#it's possibly a robe made by the divine dragons with some of his scales weaved into it

[azurescaled-arch]

"I've gifted you a bottle of Dokkalfar wine in the past, but I realized later that you had nothing proper to drink it out of!" Vali quipped as he entered the room, a festive looking bag in hand. He handed it over Izumi with a big smile. Inside was a bottle of wisteria sparkling wine, just as much as a clear lavender purple as the day it was juiced, processed, and bottled, and yet still aged for decades. The wine, however, was just a means to an end, a justification to his second gift. The true gift Vali intended to give, laid deeper inside the bag, wrapped carefully in protective paper. In those little paper parcels, laid two very delicate wine glasses. So delicate, in fact, they looked like they were constructed from magical ice. Little crystalline dragons held up the bowl with their sharp claws and bat-like wings, serpentine necks curled around the stem. "I hope you like them! Blessed Yuletide!" Vali leaned in and gave Izumi a kiss on the cheek, just for good measure.

Honestly...Izumi didn't have any idea how they were supposed to react to this...It was rare for them to receive gifts, usually because they told others not to get them anything. They can't help but to look at how beautiful the wine glasses are, how they've been so carefully made, Vali truly did have an impeccable eye for taste. They smile as they set the glasses on their table, before leaning down to give Vali a firm kiss to the lips, claws gently holding his cheeks.

"Master...No, Valeriu. I truly thank you for this gift, and I shall cherish this gift. Though I suppose I'll only use them whenever we share a bottle of wine, hm? That reminds me, I also got a gift for you, I had to ask someone to go out of their way to get it, but...I figured it would make an interesting gift."

Izumi walked over to their cabinet, pulling out a carefully wrapped bottle. Inside would be a whiskey that he had to get delivered to him via Connor. Honestly, they weren't sure they would get it in time, but then again, they're also not sure how Vali feels about non-Dokkalfar in terms of fae. Nor do they know how Dagda and Connor feel about non-Tuatha de fae. Well, they know how Connor feels.

"It's from the Tuatha De, whiskey's apparently very popular with them. Though I'm not sure how you feel about it. I figured it would be part of my gift to you...The other part is still being finished, I'm afraid."

@magioffire

[tyrantdk]

Would I lie to You ch1

Alright! I decided to share Would I lie to you here, since it’s easier for you guys. Here’s the first chapter! 

Atem, lord of the two lands, Pharaoh of Khemet, the living Horus sat on an altar to the great god-dragon. Around him, the dragon’s priests moved. They chanted, sang, danced, and prayed. This was the only way to protect his people. He had no idea what the great dragon would ask for in return, but he was willing to give whatever they asked, only to save his people. The music crested, stopping abruptly with a crash. The priests silently rose from their genuflections and left the holy of holies.

He breathed softly, closing his crimson eyes. Atem had been told he would not be allowed to look into the god-dragon’s eyes. The temple’s attendants had bathed him in the temple pool earlier in the morning. His hair had been combed, glass beads of red and black woven into his mane of blond and mahogany red. He had been dressed in linen dyed the same colors. It had been to make the dragon more sympathetic to him. Atem stiffened as he felt a presence before him.

“I see my priests have done their best to make you appeal to me.” A male voice spoke. The great dragon’s voice was soft, but demanded his attention, demanded that he hang onto every word. Footsteps began to circle him on the altar. He could feel the dragon’s eyes studying him. “Why have they asked I appear, Per’a’ah?”

“I beg your indulgence, great Dragon. My kingdom is in peril. My people starve, while the nobles fatten themselves. I have fasted as much as I can, and have had as much food as the palace can spare spread among my people. I beg you to help! I have tried everything to appease Set. He refuses to give my people the rain they need to stop this drought! Please, oh merciful Dragon, help Khemet. I will give you whatever you wish!” Tears freely flowed down his splotched face. They were part frustration and part sadness.

Gentle human like fingers wiped them away. “Open your eyes and look upon me.” Atem did as told, gasping at the wide violet eyes gazing at him. The god-dragon in human form drew back. His hair defied gravity, much like the ruler’s own, but instead of mahogany red and gold, his hair was black, bright blond, and flame red. He wore a tunic and shenti as black as his dragon form’s underbelly. Over that was a robe as red as his scales. His human form’s skin was pale, almost white. “My price shall be your hand.”

“My hand?” Atem asked, not exactly sure what Usire meant. Did he mean to cut one of his hands off, or would he be willing to marry a human? Why would one of the divine guardians of Khemet wed a lowly human, even if that human was Horus incarnate?

“Yes. I want you as my spouse, and in return I shall create a storm to end the drought. Our union will be most beneficial for Khemet far beyond your current problems.” The great dragon held his hand out. Atem slid off the altar. He took a deep breath, his hand sliding into the dragon’s. “You have accepted my offer. We shall be wed immediately, then I will go bring the rains.”

“For my people.” The Pharaoh murmured. He was more than willing to sign his life, and the possibility of a loving union away for his people. A tear slid down his face, before the great dragon wiped it away.

“Do not cry, Per’a’ah. I may be a god-dragon, but I vow to treat you as my most prized treasure. I will love no other being. I will place no other being before you. I will spend as much time as I need to woo you.” The dragon pulled him closer. Atem trembled in the god’s arms.

“If we are to be wed, great Dragon, I am Atem. You may use my name.”

“My true name is Yugi. Only you are allowed to use it, Atem. Come, my treasure, let us be wed.” Yugi led them from his holy of holies. Atem shivered still, but not as much as he had when he had first wrapped his arms around him. The members of his clergy gathered around them. “My devoted followers, rejoice! I have found one worthy enough to be my husband! Our Per’a’ah has agreed to bind himself to me.”

Cheers went up from the crowd as they scattered. Personal effects of Yugi’s were loaded into trunks of assorted sizes, shapes, and colors. He snatched a gauzy red cloak as an attendant passed with it. Yugi removed the heavy scarlet one from Atem’s shoulders and replaced it with the sheer one. It was so light! Atem marveled at its lightness, and its deceptive delicateness. It was so soft, feeling almost like the softest furs from the cold north.

“This is one of your wedding gifts from me. It may look light and delicate, but do not be deceived. It was made from shavings of my scales, heated and beaten into thread over time. It will protect you from any weapon. I will search for the other two when my things have been settled in our home. This way, my treasure. My high priest will perform a hand fastening. It is how my mother’s culture wed, as ours do not really have a wedding like yours.” Atem followed quietly after Yugi, stepping quickly to keep up with his excited pace. His fingers wove themselves into the sheer cloth nervously.

“My lord.” The high priest spoke fondly. Yugi smiled at the old human, patting his hand gently. “It is an honor to conduct your hand fastening, Lord Slifer, Per’a’ah.” Atem smiled slightly at the priest. He turned when instructed, his left hand held by Yugi’s right. The old human wrapped their hands intricately with dyed red linen. Magic swelled around them, feeling primal in power. Atem shivered as the magic seemed to weave through their joined hands, seeping into his skin. He couldn’t tell what it was and it frightened him.

What have I done? What have I gotten myself into? He thought as his body trembled. He tried to fight the shaking of his form, for he was the Pharaoh, a god in his own right. Slifer may have been more divine than he, but they were kith and kin somehow. Atem rolled his shoulders back. He had nothing to fear. Yugi or his predecessors had never harmed one of their believers. He kept telling himself he was safe. He would go unharmed in this union.

“Do you give yourself to Per’a’ah of your own free will, Lord Usire?” The High priest’s voice broke his thoughts. Violet eyes caught his and held them as Yugi replied with a confident unwavering ‘yes.’ Atem gasped softly. How could he be so confident with his answer? Had the divine watched over him? No. Certainly Yugi couldn’t have observed him enough to form some kind of attachment. He was one of the three guardians! He had far more important work to do, than to watch over the scrawny prince Atem had once been.

“Per’a’ah, do you give yourself of your own free will to Lord Usire?” The older human’s voice invaded his thoughts again. Atem swallowed the nervousness, and copious amount of saliva down his throat. “I do.” He murmured softly, almost too low for the other human to hear. Yugi did as he smiled happily at Atem. He placed a kiss over their bound hands, before allowing him to do the same. There. It was done. Atem was now forever bound to Yugi; to Usire the sky god.

Atem breathed deeply as he drew the sheer cloak about him. While it seemed light, Yugi had promised it was stronger than any weapon. He had boasted the cloth was woven from shavings of his scales. If that and his other claims were true, only time would tell. A rumble of thunder made the Pharaoh glance up. The serpentine red and black form wove through the clouds. Yugi was breath taking as he twisted through the sky. His true form was enormous, and the god had his back legs settled on the palace roof. He winced as part of the mud-brick crumbled when Usire flexed his claws.

“Perhaps my union with Usire will not be so bad. He is rather beautiful in either form. It is a wild sort of beauty.” He mused, turning his thoughts away from the damage. “Will he be as gentle as he was earlier?” Atem thought aloud, his face flushing softly. He was nervous about what Yugi would expect when he entered his-their room. Would he demand his virtue and the consummation of their marriage? Or would he be content to rest beside Atem until he was ready to give it freely?

He turned away as the rain grew stronger, making his way to his bed. Atem loved this bed. It was the one thing his ancestors hadn’t taken to their tomb. It was a family tradition for the Pharaohs to sleep in this spacious bed; for their children to be conceived and born in it. At least, it was until him. Atem would be the last Pharaoh conceived and born on this bed. Perhaps Usire knew of a way to conceive a child between two males?

He ran his fingers over the cream linen bedding. It was soft under his fingers, reassuring him. Things would turn out right in the end. Atem knew it in his heart. He curled into a ball on the bed, smiling, and allowed the rains his spouse brought to sing him to sleep.

Sometime later, Yugi landed on the balcony as he transformed back into his human form. His eyes were focused only on the form on the bed. Yugi slid his soaked robe from his shoulders, along with his equally wet tunic and shenti. He grinned as he found his husband’s clothing chest. With the heaviness of his rains, his devotees would be unable to deliver his own clothing for a day or so. He plucked a dry shenti from the chest, wrapped it around himself, and climbed onto the bed.

He wormed his way under the cloak, his inner warmth creating a cozy cocoon. Atem uncurled slightly, and cuddled into Yugi’s embrace. He watched him sleep. It was wonderful to finally have someone to love in his arms. He wasn’t alone anymore; would never be alone anymore. His gamble had paid off. Yugi could feel Atem’s heart beat against his own as they synchronized. He hadn’t had the time to tell the other what exactly the role of spouse to one of his kind would mean. He would. Atem had the right to know why he would be glued to him. Why he would growl at any one who comes too close.

Atem was his greatest treasure, his spouse, his mate. Atem shifted in response to the thought, blinking blurry crimson eyes at him. Yugi ran his fingers through the lion like mane of red and blond. He was happy. For the first time in his life he was happy. This human ruler made him happy, and he could hear it. Yugi’s body vibrated with the rumbling purr of his dragon self he never let go of. Atem woke more and watched him in wonder.

He stiffened as he crawled on top of him. Yugi placed his head on one perfectly rounded shoulder. His palm slipped down the top of Atem’s crisp shenti, fingers dancing lovingly over the skin of his hip. He never went any lower, or made any move toward his groin. “It is fine, my treasure. I will never do anything against your will. I merely wish to touch your skin. I have so much I need to tell you. I may be a divine dragon, but I am a dragon all the same. There are things you need to be aware of.

“During our first moon cycle together, I will need to be at your side constantly. Dragons are overprotective of what they know and feel is theirs. I will hiss and be aggressive towards anyone I feel threatened by. You are my spouse, and my mate. A dragon only has one mate, and our mates are allowed no other. As the cycle goes on, my instincts will calm. I will be more able to tell a potential rival from friend and family. My kind are also rather territorial, so no one can enter our room anymore.” Atem slipped an arm shakily around Yugi’s waist. He sighed in bliss above him.

“I understand. I was planning on marrying only once.” Atem replied as he gained a little more confidence in the god-dragon’s presence. “Is there some way to conceive a child? Surely with your powerful magic we could?” Yugi chuckled, placing a kiss on the skin of his shoulder.

“Yes. After we have been together for some time, typically a year, I will be able to merge our energies to create our own hatchling. Our young will be brought into the world from a dragon egg. We will have to hold the egg constantly. When you have our young’s egg, it will need to be wrapped to keep it warm enough.” Atem breathed a sigh of relief. “Atem, later this day, will you give me a tour of our home?”

“Of course. We should rise and dress. I have to assure my people that I am fine, and deliver the news. Would you like to be presented to them as the god-dragon and my royal consort?”

“I would. Must we rise so soon, my treasure? I want to lay with you for a while longer. Being with you like this makes me so happy, Atem. I feared I would be alone forever. Thank you for accepting my hand.” Atem moved his arm, so that his palm slid over the other’s spine.

“Perhaps we could lay here a little longer. I find I am rather comfortable.” Yugi kissed his skin again, before pressing an adoring kiss into his cheek. He smiled so happily at Atem. His breath caught softly in his throat. He shifted Yugi up higher on his body, so that their heads were level. He was quickly coming to love gazing into the other’s eyes. “If I slip into sleep again, would you join me?”

“Certainly. I cannot meet my future subjects while I am still weary from bringing the rains. Rest with me, Atem.” The pair fell back asleep to the sound of the rain as it lightened.

Yugi walked confidently at his husband’s side. His arm was curled around Atem’s, their hands clasped together. They were dressed similarly. Both wore white tunics and shentis, plain beaten gold belts were around their waists. Atem’s royal violet cloak flowed from Yugi’s shoulders, while the sheer red cloak fell from Atem’s. Beaten gold bracers, armlets, and anklets decorated his body as well as the winged crown on his head. Yugi had the same jewelry, save he wore no crown, but a beaded collar of topaz and ruby.

“My treasure, I have had a thought.” Atem turned to his divine spouse. He motioned for the other to continue. “Wherever shall I sit in your courtroom?”

“I do not know, but you would be a welcome addition to my throne. You may sit on an arm, or perhaps you would like to sit on my throne? You seem to have taken control of my clothing, particularly my favorite cloak.”

“I would not say I have taken your clothing, merely borrowing. I am rather fond of your scent. May I sit in your lap instead?” Yugi asked with mischief in his eyes. Atem flushed slightly, and he would have missed it, if not for his supernatural eyesight. He chuckled as they walked. He moved his arm, wrapping it and his other around Atem’s. Yugi laid his head on Atem’s shoulder. He sighed softly in blissful contentment. At least, until the musky scent of a magician reached his nose.

A rather tall man was walking toward them. Atem’s face lit up in happy familiarity. Yugi didn’t like it. This man was familiar to his mate. Why could he make the other smile so? What right did he have to make those beautifully tempting lips lift so? A low hiss, that slowly grew in volume to a growl, filled the hall. Atem flung his arm out quickly, the mage stopping an acceptable distance away. The magician’s aqua eyes darted to the form at his Pharaoh’s side. He tilted his head, glancing into his beloved friend’s eyes questioningly.

“Peace, Mahado. If you would meet us in the courtroom, my friend, all shall be explained there. Please inform the others that they need to be at a proper distance from my throne.” Atem glanced at his divine spouse. He winced as the other’s nails elongated, accidentally cutting into his skin, but not drawing blood. His eyes widened as he saw the long scarlet red tail behind the other. It trailed behind Yugi for a good three or so feet, the end a prong of three appendages. They were feathery looking, unlike the hardened scale look of his full dragon form. The shape was not unlike the leaves of the large palm trees in his garden.

“What?” Yugi asked as he calmed. His eyes followed his husband’s, catching sight of his most embarrassing feature. His tail. He flushed darkly, trying to pull his tail back into his human body. He was still upset, and that made it nearly impossible. “Please, stop looking at it.” He whispered pleadingly. He looked around noticing the tall man had disappeared. The magician must have slipped away as his mate made to calm him.

“Forgive me. I did not mean to offend you, Yugi.” Atem replied as he tore his gaze from the tail. He couldn’t understand why the other wouldn’t want him looking. He was rather fascinated by the appendage, and longed to touch the prongs to see if they were as soft as they looked.

“Oh, no! You did not offend me, Atem. It is just that my tail does not look the same as my true form, and it is rather embarrassing.”

“I like it.” Atem murmured softly. Yugi started as he gazed into his eyes. His flushed face darkened even farther as he tried to hide himself from the other’s sight. Atem chuckled softly, took a deep calming breath, then pressed an uncertain kiss into his hair. Yugi’s rumbling purr began instantly. Atem smiled to himself. He had calmed the great dragon!

“You can hold it when we sit, as an apology for hurting you. If it is you, my treasure, I do not think I would be as embarrassed to have my tail out.”

[planarchaosproject]

Planar Chaos: Ignitions

Broken Mirror

From a young age, Brock knew he was different from the other children living in the Oboro Palace in the floating city of Ottawara. It wasn't just that his skin and hair weren't the milky white of the Soratami. He was different in that he was more prone to reaction. He had what they sometimes disparagingly referred to as a human nature.

Brock was in fact human. He'd been found abandoned as an orphan by a member of the Soratami and they had brought the starving child back to Ottawara high above Kamigawa and away from the strife below. Things were changing in the world below once again. The moonfolk needed to stay in their floating cities and keep themselves safe. That meant keeping Brock safe as well. He'd been living as a member of the Soratami ever since he could remember, but the fact that he was a foundling was never kept from him.

One evening was a cause for celebration. Tamiyo had returned from another of her long journeys and gathered the older children around to hear the stories she'd collected along the way. Brock sat wide-eyed and open-mouthed with his peers, completely in awe of the magical tales unfolding on Tamiyo's many scrolls.

That night she told them a story about a wizard who could fall through time before closing the hole through which he fell, sacrificing his powers in order to save his family and his world.

"The lesson from this story," Tamiyo said before sending the children to bed, "is that even though we may gain great power, putting the world in danger can never be worth what that power might bring us."

The Soratami children went straight to bed, but Brock stayed up for an extra meditation hour, something Tamiyo had suggested in order to help him master his human nature. At fourteen, Brock was having difficulties containing himself and meditation hour didn't make that easier. He didn't want to be sitting still and often fidgeted.

Sometimes, like tonight, he fell asleep with his back against the wall.

In his dream, he ran through the hallways of the Oboro Palace with the Soratami, frantically seeking an intruder who was making off with Meloku's pearl. Brock had heard the story many times. The theft of the pearl was one of the seminal events that began the great Kami War according to their tales. The humans below then foolishly stole a piece of the supreme kami O-Kagachi and trapped it in stone.

Brock rounded a corner and came face to face with Kiki-Jiki. The akki appeared just as Brock had seen in tapestries hanging throughout the palace, tapestries that were mysteriously absent in his dream. The akki smiled slyly, white teeth appearing like a crack in his red, bumpy skin, and conjured a duplicate of Brock holding Meloku's pearl. They were exactly identical down to the stubble on Brock's shaved head, only the illusion Brock's face was twisted into a wicked expression.

Brock felt something flare to life inside of him. It was something that he constantly tried to suppress. His human nature filled him with rage. How dare this intruder try to frame Brock for his crime? In a burst of anger he destroyed the illusion. The explosive spell hurled Kiki-Jiki down the hallway. Brock watched the akki scramble up and bolt in a new direction.

This was a strange power, something the Soratami didn't understand and could not control. Brock let it fill his being, feeling his heart and breath quicken. Electricity and fire seemed to pour through his veins and fill his stomach with a terrifying yet comforting warmth. His hair stood on end, and every muscle seemed to contract. The walls of the palace were incredibly vivid. Had he really never noticed the intricacy of the tapestries before? Where were the screams and the hustle and bustle of people searching for the intruder? Those sounds were there, but Brock seemed to float past them. He was on a completely different level of existence. Perhaps this was the magic of the mirrors that the Soratami used in their divinations.

The last thing Brock heard was the sound of shattering glass.

He awoke on a mountainside. A pair of human monks were crouching over him, one pressing a cold compress to his head.

"You're awake!" the woman said. She turned to the man. "We need to bring him to Ojutai."

"Oju...tai?"

"He's our dragonlord," the man explained. He turned back to the woman. "I'm not sure Taigam would allow it."

"Narset would want us to bring him to Ojutai."

"Who are you more scared of, Taigam or Narset?"

"Is there really a contest there?" He glanced over his shoulder in anticipation of Ojutai's star pupils standing behind him. He was personally more afraid of Taigam. Unlike Narset, Taigam was ruthless and made sure to get his way.

"I see your point. That said, we should still at least tell Ojutai about him."

"Fine." The man turned back to Brock. "Stay here. We'll come back."

The monks leapt away across the craggy mountain. Brock could see a monastery perched on a peak in the distance. Overhead, large creatures with feathered wings and serpentine tails wheeled in the sky, weaving in and out of the clouds. Brock had never seen such beings before. Their long necks were topped with graceful heads and more feathers in long, trailing crests.

The pair of monks returned. Brock was struck by their resemblance to one another. Perhaps they were siblings, possibly twins.

"Come on," the woman said. "We're going to take you back so you can rest in the infirmary."

"Can you tell me what those are?" Brock pointed up at the strange beings flying in the sky.

"Those are the dragons," the man laughed. "They don't talk to us much. Only Master Ojutai spends time with the humanoid students."

"They don't look like any dragons I've ever seen."

"Well, all the dragon broods look different. The Silumgar have snakelike heads and fangs. Dromoka's brood has sand colored scales and thick armor. The Atarka sport antlers and the Kolaghan have four wings and intricate crests," the woman explained. "Ojutai's brood have feathers and breathe ice."

"The dragons where I'm from don't even have wings, but there are five. Yosei, Keiga, Ryusei, Kokusho, and Jugan are their names," Brock said as the twins helped him back to the monastery. They leaped over the rocks carrying him between them with surprising ease.

"That sounds like one of Master Narset's dream worlds," the woman said. "She has visions while she meditates sometimes and likes to share them with people. Mostly they're just thought of as flights of fancy but Master Ojutai takes a particular interest in them."

"When do I get to see Master Ojutai?" Brock asked as they touched down outside the door of the monastery.

"Well," the woman began. The door opened as the man finished for her. "Taigam intercepted us and said that Ojutai doesn't need to see you."

"Taigam is a fool," Narset strode out of the door, robes billowing around her in the mountain breeze. "I need you to come with me." She grabbed Brock's wrist and dragged him away to her meditation chamber, a cavern deep in the catacombs beneath the monastery. From a high up window Taigam watched and waited.

"I know what you are."

Brock found himself speechless.

"You're like me, aren't you? And like Ugin? A planeswalker?"

"A what?"

"You're not from this world. You came from somewhere else. You can travel to other planes."

"What are you saying? There are more? And I'm where?"

"This is Tarkir. Of course there are more. There are more worlds than stars in the sky. Planeswalkers can move between them. Ugin is the soul of this world, a powerful dragon planeswalker. One day I'm going to find him. But first there are some mysteries here I need to unravel. Mysteries that Taigam would rather I not delve into. He means to expose me to Ojutai. Can I count on you, as a fellow planeswalker?"

"I, uh, I guess so. But what does being a planeswalker even mean?"

"You'll come to appreciate this gift we've been given, Brock. It means we can do many things and it also means we have a responsibility to the worlds we live in."

"How do you know my name?"

"I know many things about you. I've seen visions of many worlds and many people while I meditate. Some have happened, others are happening, and others have yet to happen. In your future I see a woman with pointed ears and a love of creatures, and an unpredictable ally who will be your best friend." Narset smiled reassuringly. "Don't worry. We'll make sure you get to see Ojutai. I know he'll want to see you once I tell him you're like me. For now you can stay and study with us until you feel the need to move on."

"They might worry about me, though," Brock protested.

"Who is 'they'?"

"The Soratami. They raised me since I was young, and I'm afraid they might worry if they wake up and I'm missing." Brock started to doubt his words as soon as he'd said them. Would the Soratami really miss him? He was the only human living in the entirety of Ottawara, a fact they had never once let him forget.

"It's up to you. You have the power to move on whenever you see fit," Narset said to the young boy. Her voice took on an almost maternal aspect. Children had never been a part of her plans for life. Dedicating her life to her students could only provide so much, but here was a young planeswalker who had only begun to explore the secrets that the wider worlds had to offer. She hoped he would stay, if only to satisfy her selfish desire for a pupil with whom she could share her discoveries.

Brock looked down at his feet. "I think I'll stay for a while."