The Scaly kingdom

Tools Of The Trade

Sormas, Sharshas, and I along with the hatchlings approach the towering Wastestone walls the morning sun rising from the north just peaking over the distant mountains. We have been traveling through the night to not run into any of the flying monsters that would surely appear if we slept. As we travel closer to the wall and the gate, I start to see movement on the wall. It is hard to see what they are doing because the position of the sun is shadowing them from the proper view. Then I see someone on the wall waving in our direction.

“They seem to be motioning us to walk forward?” Sormas says questionably.

“Maybe they are trying to tell us to wait for the gate to be lifted?” Sharshas questions back.

Just as they are having this conversation the hatchlings take off in a run towards the gate and we follow in toe looking around to see if we are in danger. But it was as Sormas said they were beckoning us forward. As we approached with haste it seems trying to catch up to the hatchlings, they run into the wall just as the sound of heavy chains and being pulled and the massive stone gate sinks into the ground almost making a flush walkway out of the hole that it sinks into. Once the gate fully falls a familiar face in the form of Kelsar appears on the other side and just as he comes into view the oldest of the hatchlings runs in a near sprint to him. He catches her in his clawed hands and picks her up off the ground in a twirl and holds her aloft off the ground muscles bulging into a cradle as he holds her.

“Ah Curentha you are safe I was so worried about you.” Kelsar sorrowfully says into his arms.

“Egg father I thought I would never see you again”, She says sobbing and burring her face into his chest.

Kelsar looks to the battered and bruised troupe of Yogoth. “Come and rest your wounds inside the walls you have earned it”, He says with a nod towards the open gate and turns to walk through. I look around at my companions and they seem to do the same as we have not had a proper rest since leaving the ruins of our clan. As we walk underneath the massive archway, we see that just beyond an encampment with different styles of tents and other structures that stretch beyond the eye can see all the way to the far wall that towers over the rest of the settlement. We move through the tents Kelsar as our guide. He leads us through the seemingly labyrinthian settlement of all different shapes and colors.

“Kelsar, is there a place where I can practice my shamanism in private?”, I say to the back of our guide.

“If that is what you need the shaman’s cluster is over there.” Kelsar points into the direction of some larger brown and red tents from where I am standing, I can make out several shamanic symbols. Some of which I recognize as being the symbol for the elder’s tent from what I can remember of the teachings of Elder Scales.

“Yes, I will have to see your elder to give him the notice of my clans destruction anyway.” I solemnly say to the group.

“At least we won’t need to go far for your tent is coming up soon.” Kelsar exclaimed as he turned around to give me a reassuring smile.

“Here since you are going to be making some new equipment for us you should take the materials that we have gathered from the monsters in the caves.” Sormas says while handing me the bag.

I take the bag and give a reaffirming nod and not far from that we come up on a blue and red tent with the symbol for visitor on the entrance flap.

Sormas walks over to the flap of the tent and holds it open in a grand gesture of showing the darkened inside and with an exaggerated bow. “After you my friends”, he says with a toothy grin on his smug face.

I just sigh and move to walk in but as I get close to Sormas I say in a whisper, “How smug can you be”. Me matching his smile but realizing now we just look like a creepy pair and my face relaxes into my nonchalant grin. I enter the darkened tent and the sent of cooking meat assails my nostrils. As my eyes dart from one end of the room to the other. The inside of the tent comprises of four mats laid out in a square pattern surrounded by what looks to be soft pillows, most likely made from the same hide as the creatures we have faced. The diagram woven into the hide of the tent depicts a great gathering of Yogoth sitting around a fire sharing meat and likely stories of the great hunts of the tribe. Laid out in the middle of the sitting space is a dirt mound that seems to have smoke billowing out of it and exiting out of the top of the tent.

That is most likely were the smell of meat is coming from just as I am thinking this, I hear a voice coming from behind me just as I turn to identify the voice a young Yogoth one that I have not seen before pushes past me. The male is just a little older than a hatchling with deep brown scales and bone spikes coming out of the crown of his head down to the base of his tail. His movements are rushed but direct as he half jogs over to the mound of dirt where I believed there to be a piece of cooking meat, he quickly digs out the hole and reaches inside. He rummages around for a while trying to get a hold of the piping hot meat and pulls it out the ground sisals from the juices falling off the slab as he pulls it out and the room is suddenly overwhelmed by the scent.

“Gods that smells amazing”, I hear Sormas say as he approaches from the tent flap. I turn to look Sormas and Sharshas are both wiping their mouths as it seems they were drooling.

“Ya that smells great kid. How do you get it to still be all juicy like that?” Sharshas more hisses the question that asks mouth still full of saliva.

“What do you mean? This tent is for visitors and has a waststone box buried here that we cook the meat in. As simple as that.” The youngling says more matter of fact than anything else. “This will be your supper for tonight it still needs to be seasoned but it will be served when the sun goes down.” He continues.

“Alright well you two get settled in here and I will be back around sunset. I am going to great the other Shamans and work on the enchantments on the weapons. This might take me a bit, but it should be done in the next couple of days.” And I nod goodbye for now to my two companions. As I leave the tent Kelsar is waiting for me just outside.

He nods and says, “Well I expect you want to go and do your shaman duties allow me to accompany you to their tent.”

“That would be most generis of you. You sure you don’t have any more important duties to attend to?” I ask with a glance his way.

He lets out a blustering laugh as he says “I would be very rude to let the savior of our hatchlings wonder alone in a maze of our settlement. Also, I would hate to get a report that you had of confrontation with one of our citizens on your way there.”

I let out a little chuckle, “I have no intention of having any conflicts with your people. But I won’t hesitate to defend myself if one of them think I am an abomination and want to attack me out of spite.” I look at Kelsar and give him a nervous smile as we begin making our way through the maze of tents until we happen upon the cluster of large red and brown tents. In the center of the cluster is a red and brown tent with blue trim on the opening flap. There is white smoke coming out of the top of the tent.

“Well, this is it I will be just outside so do what you need to do, and I will lead you back to your tent when you are done here. Take your time I got nothing better to do.” He moves to open the heavy flap of the tent.

Inside of the tent that I can see through the flap is a darkened chamber with the flash of firelight dancing across the walls. Sitting across from the fire close but not leaning against the back of the tent is an older Yogoth with light brown scales from years of age. I move in and the heavy certain is placed behind me. As I move into the room the elder looks up at me from the fire that they were contemplating and notices my approach. He motions for me to sit with a clawed hand and a smile creep across his face and his eyes light up as if seeing an old friend. Then I look to match his eyes and he is not looking at me he is looking over my left shoulder. As I follow his gaze, I see what he is looking at the spirit lightly floating just behind me.

“Ah now I think I know you. You are from Karava and if my little friends are correct not many survived that tragedy. I knew your elder the master of that spirit that is lingering around you.” The elder still pointing at the cushion across from him and the fire. “Call me Sashorti”.

“You are correct this is the guardian spirit of Old Scales it decided to follow me after the clan was decimated by the arrival of Scion.” I move to sit on the cushion across from him. As I move to sit, I focus my sight to move from normal sight to the spirit just to see how many spirits are in this room.

“Ah I see you have the sight and as you can see there are quite a few of them in this tent alone. Though if you look around in the settlement you will find there is a great number of spirits around.” Sashorti looks around and rases his hands in the air to encompass the feeling of talking about a great distance.

I look around seeing if I can spot any spirits that look like Old Scale’s but alas, I can’t seem to find any. The spirits that float around are shifting shades of blue and green with some of them being between dark red and pink. They float around Sashorti in a circular motion. They float as if moving in a downward spiral around them and using the same motion they reverse the momentum in mid action moving upward to the top of the tent. They are everywhere in this tent from fire to earth spirits and even some of the very essence of the hide of the animals that the tent is made of. But none of them are of the same shape as Old Scale’s spirit.

“I was hoping to find a spirit like Old Scale’s but alas I am not so fortunate to do so.” I say with a sigh. “But these will do nicely for what I have in mind for a little bit of work I have to put into these weapons that my companions use.” I shake the bag that I came in with.

“I see that you have gathered some very rare and powerful implements to help you in this endeavor.” He looks at me with a learned and discerning look on his face. “Do you need any help with this task, or do you think you have enough skill to do it on your own?” He looks around at what I can only assume is the spirits then back to me. He points a clawed figure at me. “I have now Idea what my friend has taught you but that in an advanced ritual and not many can pull of such a task”.

“You may stay and watch, but I have been taught many things by the eldest of my clan and I do believe I have the skill to pull this off. Especially with the advanced knowledge of the destruction school of magic that I am very adapt with.” I say with a slight tone of pride with an overtone of experience.

He holds up his hands, “I mean no offence you can do your ritual in here and if you need any help I can step in although I do not have any knowledge of the destructive arts, I can help in the concentration of the spirits that is needed to perform this.”

“I have Old Scale’s spirit to help guide me in this pursuit, but the offer is most appreciated.” I nod to him and begin.

First, I lay out one of the teeth of the beast that we killed that was guarding the hatchlings and the two daggers that Sormas uses in a three-pointed formation with the tooth at the top of the triangle and the daggers at a perfect sixty-degree angle from it. Then I draw the circle around the Items with some salt that I have in my bag. Using the salt, I form the circle from item to item until they are connected to each other. Then a circle around the items must be drawn to channel the magic into the Items. Then I draw a upside down triangle from the daggers to me and to complete the motion I draw a circle around myself and sit down in that circle. Focusing on my Zeon that I can build up within myself and draw my destructive power into the salt and to the sight of those that do not have the gift the salt begins to glow. The black, red power of my destructive force flows from me into the tooth that encircles the object until it is glowing. Looking into the realm of the spirits I see several of them circling around the tooth and those that encounter it are instantly destroyed with a sad dulling of their color they become dust that sprinkles over the tooth as it glows. In a few moments the tooth crumbles into dust and the power disperses into the salt. The salt still glowing spreads to the daggers and they begin to glow but just the blades and not the hilts. They float hovering in the air just a few inches off the ground. They hum with power as the glow intensifies, they suddenly fall to the ground with a clank as the glow of the salt dissipates and leave behind a charred outline of the ritual zone that I had created.

My body feels heavy, and it is hard to keep my eyes open. I reach out for one of the daggers and hold it in my hand. As I grip the hilt and hold it in front of my eyes it glows with the same black, red colors of my magic. “It would seem that it was a success.” I say with hardly a whisper as I set it on the ground and look to Sashorti and give a have hearted smile. As I gather the daggers and put them away, I try to stand, and my legs buckle underneath my weight. I hear foot falls coming in my direction and I look towards the sound. It’s Sashorti, he puts his arm around my waist and his head under my arm to lift me to my feet. With all his might he managed to put me on my feet and walk me over to the tent entrance.

“Did you have an escort here?” He asks directly to me.

“Yes, I had Kelsar lead me here he should be just outside waiting for me to finish.” I answer with an exhausted tone as he helps me to the flap.

He calls out to the closed flap, “Kelsar are you there we need your help in here”.

Just as the words leaves his mouth in an instant the flap of the tent is flung open and Kelsar steps in greatsword drawn. He looks stunned as he surveys his surroundings seeing no hostel parties he looks to his elder, “What’s going on what happened to our guest”?

“Our guest seems to have worn himself out while doing his ritual. He is but out of Zeon and he will need your help getting to his tent to rest until the celebration. Maybe he will be up for that once he has gotten his strength back.” Sashorti explains as he holds my exhausted form in his grip.

“Right, I will get him back to the others.” Kelsar says to the quickly tiring elder as he takes me from Sashorti and easily lifts me with his great strength. “Alright let’s get you back to your tent I’m sure that your companions will know what to do in this situation”.

I look towards Kelsar’s head, “At least I got half of my work done but I should have rested before I tried that. I will be able to do the rest of the work tomorrow. I should be able to walk on my own after a couple of hours of rest, but I would rather do that in the tent that my companions are in if you don’t mind”.

“Of course, I will take you to your companions I just hope you will be there for you’re the guest of honor at the feast we have set up for you later tonight.” He exclaims while we are walking to my companions.

“Well, I will be sure to let my companions know they deserve some rest for the hell that we have been through”. I say tiredly, trying but in vain to keep my balance under my own feet. Thinking to myself the whole time that he is so strong practically carrying my form. After a while of walking, I just give in and let him effortlessly carry me to my tent. As we move through the maze of tents, I notice that we are not getting as many stares as last time seems that the townsfolk have accepted our presence, at least for the time being. By the time we make it to the tent I have found my feet if only a little bit I still need to use Kelsar for a crutch. We open the flap of the tent and see Somas and Sharshas sitting in the center of the tent, looks like they were sharpening their weapons. As they looked toward the entrance to see Kelsar and I stood there, him holding me upright. They both burst out laughing and ask in unison, “What did you get into a fight without us”.

“No, here are your daggers, Somas. Just be careful they are extremely dangerous now and I don’t want to hear anything from you Sharshas I will get your axes as soon as day brakes and my strength returns.” I say tossing the wrapped daggers to the ground in front of Somas and glaring at the two of them. “Now, will one of you give me a hand I need to lie down for a bit”, I say with very little strength in my voice.

“It is alright Kelvar we have to deal with this sort of thing happening all the time with him.” Sormas says with a little chuckle.

“Ya it’s a common occurrence with him that he just passes out glad to see it happen when we are not in immediate danger though.” Sharshas explained as he moved in to take my haggard form from Kelvar.

Kelvar hands me over gently. “Alright as long as you are sure”.

I turn back to Kelvar give him a weak smile, “Don’t worry it is always like this and I have these two to thank for my continued survival”.

I hobble over to my mat and am slowly placed there. As I close my eyes, I feel the exhaustion take over and slip into blackness.