The Rising Dragon

[Monkey Monk]

The man in the fur coat tensed when he heard Misty's outburst.
Even though he was used to such remarks, they always seemed
to sting his face like a slap to the cheek. His flesh began to flush
slightly as the words sank in. For some time he did not respond
to Richard's question, simply remaining silent as the girl's words
continued to press deeper into his mind. Even though she did
occasionally slip up and show her distaste to him, he always
seemed to foolishly forget about it until the next time. Each
occasion always left him unsettled, but he had gotten rather
good at recomposing himself. The folds of his coat shifted fluidly
as he moved in his seat, trying to act as if he had not heard
Misty's words. However he never took any acting lessons.

Finally he had regained his normal stasis. To try and ease the
undoubtful unrest of his friends, he sank into his seat in a
relaxed pose. Lightly he brought a pale hand to tap the brim of
his hat, bringing it down more to hide his fact better. At last his
vocal cords went to work, his voice rumbling up in his chest. The
notes erupted past his lips in a calm temperament as he
answered. "I have not searched for aid for two reasons. The
simpler one is that my daily life is sleeping and reading during
the day and working during the night, and even if I had free time
I would not be able to find one willing to aid me. The second
reason is something I have come to realize. My...disorder is a
curse. A curse no doubt set on me for malicious deeds I
performed before loosing my memory. I do not want to be a
coward and skirk my punishment. Besides, if I change myself to
be normal I will be just that: normal. I will be an ordinary face in
a crowd. I don't even know the full extent of this..disorder. Who
knows. Maybe I can do some good? I will say I would dearly like
to end the oppresion of people who are in...similar
circumstances that I am in."

[Mama Z]

RIchard had merely glanced at Misty at her comment. He himself tried not to flench at the way it came out, but he understood that she was young and that it was part of her personality. THough he was sure she would learn to hold her tongue in time, things like that always took time. But blue eyes flickered back to Cal, watching him shift and think. He wasnt sure if he would press on, so Richard was going to have to. Lips parted just barely then the halfing in front of him spoke up, stating his reasons and so on.

He would admit it only if asked, but the "human" was impressed by Cals logic and reasoning. After all, curing transformations wasn't always a common day (or night) job for that matter. And Richard himself never thought of the idea of a curse. Fingertips lightly played on his gift, as if the weave itself might have the answers hidden beneath strand. He laughed though as Cal finished speaking and leaned back, fingers still tracing designs on the cloak. 'You Sir are a smart, kind hearted indiviual.' Truth be told, Richard only helped those in need every so often and if it was obvious they needed it. Too many times had he seen the harshness of humans (Being killed at least more then twice because of petty issues) sometimes the people who got cursed or killed, deserved it.

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Lina too looked up from her glass rim to peer at Misty. But it didnt take her long to reclose her eyes and take a long drink. The gift she had recieved was now on her back, covering her shoulders. She didnt care what anyone said, it was cold! She set the glass down, alittle of the water remaining. Licking her lips she looked at the two, going from Cal to Richard in turn as they spoke. Head tilted slightly as he mentioned the curse idea. Well she guessed it was plausable, though it had been eras since she heard of that kind of curse (and have it actually work must mean it was like a warlock or something).

'Well if you arent interested in getting rid of the curse,' She stated shifted and sitting up right, 'Arent you at least curious to know who did it and why they did?'

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[Felypsa]

Misty was ashamed, deeply ashamed, of herself and her stupid outburst. She wanted to sink into the ground as a long pause stretched before Caliga replied to Richard, during which both Richard and Zerlina gave Misty weird looks. I can be such an idiot, she thought, putting her hands to her face to hide her burning cheeks. Even though no one said anything, she was quite sure she had committed an embarrassing and rude social gaffe.

She wanted to make it up to Caliga, to reassure him that she didn’t really mean what she said. But she couldn’t find the words, and her tongue felt glued to the top of her mouth as she listened to Cal’s answer of altruism. He’s so noble and selfless, she thought. The realization increased her respect for him and her own shame at her previous actions. I’ve been so horrible to him, even though he doesn’t deserve it. And he takes it all in stride, so quietly. But I can’t help it sometimes. Yet the bias that had been imprinted in her since childhood was slowly diminishing—at least towards this particular individual. She was a far cry from equal treatment to all nonhumans…but she was getting there.

She felt like she could not contribute anymore to their conversation, so she fell back on something she knew how to do: waitressing. Seeing Lina’s water was getting low, Misty hurried to the kitchen to fetch a pitcher more. While she was there, she brought along a cloth. Returning to her three friends’ table, she refilled Lina’s glass and began to clean up nearby tables for other patrons to take a seat at. She did not stray far from her table, however, so she could still hear the conversation that was being carried on between the three companions. When they were done, Misty resolved, she would make a proper apology to Cal. He just didn’t deserve her prejudice. She took a deep breath. Accepting even a single nonhuman and being willing to treat them as well as a human was hard for the brainwashed girl. But the intense guilt and the noble qualities of Cal’s character were strong incentives. She continued to clear the tables and hover about, for once completely silent.

[Monkey Monk]

Caliga's emerald gaze darted over to Misty when she left. He
watched with mild interest as she went about her duties. A
thought bubbled into his mind and refreshed his memory. He did
not have long before it would be imperative for him to make a
disappearance. When Lina began to speak, he let his line of
sight drift back to her. The question she posed was not one he
had thought about before. Slowly he brought his hand to his
face. In silence he pondered the question she had posed. His
mind worked efficiently, quickly at surveying every aspect of the
point. For some time he simply stood there. One might even
assume that he was still long enough for a painter to creature a
portrait of him in that position.

At last he stirred. Slowly he brought his hand down from his face
and rested it upon the table. He had come to a conclusion of
whether or not he would desire to search for such information.
Now all there was to do was form his thoughts into words. It did
not take long however, and soon his voice rang out into the air.
The words were slower as he made sure not to miss anything
he had thought of. "I am not quite too sure if I would desire to
know why the one who cursed me, if they did, did so. For one, if
it was something horrible I doubt I would be able to live with my
self. Not to mention you all would probably be more distanced
from me than you are. Also, if the one who did the cursing
wanted me to know why they did it, they wouldn't have wiped
my memory or would have kept me near them. Not to mention
that if my loss of memory and being away from the curser was
by an escape on my part, than they would most likely kill me.
Still...it is something I would like to know somewhat.."

[Mama Z]

He only glanced over at Misty, thinking that she was leaving them, but was happy to see that she was still lingering near by. She did have a job to do after all. He shifted, both arms criss crossing and hands gripping the shirt covered elbows. He leaned forward, hearing the human back popping lightly. Richard listened as once again Cal gave his reasons. BUt of course, the human part came out, he was still curious. Shoulders rose and fell into the mildest of shrugs, 'Well I only wish you more luck.' He stated not quite understanding why anyone would want to be cursed, especially if they didnt remember anything from their past. there was always the small chance that Cal could have been a murderer or theif, but there was also the chance that he could have been a bystandard that was caught in something twisted.

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[Felypsa]

Misty caught only snatches of the conversation between Caliga and the siblings, but what she heard made her realize something. Caliga couldn’t remember anything. She wondered why it had taken her so long to actually figure that out, but in truth she had almost never spoken to Cal about themselves. In the two weeks, they have only talked of insignificant things. They had never delved into one another’s pasts. Cal was probably too polite to, but Misty knew she had been too afraid to. Now, though, she felt even more ashamed of herself. Imagine waking up and finding yourself becoming a dragon, but not knowing how it happened! She wouldn’t be able to stand it. Once again, her wary admiration for Caliga increased.

As she bustled to and fro, a man at the bar signaled to her. She hurried over, a little cross. Where was her father? He usually took the bar. He was probably sleep in this morning, Misty thought, the lazy git. In any case, there were only two or three people at the bar, since it was morning. Misty, however, did not recognize the man who had waved her over. To her surprise, he ordered four glasses of champagne, which she promptly poured for him. She went off again, swerving by her three companions’ table to sit down again and take part in the conversation once more. But she was not gone long before the man at the bar called her over again, and with an irritated sigh she went to him.

To her confusion, he handed her three of the glasses of champagne. Then he spoke, his voice clear and eloquent: “Please take these to your friends, the dishwasher and the musicians. Tell them they are gifts from a few patrons who are appreciative of their services to this inn.” He nodded and smiled slowly, then turned back to the bar.

Misty was a little perplexed, but she figured he must be a regular that she had missed. How else would he have known about Caliga, and about the siblings’ music that night? She took the glasses and carried them over to her comrades, setting them on the table. “A regular wishes to thank you for your services to this inn,” she explained to them. “He sends you these this champagne.” She looked over to indicate which man it was, but to her bemusement the man was nowhere to be found. She blinked, but he seemed to have vanished into thin air. Frowning a little, she remarked offhandedly, “Although…he appears to have left.”

She could not have known, of course, that the man had added a serum hidden in the champagne that could render the three nonhumans unconscious. She sat down and smiled, gesturing to the three glasses. “I suppose you should drink up, then.”

[Monkey Monk]

With a small smile of gratitude, Caliga took the glass of
champagne. He was too deep in his own thoughts to even
ponder the idea of the drinks having a chemical in them. Slowly
he sipped on the drink for a moment, thinking of what to say. He
felt an itch on his jaw bone and absent-mindedly scratched it.
However when he pulled his fingers away, skin came with them.
Cursing beneath his breath he quickly hid his fingers and looked
to Misty. "Can I have a glass of water and a rag?" He wasn't too
surprised at having his skin begin to peel again. After all, he had
gone for so long without it happening. For several days he had
been expecting for more of those accursed scales to show
themselves.

As he waited for Misty to get the items he needed, he felt the
need to finish his drink. Perhaps the light alcohol could help him
to calm down. Once he sat the empty glass on the table, he
looked at Richard and Lina for a moment. He was glad they were
back and hoped they would stay for a moment. Slowly he closed
his eyes and sighed. Why was he so tired? True, he was usually
in bed around this time, but he had been sleeping well for the
past week. Perhaps he should rest his eyes for a moment.
Slowly he laid his arms on the table before allowing his head to
rest on them. The others surely wouldn't mind if he took a quick
nap. After all, he just needed to rest his eyes for a moment.
However, soon Caliga was fast asleep. Knocked out cold.

[Mama Z]

Richard looked at the sparkling water, then at the barstool. Well, what a rather nice chap. He took the one glass offered and smiled. 'Well, if you see him, tell him all the thanks in the world.' He raised the glass as if in a small cheer to whoever it was and drank. It had seemed like ages since he had champign and he savored every sip. He stopped half way through though as Lina started coughing and quickly exited the building. 'Lina!' He called and stood up, but quickly sat back down as he felt a massive head rush.

With no other resolve he sat back down, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. His body felt as weak as a kittens and he looked up, feeling more then slightly tired. The alcohol, he decided, not because he knew it was laced with something, but because he rarely drank and it just must have affected him on an empty stomach.

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Lina was half out of the conversation and lightly staring at the floor. One hand was reaching over, gently grabbing her stomach. She looked up as Misty sat down the glasses filled with the bubbly water. She glanced at the empty barstool and was some what sadden to see whom ever bought this for them was gone. She looked back at the glasses and was ready to reach for it, but her lungs decided other wise. Hand reached up to cover her mouth as she began to cough. Slowly her face began to turn a deep red as the harsh coughs presisted.

Without waiting for much time to just sit there she stood up, quickly heading for the outdoors where prehaps the freshair could help clear her lungs (and so as not to disrupt the poor people while they ate). Once outside she leaned against the wall, it had felt if the wind had been knocked out of her. Finally the coughing had stopped. She took in a deep breath and leaned her head back, trying to regain her breath back. She uncleanched the hand that had covered ehr mouth, then reclenched, yet something was wet. Looking down at her palm she frowned as she saw the red splatter that decorated it. Her illness was getting much worse.

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[Felypsa]

No sooner had Misty sat down than she observed Caliga’s skin condition was beginning to act up again. She nodded silently when he asked for the usual water and rag, and went to the kitchen to get it. As a result, she missed most of the excitement. When she came back, she clapped the rag over her mouth to prevent a small scream from escaping. Cal was knocked out cold on his chair, Richard looked weak, and Zerlina was nowhere to be found. Panicking a little, Misty splashed the glass of cold water on Caliga, in hopes that it would wake him up, then used the rag to fan Richard. A quick glance told her that Caliga had drunk all his champagne, Richard half, and Lina none at all. At the same moment, Misty caught sight of Lina standing outside, and breathed a sigh of relief—at least one of them was okay.

She perceived the danger, and took the remaining two glasses partially filled with champagne, then dashed to the kitchen again. She dumped the alcohol in and washed it away thoroughly. Working quickly, she soaked the rag in cold water and rushed back to Richard, placing the wet cloth on his face. “Oh, please tell me you’re okay,” she whimpered, looking at Cal. His face was soaked in the water that she had thrown on him. She had no idea what else to do.

Her frantic actions had drawn attention from the customers in the tavern. They were looking over curiously. Their attention was the last thing Misty wanted. She stood there, wondering what to do, wringing her hands nervously, ignoring the interested patrons. Her father was still nowhere to be found, and Misty remembered belatedly that he had gone to market that morning. So there was no help there. Her fellow waitress had come by to see what the trouble was, but Misty waved her away, saying, “Just wait on the rest of the customers. I’ll handle this.” She sounded far more confident than she felt.

Finally, she decided to retrieve Lina, who might know what to do. “Hang on,” she said to Richard, glancing at Cal worriedly. “I’ll be back, and we’ll…we’ll figure out what to do. Just hang on!” she pleaded. With another anxious glance at Cal, she went outside to where Lina was standing. “Lina, you’ve got to come—” she cried, but stopped herself when she saw the blood on the other girl’s hand. Misty put her head in her hands. “Oh no, you’re not well either!” she said, frantically running inside again and getting another wet cloth. She brought it back, handing it to Lina. “What should I do?” she cried. “Is there anything I can do? You’re coughing up blood, Richard’s fainting, and Caliga’s knocked out cold…” In her mind, she cursed the man who had sent the champagne. What kind of horrible monster would do this? She was worried most about Caliga, who was lying in his chair unconsciously. He was the most conspicuous, the most vulnerable.

[Monkey Monk]

The glass of water that Misty so hastily did cast forth did no good
however. Caliga was out cold, unconscious until whatever drug
had been in the drink wore off. Inside his mind, he was
traversing the lands of some perverse nightmare, full of swirling
colors and horrible scenes. Each one showed him killing
someone with his sword. Each one became clearer than the last,
allowing him to actually see the blood spurting through the air
and streams. The last image was easily the most frightening. It
started off with him walking through a tunnel, his knees bent in
an obvious stealth position. Quite suddenly a ball of fire soared
past his face, cutting into his left cheek. He dashed to the side
and attacked a huge shadow. However as he leaped forth, a
spaded tail pierced through his chest and suspended him in the
air for a moment before the vision faded to another.

In the normal world, the fates were indeed playing cruel games.
Some how his irregular breathing caused a most horrific of
events to occur. The hat that had his his face fell to the ground.
Balancing on it's rim for a moment, it rolled across the room and
disappeared beneath a table. He laid there on the surface of
their own booth's table. His chest was exposed to the ceiling.
The scales that covered that side of his face glistened with a
faint layer of crimson blood. It would be nearly impossible for
people to miss his abnormality given their already attentive
states of mind. Still Caliga remained on the table unconscious,
unaware of the peril and mortal danger that his life had been
put under.

[Mama Z]

Richard felt the dampness on his face, and Mistys words even seemed to be nothing but dull hums. He tried to keep his eyes open, to keep from falling asleep, yet the urge was too demanding and soon his head joined Cals on the table.

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Lina jumped and quickly tried to hide her hand from the Mistys eyes, she didnt want her to know. Not yet, not for a while longer at least. Her efforts were fruitless however as the young waitress disappeared then reappeared with a wet rag. With a small sigh, Zerlina took the rag and started to wipe both hand and the corner of her mouth, knowing soon she would have to tell them all the truth. Yet what Misty said was what made her stop her small washings and look up at her, her own green eyes slightly wide. 'Richards fainted?' She asked, the concern of her brother reaching high above anything else.

Quickly she turned to re-enter the tavern, her energy only coming back because the aderenaline was coursing through her viens. It didnt long before she spotted the two boys and headed over, she knelt down besides her brother gently shaking him. 'Richard?' She called softly, hoping this was only a trick.

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[Felypsa]

Misty frantically wrung her hands again, and followed Lina back into the tavern. What she saw made her utter a little squeak despite herself. Not only had Richard fainted completely, but Caliga had somehow fallen into an uncomfortable-looking position, his chest exposed, his neck-scales revealed. It was the first time Misty had seen so much of Cal’s draconic skin, and she hid her eyes behind her hands, stunned by its abnormality.

She was not alone, either. The patrons who had been watching this small commotion let loose a collective gasp as they saw Caliga’s scales. All the secretive, stealthy work he’d been doing for the past two weeks was all for naught. Women screamed. Men leaped up and shouted. A few of them charged at the unconscious Caliga, blind in their terror and in their desire to exterminate what they didn’t recognize as ordinary. It seemed poor Cal would get attacked in this extremely vulnerable state.

Misty opened her eyes in time to see this onrush of hateful customers. She didn’t have time to think or feel. She just reacted. “Stop!” she cried, extending her hands outward, palms facing her patrons, as if she really intended to stop them in their tracks. What happened next was inexplicable.

Out of nowhere, an burst of fog exploded in front of the rushing customers. The smoky substance coiled up and over, flattening and stretching itself out, until it reached from floor to ceiling, and surrounded Caliga’s table in a circle. Misty’s hands moved in intricate patterns as if of their own will. The wall of fog solidified, becoming a strong, sturdy barrier between the shocked patrons and the collapsed body of Caliga. There was now a grey cylindrical wall standing right in the middle of the inn. Inside it was the table with the fainted Caliga and Richard; outside it was the rest of the tavern and all the people who had come in.

The four of them were alone. Misty fell to her knees, staring at the wall, then at her hands, then back at the wall. She did not understand. It did not register in her mind yet that she had somehow created that smoke-colored barrier with her own hands. She blinked as if seeing the wall for the first time. She spoke aloud. “What…” She turned to look at Lina, dumbstruck. “Did you do that?” she asked, pointing numbly at the wall.

At least Caliga was safe. For the time being.

[Monkey Monk]

Caliga heard none of the shouts directed to him. Nor did he
witness the stunning act of sorcery that Misty performed. His
mind was enclosed in on itself, entrapping him within his own
feverish thoughts and memories. In the safety of the barrier, he
laid across the table. His hand hung loosely over the edge of the
surface and his chest rose and fell with slow breathing. Slowly
the effect of the serum was beginning to wear off. Within the
foggy lands of his mind, he was witnessing more and more
horrific acts that all had one thing in common, him killing others.
It was horrible, shocking. He felt devastated to even think of
himself doing all this. He knew that these images were real,
taken completely from the part of his brain that had been
blocked off to him. It was all crashing down upon him, making
fear grip his heart.

Quite suddenly he awoke with a gasp. His heart was pounding
as was his head. The world looked different to him, foggy even.
It was as if a circular chunk of the inn had taken him away.
However he looked over and saw Richard still nearby. It was
then that his sense of hearing returned, sending forth the
shouts and other noises of the bar. That was when he figured
things out. He had been drugged, he had to have been.
Somehow during his sleep he had been exposed as well. How
the barrier had been made and where the others were he did
not know. Now he remembered things though, like why he had
been transformed. This knowledge terrified him, but he did not
show it. Just because he had been like that didn't mean he still
was. Quickly he went to the edge of the barrier, touching it
tentatively.

[Mama Z]

Lina felt the change in atmosphere before she saw what had fully happened. She had been kneeling down besides Richard, checking his forehead for any form of heat or clammyness. She heard the shouts then looked up, the fine hairs that covered her body standing on end from what she saw. Misty had let out a mist that covered everything and before long became solid. And like Misty, Lina was staring at the wall in minor disbelief. As the young waitress asked her question she shook her head, looking at her. 'You did.' She assured then looked over at Cal as he had woken up and too went to go investigate the barrier.

Only when Richard groan lightly did she look down at him. Kneeling up on her knees, she grabbed her brother and gently pulled him down to the floor, his head resting in her lap. Grabbing the forgotten wet rag she began to dab his face, he snored slightly and mumbled something before falling back asleep. 'Misty whats going on?' She asked looking at the young woman, worry showing through out her face.

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[Felypsa]

“Oh…” Misty said feebly, staring at the wall with a faint horror as if she were looking at the very gates of hell. “I don’t…” She was about to say “remember,” but she couldn’t finish. And she did remember, she could recall seeing her fingers move, seeing the sudden explosive appearance of the fog, the sublimation…

She finished, “I don’t believe it.” She closed her eyes. She couldn’t think about it. She just couldn’t. It was too mind-boggling, too confusing, too…painful to even consider. She needed familiarity. She needed ordinary.

She saw to her relief that at least Caliga was up and about, although he was as perplexed about the wall as she was. That distressed her. Some unreasonable part of her had hoped that somehow he had been the one to have created the wall, since he wasn’t normal himself. It would be no loss. But to her great dismay, she saw that was not the case; Caliga was not the culprit.

Misty tried not think about it. Normalcy. I need normalcy. When Lina asked her what was going on, Misty bit back a panicked scream. I don’t know what’s going on any more than you do! She took a deep breath. Calm. Collected. She shook her head. “Well, those champagne glasses were tainted somehow. Some kind of drug or other caused Caliga and Richard to pass out.” She did not dare go further. The patrons attacked, and this wall appeared.

It was quiet within their confines; the noise of the crowd outside did not penetrate the thick grey barrier. Still, Misty trembled. She did not even notice her spasmodic shudderings. It was instinctive. Don’t think. This isn’t real, this can’t be real. It was denial to the worst degree.