Heavy READER
Book Devourer/Speed Reader
- Location
- Fitchburg, MA
It could be Eragon, they are on a snowy mountain over looking a valley, the valley could be Palancar valley, Eragon's home town.
Living with dragons
- Thread starter Hiver
- Start date
11
The river far below glittered like a rope of silver in the bright sunshine and Rengosa and I circled higher and higher, our wings beating in the cool air.
We had been flying for a couple of hours now, following the river once we picked it up running out from the mountains.
The blur spell kept us from being easily visible from anything further away than a couple of hundred meters.
At almost a kilometre up, nobody would be able to see us.
Resting on my wings, I looked over at Ren as she sidled up next to me and we went slowly flew along the glittering band below. The mountains were slowly falling behind below, replaced by plains and small spots of forest barely large enough to deserve the name.
This was a nice place. If a bit disappointing in the terms of prey, several hours worth of flying and not so much as a deer.
So much for this in particular being a nice vacation spot. There was life, of course, birds and smaller prey were easily spotted. Just nothing worth hunting just yet. Then again, maybe they were hiding among the trees.
Our eyesight was good, but seeing through leaves was not something we could do.
"Over there!" Ren yelled across the wind. "Up ahead!"
The plains continued up to the foothills of a mountain where there was a shining white city-fortress rising in levels, leaning against the mountain cliff behind it.
It seemed to be built entirely out of shining white stone, farms stretching out around it. "See it!" I yelled back and shifted course toward it.
Man, to have missed it this far I had to have been wool gathering. That thing didn't exactly blend in with the surroundings. Bright white against the dark cliffs behind it and farms around it.
Refreshing the blur spell around us, I beat my wings harder, rising higher through the air.
That was an impressive city.
Even if it was built using magic, it rivalled the largest forts on Azeroth. Maybe not the largest ones like Icecrown, but it was still very big.
If built without magic…
Woah.
Now that would be impressive, better than anything that had been constructed on Earth. Even with modern technology, that would have been difficult.
"What do you think?" Ren asked and drifted closer.
"Interesting," I answered and rested on my wings. "Hope for humans, much easier to blend in if we can use our mortal forms instead of an illusion over it."
She made a sound of agreement and peered into the distance. "Can't tell yet."
"Too far," I agreed. "But the building style… it looks human or dwarfish to me."
"New world. Could be anything."
True that.
Making sure we kept high enough to be invisible with the blur spell active, we flew closer and closer to the city. It didn't take long to be able to make out details.
"Humans or those strange, human-looking elves," Ren concluded. "We should be able to blend in."
"Looks like that to me too. Let's find somewhere to land and transform away from the city."
We banked and started to glide away again, heading back out, away from the city and the farms around it.
We kept flying for another kilometre after the last farm and then went down into a spiral dive, gliding down towards a gathering of trees.
Pulling up and beating my wings hard, I touched down and dropped the blur spell. It wasn't that useful on the ground anyway for something as large as a Drake.
As Ren set down next to me, I returned to mortal form and rubbed my neck. Mmm, it was good to have stretched my wings for a while. Can't remember when I last flew for an entire day.
Ren reached to fish her bag off her armour before she returned to mortal form. "Move today or tomorrow?" she asked and dug through her bag before pulling a necklace out and slipping it on, putting a blue dress illusion over her armour.
I glanced up at the sun. "We should be able to make it just in time for sunset I'd say. Up to you."
"…Let's give it a try," Ren said. "Horses? I saw some of those."
"Horses." I agreed and started to channel my mana into a dual summoning spell. Horses, pure white creatures of the plains.
Dual summonings, not easy. Luckily, horses aren't exactly difficult to summon which made this about a medium difficulty creature summoning.
The spell finished, and the two horses appeared in flashes of white light by my sides. Patting the right one on the neck, I walked around before climbing onto its back.
"Been a while since I did this last."
"Years," Ren agreed and climbed into the saddle of her own mount. "…This is going to hurt later, isn't it."
"Oh yeah."
There was only so much dragon resilience could do about unused muscle groups.
AN// And a big crate of thanks to Grey Rook!
We had been flying for a couple of hours now, following the river once we picked it up running out from the mountains.
The blur spell kept us from being easily visible from anything further away than a couple of hundred meters.
At almost a kilometre up, nobody would be able to see us.
Resting on my wings, I looked over at Ren as she sidled up next to me and we went slowly flew along the glittering band below. The mountains were slowly falling behind below, replaced by plains and small spots of forest barely large enough to deserve the name.
This was a nice place. If a bit disappointing in the terms of prey, several hours worth of flying and not so much as a deer.
So much for this in particular being a nice vacation spot. There was life, of course, birds and smaller prey were easily spotted. Just nothing worth hunting just yet. Then again, maybe they were hiding among the trees.
Our eyesight was good, but seeing through leaves was not something we could do.
"Over there!" Ren yelled across the wind. "Up ahead!"
The plains continued up to the foothills of a mountain where there was a shining white city-fortress rising in levels, leaning against the mountain cliff behind it.
It seemed to be built entirely out of shining white stone, farms stretching out around it. "See it!" I yelled back and shifted course toward it.
Man, to have missed it this far I had to have been wool gathering. That thing didn't exactly blend in with the surroundings. Bright white against the dark cliffs behind it and farms around it.
Refreshing the blur spell around us, I beat my wings harder, rising higher through the air.
That was an impressive city.
Even if it was built using magic, it rivalled the largest forts on Azeroth. Maybe not the largest ones like Icecrown, but it was still very big.
If built without magic…
Woah.
Now that would be impressive, better than anything that had been constructed on Earth. Even with modern technology, that would have been difficult.
"What do you think?" Ren asked and drifted closer.
"Interesting," I answered and rested on my wings. "Hope for humans, much easier to blend in if we can use our mortal forms instead of an illusion over it."
She made a sound of agreement and peered into the distance. "Can't tell yet."
"Too far," I agreed. "But the building style… it looks human or dwarfish to me."
"New world. Could be anything."
True that.
Making sure we kept high enough to be invisible with the blur spell active, we flew closer and closer to the city. It didn't take long to be able to make out details.
"Humans or those strange, human-looking elves," Ren concluded. "We should be able to blend in."
"Looks like that to me too. Let's find somewhere to land and transform away from the city."
We banked and started to glide away again, heading back out, away from the city and the farms around it.
We kept flying for another kilometre after the last farm and then went down into a spiral dive, gliding down towards a gathering of trees.
Pulling up and beating my wings hard, I touched down and dropped the blur spell. It wasn't that useful on the ground anyway for something as large as a Drake.
As Ren set down next to me, I returned to mortal form and rubbed my neck. Mmm, it was good to have stretched my wings for a while. Can't remember when I last flew for an entire day.
Ren reached to fish her bag off her armour before she returned to mortal form. "Move today or tomorrow?" she asked and dug through her bag before pulling a necklace out and slipping it on, putting a blue dress illusion over her armour.
I glanced up at the sun. "We should be able to make it just in time for sunset I'd say. Up to you."
"…Let's give it a try," Ren said. "Horses? I saw some of those."
"Horses." I agreed and started to channel my mana into a dual summoning spell. Horses, pure white creatures of the plains.
Dual summonings, not easy. Luckily, horses aren't exactly difficult to summon which made this about a medium difficulty creature summoning.
The spell finished, and the two horses appeared in flashes of white light by my sides. Patting the right one on the neck, I walked around before climbing onto its back.
"Been a while since I did this last."
"Years," Ren agreed and climbed into the saddle of her own mount. "…This is going to hurt later, isn't it."
"Oh yeah."
There was only so much dragon resilience could do about unused muscle groups.
AN// And a big crate of thanks to Grey Rook!
Well my thoughts immediately went to Minas Tirith.
Richardson
CAN YOU HEAR THE PEOPLE SING?
- Location
- Yes
Pokemon? Gotta catch all the hiver protagonists!
- Location
- Christchurch, NZ
Man, Gandalf will be real salty about them stealing his shtick. "Conjurers of cheap tricks" indeed!
12
The city towered above us as we drew closer. The sun was setting as dusk crept in. We weren't the only ones heading for the city either and we fell in behind a merchant wagon.
We didn't get more than a cursory look from the guard as we passed through the gate. Security wasn't that strong, it seemed.
I glanced back towards the gate as we went through. Thick oak doors, a strong steel portcullis. The general construction of the city… not just a city. A fortress as well.
But not guarded against the sky. The skies were open. Sure, so were fortresses on Azeroth with gryphons and dragons, but they were often guarded by other means.
I didn't notice anything of that sort here.
No real fear of aerial assault, then.
I didn't notice any magic either. Those weapons the guards held were not enchanted, nether were those walls.
The guards I understood, enchanted equipment was expensive if you had to buy it. Not everyone would give it to every foot soldier around. But the walls of the city should have been reinforced.
No magic… or their magic didn't work like that here.
I glanced up towards the towering city above. They built this without easy magic? Holy crap, that would have taken fucking ages.
Even if they built it around a hill to save on volume… wow.
Ren brought her horse to a halt. "We should find somewhere to sleep. There has to be an inn somewhere."
"Need some money first," I said and dismounted. "Shouldn't be too hard."
As usual when exploring, we always brought some jewellery. Gold, silver, some gems. Stuff that was easy enough to convert into local currency.
Well, easy everywhere but on Earth, that was.
Then again, I doubted that these people kept as close track on their population as Earth. No place else I'd been to did. Fucking computers made it way too easy to do.
Ren dismounted and nodded, looking around. "Over there."
It did look like an inn. Sign above the entrance was of what looked like a pint of what I assumed was mead.
Following Ren over there to the stables just next to the inn, we were quickly intercepted by a stableboy.
"Hello there," Ren told him with a smile and handed the reins over. "Keep these well watered and you'll get a nice piece of coin for it."
He looked up at her in mild awe before he quickly nodded. "Of course, my lady!"
I couldn't help but grin as I handed my reins over in turn. Couldn't blame him for that, she was probably the most beautiful woman in the city.
…And we were about to enter an inn/tavern with a unknown reputation and clientele.
Sighing to myself, I made sure my weapon was sitting in its place on my belt. If we're unlucky, I'd have to break some jaws before the night was over.
Of course, Ren was usually one of the most beautiful females in any city. Of course, I'm probably biased.
Ren glanced back at me and smiled. "Well? Shall we go?"
"We shall." I agreed with a grin before we made out way into the inn.
Moving to hold the door open for her, I then followed her inside. The inside… it was pretty much exactly like I expected. It seemed like inns across the multiverse had many things in common. Tables, fire, a scent of beer, puke and roasting food.
I made my way inside, passing a leaving guest on the way as I made my way over to the bar. "Greetings."
The innkeep was a human of medium height, balding and while he might have been large and strong once, it had long since turned to fat.
"Ah, welcome, travellers!" he exclaimed with a smile. "I am Torvald and this is my Inn! What can I get you? Food? A room?"
"Both," I confirmed. "And something to drink if you have it."
"Of course!"
Ren moved up next to me. "There is a problem, though, we are a bit short on coin at the moment. Perhaps you'd be willing to take something in trade?" she asked and put a gold necklace on the counter.
"Perhaps indeed." he said and looked at her.
"I do hope you mean the jewellery my wife offered you?" I asked him as I put my hand on the counter.
He looked at me in surprise. "Of course! Of course! Yes, this will suffice. Three nights and two meals a day."
"Five," Ren countered and smiled prettily at him, resting her arms on the counter as she leaned forward. "That necklace will make some girl very happy. It's worth more than three nights and some food."
He blinked at her and then finally nodded. "…My wife would like it," he answered. "Four nights."
"Thank you, Torvald. Is that roast pork I'm smelling back there?"
"Ah! Only the best in the city! My daughter's cooking is the best! I'll get you some!" he said and quickly hurried into the kitchen.
I eyed Ren for a second before I turned around and leaned back against the counter. "…Ren, you have been talking with Sheila again."
"I can't believe that works… " she said with a grin. "That was so easy."
I growled at her. "It don't work on me."
She just smirked at me.
AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section.
We didn't get more than a cursory look from the guard as we passed through the gate. Security wasn't that strong, it seemed.
I glanced back towards the gate as we went through. Thick oak doors, a strong steel portcullis. The general construction of the city… not just a city. A fortress as well.
But not guarded against the sky. The skies were open. Sure, so were fortresses on Azeroth with gryphons and dragons, but they were often guarded by other means.
I didn't notice anything of that sort here.
No real fear of aerial assault, then.
I didn't notice any magic either. Those weapons the guards held were not enchanted, nether were those walls.
The guards I understood, enchanted equipment was expensive if you had to buy it. Not everyone would give it to every foot soldier around. But the walls of the city should have been reinforced.
No magic… or their magic didn't work like that here.
I glanced up towards the towering city above. They built this without easy magic? Holy crap, that would have taken fucking ages.
Even if they built it around a hill to save on volume… wow.
Ren brought her horse to a halt. "We should find somewhere to sleep. There has to be an inn somewhere."
"Need some money first," I said and dismounted. "Shouldn't be too hard."
As usual when exploring, we always brought some jewellery. Gold, silver, some gems. Stuff that was easy enough to convert into local currency.
Well, easy everywhere but on Earth, that was.
Then again, I doubted that these people kept as close track on their population as Earth. No place else I'd been to did. Fucking computers made it way too easy to do.
Ren dismounted and nodded, looking around. "Over there."
It did look like an inn. Sign above the entrance was of what looked like a pint of what I assumed was mead.
Following Ren over there to the stables just next to the inn, we were quickly intercepted by a stableboy.
"Hello there," Ren told him with a smile and handed the reins over. "Keep these well watered and you'll get a nice piece of coin for it."
He looked up at her in mild awe before he quickly nodded. "Of course, my lady!"
I couldn't help but grin as I handed my reins over in turn. Couldn't blame him for that, she was probably the most beautiful woman in the city.
…And we were about to enter an inn/tavern with a unknown reputation and clientele.
Sighing to myself, I made sure my weapon was sitting in its place on my belt. If we're unlucky, I'd have to break some jaws before the night was over.
Of course, Ren was usually one of the most beautiful females in any city. Of course, I'm probably biased.
Ren glanced back at me and smiled. "Well? Shall we go?"
"We shall." I agreed with a grin before we made out way into the inn.
Moving to hold the door open for her, I then followed her inside. The inside… it was pretty much exactly like I expected. It seemed like inns across the multiverse had many things in common. Tables, fire, a scent of beer, puke and roasting food.
I made my way inside, passing a leaving guest on the way as I made my way over to the bar. "Greetings."
The innkeep was a human of medium height, balding and while he might have been large and strong once, it had long since turned to fat.
"Ah, welcome, travellers!" he exclaimed with a smile. "I am Torvald and this is my Inn! What can I get you? Food? A room?"
"Both," I confirmed. "And something to drink if you have it."
"Of course!"
Ren moved up next to me. "There is a problem, though, we are a bit short on coin at the moment. Perhaps you'd be willing to take something in trade?" she asked and put a gold necklace on the counter.
"Perhaps indeed." he said and looked at her.
"I do hope you mean the jewellery my wife offered you?" I asked him as I put my hand on the counter.
He looked at me in surprise. "Of course! Of course! Yes, this will suffice. Three nights and two meals a day."
"Five," Ren countered and smiled prettily at him, resting her arms on the counter as she leaned forward. "That necklace will make some girl very happy. It's worth more than three nights and some food."
He blinked at her and then finally nodded. "…My wife would like it," he answered. "Four nights."
"Thank you, Torvald. Is that roast pork I'm smelling back there?"
"Ah! Only the best in the city! My daughter's cooking is the best! I'll get you some!" he said and quickly hurried into the kitchen.
I eyed Ren for a second before I turned around and leaned back against the counter. "…Ren, you have been talking with Sheila again."
"I can't believe that works… " she said with a grin. "That was so easy."
I growled at her. "It don't work on me."
She just smirked at me.
AN// Many thanks to Grey Rook for betaing this section.
- Location
- London
I think its pretty definitely Minas Tirith at this point:
a) To get there, they flew along a river which started in mountains and forests and led them to plains. (the Anduin?)
b) its a shining white city.
c) when they enter the inn level of the city they comment on the "towering city above".
At the very least its unlikely the main town in Attack of Titan which although in a clearing does have forests around it, and aside from having high walls is pretty much flat.
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Jormungandr
The Midgard Wyrm
Two dragons in Minas Tirith. 
Grey Rook
Genuine Nerd
- Location
- The Quantum Foam
How so? Are you figuring that Gandalf is going to fight them?
I don't think I'm getting the joke.Two dragons in Minas Tirith.
Gandalf is going to think they are smaug's children and is going to look if Loose scales is a genetic thing and getting Legolas to open up a Dragon slayer buisness.
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Grey Rook
Genuine Nerd
- Location
- The Quantum Foam
Wasn't Smaug either red or black? Because both Atregos and Rengosa are blue, and don't look much like Smaug.
He asks nicely. Amazing what that can do.
If I remember it correctly (and I could be wrong since it is been a decade since I read the silmarillion and the hobbit) he was the last dragon and direct discendent from the mountain big first dragon who I think was black...so color and form could not mean that much to middle-earh dragons.
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- Location
- Ohio
I am sorry @Grey Rook, I did not mean to sound rude if it did. I just meant how do I ask for people or find them so I do not look too silly when writing.
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Jormungandr
The Midgard Wyrm
Dragons in Middle-Earth have a very negative reputation, to say the least.
Two dragons that can shape-shift and use a wide-array of magic? That's pants-browning.
Grey Rook
Genuine Nerd
- Location
- The Quantum Foam
Hah. No, it wasn't rude. You asked a question, so I answered it as well as I was able. Hiver asks nicely, and politeness is hammered into most of us as children. Doesn't hurt that I've been helping him for the past several years, either.
Oh, okay, that makes sense. In my defense, it's been about twenty years since I last read anything LotR.
- Location
- Michigan
Alright! I found this whole series of stories a few days ago and have just been reading my way through all of it for those past few days, and have finally caught up to here, and I just have to say, GREAT STORY.
Atreus is great. I haven't found myself disagreeing with any of his choices, even when things did not go well. His sensibilities match my own and that made this a very enjoyable read. I do very much enjoy the way you go through enchanting as well, especially with the bits of magical technobabble during the parts where it's relevant.
Beyond that, you've made the level of power in this story very reasonable, and while Atreus is strong, he still frequently runs into things that challenge him, and does get his ass kicked from time to time. He's not overpowered and able to defeat anything with ease, which is Fantastic with a Planeswalker Story, were it is so easy to give in and Trump All.
In general, I just want to state that this story is great and I am heavily looking forward to future chapters.
Atreus is great. I haven't found myself disagreeing with any of his choices, even when things did not go well. His sensibilities match my own and that made this a very enjoyable read. I do very much enjoy the way you go through enchanting as well, especially with the bits of magical technobabble during the parts where it's relevant.
Beyond that, you've made the level of power in this story very reasonable, and while Atreus is strong, he still frequently runs into things that challenge him, and does get his ass kicked from time to time. He's not overpowered and able to defeat anything with ease, which is Fantastic with a Planeswalker Story, were it is so easy to give in and Trump All.
In general, I just want to state that this story is great and I am heavily looking forward to future chapters.
TW33K
Generic Title
- Location
- where the wild things aren't
I was literally just about to post exactly this
It was nice to read a self insert that was more than just a power/herem/SCIENCE! wank. I'm definately looking forward* to more updates
* dreading to have wait for
asdx
Superior Sword Fairy
- Location
- Texas.
More like the LotR verse has some hilariously nasty shit that could probably squish them like ants. And the fact that Sauron and company would be /very/ interested in their sudden appearance, strange abilities, and such.
Like what? I mean, I'm not saying I like their odds versus Ancalagon the Black, or still-has-a-body Sauron, but Middle Earth hasn't seen the likes of them since the Second Age. "Jumped by all nine ringwraiths" would be a hell of a bad day, but they'd have to stick around for months before that becomes plausible - they can't just teleport around, and long-range communication is also pretty slow.
T'is true indeed, it's hard to remember a time before Hiver had Grey Rook betaing for him. How many stories had it been at this point? Five? Six? More?