Unwelcome Discoveries (Zilla)

[Elaniver]

The night leered out at the small village. Someone really ought to tell the night that casually leering out of the darkness is in fact rather rude, especially as it had just barged its way into being while the day was still entertaining guests. In fact when one thinks about it, you could say that the night isn’t just rude, it can also be downright threatening. After all, an alleyway in kindly and innocent old daylight is a helpful shortcut waiting to aid someone’s journey, however when in nasty and opportunistic old night it becomes a haven for nasty men with badly shaved beards who have been named after their fathers favourite shanking knife and are waiting to make your wallet a lot lighter. It is therefore no surprise at all that young master Halgor, the latest in a long line of intrepid, brave (and sadly very dead) volunteers for the task of alerting the hitherto little explored outside world of the villages plight was feeling slightly nervous.

It was a fairly basic plan, at least a lot more basic than the other plans the resistance had tried. They had given up on the idea of assassinating the ‘A.W.S.O.M.E’ a long time ago, concluding that if anyone was going to sly the shade then it probably wasn’t going to be a humble villager who’s life revolved around farming. So began the attempts to get news to the council, attempts that have been thwarted for the past 4 months, as shades don’t sleep and thus have all the time in the world to execute any who try to escape. They had so far tried everything from tunnelling to armed guards, all of which had resulted in the usual harsh punishment. “This time will be different” Halgor muttered, acutely aware that if it wasn’t different then he would be the first to be ‘corrected’. This plan certainly was different from the others; a decoy escape party would head out the other way to draw Elaniver to the other side of town, allowing Halgor to escape.

It is at this point that you may notice that means that several people will almost certainly be killed and some of their family members maimed just to get Halgor out to get help that may not even be overly bothered. Halgor preferred not to think about this as it made him uncomfortable in the same way that having two jump leads attached to your nipples and a high voltage battery in the hands of a man you’ve just called a berk would make you slightly on edge. He was of course thankful, but he was probably more thankful that he wasn’t in the decoy party than than he was of their actual sacrifice.

A single scream penetrated the silence, causing the night to shiver with glee at the prospect of its grizzly job of scaring people was now going to be even easier. Halgor gave a long shuddering breath before emerging from his small cabin and hurrying off into the cruel night, away from the screams.

..................................................................................................................................................................

Elaniver sighed as he carefully stepped around quickly dissolving mush that used to be the local blacksmiths son. “You know, I’m getting terribly bored of this...” he said as he strode over to the other two kneeling (and softly weeping) potential escapees. “I expected one or two people to disagree with my policies every once in a while, I mean what good leader doesn’t? But this is getting rather out of hand”. The two men continued weeping as Elaniver reached them, dusting off his robes and grimacing as he realised exactly how much dandruff the last victim had. “Well then...what do you think I should do with you?” He asked his tone light and good natured. ‘MERCY!’ Screamed one man, latching onto the shades robes and sobbing into them, “you know wiping snot all over someone’s robes isn’t exactly a good way of endearing yourself to your lord, master and wielder of your everlasting suffering is it?” The man froze, the cogs in his head clearly pinning furiously as he tried to work out what to do next, thankfully he didn’t have to trouble over this dilemma for long, as he immediately caught fire.

‘You’re for it now you know’ said the last man, surprisingly calmly for a man who had been crying a minute earlier. “Forgive me if I respond to that threat with an outbreak of violence, because that tends to happen a lot.” Elaniver raised his hand towards the man, preparing to look him in the eye as he planned to make it burst. ‘They’ll come for you...and they will free us’ the man said with a pained grin, causing Elaniver to pause for a moment, “they? Who exactly is they?” The man’s grin widened slightly ‘the riders...’ Elaniver didn’t breath for a moment, letting the information sink in, “riders...” the man nodded gleefully. Elaniver paused once more before letting a wide smile spread across his face which wiped the grin from his prey. “Here? Their coming here? Your sure?” The man nodded slowly, clearly losing heart. “Oh well we must prepare! Finally! A good enough excuse to leave this dump!” The man’s eyes widened fearfully, ‘b-b-but, why do you stay?’ Elaniver had dropped his hand and began walking away, “please...I couldn’t just leave my loyal voters”. He felt as though he could smile for an eternity, “oh and for that news, you may live.” The man let out a relieved sigh and nearly collapsed to the floor, before screaming in agony, “but I keep your legs as collateral”.

[Mali]

Note: Varden speaking, Taured speaking, Taured mind[/b], Ancient language is Italics

Don’t forget to get me something to eat Taured, Looking over his shoulder to his dragon companion, Taured gave a half smirk as if it could slip his mind. Varden smiled back and knew that his rider would never forget him although he had played around before teasing the dragon. Taured felt bad about leaving his brother outside while entering a small tavern in the outskirts of Ilirea. It had been a long week for the rider pair. After being sent on a wild goose chase for a man named, ‘Solomon’ with little information, Taured had returned to the rider’s council empty handed. After all their running around for the rider’s council, Taured was starting to become agitated at their methods. They would send the pair to remote locations on the slim rumor that something of interest could be there without validating the information. It wasn’t something that he should be thinking about right now, since they had been given a break upon returning to the council.

Walking into the tavern, Taured waited his turn patiently. It wasn’t overly busy inside, with what he assumed to be a regular amount of customers loitering inside the building. It came his turn and he was about to order when a man came barging into the tavern. “Rider! Who’s the rider?”

[/b] Taured turned toward the ragged man who was panting fiercely. Everyone in the tavern turned, but Taured wasn’t particularly happy about admitting in this crowd of strangers that he was the rider. Of course they were outside Ilirea, where riders were rather well liked in this area. It was at this point that the people in the tavern started to look around, wondering who it was this man was referring to. Taured turned back to the counter, picked up his order and headed toward the door, pulling the man with him. “I’m Taured, what is it?”

Pulling the man out of the tavern and into the open, Varden was surprised to see him talking to the strange man that had stopped to stare at the dragon so happily before running into the building. Taured , who is this? He saw me, stopped, looked ecstatic and then left, Shaking his head, he would listen to this man. “We need your help, my village, please, will you help us?”[/b] Taured looked to Varden, their food still in hand before sighing. “What’s the problem exactly?”

~~~~

The village wasn’t far from the city. With everything that he had heard from the man about what had been happening and going on in the village, he hadn’t expected it to be so close to the center of the rider’s council. They had tried to escape many times, had even tried to assassinate their dictator, and failed many times. It raised the question as to what a shade was capable of. Taured had never personally encountered a shade before. He had heard a great deal about them, but never had the chance to engage in conversation with that being. He had met a werecat or two in his lifetime, but oddly enough, never a shade.

He had used a cloaking spell to get as close to the village as possible. He had given Varden specific orders to stay further back than he was when entering the village since he didn’t want to risk any chances. He had never encountered a shade before but knew that they could be very talented with magic. He didn’t want to risk leaving Varden in a state where he couldn’t easily protect himself. Even though he was a dragon, a being of magic, it didn’t mean that he was invincible and they both knew it.

They were both cloaked as they approached the village. Unless the shade knew his spell, he wouldn’t be able to easily spot him throughout the village. At first, when speaking with the villager, he had suggested to Varden—while discussing possible attack strategies—that he should impersonate the man with a spell. The villager, Halgor, had immediately turned down the idea. He had said that if he were to do that, he would be struck down immediately. Instead, the cloaking had been the best evasive maneuver to enter with. He could investigate the situation as well as gauge his point of attack. Varden was just entering the village as Taured entered what appeared to be the main square. He clung to the walls to avoid the possibility of bumping into anyone. As Halgor had stated, that the decoy team would probably be murdered or massacred, depending on how Elaniver was feeling that day, he would rather avoid meeting him while trying to sneak into the village.

Oh no, I hope they don’t notice. I’ve crushed their crops, Taured turned to look over to where he could see Varden—though cloaked to others—and noticed that he had stepped through the crops that the villagers had been growing. “Never mind that, they can grow more once they are freed or the council knows about them.” Turning his attention back to the square, he noticed what Halgor had mentioned. There was a pile of what appearing to be burnt mush laying everywhere. If this dictator was so ‘A.W.E.S.O.M.E’, then he should at least have been able to acquire a cleanup team. Taured shook his head, that wasn’t what he should be concentrating on at the moment.

Thinking back to what Halgor had informed him of, before he had transported the brave man to the Ilirea center square for safety, was that Elaniver was very happy in a cynical and horrifying way. Walking closer to the remains, he told Varden to stay put mentally. He wouldn’t be able to enter the village any further without being caught. He also told him that he should stay a safe distance away, but to join in when he felt that Taured might need a helping hand.

Deciding that there was no other way to go about engaging in a battle or discussion, depending on what this Elaniver would better enjoy doing, he decided to call out and reveal that he was here, without being seen. Unless Elaniver knew the specific spell he had used, he would remain cloaked from sight. “Elaniver! I demand an audience! I would like to discuss your policies of running your ‘model’. I am dragon rider Taured Doenning, and I request your attention.” Sword drawn, mind ready, he was set to see what this shade was capable of.[/size][/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Elaniver]

Elaniver sighed to himself, drumming his fingers on his throne which was hand carved by the winner of the ‘carpenter’s son of the year competition’ (the winner of which would not only be granted the honour of carving the A.W.S.O.M.E’s throne but would ensure his family names safety as the ONLY carpenter of the village). It was just plain boring. Of course it wasn’t always boring; the few heady days after he had learned that a villager had escaped to ask for aid from the riders had been a positively gleeful experience, anticipation not so much coursing as gushing through his veins as he would wander the streets of his little model like a child the day before its birthday. Now however, the spark of excitement had long since been extinguished by the wait for these supposed enforcers of justice to make a window in their schedule to come and visit.

“Any sign?” He asked his herald lazily, resting his chin on his fist and crossing his legs the other way to try and inject some variety into life. ‘N-no my lord,’ came the scared reply. Wait, not just scared, sad also. Honestly! It was like his loyal parishioners would rather someone else run things or something, how boring would that be? How boring was life all those years ago under that boring mayor with his boring robes and boring policies of boring old peace and boring harmony? I’ll tell you how boring it was, it was pretty sodding boring! Now look at the place, not a single dull moment to be found! Sure mortality had plummeted slightly but that’s the price people had to pay for all the bone crunching excitement that greeted them every morning. There was the monthly sacrifices to whichever god Elaniver thought would be fun to make up (last month had seen a fresh virgin be sacrificed in the name of the god of poorly hammered nails), there was the ever beloved ‘pin the incredibly sharp sword in the pregnant mother’ and the kids just couldn’t get enough of the ‘I told you the stove was hot’ game (an educational activity obviously).

Now however, was his chance to escape all these basic duties, to leave this dump in the hands of someone competent and to take his first steps into the great wide world of politics. Or it would be, if this blasted rider was ever going to show up, which seemed less and less likely as the days went by. Elaniver wondered if it was possible for the riders to have simply refused to help. He didn’t think it likely, the riders weren’t that far away and there weren’t a great deal many shades left in the world from what Elaniver could tell from the library, he would think it somewhat important to exterminate his kind for fear of...well...stuff like this happening.

He closed his eyes, cursing the fact that he couldn’t sleep for the first time since his summoning all those years ago. ‘Elaniver! I demand an audience! I would like to discuss your policies of running your ‘model’. I am dragon rider Taured Doenning, and I request your attention.’

Elaniver’s eyes snapped open, a broad grin slowly plastering his face and his eyes briefly blazing a fierce orange colour. He looked over to the heralds now hopeful face, he actually thought this would was a rescue didn’t he. He had no clue that him and all the other villagers were merely hangers on, an extra incentive clinging to the back of the real reason this man was here, him. He vanished for a moment before reappearing directly in front of the herald who had begun walking towards the door like a moth drawn to a light. He froze as his eyes worked their way up to his masters and quailed as Elaniver said “ShowTime”.

The herald emerged from the wide doorway of the town hall, looking confused and slightly crestfallen at the village looking perfectly ordinary instead of being occupied by a dragon rider complete with complimentary dragon. He heard the clearing of a throat behind him and so hastily continued as instructed, ‘may I present to you, the reason for our being, the son of future torment, the beginning and end of your neverending suffering, the star who’s...who’s...’ the herald froze with panic as he desperately tried to remember before briefly screaming to the unseen hero ‘HELP ME!’ At which point he exploded, scattering the town square with himself.

Elaniver calmly strode out through the now blood splattered doorway and looked around, equally saddened by the apparent lack of the owner of his challenger. “We go through heralds here like firewood...” he muttered to himself as he looked around at the scattered herald parts. He looked around once more, straining his eyes for signs of footprints anywhere before reaching out with his mind. He found what he was looking for, two minds, far greater in complexity than the villagers; he tried to penetrate one but was met with a powerful block. He could not tell where they were. His grin grew broader as he called out to the village at large, “You know it’s incredibly bad mannered to address a head of state without allowing him to look you in the eye...are you really so dull?” He paced the top step from the town hall before yelling, “COME MY LOYAL PEOPLE! I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!”

He waited as the village filed out in a circle around the square before saying loudly “it may interest you to know, that there is a dragon rider in our midst” a ripple of faces turned upwards as he spoke, “but he is a tad too shy to reveal himself, thus I have formed a contingency plan.” One of the doors to the town hall flew off to hover and sway above Elaniver, “you see Mr Taured, for every 10 seconds I can’t see you, I shall reinact a small character performance. You see this door represents a drunken lumberjack and all of them” he gestured to the villagers “are a herd of deer, aaaaand begin” the door shot of into the circle and a splat and scream was heard as the door scythed through a villager before floating back to Elaniver who began counting with his fingers, staring from the doorway.

[Mali]

It was an instant reaction to his call, but he did not intend to react to it. Taured knew very little about shades but he did know that they never slept. For some forsaken reason, they were forced to endure every moment of their existence. For whatever reason they were created for, they would undeniably experience every split second of it. Thus, it came as no surprise as there was instant movement inside the town hall. He could sense that there was at least two people inside the building. He didn’t bother sensing anyone else as he’d already found the mysterious aura he’d been searching for. Varden had sensed the intrusion to their connected minds first and immediately blocked the attack. If he had connected with their bonded minds, then he would have been able to reveal them immediately with the name of his spell.

Halgor had asked Taured and Varden what they had planned to do once they arrived at the village. Would they liberate the village or just inspect what he was up to. They honestly had no idea what they were going to do while here. There was no way to liberate the village unless there was someone to take the shade, Elaniver’s, place as leader of the small living establishments. He had come to the villagers’ aid and had hoped that something simple could be devised as to keep them safe. He didn’t like the thought of a shade massacring people just to entertain himself. Surely, he could be using such talents for much more productive things.

His attention turned to the doors as a villager emerged, spouting some kind of speech. He had looked hopeful upon exiting the building but had become crestfallen, as Taured was invisible to his simple sight. Listening to the dribble before the ‘help me’ was shouted, he was amazed at what came next. He hadn’t been expecting the shade to show such violence before even showing himself. It was a good thing he hadn’t been closer to the building or else the blood spatter would have landed on him and he would have been partially visible. As soon as the shade left the building, Taured stopped breathing. He went into a sort of stealth mode, in which he even restricted his breathing to escape being found by prey, much easier.

The same reaction came to the shade’s face upon not being able to see the rider in the square. What he would do next agitated the rider. He was talking about bad manners? Didn’t he know that it was bad manners to blow people up for your own entertainment and just because you felt like doing so? Of course not if this hypocrite could spout such nonsense. Of course, Taured was never a coward, he came storming in when need be and when he was needed. He was the justice of the rider’s council, the sole reason he wasn’t cooped up in their stuffy buildings in Ilirea. He travelled the world for reasons such as these.

Resisting the urge to respond to the questioning insult, Varden pushed Taured’s mind, asking if this was the right approach after all. He reassured his dragon before turning to see that this Elaniver had summoned all the ‘loyal’ people. Moving around the people as they entered the square, Taured avoided leaving a noticeable space in the crowded square, but also did a sort of head check before considering things further. There had to be enough people in the town that there was at least one family per professional skill. One blacksmith, carpenter, etc. There weren’t as many as he had imagined, but still enough to warrant action in the village.

As soon as his presence was informed to the villagers, he could see them looking around, trying to see their ‘saviour’. It pained him slightly to hide from these innocent people because of attack planning. He couldn’t reveal himself now though, or else he would appear amateur. He would not allow this shade that sense of accomplishment. Listening to the shade continue on, his eyes followed the door as it floated above him. What was he planning to do with his ‘deer’? As soon as he formed the question mentally, the door came toward the crowd and killed villagers. It was at this point that Varden leapt into action. Moving closer into the village seeing as all the villagers were crowded in the square, he couldn’t possibly crush anyone. Taured warned him to still keep his distance; that they didn’t know if this shade would play dirty.

As soon as the door came back and he was given his counted ten seconds, Taured had to think of something and fast. He only had six seconds left to think and he didn’t want this shade to feel accomplishment in revealing him. As he counted to 9, Taured made the decision to stop him, even if he gained pride or even a bigger ego at revealing a hidden rider, he had to protect the villagers above his own pride. As the door made to move back into the crowd, Taured started to react. “I command the power controlling the wooden apparatus to stop where it stands within the air, fall to the ground with the weight of iron” The few villagers who were standing close to him turned to see where the ancient language had come from but to no avail, couldn’t see him. Within the split second of voicing his spell, the door fell to the foot of the steps leading up to the town hall. Luckily, it hadn’t been able to travel any further, if it had, it would have crushed someone with it’s now iron weight.

This was ridiculous, killing villagers to reveal a rider. It was then that he whispered, ‘reveal’ and he and Varden both were visible. It was then that the villagers gasped, his sword in hand, his dragon further back. Upon the villagers turning to look at Taured and then to turn to see Varden slightly off behind the crowd, surely visible above the buildings, there were some sounds of joy, gasps, and shouts. Surely, these people could suppress their joy, seeing as asking for help had entitled the herald to death by explosion.

Lifting his head to stare straight at the shade, he hoped that this would meet his expectations and possible excitement. “I have revealed myself. Surely my dragon is confirmation enough as to our status within this world. I would hope that my reason for being here may be settled without the use of villagers as weapons of guilt.” It may be too noble to ask the shade to stop killing the villagers, but he always gave the benefit of a doubt, it was only fair.

“What is it you plan to accomplish by coercing these villagers to such treatment? A model of what kind?” Sword drawn, the villagers started to move away from the rider, sensing the trouble and possible death within the vicinity; it wasn’t something that they would willingly place themselves in.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Elaniver]

Elaniver’s eyes gleamed as the door fell with an audibly larger thud than it should have, so he did care. So many of Elaniver’s assumptions had to be revised now, he had assumed that the prestige of slaying a hade was far more important to a rider than mere human life. After all, why should he care about these people? Willingly shut off from the rest of the world, firm in the belief that the further away from it they were the safer they would be from the hustle and bustle of real life. Content to potter along in their mediocre stain of a rural farming town, scared of any new ideas and secretly bemoaning that the rest of the world refuses to be as boring as them. Is this really the type people to fight for? Do they even deserve the gift of hope when they are quite happy to stick their fingers in their ears the moment anything innovative announced itself. He would soon get the opportunity to ask this invisible crusader for the totally bloody hopeless as the hero of the hour finally dained to reveal himself.

Elaniver couldn’t help but giggle slightly. “Oh please” he said as the one remaining door flew off of its hinges and hovering at foot level like a giant wooden dog, “your status within the world outside this one may well be enough to have people queuing up to by you drinks but you’re as feared in this place as I am.” He stepped onto the door and began to hover towards the rider on it, robes billowing around him as he glared down at the little squirt who had considered this hell hole worthy of his attention. “You are merely the lesser of two evils, an equally dangerous and unpredictable visitor from the outside world where more goes on than simple farming.” He dropped down from his perch, directly in front of the rider, a grin spread across his face as he waved a hand at the masses in general. “What I hope to gain from this dull mess of vegetables and traditions, is escape from it. They want me to leave, I want to leave them, but not before I find a link to the outside world. This is where your choice comes in.”

He passed the rider and allowed the door to thud to the floor, approaching the man’s little pet with an unconcerned look on his face, as though he wasn’t just strolling up to a giant fire breathing lizard. “I wish to have an audience with your so called council. You know the one who wishes for freedom, justice and all those other things that can’t really be enforced properly.” He was almost directly next to the beast now, arms folded behind his back as he gazed intently up into the creatures, searching for some sort of intelligence. He had always been rather sceptical of dragons being anything more than glorified attack dogs. Oh sure they were magically potent but so were some trees and at least they didn’t claim to be some sort of deity. It wasn’t as though the ability to speak with the mind was proof of intelligence; he gathered that many people and animals could do it with the proper teaching. No, he didn’t buy into the dragon rider’s con.

“Either I am granted an audience, for a civilised exchange of views, one ruler to another, or you do something truly stupid.” He rotated slowly on the spot to face the rider once more, ignoring the mass of scales behind him. “Such as, ohhh I don’t know...attempting to bring me to your so called ‘justice’”, he grinned rather smugly at the man who stood before him, his link to the outside. “In which case you will die, your pet will die and everyone else will burn.”

He swung his arms from side to side, rocking back and forth on his heels as he pretended to smell the air “oooo what’s that scent I smell? Could it be fear? Or could it be the realisation that their saviour will most likely doom them to death just to try his hand at joining the few people who have killed my kind...prestige over law, that’s how you egotists work isn’t it?”

[Mali]

Taured had to question how out of sync this Elaniver allowed the village to be from the rest of the world. In addition, if it was quite a lot of ignorance toward what happened outside the village—which he suspected—then how ignorant was Elaniver? To suggest that being a dragon rider alone would cause people to offer to buy him drinks was pure ignorance. Humans and others alike detested the riders thanks to the blue divide. Elaniver wasn’t as smart as he claimed to be if he didn’t even know that.

However, Taured felt it not necessary information to share with the shade. He would hear him out first and then assess the situation before giving any information. There was no need to state aloud that there was a reason that people outside the village would detest the dragon riders as it may hinder helping the village. However, commenting on how he was feared wasn’t too detrimental to his cause.

“Fear does not bother me. These people may fear me and my dragon, but they still requested my help,” Taured was about to sheath his sword, seeing as this shade seemed to only want to talk, however, he thought otherwise. What if he was to attack Taured instead of the villagers, he would need to be light on his feet with this foe.

Watching closely, Taured noted how he didn’t require speaking his spells before performing them. That meant that he was able to control his magic to an extent not even Taured was able to. This may be a disadvantage to Taured’s use of magic since Elaniver would be able to know what he was about to do before it happened, whereas Taured would be kept guessing. Although, he could use a spell to cover his words, as he had hidden his appearance.

“More happens in the outside world than just unprecedented murder as well,” Taured stated this calmly and to make a point. Elaniver may be right about the villagers fearing him and being the lesser of two evils, however, they had sought his help for a reason. Stating that the outside world may not be as scary as being murdered for no reason, may gain him so points with these people.

What was said next confused Taured, although he didn’t show it visibly. Keeping his face a stoic mask, he tried to figure out what Elaniver was talking about. If he wanted an escape from mundane farming, and the outside world was far more than just farming, then leave the village. It only made sense. However, he couldn’t think logically with the shade since he was delusional of others’ opinions of him. He probably thought that providing the villagers with his antics provided them an escape and that in of itself gave him an escape. Twisted being, he was a shade after all.

Varden didn’t look away as Elaniver moved closer to him. Taured turned to see what he would do, if anything, listening patiently to what was being said now. He wanted an audience with the council? That was all that he requested from Taured and Varden. It was a good thing that he was a direct leader on the council and was given the authority to speak for the council, as he was the leader on the council of resources. He was like a poster boy for the rider’s council. He wouldn’t mention his thoughts though until Elaniver was done his speech.

Varden wondered if it hurt Elaniver’s neck to stare up to a 13’-4” tall dragon from only 5’-11”. Taured told Varden not to think of frivolous items and to focus on the situation. Elaniver was now facing Taured and he stood ready, his blade lowered slightly to allow a defensive block if provoked or needed. This man reminded him of a psychopath. Taured looked around as he put on an act of fear for the people. It was mob mentality right now. Elaniver had been their ruler for so long that the villagers feared him strongly. Elaniver was their leader that they begrudgingly listened to and he was painting fear perfectly for them.

Grinding his teeth, Taured kept the calm facade up, not allowing Elaniver to know that he was getting to him. He wasn’t usually aggravated this easily, however, he was threatening innocent people. Taking a deep, internal, calm breath, Taured looked down to Elaniver to speak. He was finished his speech after all.

“You’re in luck today as I am a member of the rider’s council. I am head of the council of resources. I have the authority to speak for the council and would gladly listen, from one ruler to another,” it was true, he would listen to what Elaniver had to say. However, he had to keep in mind that this man was psychopath.

“However, there is no need to threaten these innocent people. They haven’t done anything to irritate you yet, so please, let’s discuss in private?” it was a suggestive tone that they enter his main building to talk. Of course, Varden wouldn’t be able to enter, but he could protect himself pretty easily.

[/blockquote][/blockquote]

[Elaniver]

Elaniver could hardly believe his luck. He knew that someone would be sent but a member of the council? One with the rank and respect to decide declare war or make peace of his own judgement? He had underestimated these dragon tamers, they were not arrogant idealistic gods, concerned only with preening their own scales, they had apparently treated this threat with more brains than the old fashioned method of sending an attack dog to teach the young boys a lesson in respect. Elaniver liked that, he liked it a lot.

“They request help from what they dont understand.” He stated, walking back from the rippling mass of scales and teeth behind him to the ever vigilant rider in front of him, smugness radiating from his deformed smirk. That was another thing he missed, though there were few things he did truly miss, when he had last formed, the body he had consumed had been so hansom. High cheekbones, lush locks, truly the body of a king. But what with the process being what it is it was warped by the pain and anguish his birth caused it. He lightly stroked one side of his face as he slowly strode ever closer to the rider, smirk still fixed to his face. “I know my own people well tamer. They hope that we either destroy each other or return to the big wide unknown world we came from. I was formed here, three times to be exact. Yet even I am considered alien, if in charge.”

He stopped just in front of Taured’s slightly lowered, cautious blade. The tip lightly touching his stomach as he continued to smirk, glancing down at the weapon. “I confess myself surprised at your apparent will for a diplomatic ending. I had you pegged for a glory seeking fool.” He slowly reached down and gently used one single finger under the blade to ease it up to eye level where he began to inspect it with apparent interest as though he had forgotten the situation. Always keeping the tip of his forefinger on the blade, yet never making any move to take it. He made a tutting noise with his tongue as he stared at the razor sharp edge. He was genuinely impressed for once, he had always looked down on man made weapons, opting to use magic instead, but even he had to admit that this blade was something of a marvel. “Pretty...” he muttered to no one in particular, “...if inappropriate.” He lightly pushed the sword away and returned his arms behind his back, striding past the rider up the stairs to the town hall.

He knew why the tamer wanted this to be private, the less the villagers heard the less Elaniver would be able to influence their view of this saviour. Potentially irritating however he could not deny that a little one on one would be healthy for negotiations. “Well, step into my office then. Someone get the pet a biscuit or a deer or whatever it usually eats.” He sat on the throne and waited for Taured to cross the threshold before waving his hand, causing the doorway to morph itself into a wall. “No dogs allowed”, he said with that same smirk on his face. “I will be blunt. I wish my existence in the world to be broader than this little hovel. I wish for power as do many, however there is nothing civilised about marching upon the capitol with an army. I wish to diplomatically assert myself in the real world, through democracy mainly, tired an idea though it may be. I need a guarantee from your fetid council that I will be heard out, if we are to avoid the uncivilised if far more fun method.”

[Mali]

Taured had to wonder what it was that Elaniver was thinking about. He wondered what he would say if he found out that the escapee from his village had lucked out when meeting him at the bar. The chances of finding the riders to begin with were slim since they were in a remote location away from Ilirea. However, the chances that he had run into a high-ranking member of the council were also slim, but not impossible, since it had happened. He had to wonder how Elaniver would react if he found out that it was just chance that he had been sent here and that the council had no idea what was happening back in Ilirea. In fact, they didn’t even know that Taured was here, they assumed that he’d already started his new task of tracking down a Solomon Latro.

He knew that these people lived a sheltered lifestyle under the rule of this shade, however he knew that they weren’t complete idiots. They had known to go find the riders so it wasn’t that they didn’t understand the riders, it was just that they hadn’t met one before. Living in a small, secluded town such as this one, it was obvious that they would have never met a rider before. However, Taured refrained from shaking his head at Elaniver. They understood perfectly fine, he was just covering for his mistakes of telling them about the riders, if he told them anything at all.

“Or maybe they do understand. They understood well enough to come find us,” He wasn’t trying to taunt Elaniver, the last thing he wanted was for him to use even more violence on the innocent people of this town. However, he had something to say and he was going to say it. He was a magical prodigy representing the rider’s council. He had been a magical prodigy long before Varden had even hatched for him. Elaniver may be a great foe but Taured wasn’t outmatched.

It was obvious why he would be considered alien to these people. Even if he wasn’t a shade, he would still be seen as alien. His actions were odd, unjust and uncalled for. Where he murdered people over the simplest of tasks, that was why he would always be seen as alien. “Maybe it is your actions which cause your fellow people to view you as alien,” Again, he wasn’t taunting Elaniver. He was just trying to get him to think, reconsider his actions against these people and maybe they could live safe lives again.

Taured watched as Elaniver moved in front of him. Remaining cautious and alert, he watched as the tip of his blade was raised to eye level, his own eyes following and watching Elaniver. At the ‘tutting’ sound, Taured wondered if he was impressed with the blade. It was forged by the best in the land, with magical properties that even he didn’t know of fully. The blade was considered one of the best and all riders received one.

Inappropriate? He should feel glad that Taured walked into his village armed. It made him seem like a potential threat. Unless that didn’t boost his already large ego enough. He watched as Elaniver moved up the stairs to the town hall. At the mention of Varden being a pet, Taured grit his teeth behind his calm and cautious exterior. He wasn’t a pet by any standards. Varden reminded him not to get frustrated with him and Taured had to agree. It wouldn’t do justice to fight against an opponent that wasn’t able to die. He could switch from body to body and continue the battle while Taured grew ragged. No, he had to remain calm and couldn’t allow that scenario to happen.

Taured sheathed his sword and climbed the steps to the town hall. Everyone was watching as he took step after step, waiting to see what would happen next. At the declaration of no dogs allowed, a solid wall was created where the door had been. Magic without the use of the Ancient Language was hard to master, but for a shade it must come naturally, being created from magic.

Taured listened to what he had to say, what his demands were. He wanted to be placed into power diplomatically through democracy? Taured grew confused as to how he planned to make his demands come true. “I question your plan of action. How do you plan to democratically place yourself into power? If you want it done democratically, I am unsure of what the rider’s council can do for you,” it was true that the rider’s council held great power in many places in Alagaesia, however, democratically speaking, they couldn’t just appoint him, or else it wouldn’t be a democratic decision.

“I cannot give a guarantee until I know your planned course of action, if you would be so humble as to divulge that information to me. It would be most appreciated.” he was trying to flatter Elaniver, boost his ego into thinking that he was gracious of being able to hear his plans. Hopefully he wouldn’t see through it and get angered by his attempts. Even if he did see through his speech, he hoped not to anger the shade.

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[Elaniver]

Elaniver snorted. Did this glorified tamer really think that if he gave everyone a tax break and complimentary lemonade, he would be loved and respected as an equal? These were simple folk, with the word simple projected in giant neon lettering and the word folk covered in manure. They naturally feared what he was, something different, something magical, and something not to be trusted. If they couldn’t understand it then it may as well be dead, at least that way they would have something more to eat for the harvest. No, if he was going to be viewed as some sort of devil then he may as well treat them the way they expected and anyway, as much as they wanted help they were just as dismissive and fearful of this upstart and his pet than they were of him. “You honestly believe that don’t you, these people know what I am, they know that things like me don’t occur very often.” He giggled slightly as he resting his gaunt bony cheek onto his palm, “there is a library here of sorts.” He waved the other hand casually at a wall, “most of it concerning farming and carpentry and other such meaningless tosh, but there is a section dedicated to the rest of the world.”

This was indeed true, it wasn’t particularly extensive, these mindless sheep masquerading as people didn’t like to think beyond their cabbage patches but there were the odd one or two books gathering dust in there. “There are a mere 12 books, two of them recounting the history of your overgrown Labrador and one concerning the bastardised concoction that is my species.” He let his hand fall once more, “your book is gathering quite a bit of dust nowadays, I suppose dragon riders are just beneath the surface of most legends told beside campfires. Mine however has been used here for many years as a horror tale for children.” He flashed an obviously fake grin for a second before quickly slacking his stretched facial features once more. “They had their minds made up about me long before my first incarnation with that fool of a necromancer, they wanted a bogeyman and fate provided me.”

He slumped himself comfortably in his seat before starting with a sudden jolt and a sly smile “where are my manners?” He waved his hand again and a small three legged stool appeared next to this so called warrior, “one must always sit for such heavy discussion.” He was actually beginning to have fun with this one, how much pushing would it take he wondered. How much respect had to be taken away before his chord finally reached its point? “You see Mr...I’m sorry I’ve forgotten your name.” He grinned again and didn’t even wait to be corrected, going on at the same pace as before “the world is one, giant narrative to humans and as such they are predictable. They need something to fear, something to tell their children at the bedside, something to terrify them into line. A bogeyman if you will.” He paused briefly, examining his nails with his orange flowing eyes. “However the narrative doesn’t stop there, oh no. They work by the narrative that good will always triumph, they tell themselves that if their good and moral that their god or whatever convenient hero of the hour they have will smite the evil. That the guards will catch the thief, that order will be restored by those in charge.” He began to lean forward, steepling his fingers and staring over them at the council member. “I want to offer them a choice...” he said in a whisper that echoed through the chamber.

“Humans neglect to realise that the evil they fear comes from within them, humans crave structure for their fears. I can offer that more than any other. I can play the bogeymen that the bad men and women of the world are drawn to...you lot can be their saviour.” The corners of his mouth upturned very slowly. “Let them have the choice of being one of the bad men they tell themselves to hate, or the victims waiting for a white knight to save their day.”

[Mali]

Taured listened to the shade snort and ask a simple question. Taured was about to continue with an answer when Elaniver started on another tangent about a library. He had to wonder what this had to do with his questions. Although he didn’t know why Elaniver was going on about a library, he would listen to what he had to say. Maybe he would answer his questions with his speech.

He knew why Elaniver’s story rang true. It was because these people lived with the shade that his book had been read so many times. The riders were like a fable to these people when they lived in constant fear of their leader. It made sense that they wouldn’t believe that such an order could exist, one where they helped people and such forth. The riders were a myth to these people. It was a wonder that they had been able to find him at all with their beliefs so skewed.

“It makes sense why your book has been read so much. You’ve been a story told to children to frighten them that once they grow up and enter your real world, they want to know if the stories they were told as children were true. And when they find out that it is true, they are terrified.” Taured didn’t know what kind of world Elaniver wanted his people to live in but he knew that they didn’t deserve it. He doubted that these people had secretly sought a ‘bogeyman’ and he had been provided. That was his skewed opinion that these people actually craved him to rule over them.

Taured watched as Elaniver jolted and smiled to him slyly. Finally, he would answer his questions. He would finally answer how he planned to place himself in power democratically. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, Taured knew that Elaniver was just trying to push his buttons. He remembered his name, he wouldn’t have forgotten so quickly.

He listened to the story that the shade told him. That people needed a bogeyman to tell their children about at night, to get them to behave. It was true, there was always something that parents told their children at night to get them to behave and eat their vegetables. Was Elaniver stating that he wanted to be the bogeyman for everyone?

Good didn’t always triumph. He knew for a fact that there was no equivalent to the good work done and the end result. Someone could work for their entire life, trying to make something of it and die with no one knowing their name. What about when people gave birth to still born babies? Their hard effort and work during pregnancy led to what? It didn’t lead to the good that they deserved for all that time. He also knew that sometimes, the hero couldn’t make it in time to save everyone, and that wasn’t fair either.

Listening to him whisper, Taured quirked an eyebrow at his plan. A choice? Taured listened and waited for the conclusion to be made, how he planned to place himself in power and Taured had to admit that he was a little confused. Surely even if the people were given the choice of the riders over a shade, they would choose neither than one or the other. The population knew that shades were taboo and wouldn’t choose him over their beliefs. He also knew that the population was almost equally split between elves and humans. The elves would obviously choose the riders, depending on where their beliefs lie, but the humans were unaccounted for. They would rather choose neither than a shade or the riders.

“Are you saying that you would rather let them choose between the riders or you? Because I know for a fact that the general consensus of the population would choose neither.”

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