The Rising Dragon

[Monkey Monk]

Slowly Caliga turned to gaze at Richard who had asked him
where he was going. Such a good question. What did he intend
to do with his life? Ever since he had awoken on the outskirts of
the city, he had just been drifting with no purpose. All this time
he had felt as if something was in the back of his mind, nagging
him to take notice of it. However each time he tried to it escaped
his grasp. After a moment, he noticed he was blankly at Richard.
At last he spoke out his answer. "I have no idea my friend. I
don't know if I wish to go and search for answers or if I simply
want to live a life of ignorance. I have no place to stay, and I can
not ask of it from anyone. Keeping one like me can be
dangerous in this city. I do not wish to cause anymore damage
that I have done."

The last sentence was of course about Misty. He had not wished
for her to suffer the loss of her home, and somehow he felt that
he was responsible for it. As if by some conspiracy of fate, just
as the last sentence was voiced Lina and Misty emerged from
the inn. He looked at Misty, distraught and overwhelmed with
the shock and sorrow. Lina looked as if she was about to
collapse from whatever illness had taken her. Slowly Caliga
walked over and picked up Misty's trunk. Neither women were in
the condition to carry such a heavy item. Caliga did not wish for
Richard to do it either. He wanted to do something to try and
help his friends, especially after all the damage he saw in his
mind that he had caused.

[Mama Z]

Without saying much of anything, Richard went over to his sister, wrapping the cloak around her tightly then with practiced ease scooped up his sister. Much in a way a groom would carry his new bride over the threshold. He knew that he had some explaining to do. At least to Caliga, an idea of where his little mage could have been. It was litterally life times ago that he had heard the rumors of some who could "do magic." He looked around at the small group and lead the way down the street, holding Lina and leading them all towards her current place of residence.

It wasn't that long before they had reached a small neighborhood. Each house was large and each one gated as if for protection. But at the end of street a smaller house rested. Its trim white and the walls yellow. It was much like a cottage more then a house. Flowers of all sorts grew along the outside of the premeter, acting as a fence of its own. This house and been shared between the two for...Who knew how long. probably ever since the city was built. He walked up the hold familiar stepping stone walk way then paused. Turning to look at Misty and Cal he gave a semi sheepish grin. 'If one of you could reach into my brest pocket, theres a key. Lina's out cold.' His voice was not over a whisper, not wanting to wake her up.

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[Felypsa]

Misty wanted to protest to Caliga carrying her trunk. She really did. She wanted to say, “No, this is my burden, and mine alone, let me take it.” But she couldn’t. It was too easy to just let him bear her heavy burden, and it was too hard to fight it. Misty was tired of fighting. All the fighting ever got her was a great loss, an emptiness, pain. She let Caliga carry it. What was the harm in it?

She followed their little group, not really looking at where they were going. Nor did she look back at her home…the only home she ever had…it would be too agonizing to look at it and know she’d never be a part of it again. She stared at the ground, the cobblestones, the cold grey stone gazing unsympathetically up at her. No thought passed through her mind. Pure, raw emotion throbbed in her heart, taking over all rationality. She felt only half of herself.

At long last, they reached the house of Richard and Lina. Misty tried to take an interest in it, and thought it cute and homey, but the shock was just too hard. She needed to do something with her hands, she needed familiarity again…she would give anything to wash dishes now. When Richard requested someone’s help, she responded right away. She took the key from Richard’s pocket and unlocked the quaint door. She wanted to ask where the kitchen was, irrational as that may seem. But she was beyond the shock was now craving the comfort of something familiar. She refrained from asking. Instead she turned to Caliga and said, “You can put that down now…thank you so much.”

She was greatly concerned for Lina, though. What was wrong with the poor woman? Misty had been so consumed in her own grief that she hardly noticed her friend’s sufferings. Well, no more of this self-absorption, she swore to herself. There’s nothing but pain and anguish with me anyway. But if I can help Lina…there is something in that. “What can we do?” Misty asked Richard, not bothering to shield her grave concern. “She looks terrible…what’s going on?”

[Monkey Monk]

In silence Caliga followed the others through the areas in which
they trekked. He was lost in his thoughts, much like Misty. Over
and over her ran over the memories, trying to find a solid image
of the mage who had cursed him to be this...thing. After all, that
was what he was right? He couldn't be human anymore. Nor
was he a dragon which was what seemed to be infused into
him. He was a monstrosity, an abomination. That thought sank
into his mind and for the first time since his awakening he felt a
feeling of depression sweep through him. He looked up when
Misty told him he could set down the trunk. With that he would
wait for the doorway to clear before setting down the trunk
along with the pack that held his own items.

Once the carriage devices were from his grasp, he would slowly
straighten his back. The urge to stretch out his wings began to
fill him, but he managed to stop himself at the tip pressed
against his coat. Slowly he folded those appendages across his
torso once more and looked at the others. His sorrow was not
masked simply because they were his friends and he trusted
them. However he spoke out after Misty's question. "It's a
disease, of the lung I would wager." He looked up to Richard
and Lina. "Am I right? If I am, then why are you visiting us? Lina,
your life is far more important than seeing people you've known
for one night like us. True, I am overjoyed you came. But if it
costs you your life, the guilt will be overwhelming..."

[Mama Z]

Richard waited patiently as Misty opened the door then showed the concern they had both been holding back. She asked, Cal answered, which had caught him off guard. He hadnt said a word through the whole trip and now he had guessed it. Green eyes glanced at them then a sigh escaped his lips as he looked down at his sleeping sister. 'I think I should probably explain inside, too bright out here and she needs to get to bed.'

With that he walked into the house and just yelled over his shoulder, 'Just make yourselves at home.' And then disappeared down a hallway. The house was modestly furnished, but many antiques decorated it including paintings from forgotten artists, books from lost authors.

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[Felypsa]

Misty turned in surprise to Caliga, who answered her quesiton thoroughly. Her eyes widened with shock as she learned of Lina’s grave condition. It appalled her that such a disease should plague her good friend—and Lina, pretending as if nothing was wrong! Richard, too. She turned her surprised, almost accusing eyes on Richard himself, who evasively promised a full explanation once they were inside.

She hesitantly went inside, casting a nervous gaze at Caliga. Nervous not because she was wary of him, but nervous for Lina’s health. Misty looked around her, and despite herself began admiring the quaint little house. It was nice…it felt like it could be a home. Not her home, per se, but a suitable substitute…for tonight. Since Richard had so politely invited them to relax, she decided to find the kitchen.

It did not take long. There weren’t many dishes to wash, which meant either they weren’t eating much or that they were responsible enough to take care of most of their own dishes. Even though Misty hadn’t so much as touched a dish since Caliga took over that role a fortnight ago, she relished in the comfort of familiarity. It did not take long to wash all the dishes thoroughly, and then Misty began to dry them, though she left them neatly on the table, not knowing where they officially belonged. She scanned the kitchen for other menial labor to do, and started to sweep the floor. She would probably still be sweeping by the time Richard came back.

Well, he’d told them to make themselves at home. This was Misty’s way of doing so.

[Monkey Monk]

As Richard walked off as did Misty, Caliga found himself alone in
the room where he had been left. For a moment he felt uneasy,
as if he did not belong in such a beautiful home. However after a
moment he did what he was told and made himself at home.
Slowly he removed his coat, setting it down on the back of a
chair. With a groan he stretched out some kinks in his muscles
which had formed when carrying the trunk and his bag. A bone
popped and his wings stretched out to an amazing wingspan.
For a moment he stood there marveling at the thin
membrane-like skin of his new appendages. He suddenly felt an
urge to see if he could fly, but knew to do so would most
definitely be an unwise move on his part.

After stretching out his body, he would slowly let his wings fold
back to his back, the tips wrapping around his chest as if they
were the edges of a natural coat. He murred at the warmth
having his wings around him gave. Slowly he went to the chair
on which he had draped his coat. Caliga sat down in the seat,
quite unsettled by how comfortable and soft the thing was. He
closed his eyes and leaned his head back, reveling in the sweet
pleasure of such conformity. Even in the inn he had not sat in a
chair like the one he did now. It seemed and eternity since the
last time he had been in something so soft and plushy. He found
himself beginning to drift off to sleep, but when Richard returned
he would quickly sit up and wait for the promised explanation.

[Mama Z]

The subhuman returned a few moments later. He paused just out side the hall away and smiled slightly as he saw Cal recline back then set up. Laughing, he held up his hand as if to calm the dragon-man back down. 'Please, relax.' He stated his grin growing wider, 'My grandfather said it took him too long to break that chair in for anyone not to enjoy it.' He glanced around and stepped forward, just in time to see Misty dancing across the floor with a broom. Poor child, he remembered the feeling it was like to be casted out without a second thought. He wasnt sure if he should stop her or let her continue.

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[Felypsa]

Misty was so engrossed in her task that she didn’t notice when Richard first entered the kitchen. She kept sweeping away in a rhythmic fashion, efficiently and smoothly. Just as her father had taught her when she was first able to hold a broomstick. She had been terrible at it at first; it took several days before she got the hang of it, and many lectures from her father about how he had been forced to clean up an entire stable in the country when he was a child, how easy children have it these days, and how spoiled they get. She smiled a little sadly at the memory, for as she grew older, her father would start to give her that same lecture but stop and start laughing about how uppity he was getting. It became a family joke. Now, the joke was still there, but there was no family to speak of.

Misty was just about done when she finally realized that Richard was standing in the hallway looking at her. She blushed a little and placed the broom back where it belonged, sheepishly emerging from the kitchen to stand by Richard. “Sorry, I guess I got a little carried away,” she murmured. She glanced over in the sitting room where Caliga was, of course, sitting, and felt a little more ashamed. Why had she barged into Richard and Lina’s kitchen, using it as if it were her own? She had to face the fact that this was not her home, this was not the inn she grew up in. She was a guest here. She could not use their home to replace what she had lost.

Misty shyly went to sit down in another chair, one not nearly as comfortable as Cal’s, but she didn’t really mind. She stared at the floor expectantly, waiting for Richard to begin his explanation.

[Monkey Monk]

Caliga relaxed as Richard told him to do. Slowly he watched his
vibrant green eyes as Misty came and sat down before him. As
she sat down, he gaze at her with curiosity for a moment. Some
how she seemed familiar almost. Those emerald pools of his
narrowed as he tried to grasp the memory that was right out of
his reach. However, the exact image eluded him and he gave up
on the mind quest for now. He simply dismissed it as all the
excitement from today making his mind play riddle with itself.
After all, he had lived in the same place with her for a few weeks
now. Of course he knew her from some where. It was probably
just a memory of when she came to come and check on the
dishes or something of that manner.

Slowly Cal brought his gaze from Misty to let it rest upon Richard.
He chuckled lightly at the mentioning of the chair's previous
owner. Slowly he relaxed into the plush cushions and let loose a
sound of approval that could only be related to a purr. "It is
indeed a wonderful chair. But I feel that it is too much for me."
Slowly he rose and motioned for Misty to take the seat before
moving to a different one. Once he was settled into the new
chair, he looked back to Richard. Quickly his face sobered with
the prospect of what they were about to talk about. For a
moment he remained silent in his unrest. Yet the wait proved to
much for him and he eventually spoke out in an anxious, but
carefully polite voice. "Well?"

[Mama Z]

Blue eyes glanced at Cal then over to Misty. Both we obviously anxious to know what was wrong with Lina. 'The day we had first encountered and played at the inn, she had gotten sick.' He began to explain softly, sitting down on a near by chair. He shifted slightly, just lightly leaning back. 'We thought it was nothing at first, but it got worse real quick.' It was one thing to know the pain, but it was another to sit back and watch someone deal with it.

'The doctor gave her some medication, saying it should cure it.' He shook his head, human medicines never seemed to work on anything now-a-days. At this point he gave just a small sad smile, 'She's dying my friends.' He looked from one to the other then back, watching the impact of the news on them. He couldnt quite tell them that she would return in about 10 or so years. He would tell Cal the secret first, he had a right to know. Misty he decided would have to be last, her state of mind was too fragile to consume much more disturbing news.

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[Felypsa]

As Misty took her seat, she felt someone’s gaze upon her. She turned around and saw that Caliga was staring at her. She frowned, and blushed a little. Why was he gazing so? It was as if he wasn’t looking at her, but someone else…she turned back, not wanting to think about it, but she still felt his gaze until, at least, he turned away. Misty had never felt so self-conscious around him before.

She then saw that Caliga had stood up and was gesturing to her to take the comfortable seat. She looked at him curiously, trying to figure out what was going on, but hesitantly took the seat. It was very plush and cozy and she sank into it happily. But in the back of her mind, she wondered: what was happening to Caliga? A notion creeped into her head, but she shook it away. That simply wasn’t possible.

Once Richard began to explain, however, Misty leaned forward and focused entirely on his words. Her eyes widened as he went on, shocked that such a disease could have taken her friend and put her in such pain. And when Richard finished, Misty could not suppress a gasp, putting her hand to her mouth. Tears leapt to her eyes, but did not fall, making her eyes watery and sad. So much was happening. So much suffering. And Misty could only think, Why?

She wanted to rewind her life, so that she would never have to live this day. This terrible, heart-wrenching day. Misty felt weak, as the heavy emotions took their toll on her. This was too much. First she found out she was not normal, but possessed some frightening power…then she was ejected from the place that was her home all her life…and now, she learned that her friend—one of her only friends she had anymore, a friend she felt she could trust as a sister—was on the brink of death. Even if Richard had felt he could tell Misty that Lina would return in roughly a decade, she would not be able to hope in that. As it was, she believed that they were losing Lina forever.

She placed her head in her hands, which shook uncontrollably. Misty could say nothing, do nothing. This was…too much.

[Monkey Monk]

Caliga listened intently to Richard's words, felting sorrow over
take his mind. He bowed his head slowly, unaware of Misty's
curiosity in how he was acting. Not even he knew that, but it felt
almost as if a part of him was controlling the rest and
demanding he do everything to ease her burdens. Slowly he
closed his eyes, a sigh escaping his lips as he heard of their
friend's predicament. He had the inkling that Richard was still
keeping something from them, but he dared no press the
subject. There had to be something they could do. Lina did not
deserve to die, she deserved life. Was there not something they
could possibly do to hinder her expiration? There absolutely had
to be a way. There was always a way.

Slowly Caliga rose to his feet. He began to pace the room slowly,
his wings and scales glittering in the light of the room. His mind
was reeling to try and think of some sort of plan. There had to
be someone he knew, someone who could help. Only one came
to mind, and the thought of going back there made him flinch.
Still...it was for Lina. Even if he had to...no. He wouldn't let that
happen again. The others needed him...right? He turned to face
Richard and Misty, looking at them for a moment. In all honesty
he didn't want to go back there, but something was pulling him.
It was almost like the same part of him commanding his
servitude-like actions to Misty was demanding he go back. "I
think I have an idea. We can go to the mage who made me like
this. If anyone would know how to heal Lina, they might."

[Mama Z]

The demon watched each of their reactions with a calmed face. Sighing he sat up from his own chair and headed over to Misty as she began to cry. Poor thing had had it rough this whole time. Kneeling down in front of her, he placed both hands on her shoulders, a gesture to try and sooth her. He knew it was hard, but there was nothing any of them could really do.

Then Cal mentioned the mage and about how he may be able to help. Eyelids closed slowly over blue eyes and his head lowered. He had thought about that before as well, a mage of any sort. But he sighed shaking his head slightly. 'Im afraid its not that simple Cal.' He said softly, turning his head so he was peering over his shoulder at the dragon man.

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[Felypsa]

Misty trembled even Richard came to comfort her. The simple gesture was just enough to let loose all the tears she’d been holding back, and she began to cry in earnest. She did not sob loudly, however. Just wept. Tears coursed down her cheeks, and some might even fall on Richard’s hands. She leaned forward and embraced Richard, whether he wanted to or not, because she just needed someone to hug and he was there.

At length, her tears subsided. She whispered to Richard, “I’m so sorry,” a phrase that both offered her condolences to his sister’s suffering and apologized for her overreaction. At last she pulled back, but gave him a tender look. She looked over at Caliga, who suggested looking for the mage, but her gaze returned to Richard when he demurred. She tilted her head to the side. She didn’t know anything about mages, nor did she wish to. The less she knew of them, the better.

Yet, perhaps a mage might be able to explain her…condition…

No, she told herself. None of that now. She looked at Richard. “What do you mean?” her voice sounded raw and hollow even to her ears.