After brunch, Wormwood takes Sharon off for further testing, and Tia takes Whisper to meet the Kobolds. This allows Tasha a moment to digest her sandwich, but it's not a very long moment, as she soon hears Kai in her head asking, "Want to learn how to kill a dragon?"
"Not one of the new ones, I hope? Good timing either way, as I was just about to ask you your disposition towards our new sword. I want to resolve your interest in it, if any; our main discussion happened during the battle after all, and I'm uncertain." Tasha puts her plate away, then starts heading out; after all, she's surely bound somewhere, and soon.
"That's part of it, certainly," Kai replies. "I have the sword now, and I'm with Gwyndrael," she adds, along with the knowledge of where the two are: a clearing near one corner of the base wall, between it and the forest, but open towards the beach as well.
"Then consider me inbound, to arrive anon." Tasha has never used the word 'anon' before, but it seems appropriate considering she's about to meet a dragon and a dragon's devil to discuss magic swords and dragon slaying. Nora's memories sometimes make a cliche of her experiences, or perhaps she might say anachronism, or both. She changes direction and departs via the patio, in to the air, and over the wall.
It's easy to spot Gwyndrael from the air, and Tasha lands easily. "I smell bacon on your breath," the mostly silver dragoness notes, and she didn't even have to bring her nose close.
"That is a common occurrence if I can help it," Tasha informs Gwyndrael, grinning. "You'll find we Karnor-blooded love our selections of meats. Kai tells me we have dragon-slaying to discuss? have you ravaged our countryside while I wasn't looking?"
"Not yet," Gwyndrael claims. "What sort of experience do you have fighting large magical creatures?"
"Without a measure to compare to, a decent amount. Typically, I was in a large robot, but the piloting of the robot and the swinging of my own arm were the same, depending on mode. I have fought ghosts, demons, giant worms, more elves than I can count, large fish, and there are probably others things I've since forgotten. I'm a decent swordswoman, and I'm trained in the use of polearms and various firearms," Tasha answers.
"Polearms are good," Gwyndrael says with a slight nod of her head. "Firearms.. are fairly useless, along with arrows. Giant boulders are good if the dragon can't move or is suitable distracted. It also will depend on the sort of dragon you're fighting, of course."
"I've noticed there seems to be a dragon for everything, or at least, every element and color?" Tasha perks her ears, settling in to a attention-casual posture she dredges up from her time as a cadet. "And it would figure that there is a solution to each type, and each individual."
"Superficial differences are.. superficial," Gwyndrael claims. "More important is the dragon's attitude. Those who believe in law and honor will fight a worthy opponent on an equal level. That can be true of the more egotistical.. of megalomaniacal.. sort as well. A dragon's personality is not necessarily consistent over time either, which is why having the most up-to-date information is very important."
"So, like people everywhere, only more so and generally more independent? I have, after all, changed a great deal over a short amount of time." Tasha looks to Kai for some reason, then back to Gwyndrael. "I imagine those we'd target are of the more malevolent variety."
"That is.. hard to say," Gwyndrael admits, and even waves a paw around in an 'it's complicated' gesture. "Dragons don't follow the whole good-and-evil thing. There are those that are lawful, which is to say they accept a higher authority - and those that aren't, seeing themselves as the highest authority. It all depends on the perspective of outside observers when it comes to benevolent or malevolent. You start getting into all manner of labels, like 'hero', 'villain', 'anti-hero', 'anti-villain' and so on. Sometimes a single dragon can be embody all four of those depending on who you ask."
"I think I know the type. I think I might be that type," Tasha admits, left ear flicking. "Hopefully more hero than not, but it's as you say, up to the viewer. So," she spreads her hands, "it will come down to deeds, history, beliefs, alignment with law and chaos, actions, goals, and intent."
"Well, the biggest single factor to look for is nobility, which means some sort of code of honor and at least a change for a fair fight," the dragon explains. "For instance, one who doesn't throw a bunch of minions at you because they can't be bothered."
"That does seem rather tedious, unless use of minions suggests some sort of personal weakness, which seems more unlikely than not." Tasha counts off on a hand. "So, nobility -- a desire to engage personally --; the whole spectrum of their beliefs, history, and personality; their elemental nature is less important than it seems and the off-and-on again opinions on morality."
"Even malevolent dragons can be quite popular among the mortal races," Gwyn also notes. "Due to benefiting from their protection or in other ways. They could even be beloved rulers. That complicates things because people would try to stop you. Even those who live in fear of their draconic overlord could oppose you, because if they let you through, and you lose, the dragon may punish them."
"That makes a lot of sense. I'm sure there are plenty of Empire elves that vilify us here, and no shortage of people here who would rise to our defense, as I did to Kainudy's. Such defenders may be powers unto themselves, such as other dragons, magical constructs, armies and champions, even deities, angels, and demons," the red woman elaborates.
"So, your best option is a younger, brasher dragon out to make a name for themselves rather than a more experienced and established one," Gwyn suggests. "But their heart needs to in tune with the 'Red' as you call it. So more Kai than Tia, even though Kai would absolutely cheat, whereas Tia may simply wait for you to wear yourself out without ever fighting back."
"So you want a dragon version of yourself," Kai simplifies. "Though more on the Vasha end of the Tasha spectrum."
"Go kill someone like yourself feels like a morality story where I play the role of the fool example," Tasha says, dubiously. "I don't want to walk away from this feeling eternal regret, I feel like I've traveled enough to know the personal consequences of fighting, even if not all of me understand them. I'll have to be careful in who I chose to make an opponent."
"Well, compatibility is also important," Kai says. "If you eat the heart of a nasty dragon, that could seep into you. If it's one closer to yourself, it isn't likely to corrupt you later on. I've eaten a lot of hearts, and some of theme just don't sit well with you if you aren't careful."
"So I need to be careful I don't poison myself with regret of many varieties," Tasha confirms, nodding. "So a compatible dragon like myself I can stand to slay and not feel bad about it later, younger, with resources similar to my own."
"Well, except you'll have a magic sword.. if it likes you," Kai says, holding up Caudimordax.
"Mmmm," Gwyndrael sort of grunts while looking at the sword.
"What's not to like?" Tasha doesn't sound entirely convinced of her own likability, especially after she sat eating a sandwich with the uncomfortable dual sense of having lost some sense of family along with her Vartan-ness and watching what is effectively a mirror of herself in Human form struggle with life. It made her feel like she let something down, but not exactly what; a sense she's taken a path and the regrets that come with it. That there may be consequences to it she must answer for, or at least, review. "You don't approve, Gwyndrael? Of the sword, I mean; I assume you approve of me or this would be a very awkward educational session."
"The lore of that blade is disquieting to one such as I," Gwyndrael admits. "The dragon it was forged from was a cannibal, with an overwhelming hunger for the flesh and blood of other dragons."
Tasha blinks at that, ears flicking. "I had no idea. I suppose that's both a boon and a curse in a situation like this. I wonder what that prior knight thought of it, the one whose's pride came before his fall. A good lesson for me, too, come to think of it." She rubs her nose. "Well, it is the sword we have and I can't imagine Kai -- or rather Kainudy -- would urge me to take up a sword anathema to both herself and her own kind, though I know she's more dragon-adjacent."
"She slaughtered thousands of dragons," Gwyn points out. "And took up Peladon's iron sword after he fell. She's one of those 'it depends on who you ask' sorts. And you aren't her. You're Tasha."
"That's true," Tasha says at length, rubbing her chin. "I can't help but feel a connection to her, a similarity, like looking at myself but much, much, older. However we differ in a number of ways, for example, when offered politics, leadership, and acclaim, I turned them all down. So, different, then." She studies the sword for a moment, then holds her hand out to take it. "Lets see how this goes. It's not the first time I've chosen to wield a dark and consuming sword. This will be my second, if I do end up using it."
"Did your first one talk to your?" Gwyn asks.
"Not as such, but its source does. Now and then. It is more that I channel it. If you require, I can show it to you, although your opinion of me may change sharply for knowing I have it -- and your priestly friend even more so." Tasha's smile is apologetic and wry. "It's a power I accepted when I was desperate and a lot more naive." She thinks for a moment, then adds, "I've also wielded other powers that did speak. the Titan Balthazar whispered to me. Urged me to abandon Melchior, to destroy him. It wanted me as its pilot alone. The power it offered was considerable. Cities destroyed in the wave of a hand."
"Such power is not likely to come cheap," Gwyn notes.
"I'm also a talking sword, I just don't urge anyone to do things," Kai notes with a grin.
"I never found out what the price would have been, save that a trap placed within me would have likely destroyed me and corrupted me in to destroying the local society, all for the peace of mind of an ancient entity waiting for some end to come. Were it Balthzar alone, I don't know what the consequence of the offered power would have been. Glory and arrogance, at least." Tasha raises an eyebrow at Kai, but says nothing of that. She's sure Kai knows all she might have said anyway. "As for the first sword, that is a price I'm still paying, and its full cost is yet unknown. We will likely see it soon. But that's another task. As for this one, well, lets see how it goes."
And so Tasha takes up the sword again, holding it up to the light and really getting a good look at it now that it's unbound. "The last time I saw this sword unsheathed it was being waved at Kai."
The sword's weight feels off. It's far lighter than something made of metal should be, but at the same time seems resist movement, like a gyroscope. "To be able to use it, you need to give it some of your blood," Kai explains. "Blood is used for lots of things like this. The currency of the soul, and all that."
"I remember our trip to Avalon and its entry price." Tasha also remembers passing out and waking up in a strange bath house. "Well, there's no use in dithering. Unless anyone has an immediate reason not to, I'm going to try it." She reaches for her belt and the knife there, to cut her hand for the blood that's needed.
"Apply it to the crossguard, where the dragon's head is," Kai instructs. The crossguard looks like two curved horns emerging from the dragon's skull, with the nose covering the base of the blade.
After cutting her hand, Tasha holds it over the sword and allows the drops to fall. "To a beautiful friendship." It's said with a bit of amusement, and just slightly, wry self deprecation. It is, after all, her second ominous and possibly cursed blade.
The blood seems to get drawn into the sculpted eye-sockets. Once it's all taken in, Tasha hears a voice like kettle-drums saying, "Feed me on dragon flesh and I will serve you." There's no mention of the consequences of not feeding the sword, however.
"It wants dragon flesh, and it will serve me. No mention of what happens if I don't, though I presume that it will cease to serve me." Tasha switches the weapon to her off hand, reaching for her pocket first aid kit and the bandages there. "There's also the problem of what happens if there is no such flesh around, for example, my home universe."
"Well, you don't need to keep it after it's served its purpose," Gwyndrael notes. "It might start trying to compel you to hunt dragons otherwise."
"She already hunts for the pretty ones," Kai claims.
"A disposable magic sword, then. It seems rather frivolous and lacking in regard, but I can't allow it to direct me." Tasha finishes the bandaging and holds the sword to her side, then coughs at Kai's remark, but grins. "Well, Kai's not wrong. If only there was a sword with that interest."
"There are plenty," Gwyndrael says. "They just happen to be attached to male dragons."
"Rather difficult to get my hands on I imagine, expect in the usual way, and I'm spoken for there." Though, Tasha wonders for how long; how long before Gabriel talks to her about his needs and her reluctance to meet them. It worries her. "Not that I haven't wondered. Well." She glances at the sword, gives it a swing to the open air, and nods. "I have the sword. The next item, of course, is a target. I'd like to get this over and done with before we've finished waiting on updates on the mission, I don't want to be the reasons we delay and the extra power may come in handy, especially given its exotic origin."
"Well, I suppose you could put out a general challenge and see who bites," Gwyndrael suggests. "Or I and Thermoriax can scry up some likely candidates."
"Are they any requirements you might have for candidates, other than the ones Gwyn suggested?" Kai asks Tasha.
"I feel like a general challenge might be used against us in a broader sense. While I'm unlikely to be well known, out last foray may have attracted much more notice than the earlier conflicts, and the Empire and others may use my association to Kai and therefore Kainudy as a means to attempt a strike in that way. Lets go with scrying; we can issue apparently general challenges later if we need to." As for other requirements, Tasha considers a moment, then says, "I'd prefer to avoid dragons with children and dependent families, anyone who, in your opinion or mine, their removal would have terribly consequences for dependents, towns, and so on, but only if they are loved rather than feared. And if you feel I or others here would regret their death, avoid those, too."
"Well, everyone here should regret killing a dragon, if they've been raised properly," Gwyndrael notes. "Kai excluded, of course."
"Easy way to deal with that is to do it where they can't see it," Kai suggests. "It should also be a dragon you have a reasonable chance of defeating, too. We won't be able to stop the fight if it looks like it's turning bad for you. My mental abilities don't work on dragons."
"I suspect they have not been raised properly, and I further suspect they would take offense to that," Tasha says with a more genuine, less burdened laugh. At a more somber tone, she says with a nod, "Don't lose, in other words. Well, I'm not the type to throw my life away for honor alone. I'm not like that knight. My loyalty is to my family, my friends, our cause, and life, I'm not afraid to run for it if it comes down to that, or to be underhanded. I would prefer to avoid it, but my oaths are as I said."
"How are your defenses?" Gwyndrael asks. "Can your armor stand up to dragon fire or powerful physical blows?"
"My physical armor can withstand punishing physical blows, as can my shields, while my mental defenses can deflect both mind assaults and dragon fire -- to a limit of course. I may be able to deflect dragon fire by converging it with my own Red flames, and channel it elsewhere. I don't expect my meager magic nor my brute strength will accomplish much, so I'll be relying on the sword for dealing real damage, my wit for coming up with alternates on the fly, and the rest to defend me. I also have the overwhelming power of my second sword, but I would prefer not to use that as it would surely taint the victory -- in more ways than one. A last resort." Tasha then lifts a hand and manifests a Blue shield, a nondescript floating shield of shimmering and peaceful blue not-light. "Kainudy herself taught me to use this, and fashioned it for me. Kai taught me to use it to shield my mind. It was able to deflect Kainudy's fire, though I feel she was holding back."
"You have a limited energy budget for your kinetic shield as well, in terms of absorbing blows, so you may want to reserve it for dodging instead," Kai advises. "I do not suggest asking Tia to boost it."
"Because she has reservations in helping with this? Or because I may, for example, explode?" Tasha lifts an eyebrow.
"The former," Kai says. "Her sense of morality is hardwired into her, and she can't really go against it. It can dictate her actions against her own will as well. She would be hard pressed to see the purpose in such a battle."
"She clearly does not understand dragons," Gwyndrael comments.
"I'm also wondering if this is the right choice. The voice within said nothing of challenging dragons and eating their hearts. It said to look to others, although it didn't speak against looking to you, Kai." Tasha glances at the sword, then looks to Gwyndrael. "Tia does not understand true dragons, that is correct. She was surprised when you arrived and has been curious about you ever since. Tia and I have our own problems as well. I chose to do something terrible to her in the hopes it would distract Kainudy from destroying us both, but she's never quite forgiven me for it and, as much as I hate to say this, maybe shouldn't. It's not the kind of thing to forgive, it was a nasty and unpleasant necessity chosen in desperation by a desperate and damaged person, namely myself. Tia did push me in to that conflict, so she shares some guilt, but I also started it, or Kainudy did. It's mess in which everyone came out the worst for it, and we're all to blame. And maybe we should remember that."
"Kainudy never balked at doing what was necessary to her goals," Gwyndrael claims. "Not when I knew her, anyway."
"She's mellowed out after a second dragon war and and one and a half more genocides," Kai says.
"I agree, that's what I've heard of her and what she herself described. However, I think she was crushed by regrets, so it clear she didn't come out unscathed, nor do i think she approves of every choice she made. I have a chance to avoid such choices by learning from her." Tasha rubs her chin, eyes the sword again, then looks to Gwyndrael. "You are fine with this? You're an advocate. I know you don't like the sword, but I think we resolved that. What does the dragon god of justice think of this, too?"
"And yes, she did seem a lot more mellow than the stories described her," Tasha adds, in afterthought.
"Justice implies reward and punishment," Gwyndrael says. "It isn't about good or evil, but balancing the scales. If justice is to be served against someone, then the manner of it is left to those enacting it. That said, dragons make messes in their youth, but they still need to pay for them. We just need to find one that needs to pay the appropriate price."
"The biggest check on dragon overpopulation is other dragons, as well," Kai notes. "The reckless ones are weeded out early."
"Then it's settled. If Tia asks, I'll explain I considered the ramifications and the justice in it and did not act blindly or rashly; I know that's often a concern when I do anything. Watching Sharon and Whisper has made me more.. " Tasha struggles with the word a moment. "Pensive? Reflective? Whatever the word is, you caught me at the right time to make decisions."
"Let us seek out Priestess Thermoriax then," Gwyn says. "She should be in the tower you gave over to us."
"Yes, lets. The sooner we get this done, the better. We don't know when we'll be called to mobilize against the artificial world." Tasha turns to gaze up at the tower. "Off we go, then."
Gwyndrael has to change to her more manageable biped form, which causes a bit of a stir when they arrive at the tower since she's naked. This mainly is an issue for the half-dragons there. The few Kobolds either don't notice or don't care. It isn't clear where the rest of them have gotten off to. Tia is also there in the main floor lounge with the half-dragons, with no sign of whisper. She nods her head in greeting to the arrival of Tasha, Gwyn and Kai. "You've got the magic sword," Tia observes in a neutral tone.
"So I do. You will be pleased to know I discussed the ramifications of this and more at length before accepting." Tasha nods to the others as well, assuming Whisper has popped off to where she will, possibly to follow Sharon around. She likes Whisper and wishes her no harm, but she isn't sure she can be her mother, or anyone's mother. But that is a problem for another day. "Is Priestess Thermoriax about?"
"She's upstairs," Tia says. Then Kai throws an arm around her shoulder and says, "Aww, you're here to see her too, aren't you?" Kai then rubs her knuckles atop Tia's head, causing the girl to squirm out of her grasp.
Tasha barks a laugh at that. It reminds her of Nora and herself, and also of Sasha and herself. She suspects it isn't long before Vasha is part of that list as well. "Well, why don't we go see her together then?" Her tail wags a little, like it's reluctant to do so and lacks the energy, but it warming up to the idea.
Tia seems uncertain, but then nods. She probably didn't really want to go alone. When they get to the next floor, the decor has changed quite a bit. There are exotic furs and golden decorations, all courtesy of Kai. It seems odd to still find a plain office door that they have to knock on. "Enter," Thermoriax bids, and the door opens. Instead of a desk there's a table with an actual crystal ball on it, and lots of other strange paraphernalia that the priestess brought with her. "Gwyn, you need to wear clothes when you're like that," she points out.
"You just worry that they'll start wondering what you look like naked now," Gwyndrael says, and commandeers one of the available stools.
Tasha steps inside with the others. "As her supporter I must duly speak against such actions," Tasha says, laying a hand over her heart as if she were professing some noble truth. She then bows a little. "And I owe you an apology for being over-harsh in my interpretation of earlier events."
"Well, I'm not going to put the other humans in my mouth like that," Thermoriax promises. "What brings you to my chapel?" Apparently dragons don't have offices. Just lairs and chapels.
"A matter of Justice, of course," Gwyn says.
"Mmm-hmm," the priestess responds, then looks to the others. "So, what really brings you here?"
Tasha ponders if she may need to upgrade the description of her abode if she manages to eat the heart; she'll give it some thought afterwards, she decides. "And detection. We've discussed seeking a dragon for me to fight and defeat; we need your help in locating one who meets our criteria." She nods to the sword at her side. "For the reason we spoke of earlier."
"What sort of requirements?" Thermoriax asks. Tia also seems to pay close attention as well.
"Reckless, problematical, and has to have committed murder," Gwyn says. "But.. not more than Tasha could reasonably handle."
And so Tasha describes what they came up with at length, focusing on her and her family's part in thing, "And so you see what we're getting at. Preferably a lack of regret and resentment, someone I have a real chance of defeating, and so on."
"A punk, basically," the priestess sums up. She then focuses on her crystal ball in silence for several minutes. "I've found some unposted warrants," she finally reports. "Some village in the borderlands of Gilead has had livestock go missing and a 'delegation' that went to investigate as well. A drake calling himself Farnettor the Brown is the likely culprit. Adolescent, no priors."
"That is an awful name," Kai opines.
Even Tasha thinks it's an awful name, and she doesn't know what it means. "I agree. I feel eating the heart of someone with a embarrassing name is beneath me. I'm not here to lower myself, after all, dragon power or no."
"Too many have that attitude it seems," Thermoriax laments. "But all paladins have to start somewhere. This one is clearly out to make a better name for himself, but is too lazy to move on and causing this community a lot of trouble."
"They've lodged a formal request with the Temple of Justice," Gwyndrael says. "We need to investigate as a matter of course."
"Does that mean we're going to investigate in person?" Tasha glances to Gwyndrael. "To assess and review?"
"At the very least," Gwyndrael says. "It may be as the warrant claims, or it may not be. We need to know which way the scales need to be balanced."
Tia makes a short hiccup sort of sound.
"Very well, hopefully it won't take more of our time than we have left." Tasha glances to Tia, brows raising. "Do you have something you want to add, Tia?"
"Leave me out of it," Tia says. "I'm.. not good at balance in these situations."
"Yes, that makes sense. I know your history." Tasha nods to Tia, then looks to the others. "So, who should go, then? Myself of course, anyone else? Or is this an assessment of me as much as the target?"
"I need to go as an arbiter and official witness," Gwyndrael says.
Kai hmms. "I'm bored! So I'll come along. In case things go bad, I can promote one of the spares to be the next Tasha."
"That's two. I can't imagine we need more than that, I almost feel we're too much between Gwyndrael and I." The red woman looks around, brows raised, to see if anyone objects or speaks a desire to join their party. "Kai has joined in order to remind me of my mortality. Anyone else?"
"Do you need a blessing?" Thermoriax asks.
"You probably shouldn't tell anyone who'd object," Kai notes. "But they might assume you'll be safe because I'm going, after the way things turned out last time."
"Vasha," Tia says quietly.
"That's the hippogryff, right?" Thermoriax asks.
"I'm not sure what that would entail, and to prevent risk to you, I'm uncertain if that is safe," Tasha admits, ears canting back. She then turns to Kia and nods. "They might. For better or worse they've never spoken up to restrain me before, nor have they expressed a great deal of concern when I have been injured or fallen. Military, you know?" She then looks to Tia in turn. "I feel Vasha may compete with me."
"Exactly why you need to impress her," Tia offers.
"She hasn't shown it, but she's actually very intimidated by dragons," Kai notes.
"I didn't realize I need to impress her, unless you think she might start challenging me and trying to take over. She can try, and she can even have it if she wants, it's not as if my position here is a title to claim, I'm not appointed. If anything she'll regre-.. Oh." Tasha frowns a moment, then nods to the additional point. "Alright, she can come. I don't know where she got that from, but for that and other reasons she should join us."
"She may have a similar attitude to this 'punk' dragon," Gwyndrael supposes. "Could be eye-opening."
"Hopefully she doesn't have the same sense of naming," Tasha worries.
Tasha knows that doing something fast makes it easier to get away with in the short term. So gathering up her armor and grabbing Vasha makes it easier to claim that she's taking the Vartan on a quick adventure with Gwyndrael and Kai, and by that point the portal was opened and they had to head through.
Since both Tasha and Vasha had their own wings, only Kai got to ride on Gwyndrael (along with the dragon's saddle-bags). Even the dragon had to talk fast to avoid having an entourage. The land beyond the portal isn't all that different from the one they just left, being a long valley with forests, a river and a lake before reaching the area that had been cleared for farming and the village itself.
"That went well!" It's hard to hear over the sound of the wind, but Tasha can be loud when she needs to be. "So we're heading to town first, then hunting the countryside? Bring everything you need, Vasha?"
"I barely got armor on before you drag me off," Vasha replies. "We're not gonna get our soul chewed on again, right?"
"More like the fleshy parts, we're investigating a dragon -- and if it's a problem then I'm going to deal with it!" Tasha makes a gesture of taking a handful of something and putting it in her waiting jaws. "Investigation first!"
Vasha just clacks her beak at that. Once they've cleared the forest there's an obvious road leading to the village between the fields, and Gwyndrael drops towards it for a landing.
Tasha follows along, heading downward. She hasn't flown very much lately so she focuses on the landing, not wanting her adventure to end before it begins. Once down she waits for everyone to get situated on the ground and then spreads her arms. "You won't have to fight the dragon, but I thought you'd like to join in on the adventure and see a world beyond our home.. realm? Universe? Whisperverse?"
Once down, Gwyndrael's form blurs a bit, and then she looks like.. well, a bit like a Cervani, but not quite. She pulls a robe from her pack, which along with her necklace and its badge makes her look more official. This leaves Kai as the only one without hooves of some sort. "All r-r-right," the disguised dragon says. "Onward." Kai carries the saddlebags over her shoulder. "Try not to star-r-rtle anyone."
Tasha's head leans back at this sudden Cervani, but she figures everyone must look like this here, so she doesn't question it. And, if she questioned every odd transformation and unusual form she'd have a lot of repetitive conversations, which she also decides would be boring. "I think Vasha is startled. I'm a little startled too, I haven't seen a Cervani in a while." But she starts walking.
"Faun," Kai corrects Tasha. "Closer to Satyrs than to Cervani. Part of a spectrum of similar creatures which you now fit into, at least from the knees down."
"Oh, is that what this is?" Tasha peers at her legs. "I though Persephone was teasing me about being demon-like, like, you know, everyone else does." Tasha clacks a hoof, which does now make a spark -- and causes her to have to chase after it and quickly stomp it out as it starts a little grass fire. "Well it will be nice to fit in for once!"
The townsfolk are indeed goatish of face, and the town itself is a bit more miscegenated. There are low buildings of earth and stone, wooden ones that wouldn't be out of place in Nordika, a few of metal and glass, and one that is a smouldering ruin. When Gwyn stops before it, people begin to gather around them.
Tasha takes in the sights, finding it nice to be back among Nordik buildings. Despite her penchant for firey destruction, she appreciates cold weather and its architecture a lot. Perhaps, she thinks, it's because she is so fire and red aligned. Whatever the case may be, and as she considers this, she joins Gwyndrael and stands behind her and to the right, folding her hands behind her back to help add to the officiousness. It's been a while, but she's been on the official stage before.
"I think this was the common house," Gwyn says. "Which isn't a good sign." She turns to the gathered crowd and announces, "We're here to investigate the complaint about a dragon. "Is the person who submitted it available?"
There's a bit of ninnying among the crowd, until someone answers, "They were in the building."
"What about the sheriff or mayor?" Gwyndrael asks.
Tasha steps forward and begins to inspect the building. While she can't help much with local custom, she can help somewhat with fire. She extends a hand and tries to subtly bring her skill with Red to bear, feeling out the flow of ash, of the flames that were, of the hunger of the flames, back towards where it all started.
"They didn't come back after going with the head priest to confront the dragon," is the predictable reply.
Tasha is not overly-familiar with dragon fire, but it definitely doesn't feel like it was a normal fire that did this. It happened fast, and was very very hot. Even the stonework is cracked and burned in places. Only the fireplace and part of the chimney remain mostly intact.
"Hmm," goes Tasha. It's about what she expected, but she couldn't assume it was a dragon -- this is an investigation afte all. She now focuses on the origin point of the fire: did it start inside, at the counter? In a bedroom, at a table? Or outside? The answer could suggest a wider motive. In what feels like a long time ago, she remembers hearing about a woman burning her cheating lover and their partner in the bed they were in; people, as she understands them, do not normally start fires in bedroom without reason. So, she reasons, the initial location is important.
Kai leans over to whisper something to Gwyn, and the Satyrical dragon asks, "Is there a farmer Nuster here?" There's more muttering until an older man appears, leaning heavily on a crook-tipped staff.
"The rest of you should go about your business," Gwyndrael urges. None of the people seem inclined to miss out though, until Vasha loudly clears her throat. That disperses them.
Tasha continues her work on the fire. After she locates its origin, she'll consider either investigating the bodies, if anyway, or rejoining the others. At least no one's yelling "demon!" at her, which is nice.
Gwyn asks the man to tell them how things got started, and Kai does her 'calming' trick. The man relays that he runs a small farm with a flock of woolies (some sort of sheep) as a side business to supply wool. His eldest son was their shepherd, until one day he just vanished with two of the 'best' woolies. "I figgered he took 'em and scarpered off to Flaxtown to be a bride price. We argued over his choice in women, so that seemed the likeliest reason," he explains. "Then my eldest girl, Doreen, took over. But a few days later, she vanished with the two next-best woolies, so I called on the sheriff. Wasn't no sign of owlbears or wargs, just scattered woolies. I guess someone claimed to have seen a dragon up on the ridge, so the sheriff and the village headman and the priest went up to see, but didn't come back neither. So old Bill Gruff, who runs.. who ran the public house sent off a report, then just the other night.. foom.. no more public house and no more Bill Gruff."
"And did anyone see what caused the fire?" Gwyn asks. The old man turns his head and spits out a blob of something, before saying, "Not that'd come forward and risk bein' the next one to vanish or turned into ashes."
"No real guards or soldiers in town?" Vasha asks. The old goat just shakes his head. "They're expensive, gotta pay 'em even if they're just sittin' around."
Tasha steps back from the burnt remains and walks over to Gwyndrael and the others. "The fire didn't seem normal, like a tipped over candle. First, it was very, very hot -- hot enough to crack and melt stone. Second, it seemed to have started on the ground floor, but there's a possibility it was started from the fireplace, specifically, from the top of the top of the chimney, such as if a dragon breathed down the exhaust chute. That's all I was able to get from the fire itself."
"Well, I think we have enough cause to go check on Farnettor," Gwyndrael says, and points to the valley wall beyond the lake. "He's up in there somewhere, I can feel him."
"I agree. Nothing I've heard sounds like it's anything over than what we've been told. I assume you can sense if one were hiding here in town? I don't think there's one here, but it would be good to know if one or more of us can detect that deception." Tasha turns to peer off at the distant hill, squinting. Her eyesight is very good, and this is one of the few times that has been useful lately, what with the bevy of supernaturally powerful beings and high technology filling the role.
The rock face is pretty large, and there are still trees and boulders. It's far enough out that Tasha can't make out details beyond that. "Thank you for your testimony, Mr. Nuster," Gwyn tells the old man. "We will see that Justice is carried out, should we uncover the culprit."
"Please do," the old goat says. "And if possible, return any remains for proper burial."
"Terrain is rocky with high tree cover, so easy ambushes," Tasha reports. She turns back to the others, then to the farmer and gives hi a respectful nod. "If we can, we will."
"We'll be coming from the air, not the ground," Gwyn announces, and starts walking back towards the road.
"This ain't gonna be one of the cute-n-shiny ones, is it?" Vasha asks Tasha with a bit of a grumble.
"Yes ma'am." Tasha gives a wave to the old goat, then follows after. After they're out a ways she admits, "I should have studied dragon fire more, I might have been able to understand the origin better. But, at least to me, this all feels like basic, unsophisticated robbery and direct revenge. The only sophistication is in the dragon's stealth and habit of attacking from ambush. It's strange to me no one's gotten a good look at it, which, for a dragon, seems unnecessary -- unless it's small or otherwise made vulnerable by others knowing what it looks like. Like it either fears a weak self being recognized, or some other avoidance, such as being well known. But if it were truly avoiding detection I can't imagine it'd go in for obvious and alarming revenge plans. If it were me, I'd have moved on."
"No, I don't think it is," Tasha tells Vasha after her review, head shaking. "The only cute and shiny dragon today is Gwyndrael."
"Good," Vasha claims. "Got enough mixed feelings 'bout dragons, so ugly is better."
"I don't know where you got that from. That might be something that's unique to you, or at least, unique to Vartans." Tasha stretches, then shakes her head. "So this dragon really does seem like just a punk, but I guess we'll see. Investigate."
Once outside the village, there's no reason for disguise, so Gwyndrael is soon back to being cute and shiny.. and big. "The me-sized ones seemed alright," Vasha says. "Kinda shiny. But it hard to trust dragons after what Kainudy did to us."
"Time to go say hello," Gwyndrael says, and takes off with Kai on her back.
"I hear what you're saying. That moment broke something in me, and I don't just mean my soul. But it's important to judge beings individually as well as a whole. And Kainudy has suffered a lot, too. I have to believe we can be forgiven for our mistakes and failings, in something more than just revenge, or else that's all there will be. Fire, and death." Tasha shakes her head again. "I'm having a similar problem with Samael. Anyway lets go before they think we're plotting something." And so she takes wing, following the others.
It takes some time to cross over the lake, then up in the higher meadows where the fluffy forms of woolies can be seen meandering about. Gwyn seems to know exactly which way to go though, and it isn't long before Tasha can smell it; a stench of sulfur and ash. The lair isn't visible yet, but Gwyndrael announces herself with an echoing roar, then just soars on a thermal as if waiting for a reply.
Tasha saves energy by using the thermals as well, and feeling this is a moment to announce oneself, roar-barks her own presence to the surrounding countryside. While they wait she studies the countryside, noting the smell, which means potentially poisonous gases, flammability, scalding water, and a generally hazardous environment she'll need her helmet for, and would prefer to avoid fighting in.
After waiting several minutes for a reply, Gwyndrael says, "Well, no answer is still telling, time to knock on the door." She angles down towards a patch of talus and scree from an old rockslide.
"I don't trust that landscape. The gases are potentially explosive, not to mention toxic. I recommend only one or two of us approach, with the rest hanging back. Anyone who can't manage poison gases, scalding water, and sudden and wide ranging fire and explosion hazards." Tasha considers a moment as they descend, then adds, "We can also collapse any caves and handle things that way, but there may be prisoners."
Gwyn lands hard, which dislodges a good bit of debris but nothing serious. There's a cave that's partially obscured by a shelf of clearly arranged boulders and stone slabs where the stink is coming from, along with a fetid looking pond covered in algae. "I know you're here, Farnettor," she announces.
"Ugh, even I can smell that much," Vasha complains. "Fart Terror is an appropriate name, heh."
"It sure is," Tasha agrees with Vasha. She fishes out a bandanna and ties it over her nose, considering getting her helmet on early. After Gwyndrael speaks, Tasha calls out, "If you have any prisoners relinquish them immediately. We are aware of the flammability here, don't try anything 'clever'. If you stay in the cave you'll only make it worse for yourself. Come out and answer for what you've done, and speak if you have some defense."
"I've got nothing worth stealing!" a voice rumbles from within the cave, the echoes making it sound bigger. Eventually a reptilian head emerges, covered in earth-colored bony plates and sporting a fringe of horns. Even the dragon's eyes blend in with the coloration. "I don't know what you're talking about! First those nasty goats come to harass me, and now.. crap, an arbiter?"
"Yes, crap, an arbiter," Tasha confirms. She spreads her hands and steps forward with Gwyndrael, explaining, "Several villagers have gone missing, along with their sheep, and the local commons house has been burned to the ground by very, very hot fire. You see the problem. Your name came up in investigation."
From the head alone, Farnettor is smaller than Thermoriax (who is the biggest of the three back at base) but still at least twice as big as Kainudy, if not bigger. Tasha smells blood on it, though not fresh, but no fire traces in the immediate area.
All of this makes Tasha frown a little. "Do dragons of his type even breath fire? He's quite big, but, I don't feel any special malice from him. I'm a little worried we may have been had, that there's another one out there," she asides to the others.
Which inspires Tasha a thought. "Did you clash with another dragon recently," she calls out in question.
"Hah! They came up here and threatened me with a pike, a crossbow and religion," Farnettor claims. "Maybe they got lost or tripped in the dark," he suggests. There's still something going on.. a bit of a draconic aura, certainly. "If there were another dragon here, I wouldn't be," he replies.
Tasha's ears flick. "There's something going on. I'm not sure he's entirely guiltless, but I'm getting the sinking feeling there's something else afoot here. Vasha, keep an eye on the sky and our surroundings. Kai, do you feel anything else lurking nearby? Any sentient minds in the cave besides his?"
"Then you won't mind if we search your lair," Gwyndrael says. This causes the brown dragon to freeze up for a moment.
"No, nothing with half a brain will be anywhere near this place," Kai tells Tasha. "Plus he's lying, trying to think of a way to stall for time so he can get rid of incriminating evidence. He was not expected to get called out."
"Who asked you, witch," the cornered dragon snaps at Kai.
"Is there something in your lair we should know about?" Tasha nods to Kai, then adds, "Do not attempt to tend to your lair. You are on very thin ground and your continued survival depends on what you do next."
Farnettor is not a quick thinker, apparently. He fumes in place, before saying, "They came at me. I have the right to defend myself."
"Then show us the bodies so that they may be returned for funeral rites," Gwyndrael says calmly.
Tasha tilts her head. "And did you have a right to grab their finest flock and, of particular note, their son, daughter, and immolate their commons house?"
The dragon goes still and silent again at the request.
"It would be better if you just admitted to things," Tasha says with a sigh. "Better for you, for us, and for how this will go down."
"Better.." the dragon rumbles, then looks at Gwyndrael again. "Arbiter. You can't force me! I know that much!"
"That's why I've brought these two warriors," Gwyndrael counters. "Are you going to claim innocence, provide proof of it, or choose immediate trial by combat?"
Now Farnettor looks over Tasha and Vasha. "And if I win, I get to claim an honor prize for the insult?" he asks.
"That is customary, yes," Gwyndrael says.
Tasha steps forward. "She may not be able to force me, but I can." She puts her helmet on, then rests her hand on the dragon slaying sword, loosening it enough that she can draw it quickly. And then she frowns. "An honor prize?"
"Yeah, for the insult to my honor," Farnettor claims, and then looks a bit smug that Tasha didn't know. "Fine, I choose trial by combat against that little one with the nasty attitude, and if I win I get to eat the giant chicken."
"What?" Vasha asks.
"Do you agree to these terms?" Gwyn asks Tasha.
Tasha glances at Kai until she realizes Gwyndrael is looking at her. "Oh I thought he meant Kai." "Start running, both of you," she sends telepathically to Kai and Vasha.
"Do I agree? Hmm.. N-" And then Tasha is gone in a thunderclap of rushing air and speed, the sword out, as she hurtles towards the dragon's head and eyes in a blitzkrieg assault.
Farnettor is not a fast thinker, but Kai is. Tasha finds herself suddenly pulled back to where she started, before the brown dragon notices the attempted attack. Instead it looks up to the clear sky as if expecting a thunderstorm. "You have to play by the rules," Tasha hears Kai in her head. "You can't attack before formally accepting. You both have to be out in the open before the witnesses."
"What??" Tasha turns around and throws up her hands, after skidding to a halt. "I don't even want his heart! I was just going to kill him like I kill everything, preferably fast and with a lot of violence. I'm not giving Vasha to anyone, she's not mine to surrender, and I don't give a damn about laws or rules in the face of people dying and my family being threatened! I didn't realize I was going to be bound up in formal challenges. That's not how I do things."
"I won't condone murder," Gwyndrael says. "Trial by combat is a sacred tradition to the Platinum Dragon once invoked."
"I'll be the prize," Kai offers.
"Damn straight you will, cuz it ain't gonna be me!" Vasha growls. "If Tasha loses I'm cutting that lizard's head off!"
"I'm fine with the human then," Farnettor says, still looking confused about the thunderclap he heard, much less Tasha's outburst.
"Not invoked by me. No one gets sacrificed. If I knew this is how it'd be, I'd have come here myself, alone. Using someone I care about as currency for my power ambitions is bad enough, but throwing their life to potential failures is another entirely." She then turns and nods to Vasha. "That's right! We don't throw people away. Not you Kai, not Vasha. All I have are the people I care about. There is nothing more precious. Not the law, not the sacred, not some hurt feelings. Vasha, to me."
"We may need to sync up for this. We'll need to share our thoughts, because we may have to deflect Gwyndrael and Kai. But before that, lets see how this goes. Be ready. Open the link." And so Tasha does it, not wanting to be caught off guard. "Anyway, Vasha and I are leaving. You can kill him or not, but my stake in this is done. If you like I can tell the townspeople to formally prepare to get eaten." Then Tasha starts to walk away, urging Vasha to follow -- and keep an eye out.
"So.. you're going to leave too now right?" Farnettor asks Gwyndrael. "No," she replies. "If Trial by Combat is not available, you must offer proof of your claims or step out and allow an inspection."
"That magic sword means you can't lose, right?" Vasha thinks to Tasha. "That was the whole point of it, I thought."
Tasha waits for Vasha, but she does linger nearby. There's always a possibility she'll get what she wants if she waits, which then gives her an idea. "Did you get a load of that Fart Dragon, Vasha? I can't believe I was asked to risk something important just to fight that. No wonder they couldn't get anyone else to come out here! Talk about the trash heap of dragons. And he burned down the ale house, so there goes any sense of taste, as well."
In response to Vasha, Tasha replies, "You can always lose. I'm not fool enough to believe I'm invincible anymore. I make mistakes, I rely on uncertain powers. I was wrong about the dragon and wrong about the challenge. Always fight to have the very most advantages Vasha. Don't risk or offer anything you won't lose, even if the fight seems certain. Especially, because that's.. What's the word? Hubris."
"I don't like quick kills," a third voice chimes in. "The pain enhances the flavor. Little bites, then bigger bites!" Caudimordax weighs in. "And under Bahamut's oversight as well? Even tastier. The victim can't back out then! Forfeit is worse than death, even though they still die anyway, but they'll be branded a coward as well."
"Gods, that thing sounds like Kai," Vasha notes with a bit of distaste.
"Chh," goes Tasha at the deluge of entities urging her to fight. "Fine! Fine. But only if you agree, Vasha. Now I'm angry. I'm really angry. If you agree, I'm going to tear it apart. Or I'm out. I'm a few steps from wanting to fight everything near me, so lets make a decision here. It's your choice Vasha. I leave it to you."
"Hey, Kai volunteered, and it not like she can be eaten," Vasha points out. But then says, "Yeah, if the sword will actually do it then I'm in. If I don't risk my life, then how do I know I deserve to have it? I was made by a monster, I need to know that I'm really real."
"Monster, real.. It's all the same Vasha. Believe what you are, because then you can believe if everyone believes you -- or no one does. Will is the secret to more than just magic." Tasha heel-turns and walks back. "Fine, I'm back in. The big chicken is chicken no more and will agree." Tasha unsheathes the sword, pointing it directly at the dragon's face. "I AM ALDARA TASHA ARGENTINE. DEMON SLAYER. Fight me. FIGHT ME!" She all but screams in its face. "I AM GOING TO END YOU!"
Farnettor is half-way out of the cave, due to Kai pulling him out by one his nostrils. He really looks like he's made of stone. "Very well then," Gwyndrael says. "I, Gwyndrael Stormborn as representative of the Dragon God of Justice recognize this Trial by Combat for the fate of Farnettor the Brown, with Aldara Tasha Argentine as the chosen Champion of Justice. Please proceed to the dueling ground." The dueling ground is apparently the area they landed in, away from the fumes.
"I was just starting to have fun," Kai laments and releases the dragon's nostril to return to Gwyndrael's side. "Uh.. I.. uh.. accept," Farnettor says, and emerges fully from the cave. He's pretty stocky, and has three tails for some reason, each ending in a what looks like a stone ball.
Tasha snaps around and speed walks back the way they came, eager to get started. As she walks she performs a few stretches until. And, she isn't entirely sure why, but she's almost blindly angry but she doesn't have time to suss out why. She's just grateful she has something to take it out on, and for the moment, a partner who agrees with her, here before her killing rage is let slip. "Hurry the hell up!"
"Go for the wings first," Caudimordax whispers to Tasha. "He'll panic when he can't fly."
Farnettor reaches the fighting ground, and spreads his wings to make himself look bigger.
"Good advice, I'll make that fast then, so we can deal with the rest in our time," Tasha replies to the sword. She leans on the blade, hands folded over the pommel, studying the brown dragon. "So he's go fire breath and wreaking balls. Attack from above the head? Those balls might reach the sides, but the rear and front are obvious danger zones. If I can catch a tail I cna probably cut off the weights.. "
"There are three of them, mind," the sword advises. "Probably his favored form of attack. Stone dragons prefer blunt-force attacks when fighting one another."
"And I can only take so many of those before I'm dead. How fast can he whip those around? Maybe I'll stick to the front, or try to bait him in to over reaching and get a shot at them. Either way, the fir concerns me less than blunt force trauma." Tasha's expression remains neutral, verging on cold. Calculating. It really makes her more avian traits stand out. She could easily be an executioner waiting at the stump.
With his wings spread like they are, his tails are actually hidden from view. "Signal readiness," Gwyndrael requests.
"He's hiding his tails? Ah, maybe a surprise attack. Trying to end me quickly. Lets focus on evasion and counter until we know his speed and reach." Tasha hefts the sword from the ground and turns to her adversary. "I am ready."
The dragon snorts, then raises his head and proclaims, "I am ready."
"Then begin," Gwyndrael says, and Tasha immediately feels a non-physical attack: the pressure of Farnettor's draconic aura. It causes her vision to be blue-tinged as it presses against her shield.
Tasha resists with her shield, but psionic attacks are not her forte, and she expects Farnettor to follow up with this mental assault with a crushing follow up to take advantage of her potential stunned state. So Tasha feigns being stunned, clutching her head and wobbling, even as she readies her feet, lifts her wings, and prepares to evade and counter.
Instead of attacking head on, Tasha's opponent plunges his claws into the talus and pulls up a large amount of loose stone. He then tosses up and uses his wings to launch the debris across the field at Tasha!
Tasha was expecting a tail attack at speed, so a few tossed rocks are not a concern for her. She minimizes her dodge to avoid tipping her hand and giving away her speed, flying to the side enough to clear the boulders' path. And rather than dodge immediately she makes a show of shaking off her fugue and then dodging, hoping to lull the dragon in to believing she can be stunned in such a a way, and therefore she hopes to sew an advantage for later.
It isn't clear if Farnettor notices, as he's already in the air, having launched immediately after the rocky diversion. Now the tails are in view, spread out below the dragon.
Tasha takes to the air as well, accelerating enough to try and put herself above the dragon, believing it not fast enough to keep up with her suddenly and rapidly ascending and, in addition, not capable of swinging it's massive tail over its back without risking a hit on its flapping wings. If this works she feels she has a good chance to go for a wing.
She makes it above the dragon, who responds by.. flipping over onto his back in the air? Showing your belly to the enemy is certainly an odd maneuver, but it's also causing him to plummet downwards.
Tasha sees two possibilities: she's about to get hit with a blast of fire, or she's going to get anviled against its chest if she tries to dive on the dragon's exposed belly. She has cats. She has taken the belly for an easy time, only to get encased in teeth and claws. She's not falling for it. So instead she backs off and follows the dragon down at a distance, expecting to have to evade breath, gas, or tail -- or all of the above.
Since Tasha is keeping distant, Farnettor just hits the ground in a cloud of dust. Maybe he only goes for close-range attacks? But for the moment the dust cloud obscures him.
Tasha doesn't like not being able to see her enemy, so she opens her third eye to search for him while she anticipates he may try to use the smoke screen to cover a surprise attack. As he's on the ground, rocks and fire seem most likely, so she backs away to wait for the smoke to clear. Even if she can see him with her third eye she can't make out details and it's too risky to get close without a clear idea of what Farnetter is doing.
As the dust settles, there's no sign of the dragon. And Tasha's third eye only reveals the cloudy blob of the his aura, which is spread out over the entire field of rubble.
Tasha thinks for a moment, then she believes she understands: he's dug his way underground, or else turned invisible. Farnetter, she's been told, is a earth dragon. While readying for a sudden attack from below, she consults the sword while also glancing above and behind her in case she's wrong in her assumption. "It's underground, isn't it? But it's a dragon, so I can't rule out teleportation nor invisibility."
"Could be in plain sight too," Caudimordax notes. "A stone camouflage effect or spell. But he can't hold it forever."
"Hey, shouldn't there be combat in Trial by Combat?" Vasha complains to Gwyndrael. "Hidin' ain't fighting!"
"Only fleeing is forbidden," Gwyndrael says. "Feeling each other out is normal for a duel."
"He does blend in very well," Tasha agrees. She wishes she had a ranged attack, but generating fire of sufficient heat and duration to harm a dragon made of stone would drain her terribly and may well be beyond her, so she waits. She knows the dragon can't escape, so one way or another he must come to her, which is to her advantage.
It then occurs to her she does have a gun. It won't do any damage, but maybe that will work for her too -- as an insult. So she draws the pistol and starts firing all over the rubble to see if it reveals his presence, or at least provokes him.
Stone cracks and spangs.. except when it doesn't. It may not do damage to the dragon, but it damages normal rocks, which gives her a roundabout way of detection.
Tasha keeps firing past the point of having revealed where she's pretty certain Farnetter, to give the impression she may not have found anything. "Guide me to the wing's weakpoint." The gun goes away, she descends, traces out the outline of a wing, follow it to the base -- and then she's gone. In a mach dive she descends on the limb She only needs one.
There's a blast of flame, but it's too late. The sword bounces off of real stone, but does penetrate the dragon flesh and bone beneath it. Absorbing the impact draws a good chunk of Tasha's energy budget though. And getting smashed in the back by a one of the dragon's tails costs her more as well. She can't afford to loiter.
Tasha slices upward and outward, intent on severing the wing deeply so her costly move was not in vain. She then moves away, switching to regular wing power. If she was successful then the dragon can no longer fly, and she has an advantage, but she'll have to manage her energy budget well from here out or have neitehr rapid evasion nor shielding.
Once she's clear, Farnettor rises up from the rubble while rolling onto his feet. He holds the disabled wing close to his body and hisses angrily, smashing his tails down at the ground to raise more clouds of dust.
Tasha suspects another smoke screen, which will be harder for her to deal with now that she can't rely on rapid acceleration-deceleration attacks. So she decides to approach head on, coming in from above and seeing if she can tease out a gap in the dragon's defenses, then she can go for the eyes, neck, or upper leg joint.
The apparently enraged dragon waits until the last moment, and fire billows out from his mouth. It isn't a directed blast though. What it does is ignite the dust cloud itself into a massive fireball in an attempt to catch Tasha before she can avoid it.
Tasha doesn't try to avoid it so much as roll with it, knowing absorbing the full blast would drain a majority of her shield strength and throw her far back for no gain. Her tactic in rolling with it constitutes multiple parts: tucking her wings to avoid a sail-in-a-storm effect and igniting her Red to absorb and deflect the heat rather than shield against it. Lastly she relies on her armor to handle the overpressure wave and flash suppression, which she knows it can do so, because she's done it before in a much more confined space. This leaves her diving like a dart, which presents the smallest cross-section she can. And if this succeeds she'l be close enough to attack.
Her target doesn't stay still after the ignition, but rears up and head butts her. She bounces awkwardly off of the armored skull, which actually damages her armor. But at least she didn't end up in the dragon's mouth, which was probably the original intention.. Farnettor just misjudged when she would pull in her wings.
Tasha shakes it off, but it does ring her bell a bit. She's beginning to wonder if she's just not suited to a battle such as this -- magic sword or no. She distinctly remembers the elven knight going down in mere seconds after engagement with faux-dragons, and he must have been hundreds of years old. It's the same sinking feeling she's had for a while, and why she's gone out of her way for a dragon's heart: ultimately there is a reason powerful beings are just that and why little villagers can only die. In a fit of pique against the unfairness of reality, Yellow swords manifest around her and shoot downward towards the top of the dragon's skull, now directly before her!
Farnettor doesn't even try to dodge the obvious illusions, and the result is immediate: the draconic aura vanishes and there's a pained screech. "Ah, there it is!" Caudimordax whispers. "Pain and fear."
"More than I wanted to use, but I'm clearly outmatched, and it offends me this being was born with might I had to earn tooth and nail. I'm not dying here. Neither is Vasha. And as Gwyndrael said, there's no limits, just our power." Tasha can't imagine Gwyndrael will approve, and that may be a problem, but she stands by her beliefs, ragged and damaged as they are. She doesn't have the strength to weather everything pain, the conviction to die to some cold and uncaring idea of honor, nor same strength of belief she had before Kainudy broke her. She just has what she has left. Luckily for her, that includes the power of suffering.
With the dragon's aura collapsed and the dragon apparently stunned, Tasha goes in with the blade, aiming for eye or neck, or both.
Farnettor is smashing his head face first into the ground, over and over, which does mean the horns normally protecting the spot where his neck meets his skull are angled away from it.
Tasha goes for the neck then, to make it quick. She knows what suffering the Yellow causes, and she doesn't need to extend it more than necessary. After aligning the blade properly she uses some opf her remaing reserves to give power to her swing and aims to severe the neck.
She hits right between the vertebrae, severing the spinal cord. The effect isn't immediate. First there's the last blast of fire and some thrashing around, but she's able to avoid getting smacked by flailing limbs this time. It also takes time for the head to die, from the way it blinks and works its jaw for nearly a minute.
The whole battle leaves Tasha feeling drained, soulless and drained. Feeling sick, without recourse nor harbor in any emotion, nor much of an idea of where to turn, she finds herself looking up at the sky for a long moment, the sword left stuck in the dragon's head so at least it can feel rewarded by the battle, because she does not. Everything is quiet.
Gwyndrael approaches and examines Farnettor. "Trial by Combat has ended. The verdict is guilty," she announces. Vasha comes over and gets Tasha's helmet off to check her. "He was scrappy and tricky," the Vartan observes. "Didn't talk big or anything, took it all serious. Not what I was expecting."
Tasha's lip is bloody, but it's her expression that's more worrisome. "I suppose he was more than he seemed, at that," she says at length. "I think.. I think maybe I went too far." But she doesn't know. Aside from sheer offense and anger, she had real concerns about her energy reserves and how, exactly, she was going to assault what is essentially a flying tank with battering rams, flamethrowers, and magic. It put in stark relief how limited her arsenal really is -- and she's borrowing the sword. Without it, and even with it, she had only her meager physical abilities, some minor pyromatic powers, a decent defense, and an accelerator. The Yellow is her deadliest power by far, and it is as tainted as the sky she's looking at is blue. And without there loaned powers? She would ahve been little better off than the townsfolk. She realizes she was right to attack suddenly and in ambush. A fair fight with a dragon is a 'fair' only in name, making her suspect the entire system of honor, that clearly favors dragons over other forms of life. Another lesson for her, today.
Kai pops into Tasha's field of vision. "Don't forget the heart," she says. "I'm going into the cave to look for any remains of the missing townsfolk."
"Right." Tasha sounds a little distant; she's not sure it's a blessing or curse no one realizes how she's feeling, but at least she can work in peace. And she's glad she severed the head, because then the heart has a chance of being untained -- but she somehow doubts it given the collapse of the dragon's aura. She wonders what Gwyndrael makes of all this, and if she's about to get attacked.
The sword is picked up and Tasha starts working to hack away at the belly, feeling she'll be at it a while.
It takes a bit of work to get through the ribs, and the heart comes as a surprise. It was clearly larger in life, but has shrunken considerably and looks burned. On contact, it actually turns to ash, leaving behind an uncut red gem like a ruby.
Tasha, despite her mood, manages to look perplexed as she holds the gem up to the light like the world's most macabre prospector. It certainly doesn't look edible. "What's this?"
"That's the heart essence," Gwyndrael explains. "It's an alchemical element produced when dragons die."
"Oh." Tasha shifts it around. She was, quite literally, expecting to have to eat a gigantic heart. "It's not what I expected." She lowers it, tucking it away in her bag for now, then she looks to Gwyndrael, eye to eye. "Is there anything you want to tell me?"
"The others will probably know the proper way to prepare it," the dragon says. "Kai might as well, but what works for her may not be practical for you."
"I mean, about me, personally. You know what that was, don't you?" Tasha tilts her head to the side. "What I hit him with?"
"It was effective," Gwyndrael says. "I had expected him to attack immediately, not hold out for the Trial by Combat, or I would have made sure you understood beforehand."
"You also had no way of knowing that soul-sword attack would be successful," the dragon points out.
"That was a problem for me. I'm not in the habit of putting people I care about on the line, and I've learned the very hard way I am not a match for beings such as this in a 'fair' fight. He pushed me a lot harder than I expected him to, though I suppose in that, I now respect him more than I did." She rubs her nose, head ducking, but eyes watching Gwyndrael. "That was a demon power. It might be his, or mine, but it's the same fell power that almost destroyed Kainudy when I went berserk after.. After what happened. The thing that bothers Vasha. I know you could hear us talking. As I understand it, it is something like revelation, and something like suffering. I don't like to use it on sentient beings for that reason. Kainudy said it was like being dead, but alive." She studies the dragon for any sign or recognition. "It's why your friend, the Priestess's, trespass worried me so much. Why it ruined my mood. It's anathema to those who believe. The power to kill gods."
"A young dragon like Farnettor would have been the least effected by it," Gwyndrael suggests. "He wasn't over confident in himself, other than thinking he would be able to get away with his crimes. For an older dragon it would have been far more devastating. Success breeds contempt."
"I wonder why it disabled him so, then? Or is that what the least effect looks like?" Tasha lifts her head and frowns, uncertain, asking, "You're not going attack me for that? The kitsune woman was fairly clear I would not be welcome in Bahamut's city if they knew where that power came from and what it does. I don't remember if I told you, but I honestly forgot to mention it if I didn't. I've had it for a while now. I owe its origin a favor, for a debt. I'm not entirely sure the Yellow is mine or his anymore."
"I'm not a priest, I'm a lawyer," Gwyndrael points out. "There is often misunderstanding about Justice. It's not about right and wrong or good and evil. It's about the rules that allow societies to function. Dragon society is harsh. You must fight for everything you have, nothing is given. Anger or threaten enough people and it doesn't matter how powerful you are, you will eventually face an army. The steel dragons learned that lesson. We had to put them down, to prove to ourselves that justice exists."
"I see, I suppose that makes everything that just happened make more sense and.. And in a way, I feel better about what happened." Tasha thinks for a moment, then starts walking to the dragon's head and gestures for Gwyndrael to follow. "Mind if I take some things? I'm going to take a few horns. Some are for Sasha, but one is for the people back there, to remind themselves justice exists -- and maybe goodness. Or, at least vengeance. I know I was prepared to walk out on them, but that was to protect Vasha and Kai, not because I didn't care. I suppose I side with good, friends and family, resolution and sometimes vengeance. And rage. Those things, more than justice or society. Chaos over order, but only when order becomes a problem."
"Take what you wish, and leave the rest for the villagers," Gwyndrael says. "Dragon parts are valuable, so this counts as a form of compensation."
"It's sweet that you wanted to protect me," Kai says as she returns from the cave, pulling along a sheepskin wrapped around what are certainly bones.
"I still would have fought too," Vasha claims. "Maybe not so tough from the inside."
"I will then. Vasha! Communicate with Sasha and asks him what alchemical supplies he needs from this. We can probably sue them for quite a while in our not-yet-built alchemy lab. It's very strange for me to say, but a lab full of books, strange bubbling things, and quiet understanding seems incredibly nice right now. Maybe I really am different." She scratches her head a moment, then begins hacking away. When Kai returns and comments, her ears flick and she admits, "Even though you're probably just a soulless shadow, I'd miss you if you were gone."
"Ah," Kai smiles. "You know I could have snapped his neck, right?"
"Sometimes it's hard to gauge how powerful everyone is, you know?" Tasha looks up and shrugs a little helplessly. "Besides, wouldn't that have been murder? I mean I could have thrown the battle.. But I suppose I did learn a lot, including that I am, my power or otherwise, a match for an adult dragon. I think. It's hard to really know. You know?"
"Oh, probably murder.. maybe?" Kai shrugs. "Or assisted suicide. I can't mess with dragons minds, but I can still smack them around."
"You such a credit to your creator," Vasha mutters.
"I can return the remains while you finish your harvesting," Gwyndrael says. "Be mindful of toxins, though."
"Huh, so I can do something you can't. That's worth knowing." Tasha's tail wags like a dead snake. "Vasha! Be a better credit to me. And to Kai. And Samael? You have a really low bar to cross, so you should feel lucky. I had to compare myself to Nora, if you're ever feeling down. But you have to compare yourself to me and I killed a dragon and a demon demigod. Just, try and be less sad than me, and I'll consider you a winner." She nods Vasha to get to work, then starts chopping in earnest. "Kai, help us not poison ourselves."