Morneanna's quest

[Morneanna]

The last daylight was filtered through the leaves, and the birds were singing their goodnight and good hunting songs to the creatures of the night that were just awakening. The cry of the owl gave the solemn whistle of a shrike a harmonious background. The forest was dappled in soft golden spots, and Morneanna held out her hand to catch one of them in the palm of her hand.

 

Like a butterfly it sat there, and as she closed her fingers around it the sun gave up this little spot for her daughter. Morneanna moved her hand close to her mouth and whispered a small message to the sun fleck that was caught inside her slender fist.

 

“Bring the man that will be renamed Cernain this message of inspiration. Tell him that he will have to report back to me when he has finished his assignment.”

 

While opening her hand she blew life into the speck of sunlight and it darted of towards the direction she had given him. Now it would only be a matter of time until the child that would be commanding the creatures in the forest would come to her.

 

Morneanna knew that he would answer her call, never before had he been able to resists the call of a challenge, the call of inspiration, and the call to work together with others.

 

Slowly the night fell, and one by one the golden butterflies followed the call of the world turning on, and Morneanna too followed that eternal call of nature, biding her to travel after her mother the sun. Fleeing before the night the last that could be seen of her were the veils that sheltered her body from the silvery moonlight.

 

But amidst the darkness a star brighter than all the others, its essence exploding with sun and not just the weaker reflection, was following its path towards he who would be Cernain.

[Wyvern]

The first daylight was filtered through the leaves... which were promptly cut down by a troglyodyte in a hard hat weilding a chainsaw. The Almost Dragonic Inc. employees were singing their promotional hymns, and the creatures of the day were awakening and getting the hell out of the clearing. The cry of the eagle gave the solemn groan of a shrike a bloodcurdling background. The forest was now dabbled in charred blackened spots, and Wyvern held out his claw to crush the last remaining flower.

 

"Mr. Wyvern, sir." A lizard man in a hard hat approached the reptilian Elder and held out a complicated series of blueprints. "Last patch of trees has been cleared out, awaiting permission to start building a foundation for the Almost Dragonic Brand Environmentally Unsound Megamall™."

 

Wyvern chuckled and cradled the giant cigar clenched between his teeth. He brushed the collar of his flashy Hawaiin business suit, then plucked the cigar from his mouth with a claw and blew a smoke pitchfork.

 

"Go right on ahead, I didn't hire you to dabble around in the woods!" Wyvern considered tapping the ash from his cigar onto the grass, but then thought better of it. "Ferrang, Gurpu - where's my ashtray?!"

 

Two lizardmen in hard hats wandered up to Wyvern with a platter holding a squirrel tied down in bonds. Wyvern grinned and doused out his cigar on the squirrel's tail.

 

"Don't forget to nail the 'Mega $$$avings' arrow signs into animal nests, they're more visible that way." Wyvern watched the head construction worker head off, then turned to Ferrang and Gurpu. "You two, make sure that the shrike groaning by that tree stump isn't property of Degenero Angelus. Last thing we need is a Quincunx-related lawsuit to impede our progresss..."

 

Wyvern watched Ferrang and Gurpu head off, then leaned back on a deer corpse and rubbed his claws together at the thought of Almost Dragonic Brand Debt-Dealer Banks™ and Curly Onion Cheesedoodle Factories.

[Tamaranis]

Something seemed to circle the work area. Just far enough away that the remaining branches prevented it from being properly seen. It must have been very well camouflaged, or perhaps even invisible… it was easy to see the creature was man-shaped, but the way it pushed foliage out of its way was much more visible than the creature itself.

 

Wyvern’s eyes narrowed at the sight of his arch-nemesis. One of many, anyway.

 

“Get out of here! I acquired this land through perfectly legitimate blackmail” Wyvern hurried toward the shape, “I’m just a business man, this mall will be a boon to the local economy, who are you to judge me anyway?, Almost Dragoni industries produces many fine products that every day people like you use every day… get off my worksite! Ferrang! Gurpu! Get this…”

 

Wyvern stopped, slightly confused. His hands had been practically on the guy. He should have been holding a reporter in his claws, but instead he just had air and a few stray leaves.

 

Wyvern dusted his claws off, satisfied with a job well done, and made toward the dead dear he’d been resting on. Then the reporter walked through the woods right in front of his snout and disappeared into the forest proper too fast for Wyvern to bother following.

 

A few minutes later he showed up again, still circling just too far away to make him out. Wyvern’s workers tried to chase him off, and he disappeared as soon as they got near him. The process was repeated several times before the workers became nervous. This didn’t seem like any reporter any of them had ever seen before, and there were rumours involving Wyvern and mafia debt.

 

Several hours after the shadowy figure’s first appearance he finally made his move. When the lizard men moved toward him, a little nervously now, the limbs of the trees and shrubs around it exploded into movement, obliterating his outline.

 

Every branch swayed frantically at the limits of the movement it could undergo without being damaged. There was no cohesion or collective direction to the movement, and it was completely independent of any sort of wind. The “storm” as it were, advanced upon and engulfed one of the lizard men, who collapsed and began to thrash as frantically as the forest about him.

 

Then it all stopped as suddenly as it had started. There was no sign of the shadowy man. The afflicted lizard man stood up uneasily, as if he couldn’t quite control his limbs.

 

“Back to work all of you! I’m not paying you to stand around listening to weird noises in the woods.” Wyvern hollered at them, “You too, Shakey.”

 

The lizard man who had previously fallen fell down again. Then slowly got back up. A little steadier this time. Then it began staggering directly toward Wyvern, who was mentally rehearsing several ways to deny a request for a sick day.

 

It stopped when it was only a few feet from Wyvern, made a choking noise, and giggled a bit. It seemed to regain its composure before addressing Wyvern with a single, slowly pronounced word, “Defiler.”

 

“Yeah. What are you doing, Murg?”

 

“Hosting a bodiless forest spirit.” Murg answered.

 

“Well quit it, I’m not paying you to play host to forest spirits either.” Wyvern snapped.

 

Murg seemed to notice the sun, and stared directly at it for fifteen seconds or so, “It’s bad for eyes.” he observed.

[Cernain]

Six days the bright point of light travelled, crossing vast distances, before it found Cernain.

 

The druid had been bathing in the crystal clear waters of the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. The ringing sound of the water, falling from a height of about fifteen feet, had never ceased to be a pleasant sound to his ears. Swimming in these waters had been a favourite pastime of his for many long years, and whenever his duties allowed him, he tried to come here. This was the place where he had found peace, where nothing troubled him.

 

A golden butterfly gently fluttered past his head, its shiny wings refracting the rays of the sun into a thousand, miniscule rays of light. Cernain lifted his hand, and the butterfly sensing the empathy emanating from Cernain, landed on his hands, momentarily suspending the rapid movement of its fragile wings. Cernain whispered soothing words to the small creature, he could sense was tired from a long flight. As if reinvigorated the butterfly sprang up, and flew off towards whatever goal it was pursuing.

 

Cernain sighed, content at the small beauties this forest offered him. Just the other day he had seen his favourite herd of deer peacefully grazing in a magical little clearing to the north, and had been surprised at spotting a new-born calf, shily following around its mother, his spotted fur marking him clearly from the rest of the group.

 

A small spot of light, reflected in the cool water in front of him, brought Cernain out of his daydreaming. He had never seen anything like it. It's brightness could have even eclipsed a sun, yet he could watch it without damage to his eyes.

 

A gentle voice drifted from the point of light, which Cernain had no trouble in recognizing, even though it had been a long time since he had last seen Morneanna. Cernain listened intently to the message relayed by the bright star, and then nodded to himself. He whispered back, sending Morneanna a message in return.

 

Once he had watched the point of light until it disappeared above the trees, Cernain reluctantly had to end his late afternoon bath. He had work to do, but he was looking forward to it. Morneanna never proposed anything uninteresting, far from it.

 

Cernain allowed himself to dry in the sunlight, and then dressed, his mind intent on the task at hand. He would try not to disappoint his friend.

[Wyvern]

Wyvern raised a brow as Murg turned his head away from the Sun. He cringed at the glazed look on the construction worker's face, and took a step back as Murg keeled over and collapsed into a patch of dirt. Wyvern stared at the motionless body of the lizard man for a moment, then crossed his arms over his chest.

 

"Ssslacking off on the job, are you? Well get back to work! Being possessed by a forest spirit is no excuse, we've got building to do here!"

 

Wyvern glared down at the immobile body of Murg, then signaled to Gurpu with a claw.

 

"Gurpu! Go drag thisss body over to the construction site, tell'em to use it as a stepping stool for laying mortar."

 

Wyvern let out a short cackle as he watched Gurpu approach the area, only to frown as the lizard man minion paused in his tracks in front of him.

 

"Defiler."

 

Wyvern grimaced and stared in disbelief. His jaw dropped open, causing the remains of his large cigar to fall into a charred spot of ash.

 

"Ah geeze, not thisss again." Wyvern stomped a foot on the ground and growled. "Lemme guess, forest spirit right?"

 

"Indeed." Gurpu picked up a large gnarled branch from the ground and stepped forward, pointing it at Wyvern like a sword. "And, with my new knowledge of the consequences that staring into the Sun have on mortals, I demand that you cease this building immediately."

 

Wyvern tugged at the collar of his suit as the tip of the gnarled branch slowly trailed up to his neck. He bit his scaly lip, then pointed with a claw.

 

"Hey! Look over there: a bio-nuclear test dumping service with a vehicle built out of pure bearskins!"

 

Gurpu turned and dropped his guard with the branch, and Wyvern turned to flee. The reptilian Elder raced through the construction grounds, darting between unstable cranes and lizard man worker pyramids with Gurpu hot on his trail. Wyvern came to a panting halt as he arrived at a large oak tree, and Gurpu let out a triumphant laugh akin to a hyena's howling.

 

"Defiler." Gurpu grinned and bent his branch a bit to test its flexibility. "You have nowhere left to run. Now, cease your vile operations immediately!"

 

"Ohh yeeeaaaaaaaah?" Wyvern grinned back at Gurpu and pulled out an Almost Dragonic Brand Spontaneously Combustible Lighter™. He sneered as he held it to the base of the tree trunk. "Don't pull anything funny. One wrong move, and thisss whole forest goes up in flames!"

 

Gurpu frowned and stepped back, lowering his branch and muttering "Defiler" in a fearful whisper.

 

"That'ssss right." Wyvern let out a long gale of evil laughter. "From this point forward, you're working for me."

[Cernain]

Wyvern felt a strong grip take hold of his wrist and a hand removed the lighter from his. Above them the tree had started moving as if blown by a non-existant wind.

 

"I wouldn't play with that if I were you. Who knows what forest spirits you could anger. The forests are a dangerous place for those like you, lizard."

 

Cernain threw the lighter to Gurpu.

 

"I trust you can take care of this?" - he asked. Gurpu nodded and scurried away.

 

Cernain let go of his vice-like grip on Wyvern's wrist. The reptilian Elder could now turn and see who had spoken to him. The man standing in front of him seemed to be in his thirties but with his fair hair and blue eyes it was almost impossible to tell.

 

Cernain put a soothing hand on the tree, and placing his lips on the bark whispered in soothing tones to it. As he spoke the movements of the tree's branches lessened, as the tree calmed down.

 

"Don't worry, I won't let him hurt you."

 

Cernain turned back to Wyvern.

 

"Go back to your construction site and leave this forest in peace." - he whispered to the lizard, and with not another word he disappeared among the shadows of the trees, but Wyvern could not shake a feeling of being watched by that pair of blue eyes.

[Wyvern]

Wyvern shivers and steps back from the stump, the images of Cernain's lips on the bark and the tree moving as if blown by a non-existant wind stuck in his mind. Wyvern tugs at the collar of his shirt and glances left and right as he feels the eyes of the forest spirit glaring at him.

 

"W-well, you forgot about my trump card!" Wyvern sneers and flicks his wrist, letting a remote control fall from the right cuff of his suit. "The Almost Dragonic Brand Monster Truck Reject Decimobileator Tree Terrorizer™! Bwahahahaaaaaaa!"

 

Wyvern slams a claw down on the button, and an enormous metallic vehicle with a rhinocerous-like iron face rolls out from behind a patch of trees. The trees around the death machine collapse as Helloween songs blare from its stereo ears at full blast, and a jet of flame rockets from its cannon nostrils. The eight monster truck wheels that span the vehicles length roll across the ground in a deafening rumble, and a lizard man dressed in a Jason mask with two chainsaws tied to his back operates the controles. Wyvern claps his claws together and lets out a girlish squee of excitement, then raises the remote control to his mouth and speaks in a low growly voice:

 

"Tree Terrorizer, decimobilerate them."

 

The sharpened-saw jaws of the Decimobileator open to reveal a battering ram tongue, and the machine lets out a loud roar. The operator of the machine jumps onto his seat at the top of the head and revs both of his chainsaws. As the Decimobileator moves forward, the lizard man begins juggling the chainsaws and laughing at the top of his lungs.

 

"Yesssss," Wyvern lets out a maniacal cackle. "Yesss, yesss, decimobilerate them all!"

 

The huge machine manages to exit from the clearing it was hiding in before one of its front wheels runs over a twig. The single brand snaps and knocks the balance of the vehicle off-center, causing it to topple over sideways. The operater lets out a scream as he falls from his seat, the live chaimsaws falling along with him. The Decimobileator loses its jaw, speakers, and wheels as it crashes along the ground until it reaches a halt at the foundation of the megamall, ramming it and destroying what little progress had been made.

 

"Erk," Wyvern tosses his remote control to the ground, then heaves a long sigh. "C'mon boys, it doesssn't look like we're gonna be able to set the Almost Dragonic Brand Environmentally Unsound Megamall™ up over here."

 

The remaining lizard men begin packing up their utensils as Wyvern takes out a map.

 

"I guess we'll have to start building at that waterfall clearing we passed on the way over here... sssix days away, what a pain. I expect you all to build a rock solid dam first. Not a single drop of water should remain, ya hear?!"

 

;-)

[Morneanna]

Golden rays carefully watched every move and caught the booming sound waves that were sent up through the green roof of leaves. They quivered lightly and the slightest of whispers seemed to run through them. And, although nobody noticed, the light that had shone clearly on the Lizard’s head became a hue darker as one of the brighter rays travelled with the speed of light to report back their communal conclusion to the mistress.

 

With her head tilted Morneanna listened to the whisper, and rubbed her slender neck as the meaning of their information sank in. She kissed the flecks off light that were dancing over her copper curls, and praised them for a job well done. The golden butterflies rose, and dissolved back into their place in the universe.

 

This lizard-like creature came out of the womb of mother earth, as she had once come from there as well, but instead of honouring her he seemed to do his very best to demolish her. Did he not realize how his very existence depended on this mother of all mothers? Did he not feel how she nurtured him, and cared for him the way she did for all her children?

 

A soft sigh escaped her lips, and the flower that caught her breath turned its head towards the warmth. The situation was more serious than she had thought at first; calling Cernain to aid her would not be enough.

 

Morneanna closed her eyes, and took the lotus position. She let the sun warm her face, and placed her hands, palms upwards, on her knees. She asked the light to help her, and make her words travel fast so that her call for help would be delivered securely.

 

“Dear Lividya, I need your help know more than ever. Your protection and knowledge are indispensable to help this lost child find back the path he has lost as he succumbed to Sin.”

 

Her whispered words were carried away into the sky and started their journey to find Lividya, guardian angel of knowledge.

Edited February 20, 2006 by Morneanna

[Lividya]

Somewhere...

 

Light danced between cool marble pillars, dappling the floor in bright and dark shades of blue as the resident of the proud home made her way towards her garden. Clad in a simple, stately robe and tied at the waist with golden cord, she was as lovely as mortals often envisioned her, though for many it would be the second thing they would notice. The first would be the large, white wings that were folded against her back.

 

She was an angel, one of the many that inhabited this heaven. Each angel held one ideal or another most sacred, and sought to perpetuate it across the many planes of existence. Lividya was one of the angels of knowledge, and like her other brethren, she tried to help the flame of knowledge grow and spread.

 

She walked out among the lush green grass that carpeted her garden, fingers trailing along the bright blooms of a rose bush as she deftly guided her fingers around the sharp thorns that studded its stem, pausing to inhale the fragrance of the rose bush before she continued towards the stately oak tree that rose proudly in the center of the garden.

 

It was only when she stepped under the canopy of the oak tree’s leaves that she saw the bright glowing motes of light that waited. Ecstatically, they rushed forward, swirling around Lividya and coming to rest in her black hair, as if she wore the stars as jewels in her dark tresses. She listened gravely to the soft whispers they brought her.

 

“Oh Morneanna... always rushing into a new adventure.” Lividya said fondly as she stroked the glowing bits of sunlight. Well... I can hardly say I’m not curious, for the desire for knowledge has ever been my weakness. Very well, little sister, I will come and help you with your task.”

 

Nodding to herself, the angel walked to the edge of the garden, where boarded not with walls or the house, but instead opened out onto open sky, where here and there other small islands floated, places of sanctuary and rest for their residents. And between them, forms flew, bright wings spread wide to catch the constant breezes that filled the heavens.

 

With a joyful smile, Lividya threw herself forward, her wings opened to accept the air’s caresses as she focused her will, finding the point at which heaven and earth most closely coincided with the origin of this message. And between one wing stroke and the next, she disappeared.

 

A mile to the east of where Morneanna sat, a bright flash of light heralded the arrival of an angel, and she glowed softly with her own light as she oriented herself and flew to the west, shepherded and guided by the glowing motes of sunlight towards her old friend.

 

Lividya smiled as she set down several feet from Morneanna and folded her wings neatly behind her as the motes danced ecstatically around Morneanna. “Hello again, my friend, what brings you to needing my aid?” Lividya asked.

[Cernain]

Bringing in all of the heavy equipment took Wyvern's crew actually twelve days instead of the six the journey would have normally taken on foot. Cernain did not trouble them, hoping they were leaving the forests, and travelling through them was just the route they needed to take.

 

Cernain hoped that Wyvern had taken his warning to heart, hoped that he would not have to conflict with the lizard again. Unfortunately, when the construction crews started unloading their equipment right next to his favourite waterfall he knew that his hopes had been in vain. Wyvern was determined to build his Almost Dragonic Brand Environmentally Unsound Megamall™.

 

Walking barefooted over the slightly damp forest floor, Cernain made nearly no noise as he approached the foreman of the construction workers. Undoubtedly a minion, who did nothing but follow the orders of his master.

 

"Why have you come?" he asked in his soft voice, startling the foreman with his sudden appearance behind him.

Edited March 4, 2006 by Cernain

[yochva]

Evangeline peered out from between the branches of her arboreal perch beside the waterfall at the strange creature and his machines. What was he doing here? What were his plans?

 

 

{{Can I join or are there rules for this?}}

[Morneanna]

Morneanna felt more than saw the flash, and though it was none of her own children of light, she knew instantly what had been the cause of this divine light, and whispered a thank you to Lividya.

 

“Someone is trying to enter the falls.”

 

All that their world stood for was in danger with the plans of this silly lizard, and she would give her life to protect this secret of secrets, she only hoped that it was not too late.

 

“I have one more friend to call upon; will you come with me?”

 

Lividya frowned, but nodded. She knew that whatever Morneanna was going to do, it would be needed, and it would be fast.

 

In the blink of an eye they were standing at the side of a brook, and as Morneanna held out her hand little flecks of light started gathering above it. Soon a small orb of light circled above her hand. She placed her other hand over it, and shaped the orb into the form of a small fish. The fish was still surrounded by a golden glow and swam quietly in the air above her hands.

 

With care she lowered the fish to the water, and it swam a little circle and then disappeared into the distance with the speed of its mother.

 

“Be swift little fish, and bring Shuitan, custodian of the waters, to the waterfall.”

 

For a few seconds she followed the fish with her inner eye, pushing it forward to move faster, but then she decided that it was time to go to the falls herself.

 

She turned back to Lividya, and embraced her friend, letting go of some of the tension she had felt since this whole thing had begun.

 

“Meet me at the entrance.” She whispered, and the next moment she was gone.

[Shuitan]

Shuitan was vividly aware of the tiny fish, long before it arrived at the delicate horseshoe-shaped reef of coral. After all, it was her job to know everything about her realm—this universe of watery depths. Her sleek body radiated the beauty of a sea nymph, yet the power of a tidal wave, and she extended a long, slender finger towards the golden fish, allowing it to rest softly on her fingertip after its long tiring journey.

 

Focusing her eyes on those of the fish, she spoke in a flow of silvery bubbles, “You have done well, little friend.” Her voice rose and fell like a wave washing out onto a sandy beach. “It pains me, Morneanna, to hear of this threat… Naturally I’ll come see what I can do to protect the sanctity of the waterfall!”

 

Shuitan blew a tiny stream of bubbles at the small fish, and withdrawing her hand it darted away happily. She then began to swirl around, faster and faster, whipping the once-calm water into a churning vortex. She closed her eyes and let herself be sucked strait down into the spinning liquid portal below.

 

The cool, crystal clear water of the forest stream washed over Shuitan as she let it cleanse her of what salt water remained on her skin and seaweed-green hair. She let herself dissolve into the essence of the water itself, flowing gently downstream towards the pristine waterfall.

 

A large ragged work boot suddenly plunged into the stream, sending nearby minnows scrambling for safety, and jarring Shuitan’s eyes wide open. The clumsy lizard man attached to the grimy boot cursed at getting his socks wet, “Aww, dammit! Now I’s just gonna end up wif blisters again! Soon’ we get this bloody brook stopped up th’ better, I say..” Grumbling some more to himself, the Almost Dragonic Inc. employee’s rant was suddenly cut off as a hand materialized around his ankle and yanked him down into the shallow water.

 

He found himself face to face with the deep blue eyes of a woman, framed by a wild tangle of hair, suspended in the cool waters of the stream. Shuitan opened her mouth and her eyes grew even wider, letting out a scream of bubbles directly into the terrified lizard man’s face. “THESE WATERS ARE SACRED! HOW DARE YOU INTERFERE WITH MY DOMAIN! LEAVE THIS PLACE AT ONCE, AND NEVER RETURN!”

 

With a final surge of water, the worker flew back out of the brook and landed a good 15 feet from the bank, drenched and coughing from the water he had swallowed in his panic. Shuitan, dissolved quickly back into liquid being and swirled along downstream with the current—the waterfall was not far ahead…

[Wyvern]

Wyvern rehearses the advertisement statement under his breath one final time before turning with an Almost Dragonic Brand Folded Goblin Buck Cigar™ extended in a claw.

 

"Well, to answer your question, I've come to undercut your every need with flashy and strangely overpriced products, available in a new Almost Dragonic Mega-" Wyvern freezes and drops the cigar as he notices the familiar face of Cernain. "What th- you again?!"

 

"Yes." Cernain takes a step forward. "The word you were searching for does not end in 'mall,' I hope?"

 

"Ah geeze, I don't-" Wyvern shakes his head and waves a claw in the air. "So, what, you've been stalking me for twelve days? Look Cernanny, I don't know how nicely the trees take to that type of behavior, but from my neck of the woods, that's jussst downright creepy."

 

"I will stop only when I see you swear to never build in this forest." Cernain steps towards a large tree and places a hand on its bark. "Unless you want to see a repetition of what happened last time."

 

"Oh, oh no!" Wyvern raises his claws to his eyes, the image of Cernain's lips on the tree still vivid in his mind. "No no, no. Look, I'll ssswear not to build in this forest, alright?"

 

Cernain and Wyvern both turn as Evangeline's voice falls from a branch of the tree adjacent to Cernain.

 

"Can I join or are there rules for this?"

 

"Ssssure you can join!" Wyvern strikes a toothy grin towards her and tosses a hardhat up to her branch. "Only rule is that I'm the boss-lizard. Now, you can help by going over to that dam and cementing the last of the bricksss in place."

 

Cernain glances up to Evangeline for a moment, then frowns and crosses his arms as he turns back towards the lizard.

 

"You just swore not to build here."

 

"Oh what, you mean two minutes ago?" Wyvern scratches his chin, then snaps a claw. "Well, you never mentioned anything about not building on that waterfall. HAH! Ssscore one for Wyver-"

 

"Wyvern!" A soaked lizardman with a fresh salmon sticking from his left nostril barges onto the scene. "I's seen a ghost in duh stream! She made lotta bubbles, said 'Water scared!' We must do good with dam."

 

Wyvern raises a brow as the lizardman lifts what appears to be a strand of green seaweed.

 

"I's even gots a lock of her hair!"

[yochva]

Evangeline frowned...

 

...And dropped down from her perch to land silently right next to the lizard-man. "How about... no," she said to the boss, and tossed the hat back at his chest - hard - as she delicately picked the seaweed out of creature's claws. She stepped over to the stream, held her bow out of the way, and placed the strand of hair into the water, watching it desolve into a stream of tiny silver bubbles. It would take her signature back to the owner of said hair. "Well, thy minion has indeed captured a bit of water-being, but fear not, the damage has been repaired!" She turned to the boss lizard-man, and placed a hand on her dagger. "What, prithee, is thy business?"

[Wyvern]

"Oowwwwwwwww!" Wyvern grinds his teeth as he writhes over a fertile patch of thorns, his claws clenched over his stomach. "Whatever happened to a good ol' fashioned 'no thanksss'?! Geeze, ya crazy..."

 

Wyvern lifts himself to his feet like a jerky snake under a drunken charmer's spell. He raises a brow at Evangeline's question and kicks the helmet with an angry growl, turning and raising a claw. The reptilian Elder doesn't notice the helmet as it soars through the air behind him and straight into Cernain's face.

 

"My prithee business is Almost Dragonic Brand Prithee Lisssp Makeup Thalons™." Wyvern dislodges a thorn from his teeth and rubs a claw over his aching chest. "I'm building one in this mall, so you'll soon be able to experience it for yourself. Now take that dagger and start carving a sign with a picture of a buncha old bars of sssoap, like a good worker bee should."

 

Evangeline narrows her eyes and growls at the boss-lizard's tone, only to pause and turn as the sound of sobbing catches her ears.

 

"My lock o hair..." Scaleeroy the lizardman underling pulls the salmon from his nostril and blows his nose on it, wiping a tear from his eye. "Was gonna put it by duh ogress toenail clip an' duh halfling tooth in me basement, but you."

 

Scaleeroy stomps his feet and points a claw at Evangeline.

 

"You stoles it!" Scaleeroy reaches into a pouch of his worker overalls and pulls out a petrified skunk from his lunch pouch. He raises the ugly animal like a scimitar, it's frozen tail high in the air. "I hates thief!"

 

"Errr." Wyvern jumps back as Scaleeroy rushes towards Evangeline with a howling war cry. "W-WAIT a minute, what're you- get back to work!"

[yochva]

"Ah, thy minion does not seem well-trained, aye?" laughed Evangeline as she jumped out of the way, up onto a treetrunk above the lizard-man's head. "Perhaps a lesson in discipline -" She fired an arrow or two in front of the charging creature, bringing him up short. "- or the proper way to hold a weapon -" She jumped down and ran past him, tickling his ribs, revealed by his raised arms, with her blade. She turned around behind him, flipping her dagger so that the pommel faced down. "- or perhaps all that is needed is a good night's sleep." She slammed it into the back of the lizardman's skull, mindful of the thicker skin, and thicker head. But all creatures have a softer spot right where the head meets the neck (which, handily enough, wasn't covered by the hardhat), and this one was no exception - he dropped like a rock.

 

Evangeline turned to Wyvern and glared cooly. "When this one wakes, perchance ye shall tell him to ask, when next he hankers for a souvenir? 'Tis right unkind to take from others what is rightfuly theirs..." This last was meant for Wyvern as well as his minion, and emphasized as such. Wyvern's face was red with indignation, and just as he was about to open his mouth and say - or shout - something, Evangeline continued. "Worry not, thy minion shall rise shortly. Th' blow was not to kill, merely to... relax, shall we say?"

 

Evangeline turned her attention to the downed man behind Wyvern. "And what is milord's status?"

[Morneanna]

Behind the waterfall, hidden from sight, a shaft of light crept in through a hole in the rock ceiling above. The shaft whirled and as she materialized, Morneanna could see the scene unfold on the other side of the water curtain. This much violence had never been her idea of solving things, but then again, maybe it would be the only language the lizard and his helpers would understand. Still, she wanted to try talking to him, convince him that he would have to build this mall elsewhere, convince him of the dire need to preserve what was kept a secret behind that waterfall through the ages.

 

She sized him up, and attempted to estimate his reactions if she would simply show him what he was about to destroy, and if that would be a way to prevent it when Lividya appeared next to her.

 

“Is that him?” the angel asked, and took a step towards the falling water, observing Wyvern’s movements. Morneanna nodded thoughtfully in reply. “Doesn’t look like much of a threat.” Lividya said, and raised an eyebrow.

 

The reflection of the water showed Wyvern as a small figure, almost disappearing in the background of nature around him. The trees, the rocks, even the other animals seemed so much larger in the greater scheme of things. Still, the lizard formed an immediate threat, not the least because he had an above average intelligence, and Morneanna also sensed something else; something far more dangerous than intelligence, something that could mean the end of all things beautiful and magical, greed.

 

“He can ruin it for all, and I don’t think we can afford to underestimate him.”

 

Morneanna reached out to Cernain, who was still standing in the pool below, and her tender voice entered his mind, I will take the lizard inside the library, can you keep his crew outside?

 

Cernain outwardly smiled at feeling Morneanna's mental touch. Glad you could come. The crew without their leader act pretty chaotically. Cernain thought back to Scaleeroy's reaction to losing the strand of hair. I'll manage. But are you sure you want to take him there? Cernain sent feelings of worry along with his words.

 

A whisker of doubt, but then a mental nod, It’s the only way to show him, I think. I will take Lividya with me, together we’ll be safe.

 

Cernain sent thoughts of agreement to Morneanna, then turned back to face his current problem; a helmet flying at his face.

 

Morneanna left Cernain’s mind, and looked at Lividya. The angel was following what was happening at the other side of the waterfall, and chuckled softly when the helmet nearly hit Cernain full on as he had been distracted by Morneanna’s voice.

 

“Will you be there for me?” the sunchild asked her friend.

 

Lividya placed a hand on Morneanna’s shoulder, and a smile warmed her pretty face, “I always have, and always will.”

 

“Then let’s do what has to be done.”

 

The light in the air seemed to diminish as Morneanna started calling it together for her task. Between her hands a small spear of concentrated light commenced to form, and as she concentrated the lance became harder, and stronger. The shaft was pulsating in her hands, and she weighed it carefully before shifting it to her right hand, and closing a fist around it.

 

Mumbling ancient words of love, power, and strength she slid her other hand into Lividya’s and carefully aimed the lance at Wyvern. Then with force she had drawn from the sun herself she thrust the spear forward.

 

The lance quivered through the air, and hit the almost dragon straight through the heart. The next moment rain started pouring down from the sky, and the sky turned pitch black, and for two seconds the only light that could be seen was the spear stuck inside the lizard. In a flash both women behind the waterfall and Wyvern were gone, and outside the clouds let through the sunshine once more, showing only an empty spot where the almost dragon had been.

 

“I’m sorry for having to do it this way,” Morneanna mumbled softly as she and Lividya followed the shaft of light that had captured Wyvern into the library, “I hope you’ll forgive me once all is over.”

Edited March 25, 2006 by Morneanna

[Cernain]

Cernain tried lifting his hands up to stop the helmet from hitting him, but he was simply too late. It was a pretty strong blow, momentarily dazing him. Cernain shook his head, clearing away the sudden haze, and glanced at the one, who had kicked the helmet at him: Wyvern. Cernain was never quick to anger, but this lizard had tested his patience one too many times. He was just about to confront him about it, when in a brilliant flash of light, which strangely reminded him of Morneanna, Wyvern disappeared.

 

Cernain bent down and picked up the helmet. There was a small dent on it, where it had hit him. Must not be too good quality, he thought to himself. He remembered Morneanna's request. Cernain turned to face the closest lizard, who happened to be Scaleeroy.

 

"So...what are you going to do in your master's absence?"

[Wyvern]

"Uuuggghhhhh..." Wyvern nudges one eyelid open and moves a claw to his stomach, brushing away a layer of wet rain and still experiencing the sting of heartburn under his aching chest. The overgrown lizard shakes his head in a dizzy manner and leans back on the wooden seat where he rests, ignoring his surroundings as he rubs a claw over the rain-slick scales of his forehead.

 

"Mr. Wyvern?"

 

Wyvern grunts and coughs up a bit of wet ash, then slowly reaches into his pocket. He pulls out a miniature crystal ball and holds it to his face, cringing at the bright glare that seems to surround Ferrang's ugly mug.

 

"Boss?"

 

"Y-yeah." Wyvern shakes away another bout of dizziness. "Wuzzit?"

 

"What do ya want us to do boss?" Ferrang raises one scaly hand to his maw and bites away at his finger nails on the other end of the line. "The tree lover guy is questionin' Scaleeroy, and he still out cold!"

 

"Ah geeze." Wyvern slouches over and grumbles. "Well, that tree branch new recruit gal knocked'im out, so don't you tell her to explai-"

 

"Morneanna, he has awakened."

 

Wyvern lifts his head at the sound of the angelic voice, and drops his crystal ball at the sight of Lividya standing at the corner of the room. The lizard's eyes immediately widen, and he freezes up straight in his seat, noticing her body before her large wings enter his line of sight. His beady eyes ignore the large bookshelf that Lividya stands next to as they focus on her own "voluminous tomes," and the lizard's forked tongue rolls out of his mouth as he notices the generous waist chord extended around the angel's simple uniform.

 

"Wh-wha-?" Wyvern raises a claw to his now-bloody nose as thoughts of the wind caressing Lividya's feathers sail through his almost dragonic mind. "I-errr, I mean uhhh-"