48
We crashed back into reality, and I spread my wings for balance in the soft sand as not to go sliding down the dune.
Alexis let out a yelp of surprise as she lost her footing and I quickly snapped out with my teeth.
Letting out an "oomph" as her backpack stopped her fall, she clung to her straps, "Agh! Atregos!"
I backed up, hauling her up across the 'cliff'.
Of course it was more like a slight slope.
Chuckling, I let go of her backpack, dumping her onto the ground, "Better now?"
"...Yes…" she grumbled and picked herself up, brushing the dust of herself, sliding her pack off before checking it, "...And you didn't even puncture it."
"What do you take me for, some feral beast?"
"I've seen you eat," she teased, and then looked around, "Desert."
"Mmm," I agreed, and stretched my wings, "We're about halfway across the world from the Tower. You still have your portal key stone, or should I cast the spell to open one?"
I hope she does, that spell is a pain to cast manually and I lost my stone with my armour.
Alexis frowned and felt through her bag, "I should have it here somewhere…" she said and after a couple of minutes of looking, she pulled out the small carved oval stone with a gem set in it.
Shouldering her pack again, she raised the stone and started to channel some magic, and a second later, a portal started to grow into existence before us.
It took a couple of moments before it grew large enough for me to move through it, allowing Alexis to take up the rear and close it behind us.
"World Walker!" one of the large dragonkin exclaimed as I passed through, "You have returned!"
"I have," I agreed, "It is good to see you, Lokadormu."
The bronze dragonkin bowed slightly, "There are orders from the Wyrmrest accord, Worldwalker. You are to report to them as soon as you return."
I didn't want to do that. I wanted to find Sheila, Zrazta, or Rengosa, and cuddle up to them.
But a command from my Flightleader or Alexstrasza was what it was.
I nodded, "Of course," I said and turned my head to Alexis, "You don't need to come. Go get some rest."
"Forget that, I'm coming along," she said as she walked up next to me, looking at the dragonkin as if to dare him to challenge her about it.
He was like four times her size, but he did the smart thing and stepped back, carrying his spear over to press his hand against a spot on the wall, causing a portal to open up at one end of the chamber leading to the top of The Tower.
I nodded to him and moved through the portal, Alexis walking along next to me, one hand resting on my side.
A second later, we found ourselves atop the Tower, stars shining high above. The area was lit by several floating crystals, and only two of the Accord were present.
Alexstrasza was in her real form, and turned her head to look at us when we walked out. The other one was Nozdormu in his mortal form.
Nozdormu.
He simply nodded once when we walked in.
Alexstrasza moved closer, "Atregos," she said and bumped her nose against my side, almost knocking me over, forcing me to take a couple of steps, almost forcing Alexis to scramble out of the way, "What happened?" she growled softly.
I turned to rub my head against her muzzle, "It was a trap," I told her, "A… dragon of sorts… he was trying to turn himself into a god. He had a device that caused all Planeswalkers to come to a Plane, and then he blocked everybody's ability to leave. Anybody that got killed… he absorbed their Spark."
Alexstrasza shifted her head to look down at me, "You survived."
I rose up, putting my forepaws on her nose, "We did. Many didn't. But we won in the end."
Settling down, Alexstrasza bumped her nose against me again, this time she did knock me onto my side, "Tell me everything."
So I settled down and did.
I told her about the fighting, the danger. The plans and problems.
Alexstrasza didn't say anything other than ask a couple of questions for me to clarify and I did my best, Alexis filling some things in when necessary.
Finally Alexstrasza nodded and snorted softly, "Atregos, you are never to Walk anywhere alone ever again," she growled softly, "You are too critical to risk in such a manner."
"Excuse me," Alexis said and looked up at the massive dragon, "I'm not sure that would have mattered in this case. We 'had' to Walk, we didn't have any real choice in the matter. It could literally have happened in the middle of the night."
Alexstrasza looked at her and then nodded, "So it seems," she admitted, "Would you be interested in a job, Miss Castle?"
Alexis hesitated, "I'm not sure I could bodyguard Atregos," she said, "I have other things I have to tend to."
The dragon queen nodded, "Understandable," she said and there was a cloud of spell smoke as she turned to her mortal form before walking over to Alexis, putting her hand on her shoulder, looking down at her, "I still thank you for your service to the Flights," she said gently, "You are a true friend to the dragons."
Alexis shifted a bit beneath the attention, "I was just helping a friend."
Alexstrasza smiled at her and moved her hand up, running her fingers through Alexis' hair for a moment like she does to me sometimes before she turned back to me, "That does not change things," she told me firmly, "No Walking alone in the future. If you can't bring one of your Consorts, ask somebody else. Ask Wrathion! If nobody else can come, ask me!" she said as she gripped my muzzle firmly with her hand.
"...Yes Alexstrasza…" I agreed, shifting my wings uncomfortably at the attention.
She shifted and rested her forehead against the side of my head, stroking along the top of my muzzle softly, "We can't lose you, Atregos. Do you understand? Without you, we may never return home."
"I understand, Alexstrasza," I answered softly, scraping my claws against the stone beneath me, "I'll be more careful, I promise," as I leaned against her touch.
Alexstrasza smiled slightly and then looked towards Nozdormu.
He simply smiled back and then walked over and through a portal towards the inside of the Tower.
"He knew," I said quietly.
"Likely," Alexstrasza said and shook her head, "But getting him to tell is an entirely different matter," she continued before she looked to me again, "Go to your consorts, Atregos. Go rest."
Yes. Yes please.
Alexstrasza turned to Alexis, "You as well, Miss Castle. Go rest, you have both earned it."
AN// And that's it! We're going to leave Atregos to face that chewing out on his own and instead move on to something less violent. We're going back to Star Wars and the former Sith apprentice with Breaking the Links. The previous story in the series can be found here: Links In The Chain (SW)
Many thanks to Arratra and Xandros for betaing this section!
Next story will start being posted on Sunday and will of course be linked in this thread.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it and my patreon is below if you have more money than sense.
Alexis let out a yelp of surprise as she lost her footing and I quickly snapped out with my teeth.
Letting out an "oomph" as her backpack stopped her fall, she clung to her straps, "Agh! Atregos!"
I backed up, hauling her up across the 'cliff'.
Of course it was more like a slight slope.
Chuckling, I let go of her backpack, dumping her onto the ground, "Better now?"
"...Yes…" she grumbled and picked herself up, brushing the dust of herself, sliding her pack off before checking it, "...And you didn't even puncture it."
"What do you take me for, some feral beast?"
"I've seen you eat," she teased, and then looked around, "Desert."
"Mmm," I agreed, and stretched my wings, "We're about halfway across the world from the Tower. You still have your portal key stone, or should I cast the spell to open one?"
I hope she does, that spell is a pain to cast manually and I lost my stone with my armour.
Alexis frowned and felt through her bag, "I should have it here somewhere…" she said and after a couple of minutes of looking, she pulled out the small carved oval stone with a gem set in it.
Shouldering her pack again, she raised the stone and started to channel some magic, and a second later, a portal started to grow into existence before us.
It took a couple of moments before it grew large enough for me to move through it, allowing Alexis to take up the rear and close it behind us.
"World Walker!" one of the large dragonkin exclaimed as I passed through, "You have returned!"
"I have," I agreed, "It is good to see you, Lokadormu."
The bronze dragonkin bowed slightly, "There are orders from the Wyrmrest accord, Worldwalker. You are to report to them as soon as you return."
I didn't want to do that. I wanted to find Sheila, Zrazta, or Rengosa, and cuddle up to them.
But a command from my Flightleader or Alexstrasza was what it was.
I nodded, "Of course," I said and turned my head to Alexis, "You don't need to come. Go get some rest."
"Forget that, I'm coming along," she said as she walked up next to me, looking at the dragonkin as if to dare him to challenge her about it.
He was like four times her size, but he did the smart thing and stepped back, carrying his spear over to press his hand against a spot on the wall, causing a portal to open up at one end of the chamber leading to the top of The Tower.
I nodded to him and moved through the portal, Alexis walking along next to me, one hand resting on my side.
A second later, we found ourselves atop the Tower, stars shining high above. The area was lit by several floating crystals, and only two of the Accord were present.
Alexstrasza was in her real form, and turned her head to look at us when we walked out. The other one was Nozdormu in his mortal form.
Nozdormu.
He simply nodded once when we walked in.
Alexstrasza moved closer, "Atregos," she said and bumped her nose against my side, almost knocking me over, forcing me to take a couple of steps, almost forcing Alexis to scramble out of the way, "What happened?" she growled softly.
I turned to rub my head against her muzzle, "It was a trap," I told her, "A… dragon of sorts… he was trying to turn himself into a god. He had a device that caused all Planeswalkers to come to a Plane, and then he blocked everybody's ability to leave. Anybody that got killed… he absorbed their Spark."
Alexstrasza shifted her head to look down at me, "You survived."
I rose up, putting my forepaws on her nose, "We did. Many didn't. But we won in the end."
Settling down, Alexstrasza bumped her nose against me again, this time she did knock me onto my side, "Tell me everything."
So I settled down and did.
I told her about the fighting, the danger. The plans and problems.
Alexstrasza didn't say anything other than ask a couple of questions for me to clarify and I did my best, Alexis filling some things in when necessary.
Finally Alexstrasza nodded and snorted softly, "Atregos, you are never to Walk anywhere alone ever again," she growled softly, "You are too critical to risk in such a manner."
"Excuse me," Alexis said and looked up at the massive dragon, "I'm not sure that would have mattered in this case. We 'had' to Walk, we didn't have any real choice in the matter. It could literally have happened in the middle of the night."
Alexstrasza looked at her and then nodded, "So it seems," she admitted, "Would you be interested in a job, Miss Castle?"
Alexis hesitated, "I'm not sure I could bodyguard Atregos," she said, "I have other things I have to tend to."
The dragon queen nodded, "Understandable," she said and there was a cloud of spell smoke as she turned to her mortal form before walking over to Alexis, putting her hand on her shoulder, looking down at her, "I still thank you for your service to the Flights," she said gently, "You are a true friend to the dragons."
Alexis shifted a bit beneath the attention, "I was just helping a friend."
Alexstrasza smiled at her and moved her hand up, running her fingers through Alexis' hair for a moment like she does to me sometimes before she turned back to me, "That does not change things," she told me firmly, "No Walking alone in the future. If you can't bring one of your Consorts, ask somebody else. Ask Wrathion! If nobody else can come, ask me!" she said as she gripped my muzzle firmly with her hand.
"...Yes Alexstrasza…" I agreed, shifting my wings uncomfortably at the attention.
She shifted and rested her forehead against the side of my head, stroking along the top of my muzzle softly, "We can't lose you, Atregos. Do you understand? Without you, we may never return home."
"I understand, Alexstrasza," I answered softly, scraping my claws against the stone beneath me, "I'll be more careful, I promise," as I leaned against her touch.
Alexstrasza smiled slightly and then looked towards Nozdormu.
He simply smiled back and then walked over and through a portal towards the inside of the Tower.
"He knew," I said quietly.
"Likely," Alexstrasza said and shook her head, "But getting him to tell is an entirely different matter," she continued before she looked to me again, "Go to your consorts, Atregos. Go rest."
Yes. Yes please.
Alexstrasza turned to Alexis, "You as well, Miss Castle. Go rest, you have both earned it."
AN// And that's it! We're going to leave Atregos to face that chewing out on his own and instead move on to something less violent. We're going back to Star Wars and the former Sith apprentice with Breaking the Links. The previous story in the series can be found here: Links In The Chain (SW)
Many thanks to Arratra and Xandros for betaing this section!
Next story will start being posted on Sunday and will of course be linked in this thread.
Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it and my patreon is below if you have more money than sense.
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