. Words will not convince him,^ Droxi says to Clint through their connection. The human nods his head slightly, knowing that she is right. What better way to show Indrasil that the dragons can be trusted than by working alongside one?

Suddenly, the corpse of a moose hits the ground nearby, stirring up a wind that almost puts the fire out, just after it started. "Hey!" the paladin shouts. "Damn thing almost pupt the flame out!" He glances over at Clint, who chuckles lightly. "What's so funny?"

"You forget... this is a dragon we're dealing with. She can make a better fire on her own, you know. And besides, like I said, she is getting better at foraging, so we don't necessarily need the fire." At that moment, Droxi lands near the moose, gently dropping a few dragon-sized handfuls of berries to the ground. "She's even learned to be gentle with such things. Can't stand bruised fruit, myself."

Indrasil's eyes widen in amazement as he gazes upon the selection laid out before him. Strawberries, blueberries, blackberries, cherries, grapes, apples... He couldn't believe that a dragon could be so discerning in selecting food. "Well, I suppose... I suppose we do have a decent meal after all."

Clint stands to face the man, about to ask him to apologize to Droxi. ^No, Clint, don't. Go easy. It takes time to break old habits. Leave him be.^

^You're right. Let's just eat, shall we?^ The dragon lets out a small roar of approval, grabs the moose by the legs, raises it into the air and breathes a flame onto its carcass, ripping it open halfway through 'cooking' it, then setting it down for Clint to carve up.

The meal goes well, with Clint holding his tongue toward Indrasil's prejudice, all the while watching as Indrasil realizes that the dragons can be trusted more than he once thought. Soon the meal ends and they start on the last leg of the journey toward the Darkforger's abode. After three hours, they turn away from the road toward where the cottage should be. Soon, it comes into view.

^Droxi... stay out of eyesight as best as you can. I don't want this Darkforger to know we are here.^

^The element of surprise... I think I missed the part where you filled our companion in on this part of the plan.^

Clint bites his lip a bit. ^Damn... you're right. I meant to say something over lunch, but I was rather preoccupied.^

^Indeed you were! I thought you would have needed a nap after all you ate!^

Clint slaps Droxi's back slightly. ^Hey, I'm starting to get a bit of your appetite! It's your fault!^

Just then, they see movement. Clint strains his eyes, looking at the ground to see a man in simple robes, slightly overweight, balding... presumably in his mid-40's. He is standing behind a telescope... looking right at them. The man steps back and hesitates a moment.

^****! Droxi! He knows we're here. Move in, now! Go!^ The dragon moves immediately, diving downward with tremendous speed. In a matter of seconds they are not more than 30 feet off the ground. She flaps her leathery wings to reduce their momentum and lands, with Clint climbing off her back just as Indrasil arrives and leaps off his horse, sword drawn.

"You there! Stop! We are here on behalf of the Darislav Empire!" Indrasil marches toward the cottage, the mysterious man having fled inside as the dragon swept inward.

Clint, a few paces further from the doorway, calls out to Indrasil. "Wait up, don't rush in there!" At that moment, Indrasil reaches the door to the cottage.

In the next moment, everything goes silent. Not a half second later, the silence erupts in a flash of light and sound. The thatched roof of the cottage shakes greatly, with some sections falling off entirely. Indrasil flies back from the doorway about 20 feet before he hits the ground.

"INDRASIL!" Clint yells as he rushes over to check on the man.

Droxi, realizing that both of the humans have placed themselves in a very precarious position, moves between them and the cottage. She swipes at the thatched roof with her claws, tearing it off. She rears back and lets out a mighty roar into the cottage, striking the man with terror. He drops a strange looking object on the ground, and a green crystal falls out of what appears to be a handle. Seeing the crystal, Droxi rears back further as if to burn the cottage and everything else inside.

^Droxi! No! Stop!^

Just as her mouth begins to smoke, Droxi stops, glaring back at Clint. ^This is him! We have to deal with him! We have to do it now!^

Clint rises to his feet and marches toward the cottage. ^Lady Warbird wants him alive.^ He draws his sword.

Meanwhile, the man inside regains his composure. He grabs the object on the ground again, fumbling with the green crystal before he slides it back into the handle. He points one end at Droxi's chest, and suddenly a burst of electricity erupts from the tip, striking the dragon. Clint stumbles a bit as he feels his partner's pain, but he enters the cottage while the man is distracted by the dragon.

"Drop it! Now!" Clint points his sword at the man, slowly moving closer.

The man's gaze rapidly fluctuates between Clint and the dragon, yet he does not drop the object, which is now smoking out of the end that shot the electricity. Droxi lets out another roar, the sheer force of her breath forcing the man to fall back and drop the item.

Clint takes this opportunity and kicks the item behind him, closing in on the now-prostrate man. "Put your hands in the air. You are under arrest."

"You... are arresting me?"

"Yes. You will be transported to imprisonment in the dungeons of the Imperial Palace at Daris."

At this, the man on the ground begins to chuckle, growing quickly to full laughter. "Ha! Ha, you... you have GOT to be.... ha ha... kidding me! Ha... Oh. Has Ehlmaris... heehee... He's lost his mind, hasn't he? heh, heh!"

Clint stops for a moment, utterly confused by this display. He then acts, striking the man in the head with the butt of his sword, incapacitating him. He binds the strange man's hands and feet and, asking Droxi to monitor him, goes over to Indrasil, unconscious with slight internal injuries from the force of the blast. Calling upon his own brief training as a Paladin, Clint places a hand over Indrasil's heart, shuts his eyes, and utters a prayer softly. A faint light forms around his hand and transfers into the injured man. His eyes open.

"Clint... is... is the Darkforger...?"

"He's alive and bound. Droxi is watching him. Can you ride?"

"I... think so. But Clint... we should just... kill..."

"No. Lady Warbird told me she wants this man alive. I will not question that."

"You didn't... see that weapon, though."

"We will take it as evidence. It will go with you. Droxi will carry our prisoner. This way we keep them separated."

"As... you wish." Indrasil slowly stands and moves toward his horse as Clint goes to retrieve the mysterious weapon. He brings it to Indrasil, handing it to him once the Paladin is on his horse. Clint then returns to Droxi, telling her the plan. She nods and grabs the unconscious man.

"Indrasil, you take your time getting back to the Palace. We will fly ahead to drop him off, and will come get you once that is done." The paladin nods, and the Rider climbs onto the dragon's back. They quickly rise into the skies, taking off for the capital.

After about an hour, they arrive at the Imperial City of Daris and land outside the Palace. Clint leaps off the dragon, taking hold of the prisoner as two guards approach. "What is this?"

"We have a prisoner on the command of Lady Warbird. We must escort him to the dungeon immediately."

The guards nod. One moves to help Clint carry the unconscious man. The other speaks up: "I shall inform Her Highness immediately. You two go ahead and lock him up." Clint nods and they move quickly, putting the man in the dungeon. Clint rushes back to Droxi and they go to meet with Indrasil to escort him back safely.

Meanwhile, Lady Warbird strolls casually down to the dungeon. As she arrives at the man's cell, he wakes up. "So... you are the one that has caused this trouble. You are the one that caused my husband such distress. Tell me, is it true? Are you a Darkforger?"

The man looks at her, eyes barely open. "Y...yes. I am."

She kneels down next to the bars. "Do you have a name, Darkforger?"

"...Snarsh."

Warbird rises to her feet. "Very well, Snarsh Darkforger. I am Warbird. And I have many questions for you."

((Had to split this into two separate posts due to character count being over 12k :P turns out 10k is the max allowed.))

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PART III: MINING RIGHTS
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A week passes. Snarsh Darkforger remains in custody, while Clint and Indrasil take some time to rest from their journey. Then, at the end of the week, Warbird calls them into the conference room...

Clint Arkanis walks slowly to the conference room alongside Indrasil, who is still weak from his injuries. "I hope she doesn't have many more missions for us. I have to return to the Council, I have duties to attend to there."

Indrasil replies: "Yes, well, I'm not going anywhere for a little while, I still have to recover from that blast I took."

"Yes... that was quite a powerful weapon he used on you. I hope for the sake of humanity that we never see weapons like that again."

Indrasil glances at him briefly, then returns his gaze to the hallway ahead. "...Indeed."

They reach the conference room, enter and sit down. "Gentlemen," the empress says, "as it turns out there is more work to be done. Clint, I need you to go to the Council and deliver this letter to them," she says, sliding a rolled up piece of paper across the table, sealed with the Imperial Seal of Darislav. "It is a formal request for mining rights in the foothills of the northern mountains. Those lands are under the control of the Council, and as such we are willing to offer many things in exchange for the rights to mine there. Food, supplies, military support, economic aid, whatever they need."

"Milady... Would it be out of place for me to ask what you will be mining for?"

"Yes."

The Rider furrows his brow a bit in slight frustration, but allows the feeling to pass. "Very well. I shall deliver the letter. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, there is. Once the mining deal is established, I would appreciate it if you could gather the Council and any other interested parties for a conference here. Further details will be given at that time."

"As you wish."

"That is all for you, Clint. Indrasil... I realize your injuries are still fairly crippling, so I cannot expect you to go on these missions with Clint. Luckily they should not present any problems. As such, I would appreciate it if you could help me with a few things while you stay and recover."

"Things such as?"

"Research, mainly."

"Doesn't sound too hard. I'll do it."

A smile crosses the face of Warbird. "Excellent. Clint, you are dismissed. Indrasil, come with me." She exits to the throne room, the weakened Paladin close behind her, while Clint walks out to the main hallway and to the stables.

"Mining rights? That shouldn't be hard to do. The Council doesn't even use the foothills, as far as I know. But if the Empire keeps calling on me like this to do its work, things may change... Oh well. Best not to worry about it, I suppose," he says to himself as he reaches the stables. "Droxi, let's go. We're going back to the Council."

^It's about time. Did you tell the queen that we're not her personal police force?^

"She understands that. It's just that sometimes they need more than the Darislav military can provide."

^I find that hard to believe, but I sense you'd rather I let it go... Let's just get moving. I'm eager to see Jacuel again, and I'm sure Kate misses you quite a bit.^

Clint smiles, knowing that he will finally be with his wife again. "Yes... let's go." He climbs on top of his partner and they rise up into the sky, flying swiftly back to the Council.

================================================
This is now an open RP, anyone is welcome to join.

Clint and Droxi arrive at the council, landing on a plateau near the main area. "Ah, home..." the Rider says to himself. "I should probably go find Thor to discuss this message. Droxi, see if you can find Jacuel anywhere." He climbs down and begins to walk the rocky paths among the mountains. ^Would be nice to see Kate first, though.^

[Relic]

Ehlmaris.. this is a beautifull and engaging story.
But i must say, you have way to much time on your hands.


- Relic

[Vuxxa]

Great story, very interesting. I'll be fun to see what will happen.

[doctor-warlord]

i hope the next part of the story comes soon

(Sorry it took me so long, after my hotmail hacking i forgot about this one going on -_- *Slaps self*)

Thor and Jacuel patroled the southern borders of Darislav, the home they were born in some hundreds years past. Now the new era of Riders were here and they held equal rule over the land with the King. Not long had they parted from the council. It seemed to be an eternity away from their mates and loved ones, though in reality it had only been a couple of weeks. To uphold their rule of the Rider Council they had to both order and do the same tasks of the other rider. That and they had a special task of finding potential recruits that they could train. Any youngling that had magical possiblities were considered for a test of intelligence and strength. They found two potentials and had sent runners to the King for the official requests.

They started on their two day journey back to the Rider Council so they could rest and what for a runner to call for them, Jacuel had requested that the Dragon villages send volunteers to settle at the base of their mountian both for protection and messengers. All the while keeping both Human passerbys and Dragons safe and fed under them. Thor could not help but smile as he tought of the good that has come from the recent wars.

[Vuxxa]

maybe ill get into this later

Clint leans back in his chair, smiling at Kate. They had just finished his first meal back at the Council, and are now enjoying the peaceful quiet that has embraced them. It's been too long... he thought as he reached over, placing his hand on hers. "I've missed you, my love."

She smiles back, resting her head on her hand. "Indeed..." she begins. Her eyes drift toward the table momentarily as her appearance shows signs of thoughts overwhelming her mind, preventing her from sharing Clint's pleasure in the blissful serenity of the moment.

"Are you alright? You look as if something's wrong..."

She bites her lip while hesitating. After a moment, she responds: "I'm fine... better than fine, really. It's just that..." she looks up at him, gazing into his eyes. "There's something I need to tell you, love."

The Rider leans forward, his eyes showing intense curiosity at the subject that occupies her mind. "What? What is it?"

She hesitates again, grasping his hand with both of hers. "I'm... Clint, I..." she breathes deeply, looking down at the table. A tear starts to form in the corner of her eye - not bearing the general qualities of a tear of despair or sorrow, however. "Clint, I - "

"Master Arkanis!"

The moment is interrupted by an attendant to the Council. Clint curses in his mind as he lowers his gaze from his wife's face. "Enter... and make it quick, please."

"Master Arkanis," the attendant speaks to him as he enters the room. "you asked to be notified immediately once we have word on Thor. He is returning at this moment and will be here momentarily." He looks more closely at the two sitting at the table, yet not so much at the people as the irritated looks on their faces. "I'm... sorry to disturb you, but..."

"No, it's alright. I said immediately, and I meant it. Thank you. You are dismissed." THe attendant nods and leaves as he turns back to Kate. "We will finish this conversation soon. But I must meet with Thor."

Kate sighs softly. "I understand. Go. This can wait a bit longer." She lets go of his hand and watches as he leaves the room.

^Droxi... I'm sure you've heard the news by now.^

^Clint... yes. I see them approaching right now. I'll instruct Thor to go on to meet with you in the main chambers.^

^Thank you. And as for Jacuel?^

^I... suggest you try to suppress the connection between us for the next few hours.^

^Heh. Thanks for the warning. Will do.^ Clint walks purposefully toward the main Council chamber where he waits for Thor to arrive.

(Nice ^.^)

Jacuel landed quickly and stayed down long enough for Thor to jump off. "Where is she..." The dragon muttered in his tongue, the symbiotic worm from the region translating the Draconic language for the humans that wanted it. "When I find her, I'm shutting the door."
"I'll be doing the same once I find my sweety, see you soon, I have a feeling someone has need of me." Thor chuckled then ran off.

Thor pushed his way passed attendents and warriors and other guests as he made his way into the Council. It constantly amazed him how fast they became the top of the gossip train and people were willing to visit them trying to get free help or a meal, he didn't care though it was his job to help out. He soon found Clint and joined him hoping that this little meeting was quick enough that he could have some personal time with his wife then with his children.

"It seems that whenever I get the feeling I am needed, times are getting rough. Please tell me I am wrong. Oh, I found a few more hopefuls, if we are allowed to fully test them we may be able to pair them with the same age of hatchlings this time. But my mission is constant, what news is dire?"

Clint smiles as Thor enters the room. "Heh. Quit your babbling, old friend, it seems to be nothing dire at all." He walks forward and grasps his fellow Rider's hand. "As far as we can tell, anyway. The current news is that Lady Warbird wants to secure mining rights in the foothills. She assures me that the Empire will be there for the sole purpose of extracting raw materials. The current deals we have with them as far as diplomatic treaties, trade, and recruitment would remain in tact. In addition, she says she is willing to provide compensation for these rights, most likely in monetary form but potentially through expanded recruitment."

He sits down at the table and catches his breath for a moment. "But that's all politics. There's something else going on here. Not 'here' as if to say relevant to the mining request, mind you - but more to deal with the Darislav Empire in general." He pauses a moment. "Ehlmaris is... indisposed. Last I saw of him was when he called for me about two weeks ago. He's been summoned by his... superiors. I know not why. The lands are left in Warbird's charge for now, and she seems to be taking Indrasil as an advisor to represent the Holy Order to her since Ehlmaris is absent. I worry about her, to be honest."

He lowers his head momentarily, then shakes it as if to shake off the grim mood these thoughts have created in the room. He rises and approaches Thor again. "But no matter. She will be fine, I'm sure. We'll discuss this more later - you go and see to your family. I'll be in my quarters if you should need me."

Thor pinched the bridge of his nose then felt a shiver of ecstasy then all went still. "He's gone again? Wonder how long this time, oh well. Thinking of which, how is you better half?" Thor smiled then turned his back. "Frankly, I am wondering if her... gift is well."

Clint, having already crossed halfway to the door in his eagerness to return to the conversation that was interrupted, stops in his tracks. He turns around, expressing a high degree of confusion. "Gift?" The inherent meaning in the word having escaped him, Clint starts to wonder. "What sort of gift? She was about to tell me something before you arrived, but an attendant interrupted... could she have meant this gift of which you speak?"

"Go talk to her, I've been here a few more months than you, and if you cannot see the results you are as blind as you are stubborn, go youngling, live your elder to tend to the needs of the flesh." Thor chuckled as he thought of his lovely dragoness and children, three months or so since he last spoke to them, he needed the family time.

Clint raises a suspicious eyebrow. "I... see. I think. Well... I think I'll go and see to her, see if I can figure out what the hell you're talking about. Give the family my best, and let them know I'll stop by and see them in the morning, or at least before returning to Darislav with our reply to the request, once we've settled on something." He walks out of the room and trods toward his chambers. Gift? Gift? What could he possibly mean, gift? The Rider enters the room and sees Kate finishing the dishes from their meal.

"My love... I believe we had something to discuss."

She turns around, showing an anxious smile. Biting her lip, as she tends to do when her nerves start to take over, she walks over and puts her arms around him. "Yes... we do. Clint..."

He holds his wife close to him, clutching her tight in anticipation. "Yes?"

"I'm...." She tightens her grip such that a nail or two digs into Clint's back. "I'm pregnant."

The two stand in silence, holding each other close.

"Ah, young love... now I hope my lovely wife is in our room... and I need to stop talking to myself." Thor sighed then moved on with vigor to his chamber hoping to find his love waiting on him as hoped.

He entered his room and thanked every god he could think of as he found Pyris and Debra and her mate gone for a while. He saw his mate laying in thier bed reading a novel Jacuel had gotten her so she could learn of her heritage. He removed his tunic then slid in next to her. Without a word he kissed her and closed his eyes in bliss...