Chapter 87: Flying dragon hiding badger,
Ostrand gave up on the conversation and ran outside. If he was going to meet his death he wanted to do it outdoors. If he wasn't going to die he was going to face his neighbor head-on.
Cai-Pel kicked himself off the chair and walked outside whistling. Loran was left at the table. She was alone and confused. She knew this was apparently dangerous beyond compare. She was totally unprepared for this level of reaction to finding a hole in the woods.
She put her cup down and swore to herself she would never listen to another oak tree again. She also swore she would chop down every oak she ever found for putting her in the middle of this nonsense. She could hear the voice of her mother warning her to not anger the forest.
She walked outside at a leisurely pace. She knew this person was coming but she didn't expect him to arrive any time soon. Unfortunately for her, she didn't understand the dragon race. It was to be expected, they were mythic beings. It was like saying you could understand the divine. She had known Cai-Pel her entire life span. And in all the time she had been alive she only barely scratched the surface of his personality.
When she walked outside both Ostrand and Cai-Pel were staring up through the trees. The forest seemed to bend against the sky as if they were giving them a clear view.
If she had cleared her mind she could have heard the terror on their voices.
She walked up behind them and stared up at the sky. "What are we looking for?" she said innocently.
"Impending death from above," Ostrand's voice was filled with the sound of someone prepared to die. She had heard it before on knights when they faced overwhelming odds from warlords and invaders.
As soon as her question made it up into the sky she got her first glimpse of what they were about to be faced with. Above them, the sun suddenly went dark as a body filled the canopy of the forest in metallic colored scales. These scales were all colors, gold, silver, tin, rusted iron, tungsten blue, and cobalt yellow. If you weren't scared or didn't know what it was the effect was awe-inspiring and beautiful.
"He's here," Cai-Pel said in the most solemn voice she had ever heard him use.
As quickly as it showed up the creature had flown out of sight. She craned her head around looking for a sign of where it had gone. "Where is it?" She said out loud.
"Shut your hole before I grab your head again," Ostrand said forcefully.
"Geez, calm down. I have never met a dragon before."
"Say anything else and you won't meet this one." His reply was almost furious.
Finally, Cai-Pel turned around and looked at her. He put his finger to his lips and then pointed ahead. She understood and said nothing. It wasn't coming over the trees, it was going to come through the trees.
Moments later she saw something moving through the forest. It must have been a rider on the dragon, some kind of herald of the quasi-godly being. She stepped out from behind Ostrand and stood next to Cai-Pel. The person coming at her walked out into the sunlight and was bathed in light.
He was tall, not as tall as Ostrand but probably somewhere between Ko'Loss and Ed. Above average for a human. His hair looked like copper. He had a cloak of white leather with strips of metals running down in lines around it. His face was tinged a light green but almost completely human. That was except for the eyes, he had pupils made of gold. The hands and fingers were powerful and his nails looked like rusted iron. He wore no shoes and as his cloak moved she could see some kind of uniform made of the same white leather with metallic accents.
"Ostrand, you have guests I must speak with." The voice from him was deep and old.
"You may speak to anyone you wish. I apologize for the inconvenience. The idiot woman didn't know that the hole was your home." Ostrand said with as much sincerity as he could muster.
"She went into my home? Well, that wasn't why I came but at least I know." He looked over all three. "That isn't why I came here. Step into the light, both of you." The command was clear, even Cai-Pel dared not defy the order.
They walked forward just into the light. Loran swallowed, the closer she got to this being the more details she could find of his face. He looked to be ancient. But if this was the rider and herald of the dragon, where was the dragon. "You touched nothing, correct?"
Loran spoke up, "I expected you to be a spy. I took a sheet of paper as proof."
The man laughed. "I am no spy, but no servant either. I work on both sides of politics. Keep it, they will lock you away for finding a state secret little elf girl."
"I am no simple Elf, I am Loran Lovelass. Knight of the Glass Capital and servant to the Commander For'Ten Kirgas. I would like to speak to the dragon kind as soon as he gets here."
Ostrand about passed out. He cursed the elf woman and said his prayers. He was ready to die now for her words and her tone with the man before her.
The man laughed at her as a father laughs at young children who don't understand a big word they just used. "Girl you have guts. I see why you work under For'Ten. I have met him before, although he wouldn't know who I was. If you are so brave to meet a dragon, be prepared, and face your fears!"
The man shook his cloak. It was at that moment that she realized something wasn't right. The cloaks moved like muscles. She saw the clasp across the top unfurl and release two talons from each other. With a movement that shoved all air away from everyone in the clearing, his wings expanded to their full width.
The trees and creatures of the forest ran in terror from the sudden gust of wind that blew through. She finally understood why they were feared. His wings were aged but gorgeous. Like a masterful work of art.
Just as she was watching his wings his tail unfurled from around his body. His clothes slithered from around his chest and lap and resumed their normal round shape before they curled around his legs. He stood before her in all his glory. His body was muscles and sinews and scars.
When she finally blinked the dragon smiled, his silver teeth glowed in his mouth making him look even more sinister. "I am Morgan Firrenze, the last of my kind. Welcome to my forest. I am sorry I was not home to great someone as accomplished as you."
The sarcasm wasn't lost on her. She suddenly understood why the old stories told of the magnificent race of dragons. This was an awesome thing to get to witness. If she survived this she promised to head home and tell her father about this.
"My apologies for not knowing who you were Mr. Firrenze. I apologize for entering your home uninvited also."
Morgan slowly began to curl his wings and his tail around his body. "I accept your apology. Now, why do I have an ancient forest spirit and an Elf woman walking around my forest."
Loran looked at Cai-Pel. He nodded in Morgan's direction. The only thing he said was "Go on answer the man. He's HOT for an answer..." He was trying to be serious but he smiled when he said 'hot'.
Loran looked at him and remembered the stupid game. "I am sorry we are looking for two people. One of them was Ostrand here. Apparently, the other one was you."
Morgan's eyes moved and he took a step forward as his clothes and skin finally got back where it belonged. "And what would business would you have with me?"
"I assume that you know about The Oracle and what it is." Loran asked as politely as she could.
"I was there when it was given a human form. I am familiar with that particular existence." He nodded.
"The Oracle has tasked a soul with collecting something called a codex. I am helping to collect the codex. Ostrand is one, you are the other according to my guide here." She nodded down at Cai-Pel.
Morgan turned and faced the spirit. "Are you really helping with this task? You do know what these codexes mean don't you?"
"Yes, I know what it means and I am glad to help. What about you Morgan. Are you ready to receive your codex?" Cai-Pel said in a sing-song voice.
"I have waited long and hard for this day. My job on this earth is done. This means that I am no longer needed here to guard that door. Please let me see the disk." He held out a hand.
Loran pulled out the remaining blank disk and walked towards Morgan. He smiled, he knew something none of the mortal beings here knew, but he wasn't going to share. This was a day he had waited for for so long.
When Loran put the disk in his hand she stepped back quickly. She watched him close his hand on the disk and smile. She watched as his hand shook violently for a moment and then settled back down. He opened it and the previously copper disk was now shades of gold silver and brass. A large M sat on one side and Door stood on the other.
He held it up and admired it, "Finally, just like you promised me, old friend. The time has come."
He handed it back to Loran. "How many are left to deliver?"
She pulled out her map and looked. "Eight left. You were number nine."
He smiled. "Where are the other codexes?"
She squinted her eyes and suddenly felt nervous at the speed at which is position had changed. He was now too eager to help. "I will have to ask my friends for permission to tell you. Can you wait a day to get an answer?"
Morgan cracked his fingers and shook out his hand. "For me, the end is in sight. I can wait as long as you need. Point me to the other disks and I will help make sure they get delivered."
Loran smiled. She wasn't entirely sure what to think of this. Not everyone had been happy to receive the disk. This crazed dragon was all too ready to deliver them all. She smiled and walked back towards Ostrand's house as quickly as she could and still be polite.
"Hey, you pointy-eared crazy woman. Get out of my house!" Ostrand said walking towards her.
Cai-Pel walked over to Morgan and looked up at him. "You might have been too enthusiastic."
Morgan shrugged the statement away. "I have fulfilled an old promise to guard that door until the contents were safe for the world. This means that what's in there is no longer the biggest threat. If the codexes are out in the world. Something worse than them is at hand. I made a promise to help. I plan to keep that promise."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone