Summer 4999, 14 Akamoth
"So, what, exactly, has you so testy?" Ranito asked Shon on the last day of another week long trek through the jungle. Tore had sent Kumatz ahead on the first day and it returned four days later, confirming their destination. The Ranger had been annoyingly cryptic as to what exactly it had done, considering the contact supposedly wouldn't speak to her, or them, in a language she could understand.
Shon growled and further enforced the observation of his shortened temper by not even making eye contact with the Archmage. Like a dog with its hackles raised, he continued to glare at the Ranger leading this little aside.
"hmmm..." Ranito took notes, then addressed Ryuuko on its human's shoulder, "And why, my little dragon, are you not stopping him?"
Ryuuko chittered and Shon answered, finally turning his icy eyes on the Mage, "It doesn't know either..." Ranito took a note.
"It's clearly something to do with our guide. You expressed support for her plan to introduce us to the hermit, yet there seems to be something about her that has clawed its way under your skin, Soldier."
Shon shook his head, but then sighed, "If you find out, tell me." Ryuuko let out a whisper of a whistle in agreement, then took off to perch on Tristen, whom Tore was approaching. Probably with an update.
"Will you listen?" Ranito asked, eyeing the little dragon and Shon in turn.
Shon crossed his arms but nodded. Ranito supposed Tristen would've shooed the pseudodragon off if he didn't want to be overheard, and was even considering approaching to listen himself when he was waved over directly.
"Care to listen with your own ears?" Ranito asked Shon, who shook his head. "Verywell." the Archmage flipped a few pages forward in his notebook and picked his way carefully around the thick roots protruding from the earth in this otherwise level area.
It was the closest thing to a clearing one could find in this thick jungle, though the pond in the middle looked a little too circular to be natural. Above the trees, it was a rare sunny day, and through the gap in the leaves a single ray of sun broke through the canopy to strike the pond, the light refracting off the still water to dance across the thick underbrush fighting for dominance along the perimeter.
Oswall was busy bitching to anyone who would listen, "Even when you find a clear area you gotta contend with... the damn... plants..." He jerked his cloak free of a low bush.
"Don't forget the monsters and predators! We found a nice watering hole, maybe something will find us." Ebonwing snickered, holding her arms out wide like a child pretending to be said monster. As if she couldn't turn into a bear for real. Ranito snorted.
Tore didn't wait long for him to get closer, calling, "You prepared that language spell, right? We need it now."
He jointed them as Tristen asked, "Are they really so stubborn?" It had been a reasonable question the first time the Paladin asked. Less so the sixth -Ranito made a note- now seventh time.
Tore rolled her eyes, and Ranito interrupted her answer, "It doesn't matter if it is ignorance or stubbornness, magic will solve the problem." Ryuuko whistled, Kumatz hissed, and Tristen pinched the bridge of his nose,
"Fine. If you would Archmage?" Under his breath, the Paladin continued, "Though how such a person might help is beyond me..." Poor Tristen was desperate enough to be grasping at straws, Ranito took a note, the Warlocks influencing the Tribe had hit him harder than warranted, in the Archmage's opinion anyway.
As he cast the spell, Ranito felt the magic settle itself in his mind, ears, and throat. Once finished, he asked the clearing at large, "Say something."
Oswall and Ebonwing shouted insults in their respective languages, while Alena asked in Udalin, "Will you be able to tell what language we're using?"
"Yes. As the words are filtered through my mind, the spell within will translate what I don't know. I will still 'hear' the original sounds to a lesser-" Ranito was forced to stop his lecture as the wind blew his cherished hair around in a tangle, making the leaves rustle in a cacophony of sudden foul weather.
From above and all around sounded a voice, "How do you know my language? Are you one of them?" The wind increased, circling around the clearing counter clockwise, lifting leaves and dirt into the air.
Ranito searched the upper branches, shielding his face. Before he could think of the best response to the speaker, Tristen called, "What did they say?" followed by a snarled, "Giorgios' order, Sorcerer Tore, is there nothing you can-"
The Air sorcerer's violet eyes shone with a mischievous glint, but she did lift her arms, circling them above her head in a clockwise motion, summoning a wind of her own to counter the mysterious speaker. It canceled the twister, but made the air chopy, like attempting to swim in a storm.
Laughter filled the trees. One voice from half a dozen different directions giggled down at them, then said, "Silly Tore..." With a roar and gust that nearly knocked Oswall and Ebonwing over, the speaker reversed their wind, following Tore's and causing the massive trees to groan as even they were pushed to a slight lean.
Tore attempted to wrest control, to combat the speaker again, but Ranito could see the strain in the Sorcerer's face. The Archmage cursed his inability to take notes, it was amazing that either of them could do this much.
"They want to know why I can speak their language." Ranito shouted to Tristen, then yelled to the sky, "I can't answer in a tornado!"
The wind died to nothing. Oswall -who had been crouching- stood once more, Ebonwing peaked from behind one of the larger trees, and poor Alena fell over. Tristen grumbled either a curse or a prayer, and Shon -who'd managed to stand his ground- rolled his shoulders and walked away. Investigating the underbrush.
All was silent, even the usual rusle of branches muted by the strangely still air. It wasn't until Sir Tristan opened his mouth did the voice speak again. From above and behind Ranito, the voice interrupted, "I'm listening. Are you one of them?"
Ranito spun in place, "Who are they?"
"How are we supposed to know?!" Oswall snapped.
"What did she say?" Tore demanded.
"Perhaps you should translate first before speaking directly-" Tristen started, but Ranito waived a frustrated hand,
"Yes yes." then he sighed, "This is going to be awkward." The archmage cleared his throat, speaking to the canopy, "I am an Archmage of the Mages Guild of Daanlin, and I have cast a spell to comprehend any lan-"
Something exploded from a curtain of vines Shon was gingerly pushing aside. The woman sprinted at Ranito, grabbing his shoulders and towering over him. Ranito thought he was used to being around people taller than himself, he was average height but both Tristen and Shon were well above average, cresting over six feet. This woman was nearly seven feet tall.
She had short redish hair, and was willowy, with long arms and legs and not much hip or bust to speak of. She wore makeshift clothing of plants and leather, though her shoes looked professionally made. Ranito made a mental note to write later, perhaps Tore had purchased the shoes? Meaning she hadn't insisted- Ranito's thoughts went blank.
The green stripes twisting their way over her bare limbs were also on her face, splitting into a V with one point above and below each eye. He'd assumed... Some tribes used paint on their skin... but this wasn't paint. They were scales... "Wind-"
"Don't." Shon's deep voice cut across Ranito's breathed realization. The Archmage snapped his mouth shut and cleared his throat. Yes, if the Fire and Waterwyrms were against their titles, he didn't want to alienate the Windwyrm by using hers at first meeting.
Shon approached, speaking directly to the Windwyrm, "We are not part of the group that kept you."
The Windwyrm cocked her head curiously, looking for all the world like a curious bird. "I don't understand..." She sounded like she might cry, but then she spun on Ranito again, grabbing his hands. Hers were cool, but not cold, and he could feel a steady breeze just over her skin, making her short cropped hair rustle -glinting copper in the sun- "Cast the spell on me. Please, I-" she stopped as Ranito shook his head.
He explained, "The spell can only target the caster, just like you cannot throw another's voice to the wind as you did a moment ago."
She practically threw his hands away, crossing her arms to huff -a wave of wind creating ripples in the pond- "What's the point then?! You can already speak to anyone you want..."
"Archmage, please." Tristen seemed torn between begging and ordering Ranito to translate.
The spell allowed anyone to understand anything Ranito said regardless of language he chose to use. The Windwyrm would be able to understand only his half of a conversation with the others, if he wanted to avoid misunderstandings he would need to be careful.
Ranito cleared his throat once more and said to the Windwyrm, "I will translate for you. This is Sir Tristen of... the Kingdom Temple." Remembering the Firewyrms subtle aversion to the Slayer god, Ranito avoided the name and waited for a response. She'd been living in the Jungle for at least three years -they'd found her Warlock prison after she'd escaped- and apparently didn't understand common. What misconceptions were they going to have to work around to convince her to come with them? Would they have to fight?
He'd completely forgotten about the death knight. Glancing at Shon as he moved to stand in front of the Windwyrm, Ranito braved taking his notebook out, praying to Saint Bede that she wouldn't blow it away. This would be a test for the Sorcerer-Solder, he refused to apprehend the Firewyrm, and had shown reluctance in attacking the Waterwyrm with all his considerable power, how would he treat the Windwyrm?
"Archmage," Triten barked.
"Yes yes. She was afraid we were Warlocks, and wanted me to cast this spell on her. It appears she is not stubborn, merely ignorant."
Tristen and the Windwyrm spoke in unison,
"I was not frightened!"
"They never taught her common?"
Ranito cleared his throat and said in a high pitched voice, "I was not frightened." It was quite well done if he had to say so himself,
Tristen blinked at him, and the Windwyrm cocked her head, but Ranito lowered his voice to say, "They didn't teach you common?"
Tristen's eye twitched and Oswall laughed out loud. The Windwyrm turned to tilt her head at him instead, then smirked, flicking her fingers to send out a tiny gust of wind, snuffing the rogue's match as he tried to light a smoke. Oswall grumbled, but didn't seem to notice the source of his misfortune until the Windwyrm did it again, more blatantly.
Shon ran a hand over his hair, ignoring them to address Ranito, "That wasn't want Sir Tristen said," Ranito shrugged and Shon rolled his eyes, but turned his attention back to the Windwyrm.
She was focused on pestering Oswall, but looked back when Ryuuko landed on Shon with a whistle. Ranito readied his pencil as their eyes met. Shon asked, "Have you picked your name since escaping?"
The Windwyrm waited for Shon to finish, but looked to Ranito with desperation, "They know I don't understand... don't they?"
Ranito nodded, explaining, "It is seen as polite to speak to the person and not the translator, he wants to know your name."
"That was not what I said," Shon growled, then added, "please" over Ryuuko's angry chittering.
Ranito shivered under Shon's stare, realizing his mistake. Shon spoke rarely but deliberately, choosing his words carefully. Ranito tried to apologize, "Yes, forgive-" but before he could correct the mistake, the Windwyrm answered with a whine and more whipping wind,
"I don't know it! I've tried and tried, but now I don't even know who to ask and-" She spoke with her hands, and the wind followed, rustling the trees high above and causing the others to shield their faces from debris until Shon interrupted by catching one of her hands. She gasped, but didn't pull away, cocking her head at his fingers until he let her go and said,
"You can choose whatever name you want. No one has the power to take it from you."
So he hadn't needed a translation... Ranito slid closer to Shon to whisper, "How did-"
Shon arched an eyebrow down at him and interrupted quietly, "Her tone. She doesn't know her name yet, right?" then he added for good measure, even quieter, "Lily responded the same..."
Ranito took a moment to make a note on Shon's page. What a strange effect the dragons seemed to have on him. Then translated in as deep a voice as he could manage, repeating exactly what Shon had said, and watching as the Windwyrm's eyes slowly widened.
"You... really?" she looked quickly from Shon to Ranito until the later repeated her question -in his higher voice-
Shon continued to address her directly, "The two we know are Lily and Rose."
Ranito translated, adding, "Like the flowers" at the end in his own voice.
It was difficult to keep track of Shon and the Windwyrm while also taking note of Sir Tristen motioning to the others. They spread out, continuing to give the dragon space while encircling her. The Windwyrm didn't seem to notice, her jaw had dropped, "They are like me? Two of them? And- wait! Why do flowers get names?! That is not fair! They can't discover-"
"Windwyrm, please!" Tristen yelled over the resumed twister. But that just made her hiss. She recognized that word at least.
"Don't call her that." Tore snapped. Ranito noticed the moment she realized her mistake, if she knew about the title -and the fact that the dragon didn't like it- then it meant she knew enough that she should've reported the Windwyrm to the kingdom and hadn't.
Shon grabbed the dragon's hand again, then Ranito by the back of his robes, pulling him closer, "You can choose your name too."
Ranito repeated, adding "We are hunting those who held you, there are four others like you, one for each element."
But she didn't seem to care about that, breathing, "A name..." Then she grabbed Shon by the face, holding his cheeks and begging, "How? How do I pick a name? I don't know any flower names! I didn't know they had names! Why would they get-" she stopped when Shon reached up to take her hands, removing them from his face but holding them gingerly rather than letting them go. She didn't pull away from his cold, her eyes pleading as Ranito began translating.
After translating her exclamation -skipping her interrupted rant- he answered, "Druid Ebonwing, here," he nodded towards her, "can identify any flower you like."
"Nearly!" Ebonwing called, "It's been a few years since my training, Old Man." The rest of the team had moved closer, close enough that when the Windwyrm launched herself into the air it nearly blew them all over again.
She couldn't fly, and yet her clothes were less makeshift than Ranito had originally assumed, the leather catching her wind to carry her over their heads and into the trees.
"What by Horsa's flailing ba-" Oswall started, but Alena interrupted with a gasp of realization,
"I bet she went to get a flower!"
Sir Tristen didn't watch the sky for long, settling steel gray eyes on Tore. The Ranger tilted her chin up, rather definitely considering the Paladin's authority. "You know what she is." he stated, clenching a fist at his side but otherwise remaining calm.
Tore's lip twitched, as if resisting a smirk, then she lied through her teeth "I know she was kept prisoner in a tower in Shutha. I helped her escape, and though we can't talk, she... expressed hesitation in joining kingdom society. Considering she has no papers, I assumed she was a particularly powerful barbarian shaman who'd been experimented on." she shrugged, adding, "I considered asking someone from Shutha to translate, but what she speaks doesn't sound like Shuthali."
Ranito spoke over Tristen, "That's because it's draconic." He made a note of Tore's lie -just believable enough to require a trial if Tristen decided to bring her in.
Tristen narrowed his eyes at her, asking, "How did you know about her title?"
Tore shrugged again, "There was a Mage who tried to stop us at the tower, Kumatz took care of him before I could ask for details." she pet her familiar lovingly, "I didn't realize at the time that she wouldn't be able to answer."
Shon crossed muscled arms over his barrel chest and glared at Tore. Ryuuko hissed and he growled, "We could have taught her common."
"Now that is a fabulous idea, Sorcerer." Ranito stated, unable to elaborate as the Windwyrm returned, pushing them all back a step to land with a powerful updraft right back where she'd been. She was holding a length of ivy.
Shon turned away from Tore -who huffed her own small breeze- and picked up the trailing end of the vine with a barely discernible smile, "Ivy."
"Ivy?" the Windwyrm repeated, turning to Ranito to ask, "Is that what it's named? It grows on everything and makes wonderful curtains and-"
Bede's objective wisdom, this dragon loved to talk. Ranito interrupted to confirm, "Yes, it is also a common name for girls in the kingdom."
"So it's a name!" She exclaimed, then grabbed hold of Shon's hands again, asking him directly, "Can I use it? Oh please."
And again, Shon didn't need a direct translation, answering, "You may choose whatever name you want."
She looked to Ranito, and after he translated -in his deepest voice- she smiled, repeating the name, "Ivy... Ivy." she giggled, "Ivy, Ivy, Ivy! I have a name! My name is Ivy!"
"She says her name is Ivy." Ranito said flatly, then got back on track, telling Ivy, "If you return with us, we can teach you common..."
They'd been fighting the Firewyrm for nearly five years... and had caught the Windwyrm in less than five minutes.
***