Flight of the Dragon
Log Info
- Title: Flight of the Dragon
- Characters: Aelwyn, Harkashan
- Location: Alexandria, Temple District
- Summary: Aelwyn and Harkashan meet up in the wake of the Circus Performance.
Some time at morning, Temple District
Whilst the various temples may provide - some vendors still do still occasionally cross over with their carts to setup. Perhaps for the change scenery, perhaps to attract different clientele, perhaps just because; but this morning, a vendor selling early breakfast has taken to a corner. The vendor's stall, and its little hot oven, obvious from its tiny chimney and warmth in the cool marning.
And like any source of warmth, it attracts Aelwyn. With his glaive held high, the blade on fire, the not-so-ruddy sith-makar was cradling his cup of coffee. Leather straps continued to cover his midsection, as he huddled underneath his cloak. He seemed to be in wait for something, orange eyes flitting about the plaza.
A single priest was preaching about peace of soul at the opposite end. Otherwise the plaza was mostly quiet.
It isn't very often that Harkashan comes to the temple district on a normal day. He's not one for the stuffy place. But he's been doing research on the halls of the Death Singing Dragon, and that is enough to bring him here.
He's coming down from the mountain path where Vardama's temple lies, as he spots a lone Aelwyn. The warm Sith-makar, carrying naught but his usual gear, halts close to his Kin and rumbles; "Peace on your nest." While tilting his head and shifting his tail a bit out of the way.
"Waiting for someone in particular?"
Sip sip. The metal cup was still steaming when Harkashan starts to approach the shorter sith-makar; whose scales still seemed as if they were more deeper red, near black in places. Made his orange slit pupils all the more brighter.
There's a slow, wide grin of his teeth. The cup is placed on the small foldout sticking out from the stall. "Harkashan," He greets, then bows his head deeply. "Peace on your nest."
Straightening, the smaller makari looks up; then tilts his hip as he leans against his polearm. "Would it surprise one if this one said you?"
Harkashan tilts his head as Aelwyn looks up. The warmth and slight 'light' that seems to eminate from Harkashan helping those pupils of Aelwyn seem that much brighter.
"Such is I." Harkashan answers when Aelwyn speaks his name, with bemusement. Normally Aelwyn refers to him as Lava, so his tone is slightly surprised.
When the Makari begins to tilt his hip and looks up, Harkashan offers a hand in case he wishes for a bit more warmth than his spear can afford him. "And it would not surprise me, no. What can I do for you?"
Aelwyn keeps grinning at the very warm makari, especially after seeing the confusion - but then it is his turn to be confused, when Harkashan offers his hand. "Hmh," He rumbles then, "Usually this one has to do a little bit more smiling."
The hand is clutched and raised - and the Dragoon takes a sliding step closer. And like most probably wouldn't, when faced with a hotstone - he leans his head forward and rests his forehead against Harkashan's chest.
"I am thankful, for bringing back my brother."
Harkashan permits Aelywn to lean, laying one hand to his shoulder as he boldly touches his forehead to his chest.
When he had spoken that he wasn't surprised, it was in truth. Because this was exactly what he'd figured Aelwyn had come to him for. "I wish I could have cured your brother of what ailed him in time, and prevented him from getting hurt in the first place." Harkashan answers Aelwyn.
"But I am glad my gifts enabled me to save him. Though that one will most certainly need a lot more help than I can provide. Their mind is clearly not where it should be." He rumbles to Aelwyn while looking down at the smaller Makari.
There's a moment longer, when Aelwyn simply leans his head forward; exposing his horns and neck like that. But he is all teeth when he raises his head up. Even if his eyes weren't following his macabre grin. "... no, this one believes their mind is where it should be." The draconian replies. His free hand follows the one on his shoulder, placing it atop.
"There are bonds not to be broken." The draconian starts, eyes staring into the larger sith's. Rest of him still looked, as if he were about for a joke. "This one did. And what came after..." Now his humor stumbles. "... smaller, quicker. Not what happened." His chest expands. "Still, you saved him."
Harkashan has to tilt his head to better see Aelwyn, so close to his chest. Viewing him from jus one eye. "Bonds being broken is part of life, Aelwyn. Loathe as I am to admit, there are few bonds that are truly eternal or even life-long." He notes.
He shakes his head. "You are not responsible for other people's actions." He remarks, before biting on one of Aelwyn's horns with a soft nip.
Aelwyn wasn't that short. That's what the short makari kept telling himself when Harkashan tilts his head like that. Why were the other makari so big, anyway? The horn is nipped upon - and the draconian's tail curls upwards, shaking a bit. A hand raises - and attempts to squeeze Harkashan's snout shut.
"Hnh." The once-ruddy sith-makar looks upwards and there's a moment of humorless stare - before his lips part open in a wide grin. "Do not speak so lightly of bonds," The draconian chides with a quiet rumble, "Lest Rune hear that." He opens his mouth lightly, considers, then quietly shuts it down.
"I said few, not none." Harkashan answers Aelwyn, speaking from the edges of his muzzle while his snout is being kept shut at the tip. "But her lifespan is shorter than mine." He then adds with a sorrowful tone.
And Harkashan is not looking to turn Rune into a lich or a vampire in order to keep her alive for longer.
"Then you should know what having a bond means." The Dragoon responds. His hands slowly move to the side and pull Harkashan's snout - and begrudgingly, he has to lean slightly away to look the other in the eyes. "Mine is for life. One does not abandon the troupe." His lip curls sideways. "Yet I wished to fly like the phoenix."
"And not burn them," He continues to slowly grin. "And all of you, in the wake."
"I do." Harkashan rumbles and tilts his head down, so Aelwyn can look into his eyes. "But you did depart from the troupe. You chased a new dream. True friends would be happy for you to find a new path." He tells Aelwyn firmly.
"And it is rather difficult to burn me." He adds playfully. "But as I have offered befoer, if you wish to fly like a Phoenix, I can make that happen." He remarks, before suddenly grabbing hold of Aelwyn... and lifting him into his arms.
Followed by spawning a set of strangely feather-like scaled wings upon his back, and grinning down at the small Sith-makar.
Aelwyn clicks his teeth, twisting his lips. "Family." He corrects, and then he glances towards the vendor, who was busy tending to his stall. He leans closer, rumbling. "It is not that easy. There are binds that kill." He says quietly. "And are so precious for it."
Except then he is suddenly taken hold of by the far larger makari. He gives a questioning, and playful, look at the hot scaled Lava - before he lets out a sharp exhale at the sight of the wings.
"Tch," Aelwyn flicks his tongue, grinning widely with his tail swaying. "Does this one get to finally ride the Hotstone?"
"Is my bond to my family any less strong, for my only seeing them in a rare day?" He asks of Aelwyn. "Did my family welcome me any less, for not having seen them for a hundred years?" He inquires with the small Sith-makari as he looks down at him.
"Still. I cannot redefine your bonds. I just wish you consider them carefully, Aelwyn. And your own personal health, mentally and physically. For to us, it seemed you were ready to die that day, breaking your bonds with us in favor of dying to another."
He then suddenly pushes off, and brings Aelwyn to the air, flying up from the temple district and into the skies, a wave of red light flowing after him as he carefully brings Aelwyn to the air.
"Never claimed any less," Aelwyn replies with a low rumble. "But bonds bind different." There's another glance towards the vendor - almost as if he didn't want to get heard by the coffee / bread maker.
But a dark look falls over his eyes when Harkashan brings the second point. There's a low, frustrated growl in him and he slides a little closer towards the larger male. "Some fires burn." He replies. "Some fires tear you inside." Flatly.
And then he is up in the air. He lets out a long surprised hiss, arm clinging tight onto the larger winged makari while his own glaive trails behind him. The flame flickers and attempts to stay alive in the wind. "Hnh. Hnhh!" He looks down underneath him. "... so high!" He breathes; heart beating rapidly. "... can I turn around?" He asks, flashing his teeth at Harkashan then.
"I am well aware of the pain of flames, Aelwyn." Harkashan answers him while holding him in his arms. The jingle of that gem between his horns sounding for a moment. As he clings tight, Harkashan adjusts his hold to make sure he's still well held.
"You may turn. But be slow in moving." He warns. "I rather not drop you from this height." As he rumbles.
"Hmm. Pain of flame. And watching others burn." Aelwyn hoists his chin, before his teeth split into a wide grin. "Yet there's a charm of being held like this, near a burning flame." He teases the larger Makari - and then he leans in to bite onto the other's neck, giving it a rough bite.
But his eyes looks down constantly. One might think it was precaution - more in his case, it was about excitement. Slowly, which was difficult with one arm, he continues to slide about. Feet cling tightly, then push about, and the he rocks his smooth, scorched body against the other's armor.
"This one has never flown like this before," The Dragoon says - "Apologies if this one gets excited!" Grin was wide.
At the sudden bite for Harkashan's neck, the flightpath suddenly plummets a bit as Harkashan loses balance for a moment, then makes a snapping motion at Aelwyn's face with his teeth. "Be careful, little flame." He rumbles at Aelwyn.
Soon, Aelwyn is looking down properly, and Harkashan is doing his best to hold him. "No apologies needed for the excitement. I am glad you are getting a chance to experience this. When you eventually ride a Thunderlizard, you will be able to ride higher, and from a safer saddle."
"Tch, to be careful at the height of one's life?" Aelwyn rumbles back, his own tail winding around Harkashan's waist. He holds his glaive up and against his chest. It was still flickering its flames; but the two makari probably cared none about its flames kissing their scales. "That sounds wasteful." And then his tail rises and thwaps at Harkashan's backside. "This one is not little."
"This one has not considered a safe saddle to be a virtue," Aelwyn calls out back. "To live one's life at the top - that is something to strive for. To be free of what lies below, the sand that wants to pull you in." The draconian reaches out and grabs the other's arm. "And this one likes to ride rough." He looks on down at the sights down moving past, feeling the weight in his stomach shift. "Did Lava hear the words called out on the stage?""
"Which words?" Harkashan asks, as Aelwyn wraps himself a bit more tightly around himself and thwaps at him. "For maeny words were spoken out on the stage." He reminds Aelwyn, while he shifts his wings and goes for a slow circling motion above Alexandria's mountains. Just enjoying the world like a Dragon might.
Though at the back of his mind, counting the strength remaining in this spell.
"The... the ones..." Aelwyn starts, and then his hand tightens. "... hmmh. Perhaps they do not matter today, perhaps they do not matter now." He decides instead, lifting his head. "Because this one is flying with a Dragon." He flashes his teeth.
The Dragoon lifts his legs higher as well; trying to cling onto something so they do not get tired. "Harkashan carries a heavy burden." He suddenly says, "A stone heavy as time. Duty like the quicksand. A love like the sea."
"This one can now flit about. To relish the moment. To grin and flicker tongue. Cherish the ones around him." His hand tightens. "To be free of binds of love."
"Do you never get frustrated?"
Aelwyn says 'the ones', but Harkashan does not immediately understand which. For so many were indeed spoken. "You are welcome to share them when you are ready to share them." Harkashan rumbles while gripping Aelwyn a bit more firmly to make sure he doesn't falter from his arms.
The best thing for Aelwyn to grab onto with his feet is probably the 'loop' he has created with his own tail.
"I carry many a burden. But Love, love is not a burden on me." He then answers Aelwyn. "I do not get frustrated about such things. I am, in that regards, different from other Kin."
"Ah, how could Twin be a burden indeed?" Aelwyn replies with a rumbling amusement. "This one feels lighter in her shadows. Firm in her presence. A joy that begs a stage." He continues to look on down. "Yet; love can be a burden, if one must love, and one must. One can dance, but when that dance is over..."
The Dragoon lifts his head up and looks up ahead. "Are there not but few things more free than the skies?" He gives his head upwards nod, and then down. "Lava is different from other kin, this one has noticed. But when it comes to Rune, he is nothing but the heat that should be familiar to everyone, if the world were just."
"... and one of these days Dragon should show this one how to ride." His tail thumps against Harkashan's backside.
Harkashan doesn't answer when Aelwyn mentions love being a burden once more. "I understand the words you say, Aelwyn. But I am okay dancing until the dance is over. I do not need a life where I dance forever." He answers Aelwyn.
"I would not have taken up this life of an Adventurer, if dancing my life away were important to me. Things are only a burden, if one considers something heavy." He rumbles, before descending down towards the edge of town.
"I will teach you how to ride very soon." He then remarks. "In Am'shere."
Aelwyn falls silent at those words. "... after the show, the silence is deafening." He looks on over the skies. "But this one supposes, you already know everything about that, Deathsinger." He rumbles with flash of his teeth he waits for the other to land.
Then that word is mentioned again. Am'shere. Such an alien, and distant place. It is a fleeting thought, that then recedes to remain a gnawing worry in the back of his mind as before.
The Dragoon slowly lets his feet reach for the ground. "This one shall look forward to it." He replies, and looks over with a flash of his teeth. "Though this one has to consider his method of payment."
"Indeed... the silence is deafening." Harkashan answers Aelwyn with a deeper rumble, looking away in that moment.
He swoops down, and soon, the two land.
"Your friendship is more than enough, Aelwyn." He releases the small one and puts his hand on his head. "Do not worry too much about payment."
Nose wrinkle, pull backward. Irritation, palpable. He was not that short.
Aelwyn grabs Harkashan by the hand holding his head hostage; and twists around. "Hmmh." He clicks his teeth in annoyance, looking up at the larger Makari, almost as if judging him. And judging him he was. "It is not that simple. A debt is a debt."
The draconian sways the hand he was holding; before with a lazy motion of his hips and sway of his body, the burnt sith-makar steps one step closer. Orange eyes look up, a part of a grin appearing on his snout. "And all debts will be repaid in the end."
"Oh I know." He answers Aelwyn, "You have told me before that debts are important to you." Harkashan remarks as his hand is held hostage upon his head. Keeping it there as he turns. Stepping closer, the youth then looks down as he grins at him.
"I look forward to seeing how you repay me." He then notes, and sways his rump with his tail, before wandering on off.