Once Upon a Dream

Blaze looked at Sam "Consider this your warning." She slipped into her shadow and slithered out of the strangers and delicately sat next him. She could not be bothered with walking there.

"I'm warned," Sam said with a laugh, raising her hands in the air in mock surrender. The barmaid brought two pints of ale to the table. The elf thanked her and stayed at the table, looking over at the stranger through her hair, hoping perhaps he wouldn't notice. She took a sip of the ale. It was pretty good. Darkest was missing out.

Sam frowned glancing over at Darkest, Blaze and the stranger. She hoped nothing too drastic would happen...

This was unexpected. He was now in the company of two people, one of them who had just recently joined the two he had been watching. Interesting turn of events. Tarik smiled as he stared back into Darkest expressionless eyes. Two could easily play at his game, of course, he would win. The presence at his side was slightly unnerving; he didn’t take well to vampires especially when considering his back history with them.

The masked man’s stare was unwavering and it was too long after that a hesitant barmaid made her way towards them. She was shaking, it was clear that the intensity of the table had frightened her. That was fine, Tarik was sure she would get over it anyway.

The young girl was quick to place down four plates of a sort of cake down on the table. Without taking his eyes away from the younger man before him, he pushed the plate and fork towards him. “Dessert?”

"I was just wondering at that." Darkest replied as he deftly used the fork to cut a corner Tarik's sweet. A small bit of powder fell from his sleeve onto the pastry as he did so.

"Now," darkest said as he talked around the food, "How exactly do you get dessert in a tavern, my friend?"

Darkest made sure to wink at the barmaid and flash her a smile as he leaned towards Tarik in a conspirital manner.

"And why exactly are you wearing a mask?" He whispered overly loud to the mercenary.

"How poetic." Nick commented to Percy.

((I'm completely thoughtless. Sorry. ))

He does this all the time, Ana told Nick, amused by her Rider's ramblings.
((So am I.))

Tarik noticed the powder that had fallen from Darkest’s sleeve. It irked him that some unknown substance should fall on a dessert regardless of it being good or not. His gaze was quick to return to the young man as he idly listened to what the other had to say.

“Luck.” He says simply. They served food at a tavern so serving dessert shouldn’t be too hard of a task for the cooks in the back. And, what if he had convinced them with a few choice words, what had been done is done and the cooks especially the barmaid had taken it fairly well anyway. No harm.

“You’re filled with all sorts of questions aren’t you?” He shot back. “You don’t even know my name and yet you want to know such intimate things already. But since I’m in a good mood I’ll indulge you, for personal reasons.”

He didn’t say he would give the other the full explanation. Regardless, he gave the other an answer as he had promised.

“Now, I have a question for you. What brings you to this tavern?”

Darkest leaned back and crossed his arms comfortably over his chest. "You don’t even know my name and yet you want to know such intimate things already?" he teased gently and with a smile.

"If you must know, I'm a wanderer by choice, shackled down by the demands of my trade. It's odd, meeting such a verbose man wearing a mercenaries garb. Are you perhaps royalty?"

Sam couldn't help but laugh. "Shackled down by the demands of your trade? If you don't get that paperwork done soon Sasoix will have you shackled down," She took another sip of her ale, listening to the exchange.

Tarik laughs at the younger man’s teasing reply. Touché. He had a good point; it really was none of his business. However, upon hearing Darkest’s explanation he found him that much more interesting. A wanderer, hmmm, this person probably has seen just as much as him if not more then again he could almost be called a wanderer himself considering his trade.

“Royalty?” He chuckles. “Interesting observation but luckily I am not.” Royalty was the last thing he would want to be. He had worked for royal families and he’d rather the grunge work than their work any day. There wasn’t much freedom with being of royal lineage. People expected too much of you and he was a selfish man, not one to care about the needs of other people. Well, care that easily.

“I am a mercenary and one that has taken an interest in your friend,” He motions to Sam still sitting at the table not too far from them. “And you. You two are interesting people with a very colourful past.” He smirks. “I can tell.”

Tarik places the fork in his mouth and slowly chews the cake eyeing the vampire beside him. “You two have secrets that I must unlock.” He was being very frank with Darkest which was unusual for Tarik for he did enjoy playing mind games with people.

The elf looked up at the rest of the tavern. Several people were curiously watching them. Colorful past? Sam chuckled. Couldn't get more colorful than being a dragon rider. She felt G'reth in the back of her mind. He was confused. Play it safe... you don't know who he is...

I'm pretty sure three riders could handle one man. Have some faith in us. she replied. She felt his concern and pitured him coming all the way here and ripping the tavern apart to get to her. Pretty sure we wouldn't make a grand image of the riders doing that now. The dragon laughed and then disappeared. just lurking in the background of her mind. She grabbed the two ales and walked over the other table. She slid comfortably into the last chair.

"So what are you doing here in Telrith mysterious masked man?" Sam asked with a small grin. She pushed the second ale ,that was supposed to have been for Darkest, towards the him. "Cheers,"

Some where at the back of Blaze's mind Exxon was laughing. 'You're not even on his radar as interesting.' He informed her. Blaze wrinkled her nose at him. 'I know.' She thought back at him sharply. 'I am sitting right here.' Exxon continued to chuckle but she tuned him out.

She didn't care that he found her without an interesting past or secret to unlock. In fact, she was just plainly amused by the proceedings. She made eye contact with a bar maid and a few minutes later red wine had been given to her. Blaze sipped it slowly, continuing to watch the exchange.

Tarik was pleased when the girl named Sam finally came and joined his table. And look at that she brought a present too, how kind. He gives her a nod of thanks as he lifts the cup up. “Yes, cheers.” He repeated before bringing taking a good drink out of it. The ale was bitter, not the best he had ever tried but it was satisfying enough.

He tilts his head to the side and inhales deeply. “Truthfully, just passing by.” He answers. “But it seems that although this was supposed to be a quick stop it has proven to be much longer than I expected.”

Tarik had become a little of a creeper sitting at a table alone eating and watching a certain other table for who knows how long exactly. It didn’t help that the tavern had been nearly empty the entire time with only a few other customers but not enough to make it seem like he wasn’t captivated by two certain people.

“However, I have proposal for the three of you. The thing is if you accept there will be no backing out is that understood?” He had to test them but obviously this was more than just a test. Tarik would also be gaining something from this. They seemed adventurous enough and sitting a tavern for who knows how long could really grate on someone’s nerves. And, maybe, he would also indulge them on some more personal information if that’s what they wished. Really, it was a win-win situation for them because at the end of this 'quest' not only would they learn a bit more about themselves but their was a treasure per say and Tarik would gladly share the spoils. He just needed their cooperation.

Sam lifted her cup as well and took a quick sip before setting the glass down. She couldn't help herself. Her mind wandered. What person was under that mask? A scarred face? Just a regular person? Something completely different. She pursed her lips in thought but listened carefully. A proposal?

"I dare say I like to know what I am getting into before I accept," the elf said with a small grin as she took another sip of her ale. "Do you often ask strangers you have just met to pledge themselves to mysterious proposals as well as an equally mysterious man? I do not even know your name," Sam paused quickly, weighing the pros and cons. "My name is
Sam and your name is...? If you would be so kind, I would rather not call you mystery man," She smiled lightly at him, but one hand was on the pommel of her scimitar, the other on her glass.

Sam could feel G'reth's anxiety in the back of her mind. She tried to soothe him but the dragon just growled in reply.

"A proposal huh? Could be fun. Let's hear it." Darkest said quaffing a bit of ale snatched from a nearby tray.

ooc/ sorry for the short post

"Well, I see nothing of interest to me here, Percy." Nick said with a shrug. "Would you like to follow me and Skolifr back to our homeland?"
Skolifr stretched her wings and perked her ears up.

Percy shrugged. "Sure, why not? How long's the trip?"
I'm strong enough for a couple days' flight, but not much after that. Ana added, bending her head over her Rider's shoulder. Percy scratched her nose absentmindedly.

"Not too long. But I hope your dragon's a good swimmer." Nick said, and he started to hop onto Skolifr.

Ana cracked a smile. Definitely. Get on, Percy. She lowered her head, and Percy scrambled on, sitting in the mess of her horns instead of near her forelegs. It was easier on the boy's gimp leg, and they'd never been able to afford the leather for the saddle anyway. The dragon raised her head again, then stood back for Skolifr to take off.

Skolifr quickly warned Ana to keep an eye on her, cause she liked to fly fast, and then she took off into the skies.
Nick and Skolifr soared in the air passed trees and through clouds for a while, and since they were in the air, Skolifr took the opportunity to just listen to the sunlight, and let the winds kiss her cheeks in what felt to her as a gentle breeze. She flew with her eyes closed, completely at peace, and ecstatic that Nick was letting her fly back home. She didn't know why they left.
They finally reached the coast of the land, and they slowed down to look back for Ana and Percy. "Alright, you guys," Nick spoke, "There's only one way to get to where we live. The only challenge is trust." He said nothing more, and he let Skolifr dive down at a ninety-degree angle into the blue ocean.

Ana had only lagged behind a few times this trip. Percy could feel her pride. Good job, he said softly. The dragon hummed softly in response.
The Rider strained his ears to hear Nick over the blasts of wind, catching only a few words. He relayed them to Ana, but she had heard all of it, as dragon senses are highly superior to human senses, and had dove after the other dragon. They landed with a splash, and Ana bobbed up happily, her snakelike body completely at home in the waves.

Nick spoke to Percy via telepathy: "If you need it, create an air bubble around your's and your dragon's head. We'll be completely submerged for just a few minutes as we dive to the bottom."
With her large paws, Skolifr paddled straightforward toward the sea bottom, aiming for a giant black pit that looked bottomless.

We'll be okay, Percy replied, and Ana dove after Skolifr. He quietly cast a spell once underwater, and the sea became breathable for both riders-though not much else, because he didn't want to suffocate the marine life. They followed the other dragon into the black.

((pardon me for this cheap adventure, btw. my creativeness for roleplaying has been dead for a long time.))

Skolifr swam through that bottomless black pit, puffing away a few brave fish that decided they wanted to meet a dragon.
After a few yards down the pit, the water that lay on top of them was at it's heaviest, and this was the point where that weight would start dropping again if they could get past this point. But Skolifr needed Nick's help to paddle one more stroke, and then she could take it from there.
Past this point of heaviest weight, down became up.
Though it seemed against any laws of physics, Skolifr had started to swim back up to the water surface from the other end of that bottomless black pit.

((This oughta remind you of POTC III. ))

((I don't think it's cheap. Also, what is POTC III?))
Percy frowned as they started coming back up to the surface. Was that a portal or something? he asked Nick. This is really weird.