The Priest

[Alais d Nitesong]

Ozymandias listened to the comings and goings inside the house. War was the topic of discussion, and the guests were re-grouping. Ozy stored the information, calculating what would be needed in terms of supplies. They were seriously out numbered, and Ulysses’ fire power would have been nice, but was, alas, unavailable.

The automaton went back to his former owner’s office, bypassing the locks on the door and entering.

Messages were sent back to Harmony. Tomorrow he should have some help to send with the sorceress and her friends. They were going to need it.

He left the office, in time to hear the commotion at the other end of the hallway. The one known as Sai Jon had a weapon pointed right at the old Dragon.

Emotions must be strung tightly for that to happen.

The weapon lowered, and they all disappeared into the suite of rooms.

He flew toward the room, hovering beside the sorceress as she introduced him.

“Gentlemen, Ah’ve d’cided tae bring Ozymandias wi’ us. Tass, wilst ye allow ‘im through th’ wards wi’ me?”

[Tasslehofl Momus]

His eyes never blinked as the weapon was leveled at them. The rage that roared within them would not allow it. Let him shoot. It would only enrage him more. He had seen the damage that such a weapon could do, many times. It was the first he had ever seen of one that could take down a dragon.

Finally, the weapon was lowered, but the rage that ran unchecked through his body was not.

“Tass?”

It was a question born of uncertainty. It was a just question. He had not been himself when Sai Jon had first come, nor had he been the previous times he has seen him. He was now.

“Yes, it is me. It is the true me. And it’s time we all had a talk. The war has begun.”

[Kor Jon]

Sai Jon stepped back into the room allowing Tass to enter. Saltera and Alais followed him in but Sai Jon's eyes never left the dragon lord. He could feel the rage eminating from Tass in waves. Even with the connection he had forged during the healing he shouldn't be able to feel Tass without concentrating. Sai Jon felt his knees give way and without any warning darkness swept over his eyes. Pain rippled through him, different this time, it was like his insides had decided to rearrange themselves. He staggered back to his feet ignoring the looks from the others. "Flashback, don't worry about me. We have a war to fight."

Saltera stared at Sai Jon for a moment and then he tried to ignore the fact that he'd seen Sai Jon's eyes go black again, "He's right," Saltera growled, "Lord Momus, are the wards down so we can enter the Isles?"

[Tasslehofl Momus]

He watched as Sai Jon staggered, and he too felt the pull of what was within him. He studied the man before him for a bit longer, then a crooked smile passed over his lips.

"Welcome to the family."

Then, he turned to Saltera. "No, the wards are not down, nor will I release them. If anything, I have made them stronger. But that does not stop me from entering, and with me, you."

His his gaze shifted then to rest on Alais, boring his lavender eyes into her. After a few moments, he had found what he was looking for. "You worry for my brother. Do not. I will deal with him when the time comes for it. Right now, he is doing what he needs to do. That is enough. Now, if you would, kindly explain to us what he has shown you so that the rest may know."

[Alais d Nitesong]

Tass!

His return was both joyous and frightening. I was very happy to see him whole and apparently free of the curse, and yet, there is a terrible rage that is tightly leashed in my old friend.

I am not certain what he means by his comment to Sai Jon, 'welcome to the family', but right now is not the time to inquire.

He told me not to worry for Khirsah, but I do. The Elder is changed, and while I know they are close, and can communicate at will, there is something amiss with the Elder. Something that my intuition does not trust.

Tass' words shook me back to the present. Tell them what Khirsah had shown me. How could I look Tass in the eyes? Were it not for me, there would have been no tear, no demon army in his homeland, no dead dragons. Were it not for me, those fell creatures would be still in their hells rather than on Tass' islands.

I held Sai Jon's eyes as I related the scenes Khirsah had shown me. All the while, Sai Jon's words haunted me, 'have you ever done something for which you cannot forgive yourself?'

I told them of the massed dead gathering on Matlal, of the destruction of property and land, and then, as I slowly turned to face Tass, of the murder and worse of the dragons. Of collectors stealing the souls of dragons before they could escape, of dragons being turned into dracoliches, of dragons being hunted and tortured for the sport of the leaders of the invasion.

Rage radiated from Tass on a level that I'd never seen nor felt before. A rage as strong as the sorrow that I now felt.

And through it all, I wonder when will Khirsah come? When will he return from the Darkness for the need of his people.

[Kor Jon]

Sai Jon listened to Alais as she laid out the extent of the destruction that had befallen Tass' home. He tried to imagine the power it must have taken to subjugate an entire world of dragons and failed.

No matter where I go death follows.

Alais finished speaking but no one responded. It was as if to speak would make the horror real. He looked around the room at each of the others and let out a long sigh, "Salt, get Tobias and Jacob started gathering our gear. If there's anything else we need, go out and grab it quick." Saltera nodded and he turned to Tass, "Tass, how soon can you take us back to the Isles?"

"As soon as you are prepared and ready." Tass responded.

"Good, we'll be ready within the hour." Sai Jon said and Saltera moved out quickly. Sai Jon stepped over in front of Alais, "Sorrow comes later milady. You didn't do this, they did. Right now you need to remember that and find the anger that comes with it. You'll need it." He reached out and squeezed her shoulder and began to gather up his weapons and gear. His vacation was officially over.

[Alais d Nitesong]

Sai Jon had given direction to prepare to leave, and at the appointed hour, I returned to Sai Jon's rooms, Ozymandias hovering at my shoulder.

The spell components were safely stored for our journey.

Sai Jon's words from earlier slithered through my thoughts as I waited, "sorrow comes later". It seems to me that we are about to walk straight into the jaws of sorrow and pain.

I'd left my things in order upstairs. I' Taurn's sorceries would seal the house from all but Sylus or Telemachus in my absence.

On a last minute decision, I left Sai Jon and the others, heading once more for Ulysses office, pressing my palm to the reader, the door slid open. Ozy waited patiently as I opened Uly's desk, pulling out an item of Uly's I never thought I would carry or have need of. I looked at Ozy, "canst ye teach me 'ow tae use this?"

Ozy blinked. "Of course I can teach you how to use it, but you will not gain good marksmanship without practice. Take those as well. We can practice a little and re-arm the weapon without fear of running too short of power."

I slid 3 silver cartriges into my robes, as well as the laser.

We stepped out of the room, and I sealed the door. It slid home with a soft whoosh.

I returned to Sai Jon and the others, armed with everything I can reasonably use, with the exception of The Third. When we get back to the isles, I will summon the first and second, but it will be The Third that I require to drive the Annarans back to their place of exile.

[Kor Jon]

Sai Jon looked at his family as strange as it was. They had all gathered and were waiting for Tass and Alais in the entrance hall of I'Taurn. Jacob had come in from somewhere in a rush, he wouldn't say what he'd been doing. He had been disappearing to somewhere all week but he wouldn't say where. He would tell Jon what was going on when it became necessary. Saltera was standing quietly and Tobias was sitting at the bottom of the stairs both lost in their own thoughts.

Sai Jon had seen this before on many worlds. They would spend years preparing worlds to defend themselves from invading high lords but more often than not it all ended in battle. They would walk into a hopeless situation and so far they had all walked, or at least limped, out again. But for how much longer? The Muse protected them all from time but the odds kept getting worse. Was this the last time he'd stand here?

He felt Tass before he saw him. Sai Jon felt a wave of nausea in his gut and pain lanced through his biological hand. He looked down as what appeared to be black scales faded back into his skin. This was getting to be very weird and he'd had way too much weird in his life. He looked back at Tass who regarded him with a knowing half-smile. Before he could question Tass, Alais came gliding down the stairs and suddenly he realized it was time.

Jacob, Saltera and Tobias gathered around him, armed and waiting. Sai Jon sighed. Once more into the breach. He looked up at Tass, "Master Momus, take us to war."

[Alais d Nitesong]

Ozy and I walked quietly down the stairs. The men were at the foot of the stairs, each one seemed lost in his own thoughts. My hand curled around the weapon that had been Ulysses, it seemed heavy and awkward in my hand.

As I neared the bottom, I glanced at Sai Jon, he seemed almost ill, and as he looked at his hand, I could see what appear to be black scales.... but they disappeared almost as fast as they'd appeared.

Scales? To my knowledge, Sai Jon has no dragon heritage. There are not many half human, half dragon kind. A frown creased my brow.

Tass gave him an odd smile, and I debated asking about what I had just seen.

Ozy hovered at my right shoulder as the Priest requested that Tass take us to war. I gave Ozy a quick look and whispered a thank you to him. I was not the only one prepared. Ozy brought more than just his ability to calculate optimal distances and probabilities.

[Tasslehofl Momus]

He finally turned his attention away from Sai Jon. He could feel it as well. The time would come when they would need to discuss what was happening, and the implications of it. But now was not the time.

His gaze came to rest upon Alais as she descended the stairs with her automation. His eyes scanned her quickly, and found the gun which she clutched tightly. She would need all the help which she could muster. Including Ulysses.

His gaze shifted around the group that has assembled. There was still one missing which he knew to be crucial in this war, but he would come in his own time.

“Mr. Momus, take us to war.”

Sai Jon had no idea.

Carefully, he wove the pattern that was needed to bend the reality to him, first protruding the barrier that encompassed the entire set of Isle’s, then the one that encompassed his home. Then, turning, he nodded, and stepped through, leading them to the Manor.

Once through, he quickly and tightly sealed and tied off each barrier; first the Manor’s then the Isle’s. He would not allow another in or out of this world. What ever was to happen, it would stop here.

It was only a matter of moments of his arrival that Phal, his wife’s dragon, found him and began to flash the images through his mind. As the small dragon continued, and finally finished, Tass’s face grew paler and calmer with each passing moment.

Then the world around him exploded. Rage ripped through him. His body tore apart, leaving the tattered remains of his clothing behind as his dragon-side emerged. Each shining and brandished green scale dimmed, and the golden wings blackened with his rage.

It was Sai Jon who recovered first. His question came softly. He knew this kind of pain. “What has happened?”

Tass’ voice was soft and pain filled. It, too, was laced with rage and insanity. “They have taken them.”


(Cross posted and thread continuing in the EI: War of Ages)