The Rising Dragon

[Monkey Monk]

Far to the east the great ball of fire which had a wide variety of
names rose up into the sky. Bright rays of light cascaded upon
the lands, fingers of warmth stretching far over the lands and
waters. Higher and higher this sphere of life began to ascend.
It's blanket slowly crawling over the area and enveloping it. As if
they were finely tuned with the sunrise, birds began to sing
their merry songs as the light touched their homes. A symphony
of animals was soon ringing out into the air cheerily, heralding
the oncoming day. Movement began to form among the area.
Creatures were awaking and beginning their daily lives. Hunting,
foraging, singing, flying, walking, swimming and everything else
was taking place. The world was awaking.

As the tendrils of light fell upon a city, it too began to awake.
Figures of people began to open their windows to welcome in
the sweet spring air. Citizens of this area began to bustle about
the streets. Some went to work, some went to fetch items, and
some went to meet others. The sounds of the street filled the
air, a soft murmur at first that soon grew into a bustling roar.
Merchants called out their goods with outrageously low prices
that would undoubtedly be raised during the bargaining
process. However, despite the deception of these tricky
salesmen, patrons still came to purchase these goods. Some
were necessities for the people of this city. Others were pretty
jewels that gleamed nicely in the light. However the traders
were not the only things in the streets. Purse cutters were
already about and relieving many a citizen of their money.
Wonderful smells of food filled the air and attracted many people.

Once such source of the magnificent scents was a tavern. The
name had been spread far across town ever since the rather
skilled musical performance put on by two siblings. However the
odd rumor spread around about The Rising Dragon. One such
was that the new employee who cleaned up at night was not
human. These stories told that he was some hideous half-breed,
somewhere between lizard and man. You see, the social
standing in this city was rather racist. The people had developed
a near instinctual hatred to anything that was not purely human.
The stories were true, but only to some extent. There was
indeed a creature at the tavern who was not entirely human. He
did only appear at night, but some might argue the hideous
portion. This being was half human, half dragon.

It had been nearly a fortnight since Caliga had come to the inn.
He had fallen into a sort of routine. When the sun set, he would
come from his room with a hat pulled over his head. This hat hid
his face from the patrons so as to avoid scaring them off. When
around customers, his coat was held tightly shut so as to avoid
showing them his scale covered chest. Such wondrous things his
scales were. They were colored a pale blue and were as hard as
any metal forged. Similar scales covered the left side of his face,
but had not spread since the night he had arrived. After
spending the night working in the kitchen and around the
tavern, he would go back upstairs to his room. What he did
there he never spoke of, mostly because he was never asked
about it.

It was at this moment in which the sun was rising into the sky
that Cal went about his usual routine. As soon as his feet were
on the stairs that led upward to the room, he removed his hat
slowly. His pure white hair gleamed in the rays that cascaded
through a pane of glass. The hue of his hair was not from age,
for he was rather young. Beautiful emerald eyes which were
shaped with a startling resemblance to almonds gazed outside
to watch the crowds for a moment. One might mistake his gaze
for one that longed to be among those people. True, he did not
doubt that at one time he enjoyed the company of the many.
However he had no memory of such things and now enjoyed the
companionship of the few.

With a sigh he turned around and strode across the hall. There
was a rather audible creak as he turned the doorknob to the
room he had been to graciously granted for doing the work he
did. He pushed the barrier forward and revealed the chamber.
Within the room was a marvelous saber laid in it's sheath. It
was obviously of a northern make. The blade curved ever so
slightly. A tassel of crimson thread hung from the end of the hilt.
Also within the room were several books that he had bought
with whatever tips he was given. Other odds and ends hung
about the room as did a few pairs of pants which needed to be
cleansed. A yawn escaped his mouth as he stretched his arms
slowly. After shedding his coat, his scale covered chest was
revealed to the area. Spiderweb veins of pale blue spread forth
from the center of his chest cavity. The hard scales overlapped
each other and formed a natural armor. However, Cal did
something out of the ordinary ritual. Instead of closing the door
he flopped down into his chair and opened a book he was
half-way through.

OOC: This rp is privately exclusive to Z, Fely, and myself. If you wish to join you must get consent from all three of us. Posts that break this plea with be ignored.

[Mama Z]

Spring had always had an odd time of showing up. Just when one thinks that the dispair of wnter would go on forever, spring is magically there, singing its earthly song and using its greenthumb to plant the feeling of new hope within people. People seemed happier this time of year, with a carnival, merchants, the oppisite gender. Everything all in all seemed more appealing to ones self, this in a way could be known as the season for yourself. You come out more to stretch your legs, enjoy the sunshine with yourself, put yourself in happier company. But as happiness and life seems so abundent, illness and even death is close behind.

It had been a little more then two weeks since the incident at the now known tavern. Two weeks since the last time the two had found friendship. A week since she had been truly well. She was now so much weaker and each day she was losing more and more strength, even short walks were something of a chore now. Her once peachy skin was now pale no matter how much sunlight she had taken in. Mouse colored hair seemed to lose its once natural shine, as well as the pale green eyes that shone with life, now have the shadow of death and blindness lurking within them. The doctors merely stated that she had gotten a local ailment, that the worse that would happen is that she would become blind and even maybe paralyzed.

Zerlina knew better then that.

This was the sign of her demon spirit sucking the last uses out of this human body. Her energy was leaving her and soon this corpse will perish and she would be once again forced into the womb of a woman only to be born from her and once again relive life.

One hand was tightly clutched against a young mans elbow and thier pace was slow as they neared the tavern they had gotten the name for. Her breath was coming out slightly raspy and deep, but she tried to keep up, not wanting to prove that she was weak.

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IT was one thing to die, but seeing one you cared so deeply about slowly and painfully dying in front of you was heart wrenching. Especially when you see the death over and over again. Sure they would once again find each other. They always met here, in this city, at the same time on the same day. They would wait 8 years after the other has perished to return to meet them and if they didnt show, would continue to wait until they did. Such was the life of the two and such it would always be.

Richard and Zerlina were close, they were each others only true lifeline to the world. Thye held each other down and kept them coming back, kept them both from being alone. And now, he was about to lose his sister once again and feeling the weight of her body bringing his elbow down only wanted to make him break down and die along with her. But he couldnt, rarely did the two die together and he knew now this wouldnt be a dimond in the rough time.

The tall young man made sure to keep his pace slow for her sake, he knew the pain and would not force any more then she had onto her. Blue eyes swept down to peer at her making sure she didnt need to be carried the rest of the way. Looking forward after determinng her alright, he could spot the sign that read 'The Rising Dragon' on it. Lina had requested to come here, wanting to say goodbye before she would have to plead ignorance of the place when she visted it again in 8 years, that is if it was still around.

[Felypsa]

It was a beautiful day, as anyone would tell you. Sunlight sparkled on the Escavan Sea and on the smiling faces of the inhabitants. The wonderful weather brought hope and vitality where there had previously been none. Everything shone with a sheer clarity that bespoke the simplicity and superficiality of most denizens of Escavas. There were no clouds in the open sky, no fog to shroud people’s homes or minds, nothing at all to mar the crystal clear surface of this seemingly simple city.

Penetration below this surface revealed psychological turmoil. There was nothing but shrouds. Emotions were concealed, so murky and misunderstandable to be rejected by the clear surface and shoved below. The people wanted nothing out of the ordinary, and hated everything that jarred their simple lives even the slightest bit. They hid the abnormal, and the abnormal grew to hate their hiders. It was the same as keeping sorrow bottled up inside you too long; eventually it will burst forth and take complete control over your actions.

A simple innkeeper’s daughter should know nothing of this. Misty just wanted to fit in. But that decision was not hers to make, it was never hers. She defied conformity involuntarily when she allowed the half-man, half-dragon to work at her father’s tavern, the now-familiar Rising Dragon. A piece of irony, that. But despite the misleading name, Caliga was not the one to help this inn to rise. A pair of demons, of whose nature Misty was completely ignorant, were the cause.

Misty’s life had been anything but ordinary in the past two weeks. Since the night Zerlina and Richard had performed, The Rising Dragon had been inundated with excited customers. Though first drawn by the music, they now became regulars because of the fine quality of food, liquor, room and board, and everything else the inn boasted. As a result, Misty, who was now in charge of all waitressing and kitchen duty, hadn’t had a moment’s rest to even seek out the two to whom the business of the inn was indebted.

And then there were the dreams. The dreams that kept Misty from a refreshing sleep. They would torment her all night long, but she would wake up without retaining a single memory of them. Consequently, there were bags under her eyes, though she had used some pocket money to buy some face-paint to hide them. But though she put on a cheerful façade, whenever she was alone she sunk into a tired state, beating against the current of life with weary limbs.

She was up early this morning, sweeping the tavern from the late-night revelry. Though Caliga still creeped her out with his eerie blue scales, she was eternally grateful to him and wouldn’t trade him for a chest of diamonds. He was a superb employee, keeping the kitchen tidy and cleaning every dish until it was spotless. Even though his ritual took place at night, which was unusual, he got the work done and Misty could ask for nothing better. He was saving her a lot of trouble with the rising tide of business.

Misty wearily set the broom down for a moment’s rest, allowing her gaze to linger out of the tavern. In that moment she saw two people she had not seen for a fortnight at her door. Upon seeing them, a little of her former, true excitement returned. With a real smile on her face, she hurried to the door and opened it for Lina and Richard.

“Lina! Richard! Oh, it is so wonderful to see you!” she exclaimed with sincerity. But then she saw the paleness in Zerlina’s skin, and the sunkenness of her eyes, and gasped out in concern. “Lina! Are you alright? Please, sit down. Can I get you anything? Wine, brandy? Or some breakfast?” Concern for her friend caused Misty to linger uncertainly, worried by the sickness of her friend.

[Monkey Monk]

In complete and pure silence Caliga read from the leafs of the
book he had in his grasp. Lately the genre of literature he had
been indulging himself within had shrunken down to a single
topic. Dragons. He had an unquenchable thirst for knowledge of
whatever it was he was slowly becoming. The inscribed words of
parchment set between leather covers taught him much. In
some places, the skill of reading was not common. However, like
every other detail of his life up until nearly two seasons ago, he
did not remember where such a skill had been taught to him.
Many of the things he learned from reading were rather
interesting. He learned of dragons of old who had been feared
and revered. Much of what the books could tell him was simple
lore and superstition, but it was better than nothing.

The man would have remained in silence reading from his book
had it not been for Misty's exclamation. It had been a long time
since she had last spoken in that tone. Usually there was a dull
note to her vocals during whatever sparse conversations they
had. Still, despite their lack of a true friendship, Cal remained.
For one reason he had no where else to go. There wasn't
exactly a home or hideout he could run to and escape from the
world. Another cause for him staying was that he was needed
here. He knew that the tavern's healthy surge of patrons relied
partly on him. No customer would eat at a grimy table from a
dirty plate which had food cooked from a disgusting pot. Once
he had tried to learn how to cook the night meals, and with
disastrous reactions. So it was thus that he simply cleaned at
night.

Anyways, as mentioned before, it was Misty's cry that made him
lift his head. He recognized those names, and very clearly at
that. The two siblings had disappeared as quickly as they had
come. A memory of him handing Lina her instrument case after
their 'run in' made him smile slightly. After all, that had been the
night when he had entered a new life. Sure, he was forced to
hide his face and body from the patrons and did so by coming
out at night. However, he had a warm bed, good food, and a
somewhat comfortable environment to be in. Quickly he shut his
book and nearly ran from the room without his coat or hat. He
skidded to a halt at the door and quickly pulled on his bear pelt
coat and pulled the hat low over his face. With light feet he ran
down the stairs and smiled. Indeed it was the brother and
sister. However something was wrong. A frown passed his lips
as he slowly approached. Lina seemed ill, instantly he began to
show worry. For that was another thing that had changed within
him. No longer did he hide his every emotion, although few
passed upon his face still

[Mama Z]

The sudden greeting had caught both of them off guard, Lina especially looked more then surprised. And despite everything laughed as Misty fretted over her ill apperance. Not complaining though, she took a seat in the offered chair and just took a glance up to her brother to give a silent thank you. Politely she shook her head and held up a small hand to silence her worry, 'Just water please.' She assured her smile staying small but strong.

Food was something Linas stomach wasnt wanting lately and every time she took the process to eat it always came out and not in a pleasent way. Yet even through her own sickness, she could feel something amiss within Misty. She too looked tired, like she was coming down with prehaps a flu or something of the sort. Reaching up she pushed back a few strands of hair then looked over as she caught movement out of the corner of her eye. Her smile grew slightly at the sight of Caliga, it was nice to see him out and though his hat and coat were still pulled tightly over his scales, he looked like he was enjoying it here. Other wise he probably would have left anyways.

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A bright smile graced Richards lips as Misty moved forward and eagerly ushered them in and to a seat. The man made sure his sister was seated comfortably, standing over her in an almost protective manner, almost as if he was warding off death itself. He looked around the place, seeing the busyness of the business. It made him happy to see that the effects of the music Lina had forced him to play was still going on. Even if they were long forgotten, it helped get this place on its feet again.

Finally he shifted taking a seat, but it wasnt long before he followed his sister gaze towards the one being that could stand out in any crowd. Caliga. In all reality he was surprised the young halfling was still here. Brows lifted to show this surprise and he chuckled, finally relaxing a bit and leaning back in the seat. The demon was happy to see that both Cal and Misty and both seeming to be getting along just fine in this short life.

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[Felypsa]

Misty was surprised when Zerlina began to laugh, but it relaxed her. She smiled tentatively in return and hurried off to fetch her friend a glass of water. Despite Lina’s sickly appearance, she was still able to laugh, and that comforted Misty. Maybe it wasn’t so bad after all. She certainly hoped so.

By the time she returned, she saw that Caliga had come down from his seclusion, thoughtfully hiding his scales so no one else could see. She still felt ashamed and halfway responsible that he had to do that, but she was also glad he did. Her feelings towards the half-dragon were confusing even now. On the one hand, she wanted to reject him and all he represented in favor of a more normal life, but on the other, she was extremely grateful for his services and felt sorry for his sufferings.

Despite all this, she was glad to see him out and about during the day, when Richard and Lina were here. It was pure chance, Misty remembered, that had brought all of them together. Chance that Caliga had run into Lina, chance that Misty saw Lina’s flute case…had anything of that been slightly different, nothing would have changed. Was it Fate? Misty wondered.

She set the glass of cold water in front of Zerlina, then stood back and smiled wearily, unsure what to do. She glanced from Lina to Richard to Caliga, then back to Lina, and finally spoke to the siblings. “It is so great to see you two again. I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever cross paths again! To what do we” here she motioned to Caliga and herself, “owe this honor?”

[Monkey Monk]

One thing had not changed in Caliga however. He was still the
type to remain silent as others spoke. True, many a time arose
when he desired to 'speak his two cents', but rarely did he do
so. It was not from fear of saying the wrong thing or upsetting
anyone. Frankly the only ones he didn't want to offend with his
words were the three around him. No, the reason he spoke so
sparsely was to avoid drawing attention to himself. Those who
spoke out into a crowd tended to get the attention such words
would deserve. Caliga knew that the least thing he needed
within the walls of this tavern was attention. He was walking a
thin line every day. One slip up could cause his death or worse,
the demise of the tavern's good fortune. The latter of those
effects was the last thing he wanted to happen.

As Lina and her brother took a seat, Cal looked around slowly. It
was still rather early and not many of the usual crowd had
showed up yet. He decided that if more people came, he would
have to move from where he stood. Alas, fate conspires against
those who think upon it. The tinkling of the door bell rang out as
a small group of people entered the inn. When he was given
some rather curious glances which were most likely as to why he
was standing, he moved into action. Slowly he sat down at the
table with the others, giving his head an angle so that his hat
hid his facial features from those at the door. For a moment his
emerald eyes looked over the two with curiosity. A rather rude
thought came to his mind. They had been gone for so long with
no explanation. Why all of sudden had they come back?
However, he did not want to offend them with such words so as
usual he was silent. His thoughts would have gone unnoticed
had it not been for the way his face was contorted in confusion.

[Mama Z]

Richard watched Cal get as comfortable as he could get, but the lad still seemed beyond unnerved. He couldnt tell though, because of the inclanation of his head, if his condition was getting any worse or any better. It seemed that Linas health wasnt the only thing that had been changing. When Misty spoke up, asking her question he just politely smiled, though it did have a sense of sadness to it, and placed a hand over his sisters and gave it a reassuring squeeze, 'Lina just wanted to say...' 'See how you were doing,' Lina had cut him off before he had finished his sentence. This had slightly startled him and he looked at his sister, ocean eyes questioning her silently as she took another sip.

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Lina took the glass of water eagerly. A small 'thank you' left her lips and she took a generious sip. The coolness of the liquid eased the burning situation in her throat and almost in her lungs. As she put it down she felt her brothers hand over hers and as he answered she was quick to finish his sentence and take another drink as not to seem too odd. He had planned to tell the truth, she didnt want them to know the truth. The truth was always something so terrible and ugly, she wasnt exacly lying, merely placing out a decoy as not to worry them further. She was just sick was all, nothing more, nothing less. Soon she would be forgotten by them and they could all move on with the this life and the next.

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[Felypsa]

Misty noticed the new customers entering the tavern and winced, knowing that she could not tarry long with her friends, no matter how much she’d like to. She glanced uneasily at Caliga, not because she didn’t him there, but because she knew he was sensitive to company. Still, he seemed inclined to stay a little for Lina and Richard’s sake, which was enough.

She listened as Richard began to speak, but was cut off by Zerlina. Misty raised an eyebrow at the two of them, feeling as though they were hiding something, but decided not to press them. If there was something, they would tell it when they were ready. Misty instead smiled at Lina and replied, “As you can see, thanks to you our inn has been booming! We’ve had wonderful business, and there seems to be no end to prosperity in sight. With that said, I must offer you some kind of token of gratitude on behalf of the Rising Dragon.” She ducked her head shyly but continued to smile. “It’s the very least we can do.”

She knew exactly what to give them should they accept. Thanks to the profits reaped in by the tavern, she could now fall back on one of her favorite hobbies. She had created something beautiful—and she wanted them to have it. She sat on the edge of her seat, eager for their response. She had to be quick, though, since soon the patrons would want to order breakfast and she’d be back on duty.

[Monkey Monk]

Those emerald eyes narrowed for a moment at Lina's hasty cut
off to her brother's words. He suspected that they were not
telling them everything, not doubting what they had said
though. The thought of someone actually wanting to see him
made him smile. It made him feel as if he had a friend,
something he had not had since loosing his memory. However
the thought made his smile fall from his lips rather quickly.
Friends could be lost which caused excruciating pain. Not to
mention trouble seemed to follow him like a dark cloud. He did
not want something of ill demeanor to fall upon Lina, or Richard,
or Misty, or even the tavern for that matter. For a moment he
felt tempted to rise from the table and disappear forever.
However he knew he could not do that either, nor did he want
to. In leaving he would just hurt his friends.

Alas it seemed he was in a vicious cycle. There was no way to
avoid the pain that was most likely to come. At the very least, he
could be there for his companions. Slowly he ran the pad of his
thumb of the table, feeling the finger-print-like surface of the
wood. When another crowd entered, he tensed up more. Silence
had captivated him once again. He did not want to be seen.
Speaking would most likely draw attention to him. Over the
weeks he had learned to slink to the edge of a crowd, especially
when in The Rising Dragon. However a question pressed on his
mind. It burned white hot, demanding to be voiced. When he
first spoke, his voice was cracked and dry which caused him to
quickly clear his throat. On the second attempt at speech, he
kept his voice a low whisper. "Where have you two been? Why
did you leave so hastily?"

[Mama Z]

Lina watched their little friend and gave a wide smile. 'Only if you wish to, but only if you want to.' She shifted, both hands genlty cupping the glass as if it was her last life line.

A small shrug left Richards shoulders and he gave just a small laugh. 'Not here that's for sure.' He took a glance around, watching as more people filled the area, then back to Cal, 'We left in a hurry because I didnt want to deal with a moron like that. Last time I got in fight like that I amost..' -did- he thought, 'died.' He shrugged glancing at Misty and Lina as they talked to each other. 'But do tell friend,' He stated shifting so he was more looking frontal, 'How are you?' What he meant was, how is the scale situation and everything else.

[Felypsa]

Misty grinned openly at Zerlina as she accepted, then scurried upstairs, calling back gaily “Be right back!” She burst into her room and picked up the item, then hurried back downstairs in order to hear Richard say, “…almost died.” She threw a suspicious glance at him, for he seemed very nonchalant about it, but decided against comment. She stood with the gift behind her back, ignoring all the patrons who were crowding into the inn (there were other waitresses too!), beaming at the pair.

“This is thanks to you,” she said, and with that moment revealed it. There were actually two of them. Two long cloaks, warm enough to withstand winter’s cold, one indigo, one maroon. The back of the indigo one was decorated with swirling patterns of varying shades of blue, and the back of the maroon one was likewise ornamented in fantastic designs of varying shades of red. They looked as though they had taken months to create anew, but they had only taken Misty a week.

She smiled sheepishly as she held them out for Richard and Lina. “I know they’re usually worn in winter, and it’s spring now, but you never know when you might need them. I loved making these,” she went on, clearly excited about them. “It just felt so good to weave…” She cut herself off, grinning. “Listen to me prattle on. I hope you like them.”

[Monkey Monk]

Caliga understood the question posed by Richard. As he parted
his lips to answer the question, Misty returned with the gifts for
the two. Slowly his lips pressed together in a smile as he looked
at the twin cloaks. He was curious to see if the two siblings
would enjoy the articles. They were quite marvelous pieces of
work in his eyes, easily one of the best works he had seen Misty
produce. However that wasn't saying much seeing as how he
had not been around long enough to see much of her stitch
work.

Once he was sure that Richard and Lina had finished expressing
their full appreciation, he spoke up to answer the previous
question. He spoke lowly and quickly, not wanting to be
overheard. "My little skin disorder seems to have slowed down
lately. The last time I had a change was the night we all
met."

[Mama Z]

Lina watched as Misty disappeared up the stairs. What ever it was, the younger girl was certainly excited about it. Green eyes watched with excitment, curious to know what it was that Misty was hiding. Then as if it was a pot of gold and a 'ta-da' later, the waitress produced two beautiful cloaks. Linas eyes were wide as she looked over the two cloaks. The brightest smile she could muster came over her features and dispite her weak legs she stood up, damn illness and moved over. She wrapped her arms around Misty's shoulders. 'They're beautiful!' She exclaimed, 'Thank you so much!' She pulled back, taking the blue one from her and then handing Richard the red one. 'Oh thank you Misty.' She stated then had to sit down, still looking over the gift.

'I would like to play again here sometime, maybe bring some more people in for you.'

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Richard was listening when Cal had stopped looking at Misty. Blue eyes followed the same line and watched Misty hide their gift then proudly produce them. His eyes grew slightly as well as he looked over the colorful cloaks. Beautiful. After Lina had taken one and handed him the other, he moved over and hugged the young waitress as well. 'Thank you Misty,' Maybe with the help of this he too wouldnt perish this winter. Once again sitting down he placed the new piecce of clothing in front of him, one hand resting on top of it as a security object. He looked back at Cal as he finished the statement. He nodded, understanding slightly, 'Have you tried looking for someone who might know soemthing about it? I could help if you life.' He offered wanting to help the young man as much as he could, much like him and his sister helped the tavern.

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[Felypsa]

Misty could not help but beam with happiness and pleasure as her two friends accepted the gifts so gratefully. She hugged back Zerlina with enthusiasm, but more shyly accepted the embrace from her brother, flushing a little but still grinning happily. “I am so glad you like them,” she said with great sincerity. Then she addressed Lina’s remark. “Oh, Lina, you know you’re welcome to perform her anytime. Anytime at all. We’d be honored anytime you grace us with your presence and your music. Both of you.” She smiled at both Lina and Richard.

Despite herself, Misty was curious above the conversation between Richard and Caliga. It seemed that Richard was offering Caliga to help him with his “little skin disorder,” as Caliga referred to it. “Who would know anything about that?” she blurted, then looked properly horrified as she realized how rude she sounded. Ashamed, she lowered her gaze and muttered, “Sorry for interrupting. Do carry on.” Inside, though, she was still skeptical. She had never in her life seen anything (anybody, she mentally corrected herself) like Caliga, and she doubted if anyone else in or around Escavas had either. But she did not want to bring that doubt to light. What did she know about such things, anyway?