Two guys, one girl and a dragon - Jygust 30th - Gravetide

[Ashari]

Fangwyrd waited until Mikail went inside, and then crawled from behind Mary's skirt onto his chest.

Once settled on the crate he looked at Haikan accusingly. "You! Mighty fine protector of a King's treasures you are!" He huffed, crossing his arms over his chest only to realize he'd given all his amulets to Mary. "AND YOU!" He snatched them away. His voice rose higher in tone and snatched the hanful away from her to pull them over his head, though he became terribly tangled and got one all wrapped around his right horn and another crossed over his nose and then barely down where it very well muzzled him.

"Mfff..mfmmmbah," he snorted, and tried to pull the chain back up and over his nose, but to no success thanks to the knots in the metal hoops. "Hrmf!" His throat began to swell and light in his frustration, smoke trails issues from his flared nostrils.

"C'mon then, let me just get it off there." Mary knelt down and tried to snag a finger between the creature's warm throat and one of the chains but he thrashed wickedly. "Oh! Hey!" Mary warned, waving at Haikan. "He's getting all hot and bothered!" She giggled a bit, but bit down hard on her bottom lip so that she didn't make the small dragon more upset.

[Haikan]

The adhiel captain smiled. This dragon was possibly the most amusing friend he had ever made. "Hold still, my king. I will untangle your bindings." He walked around Fang until he was behind him-to avoid stray flames- and he petted him, making sure to pet with the scales, trying to calm him with a soft touch until he put his hands behind the chains and nimbly worked his fingers to try and remove them from his face. He would work with this until he could either succeed in removing the amulets from muzzling him, or at least calm Fang down. Once and if the amulets were removed he would let them fall in front of the king and kneel.


"My apologies, I was merely insuring everybody's safety. It seems we are now quite safe, much to my relief." He looked up at Mary and grinned. Standing up and forming a crisp salute, he continued. "My liege, now that we are in no danger, would you bravely teach me the manipulation of energies? I have studied magick a little over the season past, and I just need to learn hands-on. Surely one as wise and powerful as you could do this."

[Ashari]

Fangwyrd huffed and puffed, but didn't try to bit or claw Haikan as he attempted to release the dragon's bindings. When the young ahiel gave a pull on one of the chains Fang snorted flames out his nose and managed to catch Mary's skirt on fire.

"Hey!" She beat at the dress until it went out, leaving her outer skirting charred and beyond repair. "My dress," she whined pitifully while examining it and the damage. "I liked this dress!" Her eyes shifted over to Fangwyrd angrily who was just getting his mouth free from the muzzle of his own amulets which settled around his neck while Haikan moved to kneel infront of him.

The King grinned and shrugged. "You should be thanking me for saving your life!" He responded, while tapping Haikan on the head. "His Majesty appreciates your assistance," he added for the achadhiel.

Haikan's request for magick help was over-ridden by Mary. "Saving! The only saving you did was making sure your precious toys weren't lost!" She said, the ire of a woman rising in her voice. This night had surely not turned out the way she planned, and she looked toward Haikan to be the middle-man diplomat in the situation.

[Haikan]

"Er, well it seems we've reached a misunderstanding. Why don't we just think for a minute. The king may have been concerned for his treasures, but he was merely using that as a guise so that you wouldn't be worried as he came to the rescue. We don't need to jump at one another's throats." He held his arms out toward the two of them, drawing their attention to one another. "It isn't too much to be worried about. However king, you could afford to be more considerate to the lady, noble chivalry and all." He smiled and put his hands in the air to signify peace.

Whoa, these two are teetering on the edge of loathing! I hope I can resolve this peacefully! "Everyone is just on edge because we had all made a mountain out of a molehill with the wolf hunt. Come to think of it, it's pretty funny. Hehe, I find it laughable." And he raised his hand to the back of his neck while he grinned wide and laughed.

"Pretty funny, huh?" And his face sobered just a little as he realized he was a bit hungry. Not yet though, I still need to learn magick before I reward myself with food. Mary might need something though.

"You know, if anyone is hungry, I have quick food inside, and water as well that you can help yourselves to." He pointed inside in case Mary would need sustenance. "Truth betold, I have to say, I was looking forward to learning magick tonight. It is part of our agreement, and I'm sure you are capable, my liege."

[Ashari]

Mary frowned and sighed. "Yah, sure.. fine," she said flippantly waving her hand toward the miniature scaled beastie.

"Chivalry is for knights," Fangwyrd retorted. "But I offer my apologies for ruining your pretty dress," he added his own touch of charm to the exchange via large expressive eyes that gained sheen in only the way a small animal can achieve - almost as if they grew in size as his small hands clutched together under his chin. He was one move away from being the cutest thing in King's Court, and Mary fell for it hook, line and sinker, though she did give another sigh.

"Oh fine, stoppit - quit looking so like that," she said playfully, the scorn draining from her eyes as Haikan pointed out their over-reaction and how not much of anything had been happening to make them all freak out. "Haha, yeah.. well.. it is. We're all a bunch of crazies after earlier." Mary flicked away some more charred fabric. Her palms her slightly blackened from the effort.

Fangwyrd didn't laugh - he was a self-respecting king after all, but he did step down from his trunk which he kicked and looked up at Haikan. "His majesty would like to sleep, as you offered earlier," he said. "Magick can wait til everyone is well rested." His master had always insisted on a good sleep before doing anything magick related.

"I... could use a little something to eat, though," Mary suggested.

[Haikan]

The adhiel's diplomatic words were not yet finished. He was rather resolute in his desire for learning tonight, for if he couldn't find time in the morning before they pushed off, that would mean he would have to learn on company time, during which they could be attacked, which would put the caravan at risk. He wasn't willing to put the caravan at risk. Protecting the caravan was the whole reason he needed to learn magick in the first place! Instead of giving up, he decided to pique the dragon's fancy by charismatically drawing his pridefulness a vessel for convincing him that tonight was much better.

"Oh, I didn't mean to pry at a closed door, my king. If you are unable to teach magick during the night-time, I shall not bother you in asking for such." That should do the trick, but just in case... He was working behind the hope that Fangwyrd would want to prove himself to be as great as he earlier declared.

"In that case, we should get to work on something that can be done." He turned towards Mary, still standing behind the dragon. He was taking the topic elsewhere to something that did not concern the dragon, hopefully to accent the point of 'not being able to do so tonight,' allowing the dragon to think to himself about proving his ability. "I think I heard something about food, Mary I could show you where the pantry is..."

[Ashari]

Fangwyrd's eyes narrowed to the challenge. He was proud, but he wasn't stupid. As Haikan moved from his slight insult toward talking to Mary without giving Fang the chance to intersect that he could indeed perform, he understood that he was being played. "So long as you're alright with it, squire." If he had eye-brows one of them would've raised defiantly.

Mary smirked at Haikan and his tone. She recognized it and it's use on children. It was an easy mistake to make - Fangwyrd was small. One could easily assume the same tactics could work on him, and they might've proven more successful had Haikan given the mini dragon the chance to prove himself. As it was, he'd relied on the response of a toddler, who will follow and demand attention so that they might show they could do whatever it was they were told they couldn't.

"Come then, squire." He tapped the trunk thoughtfully. Fangwyrd hadn't survived as long as he had by means of being confused by little adhiel.

[Haikan]

"Very well, king." Even Haikan knew when to just let it go. His face then grew a bit sullen. He hoped he hadn't insulted the dragon too much with that last stunt, but regardless, he crouched down and grasped the trunk to carry it inside. "I shall take your stuff inside." He motioned for Mary and Fang to follow and he went inside, right away getting out spiced meats and bread.

"What do you folks want to eat?" He pulled out a pot and a pan and filled the pot with water and he lit the fireplace, setting the pot and pan next to the meats and bread.

"I could fry us some meat and make sandwiches, or I could make beef stew. That's really all we've got though." I think I might have gone too far with Fang, he certainly seems offended. I should apologize...

[Ashari]

"His majesty is not really hungry," Fang said. The fire that Haikan's offer had lit within him was slightly dulled by the tone that he'd taken with him.

Mary frowned, seeing the distance between the two. She'd was still somewhat upset over her dress, but could easily get past it - particularly when she recalled the surplus of coin that Haik had offered her. "Really? I recall you enjoying sandwhiches as snacks..." she hummed. Children had given Fangwyrd offerings of sandwhiches when Yirimeer performed.

The young woman smiled toward Haikan and pulled a small knife from among the cutlery on the countertop. She examined the meats that he'd said were available and started to cut them into long slivers so they'd be easier for the adhiel to cook, she did this with fairly routine practice. Once upon a time shed been a young girl like any other, being taught the ways of running a household.

Fang sniffed the air at the opened package of meat, his stomach growling wickedly. Maybe just a.. no. I should teach him a lesson and make him feel bad! Fangwyrd was torn between pushing guilt on the young adhiel or giving into the needs of his body. He wanted very much to be respected, and his small stature made for him to be resilient to giving in. One might call it a complex.

"Maybe just some meat," Fang said as he crawled onto a chair. His chin rested on the table, while his alert eyes watched the cooking pair.

Mary elbowed Haikan playfully. "Here," she put the meat on a skewer. "For Fang, just roast it up. Ours'll take a bit longer to cook." She continued to cut at the meat.

[Haikan]

"King..." The dragon's guilt tactics may have been withdrawn, but Haikan saw through them well enough. His charisma and diplomatic skills weren't just one-way, he knew how to decipher intentions somewhat from the tones of his companions.

He took the skewered meat and placed it on the steel pot-holding stands in the fireplace. He turned to the dragon and bowed his head, with actual sincerity and no tongue-in-cheek tonality this time. "King, I'm sorry for goading you..." He wished to call him 'Fang,' but that would come in time he hoped. The smell of the cooking meat made the hunger in him grow and he was excited for a nice meaty beef sandwich. But not yet, for now was time for apology.

"It was disrespectful of me to attempt to cue your interest indirectly like that... It's just... I'm worried that tomorrow there won't be an idle moment where we could do training without putting our companions at risk... We need to be heroically defending them... And I wanted to learn magick to help me defend them... At least the basics before we embarked." He kneeled and stood, making eye contact with him, to convey his sincerity clearly.

"Forgive me, and eat as much as you want, please."

[Ashari]

Fangwyrd sat upright as Haikan apologized. His attention was fixed on the young adhiel who went out of his way to say he was sorry.

Mary, meanwhile, continued her work, allowing them their privacy.

Fang's bright orbs shifted over to her momentarily, but then right back to Haikan. "We forgive you, squire," he said with a nod. "And.. are rather famished." The small dragon gave a little smile that exposed his needle like teeth. It would be a lethal bite if used properly. "And tired. I'd like to see you breathe fire to protect your humble servants and then go on to teach one of them the ways of magick." Some of the haughtiness had returned, matched with his regained ego as he sat up, waiting on his meat.

The sliced beef cooked easily over the fire, crackling and oozing flavorful juices. Honestly, Fang would've eaten it raw under different circumstances, but he couldn't considering the aires he was putting on. "Think they're done," Mary said and handed Haikan a plate. She then distributed the other cut meats onto the heating pan that he'd set over the growing flames. She'd cut them thin, so it would cook quickly over the low heat. "Bread?"

[Haikan]

He nodded respectfully. "Very well, I look forward to being your pupil of magick. For now I shall focus on satisfying our hunger." Grateful that the dragon did possess a sympathetic side, he decided it was best to focus on making them their food for now. He pulled out a knife from one of his drawers, as well as a loaf of bread. He made twelve slices, rather certain that six sandwiches would be a good start. He placed as much meat as he could on the first slice, open faced with another slice adjacent to the sandwich, in case the dragon changed his mind about wanting a sandwich.

"Here you go." He placed the possible sandwich in front of him and began preparing the rest of their food. The smell was intoxicating and his stomach was burning for food, but his offering to his new friend was more important right now than stuffing his own face.

[Ashari]

Fang sat up on his haunches at the delivery of the sandwhich. His nose got really close to the foodstuffs, and he inhaled, then snuffed out a few content trails of smoke, and a plume as he opened his mouth, but these disipated quickly as he wrecked the sandwhich by tearing it in half, and proceeding to make short work of munching away with happy growly sort of noises, to then move onto the second half.

By the time Haikan turned back around, he was faced with an empty plate on the table infront of Fang and a still alert dragon who watched to see if there might be another sandwhich in his future.

Mary laughed and spoke over her shoulder to Fangwyrd. "You just wait a flicker there," she said jovially. "I bet he could eat you out of house and home just running that furnace in his belly," she whispered to Haikan and giggled lightly while she dropped a mashed clove of garlic into the pan with all the vegetables she could find. The dragon might be satisfied with just meat, but she figured that the two bipeds could use something a bit more. "You eat veggies, King?"

"Not.. not really," he said.

The young woman assisted Haikan in any way he'd allow, and then the three of them enjoyed an improptu middle of the night meal - eating until they were all satisfied. "I'm ready to sleep," Fang said rubbing his scaled belly.

[Haikan]

"Very well, I shall show you to your room. Mary, come along too." The adhiel captain picked up the chest and carried it as he led Mary to her room first. It was small, but somehow vacuous with nothing other than two beds and a blanket. Mikail was already in one of the beds, but he was not using a blanket. "You may have this bedroom, it is small and Mikail is already sleeping in one of the beds, for that I am sorry, but the only other room is mine, which only has one bed." He opened the door for her, and wished her good night.

"I shall see you in the morning."

"Now for you, king." He walked up the stairs to lead the king to his room, and he opened the door to the scarcely furnished room that was his bedroom. There were two schlaeger's and two main-gauches on the wall, and there was a clutter of practice foils in the corner. He walked in and placed the trunk of treasures next to the bed. "You may rest here for the night if you wish, king."

[Ashari]

"He better not snore too much," Mary said with a grin. "Sleep well - and.. thank you again, sir."

She slinked into the bedroom, but was awake and gone before Mikail woke, so that when he rose he found a neatly tidied bed next to him, as if no one was there at all. In the morning Haikan would discover neither of them there, as Mik had set off early.

-=-=-=-

Fang skirted alongside Haikan to his bedroom where he glanced at the numerous weapons. "Frightened, squire?" He caught his own reflection in the metal and fluffed the scales around his throat. A proud look overcame the small creature. "Mortals..." Fangwyrd removed his amulets and crown to place them atop the trunk. He climbed onto the adhiel's bed and tugged one of the pillows to the foot end and then walked a small circle - the size of his body. He proceeded to knead the blanket for a moment to make sure that it would be comfortable, and then he wound himself into a curled ball.

With a big yawn, one that exposed his sharp teeth, he flopped his chin onto the stolen pillow and closed his large ember eyes. His tail twapped to a beat inside his head as he drifted off to sleep, mumbling some manner of nighttime curtesy before slipping into the aether where he could be the King he pretended to be the rest of the time.

Sleep came easily to everyone in the house, it had been a long night, and tomorrow would be more-so.

[Haikan]

The adhiel was relieved that Fang wasn't too hurt. He removed his captain's jacket and hung it over the head of the bed, far too tired and lazy to hang it in a closet. "Merely tools for protecting those I love, my King," He responded to Fangwyrd's comment about his weapons, "...which happens to be my friends, and I suppose all mortals alike." He pulled Mikail's Magickal Mouthwash out from his traveling cloak and he poured a bit into his mouth, rinsing sufficiently and swallowing the small amount, recalling Mikail having said it to be harmless. At last he got into his bed and muttered a quick prayer, to whom it was directed was unclear, for it was a vague prayer, asking forgiveness and requesting discernment of what is Good and how to live. When he finished he covered himself in the sheets, making sure not to kick Fang from the other side of the blanket.

At last he mumbled in his state of tiredness to Fang somewhat quietly, not worried whether or not he heard. "Good night friend."

[Ashari]

OOC: Awwwwww, cute! Fin & locked for skilling.

[Ashari]

SKILLS:
Haikan
Persuade: +**