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ezra-iolite · 1 year

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One Last Wish- A Pirateformers Story

Chapter 3: Old Wounds

(TRIGGER WARNING: A LOT of deadnaming and misgendering of poor Asya here, some mentions of nudity (but only in a cultural sense rather than anything sexual), and some violence up ahead)

Elbent and Verglaust belong to @tigracespace

Starhawk belongs to @dimorphodon-x

Blue Heron belongs to @hyraxas (also let me know if it's still too hard for you to read, in case your neurospicy brain needs more breaks)

Asya, Conduit, Azaan, and the denizens of the kingdom of Joka Ardhi belong to me~

Docking their boat at the pier, right next to a small flight of barnacle infested wooden steps touching the surface of the water, Starhawk jumped up onto the pier and tied the rope to the nearest post before he helped Elbent and the others off the boat and onto the creaking pier with him. The moment they all got off, the stares they could feel from the passing Jokani fishermen and dockworkers, who all had the same rare dark ebony skin-tone the crew had only known Asya to have, they could immediately be sensed like daggers cutting through them. And yet, it did not phase their captain, as Elbent led the way up the wooden pier and past the rickety market stalls bearing weathered but colourful drapes for rooftops, towards a rising flight of stone steps at the end of the docks, built into a wall surrounding the low pier that hid the city ground level from view. The moment Elbent reached the top, she paused to take in her first sight of the Jokani port city.

“Wow… So this is Wajiri? Everything here is so huge! I’ve never seen so many colours and bright buildings before!” Elbent looked around in awe, as the team joined her side to truly take in the sight of the strange land they were in.

Towering before the six of them, they could only gawk in amazement at the layers of buildings made out of flat roofed, rectangular, yellow and red sandstone that grew taller and bigger the further into the city the gang peered towards. Each street and alleyway they could see was decorated with drapes of vibrant colours that hung as fabric eaves over doors or between narrow alleyways, with glimmering and silky transparent curtains swaying gracefully from open arch-shaped windows and doorless entrances to invite the cool breeze from the scorching heat, and the occasional passing Jokani that wore equally colourful togas and veiling shawls, be they the human natives or the Dragonkin with individually unique horn shapes and vibrantly colourful scales upon their hands, clawed feet and long fluffy tipped tails, some tail tips even bearing dyed colours made of red clay that matched their half red-clay tipped dreadlocks or braids.

Their eyes couldn’t help but follow the rising layers of buildings further upwards, until the crew spotted a massive fortress in the distance, the castle at its heart bearing massive billowing tapestries of crimson with a black dragon spreading its wings before a large, white seven-point star behind it, with smaller versions of it dotting along the fortress curtain walls that wrapped protectively around the city boarder on the far horizon. But it was all easily overshadowed by the towering stone statue before them, of a male Dragonkin looking heroically upwards with a spear in hand, also bearing the same royal symbol on another smaller version of the tapestry that fluttered in the breeze, the symbol of the kingdom’s forefather that stood watching over the city from its very heart… a Dragonkin forefather who appeared eerily similar to Asya.

“Wow… so that’s what Alunnui looked like. Damn… It’s like looking in the mirror and seeing your reflection, Asya. Weird though, isn’t it? That you only look more like him after you took that final transition potion I made, to fully alter you face and physique into a more feminine look,” Elbent leaned back to properly peer up at the overshadowing statue that towered over the entire city like a titan. “But by Primus, look at all these Dragonkin! And they’re all… Opal, right? The Opal species?”

“Opal is right, with Alunnui here being the first Ruby Dragonkin of his entire species, I believe. I wonder if he was actually Sun Blessed, which is why all others of Asya’s family selectively breed their next heirs to bear the same gene?” Kevin pondered.

“Maybe. We’ll never know. But just take it all in now, guys… These are all Asya’s people. And this is her culture… A thing no one else beyond the equator has ever seen in nearly four centuries. Amazing isn’t i-,”

“KOMA!!”

“AH!! What the- Oh… Uh oh… I think we might be in trouble, you guys.”

Marching over to the six of them, a spear wielding human Jokani in a red toga and gold half-plate armour glowered before the crew, his mere presence sending chills down every spine before him. The left side of his form was covered by a short red cape that reached below his knee, going around to his back that had the royal “wyvern on a seven-point star” emblem on it, all pinned to his breast plate strap by a gold and ruby dragon claw brooch, the four pieces of ruby forming the claw hinting at his higher status. Despite his face being hidden by a gold dragon-scale shaped layered helmet, with the visor bearing fang shaped vents leading down into a pointed dragon snout-like chin and a dark red fabric covering the back of his head like a short veil, the gang could still feel his glare through the almond eyes of the visor. With a low growl, he slammed his metal spear onto the stone path with a loud clang, drawing the crowd’s attention towards the tall Moran and the crew.

“Oh crap, I forgot Asya’s first rule… Those of pale skin are a rare sight in Joka Ardhi, and as such they’re considered dangerous upon first glance due to the Primus-ban. Just… stay calm, everyone.” Elbent whispered over her shoulder, as the Moran guard glared at her.

“Hamna haki ya kuingia katika nchi hii, wageni! Kwa nini uko hapa? Hm?! ZUNGUMZA!!” The Moran barked his orders at the baffled and frightened crew, as Elbent stammered anxiously for a possible response to his foreign, or rather native, language.

“Uh… Well, we uh… Um… K-Kevin, help me out here!! You’re the one more fluent in Jokani than the rest of us!,” Elbent hissed. “And where the hell is Asya?!”

“She’s still saying goodbye to the kids, give her a minute. It’ll be ok, Ellie … I got this,” Kevin stepped up as he held his arm out protectively in front of his equally short wife. “Let’s see… AHEM… Tuko hapa kama ra- Oh, no, uh… Oh! M-MA- uh… marafiki.”

“Rafiki, unasema? Hm… Ni nani?” The Moran inquired with a slower tone, standing taller with a tilt of his head.

“Ok, we’re doing good so far,” Kevin whispered to translate for the gang. “He’s just inquiring the usual “Why are you here?” shtick for a guard, so I told him that we’re here for a friend. I… couldn’t remember the word for wife. Heh… Uh, crap what’s the word for royal?”

“WHY DOES THAT MATTER?!” Hawk hissed.

“Ok, ok, I get it! Uh… I’ll try heir. Um… Yule mrithi wako... Uh… aliyepotea? Heh heh.” Kevin nervously shrugged in his struggle to form the right words.

Seeing his cluelessness, the Moran suddenly sighed with a shake of his head as he lowered his gaze into his palm, which slid down along his visor as he groaned.

“Ugh, by the gods… You outsiders are all the same! Seeking our lost prince just for the wealth on his head, over and over again. And despite my warnings over the years, each and every time you still come here. Well, let me once again assure you, as I have these last forty years… He. Is. DEAD!! Now begone with-”

“Waitwaitwait- Hold on!! HOLD ON!! Please!! Just wait, I… Y-you can… speak Common?” Kevin asked in shock.

“Hmph… Most of us in this city can, but only when we need to. This port is our biggest trading hub, after all. Now… I’ll ask again in your tongue, and you’d best not make me repeat myself…,”

The Moran suddenly kicked the bottom of his spear with his heel and spun the heavy metal pole over his arm skilfully, before he gripped it in both hands and pointed the tip downwards… right between Kevin’s eyes.

“Why are you here, outsider? And who are you friends with that makes you think you’re allowed to trespass into this kingdom?”

“Allow me, Kevin…,” Elbent gently pushed the sheepish redhead away from the spear to stand with a determined glare before the Moran, the spear now touching her forehead. “Forgive us, sir, we’re all a little rusty with our Jokani, and I think we got off on the wrong foot due to our lack of knowledge on Jokani law. Allow me to introduce myself, to hopefully clear the tension a little… My name is Elbent O’Murchadha-Mutheru, captain of the Immortal Sun, and we’re here on a mission to-”

“Wait a second… Did you say… M-Mutheru? As in… the late Queen Gasira Mutheru?”

Looking between each other, while Blue and Hawk shared a confused glance between them, Elbent answered the Moran, as he once again spun his spear within his hand before he held it upright at his side.

“Yes… she would be my mother-in-law, were she still alive today. But, I bear her name through her child… Who now goes by Asya instead. We are here on a mission sent to her by… Uh…. What’s the title she goes by, again? Mwonaji Kamaria?”

“The Kifalme Mjuzi? But she… Oh, I see, that sneaky old Seer… But who is this Asya you refer to? Is she this friend of yours who… Oh… Oh by the Evenstar, you couldn’t possibly mean Prince Andres? But he… Is he really still alive?” The Moran suddenly lifted his visor up to reveal his middle aged yet youthful face, bearing red painted stripes over his eyes that were holding back visible tears.

“Her name is Asya now, and… I think she can answer that for herself~” Elbent smirked as she stepped back to look behind her.

Following her gaze, the Moran and the crew looked back towards the ship far off in the distance, just in time to see a bright fireball leaping from the ship and soaring through the air, heading straight for them. Surprisingly, the crowd that had gathered to watch did not panic, but instead murmured in curiosity and awe as the orange flame neared the pier and suddenly swooped upwards to rise into the sky, vanishing into a puff of smoke and embers to reveal Asya as she flipped back down towards the pier and, with another puff of flame slowing her descent, she landed gracefully before the crew and the Moran, her arrival earning them a low murmur of caution and amazement from the crowd that watched. Paying them no mind, Asya approached the gang as she gave each person she passed a warm and thankful smile.

“You lot better not have gotten arrested already, cause I don’t even know if I have the… money… to bail you… By the Evenstar,” Asya froze as her eyes met the Moran’s, her once proud smile immediately falling as she stared in teary eyed shock, until she attempted to speak with a voice that came out warbled as tears immediately began to flow, not just from her but from the Moran as well. “No it… it couldn’t be … A-Azaan? Is that… is that really you?”

“Andy, I… I thought you were dead. I… I saw what those bastards did to those Dunefarers… But I saw your mother’s ship missing, so I could only hope when they… I honestly lost hope when the first decade passed. But here you are, after all these years… And going by Asya now, you said? Ah, I think I can see why… It means “reborn through grief”, right? Heh, fitting… Very fitting for what you went through.” The Moran wheezed out a weak laugh, as he took off his helmet to reveal his half-shaved head of long braids and his short full-faced beard, with grey roots in both the beard and the braids, as he quickly dried his tears before they could ruin his face paint.

Asya laughed through her sobs as she carefully brushed past the crew to pull the shorter middle-aged man into a tight hug, his helmet and spear falling onto the stone path with a clatter as the two softly cried in their embrace. It wasn’t until Brynjolf cleared his throat that the two finally pulled away, with Asya’s arm around the Moran’s shoulders as she turned to face her team.

“Darlings… This is my childhood friend, and… kinda my first boyfriend… Guys, this is Azaan Sayyid. He was there for me during the worst years of my life in the palace, when I was training for my coronation day and Azzie here trained in the palace as a Kifalme Moran or Royal Guard. Or… should I refer to you as Captain Sayyid now?~,” Asya laughed as she gently nuzzled her cheek against the shaven half of his head. “You finally earned your ruby claw, huh?”

“I did, just like I promised I would when we were children… But I hope you can forgive me for not being there when you left. I was in the capital then, but if I had known you were escaping that day, I would have left days before and helped fend off the Lord’s Hand while you escaped. I could, at long last, have become your Shadow, like those before me to the sun chosen heirs… Like I swore I’d become to protect you. But look at you now, my friend! Finally broke through that awkward phase, you late bloomer~ Ay? Heh heh~ You finally got the horns and the fire, huh?”

Asya laughed her tears away as she playfully pulled Azaan into a headlock to ruffle his hair. “And you finally started going grey, you old fart! How old are you now, Senior Captain?”

“Hey!! I’m only looking forty, thanks to the magic you let me absorb from you, over the years! Still well within my position as Captain of the Royal Guard, and candidate to becoming your Shadow, so I’m certainly nowhere near retirement age!” Azaan laughed, managing to shove Asya off.

“HA!! You should be in your sixties and feeling it, you granddad!” Asya chuckled as she suddenly tackled Azaan… only to suddenly yelp when he flipped her over like a tossed coin with surprising agility, hopping onto her back when she landed on her front to sit on her waist to keep her down.

“Damn… I think Asya might have a type~” Hawk whispered to Blue, the two snorting behind their hands to hide their laughter.

“So… Who am I to thank for bringing my old friend back home?” Azaan looked back up to the gang as Asya huffed in defeat under him, her tail wagging in annoyance… or possibly joy.

Elbent chuckled as she stepped forward and offered her hand to him, but the moment he took it, she pulled the Moran off and helped Asya back onto her paws once more, before the siren finally turned to face him and replied,

“Like I said, my name is Elbent. I’m Asya’s wife. And these are a few of my crewmates from the Immortal Sun, that ship you see just before the sea boarder, with some of my crew here being mine and Asya’s husbands, none of which might I add were born on Primus… This is Kevin, Brynjolf, and Verglaust, the husbands, and my son, Conduit. And these two are members of my ship’s crew, Starhawk and Blue Heron.”

“Not part of your polyamory, I presume?” Azaan teased, winking to Starhawk and Blue.

“Uh… N-No, sir. I’m married to someone else, with a son of my own, back on the ship. And Blue Heron here is tied to no one. We just work for Elbent.” Hawk explained, clearing his throat to hide his blush from the smirking Moran.

“I see… Well, on behalf of the Kifalme Morani, I welcome you as guests to our kingdom. Welcome to the Dragonlands, folks. Now, if you’ll follow me… You’ll need to blend in if you’re to truly return home, my Lady Asya~”

Travelling up along the city streets of central Wajiri, with Asya and Azaan taking the lead as they covered up their faces with their hoods, Elbent and Kevin followed close behind them as the others followed right after, with Conduit needing to use his lion-like tail to hold Hawk’s hand as he looked around in complete awe like a child starstruck by a new world, occasionally jumping up to tap the drapes tethered across the alleyways just to see if he could. As they slipped through one alleyway and cobblestone street after another for what felt like an hour, the Moran captain led the crew into what appeared to be a market square, its buildings and stalls all blissfully shaded from the desert sun under a giant archway right under the statue of Alunnui. However, as Azaan started explaining what the others could wear to help them blend in and adapt to Jokani culture, Elbent and Hawk suddenly froze when they spotted the more vibrantly dressed mix of human and Dragonkin noblewomen passing by and giggling at their whispered gossip, hidden by their shawls of silk draped over their heads as veils and along their arms and hands, their every step fluttering their layered dresses of golds and rainbow colours. Elbent suddenly squeaked as she quickly hid her face behind her hands, earning the mocking laughter from the noblewomen.

“Oh Primus, Asya!! Why didn’t you tell me your people wear such… r-revealing outfits?!” Elbent whispered in a hissed tone, running behind her Dragonkin wife to hide.

“That’s uh… Is this normal for your culture?” Hawk muttered as he too hid behind Verglaust to cover his sight as well.

Asya snorted as she giggled at the sight, seeing Conduit and Brynjolf averting their gazes as well, while Verglaust merely watched his family and friends with an arched brow in confusion, alongside an equally unphased Blue Heron, before Asya finally replied,

“Well, darling… What did you expect people to wear when it’s constantly hot? I am sorry for not mentioning it sooner, but… Well, what is there to be ashamed of? We all have the same body as women, so who cares if we show some of it off, right?”

“Fair point, Asya, but I am so glad I have a husband. ‘Cause man, Roddie would freak out if he saw thi- Oooohhh that’s a big one!”

Just as Hawk finally gathered the courage to peek out from behind Verglaust, he immediately squeaked and hid again as a human Jokani merchant passed by, carrying a large box on his shoulder in one beefy arm with ease, as Hawk noticed him only wearing pants and a headscarf loosely wrapped around his shoulders and face. Blushing at the brief sight Hawk managed to peek at, he only noticed Verglaust’s teasing smirk long after the shirtless merchant passed them by, causing Hawk to double-take his glance upwards in shock before he grumbled and shoved him away to hide his blush, as Verglaust and Azaan barked with laughter.

“Oh, you northerners never fail to amaze me~” Azaan chuckled as he ducked his helmeted head to enter the bead-curtained doorway of a shop next to them, the glittering incense smoke of jasmine and lavender wafting outside.

“Pfft, holy crap! Asya? Ellie! Heh heh, look at Kevin~” Blue pointed towards the short redheaded doctor, giggling beneath his hand.

To everyone’s surprise, the Unicronian watched in awe as many more noblewomen passed by, his eyes wide and his smile growing, before he finally turned to Asya and Elbent. “Ok, this is amazing! Ladies… Please tell me you’re wearing those.”

Elbent let out a loud audible gasp as Asya sputtered out a loud bark of laughter, before Elbent responded first while her wife bent over in a giggling fit as Heron, a grumbling and flustered Hawk, and a brightly blushing Conduit and Brynjolf entered the shop.

“KEVIN!!! I… How…. What?! PRIMUS, NO!!! I’d never be able to pull that look off! It’s FAR too revealing!! They… they literally have nothing covering their chests, Kevin!!”

“Oh come now! This culture clearly doesn’t have a strong view on women or how they should present themselves based on their bodies, like they do so conservatively in the north! I think you’d look beautiful with all those layers of colours showing off your physique~”

“Kevin, I swear to… Wait, it’s the colours that you like?”

“Oh yes, I think something mixed in with your usual shade of blue would look radiant on you, my dear… And that corset style to help draw the eye to your figure would just be divine!”

“Huh… I honestly thought you were thinking about their-”

“Oh yeah, that too~ It would be amazing seeing you relax a little with your-”

“NOPE!! NO!! NO THANK YOU!!” Elbent finally rushed into the shop, followed closely by a giggling Kevin and Asya.

Upon entering the shop, Elbent’s flustering was immediately forgotten and replaced with excitement and awe as she saw dozens of rows of wooden boxed shelves lining the walls from floor to ceiling, each box containing rolls of fabric and layers of folded cloth full of bright dazzling colours, each and every piece appearing either glittering, shimmering, soft or vibrant, while the front and left side of the shop presented its merchandise on full-bodied wooden mannequins posing in regal or reserved positions to show off their dresses, both with and without cleavage coverings of chiffon or silk, loose fitting suits for both men and women alike, harem pants and long tops of every type, alongside veiling shawls, headscarves, and many more outfits better suited for travelling through the desert, with one mannequin nearest to the door holding a silver tray up high on its flattened palm to allow the incense to burn and let its ash fall into the tray safely and undisturbed, its sweet, musky and floral aroma calming yet exotic.

“Wow… these are beautiful! I finally understand why you always dress so colourfully now, Asya!” Elbent assured, approaching a mannequin wearing a deep blue jumpsuit with golden vine and floral embroidered outlines along the sweetheart neckline, a corset outline on the belly, and more golden vines going down as straight lines along the sides of the legs.

“Colours are how we express the truest parts of ourselves, no matter our culture, yes?~” Came a croaky and heavily accented voice from behind the door at the back of the tailor shop.

A short and elderly Dragonkin with bright green scales stepped out of the doorway at the back of the shop, flicking her long and chunky black braid over her shoulder to show both sides of her head shaved just under her long, ash coloured horns that curved over her head like a mountain goat’s, as her braid formed a subtle mohawk between them. Her long, navy chiffon dress swayed around her reptilian digitigrade legs, her petite form framed by a light grey, sleeveless shawl vest that exposed her arms entirely to reveal the hint of thin pink scars on the back of her shoulders and biceps, alongside the colourful woven beaded armbands of triangular patterns between the gold metal rings around her biceps. Fixing the fabric measuring tape over her shoulders and the circular silver spectacles on her large nose, the older Dragonkin stepped towards the crew and the guard captain with a smile that flashed her fangs from her underbite that peeked slightly over her upper lip, only when she smiled and spoke.

“It’s oh so rare to have light folk in my shop, so please allow me to properly welcome you all….,” Bowing with a hand on her heart and her head lowered to reveal more of her horns, her green tail swayed with a rhythmic chiming of chunky gold bangles that rattled above the short fluffy tip of black fur at the end of her tail, her every wag echoing with a bell-like chime. “Shikamoo, my honoured guests, to “Mariamu’s Natural Touch”. I am… well… Mariamu, but you are welcome to call me Mari! So, how may I help you, hm? And is there anything I can do for you as well, dear Captain?”

“I’m here to help these folk better fit in with our kind, so if you have anything fit for wasteland travel, please help these fine folk be fitted with whatever they choose from your travel-gear selection. I will pay for all their expenses.” Azaan assured, placing his spear next to the door to let him hold his helmet at his hip.

“Oh? Will you all be journeying to Alunn’nchi? Many who hail from the north often head straight to the capital, so you lot are not the first. But, you did come at just the right time of the season for the safest journey there. The weather and the sun will be in your favour… Just do be mindful of the sandstorms,”

Mari toddled over to the mannequins nearest to her register desk, her every step making the chiming of her tail bangles sound even more melodic as she stopped right in front of the nearest mannequins and gestured to the first four, all of them having loose fitting or haram pants.

“These are the newest of my line, designed mostly for Dunefarers, or simply those who journey often through the crimson sands, so every piece on this side aims to help you be completely covered in the sun, but remain warm in the autumn nights to come. For you, my raven-haired friend… I think these will benefit you the most~”

Mari reached up to a shelf behind the mannequin she was presenting to give Hawk a pile of clothing, which included a dark mustard-yellow pair of baggy linen pants and a white loose-fitting shirt with a low scoop neckline, paired up with a black sash belt embroidered with tiny blue stars.

“Oh… Um… Heh, thank you.” Hawk awkwardly smiled, earning him a smirk from the old Dragonkin.

“Try them on, dear. There are fitting rooms down the hall, through that door.”

With a bashful nod, Hawk hurried away with his picked out attire, just as Mari presented Blue with his own picked out parcel of clothes; light grey haram pants, a sky blue sleeveless blouse with a low v-neckline, paired with a chiffon sea blue shawl with subtle gold feather patterns embroidered all over it, which could be worn as a headscarf or like a belt that could cover the entirety of a hip or thigh.

“Oooh, pretty! I love the feathers! Thank you!” Blue cheerfully gathered his gift and bowed graciously to Mari, before he vanished into the changing rooms with Hawk.

“Now… what shall I do with you three?” Mari turned to Verglaust, Brynjolf and Conduit, who were all somewhat struggling to fit inside the room due to their equally large heights and size.

“Oh uh… I-I’d rather not trouble you, miss,” Conduit stuttered nervously, hiding his arms a little with his crystal-covered gargoyle wings. “I know my size can be rather-”

“Nonsense, child! Clothes do not define a person’s form, they help to express it and the body’s beauty. Though, if I may… you have quite the unique body. Are the crystals… a part of you?” Mari lightly traced a claw over his wings, feeling the crystals that sprouted along the arms up to the thumbs of both wings, her gaze following down his back to the main source of his crystals.

“Y-Yes, miss Mari. I was cursed as a child with this form, and every time I use my powers, these crystals grow all over my body. They are handy though, since I am technically a gargoyle. And for some reason, if I have no crystals on me, I do what gargoyles do and turn to stone at the first light of day. But the moment I have enough covering my back and wings… I am free to move about during the day or night.”

“Your crystals act like moonstones, then. Amazing… I know a chieftain on your way to the capital who would love to document your curse. Perhaps she could cure you of it too, hm?,” Mari suggested, gently patting Conduit on the cheek. “We’d best fit you and your fathers in something formal yet practical, ay? Heh heh, dear Faizah would simply love to meet you~”

Chuckling mischievously, Mari snapped her fingers to form a spark of green fire, which was soon followed by the creaking of wood scraping along the wooden floor that echoed the shop. Bursting out from behind the door, three wooden mannequins floated their way to the middle of the shop as their flat disc bases dragged slightly under them, the veins and knots of their carved wooden frames glowing bright green with magic, which then pulsed with a low hum as they each stood to attention in front of the three gargantuan men.

"Whoa... Is that..."

"Opal fire... Green flames can summon and control flora of any kind. Including wood, it seems~" Asya chuckled from the wall she leaned against, as she answered Elbent's question before it could fully form.

"Now then... You're the biggest, so I shall need your measurements first." Mari pulled her tape off her shoulders as she stood before Verglaust and slid her pinched fingers over it to straighten the fabric tape out, covering it in green flames.

The moment she aligned the tape across Vern's shoulder width, the mannequin in front of him suddenly groaned with the creaking of wood as its glowing veins hummed louder and its torso began to grow bigger and wider. Pulling the tape down to his hip, the mannequin grew taller until its head was at Verglaust's eye level. With each limb she measured, the mannequin altered its appearance to match the required size, with its pole even splitting apart to form legs, until a perfect replica of Verglaust's entire body stood before him, leaving the man gawking in silent awe.

"Wow... When I said I could climb you like a tree, I never thought it could become literal~" Kevin chuckled, earning him a snorted laugh from Asya as Elbent immediately smacked the redhead upside the head.

"Fire is not just a burning force of destruction, my cheeky friend~," Mari winked as she began to measure Conduit beside him. "Fire is unbridled life, magic's most wild physical form that is born within my kind. For a wielder of the Flora Flames such as myself, it can hold the spirit of nature herself, and with it... She can form the physical presence I need to build my visions and projects onto."

"So... Wait, can any other colour of Opal Dragonkin have any fire type, and not just the flames that match their scale colour?" Conduit asked, as the tailor began to measure his arms.

"Oh, but of course! It would be pretty boring if we all had fire the same colour as our scales, now wouldn't it?," Mari chuckled, as the mannequin in front of him shifted and groaned as it grew to his size. "No, the type of fire we are born with is based entirely on the parents, mainly the Dragonkin ones. Luckily, both of mine were just that. My Baba was light brown and had green flames that could summon vines of flowers, but desert roses were his usual type, making him a perfect garden architect and city flora gardener. My Mama was white and could use her yellow flames, or normally her bare fists, to lift entire house sized blocks of sandstone or control the very sand itself. I'd still like to believe that she might have been Sun Blessed, but she never did show any signs of it. But then again... She was the royal architectural builder of Lord Alhaadhi. So who could dare question her strength when she regularly fixed the walls of the royal palace itself, and could move an entire house and the ground beneath it on one shoulder~"

"Oh yeah, I remember her! Zira was her name! By the stars, she was nearly as large as you, my friend!" Azaan chuckled as he patted Brynjolf's arm.

Chuckling at the blush blooming on Brynjolf's face, Mari guided her tape along Conduit's wings, causing the mannequin to suddenly sprout branches on its back that took the form of bony wings without the webbed skin between the fingers, as rings of buttercups bloomed exactly where Mari measured the girth of the very base of Conduit's wings on his back and tiny angular branches formed where the crystals were along the arms. After measuring his digitigrade legs and tail, Mari flicked her tape to extinguish the flames on it and waved her hand towards the wall, commanding the mannequins to stand in a row against it.

"Now then... Tell me what you'd all like to wear~"

As Mari guided the three giants to her desk to begin crafting their tailored outfits with some help of her now more mobile newly formed mannequins, Azaan approached Elbent as she viewed a regular mannequin wearing blue haram pants and a sky blue and gold sleeveless, v-neck long top, with the hem going down into a drape that covered the lap of the pants and ended in an arrow-shaped point.

"So.... Is And- Uh... Is Asya usually this quiet?" Azaan whispered to the siren, as he peered at the orange Dragonkin from the corner of his eye, watching her admire a glimmering red gown.

"Only when she has a lot on her mind." Elbent answered bluntly, feeling the fringes of the drape and the gold floral themed embroidery between her fingers.

"Mm, as I suspected.... She's here to face her father, isn't she?" He inquired in a hushed tone.

"She is, yeah. The Royal Sage you mentioned, Elder Seer Kamaria, I think Asya called her… She asked for her help. She sent her a letter a month ago, telling her only two lines....... "Come home. Our people will follow in your shadow." I can easily tell she's dreading the day. But tell me, honestly, Azaan... What is her father like? Who is he, really, and why does Asya fear him so much? What did he do to her?"

Looking around cautiously, the Moran captain leaned against the wall beside Elbent as he began his tale.

"His name is Jhamal, and he is the middleborn of the three sons of Alhaadhi, Asya's grandfather and the last Dragon Lord of the previous era. Jhamal is.... He's always been jealous of his brothers, from what I can remember growing up in the court alongside Asya. With his oldest brother, Amani, being the heir apparent and a Sun Blessed child of orange scales, while their younger brother, Bomani, grew to become a gifted Healing White Flame wielder and a General of both branches of the Morani, Jhamal felt more like an afterthought than a prince."

"Wait... Asya's older uncle had orange scales? Like hers?" Elbent asked in a hushed tone.

"He did, and you’re welcome to see for yourself. There's a portrait of him on the royal family tree mural in the palace, where every member born of Alunnui’s blood is preserved in imagery and shown who became the heir apparent, and a preserved wall painting is here in Wajiri, near Fort Imamu, of when the three sons were younger and newly crowned princes. But from what I can remember of his coronation portrait….

"Lord Amani was the tallest of the three brothers and had scales the colour of carnelian, and it was said he could bring just as much joy to others as the gem's spiritual property could, and his mastery over his birthright flames was claimed to rival the Burning Prince’s level of power. He was a gifted warrior that could end village rivalries with nothing but his word alone,"

Smiling warmly in nostalgia, Azaan's gaze briefly fell onto Asya, who was admiring Conduit's outfit while teasing Starhawk about how "handsome and shapely" he looked, purely to make him blush.

"He was.... The perfect Dragon Lord. A kind and patient man, or so a great many claimed... But he and his General we're both slaughtered while out on a hunt, leaving only Jhamal as the surviving offspring of the late Lord Alhaadhi to inherit the throne."

"I see.... I think I can understand why he might have targeted Asya, then."

"No, dear Elbent. It wasn't her inherited colour and Sun Blessed power that made Jhamal despise his only heir.... The current Dragon Lord has only ever demanded sons from his late queen, not just as his heir but as his entire brood. A son to carry his bloodline and many more to inherit his views and workload, alongside his belief that... That women should be trained to become docile wives who are seen and never heard or given anything a man should always gain freely. And in light of our dear Queen Gasira's open mind towards the dreams of her child gaining the identity she deserves to have in her own homeland, I.... I rarely saw my old friend coming out of the throne room without bruises. Both on her and her own mother."

"All that.... And Gasira's neglectful death by a mere fever.... All that was just because he didn't want Asya being her true self, despite it clearly not affecting her ability in becoming a good and wise leader? That's absolutely ridiculous!!"

Azaan quickly hushed her before anyone could hear, as he led the siren outside the shop to ensure the murmur of the crowd amongst the market drowned out their voices.

"Elbent, you must remember, this man has since embraced his title of "Jhamal the Tyrant", long before the death of Asya’s mother. He knows we called him that the moment he formed the Lord’s Hand, but it has never bothered him, as he continues his public executions and conquering villages on the islands surrounding this kingdom just to make them remain loyal to the crown. The damn bast- I-I mean our Lord… He has since increased the number of men in his personal guild.

"It's now gotten to the point that neither me nor the entire Morani can truly do our job without being sent away by the Hand, due to their so-called higher status… When in fact I am the highest ranked Moran in all the kingdom, and I made sure it happened to allow me to protect this kingdom in Asya’s place. So now, we must be careful how we speak when we are in public... The Lord's Hand have eyes and ears everywhere."

"So how the hell are we supposed to free the people if we risk hurting them by the Hand's wrath? She already did the “Hair Sacrifice” thingy!!" Elbent hissed angrily.

"We just have to..... Wait, what did you say? Do you mean she… she performed the ‘Dhabihu Demand’? That.... Oh that is perfect!," Azaan suddenly laughed, earning him a few fleeting stares from the passing crowd. "I knew our long nights of studying law together would come in handy! "

"What's going on, you guys? Is everything alright?" Hawk suddenly peeked his head around the door's beaded curtain towards Azaan and Elbent.

"Oh it's more than ok, my friend! Your… Huh. Nice outfit. Uh, sorry- I now know what we must do!," Azaan excitedly rushed back inside the shop, finding everyone now wearing their new clothes. “Asya, your wife just told me what you did, and I know how we can make your plan work!"

"You... do?" Asya's hidden face under her new red, sleeveless hooded cloak turned to her wife and her old friend, fixing the string that held it together into a bow above her orange, silk toga top that hung from one shoulder to only cover her chest, while her tail’s slow swaying caused her chiffon, ash grey haram pants to ruffle slightly, revealing that they only reached to her hocks or ankles on her scaley feline legs.

"I must first see if my theory is correct, for if it is.... We may be able to do exactly what you have planned by performing that rite. Mari, my dear.... May I ask you something?"

"Anything, dearie." The tailor cut the thread of her needle with a claw as she finished the last stitch on Vernglaust's shawl vest, handing it to him before she approached the Moran captain with a kind smile.

"Do you know who this is?" Azaan gestured to Asya, who immediately froze up and wrapped her tail anxiously around her haram pants leg.

"Azzie... Az, what the hell are you doing?!" She hissed under her breath at him, as Mari tilted her head in confusion, a look that was shared with Hawk beside her.

"Trust me, Asya... You're safe here. I know she'll side with us," Azaan whispered, before he spoke up once more. "How would you feel, then... If I told you that the lost prince was here in Wajiri?"

Mari's long ears rose up slightly in surprise as she looked to Azaan and Asya, before she replied with a cautious and serious tone, "Then I'd tell you that he would be a fool to come back here without an army. And he’d be an even bigger one for thinking he would be safe by him… self…,”

Her words slowed slightly as she noticed Asya’s claw tightening its grip on her arm as she crossed them, her tail tip now visibly hitting her leg repeatedly in an attempt to stop the entire limb from moving in a now obvious show of discomfort. Her tone rose into her usual friendlier pitch as she looked back up at Azaan.

“… However, it would certainly be a relief to see him all grown up and doing well, after all these years. I mean, by the stars, I still remember that dreadful night! I was there when the Hand and those brave Dunefarers fought along the pier, as the prince made his escape on that boat his mother arrived in, all those many years ago. I can still remember the awful smell from the bonfire as they burned the bodies, and of the corpse of their leader they left on display. He’s still there, you know? Nothing more than a skeleton now… Ugh, it’s simply barbaric!”

"Mari... Do you remember the prince? Or what he looked like, perhaps?"

"Why, of course I do, captain!! He practically grew up attending every Council meeting, after all! Last I remember, the poor child looked like skin and bone, surely from all the years he was forced to spent in the wastelands for his exile! But despite the cruelty of the sands affecting his health… He looked every bit as radiant as his mother. And he was the only one that could make those icy eyes of his father’s look so kind and warm, clearly something he inherited from the good Lord Amani. May the Celestial Maiden protect his soul.... Oh!! And I remember how his flames made his scales look just like Amani’s too! In the same shade of Sun Blessed... carnelian?,"

Mari looked down at Asya's paws and orange scaled legs, before her astonished gaze rose up to meet Asya's eye level as Azaan suddenly pulled her hood down to reveal her face, much to Asya’s disapproval shown only by her ear twitch and low cat-like growl as she refused to meet Mari’s gaze. The tiny old Dragonkin tailor let out a sudden gasp as she staggered back.

"By the stars, it couldn't be... Lord Alunnui? No, no, he... Oh! Oh my... Prince Andres?"

"It's... Asya now." Sheepishly looking away, Asya's gaze was finally brought back down when Mari took her orange claw into her own green pair and pressed her orange-scaled knuckles against her spectacles in a gentle bow.

"Oh thank the Evenstar you're alive, child! I feared the worst when... Oh it doesn't matter now, you're here! And you... Well, I honestly should have expected such a radiant change from you, when you wore that dress I made for your mother at the Council ball. And I must say... It's good to see another woman of royal blood again,"

Chuckling to herself, Mari stood back up and gently cupped Asya's cheek to wipe her tears with her thumb. "And I... I recognize that cutting style along your hair... The Dhabihu… You've come to free us, haven't you?"

"I have... Do you think our people will-"

"Oh hush! Of course we will, my Lady! You've been gone long enough for your father's tyranny to finally reach our wit's end! My daughter, the new Chieftain of Wajiri, will gladly help you in your endeavour! I told her, time and time again, that the prince-”

“I’m… a-a woman, actually.”

“Oh, my deepest apologies, dear! The princess will return one day, and we had best be prepared for the rising chaos to come, when that... Well, that bloody, good for nothing, heartless brat… is finally dethroned!!"

The room soon lost all tension when everyone started to chuckle at Mari's choice of words, but just as soon as it settled when Mari hugged Asya around the waist, the tension came again in the form of fright when a bell began to toll the hour and echo across the city.

"Oh, is it that hour already?," Mari looked outside to see where the sun was, as the sky began to turn pink and red. "The Hand will begin their rounds soon, so you all had best pick your clothes now and head through that door! I take it you don't have a place to stay for the night?"

Elbent hesitated as she pawed at the mannequin she was looking at earlier, before Mari suddenly chimed in again. "Hm! Thought so. Go on now! Pick something! It's on me, so don't worry about paying for any of it, Azaan. You all deserve something nice to help you blend in.”

“Oh, right, sorry! Thank you, Mari, for trusting us. And for helping us.” Elbent smiled warmly as she began to strip the mannequin.

“I’m doing this for more than just your good natured company, my dear. I was chieftain when Asya here was still without her horns or her tail’s full growth. I knew her mother when she still had her Embolet name, a little toddler so eager to wear the dresses I made for my daughter. No, rather… I’m doing this for Gasira, and not just the queen she was… but for the explorer that arrived here so long ago, eager to learn and truly study our culture, and the woman I called a friend,” Mari smiled with a heavy heart , but quickly shook it off as the final toll echoed outside. "Now, we should really get out of here before the Hand spots us in their rounds!!"

Quickly grabbing their things and heading into the back of the shop, Mari locked the door behind her before she grabbed a lantern nearby, lit the candle within it using a match, and once everyone finally had their new clothes on, she began to lead them through another door at the very end of the changing rooms and onto a street.

"Now, keep your heads down… Asya, your hood up, please. And remember, everyone… Whisper only and follow me. And whatever you do, don't look at any men in black hoods or capes with a red handprint. Those are the Lord’s Hand, and no one survives their capture, should they deem you light folk as a threat.“ Mari instructed, leading them by candlelight down the street and towards the east side of the city.

“Mari… How long has it been like this? Needing to sneak around, fearing the guild… How many have died because of them?” Asya asked in a whispered tone, pulling her cloak tighter around her body and over her horns.

“In the last twenty years since they truly began to run rampant… Thousand, by now. Mostly in the smaller villages amongst the more rural areas of this side of the country.”

"And... How do you get by in such circumstances? How are you even able to be so happy and kind in all this?"

Mari smiled as she gently held Asya's claw behind her. "Because, my dear.... There will always be a source of light to every shadow."

The old Dragonkin winked at Asya from over her shoulder as she turned towards a wider street that opened into a wide hilled area full of cottages and houses amongst sectioned short walls of chunks of sandstone, their shape weathered yet held together by their ornate ways they locked together to form the walls. As they neared the edge of the outskirts and began to enter the grassland outside the city walls, a chilling laugh suddenly pierced through the silence of the dusk to come, as more joined in from a nearby house… followed by a child’s scream for help. The fur on Asya’s and Mari’s tails immediately rose like electricity coursing through their veins, the moment they rushed into an alleyway to hide, just in time to see a group of black cladded cloaked men kicking a young human woman out of the house and onto the sandy road, her stumble from the literal kick sending her rolling over onto her side and caking her in sand and dirt.

As the laughter filled the night air once more, now revealed to be from the black hooded men, the last of the small group emerged from the house, revealing one of them to be holding a Dragonkin child of pink scales by the arm, who wriggled and clawed aimlessly at the arm of her captor.

“MOMMY!!” She cried out towards the fallen human, who struggled to sit up as she coughed and clutched at her side.

The closest hooded figure approached the human, with his back now turned towards Mari and the crew to reveal a large red handprint on his cape, before he picked up the Jokani human by her hair and held her up to grip her throat to silence her scream. As he growled in Jokani to her, Asya whispered to translate his threat for the crew.

“Kulipa sasa, mbwa... au kusema kwaheri kwa binti yako~”

“He… He’s threatening the daughter if the mother there doesn’t pay him. Is this… a loan shark threat? Seriously?! The Lord’s Hand are mere fucking mobsters? This is ridiculous! We have to help them!”

“Don’t, my Lady! If you threaten one of them, you’ll send them all after you,” Mari whispered, gripping Asya’s arm to stop her from running towards the Lord’s Hand. “They flock together like cattle, and if you are caught, they will easily outnumber and overwhelm you and imprison you in the Fortress. If you go there… there is no escape. Man, woman, child… They all go to Imamu, the moment a rule is broken or a deadline reaches its due day. There. Is no. ESCAPE… Trust me, my dear, I tried fighting them from the inside… There is no way to breach their ranks or to sneak into the Fortress and come out of it alive. Your father’s loyalists are too tightly knit for spies… The Fortress is unbreakable for even the strongest of mages. I’m sorry… We cannot help them.”

"I'm sure we can think of something, right Mama?," Conduit looked to his mother with a reassuring smile, which quickly vanished when he saw the seething look in her eyes. "Uh.... Mama?"

“… Nothing is unbreakable, Mari. Not even courage or toxic loyalty can withstand everything. And I refuse to let another suffer because of him!!” Asya snarled, gripping the edge of the wall as she slowly sank down onto all fours, her body now more animalistic in position as she began to prowl towards the woman and the lone Hand assassin.

“Asya! ASYA, GET BACK HERE!!” Verglaust hissed, quickly hiding when one of the Hand from the group holding the child looked over their way.

“Mkuu!! Nyuma yako!” He called out, making the nearest assassin turn, the woman still in his grip, just in time to see Asya suddenly charging with her horns out and rammed into the man’s chest.

The Hand and his captive woman fell onto the road, as Asya flipped and landed on her paws to bear her fangs at him, her tail flicking wildly behind her and making her cloak come off and flutter over onto the stone wall to reveal Asya’s full form. The Hand group leader groaned as he slowly got up, allowing the woman a chance to scramble towards the wall next to Asya’s cloak, before the fallen leader looked up and froze at the sight of Asya.

“Nini… Mtoto wa Jua?,” He tilted his head in confusion, before he staggered back when Asya’s horns began to glow with magic surging and ready within her veins, her aquamarine eyes glimmering as she growled again. “Miungu yangu... Mfalme!!”

“Mfalme? Je, ni kweli mfalme?!” The rest of the Lord’s Hand group began to repeat the same word over and over in question and disbelief, as Mari slinked back even more in fear.

“Oh no… They recognize her. They know she’s the prince. We… What should we do?” Mari turned to Elbent and Azaan worryingly.

“We let her handle it… Until more come. We’ll save them, you have my word. No one will be going to the Fortress tonight, Mari. Not on my watch,” Elbent assured, just as the Hand all crowded together to surround Asya, completely forgetting about the child and the woman as they both ran into each other’s arms and hid behind the wall surrounding the house to watch in fear. “Ok, there’s our chance! Blue, Hawk, help the mother and child and bring them here! Ryoma, Azaan, be on the look out at the end of the road there for more of the guild! Let me know the moment you see reinforcements! Conduit, stay here with me and get ready to protect the woman and her child!”

Nodding to their orders, the group split up as the five members of the Hand began their attack on Asya, charging at her in pairs as some took out their scimitars while others only used their claws or fists. Stepping aside to dodge the first wide swooping attack from a scimitar slicing through the air, Asya used the momentum of her backstep to swing a right hook into the gut of the curved-sword wielding assassin, knocking the wind out of him immediately as he was sent flying above the group and landed a good few feet away on the road, bouncing upon impact before rolling to a stop on his front, his lost scimitar clattering nearby. With a spin on her paw and a loud whip that rang through the air, she swung her tail at another Hand and sent him flying into three more, knocking them down like bowling pins as they tumbled and crashed into the wall near the mother and child, two crashing against it while one broke through it, falling unconscious next to the screaming child within her mother’s arms. Managing to dodge the flying trio, Hawk skidded to a halt beside the mother as Blue grabbed the fallen scimitar and stood protectively in front of them.

“Miss, come with us! We’ll protect you. Follow us over there, where it’s safe!” Hawk called over the battle cry of one of the Hand, who Blue ducked for as Asya sent him flying over their heads with a kick and could only watch as the man skidded across the road and into the grass.

Following to where he pointed towards Elbent and Mari in the alleyway across the road, the mother held her Dragonkin child close and nodded in understanding, before Hawk held her shoulder as he guided her around the wall and with Blue acting as their shield, he led them towards Elbent and Conduit, who used his wings to cover them all.

“Thank you, Hawk. It’s going to be ok, miss. Wewe ni salama. You’re safe with us.” Elbent assured, using what little Jokani she learned from Asya and Kevin to comfort the two, as Brynjolf and Kevin led them away to a safer distance while Conduit stayed beside his adoptive mother to shield her with his body and wings.

Just as Elbent turned around to look back over Conduit's shoulder at Asya, she found two of the five Lord’s Hand bleeding on the ground, their throats and chest sliced open and gushing crimson that drowned them where they lay. The three remaining assassins, now battered and bruised with ripped cloaks, circled Asya as she hissed like a cat at them. Upon seeing Elbent giving her a stern nod, Asya smirked as she rose onto her paws once more, the rings of her horns starting to glow brilliantly like embers above a bonfire.

“If any of you survive… Tell my father that his daughter is coming home. And his people will rise against him before I’m anywhere near the palace doors.” Asya snarled, as her chest up to her throat began to glow bright orange with heat.

Her growl rippled through the air in an increasing and ear ringing volume, as she sucked in more and more air and made the fire within her throat glow brighter the more air she took in. Well prepared with their scimitar and cloaks wrapped around them to protect their bodies from the heat, Asya suddenly swallowed and chuckled as she used her tail to toss a lost scimitar into the air in front of her…

And with a yell and a thrust of her palm forward, orange and red flames shot out from her hand and sent the sword zipping towards two of the remaining Lord’s Hand, the wave of fire pushing the sword forward as it spun rapidly in the air and straight through the neck of one of the remaining Lord's Hand, the flames engulfing them both as they vanished in the cloud of fire while the third managed to jump out of the way but landed roughly in a crumpled heap against the wall of the house. A sudden yell broke through the roar of the flames, as a surviving Hand ran out and tossed his burning cape aside to charge with his scimitar raised, his companion revealing with the cloud now gone to be headless and burned to a crisp on the floor, spurting blood that now covered the entire right side of the charging Hand.

Swinging madly at her, Asya dodged with a low duck to stand behind him, her hand raised once more with glowing orange veins along her entire arm as she blasted a thin stream of yellow fire straight into the Hand’s back. His scream echoed only for a split second, for the moment he turned to swing blindly behind him and face the Dragonkin, his yell was abruptly cut off as Asya gripped his sword wielding arm and bit his throat, his abruptly cut-off scream now becoming a drowning gargle as blood began to pool in his mouth and trickle over his lip.

“ASILI, NO!!!!” The last Hand screamed as he finally clambered up the wall back onto his feet, before he too charged with a yell.

Ripping Asili’s throat out and spitting the flesh out of her mouth, she dropped the dying Hand onto the road as the light faded from his eyes, watching in his final moments as the last member of his group ran towards Asya and managed to punch her in the gut when she went to dodge, but the moment he swung for her arm, she caught the scimitar on the scaled side of her arm, revealing its armour-worthy strength and her hungry glare as she easily but shakily pushed the sword away from her and charged her fire into her throat once more. Screaming with pure terror in his eyes, the last man of the Lord's Hand tried to flee, but he was soon grabbed around the jaw by Asya’s other hand and was forced to look at her square in the aquamarine eyes as red flames flickered within her mouth.

“No, no, please no!! Rehema!! REHEMA!! MERCY!!!” The Hand pleaded, tears trickling down his cheeks that immediately boiled and burned his cheeks from the heat coming off of Asya’s breath as she finally released her flames.

It shot down into his pried open mouth in the form of a bright red glowing stream, cutting off his blood-curdling scream before it could even begin as his body glowed red from the heat inside him, cooking him from the inside out as his already dark skin turned at first dark pink, then black and gravely as it began to burn and turn crisp. His limbs flailed in silent agony before they fell limp and turned crispy black with the rest of him, his clothes soon catching fire and falling apart to reveal nothing but charred, distorted flesh. The moment Asya stopped to catch her breath, a loud wet pop came from the man’s now bubbling and crackling cooked body, and as Asya dropped his charred corpse onto the road, Elbent and the others watched in horror as his eyes popped out to make way for the fiery blaze that emerged from his now hollow sockets, just as Verglaust and Azaan ran back up to report to Elbent.

“Oh my god…” was all Azaan could say, before Hawk turned away from everyone to vomit into a large bush.

Turning to face everyone, panting breathlessly and bleeding from a good few cuts along her arms and on her cheek, Asya scanned over the gang and the rescued woman and child, before she approached them slowly and knelt down to the woman and child in Conduit's protective hold.

“You two ok? Je wewe vizuri?” She asked them softly, wiping the blood of her own kind off her mouth.

The woman slowly nodded, still in a daze as the child hid her face and clung tightly to her mother’s shawl. “Ndiyo... Sisi wote ni sawa. A-Asante, Utukufu wako… Kwa kutuokoa.”

“No need to thank me. They deserved what came to them,” Asya assured with a warm smile as she stood back up, allowing the woman to fully take in her appearance. “Can you stand? Unahitaji msaada?”

“H-Hapana. Nadhani naweza kusimama.” The woman shook her head with reassurance as she slowly stood up while cradling her child close to her chest, with Asya, Azaan and Brynjolf all helping her anyways as they led her back to her house, blocking her view of the dead bodies while Azaan helped carry the child and used his cape to hide her from seeing the bodies they passed by.

“By Alunnui's grace… She truly is a Child of the Sun. Oh gods… How am I going to clean all this up without anyone noticing all this blood?” Mari began to fidget with her tail in both hands nervously as she gazed in gut wrenching horror at all the bodies across the road.

“We’ll sort this out for you, Mari. Sand is, after all, an excellent absorbent material,” Blue assured, making his way onto the road to start picking up and dragging the bodies towards the grassy field, kicking sand onto the blood to hide it. “Hawk, Conduit, can you two lend me a hand?”

“I… Heugh… Ugh…. In just a sec, Blue.” Hawk groaned with his face still in the shrub behind the crew.

“I got it. You just stay with Conduit there and… get some water, buddy. I’ll tell you when the eyeballs are gone.” Kevin assured, as he and Verglaust began to help Blue with the mass disposal, picking up the eyeballs off the road to toss them to the nearby vultures and dogs that had gathered during the fight to feast upon the dead.

“We’d best hurry home, dearies. I know these five will be reported missing soon, and we’d best get away while the scene of the crime is still fresh,” Mari warned, pointing to the top of the hill in the distance. “Travel along the edge of the grass to hide your footprints. I’ll tag behind you and hide our tracks on the road.”

“Leave mess to me,” The woman suddenly announced in broken Common, emerging from her house alongside Asya and Brynjolf as the woman handed Asya her cloak back. “You saved me… saved us… from Fortress fate. Allow me to help. Please, friends.”

“Thank you, ma’am. It would really help if you could cover our tracks here, while we hide our prints the rest of the way,” Elbent assured, spying the meek pink Dragonkin girl hiding at the doorframe in the house as she held Azaan’s hand. “And perhaps it would be best if you found somewhere to hide out for a while. Somewhere safe and far from here. Do you have a friend? Family? Somewhere to go?”

“I do… Sister in Ma’Mwezi Temple. Sacred to women. No men may enter, and big no to Hand’s presence. Mzuzi and I safe there.” The woman assured.

“Good idea. Pack your things as soon as possible and leave before the next hour. I’m sure some of the Morani under Azaan’s command can be your escort.”

“Gladly. I’ll help you pack and escort you to the gates myself, miss. As for the rest of you, I’ll meet you all here tomorrow morning to discuss my idea for how we can begin your uprising, Asya. Stay safe… and if you need help, go to the statue and light the drape. I’ll find you.” Azaan assured, briefly kissing Asya on the cheek before he headed inside with the pink Dragonkin.

Elbent giggled at Asya’s blush and the sudden surge of blood trickling down her cheek from her cut, as the orange Dragonkin approached the crew on the now clean road. “Fire lily? Do you need me to patch your wounds?”

“No, I’m ok. I just… Huh… I thought he’d fear or be repulsed by me after that.” Asya confessed, touching where Azaan’s kiss was.

“How could anyone be repulsed by you, when you literally went feral to protect that woman and her daughter? That’s just you already acting like a true queen you’re destined to be~,” Elbent assured, kissing Asya on the other cheek. “Now come on, let’s go and get you patched up somewhere safe. Ry’, honey? Can you carry Hawk, please? I don’t think he’s ok after witnessing that final strike.”

“No, no! I’m fine! I’m fi-AAH!!,” Hawk blurted out quickly, only to be suddenly lifted by Verglaust over his shoulder. “HEY, COME ON, YOU DUMB GREEN GIANT!! I SAID I’M- Uuuuggghhhh, who am I kidding? I’m tired, anyways.”

“That’s the spirit, bird-brain~,” Asya teased, playfully patting Hawk on the rear as Verglaust past her by to journey up the hill, giggling as she spotted Hawk flipping her off with both “birds” while blowing a raspberry at her. “Pfft, oh grow up!”

“Says the one who touched my ass!” Hawk called back.

“Says the former mighty thunderbird, who threw up at the sight of eyeballs~” Asya stuck her forked tongue out at him with a smirk.

“I… SCREW YOU!!” Hawk flipped her off again, ending their banter with Asya laughing as she and the others followed Mari up the hill to her house, the woman watching with a chuckle as she began to sweep their footprints away with a large palm branch.

~*~

As the night brought its comforting chill across the crimson sands, from deep within the palace in the heart of Oasis, a loyal fleetfooted Lord’s Hand knelt with his head low before the wall of ruby shards. Upon the crystal carved throne attached to it sat its blood hue-cladded sovereign, a crown formed by snarling dragons of gold clutching rubies sat upon his furrowed brow, his glare icy cold from deep within the scorching heat of his mere presence. His black scaled claw tapped impatiently upon the arm of his crystal throne, his other claw fidgeting with the golden lunula of square sunstones and rubies over his half bare chest, before his voice finally broke through the heavy silence with a spine-chilling growl.

“Speak, worm. What news have you brought for me this time?”

“A ship has been sighted on the boarder, near Usiku Island, your Highness,” The assassin reported, his gaze finally meeting the Dragon Lord’s. “It is not of Primus make, nor does it bear any kingdom’s colours, but my spies report that a boat came from it and docked at Wajiri. My Lord, there has also been word spreading since the boat’s arrival that… a-an orange Dragonkin was seen around central Wajiri. A female reincarnation of the Burning Prince, they call her. She is travelling with a large group of light folk and one of foreign equator-based descent. What shall we do with them, my Lord?”

“Orange, you say?,” A pearly fanged grin spread across his scarred face, all three claw scratches forming said scars rising with his smile as he chuckled. “Interesting… So, my worthless runt has finally dared to return home. He will most likely send his sacrifice our way, to demand my dethronement. Whether it’s only his or the people’s, it matters not. I’ll finally be rid of him all the same.”

“Uh… m-my Lord. The orange one is a female, actua-”

“WHATEVERFORM HE TAKES, YOU MINDLESS FOOL…,” The Dragon Lord roared at the top of his voice to silence his servant, the flames within the mouths of the pillar marble dragons flashing red and filling the throne room with red light and sweltering heat, before he sat back into his throne with a sigh that dimmed the lights back to a warm yellow. “… He is still the runt that escaped his overdue punishment.”

“F-Forgive my slip of the tongue, my Lord. Shall I fetch h… the orange one, then?” The loyalist stammered.

“… No. He will come home, one way or another. And when he does arrive at my door with his fruitless demands… I shall be waiting, my claws ready to rip his throat out, to finally put an end to this migraine,” Rising to his black scaled, bejewel golden band-covered paws, the Dragon Lord spoke with a voice that echoed throughout the palace. “Let it be known, by my decree, that no harm shall come to the exiled one or his followers!! For should he perform the Sacrificial Demand and challenge me, only I shall answer it, as the old ways demand of us! Until he comes here to Oasis, no one is to challenge him!! Am I understood?”

“Yes, my Lord.” The faithful follower bowed his head once more.

“Then get out of my sight, worm, and keep a close eye on the runt and his pack. Notify me the moment he nears the outskirts of Koyar.”

With a lazy wave of his hand, the now standing Lord dismissed his followers from the hall, watching those who stood guard by the dragon pillars following him through the door and leaving the Lord alone at last. Gazing up at the mosaic windows high above the wall to his left, at the story of the kingdom’s founding within them, he looked towards the first pane depicting a spear wielding human stabbing a red serpent dragon bound in gold chains, a halo of gold and ruby shards around his head.

“For now… I am curious to see who you brought with you, son. It is so rare that we have visitors, after all~” Jhamal chuckled, as he made his way down the hall and out of the throne room.

Climbing up multiple flights of stairs and up a final spiral staircase of stone, he soon reached the astronomy tower, being greeted upon opening the grand doors bearing the seven-point Evenstar by a strong gust of cold wind. The draping sleeves of his robe fluttered behind him as he stepped towards the railing, peering out towards the north. Touching the large sunstone centrepiece of his lunula, he drew a deep breath as red flames covered his entire body, before the flames became red smoke and it rose with the wind to fly over the capital, past the towering city gates of stone and guardian statue dragons atop of them, and soon gained rapid speed over the wasteland of crimson sand, flying faster and faster under the guise of night as the smoke soon reached the shore and continued onwards over the sea… towards the Immortal Sun.

To be continued…

#long read... SORRY FOR IT BEING SO LONG ;A;#pirateformers au #Joka Ardhi lore

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