Wings of a Messenger

[the_five]

Who: A visitor and EVERYONE
What: Oh no it's a dragon
When: Friday, October 10th
Where: Just outside the castle
Rating: PG-13

In the light of the early afternoon, a winged shape appears in the sky over Paradisa. What might appear to be a bird grows into something of a far larger scale, fanned wings casting a shadow over the city and the green hills as it wheels about. As it turns, the light catches on it's scales, reflecting back brief glints of brilliant gold, like a thousand golden coins. It's unmistakably a dragon, but it does nothing besides circle for a few minutes. People in the town panic and clamor for cover regardless, but the dragon's eyes are on the castle.

Not long after, it sweeps low, trees and plants bending under the gust of wind the wings create as it lands with surprising lightness on the stretch of road outside. Lifting a horned head, the dragon peers at the castle and then begins abruptly to glow. The light grows in intensity until it's far too bright to even look at, enveloping the entire form of the dragon, which begins to warp and shrink.

When the light fades at last, a woman stands on the road. Dressed in a white gown trimmed with gold, blonde hair falling long and loose over her shoulders. Pressing a hand to her chest, she takes a deep breath and starts forwards...

Comments

[fearbringer]

At first glance, Pitch assumes it's Firethroat-- but no, this dragon is a different one; a second one. Still, seeing your second dragon is only marginally less impressive than seeing your first, so Pitch follows, wondering if it'll land.

When it does, and when it changes, he's obviously pretty damn surprised! But hey, a dragon who can change into a woman (or a woman who can change into a dragon?) is still really interesting, and so he continues to approach.

"Are you new here?"

[the_five]

She looks at him, curious. To a dragon, the idea of a fear spirit isn't all that unusual, so she can see him plain enough, though the darkness of him gives her slight pause.

"I have not been new for many ages."

[fearbringer]

"How long is an age to you?" Her phrasing makes her sound very old, but people do exaggerate.

[the_five]

"I profess that is my way of saying I am not sure how long it has been. I have trapped for a time, half-slumbering. I know that time has passed, but the count of years escape me. I was in this castle many years before that."

Her expression shows a trace of wistful sorrow as she glances upwards at the walls.

"Are you guardian here?"

[fearbringer]

Pitch shakes his head, firmly. "No. I'm not a guardian of any sort. I'm from another world, just like everyone else."

He pauses. "If there's anyone in charge here besides the Castle itself, they're well-hidden."

[the_five]

"As am I, and the others who were here with me first."

She shook her head slightly. "Nevin never found evidence of such a thing. The castle it what it is. A power beyond our comprehending. I told the others we were foolish to imitate it, but in the end I was much fool as any of them."

[fearbringer]

"Did you say imitate it?" He's lost.

[the_five]

"Yes. Nevin had been sure of it. None of us had the power to return ourselves home, but the castle gathers power. We thought to start our own, to gain the power to return us to our own worlds. But we quarreled over how to do this. Our philosophies sent us in different directions, and each of started out own castle," she explained, then sighed heavily.

"I cannot explain what it was like. But after doing so, I both within and both was the castle itself, an experience so alien I began to lose myself and the power I had gained. I was no better than Paradisa itself, in the end."

[fearbringer]

That's... actually an interesting-sounding idea. And, he figures, the people who did this couldn't have been mere mortals. Someone with no magic or power would just create a powerless Castle, right?

"How many of you were there that left? Do you know any of the people still here, in the Castle?"

[the_five]

"There were five, including myself. I do not know who dwells here now. That the castle still brings others here tells me only that our choice only doomed more of you." She clutched her own arms, looking sorrowful. She'd never meant to let others suffer.

[fearbringer]

"Or that it did nothing either way." He lifts a shoulder in a shrug, seemingly unconcerned.

"Do you know exactly how long it's been since you were last here? Most people keep track of specifics, I've noticed."

[the_five]

She shook her head. "A few centuries is all I can guess. Time has been strange for me. You have no record of our departure?"

[fearbringer]

"Centuries?" His surprise is evident.

"I've been here for less than a year myself-- just a little over six months, I think. And the people I'd talked to who'd been here the longest talked in terms of years, not centuries. Four years is the longest I've heard. There might be information about you in the library, but beyond that..."

He trails off.

[the_five]

"I feared that would be so." She clasped her hands, almost pleading with him.

"I also fear we are somehow responsible for this. The castle chose us first, and we abandoned it. I need to find them, and free the others from the prison they've created. I am not sure Paradisa can, but our imitations can, if you starve them of what they feed upon."

[fearbringer]

"The Castle cares about loyalty," he muses. It's... an interesting idea, especially considering how often it sends people back.

"How many people do your Castles bring in?"

[the_five]

"Several dozen at a time. Maybe more. I cannot say for the others. Their castles may have been more or less successful. As Melios' is the only other vacant, perhaps they have fared better." She sighed and added, "though better is what you may call a relative term."

[fearbringer]

"And you coming here-- will that make a difference?"

[the_five]

She sucks in a breath, unsure but determined at the same time.

"I do not claim to know the mind of the castle fully, not after so long being gone. I don't have the power it once gave me. Perhaps I used it all up in my effort to escape, or perhaps it has simply been revoked from me. All I can guess is, if I have any chance of helping you, it will be when the others are released from their own torments."

[fearbringer]

"The Castle-- this Castle-- gave you power." Pitch frowns. "Seems to me that all it does for us is take away power."

[the_five]

"Perhaps we were what our wizard would have called a failed experiment. And in the end it brought us no real joy. Such is the nature of power." Her expression became somber. No matter it's source, power of any kind seemed to sour too easily.

[fearbringer]

"It depends on the situation, really." Having power certainly makes Pitch happy.

"So. What will you do now?"